The duel

A few hours after nightfall, four friends gathered again in Ayumu's room. Isao looked at his friends hoping they had learned something about the state of the kingdom.
"And? What did you guys figure out?" Ayumu looked at Isao and Noboru.
"Noboru just made a new friend" Isao replied without a single emotion on his face.
"I feel like there’s more to that story" Michi looked at Noboru.
"What? I simply asked her for a sample of her skin so I could compare human and elven DNA. Isn’t it interesting to see how much our races differ?" Noboru was sitting on the bed with closed eyes and a beer in his hand.
"I'm not going to ask further, none of us care about what happened I suppose" Michi sat next to Noboru and also closed his eyes. Ayumu was sitting the same way he always did when they met, backwards on a chair resting his arms on its backrest. Isao started looking around, trying to analyze the materials around him. Dark, wooden door, next to them a wooden wardrobe.
"Nothing out of the ordinary" he thought.
"Noboru, do you think-" he didn't finish asking as Noboru already knew what he was going to ask about.
"Yeah those lights on the chandelier are magical. I checked it earlier in my room, magical catalysts enchanted to cast a certain spell at certain circumstances. How do you turn them off? Not sure, but that switch on the desk might have something to do with it."
"You know that but you don't know about the switch?" Michi asked.
"When I dismantled the one in my room it stopped working, I had to disenchant the catalyst to make sure the catalyst could be enchanted with a different spell."
"Fair. Where did you find the beer though?"
"In the kitchen. A fair reward for a fair day’s work" Noboru took a sip with his eyes still closed.
"You'll have to show me where it is once we get some free time. But. Going back to the question Isao asked earlier in the day. Do we wish to 'fulfill' our mission given to us by the king?" Michi bent over looking at his friends. None of them actually thought about it, they simply spent the day doing what they felt the best at.
"We can try at least. I've seen...certain things that I wish we could at least try to save" Ayumu scratched his arm.
"Which are?" Isao looked at him.
"After I dueled one of the instructors, really full of himself by the way, I hated the dude, I took some of the guards on a patrol in the poorest parts of the capital. No one wants to go there but I convinced them that if they are afraid of some 'lowborns', as they like to call them, then they should be shitting themselves just thinking about the real enemy."
"Yea, but what is worth saving there?" Michi asked.
"You remember the time when we ran away from the orphanage?"
"The time that all of us lived off your money you used to win in the fight club?"
"Exactly. I've seen children that reminded me of us back in the day. How many of them will never get a chance just because they were born lowborn? How many could’ve become generals, scholars, or something even greater?"
"Easy, Ayumu. This is not the answer we were looking for. You don't mind dying for people you have never met, but we do. We're not soldiers" Michi stopped his friend. They all went quiet for a moment after this argument. They all looked at each other. None of them knew whether the struggle would be worth it.

"I've read through some financial reports. Turns out the funds really are disappearing, the question is, where do they go?" Michi stood up.
"True, can you figure it out?" Isao asked.
"Yea, but I will need some time tomorrow. Nothing difficult, but it will take a few hours." Michi started circling around in the room.
"Good, Isao?" Ayumu turned to his friend, resting his head and arms on the backrest of his chair.
"I've checked the plans of the city. Literally everything is medieval, the buildings, no sewers, sanitation is practically nonexistent. My idea? We should modernize it all."
"Ah, yes, 'cause we can." Ayumu replied ironically.
"In a sense, yes. We just don't have the authority" Isao shrugged his arms.
"I'll read the constitution and study their law tomorrow after I send the current finance minister to bring me the reports."
"What’s the state of the army?" Noboru asked all of a sudden.
"Poor. Half their soldiers look like you with a knife and no magic." Ayumu looked tired.
"What about special forces?"
"Non-existent. I've...met some formidable warriors, but nothing more." Ayumu blushed.
Noboru looked at him with a smile.
"Was one of them a catgirl?" Isao laughed.
"Maybe... Maybe not..." Ayumu turned around.
"Well then, stealer of hearts, how did it go?" Michi punched him gently in the arm.
"Not how I planned but how you expected."
"I see..." Noboru was preparing for a comment but Ayumu's look stopped him.
"Time to go to sleep, get out!" Ayumu joked and got up.
"Yeah, that's fair. We should get some sleep" Isao smiled got up and walked out. Shortly after, the rest followed him.
"The elf should be asleep so you'll find me in the library" Noboru said closing the door behind him.

The next morning brought a moment of realization. There was no way back to their homeland, they were stuck here unless Noboru figured something out.

"Guys! I found something you might be interested in!" Noboru barged into the dining room, looking like a zombie. He hadn't slept all night, studying forbidden magic.
"You know how to get home?!" They all shouted in unison, hyped that Noboru's obsession with knowledge finally paid off.
"Quite the opposite. I've learned a few spells you might find useful!" Their scientist friend stood proudly in the middle of the kitchen, right next to their table. They were alone so no one could comment on the table that Ayumu decided to throw at Noboru. At the last moment, Noboru managed to raise his hand and stop the table midair.
"My beer!" Isao shouted.
"Cut me some slack, I haven't slept all night" Sugawara waved his hand, setting the table and things that fell off of it back in their proper place. He sat next to them, casting a spell that made a coffee appear in his mug.
"You want those spells or not?" he asked.
"I'll pass" Michi replied.
"I'll accept everything that can strengthen my body. You guys can play with...whatever you want to. I'm not cut out to be a mage so I would prefer to only know...'enchantments' you would call it." Ayumu crossed his arms.
"I figured. Isao?"
"That ancient tongue...you told me about it yesterday."
"Yes!" Noboru shouted. "I have books ready for you to read in the library!"
They all looked at each other, trying to finish their breakfast. They all felt the weight of their situation. Not being able to come back to their homeland hit them hard. Until now, it felt like a trip to some foreign land, learning their culture and history. Michi had already given up hope of ever returning home. Despite being a taekwondo instructor a few years earlier, he didn't feel like he could fit in a world at war. Ayumu was used to the advantages of Japan's military: advanced technology and highly trained soldiers. Teaching complete beginners was a different matter. Teaching total newbies was something different for him. The same went for his combat skills. He knew how to use a sword, but he was far from being the best swordsman. He won a few Kendo championships but that was it. Isao, on the other hand, saw himself as a great inventor but knew almost nothing about the kingdom's resources. He was counting on Michi to find out what they had available. He preferred technology over magic. Noboru seemed to be the only one that accepted the fact that they are in a world that needed to be saved and seemed to have a little fun with all that's unknown and forbidden. 

After they all finished their breakfast, Noboru took Ayumu outside to teach him the spells he told them about. Meanwhile, Isao decided to go and check what the Ancient Tongue was. Only Michi stayed to finish his drink.

Isao sat in the library and opened the first book. He hoped for a dictionary but that was more of a history book with some words written in an alphabet he didn't recognize.
"Ugh, a friend of Noboru..." he heard behind him.
"And who are you?" he turned around. It was an elven woman, most likely the same Noboru mentioned the day before.
"Name's Elyra. Don't touch my notes, and we won't have a problem" she said and walked away, without a single sign of care about his presence.
"How did you know I was one of the heroes, I could simply be someone sneaking in here to seek the forbidden knowledge." Isao joked.
"That would make you Noboru. Also, your outfit seems...off" she was already gone from his sight. The library was huge, it could cover a whole floor of his house back in Japan. Isao looked at himself and couldn't disagree with Elyra. His heavy boots with cargo pants and leather jacket seemed a little bit off. Not as much as Ayumu's camo outfit and a black tank top he wears underneath it, or Michi's tuxedo. Only Noboru fit here with his white lab coat. It was probably a good time to make some changes in their appearances and look like they belonged here.

At noon, they all gathered in the same room as they always did. Noboru was the first one to break the silence.
"What do you guys actually think of this kingdom?"
"What do you mean?" Ayumu asked.
"We are asked to be the saviors of this kingdom, but what is the reward?" Noboru's question was actually on point.
"True, but definitely we won't be doing this for free. Better question is, how many walls are we gonna hit during our rebuilding? Things as simple as family names are basically rejected by the king because 'tradition says otherwise'. Are we actually gonna succeed?" Ayumu asked.
"My point exactly, we lack highly trained personnel, as well as educated people. Most of the kingdom's population consists of commoners, yet only nobles are allowed to send their children to school. I asked Edric about it and he said 'it's always been like this, don't change it' or something like that."
"The same goes for a special forces unit. I wanted to make something like this but he turned me down by saying 'pointless expense' so I'm back to square one." Ayumu was backwards again on his favourite chair.
"I was thinking about it for a while. According to Dohalan law, you can challenge the current king. If you win, the throne is yours." Michi sat on the bed.
"We can't defeat him one on one, you know that" Ayumu crossed his arms.
"Nothing in the law says the challenger has to fight alone. But all of us will share the throne then" Michi looked at his friends, looking for a different proposition.
"If that's the case, I'm in!" Noboru shouted.
"You power-hungry bastard..." Ayumu smiled.
"I'm not power-hungry, but I don't mind setting the rules. I'm willing to do it."
"Eh, this army needs many reforms. Too many. I'm not letting you die alone" Ayumu closed his eyes.
"Wait, wait, wait, what? You're...willing to throw your lives like that?!" Isao almost shouted.
"What do we have to lose? We'll be dead soon enough anyway. Both the elves and the humans are preparing to reclaim their lost territory. Might as well try to change things and save ourselves." Isao always hated Ayumu's mindset. He was willing to throw everything at his enemy in pursuit of his own goals, even his life.
"I was hoping you guys would come up with something else..." Michi was regretting telling them about this law.
"It would look bad if you didn't join us after telling us about that, wouldn't it, brother?" Ayumu grabbed Michi from behind by his shoulders, smiling ominously.
"At least tell me you have some plan for that..." Isao said disappointed, looking at Michi who was trying to ignore Ayumu and Noboru, both sitting next to him, with evil smiles all over their faces.

"King Edric Valcrest of Dohala! We challenge you to a fair and noble fight for the throne!" Michi shouted once they approached the throne.
"A duel? That never happened yet, but yes, you can challenge me according to the law" the king replied. Whispers and gasps could be heard among the guests and guards.
"Since there are four of us attempting to claim your throne, you are entitled to three champions!"
The king was surprised by the situation, but he could not show a sign of anxiety. In fact, he felt pretty confident about his victory.
"Today, in two hours, on the great arena!" he shouted and stood up from his throne.
"That...went surprisingly smooth. Too easy" Michi turned to his group.
"Too late to fall back. If you stick to the plan we have a chance" Ayumu replied and put his hand on Michi's arm.

Two hours later, they stood in the middle of the great arena, facing their opponents: an archmage, the current arena champion, the king himself, and his pink-haired daughter, Lyria Valcrest. From what Michi knew, the arena resembled the Colosseum in ancient Rome.
"This is the first time in our kingdom's history that someone outside the royal family has challenged the king for the throne! And there are four of them! The mighty House Valcrest and its champions will face the great heroes!" The commentator's voice echoed throughout the arena. Isao, Michi, Ayumu and Noboru were standing patiently, waiting for the start. Unlike Ayumu and Noboru, Isao and Michi weren't ready to kill anyone, so they hoped their friends would do the rest.
"Let the duel begin!" the commentator shouted.

Noboru looked at the archmage in front of him and instantly flew up. The ground beneath them began to crack, and the air seemed heavier than usual. The Dohalan mage watched Noboru, realizing this wouldn't be a fair fight. The hero mage wouldn't hold back from using forbidden magic. At the same moment, skeletons began rising from the ground. Some still wore the armor they had died in, while others were little more than piles of bones. Along with real skeletons, Noboru started summoning skeleton constructs as well. The arena's ground was filled with corpses of the dead warriors, making it a perfect fighting ground for Noboru's necromancy. He could summon many powerful beings, but he needed time. The archmage knew that and decided that he wouldn't hold back. He started casting a manipulation spell, hoping to take control of the undead.
Michi looked at the current arena champion. The nameless warrior rushed at him, but a few skeletons blocked his path. Michi knew he stood no chance against the warrior unarmed. All he could do was buy time, dodging the attacks and using Noboru's skeletons as walking shields.
Lyria charged at Isao, hoping to end this quickly and aid her father. Isao started whispering words in an unknown language and started teleporting around, dodging her attacks, trying to memorize her moves and find weak spots. He knew only a few words in the Ancient Tongue and only the basics of the language. He couldn't defeat her with one sentence, but he could delay the fight and keep her busy for a while.
Ayumu summoned a katana and started approaching the king, strengthening his body with magic at the same time. Edric wore gleaming plate armor, too thick for a simple slash to penetrate. He raised his shield and approached Ayumu, ready for him. The king struck first, but Ayumu parried the blow. Despite Edric's age, he was as strong as the general. Ayumu quickly jumped back and instantly dashed back in, trying to hit the king, without killing him. Edric's death wouldn't make everyone surrender and Noboru still needed some time to summon more undead and constructs. They began exchanging blows, trying to maim each other.
Noboru kept dispelling the archmage's spells, casting his own when his enemy was occupied by the skeletons. All he needed was for the archmage to bleed. Although the archmage had taken control of some of his skeletons, Noboru felt safe flying in the air, above the battlefield. Their exchange of spells made the crowd uneasy, as both of them were using magic that was considered forbidden.
Michi kept dodging his opponent's attacks, landing a single hit once in a while. The champion hit him a few times, making it slowly harder for Michi to move.
Isao realized that Lyria wasn't fighting with her sword only. She was using magic as well to enchant her weapon. He was hit by the waves of fire a few times, but he was ready for the final move. He only needed Noboru to defeat his opponent.
Thanks to Noboru's teachings, Ayumu was able to dash from place to place, faster than anybody. During the exchange of hits, he managed to cut off Edric's left arm, leaving him without a shield. The king didn't wait long to retaliate and swung his blade, cutting Ayumu's face diagonally, making the blood drip to Ayumu's left eye. The general, his vision obscured by blood, and the king, his left arm severed, continued to fight. Neither of them was going to give up, but Ayumu had to be careful not to kill the king. He was hoping that Isao doesn't kill Edric's daughter as it would make it impossible to force Edric to surrender.
Noboru was running out of ideas on how to land a hit on the mage. He lifted several of his undead off the ground and hurled them at his enemy. At the same time, he cast several fireballs and magic spears, hoping the mage wouldn't be able to block everything. The archmage appeared to have dodged or blocked every attack. He raised a hand to cast another spell—but Noboru noticed that one of his spears had drawn blood. As long as he saw the object, he could control it. It was the same with liquids, which included blood - as long as it was visible, Noboru could control it. He smiled and started reciting incantations. The blood flowing from the wound gave Noboru the connection he needed to control the blood still circulating inside the archmage's body. The archmage felt his hand getting hotter and hotter with every second. He looked at the palm of his hand and realized what was happening. He could feel his body burning from the inside. He screamed in agony and started falling on the ground, coughing blood. He tried to get back to his feet, but Noboru was already controlling his blood, making it boil inside of his body. The archmage couldn't believe that he could be defeated. Noboru's constructs and skeletons approached the mage. As he was trying to dispel his opponent's control spell and heal himself, he felt a sword piercing his body. One by one, the skeletons stabbed the mage, finishing him off. After the mage's defeat, Noboru could continue his plan, hoping it's not too late for his friends.
Michi took a hit to his right arm, making it completely useless. He couldn't move it at all and his legs started giving out as well. His friends were the only family he had. If not for them, he would have run long ago—but he couldn't leave them to die. He had never been much of a fighter, but he wasn't about to abandon them now. At the same time, a skeleton twice his size charged at the champion, hitting him with his giant mace. When the current champion got back to his feet, he looked at the skeleton.
"It can't be..." he whispered to himself. It was the former champion's remains. He would recognize that armor everywhere. He decided to charge at him and take his chances. At the last second, Michi used all the strength that he had left and jumped at the warrior, pushing him to the ground. The skeleton used this moment to smash the champion's head with his mace. Michi looked at him from the ground but the skeleton was already in pursuit of another target. He'd done it. He'd bought Noboru enough time. His strength finally gave out, and he collapsed onto the arena floor.
Edric still refused to surrender, despite having lost two of his men. He still hoped that he and his daughter could still win this, but at the same time, he couldn't believe what kind of monsters they were fighting.
Isao saw the opening and made Lyria fall to the ground, as if the gravity itself decided to pull her down. She felt too heavy to get up, let alone fight. Noboru hovered above the battlefield, slowly turning toward them, preparing to get rid of her. He summoned spectral spears and was ready to send them flying any second. Isao couldn't watch this and closed his eyes. He knew that Michi would have normally run away but still decided to stay. He couldn't be any different, so despite being scared to death, he managed to stay.
Edric fell to his knees, having trouble getting up. Ayumu was kneeling a few meters away from him, trying to get up, but the king managed to break his leg earlier. Both warriors stared at each other. Edric looked around and saw his daughter lying on the ground and Noboru descending with many spectral spears hanging in the air behind him. He began to wonder if the kingdom was worth his daughter's life. Did it really mean that much? He looked back at Ayumu. The general was already up, but unable to stand on his left leg. The hero started slowly approaching him, leaning on his weapon.
"Enough! I surrender! I, King Edric Valcrest of the Kingdom of Dohala, admit defeat in this duel! The throne is no longer mine!" he shouted and threw his sword away. Isao released Lyria from his spell. She got up from the ground and kneeled, throwing her sword away too. Noboru smiled when he heard this and sat on the ground, too exhausted to maintain the spells. Ayumu collapsed and dispelled his katana, looking at Edric, who was in a similarly miserable state. Isao instantly teleported to the unconscious Michi.
"Is it done? Is it... over?" Michi asked, slowly waking up.
"We did it, brother. We did it..."