Trials - Chapter 1

Connor jumped into the air, his gigantic battle-axe pulled back, and swung it at Eric.

Eric caught the attack between his wrist blades and the impact cracked the ground beneath his feet. Eric pushed back against the axe and pushed Connor ten feet in the air. As Connor landed, Eric rushed over to him and stabbed his blades at him, but Connor blocked the attack with his arms.

The blades almost pierced his Armour, but Connor channelled his magic into the gauntlets, strengthening the aura around them.

“That’s not going to work!”

“We’ll see about that!” Eric yelled and his blades glowed red.

Connor barely leapt out of the way as thin red beams shot from the tips of the blades, smashing his armour and forcing him to retreat further away.

“Not bad. But.” Brown chains appeared from Connor’s back and dangled from his fingertips. “I think I’ve got something better.”

Connor thrust his palm at Eric and the chains flew at him faster than Eric could dodge. He raised his arms to protect himself, but the sheer force of the attack sent him skidding back across the ground. He lowered his arms and saw Connor running full force at him, his axe surrounded by a thick aura.

Connor’s God Weapon was an incredibly heavy double-bladed black battle-axe three metres long, even though Connor was able to swing it around easily like it was made of wood. Worse for Eric, Connor’s Armour absorbed the kinetic and magical energy of his opponent’s attacks, even if they damaged him.

The more Eric fought him, the stronger Connor would get.

Eric side stepped the swing and slashed at Connor, but Connor’s chains wrapped around Eric’s arm and threw him over his back, smashing him into the ground. Eric threw up a bit of blood in his mouth as Connor swung his axe at his head.

Eric pushed out his palms together and fired a solid beam at the axe, sending it flying from Connor’s hands. He then leapt up, spun in the air, gathered a large amount of energy around his boot, and smashed his foot into the side of Connor’s cheek. The Armour broke from the weight and Connor spun off to the side, disorientated and disarmed. He fell face first onto the ground and Eric charged at him.

He jumped into the air, blades pointed at Connor’s heart, and gathered energy in his blades, increasing their strength.

Connor thrust his right hand out, his chains wrapped around the hilt of his axe and the chains pulled it towards him, flying back into his hands and he blocked Eric’s attack, the pressure cracking the ground beneath him. Eric directed more of his Mana into his blades and they slowly broke through the pole of Connor’s axe.

“Hey, are you seriously trying to kill me?!” Connor protested.

“Don’t worry, it’s not like you’ll really die, so it’s okay!”

“Even if this is a mock battle, that attitude is scary!”

Connor’s chains wrapped around Eric’s chest tightly and began to slowly crush his friend’s chest plate.

“Don’t worry; it’s not like you’ll really die!”

Eric sliced through the chains, turning them into a mist, and he thrust his blades at Connor’s chest.

However, Connor’s attack was faster.

He punched Eric in the jaw and then kicked him in the stomach, sending Eric far away from him.

Connor spun his axe around a few times and waited for Eric to get back up onto his feet.

“Remember, the winner buys everyone’s shopping for the next week.”

“I never agreed to that!” Eric yelled.

***

Kiara elegantly floated out of the way of Kaida’s dragon, smiling softly as she did.

She was holding a frilled black umbrella in one hand and she was spinning three black balls of energy around her other, gently floating across the ground and she was dressed in her usual attire. Kaida was wearing a beautiful red China dress with chainmail links and sleeves which was enchanted to make controlling her Mana much easier.

Kaida clicked her tongue, annoyed at how casual Kiara was about their battle, and the dragon soared after Kiara.

“If you can’t catch me, then you won’t ever be able to catch someone like Alexis,” Kiara said, jumping away from the slash.

“I’m aware!” Kaida’s dragon’s wings beat faster.

“Not bad.” Kiara leapt over it and grinned. “Still not fast enough though.”

She pointed her index finger at the dragon and the black balls flew into its back, turning it into mist and she landed gracefully. When Kaida didn’t summon her dragon again, Kiara tilted her head innocently. “Ah, aren’t you going to summon it again?” Kaida glared at her. “In that case.” She held up her left fingers and the black orbs appeared again. “I’ll come to you.”

Kiara flew towards Kaida who then spawned her dragon behind her, roaring as it formed. Kiara fired her balls at Kaida again but Kaida threw her arm out and a dragon wing appeared before her, absorbing the blow.

It wasn’t one of the two her dragon had, but a brand new one.

“I didn’t know you could do that.”

Kaida smiled smugly. “Even I can manage something like this.”

Kaida threw her arms to the ground and invisible claws cut through the air towards Kiara. Kiara’s eyes widened in shock, but she spun between the slashes, though Kaida had expected as much and had already sent her dragon to intercept Kiara mid spin.

Kiara completed her turn and the dragon’s jaws were open right before her eyes. She scowled and push her umbrella to meet the blaze, causing the fire to evaporate harmlessly as it impacted it.

“What the hell?” Kaida cried, calling her dragon back and it wound its body around her. “Did you enchant your umbrella?”

Kiara smiled. “You do remember that I’m a Vampire, right? I’m not just holding this because it looks pretty and matches my outfit; it’s a necessity when I go out on hot days, so, naturally, it’s enchanted to reflect heat.”

“So, my fire is useless against it?”

“Yep.”

“Then, that means I just have to hit you and not your umbrella then?”

“Yeah, but.” Kiara barred her fangs as ten black balls formed around her body, spinning faster than they had before. “You haven’t done that yet.”

***

Laila wrapped a shadow around Evony’s arrow, spun it around and launched it back at her.

Evony rolled to the side, pulled out another arrow and fired it. It split into three, one which flew to Laila’s left, another to her right and the other flew above her head. Laila waited until the arrows almost hit her before dropping into her own shadow and emerging once the arrows had missed.

The arrows, however, spun around to strike Laila again.

Laila drew her dagger and swiftly cut them out of the air and dropped into her shadow before they exploded. She remerged as Evony loosed an arrow which split into five arrow heads. Laila back flipped away from them, landed in a crouched position, and sprinted towards Evony.

Evony fired an arrow into the ground before Laila and it sprung up into the air, spitting out small explosives. Laila dove into her shadow and emerged again once the blasts had passed. Evony went to fire another arrow but Laila was close enough now that she could manipulate Evony’s shadow. She threw out her hand and twisted her wrist, sending a black slice from Evony’s own shadow at her.

She cut the archer’s wrist and Evony’s grip on her bow loosened. Laila ran full speed towards her as Evony fumbled to pick up her bow in time. Evony reclaimed her weapon but Laila was right before her eyes, moving to slash at her stomach with her dagger. Evony swung her bow to counter the blow and Laila’s dagger clashed with Evony’s blades.

“I’m glad I took Jasmine’s advice to install blades at the top and bottom of the bow,” she mused, swiping Laila’s blade away and stepping backwards.

Laila ducked into her own shadow and appeared behind Evony as the archer reached for another arrow. Evony let the arrow go, spun and clashed her blade again with Laila’s. Laila kept disappearing and then reappearing in Evony’s shadow, moving constantly around her and slicing at her.

Evony could barely keep up with Laila’s speed and she couldn’t predict where she was going to appear next.

It was too dangerous for Evony to try and predict Laila’s movements because, if she got it wrong, it could cost her the match. It was far easier for her to counter the attacks as they came at her rather than try to predict where they would come from.

However, they both knew Evony wouldn’t be able to keep up with Laila’s relentless assault for long.

***

Ajax let out a roar and thrust his spear at Jasmine who moved her head to the side of it.

He followed up by swiping his spear at her, hoping to bash her with the shaft, but Jasmine bent her back to avoid the attack and kicked Ajax in the back of his leg, sending him down onto one knee. Ajax swept at her feet but Jasmine jumped over the blow and, with her blades deployed, sliced at Ajax’s side, slicing against but not through his armour.

Ajax spun on his knee away from her, sweeping his spear with her and Jasmine retreated from it, putting a few feet between them. Ajax stood up, spun his spear around his body a few times and pointed it towards her again, ready to thrust once more.

Jasmine ran at him and Ajax feinted a stab and went for a slash instead, but Jasmine’s reflexes were fast enough that she could avoid it. She bent forward, dodging it, went back up right and stabbed Ajax in his chest, piercing through to his skin. Ajax howled and Jasmine kicked him hard to the side of his knee, dropping him onto it. She then withdrew her blades, slashed across his neck twice and stabbed him beneath his collar bone.

Ajax screamed in agony and threw a punch at her, but Jasmine broke her blades off her gauntlets and spun away from his fist.

“Ow, that really hurt,” Ajax complained, ripping the blades out of his chest. “Just because it won’t leave a mark in the real world doesn’t mean I’ll forget about it.”

“You’re the one who said ‘Hey, let’s go all out!’. Although, I think I’m beginning to understand the problem with your fighting style.”

Ajax planted the butt of his spear into the ground and dismissed his helmet. “What do you mean?”

“While it’s good that you’ve properly studied the correct way of wielding spears and swords, I think they’re holding you back in actual fights. Your techniques can work wonders against an opponent if they perform the right action that you need them to, but, when you’re fighting someone for real, moments like those rarely present themselves.”

“For example?”

“Take your thrust-feint just now.” Jasmine walked over to him. “Sure, if I hadn’t dodged it, then it would’ve done a good amount of damage, but did you have a backup plan if I had caught the tip in between my blades, or if I had ducked beneath it and not to the side of it?”

“I…No, I didn’t.”

“What I learned early on in my training is that when you’re on an actual battlefield, a lot of the proper techniques and training that you study end up being largely meaningless because situations change rapidly on the battlefield in ways we can’t predict. For instance.” She held Ajax in a judo hold, ready to throw him over his shoulder. “I was taught that if I do this, I could smash your head into the ground but how likely do you think it is in a fight between us that it could work?”

Ajax thought about it for a second and said, “Not very likely.”

“And why is that?”

“Because, while you’re holding me, I could be flailing my limbs around or stabbing at you with a weapon and, because you’re vulnerable in that position, it could seriously wound or kill you.”

“Correct.” Jasmine released him. “Unfortunately for you, our fighting styles are too different and mine ends up being superior. While I’ve learnt a lot of different fighting styles, I’ve also been in enough real fights to pick up an instinctive and improvised form of combat, mixing instincts, techniques and prior knowledge into one.

“Take that knee jab. I knew that that was a weak point and, that if I hit it hard enough, then I could send you onto one knee. I wasn’t taught that as a move but I knew it could happen and thus did it to turn the fight in my favour. Does that make sense?”

“Uh, yeah,” Ajax replied as his armour vanished into thin air. He looked at his bracelet and clenched his fist. “I guess I’ve still got a long way to go.”

“You’ll be fine as long as you don’t just rely on your techniques and theories to carry you in a fight. Don’t fight your instincts and try to be constantly analysing and adapting in a battle to fit the fight.”

“I will. Thanks, Jasmine.”

“Alright, that’s enough for today!” Aria announced and everyone in their class stopped fighting as soon as she said so. “Teeq, if you would.”

Teeq nodded, close his eyes and the training area went back to normal. All of the damage that the students had done to one another was undone. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and walked away, pulling out and tapping away on his phone.

The mock battles that Eric and the others had been practicing in were virtual simulations created by Teeq.

Whatever happened within his virtual space, everything would be reset once Teeq ended the simulation, allowing the students of Ferris to gain real combat experience without posing any real danger to themselves.

Even knowing all of that, everyone had hesitated, at first, to fight each other for real because it was still like they were actually trying to kill one another. However, they soon got used to that feeling after the first few sessions and now they were more than comfortable throwing everything they had at one another inside his virtual worlds.

It wasn’t quite as useful as real combat experience, but it was the closest, and safest, way to recreate it that Ferris could offer.

“Alright, with that, our final joint combat session before the tournaments are done,” Aria told them, to the excited cries of many students. “However, you still have work to do for your chosen courses over the tournaments, so don’t forget that. Now, all of you are to head home as soon as possible and wait for the Headmistress’s announcement. No messing about, no detours and no excuses for not hearing the rules of the tournaments. Understood?” Everyone nodded. “Good. Then, you’re dismissed.”

The class broke off into their teams and Aria left the training arena first.

Everyone on Eric’s team gathered around Elthia who had been sitting out of the practice session. As she didn’t have any offensive capabilities whatsoever, it was pointless of her to take part in a sparring session. Jasmine had already taught her close quarters combat, but she wouldn’t be able to keep up with any of the others in a fight.

“…Good work, everyone,” she said, opening the cooler that she had been sat on. “…Here.”

Elthia opened it and inside were a dozen cans of soft drinks surrounded by ice.

“Thank you, Elthia,” Jasmine said, taking one and drinking from it.

“Did you go back to the house and get this?” Eric asked and she nodded slightly. “Thank you, but I feel bad that you went through all this trouble.”

Elthia shook her head and grabbed onto Jasmine’s sleeve. “…All I can do right now is cheer you guys on, so…I wanted to do something useful.”

“You did great,” Kiara told her, smiling and rubbing the top of her head, embarrassing Elthia a little. “Ah, she’s just too cute! I-”

Kiara leapt to hug Elthia, but Jasmine elbowed Kiara in the back.

Everyone took out a can from the cooler and used it to sooth their bodies after the thirty minute long battles they had just participated in.

“The last training session for a month and it was a draw,” Kiara complained, pouting a little.

“Maybe if you had spent less time playing around and more time fighting you would’ve won,” Kaida said to the girl floating next to her head.

“But I wanted to see what other moves you’d been hiding from me!”

“Why would I show off everything to everyone here before a tournament?” Kaida demanded, pushing Kiara’s head away from her.

“Ah, good point.”

“You didn’t even think about it, did you?”

Kiara stuck out her tongue cutely and Kaida pushed her further away in the air.

“I was so close to beating Connor, as well.”

“Well, it can’t be helped, given how you don’t have your God Weapon unlocked yet.” Connor patted Eric on the back. “I’m sure that, when you have it, you’ll almost be able to beat me.”

“I seem to remember you being pushed back several times.”

“I seem to remember letting you push me back several times.”

“Hey, Jasmine, would you mind training with me some time?” Ajax asked.

She looked at him and then glanced away. “Depends.”

“On?”

“Two things: If I have time to do it, and if you’ve pissed me off or not.”

“But everything I do pisses you off!”

“That’s because everything you do is stupid or perverted, or a combination of the two.”

Ajax hung his head low and whimpered. “I’ll do my best not to do that.”

“I look forward to seeing you try,” Jasmine replied, taking her leave.

“I guess we’d best start heading home as well,” Evony suggested.

“Eric!” He turned around and saw Sapphire walking towards them, her hands in her front pockets. “Need you for a second.”

“I’ll see you guys at home then.”

“See you later,” Kaida said and the rest of Eric’s team left the arena.

“Don’t worry, you won’t miss the tournament announcement. I just wanted to check in with you quickly because we’ll only be having one more session during the tournament.”

“Is this about something serious?” Eric asked nervously.

“It’s nothing serious, so don’t worry about that. I was checking in to see if you think you’re ready for the tournament or not.”

Eric winced a little. “Honestly, I’m not so sure if I’m ready myself. I do feel like I could actually fight someone and win. The incident with Bunny and these mock fights have given me a lot of confidence in myself, but I’ve never fought in a team battle before and I’ve never led my team in a battle either. I’ve only really just started to get a sense for what they’re like, so I’m not sure if we’ll win or not.”

He looked to the scar on his arm and grabbed it tightly with his hand. “Even after everything that I’ve been taught and learnt at Ferris, and, even after gaining so much experience, I still feel weak.”

“Why? Is it because you can’t manage your Mana output that well?”

“It’s not just that, but I do feel like I’m getting much better at directing it to where I want it to go, but I can’t quite control the amount of energy that is released.”

“Then, is it because you haven’t unlocked your God Weapon then?”

“Yeah.”

Sapphire let out a low hum and folded her arms. “Even without it, your Armour is quite strong and you should be able to fully use your wings in the next few weeks, so I don’t think you have anything to be too worried about.”

“Do you know if there’s a specific way or method someone has to use in order to unlock it?”

“There aren’t easy answers for stuff like that, I’m afraid,” Sapphire admitted. “People have tried studying it before and it ended up being a complete waste of time. Give it time and you’ll unlock it.”

“Then how comes Connor has been able to unlock his and I haven’t?” Eric protested.

Sapphire raised an eyebrow. “His God Weapon?”

“Yeah, he says it’s called ‘Azrael’.”

Sapphire’s eyes widened a little and she smiled softly. “Azrael, huh?” She repeated, laughing quietly.

“What?”

“Nothing. Anyway, give it time and you’ll get your weapon one of these days.” She patted him on the shoulder. “Or, if you’re really desperate, then you could ask Beelzebub in your arm there for information.”

***

By the time Eric had gotten home, the rest of his team were sitting in the living room watching the television, waiting for Kasmine’s press conference.

“Ah, good timing,” Kiara called.

“Why, is it about to start?”

“No. I just finished my drink and was thinking about getting another one, so, if you wouldn’t mind.”

Kiara grinned at him and Eric sighed, slumping his shoulders.

“I’m just joking,” she said, floating off her seat. “I’ll get it myself. Does anyone else want anything while I’m up?”

“I’ll have a coke,” Kaida called.

“Me too,” Jasmine added.

“Okay. Eric?” Kiara asked.

“An orange soda, please. Um, where should I sit then?”

“Feel free to take my seat.”

“Are you sure?”

“I can float. I’ll be fine.”

She closed the fridge door, picked up the sodas and flew back to the living room. Eric took her seat between Evony and Laila as Kiara floated up behind him and tossed the sodas to everyone.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

Kiara planted her chin on Eric’s shoulder and giggled when she saw his cheeks go slightly red.

“Man, I can’t wait for the tournament this year!” Ajax cheered.

“You’re certainly more fired up than usual,” Evony commented.

“I mean, it’s finally here so why wouldn’t I be fired up?”

“Because Jasmine hates you?”

“Because the girls think you’re a creep?” Eric offered.

“Because you will most likely, almost certainly, never have a girlfriend?” Connor asked.

“Even with all of that!” Ajax beamed. “I’m so excited about actually being able to fight in the tournaments this year!”

“Have you always wanted to?”

“Yeah. I’ve watched it every single year at home with my family and, when I first wanted to be a Guardian, I’ve always dreamed that I would get to fight on that stage,” Ajax said.

“…It’s starting,” Elthia whispered, but it was too soft for anyone aside Jasmine to hear.

“Guys, it’s beginning,” Jasmine said louder, and everyone went quiet.

The panel of commentators disappeared on the screen and Kasmine appeared, standing behind a magnificent podium. All the teachers were gathered behind her sat in a long row of chairs and standing by her side were Teeq and a monster of a man in obsidian armour.

Kasmine was dressed in her finest dress and, unlike the other times Eric had seen her, she was wearing a fair amount of make-up, which really did make her look more beautiful than ever.

I guess she wants to make a good impression.

“Good afternoon, everyone.” She spoke softly and smiled. “It is my great pleasure to announce her and today the start of the Ferris Academy School Tournaments for the year of 2178. I am pleased to announce that, as always, this year’s tournament season will last the full month despite the tragedies which have beset the world in the past year.

“The Team Tournament will start tomorrow and will conclude with the final at the end of next month, so look forward to the abundance of matches that we will be bringing you this year. For this year, the Single’s Tournament will take place on the fifteen and will be concluded on the same day. We will be sending out the full roster of the first rounds worth of fights later today to the general public and the students, so please do keep an eye out for that.

“Now, before we begin, as usual, we will state the rules of our dear beloved Teeq’s Virtual Space so that all of you at home can feel at ease while you watch the matches.

“First and foremost, no matter what happens inside his Virtual Space, there is little to no impact on the participants in the real world. Physical damage and death that occurs within his space does not transfer over into the real world, so there is no danger to our contestants whatsoever. Think of it like a videogame. Our students are the players, here to level up and gain experience, but death and any physical wounds they receive are temporary. When students are defeated in these battles, they become ‘spectators’ and watch the rest of the match with those of us at home.

“Further, the pain that is inflicted to them is reduced so that they do not experience anything too painful during the fight. After all, they are meant to have fun whilst learning from their battles. For the worried parents at home, don’t worry; you can turn on the safety mode on your television and remove all the blood and gore from the fights once they start.

“Second, because of Teeq’s imagination, he can create any kind of world that he desires of any size and he has absolute control over everything and one inside it, meaning that he knows everything that is happening and can remove players who go over the line or try to cause mental or psychological damage to a contestant.

“Remember, this is meant to be fun, so don’t spoil it for everyone else.

“Thirdly, usually maintaining this Virtual Space would consume a lot of Mana but, thanks to the assistance of powerful mages transferring their energy to him during the fights, he can maintain his abilities for weeks, so don’t worry about something going horribly wrong and resulting in a real death. In the impossible event something does go wrong and someone is gravely injured, we have one hundred healers on standby, so rest assured that no one will be seriously injured during the tournament fights.

“Finally, to the students of Ferris participating in this battle and watching it, remember this: this is tournament is meant to be a fun learning experience, one that will help you become stronger for your future, so please do take it seriously and fight with everything you have.

“Everyone, I sincerely hope that you have all been looking forward to this and will greatly enjoy this year’s tournament.” She let out a small sigh and lost her smile. “Right, with that out of the way, Teeq, please take over.”

Kasmine tore up her que cards and walking away, even with the cameramen and reporters still asking her questions and taking her picture.

“The Headmistress is a very busy person, so please do excuse her for being so hasty,” Teeq explained, taking her place at the stand. “Now, if I could have your attention please, I will answer all of your questions and address any and all concerns that you have.”

“…I really didn’t expect her to do something like that to the general public, but I guess that’s just like her to do something like that,” Eric mused and the others nodded in agreement.

“It’s finally begun!” Ajax yelled.

“Stop shouting all of the time!” Jasmine shouted, kicking him in the back of the knee.

Ajax hissed a little, but he stood back up and smiled. “Sorry, but I’ve always wanted to take part in the tournament, so I’m so pumped to jump into it. And!” He grinned and puffed his chest out proudly. “I’ll also be entering into the Single’s Tournament.”

“Really? In your first year?” Kaida asked. “Isn’t that a bit risky?”

“Risky?” Eric repeated.

“The Single’s Tournament has hundreds of people every year who apply to enter into it, but only sixteen of them can actually take part in the tournament,” Ajax explained. “So, they sort through them by having the teachers and Teeq create a ‘Survive until there are only sixteen of you left’ scenario, and then you can take part in the real tournament.”

“I mean, you won’t die, so what exactly are the risks?”

“The risk is that you can only enter into the Single’s Tournament once every two years, and that includes if you’re eliminated before the sixteen are actually chosen. So, if I enter and get knocked out in the first round, I won’t get another shot until our third year.”

“That’s pretty brutal.”

“Well, given the prize at the end it’s hardly a surprise,” Kiara said.

“Prize?”

“If you win, you can demand any one wish from the Guardians and, no matter what it is, as long as it is within their power and not illegal, then it’s allowed,” Ajax said. “Well, that’s kind of just a bonus for me. All I want to do is just prove to the world and myself that I have what it takes to be a Guardian, and the Single’s Tournament is the perfect place to test myself.”

“Guys, is it me or did that almost sound admirable?” Jasmine asked.

“Is that…really Ajax?” Evony followed up.

“Did Jasmine’s kick just now somehow mess with his brain and make him a good person?” Connor wondered.

“You know, you guys can say some really horrible stuff sometimes,” Ajax muttered.

Kiara grinned. “Well, if you do manage to make it through, then you’ll get to look forward to fighting me in the tournament.”

“Eh? You’re entering?”

“Of course.”

“Don’t sound too shocked, because I’ll be entering as well,” Jasmine interjected.

“Me too,” Evony added.

“Seriously?” Ajax asked.

I guess everyone’s that confident in themselves, Eric thought, looking at his arm.

***

Eric sat on the floor of his room in his God Armour.

Leathery wings emerged from his shoulder blades and Eric focused his mind on trying to get them to move, even a little, but it was no use. He let out a long exhale and shifted his focus, allowing his wings to fold against his back like a bird’s, and he moved to generating his aura like Sapphire ordered him to.

Eric tried to focus his mind and imagine the aura appearing over him like she had taught him, but his mind couldn’t stay with the image.

“You’re unfocused for once.” Lucifer materialised beside him. “Is something wrong?”

Eric dismissed his Armour and put on a small smile. “I never thought I’d go to the Devil to talk about my problems. You can read my mind, can’t you? So, you already know the reason.”

“I only do that when I feel it is necessary. There is no fun to be had in figuring out someone’s motives and past by just looking inside their mind.”

“Okay…”

“So?” Lucifer looked at him and leant against Eric’s bedframe. “Why are you so unfocused tonight?”

“…I was just wondering if I was becoming stronger by doing all of this,” Eric said, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. “No matter how many weeks I spend training in Aria or Sapphire’s lessons, or all the CQC training I do with the guys, I don’t feel like I’m becoming much stronger. It’s like…no matter how much I do or who I fight, I still feel weak. I was just scared…scared that I wasn’t going to be strong enough to fight in the Tournament or anywhere else.”

“You were worrying about something that stupid?”

“How is it stupid?”

“Eric, strength does not come to you after only a few months of training; it is something that takes years or even entire lifetimes to acquire,” Lucifer replied. “As it is, you’ve made fantastic progress given how you are able to use your Mana fairly well and you have figured out a fighting style that works for you, both of which are good. You’re not weak at the very least but, in terms of harnessing your full potential, you’re still a long way away.”

“How…How far away?”

“Hmm, years perhaps?” Lucifer thought aloud, rubbing her non-existent chin. “Although, that can easily be sped up.”

Eric glared at her. “I’m never considering the other option.”

“I was never going to suggest that, only that it could happen without you wanting it to nonetheless.” An idea crossed Lucifer’s mind and she let out a low chuckle. “Your friend, Kasmine, is craftier than I imagined.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it logically, Eric. The complex system for the Team Tournament is a perfect environment to trick a God’s Armour to evolve or, say, cause a strong emotional reaction that triggers a boost in magical power within Mages, allowing them to unlock more circuits.”

“You mean-?”

Lucifer nodded and grinned. “She’s exploiting Teeq’s powers to push students beyond their limits and attain greater power without harming them. Very clever.”

“Then, you mean that-?”

“Depending on what you see during the Tournament, you could become stronger as the fights go on. Although, that will largely depend on the events of each battle and you.”

“I wish you wouldn’t-”

“Keep interrupting you mid-sentence?” Lucifer asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Don’t read my mind while I’m talking to you.”

Lucifer chuckled as Eric sighed. Eric stood up and began to change into his pyjamas; he had already become used to the fact that someone was always watching him every second of every day and he no longer cared what he did in front of Lucifer.

“Just so I know, that voice I heard when I first unlocked my Armour, that wasn’t you, was it?” Eric asked and Lucifer shook her head. “I thought so.”

“Based on what you read in that book, it seems that that is the voice of the Armour itself,” Lucifer replied. “It evolves based on what its user desires, so it makes sense that it would ask you what you need before it changes.”

“Except it can skip that process during times of emotional instability.”

“Yes, so you need to be extra careful to not let your emotions get the better of you.”

Eric grunted. “Easier to say than do.”

“Indeed, especially for someone like you.”

Eric paused and smiled sadly, looking down at his chest. “Yeah.” He let out a small sigh. “What I don’t understand though is that, no matter how much I’ve desired my God Weapon and wanted it, it hasn’t appeared.” Eric finished changing and looked down at his right hand. “So, why hasn’t the voice asked me about it?”

“I can think of two potential reasons.” Lucifer raised one finger to Eric. “First, you are not strong enough yet to properly use and wield it and thus, in order to not kill you as you use it, the Armour has refused to allow it to materialise. Second.” She raised another finger. “You haven’t truly desired it from the bottom of your heart or you have asked for it half-heartedly.”

Eric shot him a quizzical look. “What do you mean?”

Lucifer shrugged. “I guess you’ve forgotten how you first summoned your Armour in the beginning. Well, I’m sure you’ll remember in time.”

Lucifer disappeared and a faint red mist went back into Eric’s arm, leaving the boy confused and annoyed.

“What the hell does that mean?”

Eric tried to think back to how he first unlocked his Armour and to how he used to summon it, but he couldn’t remember how he had called it before.

He had spent months now just summoning it by imagining it over his body and it was as easy to him as breathing.

Whatever method Eric had used originally, he no longer used and had forgotten about it.

“How I first got it?”

After spending another hour awake wondering what he used to do to call his Armour, Eric became too tired to stay awake and drifted to sleep, still annoyed that he couldn’t remember his old technique.