Into The Unknown World

Chapter 25. The mock battles | Part IV

†††

Everyone from her party cried out as if they had already won a fight. There was a warm cheer from the Knights freshman since she was simply part of their division. When she finally got to the battle point, she lowered her head slightly and then prepared her long, sturdy-looking swords with a purple jewel at the bottom of her handle. Pomell said that these colours represent how intense the concentration of mana inside the gemstones.

The only known magic stones in the present are violet, purple, blue, and green which are ranked from the lowest to the highest tier and are transported from the Fortress of Lunaria's dwarven domain. Each stone can hold spells depending on your mana pool and in addition to which magical item you possess you can be very amazing.

"Seriously, lover boy, why didn't you know all about these stones? Who has taught you magic anyway?" Arabella asks while holding her waist.

"In light of the fact, he's from the town near the Forest of Krane. I've heard that they haven't been practising magic there for half a century now, according to the King's decree. Although they're not prohibited, they 're only more focused on agricultural output," Pomell replied.

So that's why the former noble lord was able to distribute grain before, because he really doesn't just help push everyone around back in my town to capitalize on the fields cultivating more crop production, but because it was the King who told him so. I glanced at the two men who seemed very confused as to why I don't have any magic stones, and Roe stepped in from the throng of people earlier. It seems that the war will soon begin.

"Aye, I heard my old man say that is where you will indeed hunt most of the monsters in the Kingdom. Right, that seems to be the matter at hand. You, without a gemstone, just essentially tell us that you're absolutely helpless. That's why Arabella said that it's unlikely for a mage not to have one. Even the Archmage has one, you know!"

"That's not true! If you're helpless, let me slaughter them for you, Master!" said Sprigg.

"Silence, Sprigg!"

"I ... I, Uhm ... learned that some of the genuinely brilliant wizards have innate abilities the day before they were raised and educated. Could ... could Twig have that kind of skill and ability?" Thea who was only listening earlier joined their raucous laughter and discussion and debate.

"As much as I want to entertain your thoughts on how special I am. I would like to suggest that we focus our hearts and minds on the battle. Perhaps we can gain more insight into the opponent." I rebuked all of them.

"Maybe. Maybe not, but we're not done talking about it. I'm also intrigued," replied Arabella, whose arms were crossed while her brows were furrowing. She's really cynical.

"Good for you to say, Bella. You are done fighting!

"Hey, don't call me that, Roe! I feel very fortunate about my entire name. Besides, the light of the morning star is still here," she turned her gaze to the magnificent full view where the two fighters are bending their knees.

"Is that really how the battle between the magic knights begins? remarkable!" Roe said.

After they got up slowly, Cedany was holding her long sword with her two hands, while her left foot was on the back. She quickly took her position while the instructor's sword was still buried in the stone.

"Oh! They are doing the northern ritual." 

Pomell had a very enthusiastic attitude towards their position.

"What do you mean," I asked.

"The Crusader's Rite. It's more like a demonstration of their respect for each other. Cedany is the challenger and the instructor is the champion. It's just for the show, but it's to let everyone know that the challenger is asking the champion not to let her down." Pomell replied.

I can't believe how competent these two are when it comes to battle and magic spells. They even know how the magic knights greet each other.

"That's a weird idea, I know. Nevertheless, that's been a tradition for all the magic knights. Well, so the hard part is, if the champion strikes first, it means he acknowledges it." Roe responded.

"That.... doesn't make sense, they are... on an assessment."

"Yeah! That's why it's stupid to ask a competitor who happens to be a critic of this appraisal as well." Arabella answered back Thea who is like me, didn't get that.

"But—" 

... 

Clank…

A loud bang has been heard. The professor struck Cedany with full intensity, allowing the frightening noise to vibrate from our heads, making us cover our ears. In a moment of time, he drives her to the edge as she blocks her blades.

"Body Enhancement: Battalion's strength!"

She strikes back by driving him out. Such tremendous strength. Thanks to the hump of the edges, she was stopped and was able to push his sword back. The instructor jumped from side to side as she waved her thick and heavy longsword from the back to the front.

"Weapon enhancement: Unrestricted. Damage Amplifying. Wind element boost."

After the instructor shouted, Cedany gripped on her sword's handle and also invoked her own spell.

"Weapon enhancement: Unbridled. Wake up, Mandrake monster!"

"Sprigg!?!"

After she screamed, the crystal from the brilliance of her purple crystal turned to blinding blue light, and the longsword slowly became a ferocious brownish tree monster with jet black eyes and massive mouth. Steel became green leaves swinging from side to side, and the instructor jumped to avoid trunk trees. Thanks to the stage protective mechanism, chainmail covers the entire stage, making the monster unable to move further out.

"Oh! Blessed Gods! That's summoning magic!"

"Indeed. One of the high-ranked arts of the wand-bearers."

"How?!"

Roe and Arabella were mesmerized and utterly dropped agape witnessing the transformation of the creature. The monster continues its havoc on the stage while the instructor is still running and cutting off each of the trunks that ambush him. Sprigg didn't answer me, but he gave me some kind of mental affirmation that it was all right.

"Weapon enhancement: Gale blades!"

"By the mercy of the Gods! She is not just a magic knight! She's a wand bearer! How is she able to use magic enhancement?!" 

As soon as the monster's transformation came to an end, everyone from my team would hold on to Pomell who spoke after the instructor shouted his spell as he buried his staff on the ground. The trunks were chopped into bits by the gusts of wind that looked like the large and powerful sword that the professor was carrying while Cedany was standing at the edge of the platform behind the monster holding her robust wand, which looked just like the monster at the bottom with its light blue crystal.

"I presume we 're likely to get another one added to our party, eh." Roe started talking and cleaned all the filthy mud and leaves from her coat.

"Right. There are four more magic casters from the other instructor's team, including Thea's sister. That's ten mage apprentices now. Great!" Arabella replied.

They had an idle conversation, but the real fight was not over. Although the trunks of the monster have been cut into pieces, they are slowly recovering. The blue shimmering crystal seems to be sending the monster's magic to heal itself, as its glow seemed to be transient.

"Say, when you summon a monster from a wand-bearers perspective how do you defeat it?" I asked Arabella.

"Easy! You have to extract a crystal that provides strength and power or completely destroys the wand. Hey, it's not a difficult task, is it?" she responded.

"Are you kidding me?" 

I looked back at the stage, wondering how you're going to break the crystal when it's attached to the bearer's wand. It's almost impossible! She's going to murder the instructor, huh? I mean, she's all out of it now, almost like she's possessing a grudge with him. Also, even if the instructor is using his defensive spell, he still needs to stay for it to be invoked.

The professor really has trouble pushing his way to Cedany, where the trunks are blocking his path and actively targeting him. I mean, he's asking for us to use our full strength, but this is not how I imagined it to be. He'll get himself killed! 

"Yes! You know there are three kinds of wand-bearer's magic, right? Teleportation, summoning, and creation. Your lover, over there is on another level of summoning. Let me assume, her innate ability can let her borrow some magic from her rare adjacent magic-branch, the magic of creation." confused and worried she answered as she touched her temple while added, "Since, she cannot use the power of the grimoire-bearer— the transfiguration. She created the long sword with purple crystal instead of the true blue colour in exchange for the wand along with its summoned monster."

"Gale Blade!" 

The instructor is still struggling to keep up with Cedany's monster since he continues to attack him restlessly. Her stiff smile earlier is now filled with a vacant stare. It's like she doesn't control the monster, but her mind is inside the monster.

"...But! That will become her permanent monster. I heard that wand-bearers are not limited to one monster only!" Pomell responded.

"No. That's her deal to make. Perhaps she has her reasons. I pity her, though!" 

"Guys... Look! Cedany's crystal light is fading!" Thea warned us.

They 're all staring at their match as if it's a real battle to the death. Everyone can't seem to control themselves, and they're obviously excited about the next move that Cedany is going to have to take. But she just seems to lose some of her magical power. I wonder if that would be the end of it.

Interestingly, Cedany waved her wand and the whole cloak of steel armour she was wearing started melting and started turning into something that looked like mud that filled her whole body as she screamed.

"Come forth, summoned one! Integrate!"

†††