“Maybe I am stupid, heh. Talk about showing no mercy yet holding back…”

Black sparks zapped and gradually propagated and disseminated from Julian. Avalanche now was actually creeped as he froze. He knew Julian, and was very familiar with his power. Most of the duels between them resulted in a draw, while the others were in favour of Avalanche. Though, this time, he felt different. It was like he had surged himself into tremendous strength, strength enough to bring down a convoy of royal sorcerers.

“We might’ve met many times, but this time you chose to mess with my students. And you’ll regret it. I’ll hunt you down to the deepest pits of hell if I have to, but I won’t let you leave without agony!”

**

On the outside of the building, pretty far away, stood the four men of Avalanche battling Valentina with full might. Yet, it wasn’t her, but the men who were overwhelmed. They were of no match to her brute strength and phenomenal magic powers that kept the men out of breath, on the verge of death.

“C’mon, I haven’t even used my unique skill yet, and this is what you show me? So this legion of wild dogs are actually dogs it seems.”

She gave a smug look, as if she was the queen who had conquered the whole world.

“H-how you dare insult us, you dirty stain on this dirty academy?!”

Said the man with dual short swords. His sword intensified its black sparks and, as he dashed at the bored and reactionless Valentina, the other two, one with a swallow and the futuristic farmer (with a sickle-like weapon) coordinated with his movements and all dashed at her. The fourth man, the one who got smashed out by Julian, flew up in the air-

“Demonic Arts: Weapons of Asmodeus, Thousand hands of Asmodeus!”

-and formed a magenta magic circle. Within it appeared an incredible number of small bits of glowing dark red concoction of matter, that grew in size and fused with each other, forming some arm-like gruesome figures. These arms, as if hunting for lost souls stuck in the melancholic darkness between heaven and hell, roared at Valentina, twitching in horrible and atrocious clumps like the crazed arms of Kraken.

Valentina, not a hint of fear on her face, muttered-

“Flame blast of Fleeroran pride.”

A yellowish white glowing cloud formed surrounding her from everywhere, and flickers of flame emerged that soon thrust off into violent flames, as if these flames manifested Valentina’s rage. The cloud blasted off in every direction, burning the men, those gruesome arm-like figures, and the caster of it. All four of them dropped on the burnt ground, their robes half-burnt, with minute twitching.

“This flame is my pride as an instructor of the Fleerora Kingdom. So who are you dogs to wreak havoc in this kingdom’s hope, this proud academy?”

None of them ever made a sound to her statement, as their twitching slowly died out and lay there unconscious. She ‘tch’ed, but before she could head back to Julian, the four men disappeared. Where did they go? She was perplexed, and frantically scanned her surroundings for any sudden attacks. But nothing happened. A silent wind brushed past that rustled the only few leaves left on the withered trees. The sun, like a bright crisp yellow ball, hung on the flaming red sky at the horizon. Night almost fell, and a look of concern developed on her face. She sprang in the air, two red magic circles formed around her legs, and flames blasted out as she soared the skies, making her way back to Julian.

**

It was only several minutes before, in the building. Julian, zapping black sparks emanating from him, devoured and destroyed the long and big sword to dust, and then these tiny bits of matter disappeared into nothingness.
He clenched his fist causing black sparks to further disseminate which zapped at Avalanche. Though he tried to block, it devoured every corner of him that sent him jolting with despair, and fell on his knees.

“Arrgghh!”

But Julian wasted seconds no more, as he raised his arms high-

“Fulgur, electricae, horanos. Fulgur nigrum…”

-and a magenta magic circle formed overhead, through which formed tiny flickers of black sparks.

“...Tectiform lightning!!!”

Surrounding the roof of the room formed dark clouds. They were immensely dense, so much that the light from outside was the only source of illumination. These clouds, as if manifesting the power of god to terrorize humanity with hellish downpour, began rumbling. And with an astonishing roar, thousands of dark lightning descended upon the whole room, sending every bit of debris in the air. Window panes shattered, the floor shaked and cracked tremendously, and the walls blasted into tiny bits of debris. 

“Aarrrrgggghhhhhh!!!”

Avalanche couldn’t bear it no more, he couldn’t bear the massive bolts striking him anymore. Each one of the deadly bolts felt as if he was being slaughtered to death by an electrified sparking sword. He found it hard to admit, but it was the truth. He had lost to Julian, and he couldn’t believe it.

Soon, lightning halted and silence fell upon the wrecked room, like a melancholic feel of the devastated nature a hurricane leaves behind. Avalanche lay on the cracked ground within a pool of blood.

“Heh, talk about invading a sorcery academy, when he himself has magic with nonexistent foundation.”

Julian muttered. Though he might’ve fought with ease, it wasn’t the case with his body, because blood spat out of his mouth as he coughed. He realised that he had pushed himself too hard in the fight. He had sustained internal injuries, which would take a while to heal.

Avalanche, on the other hand, twitched and wobbled up on his knees. Even after such deadly strikes, he had the strength to rise up again, and Julian was incredulous.

“Perhaps…you deserve this win. Very well, rejoice to your heart’s content, for it’ll be your only win against me. Until we meet again…Good luck.”

Avalanche emanated a faint glow, and he faded and disappeared in thin air. It was only Julian now in the once-a-classroom that’s now like a junkyard.  A wind soothed the room and brushed past him, carrying a few bits of dust along as he gazed at the setting sun through the window, hung around the wispy red clouds.

I wonder if Valentina’s okay…

He felt concerned for her, if she was able to fight all the four of Avalanche’s men alone, in spite of being aware of her strength. Yes. He was aware of her strength, how strong she was, how well battles she could fight, even solo against many. So he was unnecessarily concerned, he understood, and heaved  a sigh of relief.

In that moment, blazing scarlet flames manifested and whirled in through the window, and through it, Valentina stepped inside. Though the abrupt appearance had caught Julian off-guard, he was nonetheless happy. Sure he had realised, but his concerns hadn’t slipped out of his mind, rather they crept in the deep pits of his brain, which would be sending occasional alarms of disquiet. So seeing her in the flesh shot the very concerns out of his mind. And this was all he needed. His eyes emanated vivid gentleness, and calmness of his mind.

“Hehe, you never fail to surprise me.”

Valentina smirked in relief. She was, too, worried and concerned about Julian. Because she knew about his previous meetings, Julian was the underdog in the fight with Avalanche. But it was quite surprising and relieving for her, that not only did he defeat him, but was unscathed almost entirely.

“Seems like your butt-hard training with me paid off.”

Julian nodded. Though he didn’t want to waste time dragging the conversation–

“Let’s hurry to the nurse.”

Valentina nodded, as the both of them built up a serious look. They held hands, and Julian’s sapphire eyes shone as bright white light devoured both of them. In a sudden the light flicked out, and Julian and Valentina disappeared in thin air.

**

It was around a few minutes before, at the nurse’s. Hisashi, torn uniform drenched with blood, lay as though lifeless on one of the beds. His face was devoured by blood as if he wore ruby ornaments, as a metallic stench pervaded the room. Beside him sat Katsuro, Reiko, Kralus and Aya, Aya’s goddess-like face pale and her gorgeous ruby red eyes still wet from lamenting. It was just the five of them in the ward, and a sting of melancholy weighed down on their shoulders as they waited for the nurse. Except for Reiko, who sat unaware of the grief that buried down everyone around her.

At that moment, a door slammed open, seeming to be from the nurse’s office, and a lady in white uniform with a white nurse’s cap hurried inside the room.