This story follows Geta Teriza’s perspective.

 

A bunch of spoiled elves with a silver spoon up their rectums. If it were up to me, none of you deserve to ascend! Especially those of you sitting on golden chairs on top of golden mountains held up by thousands of your lesser peers. Highborns. The wicked! The scourge of the land!

I am nothing. I am a cluster of sand that scours the wide stretches of the desert as the southern wind does. I am inconsequential in the greatest aspect of the universe. I am but a consequence of billions of coincidences. Yet I am alive. Alive with the opportunity of greatness. The chance to stand at the top of all the kings and prove that power is not a birthright; power is but a consequence.

I will ascend. Ascend further and further, as high as the stars of the desert night sky would permit. Once I am at the summit, I will mark my name on the sand as the man that proved that power is obtainable. That power is something to claim! Power does not belong to anyone by default! Power is earned and defended!

I shall sit upon a throne of sand atop the flowing dunes. A throne ever so ephemeral, just as a claim to power should be! I seek the destruction of the wall that separates those of you, born of high blood, from us, born of dust.

And once the winds scatter my name. I shall rest my body upon the Great Sands of Perthosh as another will be born. Another that carries the same will as mine. To serve as an eternal reminder to those sitting comfortably on their high chairs that they may never rest. There will always be a usurper that will claim the power that is theirs to earn.

“The likes of you will never stand on the same platform as I!” I shouted smilingly, eager for combat.

The waves of enraged elves poured outward. While some remained steady in their attempts to obtain a gemstone, the rest came in droves like a disgusting plague of richness. Even in combat, most of you move with pompous arrogance.

Chaos erupts. I find myself smiling as I effortlessly deflect incoming attacks from these spoiled brats. My eyes are focused on one thing. Wait for one of the scums inside the circles to open a rock with an emerald inside. Bide my time, then strike.

The idiot that shouted out his discovery was right on all points. Unlucky for Ayen, she’s standing directly behind him. I have no doubts that you will overcome your enemy, princess. Don’t let his outrage fool you.

An earth-covered fist crashes from above. I gracefully move to the right. She misses me completely. I sway and sway as punches accompanied by tired grunts keep missing me. I move like a sand serpent wading through the desert. Such tactless moves will not make contact — 

My mana cloak alerts me to immediate danger!

I look to my right and see my own reflection. My orange irises reflected brightly on a lustrous surface. It’s ice! An ice attack is coming toward me!

I knelt immediately, the ice hammer striking in a moon-shaped curve missing me by an inch. A second later and I would have received the full brunt of that attack. How could I not notice? Have my senses dulled?

The hammer, instead, hits the earth mage that was previously attacking me and knocks her over a few meters, completely rendering her unconscious. Just what is this raw power?!

An elf with a mohawk descends from above, flipping forward, following the momentum of her ice hammer’s swing.

“I can’t blame you for thinking of such a strategy. I almost did the same, yet I thought it would be more engaging to actually be the one defending a gemstone. Guess you’re nothing but a coward. A snake.” She spoke to me with a soft, muffled voice. Not a hint of fatigue in her voice.

“You sky elves love your nicknames, don’t you? It wouldn’t be the first time someone has called me a snake based on my ethnicity.” I responded, moving in a circle with her as numerous other battles occurred around us.

“Is it uncalled for? You dance and evade like a graceful dancer, yet you hide your undoubtedly powerful fangs for when it is guaranteed to land. If that is not a snake, then I do not know what is. Let me guess, you’re also a practitioner of Shadow magic?” She analyzed me with her soft-spoken voice, almost uncharacteristic from a brutish mage using a summoned war hammer.

“I do not wish to spend any more time on idle chit-chat,” I said, taking my battle stance.

I took a lower stance, moving my center of gravity to my lower abdominal region. She smiled. She dashes toward me at blinding speeds, shocking me to a degree since her hammer is no light weapon! I can’t help but smile. Finally! Another worthy adversary to step on in my path to greatness!

I charge ahead, planning to meet her straight on. She flinches. Must not have expected me to meet her head-on. She jumps forward, leaving her hammer to trail behind her. In a fluid motion, she places the handle of the hammer above her head and behind her before striking a powerful downward blow in my position!

Part of me wants to see just how powerful this attack is, but now is not the time to be greedy and underestimate my opponents. I knelt and slid forward, dodging the hammer’s face as it lands on the ground. The blow devastates the floor and leaves massive cracks and even leaving an impression of its shape. Marvelous! Show me more!

While still in the air, she positions the long handle of the ice war hammer completely vertically. As if practiced over hundreds of times, she effortlessly uses the handle as a pole which she swings from and rapidly dashes in my direction! I feel no fear, yet the excitement is dulling my responses! Geta, now is not the time to get jittery!

She flies toward me like a jet as she murmurs to herself. Casted magic? Now, it’s getting serious. I can’t believe I’m getting put on the ropes, but I haven’t done anything yet!

To my surprise, a smooth sheet of ice instantly appeared beneath my feet, causing me to slip and fall to my back. I feel right where she wanted me to. Her trajectory is laser-focused on me. Spikes of ice suddenly form around her, flying alongside the ice mage.

I have no way to escape. There is not even a whole second for me to react to this. Even if I can think, my body won’t be able to move fast enough to react. She’s going to pierce me with those spikes and deliver a neutralizing blow.

In the instant that followed, seven spikes of ice strategically pierced my uniform in places where I would not be able to move. Four for each of my limbs; two for each of my shoulders; and one just below my groin. Ouch.

She lands on me with a devastating downward bicycle kick. Her right foot lands on the back of my head with a block of ice covering it, increasing the damage. I am utterly defeated. She walks away, fully satisfied, looking for someone already possessing a gemstone.

“Huh?” She wondered aloud.

She looked around her, not finding anybody else. Fully capable of hearing the commotion and other mages fighting, but there is no one else in the arena with her. She frantically runs around. Looking left and right. Trying to see if she’s within a barrier enforcing illusion magic.

“Let me rob you of your hearing as well,” I said, from a disembodied voice that echoed around her.

The sounds of the other elves fighting amongst each other disappeared. She scurried around, casting a series of floating icicles around her as a defensive technique. I can feel her panicking and losing her composure. The breath starts to get heavier. Anxiety starts to settle in.

“What is going on!? Show yourself!” She said, her voice starting to panic.

She looked at my body, still there where she left me unconscious.

“What’s wrong? You’ve already defeated me. Why do you look so afraid?” I said again from everywhere.

“Dirty tactic! Employing illusion magic when you’ve been completely defeated!” She said, panting every so often.

“To your credit, you did get something right. Snakes, just like any other predator, wait for the opportune moment to strike. No wasted energy on obvious pursuits. Always clinging to the shadows.” I said.

She turns to the right as my voice came from that direction.

“Meticulously studying the prey…”

She crouches and sends three icicles to the left.

“Then when it is time to strike…”

She shouts in fear.

“It will already be too late before the prey will even notice…” I whispered in her ear as I sat on top of her motionless body, absorbing her energy for my own. One of the major qualities of shadow magic.

I uncast my illusion and allowed her to see that we are near the edge of the fourth circle. She's lying motionless on the ground as black tendrils of my shadow magic pinned her down. I’m squatting on top of her stomach as my palm is squeezing her forehead.

“It was… all an illusion…” She said as her consciousness started to fade.

“Correct again! You have been quite an enjoyable test subject. To be honest, I just learned Clouded Eye this morning. I owe it to Professor Yhendorn for carelessly giving me a taste of such a simple illusion spell yet perfect for those who are already distracted.” I said to her as her eyes started to close.

“When… did you… catch me?” She asked, her eyes closing from exhaustion.

“One of the very fundamental rules when facing off with an illusion mage is to never allow yourself to be fully consumed by a powerful emotion. Take a guess, when did you feel a powerful emotion?” I mocked her, flicking her nose.

“When you slipped… I felt… so happy… I thought… I could beat one that was… a cut above the rest.” She admitted.

Part of me felt joy from hearing what she said. A cut above the rest, huh? I’ll take that. Recognition feels damn good. Soon, I’ll make all of you recognize me.

“Precisely. Now, rest quietly. Take pride that you managed to entertain a sand serpent.” I whispered as I drained her of enough energy to knock her unconscious.

I released the tendrils and stood up. I saw the other mages shaking after witnessing what I had just done. Each of them gritting their teeth, they readied their basic spells and looked hungry to fight me. I looked around to see that there were no longer any rocks in the center. Idiots must have either already taken all of the gemstones, or at least taken a rock for themselves each. Hmm, that complicates things. I wasn’t able to see one take an emerald.

“What?” I said, stretching my back.

I count four in front of me, and another two behind me.

“Is she a friend of yours?” I asked, turning around every so often.

They didn’t respond, not that I needed them to. It’s way to obvious. They’re too mad. Quite exaggerated, for my taste. If they cannot stomach this, they’re in no shape to continue as mages. Go home to your castles, princes, and princesses. The warzone will not cater to your needs.

As a chorus of valor-filled shouts bolstered their morale, a horde of hungry elven mages charged toward the helpless dark elf. Hehe, how funny would it be if that were the case, huh?

A barrage of long-ranged attacks came my way. A lightning bolt from one behind me, and a series of icicle spears from two of the four ice mages ahead. Oddly enough, all of them are aimed way too high for it to be effective. Sure, a head-level aim for long-ranged attacks is recommended, but this seems way too obviously pre-planned. Or they’re just bad.

Before the attacks could land, I took a gander at the remaining three mages that did not launch an attack. The one behind me is releasing mana into the ground, palms firmly planted. One of the two in front of me is doing the same. Hmm earth magic. The last mage unaccounted for is hiding behind the earth mage in front of me while showering him with ice fractals. Hmmm. Must be a buff or something. I think I know what’s happening.

I bent forward, easily dodging the lightning and icicles aimed at my head. As they ice and lightning clashed, an affinity reaction triggered.

“Awesome! We triggered Supercharge!!” One of the ice mages in front of me said.

Supercharge, huh? I guess whatever spell you’re trying to pull off, it’s not something that you can pull off naturally. You need an affinity reaction that doubles the potency of mana for a short period of time, at the cost of draining your mana for twice the amount. Quite smart, if I’m being honest.

“Vanya, Lysanthir, now!!” The lightning mage behind me shouted.

The two earth mages simultaneously grunted in acknowledgedment and pierced both of their hands on the ground. Their eyes glowing bright orange hues, indicative of high exertion in mana usage. Careful, my lord and lady, you’ll cripple yourself if you overdo it.

 

“Earth Magic: Golem’s Grasp!”

 

The two earth mages said in unison.

The earth around my feet moved and weaved like clay as it formed into a pair of gigantic hands with runes running along its fingers. The two gigantic hands came directly toward me, aiming to encase me inside of its palms. Well, it’s not a spell that requires chanting, so I doubt it’s a big deal, but it would be cumbersome if I got trapped inside of it. I have to escape.

The lightning mage stepped in front of me as if to gloat that I have no escape. I can’t see her eyes yet there is absolute mockery behind them. The earth mage in front of me is looking at me in the same way. Almost as if to say that I am completly in his mercy.

“Playtime’s over, my lords and ladies.” I shouted as the earth hands complete their grasp.

“We did it! We beat one!” The ice mage performing the buff shouted in ecstacy.

“No time to waste. We have to take care of those vultures before we even attempt to open up the rocks that we took.” The lightning mage said.

“This truce has been quite productive, eh? You have a good head on your shoulders. For a lightning mage.” One of the earth mages teased.

“Oy, Lysanthir! Now is not the time to pick a fight. Lyceeia, thank you for employing our aid. We couldn’t have done it without your expertise.” The other earth mage said.

“Well isn’t this just a touching moment?” I said out loud.

They started to panic. Looking around for where my body could be.

“Where is he!? I can hear him to my left!” one of them shouted.

“Me too! It’s like — “

“Vanya! It’s on your ear!” Lysanthir shouted at his fellow earth mage.

“What!?” Vanya panicked.

“Everyone! Calm down, it’s on everyone’s ears.” Lyceeia shouted, noticing my tendrils on everyone.

“Huh? I can’t see anything! What are you talking about!” Vanya shouted.

“Just be quiet and don’t move! We don’t know where it’s coming from!” Lysanthir convinced the other earth mage.

“Look! It’s coming from inside of the Golem’s hands!” Lyceeia pointed.

“That’s impossible! Golem’s Grasp prevents all movement! He wouldn’t be able to cast any spells from inside.” Lysanthir shouted out.

“Lysanthir, what the fuck are you talking about!? There is nothing there!” Vanya argued.

“Just stay where you are! That thing on your ear must be casting an illusion preventing you from seeing it! If a binding isn’t enough, I’ll just have to beat the shit out of this dark elf!” Lysanthir said.

He coated his arms with rocks pulled from the ground beneath him. Touching one of the golem’s hands, he uncast the spell, revealing my unconscious body from within.

“You’re mine now, idiot!” Lysanthir said, preparing to throw a punch.

“Fools.” I opened my eyes.

Black smoke started to emerge from my eyes as I prepared to cast a spell. As much as I can, I would much prefer the use of tactics and deception rather than simply brute-forcing my way into fights. Yet these idiots are forcing my hand. Very well, absolute destruction it is.

I made a smart guess on where their eyes would be. After making quick eye contact with Lysanthir and Lyceeia, I knelt forward, placing both hands on the floor. Before Lysanthir’s punch could connect, I finished my chant.

 

Window of the soul
Let me, o’ let me perceive you as you are
Take not comfort in the light
For the brightest light casts the darkest shadow

Shadow Magic: Soul Tether!

 

The earth mage and the lightning mage’s eyes became covered in complete darkness as long and thick tendrils connected them to each other. The binding force of the tendrils drew the two to each other at rapid speeds. I’m sure that I broke more than one of their ribs.

One after another, as each of the other mages made contact with one of the other two’s eyes, even beyond the wooden mask, a black tendril also attached and reeled them in. After just a few seconds, all six of them are knocked unconscious and piled on top of one another.

I walked calmly as the chaos of other fights surrounded me and picked up all of their iron orbs and rocks. Just my luck, one of them was carrying an emerald. Lucky, guess I just have to guard mine. I climbed on top of the pile of bodies and sat.

After a while, I saw Ayen absolutely dominate her opponent with this special type of ice magic that I’d never seen before. Congratulations, princess. I have her a round of applause which she didn’t seem to appreciate much.

Oh? Ayre seems to be having fun himself. Just how many bodies have you knocked unconscious? I wish I saw what happened. He seems to be holding a scolecite gem already. My, my. You got it even before I did. Hehe. My rivals are doing well. One day, all three of us will face each other at our peaks. Only then will we determine the strongest.