I looked down at the shattering dome of white ice covering the gym floor. The flamboyant clown was currently stretching out his hand to Yuto, the black haired man smiling along with the clown as he reached out his hand too. My mind raced a mile a minute as I tried thinking of ways I could fight against such a terrifying ability. The only one I could come up with after weighing every option was that before he could use that technique I had to put him under an illusion. 

“Impressive right? Mr. Prett is honestly someone too powerful to be an instructor at this academy but he was quite adamant in his desire to become one. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to snatch up Europe’s most prominent exorcist.” The not-so-subtle jabs hit me in the gut as I glanced over at the woman who had put the maximum distance between us the couch would allow without her getting off. Her blue-grey eyes met mine, a small smirk growing on her face at my displeasure. 

Shimazu Hikari was a sadist. Not in the sense that she liked inflicting physical pain, no she preferred to cut her opponents with barbed words. It was how she showed interest, the more disgust received meant the more interest she had. It is rather shameful to admit this however because the woman never showed any level near the ‘interest’ I received in the manga. Does she really hate me?

“It’s a rather impressive display, he most likely reached near absolute zero inside his [Geist Field], but that in of itself presents a problem.” I grinned, my fingers interlocking as I put my hands behind my head and leaned back into the couch. The best way to play with a feisty woman is through calm indifference. If she wants me to get riled up and angry at her words then for me to win I simply must not engage. Don't feed the trolls as they say.

“And what is the problem Mr. Wraith?” Her thin eyebrows scrunched together as she gave me an appraising look.

“He most definitely needs to project his ice aura from his [Geist Field] meaning that with the projection of my own technique, I can counteract the worst of his abilities effects.” Yuto lost not because he was weaker, but because his fire aura was being projected into his all-in attack. Had he calmly analyzed the situation he could have projected his aura outward and put Prett on the back foot. 

A [Geist Field] places the ambient geist held within it under the control of the exorcist who cast it, and only someone projecting their own more powerful [Geist Field] can disrupt this ability. Judging by the limited engagement between the two Prett lacks the raw quantity of geist needed to disrupt any field I would project. In fact, in terms of geist quantity he has about half as much as someone of the Captain class should have. My eyes narrowed down at the clown, just what the hell was he hiding?

***

“Oh~Garridan-kun, are you ready for our duel?” The man gave me a lopsided grin, his purple lips twitching like he was holding back a laugh. His alabaster formal gloves combed through his mauve-colored hair as he pushed a few unruly strands off of his face. He looked like a male model, someone who would be in a men's cologne commercial, and yet his clownish makeup and weird mannerisms were more unsettling than handsome. 

“Yep.” I made a popping noise with my lips pronouncing the P sound. The casual disregard I showed the man as I stood in front of him with my hands in my ‘Spongeboy’ pajama pants pockets didn't seem to phase him as he just shrugged before nodding to the booth.

“Very well, but be~warned, I don't plan on taking it easy on you just because this is our first time sparring~.” I turned my head toward the viewing booth. The sight of Souta nursing his wrist in a sling grinning down at me brought a smile to my face as well. Yuto glared down at the gym and more specifically me with those dour eyes of his. Honestly, how could such a gloomy guy have the element of fire as his affinity, I’d honestly expect something like water or maybe even ice would fit his personality better. 

“I see, so will we be dropping all pretenses and going for the jugular?” I asked, my head nodding toward the booth to signal my readiness. My muscles tensed, my feet digging into the ground ready to pounce at any moment. A wicked gleam grew in my eyes, killing intent leaving my body like a hazy mist as my geist was tainted purple.

“I find that in the moment between life and death you learn more about yourself and your opponent than any conversation could achieve so show me who you are Garridan Wraith~!” The man spread his arms wide as he spoke, his body inviting me to attack as the killing intent washed over his body. 

[*Pssht*—The match will begin in three, two, one, Hajime!]

I was already behind him, my upper body lifting above the murky pool of his shadow. A jet-black knife made of solid darkness was in my palm and ready to stab his back. The blade rocketed forward as I put my weight behind it, my feet pushing against the solid darkness I created inside of Prett’s shadow as I lunged toward his back. I would sever his spine and paralyze him before finishing him off with a quick stab to the back of the skull. This wasn't a spar, and I had no intention of keeping an unknown variable like him alive.

“[Winter Shogun].” The man spoke just as my blade made contact with his long flowing hair. Instead of piercing his skull the sound of crunching ice filled the air. Covering his head was a shimmering haze of light blue ice aura, the energy hidden under a normal layer of geist like a cloak. Underneath the hidden veil was an immaculate set of blue samurai armor, the translucent helmet resting on his head blocked my attack with ease. My hand began stinging, the nipping cold of his aura biting into my flesh like searing daggers. 

Dropping back down into his shadow I teleported to the rafters of the gymnasium. My eyes narrowing down at the current state of my hand. Patches of ice covered my fingers like the blotches of a rash, the crackling sound grew louder from them as the ice spread further across my fingers. This wasn't normal, elemental aura would normally dissipate due to the inviolable nature of a human’s [Subtle Body]. That meant that this wasn't a technique using geist—

“There you are~!” A glimmering silver blade tried to sever my head in one clean stroke. The only thing that prevented that was my shadow grabbing hold of the cane sword, our eyes locking as we stood on the metal beam holding the roof up. 

“Damn, I told Hikari that it would be easy to wrap this up. I didn't think you could get close to absolute zero without activating a [Geist Field], but it seems you can coat yourself in it to make a similar effect.” My breath fogged as I spoke, my cheeks growing ruddy from the artic temperature of his aura whipping in my face. The flamboyant clown grinned at my words, steam leaking from his nose like smoke. 

“I’m full of surprises Garridan~kun, just like you!” His free hand crashed into my face with a loud bang, a frigid feeling washing over my bruised cheek. It felt nice, like icing a bruise but eventually, the stinging pain of my cells crystallizing began again. In response my leg swept his feet out from under him, my arms latching onto his shoulders as we fell head-first to the floor below. 

Like a certain green spandex-wearing ninja from Konoha tendrils of my shadow wrapped around the man as we fell to the ground like a meteor. Prett’s height this time was actually a disadvantage as his head would crash into the concrete before I did, his skull and spine would act as cushioning for my own landing. We were only a few feet from the fast-approaching floor now, and then the world froze.

“You made me use it on purpose didn't you~? Well no matter, you will simply learn of the rift in power between us like that fool Yuto—!” 

“Hehehehehe, I knew it!” I chuckled, dark aether roiling around me in a purple haze. My feet touched the ground with a soft thump, the clownish man doing the same as he eyed me warily. 

“This is unexpected, it seems you've figured it out.” His lispy speech was replaced with a deadly serious tone, his purple eyes narrowing into a glare. The ever-present smile on his face was nowhere to be found, in its place was a twitching frown.

“Your aura, it’s made of ectoplasm, isn't it?” Had it been a [Geist Field] made of standard elemental aura it would have been a much fiercer struggle to liberate myself from its effects. The elemental aura would begin converting any geist I am leaking into even more elemental aura.

 The only two ways to defeat it would be to overload the users control by supplying him too much geist in that area or project my own [Geist Field] and use the elemental aura I create in my body to weaken the field surrounding me. You would use the latter technique if your elemental affinity is a strong counter against the [Geist Field] they've created and the former if you have no counter or your element will fuel theirs. 

However if their ‘Geist Field’ is made up of ectoplasm, just a base coating of your elemental aura will be enough to fend off its effects. The reason for this is because the Weltgeist created humor nodes for the express purpose of destroying phantoms, because of this, elemental aura and ectoplasm mix about as well as water and oil. Geist fuels both elemental aura and ectoplasm so had I tried flaring my geist to ward off his attack I would've simply fueled the ectoplasm. 

“Yes, it's ectoplasm but before you begin accusing me of being a Sin-eater let me assure you I have no affiliation with them and their ilk.” The genuine disgust he displayed when he mentioned the Sin-eaters made me pause. I didn't believe him, but I couldn't fully dispel the lingering doubt forming in the pit of my stomach. 

“Then why use ectoplasm in the first place?”

“Because just like how you gave your lovers [Phantom Tools] I have a desire worth more than any of the consequences for violating the law.” My eyes widened, my fists clenching as I glared at him. How did he know, how did he know, how did he know—?

“[Necto: Iron Maiden]!” Fuck consequences, I'm going to kill this bastard, he knows way too much! The man's shadow devoured him as he sunk into the inky darkness like quicksand. The ebony face of a screaming man rose as the top of the shadow coffin rose, the sound coming from inside was dead quiet.

“Sorry, that was a touchy subject wasn't it~?” I barely had time to turn around before a fist crashed into my jaw sending me skittering across the concrete. My body only came to a rest when it crashed up against the opaque ice dome of Prett’s [Geist Field]. The man grinned at me as he shook his fingers, the punch stinging his delicate hands.

“That’s a big understatement,” I spat out the blood filling my mouth, my inner cheek scraping against my teeth. 

“Well, now you understand why I’m about to kick the shit out of you.” The man cracked his knuckles, the alabaster gloves were already dyed crimson from my blood. 

“Huh, great minds think alike I guess because I was planning on doing the same to you.” I charged the man, my fist reared back, the punch ready to break his jaw. This would be a fight to decide the future of both of us, we had our own agendas beyond anything like morals or ethics, and we’d fight tooth and nail to achieve them. A grin grew on Prett’s face at the realization, and I'm sure it was mirrored in his eyes that I was grinning too. This was fun!