.^^ Lady St. Clare's Setup ^^
— Idun —
The sight of a confused fox was enough to make me giggle, but when glass said 'go', my shield blocked a sneak attack to my left side.
I kicked out straight, on instinct, and slammed into my enemy's chest, despite how his arm was plunged through a shadow portal, and stabbing at me.
"Isn't that against the rules? That's Meta Magic, not Physical." I called out.
Glass shook his head slowly. "Hector, no portals. Your Familiar can make them, you cannot."
He dissolved the portal, pulling his arm out, and then simply disappeared.
I raised my shield above my head, relying on pure instinct once again, and blocked his sword, then spun casually, and backhanded him with it as he landed on his feet.
He hit the ground a few feet away, dazed, and I slammed a fire-ball into his chest, making him yell and hop up, ripping his now-shredded shirt off, and stomp on it.
While he was doing this, I advanced, shield in front of my abdomen, and attacked with my spear, for about the first time in the Finals.
Armor appeared on his body just in time, forming scales of black metal. It wasn't Mithril, but it felt something close.
"What Metal is that?" I asked, humming as we circled.
"Nonofyoursium." He grinned childishly.
"Brat." I thrust the spear, then twirled the butt, catching his nose just barely, then rammed the spear into his new breastplate, sending him tumbling with raw power. "Make a deal: I win, you tell me about that metal; I lose, I make you a set of Mithril armor to do with as you please."
He hopped up. "Eh, whatever. Not like I'm going to lose."
I held out a hand, my spear stabbed into the ring. "Shake on it?"
He grabbed my hand, and went to stab me, but my shield bashed his face savagely, knocking him out and tasing him at the same time.
"Good dealing with you." I nodded.
"And the winner of Group A of the Finals is the First year, Lady Idunacantus!!!" Glass roared happily, and the stands erupted.
I blinked. "Group A?"
"Yeah, There was two groups of 8. That's why you fought seven fights. The eighth fight determines the Champion. Anyway! Now, the moment you've all been waiting for, the Grand Finale, the Kings Gambit, the True Show, the only fight that truly matters in this competition, THE TITLE FIGHT!!!" He roared, laughing.
There was no surprise, for me, when Lady St. Clare stepped into the ring slowly. I knew I'd meet her in the Finale, if it wasn't Eliza.
"Now, I'm sure you're all aware that there are a few Rule Changes for the Title Fight... such as the ability to now intentionally inflict permanent damage upon an opponent. Death is still outlawed, but Horrendous Maiming is now available to you." Glass stood next to us.
"Ooh, goody." I murmured.
"Also, the restriction on Class Six and above Offensive Spells is raised, and you are free to use anything below a Class 10, though if you use a Class 9, and destroy my stadium, I might be pissed... just saying." He frowned.
"What's the highest class that's been used?" I asked.
"Madeline used a Class Six with her Cosmic Reactor Beam." He nodded.
"Ouch. Do you know any Class 10?" I asked him, grinning at the concept.
"I do. And no, I won't teach you. Back to the program! The final rule change is that that deals with Physical Magic. In this round, Only, you may use any and all magic your Familiars are capable of producing." He looked nervously at her indigo robe, and I hummed, interested.
"That's all the rules... you have five minutes to prepare." He bowed, and disappeared.
"You did very well, getting this far. I also appreciate you assisting me with Madeline. She's dreadful at defense, but Offensively she's as Strong as Orissa, which makes her a threat I cannot easily best." St. Clare nodded respectfully.
"And I appreciate your choice of outfits. Loving the Indigo and Yellow. Very chic." I smiled.
She smirked and played with the yellow hem, revealing accidentally a design, much like a butterfly's wings, on the inside. "Yes... I quite like it as well... good luck, in this match. I hope it's not too arrogant to say you need it."
"Not at all. Instinct and Luck are my greatest abilities. Like when I say, with no clear knowledge on the subject, that I know that robe is a Magical Parasitic Organism, and also your Familiar." I smiled.
She paused, then hummed. "Impressive... Yes, indeed. She's a Hell-Moth, from the Jungles of Madagascar. She latches onto elephants, and drinks their blood, then steals their memories, twists them, and returns them. Quite beautiful, isn't she?"
She spread the cape suddenly, and Bergen covered my eyes, then breathed flame at the coat, scorching it.
"I have not given the call for start yet, Bergen!" Glass growled over the screeching of the giant moth.
"She attacked first." Bergen growled.
"Oh? I suppose she did... Lady St. Clare, shame on you. A veteran of this competition should know better." He chided her seriously, then sighed. "But since you don't want your rest period, FIGHT!"
Bergen breathed more flames, but the moth flapped severely, flying up above us.
"Don't look at the patterns... they're Neurological Manipulation given form of lights and patterns. One look and they'll get into your brain." Bergen growled.
"Unless I scatter the light as it comes towards me." I nodded, and placed a paper-thin veneer of crystal over my eyes, like glasses. Inside them was a simple layer of water, to shake the light. It would retain focus, but any actual patterns of light would be broken.
Bergen simply closed his second set of eyelids, and Weiss rolled on the ground under him, growling at her toes.
I giggled at her, then looked at St. Clare, slowly healing her Familiar. "You know, that wasn't very nice, my dear! I thought we were connecting!"
She laughed. "Silly little girl. As if a pleb like you could possibly befriend me."
"And yep that's why you're a friendless, lonely, poisonous bitch whose many crippling insecurities are openly displayed by your choice of Familiars: A parasitic Moth that dicks with peoples memories, and slowly drains them of blood and life." I smirked.
Her enraged growl was pathetic, and amusing, but I was also getting bored, so I began to shoot my cards at her, while tossing Bergen my last Concentrated Ether shard.
He swallowed it, and then began grumbling in Dragon-Tongue, using the same sequence as Madeline had, though translated and obviously restructured to fit his preferred method of dispersal.
I was a bit shocked he'd learned it from watching her once, but I continued my attacks on the moth and woman, who were also one symbiotic organism, it seemed, connected at the spine.
"Wow, you're so pathetic you actually needed to physically bond with your Familiar because you were insecure about whether it would stay or not. Wow. I mean, if I was a useless piece of shit, I'd be worried too, but taking it that far? A new level of pathetic for a Mage who thinks she's a Queen." I sighed sarcastically, and dodged a purple beam of energy that burnt a perfect hole in the floor.
Ten magic circles had appeared in front of her, Ritual Magic, and were firing off beams of energy at me and Bergen, making Glass hum, annoyed at the breach of rules, but he stayed out of it, for now.
Bergen released the attack he'd stolen from Lady Madeline, a massive beam of cosmic energy, and she blocked with a Golden hexagonal Shield.
"Damn you, Syral!!!" I snapped, and dodged another beam, then blocked one with one of my cards.
The card melted, to my surprise, and I dodged by a hairs breadth, then stared at the molten card. "Well shit... alright then, you boys need an update, after this." I scooped the molten Mithril into my pocket, and refocused on the fight as she stepped it up a notch, the beams turning from purple to a deep, deep indigo, which made Glass stand up swiftly.
He finally stepped into the ring, and blocked one of the beams with his forearm, not even an actual Guard Spell, just natural magic resistance, making me shiver, thinking about why it would take to hurt him. "Lady St. Clare, any further breach of rules with the casting of either Class 10 Destructive spells or non-familial Ritual Magic will disqualify you entirely, and entitle the Dean's Apprentices to permanently separate you from your Familiar, and thus your chances of graduation!"
She hissed at him, and a glowing blue ring appeared behind her, shredding the Ether around her, and sucking it in, like a Well at the bottom of the ocean.
I hummed and waited for a moment, then looked at Glass. "I win, right? So if I break the rules right now, I'm not disqualified?"
"So long as you don't kill her? Yes." He nodded.
"Good. Weiss? Dear one, place me above her." I smiled, drawing my spear, and inscribing my Familial Lightning Rune on the blade.
She fired off another beam at me, but I was already gone, above her.
My spear pierced the Moth at the base of St. Clare's neck, and she shrieked as the Rune activated, crisping the bug instantly.
We fell to the ground swiftly, and I pulled my spear out just in time, rolling off of her as the ground appeared in my vision.
Glass checked her pulse, and nodded, dragging her off the stage, while a copy of himself began announcing. "And another Exciting Tournament that was! Give a round of applause, Alumni, for one of our very own, the newest #15, Lady Idun of Deutschland!"
I sat down on Bergen's paws, and groaned. "Well... everything hurts. How about you?"
"I am entirely unharmed. You did the, how do you say, 'Heavy Lifting', the entire time. I am happy to have you safe, however." He wrapped his tail around me in a hug.
"You too, love. Now, Glass... my Reward?" I smirked.
He chuckled, and handed me a small leather-bound tome. "As promised. Don't misuse it."
"I don't plan on learning it. I can't use Ritual Magic. It's for Darien." I shrugged.
He frowned. "Oh."
"You two don't like each other?" I asked.
"Elves always come off as snobbish with-... people like me. We don't get along." He caught himself.
"Oh? People like you? What's that mean?" I smirked, poking his chest to see if he was real.
"None of your concern, my young friend." He sighed, and we suddenly stood in the VIP section. "Now, I believe it's time for you to send Bergen and Pashas back with his father." He nodded at a tall West-Asian (or perhaps North-African,) man, glaring down at the stubborn Pashas.
"Bergen will not leave my side, as he is only a few months old, and I am raising him. And Pashas has made the decision to stay." I said simply, and sat down next to Pashas on a couch. "So relax, old man. Anyway, Grandfather, here's your book." I held out the Tome.
"You don't want to read it first?" He asked, taking it, with a stern glance at the swelling king, instantly deflating him.
"I've tried Ritual Magic. Can't do it. Physical and Meta Magic's are all I've got, I think." I shrugged.
"Indeed... ah well. Now, Pashas, I take it? You are my granddaughter's ward?" He looked down at Pashas.
The Boy Prince raised an eyebrow. "You are mistaken, Lord Rotorstein. I am Bonded with Bergen, yes, but I am no Ward."
"I see... them you will be staying close to her, so as to stay close to your Companion, the Golden Elder Dragon known as Bergen, The Golden Mountain?" He said sarcastically, using titles for accuracy.
"Indeed."
Pashas's father looked intrigued by this revelation, and hummed. "I was sure that his attribution of his rebelliousness to his bonding with a Dragon was false... of course he must not be separated from the beast. I will bring them both home."
"You'll do so only if you survive me ripping your dick off." I said casually, and kicked my feet up onto the coffee table.
"I beg your pardon?" He looked more mystified than offended.
"You should. However, I do not grant it. Begone with you." I shook my fingers at him in a shoeing motion, and closed my eyes, leaning back.