Returner's Revenge

Commune with Death

With the race for the winner of the competition is on and none of the people from both classes are wanting to lose to each and one of them. Flora’s classmates were surprised that the four of them immediately disappear after the classes. Some of them even saw that James started to grow some muscles around his body. “What are they doing? I even saw Ophir having the same build. Did they build their bodies perhaps?” one of the female student gossip to the others.

Mathos and his friends hear this but kept quiet and just stare in blank space. They are still disturbed by Mathos’ easy defeat against a student from the lower class. A defeat that Mathos did not see coming.

“Mathos are you perhaps disturbed by what happened?” one of his friends ask. “………” Mathos kept silent about the subject and turn away from them. “He still must have been affected by what happened. Lets just give him some space for the mean time.”. One of his friends suggested.

They left him to buy something while Mathos continues to stare in blank space. [How in the world was I defeated that easily? There is no way that I should have been defeated like that. There must have been a mistake. He is from a lower class, a lower class! But how did I get defeated so easily!] Mathos slowly grip his clothes tightly.

 [The spell that he used, is normal. Everyone can use it but why is his attack so strong? Strong enough to disable and erase my flames just like that. Its not even an element to counter my flames.] His eyes widened when he got a glimpse of the answer.

[Is it because of the gap of our mana? Is his mana so dense that it easily extinguish mine?]

Mana burning happens when someone who uses spells conjure elements without the appropriate chanting of the spell and happens to clash with an even greater and denser mana from another source. The lesser mana will be engulfed and absorbed into the greater source and shuts down the lesser source. This is used by some of the greater mages to determine who is the more powerful mage. They let their mana clash with each other until one of them pass out.

Mana dominion is almost the same but the source does not  conjure elements with his mana and instead use it to put pressure on other lesser and greater mage. Showing that they are not someone to be messed. High profile mages do not do this unless necessary but foolish and arrogant ones shows off their superiority to others.

That is when Mathos realize that his defeat was almost certain, by showing off his lesser mana to his enemy, it gave him the opportunity to take him down using his own mana. A total and absolute defeat. “That bastard! I will definitely make him pay for humiliating me like that. Kris and that guy, I will make them pay.” He says to himself gnashing his teeth for his incompetence.

Kresha saw his infuriation for himself but still does not spare him. “Loser, get out of my way.” She said heartlessly and shove him aside.

In the meantime, the student that is frequently asking Kris for a match is eating all that he can fit inside his stomach in rage. “Hey Edmond, I think you need to eat slowly. You might choke to death if you eat like that.” His follower said with concern for his body. “That bastard, I will show him. I will definitely kick his a*s next time and make him pay for giving me all that trouble just to have another unsolvable problem.” He mutters to himself as he continue to stuff food in his mouth.

The referee that they randomly picked on that d ay walk by their table and ask if he could sit and eat with them. The group do not see anything wrong with it so they let him, even though there are still more available tables around.

“That fight. It was so fast and quick that it ended so shortly. How were you able to do that? The academy did not teach us like that.” The student said and Edmond stops eating to listen to his blabber. “That is because I am strong. Only idiots like you follow what the academy is teaching. You should find what fighting style you are best suited in and not just follow what another person or organization is telling you. That is blindly letting them dictate what you need to do and don’t need to do. Its people like you that die off in a war easily. Predictable and weak.” Edmond said and continues to eat afterwards.

His followers apologize for his foul mood but the student don’t mind. “Can I learn from you? I also think that the academy is only teaching us how to utilize our talent in using mana but does not teach us how to use completely.” The student sneered at him after hearing what he had to say for a brief moment and then went back to eating.

“That’s obvious, they can’t just reveal how they fight. Each teacher here has their own way to fight but due to them working here as an employee, they are forced to keep their fighting style for themselves. Resulting into making the academy’s own fighting style which is terrible and predictable. I have never met a student that practices what the academy is teaching and won a duel. Except if they are both using the same fighting style and the other one is much weaker than the other.” The two then discussed more while they eat as the others listen and gather information in the process. Further developing their knowledge about fighting styles and other things that the two are discussing.

Edmond end up losing it and starts asking Mephisto for a duel every time they meet to the point that Mephisto needs to conceal himself from the child after refusing him for a dozen times. “Mr. Mephisto! Fight me! Heuk!”

BLAB!

Mephisto covers his mouth in annoyance and glare at Edmond. “How many times to I have to refuse you huh? You want me to beat you to death? Or you are dying to taste one of my punishments. I can always give that to you if you will it.” Mephisto said coldly but Edmond’s determination is certain and his sights have already set on his goals.

“I’ll take any punishment as long as you give me a chance to have a match with you.” In that time, for the first time in his life inside the academy. Someone manage to pissed Mephisto off as veins bulge on his forehead like worms under his skin.

“You are really dying to taste my punishment huh? Kid?” one of the teachers saw the dread on Mephisto’s face and pull the student away in response. “Mr. Mephisto, please try to control your anger!” the teacher sounded like he is on his last voice after witnessing Mephisto getting angry for the first time. “Don’t try to get in my way, I will definitely show him his place.” Mephisto responded coldly that made the teacher flinch in fear.

“I still want to have a match with you Mr. Mephisto!” both teachers felt amazed and disappointed that Edmond is still hang up on that goal and the teacher that pulled him away from Mephisto gives him a word. “Do you realize what you are trying to say?” Edmond simply nod his head. Completely throwing away any sense that the teacher has in the moment.

“I want to have a duel with Mr. Mephisto and somehow win before I can fight Kris Grindall. I want to see what he is made off.” He said proudly as the teacher slap his head. “Listen here you punk. That was the only exception that the headmaster had allowed and nothing else. If you really want it badly then you should ask the headmaster himself.” The teacher spoke the truth and Edmond knew it.

“But the headmaster will still refuse to give me permission, that’s why I am doing this.” The teacher finds it useless to even talk about it  even further, Mephisto thinks so as well so then he made a move.

The hall darkens in the eyes of Edmond. He can only see Mehpisto standing before him with blood floating around him like clouds. “If you want to fight me, then you should be ready to face this.” Mephisto says with a cold tone but even then, Edmond shows his determination and before he could respond, his vision spins around like his body is rotating in a slow speed.

To his horror, it was just his head and he is seeing all of this with his head detached from his body which is still standing before Mephisto. His lips immediately turn pale as he felt his body gone cold. “I showed him the same situation. I used thought acceleration spell. All of this is real.” Edmond then felt a searing pain on his neck as his blood spill all over the floor. Mephisto steps on his head, and again, he can feel Mephisto stepping on his head like it’s the floor.

“You claim to want to fight him when you are already trembling in fear. Any moment now and you will piss yourself. A reaction too late for a headless body.” Mephisto leans forward to look at Edmond’s eyes. “The very student that you want to fight withstand this without losing himself to fear and despair. Something that you have already sank to. Are you still believing that even if you have a match with him you’d win?” Mephisto stands properly and saw that Edmond’s pants started dripping. “Looks like it started.”

DRIP! DRIP! DRIP!

Mephisto starts to disable the illusion when all of the sudden Edmond’s arm move to grab his shoulder. “I’m -not -done yet!” Mephisto could not help but smile at the sight of another student that is able to withstand one of his ability. ‘Commune with Death’.

“Looks like you are also interesting on your own way but just as persistent and troublesome. I will pay attention to you.” Mephisto said as the world within his creation crumbles down.

Back in reality, Edmond snaps back and saw that Mephisto is already walking away with the teacher. He looks ay his pants and see that its dry. “Was that all an illusion?” he thinks to himself and wipes the cold sweat on his face. “Kris was able to withstand that without any problem? What is that guy? A monster?” he mutters to himself and walks slowly. A figure behind the wall smiles after witnessing a fraction of Mephisto’s power.

“That was incredibly strong. Just as I expect from one of the Heroes of Old.” The mysterious person says to himself.