Idowuokurestu Olufemi
Soon after I initiated my first attack, Gonzalo swiftly vanished and appeared instantly behind me with a flash step; the beastman was surprisingly quick for his size and class. I drew mana from my cache to prepare for impact, "Earth Signature: Tera Wall!" I chanted. A wall of bedrock erected from the ground on my rear that soon met with a devastating blow from both of my opponent's axes. The attack was enough to completely shatter the defenses I manifested; this was expected though, I would've had a similar strategy if I were him.
Gonzalo jumped several meters back and dropped the ax in his left hand down. The mana intensified in his right hand holding the second ax and he began spinning the ax while chanting, "Manticore Signature: Battle Frenzy!" A surge of mana swelled within the young man's body as his muscles and stature grew; the markings along his body began to glow intensely and he continued his chant. When he was done, he launched himself towards me.
There was just enough time for me to scribe parry spell to counter my opponent's onslaught, "Earth Signature: Minor Shield!" I yelled while scribing my name to activate my spell. A thick, yet translucent light trailed my mace as I scribed the characters of my name in the air "オ(O)ラフ(Lu)ェ (Fe)ミ(Mee)". The characters glowed fiercely as I completed the scribe; the characters then broke off, piece by piece and formed into tiny and sturdy shields that were able to block Gonzalo's attack. The boy's balance was thrown off and he tumbled to his right side, not missing my opportunity, I went in for an attack.
I slammed my mace into my opponent's abdomen, and he flew backwards toward his starting placement, Perfect, I thought. I swung my weapon over my head and let out a blood curdling scream, "Ahhhhhhh!" I charged after the beastman and prepared for my blitz, however, even though I kept my eyes on the boy, it had appeared that he'd vanished into thin air. I stopped mid-lunge as I felt the presence of someone's murderous intent; it was Gonzalo.
I couldn't see it, but my opponent had a fire in his eyes that had the ability to end my life if I didn't think fast enough. I immediately erected an earth wall to gain some distance between the two of us, but even that wasn't enough. Gonzalo swung one of his axes and completely demolished my barrier, something felt off, I couldn't shake the feeling that he was supposed to be down for the count by now, but he was still moving. I looked over my shoulder and to my surprise, I saw my opponent piercing his battle axes into the ground before bowing at a 90-degree angle. "Thank you for this bout, it is clear that I need to focus on strategy, rather than brute force," he said with, dare I say, a rather suave Beasterian accent. I wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but I could deduce that the match was over.
The crowd stared at us in complete silence before Princess Minerva made her announcement, "The winner of the first match is, Idowuokurestu Olufemi," the crowd's applause and the cheers smoothly transitioned into a chant of my name, "OLUFEMI, OLUFEMI!"
Meera Dracoventis
The first match went as I expected, as a young Forrest ogre, Olufemi is much stronger than she appears, and that strength only grows as long as she has a connection to the earth and grounds herself. There wasn't a single doubt in my mind that each of my students wouldn't be ranked amongst the strongest guards in Miryudōra.
The next match was between a student of Daisuke and one of Laith, and that match was scheduled forty-five minutes after the previous match. Between the matches, I had allowed the young ones to discuss with their peer regarding her victory in the tournament. "Olufemi, your skill with a mace has grown exponentially," Ogunkoya exclaimed with a twinkle in his eye.
"But it was the use of your barrier signature as a parrying skill, that was quite fascinating," Akinyemi stated, "you never did anything like that before during our sparring sessions". She had a very good point in her claim, but Olufemi had an even better reason as to why she kept this a secret.
Prior to accepting the role of knight apprentice, Olufemi was born into a line of Forrest ogres with the ability to make invisible barriers, they are referred to as The Barilori; mages who have a particular skill in barrier creation and manipulation. However, Olufemi, despite being born with traits of a Barilori, she can only create minor barriers and lacks the mana capacity to produce complex multi-level barriers. Taking her in was not tasked beholden to me, but her being ostracized for her being "lesser" was not only but a standard of living amongst the Forest Ogres. They value strength above all and those who don't live up to that standard are deemed inferior and undesirable; ultimately being cast out, left to fend for themselves.
Thankfully, I found Olufemi being taken care of by an orphanage that bordered Elphdaema and The Ryudō. Even then she radiated bravery and determination, never letting her past shackle her down. When I offered to take her in, she wasted no time and accepted my offer. That was two years ago, and she hadn't left my side since. In a way, you could say she's like my younger sister and she still had much to learn.
••
The final round of the tournament was underway, and the bout was between Ogunosuke and Akinyemi. Ogunkoya had foolishly underestimated his opponent during the first round that costed him an easy win. I had every intention to give him a proper scolding once this was all done. However, this was merely a mock tournament, so I wouldn't be too hard on the boy.
Initially I had been worried that a match between two of my students would resemble our training, however I had that innate feeling that they were taking this a bit more seriously than just a training session. Shortly before the match, Akinyemi expressed to me her feelings about the princess, "Ogunosuke wishes to be the Young Mistress' shining light, and by the looks of it, Ayosaki serves as her right hand". I wasn't sure what she was getting at, Akinyemi isn't the type of girl that likes beat around the bush when it comes to getting her point across.
"What are you getting at, Akinyemi," I asked with equal levels of curiosity and confusion. She stared off with a solemn expression on her face, "I admire the princess, she's beautiful, smart, cunning, plus we're both from Garyudōra". There was a pause before she continued, "with Lady Ayosaki acting as the Young Mistress' right hand, and Ogunosuke aspiring to take her left, that leaves with no choice but to be the fire that burns within her".
Her words left me stunned and left without words, "I-you-Akinyemi," I stuttered, "Do understand what you are saying?" I asked, the question was more rhetorical if anything, it was the only thing I could think to say. But the stoic and steel infused determination in her face let me know that she would make her wishes come true.
Ololadeseijin Akinyemi
I was raised by an esteemed group of nobles that valued dignity and honor when in combat. However, I was never fond of that highbrow way of thinking, I was the type of girl that wanted to consume herself in her books and studies, with some light training here and there.
That was until I first met the princess; she radiated beauty and perfection, not to mention the kind heart she possessed. We attended Caliburn with each other and I lived across the hall from her; she had a den-mother essence about her and always managed to end spats amongst the other girls. I'd only ever encountered arrogant and uptight noble women, but the princess, she emulated, if not was the embodiment of how a woman of her status should always behave and hold herself. That was a woman I wanted to serve; a woman that is poised, calm, collected, and incapable of letting others slow her down.
The fire that burns within the princess is already raging, however with both of her hands claimed, one by Ogunosuke and the other by Ayosaki. I wish only to serve as the Young Mistress' internal and eternal hell flame; I'll add my strength to her blazing power so that she can achieve greatness.
••
Ogunosuke and I hadn't sparred with each other much, but I was familiar enough with his signature to know not to underestimate him. He possessed a light-based signature called Shine that is rumored to be the strongest of the element. His speed, agility, and attack power are his strengths, leaving his defense and magic defenses as his weaknesses, weaknesses that could potentially be exploited. If I had to guess an outcome of the match, based on his signature and my own, I'd say it'd be about even. Although his signature is impressive, he would have to also be cautious of my signature, Hell Fire.
There are, in total, twelve Aspect families, separated into three classifications. There are signatures that can be elemental, the most common signature class. The elemental class has two families for each of the four basic elements and also includes the elements of light and dark. A mage's classification is determined at birth and the Aspect is influenced by how they use their abilities; I was born with the fire attribute and because of the noble family I was born in, my Hell Fire signature belongs to the Samedhi Aspect Family, specializing in offensive and defensive flame manipulation.
As a young mage, being able to call forth my signature from its original aspect is something that not many people can do. I've never been like most people; I've always had a habit of excelling beyond my expectations. Some would call it a blessing, but at one point I saw it as a curse. The Ololadeseijin Clan is praised amongst many noble families, as our flames burn the brightest. A brilliant flame that devours all that it touches, Benimaru, a hereditary signature, belonging to the future matriarch of the clan, is the pride of the Ololadeseijin Clan.
The signature is composed of multiple sub-signatures, all including True Flame Control, the complete and absolute domination of the flame. Light-speed Reflex, granting me the ability to perceive and react to attack within milliseconds, adding True Flame Control with this sub-signature allows me to quickly scribe spells whilst in battle. Lastly, if I were to ever find myself in a bind, I do have my trump card. Benimaru has a secret, rather a hidden ability, only awakened by a selective few within the clan called True Hell Flame: Amaterasu. Essentially the ability grants the user a new form, cladding them in a fire imbued suit of armor that boosts the user's speed, stamina and attack potency, while turning my flames a deep black, that burns for an eternity. This battle will make or break my clan's reputation and my overall standing with the princess as a whole. The young mistress already has a strong and faithful retainer in Ayosaki, however as the next matriarch of the clan, it is my duty to serve as her guiding flame. The only obstacle I face is the opponent in front of me, Ogunosuke.
Prime Minister Aether Wyllt
The final match is set to start within the next half hour; however, the final bout will have a special twist. My nephew, the First Prince of Garyudōra, Myrlin Wyllt, requested to play the role as Bard for the two finalists. While enrolled at Caliburn, it was revealed that his adventurer job-class was that of a Sage, one of the most rare classes. The job-class grants him the ability to have mastery of any job-class to advance proficiency. Lately he's been focusing on his bard skills while under Lady Hypnos' tutelage, and he says he's learned to use his sand in some unusual and unique ways. For starters, Lady Hypnos managed to teach my nephew the basics of the Mind Aspect, and in only a few short days, he'd manage to master those basics.
Today, Myrlin intends to demonstrate this new application of sound and sand magic. He spent the majority of the intermission setting the arena up the fight, laying the sand down at the base of everyone's feet. I'm curious as to what he has planned.
••
The match is to begin in approximately five minutes, and our two finalists have made their way to the battlefield. Off to the side, directly in above the center of the field, Myrlin stood proud and strong wearing a royal blue and golden kimono made Graveyard Spider silk, a ceremonial Ida sword in his right hand, and a golden fan in his left. His face was painted silver and light blue to resemble his grandfather, my father, The Platinum Dragon Emperor. My nephew's presence could be felt throughout the entire arena; it was almost foreboding.
As the seconds counted down, the crowd grew ever quieter in anticipation to the point where the sound of sand rustling in the wind could cause an avalanche.
Two and a half minutes remaining…
In all my years, I hadn't been this anxious about a fight, let alone a mock tournament. Perhaps I owe this to my niece and her ascension to the throne, or my nephew's ascension? I never would've imagined a life where I could see the revival of this one lost nation.
Fifty seconds remaining…
The remaining time crept ever so slowly, at the time I wasn't fully aware, but this was Myrlin's doing. He would later explain that he evolved his Sand Control signature adding in elements of The Aspect of Sleep, thus giving birth to, what he calls, Mind Sand. He'd used it in a way that messed with the audience's perception of time, almost as though he granted Thought Acceleration to the entire Mina Arena. "Brother," I turned and looked at my brother, he wore a face that was simultaneously proud, yet blushing with excitement.
"Your nephew is indeed a clever boy. Even after the incident at the tournament, he still hasn't let that stop him from impressing us," Chronos hiccupped. He'd been drinking heavily since the intermission, mostly because he didn't have to act as a ruler, instead he was treated as a guest.
"Dear, I think you've had enough to drink," Twyla gently, yet visibly firmly grabbed his wrist; she had a clear vein pulsating on her forehead but still kept in mind her etiquette. "Your son's performance is about to begin," the Empress pointed toward the battlefield where Myrlin stood ready to start.
Five… Four… Three… Two… One…
As the final second struck, it was like the entire stadium was in sync with each other, including us in the Royal's box. Myrlin began dancing using both the fan and the sword, and as he danced, the audience, we began to chant. I wasn't sure what exactly it was we were chanting; I don't even remember the song that was performed during the final match. However, I do recall one of the grandest battles this generation has seen thus far; and I wasn't sure if it had something to do with the combatants, or my nephew, but I'd never seen such a spectacular and jaw-dropping battle.
Myrlin Samael Wyllt-Garyūshi
I had the entire arena, aside from the two combatants transfixed on my still body as I slowly lifted the Ida sword, tip facing down, towards my face; took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled as I opened my eyes.
Ever since my first Caliburn Advancement Tournament, I felt a bit off, not in a bad way, but different. Almost as if I'm capable of doing more, but I'm not sure how I can progress. I asked around to see if anyone was familiar with how the mind and memories work, and I happened to stumble upon an unlikely source, Mugen Yume. She was the one of the first people I met in this world that willfully bullied an innocent person, however, she was the direct student of Lady Hypnos, The Demon Lord of Sleep, so I couldn't let something that happened years ago affect my decision making now of all times.
Six Months Prior
"What do you want to know," Yume asked with a raise of her eyebrow. For being a Night-Skinned Demoness, she had a stand-offish attitude about her. My mother and her cousins, our parents' maids, are all Night-Skinned Demons and they have a warm and inviting air around them; even the meanest of them. But Yume was different, she was undoubtedly beautiful, with a nebulous cloud pattern that painted her upper body; she wore an indifferent scowl on her face, almost as if she were never impressed.
"A little birdie told me that your master knows secrets about the Mind Aspect," I said with a cheeky grin. I had secretly met with one of her friends, Karenza, the Slime Princess. She told me that Yume was rumored to be next in line to succeed Lady Hypnos as the new Demon Lord of Sleep.
The young demoness rolled her eyes, "I'm going to wring her slimy neck of hers," she said to herself with gritted teeth. "Yes, Lady Hypnos has complete dominion over the Aspect of Sleep and that includes the fabled Mind Aspect," she took a pause before she continued. "Are you sure you want to know more about this? Lady Hypnos' research on the subject isn't as vast as you think it is," her expression had softened, almost as if she was actually worried about me.
"I can make do with what little information she has," I said with a reassuring smile. I'd never imagined myself doing something like this, relying on the aid of a bully, but time can change a person, at least I like to believe it can. "Besides, ever since our first battle, I have this urge and I guess like an innate desire to harness the Mind Aspect," it was like I spoke an incantation in another language. The looks of horror, amazement, admiration, confusion and fear simultaneously swept across Yume's face.
"Are you listening to yourself," Yume scolded while ducking our heads down, albeit we were completely alone. "The Mind Aspect is far too complex and ancient to understand, you'd need Lady Tiamat herself to even begin to comprehend its complexities," her words started to sound more and more concerning as the conversation progressed.
"Well, I'm built different," the words were practically instinctive, I didn't even register the phrase until after I said it. "Eh-, What I mean is, I haven't encountered anything that I wasn't able to overcome, and this is no different."
It was small, but I caught something completely unexpected, Yume blushing. When a Night-Skinned Demon experiences extreme emotions, the stars on their ethereal skin will start to glow and flicker. However, in Yume's case, the cosmic clouds that sit across her face began to pulsate ever so faintly; and as quickly and faintly as they appeared, she instantly corrected her embarrassment. All I could do was smile.
"Why are you making that face? You better not be thinking of anything weird," she shouted.
"Anyways, M'Lady's tutelage is intense and brutal," she said quickly trying to change the subject.
"Eh, I'm not worried about that, remember what I said," I raised an eyebrow and gave her a smirk.
••
The past six months I spent digging through my mind and soul, and I happened to have stumbled upon something rather interesting. It looked like a dense, yet fragile glowing blue rock; at first, it didn't appear to have any special properties, that was until I began meddling with it.
At first I simply touched it, and it started to flake off and revealed more of its glow. Whispering filled the dimensional mindscape, unraveling a treasure chest of what I can only describe as memories, whose memories? That I was unsure of, but they were in fact memories.
I continued scratching the surface of the rock and began to understand the different types of memories that were present, memories of music and art, science and culture. It was like a whole different world was being contained in this Memory Rock, that's what I called it. I really took a liking to the music from these memories, I couldn't explain it, but it felt almost nostalgic, as if I've heard the melodies in a past life. These will surely be useful with my 'Bard' skill, I thought as I collected the memory flakes and turned them to sand.
When coming to, the sand around me had a bluish-purple tint to it, and at that moment I knew my Sand Control Signature had evolved into something unheard of and unseen, but completely on brand for someone as clever as myself: Mind Sand.
This unique signature is a dual Aspect Signature, something that is again, never heard of; its base aspect is Terra, and the secondary is the Mind Aspect. According to Lady Hypnos, because I spent time honing into my inner thoughts and learning the formation of my soul, I was able to tap into the Mind Aspect.
Present Day
I lifted my fan in the air as I stretched my right leg to the side, as I did so, the sand I placed all throughout the arena began to glow and faintly emit sound. The crowd simultaneously inhaled and began singing and chanting upon my command. I instructed the men to chant and create various percussive sounds with their mouths, while the women and children were guided to sing.
The melody was one from the Memory Rock, however, I couldn't tell you the name of the song; I couldn't tell you the name of any of the music I've found, not yet at least. I took a deep breath in and spoke, "That's… Abnormal," and at that moment the music's intensity began to flare.
Hikariryūshi Ogunosuke
As Myrlin began his dance, it was like it could feel a major surge of mana rush into my cache. I'd never experienced power like this before, and I knew my opponent, Akinyemi, also felt the same way.
She first started by scribing her name in the air with one of her rapiers, constructing a shield and turning the thin blade into fiery whip, "I will be the fire that burns within the princess!" Akinyemi yelled as she rushed me.
Is she thinking right now? I pondered, I immediately countered using my Sub-Signature, Light Speed to close the distance and get behind Akinyemi.
Whilst closing the gap, I quickly scribed and created and Ida sword made of light using my light manipulation, "You're too slow." In that moment, she reacted and blocked my attack with light speed reflexes, using her whip to grapple my blade. The impact of our collision caused a spectacular light show, albeit a dangerous one, so much so that we both needed to regain distance from each other. I opted to use my sub-signature, Phase Shift in combination with Light Speed to create a sneak attack on Akinyemi; however, almost as if she expected it, she immediately countered, "Hell Fire Signature: Inferno Burst!"
The attack managed to cover the entire battlefield with fire that I couldn't phase through, ultimately forcing me back to tangibility. She's tougher than I remembered, I thought, feeling desperate, but not completely out of options, I decided to take this battle just as serious as my opponent. I took a deep inhale and swung my blade, clearing the Hell Flames in my immediate vicinity, "I admit, I didn't expect that you'd be taking this battle as seriously as you have been," I remarked.
"As I stated prior, I wish to be the flame that burns eternally within the princess," Akinyemi reiterated with a voice laced with mana. "As Ayosaki has claimed her right hand, and you've claimed her left, I must be the fire within," she raised her weapon and pointed it at me.
I closed my eyes, "I see, your resolve tells me everything," I replied. I took a deep breath and spun my ida sword in the air, catching it in an under-hand position. I scratched my name in the air as I chanted, "Aspect of Elysium: True Shine Dragon: Sol Invictus!" Mana pulsated in the wind causing all the Hell Flames on the battlefield to dissipate.
Ololadeseijin Akinyemi
How was he able to dispatch my flames? I frantically pondered, The Aspect of Samedhi is renowned for having the most potent flames, and they were disrupted by simple swing of his sword and a rush of mana?
It was clear this was Ogunosuke's trump card, and my suspicion was proven right after that dust and mana settled. Ogunosuke, the young boy with dark skin and short dark hair looked like a completely different person. The hair on his head, including his eyebrows and lashes, turned stark white and his amber colored eyes became that of a vibrant yellow; This looks bad, I thought.
In response to my opponent's transformation, I decided not to hold back anymore and deactivated my Flame Whip. Using my rapier, I swept my blade in the air, forming my name along with the character for 'Amaterasu'. After finishing my scribe, gently grabbed the tip of my blade, "you're not the only one that has a trump card," I swung my rapier to my right and chanted "Aspect of Samedhi: True Hell Flame: Amaterasu!"
Just like with Ogunosuke, mana surrounded me, and I was engulfed by my Hell Flames that morphed into black. Once completed, and the flames dissipated, I remained wearing a samurai's armor. Both my opponent and I understand what's at stake here and we both have the same goal. Ogunosuke spared no time after my transformation and attacked me with an aggressive beam of light, "Sol Invictus Signature: Solar Flare!"
I responded by creating a flurry of Black Inferno Slash, causing a clash of the elements on the battlefield. The slashes appeared to be doing damage to him, which gave me a thought, what if I used a concentrated beam of Black Inferno to eat away at his defenses, that should be enough to win. The strategy was risky, but if I could pull it off, I know I'd have what it takes to be her flame.
"Amaterasu Signature: Black Inferno!" I quickly carved the character for Amaterasu in the air and a stream of black fire shot out towards Ogunosuke. However, something felt off, like I wasn't doing nearly as much damage as I thought I was doing.
"I see you tried to exploit my weakness in defense," Ogunosuke stated as he walked through my stream of black flames. The area where he was being attacked was doing something that I'd never seen or heard of before; it was healing itself; HE was healing himself. "You didn't account for this form, Sol Invictus, and the sub-signature in use right now, that's my Eternal Radiance, to make a long story short, it makes up for those weaknesses I have outside this form." He approached me, stretching his right hand out in front of me, with a menacing, yet polite smile, "Solar Flare."
There was a brilliant, blinding light that covered the arena, I don't remember anything after that, except Ogunosuke's silhouette, blocking the harsh beam of the sun; after that, I blacked out.
Hikariryūshi Ogunosuke
"The winner of the final match is Hikariryūshi Ogunosuke," Princess Minerva exclaimed, and the crowd cheered and applauded my victory.
Above the arena, a projection crystal displayed the results of the tournament. The screen showed the winners in order, there was me, followed by Akinyemi, three names that I didn't recognize. The first two were Giuseppe and Antoinette Baron, a pair of Aziza twins with dark skin and light brown hair from the Akuma Dynasty of Jigoku.
The other name was Arjun Titanica, an Oni from West Sidhe. He had a large stature with broad shoulders and a hardened face, and like all Oni, he had their signature two protruding horns on his forehead. I didn't get a chance to see his match since I was preparing for my own match, but according to Ogunkoya, his ability was nothing to take lightly. At the very bottom of the list, I saw a few more familiar names, two I was actually glad to see, Olufemi and Ogunkoya, they made the cut.
"May the following seven participants make their way to the arena's battlefield immediately," Lady Mini commanded. Her voice echoed throughout the stadium and almost instantly the others made their entrances, aside from myself and Akinyemi who was getting a feel for her surroundings; we each stood shoulder to shoulder awaiting our next orders.
CLAP—!
Suddenly, like something I'd never seen before, a large paper panel door appeared in front of us. The design of the door practically screamed Lady Mini's personality; the wood panels were made of a dark, almost black wood and the paper panels were deep royal purple. There was a black inked painting of a tree with orchid flower petals drifting in the wind beneath a cloudless, moonlit sky, This has The Princess written all over it, she's simply amazing. As fast the door appeared, it opened revealing a swirling vortex, the image was inconceivable, I really had no idea what I was looking at and started to second guess whether she really did have something to do with this door. However, I was put at ease once I saw the princess and Lady Ayosaki step out from the vortex, and like clockwork each of fell to one knee before the door closed shut and vanished. There was an overwhelming presence oozing from the princess, so much so it had most all of us quivering.
"The hell—," one of twins, it sounded like Antoinette, mumbled to herself, "this is the power of an impress to be?"
"She's practically on par with one of The Six," retorted Arjun, "hell, I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't already considered to become a Demon Lord".
"You may lift your heads. Thank you all for giving it your all in this tournament," Lady Mini began, "I would like to host a formal dinner party for you all in celebration of the occasion and I plan to make a special announcement at said party. Will you do me the honor of joining me in this special ceremony?"
A dinner party? I hadn't expected her to offer something so grand, especially for a mock tournament.
"Your Highness used this 'mock tournament' as something of a placement test," informed Lady Ayosaki. "With the top seven combatants being deemed strong and worthy enough to serve as members of—".
"Will you accept—," Lady Mini quickly said trying to cut off her subordinate from giving any more information by using one of her shadow tendrils to wrap around her mouth, keeping her from talking, "Please, it's rather important you do, I'm really excited to make this announcement". She wore a hopeful smile on her face, but she still had that overwhelming presence exuding from her that made it impossible to say no.
"Yes Your Highness," we all said in unison, much to her delight.
CLAP—!
The same paper door as before manifested itself behind the princess and she made her way to the vortex, dragging a still constricted Lady Ayosaki behind her. "Very good! The banquet will be held this evening at my palace, please come dressed in your finest regalia," she smiled before walking through the portal and it was at that moment, my life would be set on a path I never imagined.
•••
To be Continued...