Chapter 36: Dazzai Thornhill
High above the chaos, the grandstands buzzed with excitement. Spectators leaned forward, students and common folk from the city of Cindralock cheered alike for the eight players about to face off.
Some whispered about the massive serpent with their voice tangled with awe and confusion, while others shouted encouragements for their favourite team. The air crackled with anticipation, every eye locked on the platform where the fate of the match hung in the balance.
In the VIP section, perched at the highest tier of the arena, Chancellor Hans Wagner sat with his arms crossed, his piercing grey eyes fixed on the unfolding battle.
His old face, framed by a jaggeredly trimmed beard silver beard, wasn’t hiding any emotion, but his mind turned and tossed with thoughts of the youngling at the center of it all— Levi, the so-called Prince of Cindralock. The Chancellor’s fingers absently stroked his beard as he watched Levi deftly counter Shawn’s aggressive strikes with his movements fluid yet restrained, as if holding back or just having a laugh.
"He’s quite the question mark, don’t you think, sir?" came a voice from his left, snapping Wagner from his thought process. "The boy from the little town West of Cindralock."
Vice Chancellor Elara Voss leaned forward in her seat, her sharp green eyes glinting with curiosity. Her dark hair was pulled into a tight bun, and her pristine robes marked her as a figure of authority, she looked a lot younger than her superior— Wagner, but was still of middle aged
Wagner’s lips twitched into a faint smile. "Yes, Levi is the name... son of Adrian and Joletta, the last legendary Reapers to graduate from this academy." he paused, his gaze lingering on Levi as the boy deflected another of Shawn’s attacks with a flick of his wrist.
"They were a force to be reckoned with, those two. Unmatched in their time." Wagner finished.
Elara raised an eyebrow, her fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. "Ah, so that’s why they call him the Prince of Cindralock. He’s following in some rather large footsteps, isn’t he?"
"Indeed," Wagner replied with a low but firm voice. "But it is not just his lineage that sets him apart. That boy... there’s something more to him. Something even his parents didn’t possess."
Elara tilted her head, her curiosity deepening as Wagner spoke. "You mean his ability to summon that... creature? Could it be that he is a Necromancer class? We have not had a Necromancer class in decades and the only Necromancer awakened this year was drafted to Londonia academy" she gestured toward Naga, whose massive coils gleamed under the sun light, drawing gasps from the crowd as it shifted protectively around Valeria.
"I’ve never seen anything like it... pets aren’t summoned like that. Not even the strongest tamers or mages... what class IS he?"
Wagner shook his head slowly. "That’s the question, isn’t it? No one knows... not entirely. The records list him as a Mage like his parents and the assessment termed him as a B-Rank awakened, but... Mages don’t move like that" he trailed off, his eyes narrowing as Levi summoned a burst of Arcane energy, knocking Shawn back a step. "That power is something else entirely."
Elara frowned, her voice dropping to a whisper. "If he is that powerful, how do we contain a student like him? What if he decides to... lash out?"
Wagner’s expression softened, though his eyes remained sharp on the entertainment. "Contain him? We don’t. Levi is on a path of greatness, Elara. I’ve seen it in his discipline since his admission. He could have ended this match in moments if he pleased, but he is holding back, letting his teammates shine. That not the mark of a reckless soul."
Elara’s brow furrowed. "Greatness, you say. But to what end? A boy with that kind of power could be dangerous if he goes astray."
The Chancellor leaned back, his fingers stepping beneath his chin. "He won’t stray. Not if we guide him properly. Levi is the one we’ve been waiting for... the one who might finally seal The Hoseki."
Elara’s eyes widened, causing her composure to slip for a brief moment. "The Hoseki? The dungeon gate? No one’s managed to seal it in over fifty years. The last team that tried..." she hesitated, her voice trailing off to silence.
"Was destroyed..." Wagner finished her sentence with a grim tone. "I know. The gate’s power is unlike anything in this world, a rift to chaos itself, somehow we have been lucky it hasn’t broken and released its creatures all this time. But Levi... I believe he has the strength to face it."
Elara’s gaze flicked back to the platform, where Levi was now locked in a rapid exchange of blows with Shawn, "You’re placing a lot of faith in a boy, Hans. His powers may be mysterious, but the Hoseki is a nightmare. Even his parents couldn’t close it."
Wagner’s eyes gleamed with conviction. "His parents never had the chance to try after their first attempt. They left to fight the great surge before they could face it. But Levi... he is different".
Elara’s lips pressed into a thin line. "And if he fails? Or worse, if he opens it?"
The Chancellor’s gaze hardened. "He won’t. The Hoseki will meet its match in him."
»»»«««
"Levi, look out!" Zed shouted as Shawn Ferrell lunged toward me with her weapon engulfed with Arcane energy.
Reacting swiftly, I created a space distortion that sent the attack off course, allowing Zed to counterattack.
"Nice save!" Zed exclaimed with a proud grin mid combat, exploding off the ground with so much force and power that the earth beneath him cracked, the force generated from his thrust gave him a significant speed advantage over Shawn that she couldn’t react fast enough and was knocked off the platform.
The crowd cheered even harder for the exit of the opponent team leader, some booed loudly because of Zed actions. Personally, I was both surprised and taken aback by Zed’s speed when he laid out that counter attack, for someone who is a Pyromancer class, he sure knows how to go head to head with a Hunter class and hold his own.
As the match progressed, Valeria demonstrated her healing prowess, providing support to Jet as he took a hit while engaging in close combat.
I focused on maintaining control of the battlefield. I strategically positioned myself to disrupt the opposing teams formations, creating openings for my teammates to exploit.
The team work between the four of us shone brightly as we coordinated out attacks, blending out abilities seamlessly.
"Now, levi!" Valeria called out, signalling for me to unleash my strongest attack.
I had a second or two of focused concentration, channeling my Arcane energy outward into a massive glass-looking distortion in the space in front of me.
"Space Manipulation Technique..."
"Repel..."
I unleashed the attack with a breath, sending a warping space distortion toward the rest of the members of opposing team. The technique I conjured from my Space Manipulation skill was designed to repel anything and everything in its path, whether it contains Arcane energy or not.
The impact was tremendous, catching all the remaining member of the team off guard and knocking them off the platform into the heavily sanded pool below.
There was a bit of silence around the entire vicinity of the arena for a few seconds, then the announcer blared into the sound system, "Victory goes to Team Cleanup Guild!"
The cheers erupted once again from the audience as I and my teammates celebrated our team-fought victory.
We took a bow and left the platform having won the match and now moving up to face the next opponent. The atmosphere was still electric as we perched on the side of the battle ground threshold still relishing the cheers from the onlookers.
But something quickly shifted inside of me and I spun around to spot a shadowy figure lurking inside the dark tunnel leading up to where we stood. It was covered in dark robes and it stood just before the edge of the tunnel, preventing sunlight from hitting its body, watching intently as the next match commenced.
I felt a sudden chill run down my spine, there was something unsettling about that presence but I couldn’t place my finger on it.
However, the shadowy figure remained, often appearing just out of sight, as if waiting for the perfect moment to make a moove.
The second match between two other teams ended and I decided to investigate. Turning to my teammates who had their eyes and attention fixed on the raised platform I quickly informed them that I needed to check something.
They weren’t paying much attention to me as they watched the next teams line up to face off so I stood up from my position and walked off. Something feels off about this tournament and its causing my senses to be on a high alert.
I started making my way towards the tunnel —towards the figure. As I drew closer, the cloaked figure noticed my approach and turned slightly, revealing a glint of dark red hair peeking out from beneath the hood.
"Who are you?" I demanded with a steady voice despite the unease swirling in my gut.
The figure didn’t say anything for a couple seconds, then it started chuckling softly with a chilling sound. "Just an observer, young prince of Cindralock. I’ve been watching your progress with great interest."
"Is that so... why are you hiding? Are you scared?" I said, trying to maintain composure.
The figure proceeded to laugh a bit more loudly than earlier, "Me? Scared? Who am I supposed to be scared of... you?"
I realised it was trying to taunt me, but there was no way I was falling for that. "What do you want?"
"I am merely here to evaluate..." the figure replied cryptically, taking a step into the light and finally revealing its face. "...Levi"
My eyes widened as I immediately recognized the face of the person wearing the dark rob, the notorious noble from the most prestigious RAA academy— Londonia, the number 1 ranked students in the country, known for his ruthless ambition and unforgiving stride.
"...Dazzai Thornhill..." I muttered.