Ambient Mage

"Explain, now."

"Easy, you don't even know what's going on with Aura."

Suddenly everything rushed back to me.

Aura, she was badly injured.

"Send me back right now."

"Patience, you can't do anything in your state."

"Right now."

I tried to activate dragon's blood to no avail.

"Willing to wait now?"

"..."

"Fine."

"Let's start with why you're here."

"Oh yeah? And why's that?"

"Your anger, you keep supressing it to keep your dragon blood under control."

"And what? You're the manifestation of my blood?"

"No, far from it."

"What I'm here to tell you is to let it flow, stop trying to supress it, and instead let it rage like a waterfall."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because. You're weak."

He returned to cutting the silver grass with his scythe.

"Who are you?"

"Patience all will be answered when it is time."

"Where am I?"

"Your soul space?"

"My soul space?"

There was never mention of this in the game.

"Hahaha."

He laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"Now it makes sense. Why you haven't reached the 4th circle despite everything."

"What does that mean? Start explaining instead of being so damn cryptic!"

"You, you don't understand what your concept is do you? What you represent?"

"You are a knight, a part dragon, you live to destroy."

"Even I who resides here kills, with just a swing of this."

"You kill grass?"

"I embody death, just like you, you are a harbinger, a bringer of death, a grim reaper so to speak."

"And you chose a scythe for that reason?"

"No, it's because I can cut grass easiest with this."

I stared at the horizon, silver grass seemed to stretch on into oblivion.

The black sky seemingly light enough to reflect the silver of the grass.

"Your concept is death, which is wholy unknown to you, you actively supress your bloodline, you're doing it all wrong."

"So let me show you."

"How?"

"Let me take the reigns."

"You mean take over my body?"

"How do I know you won't just never give it back?"

"You can curse me if that would make you feel better?"

"You're probably stronger than me aren't you?"

"I am."

"So why ask for 'the reigns' do you need my permission or something?"

"No, I can do it whenever I like, but I have manners."

"Fine then, but on one condition, you avenge Aura."

"You have really taken to her haven't you?"

"Shut up."

***

"This anger, it's so primal, there's so much power at my fingertips."

"What are you on about servant? What? Did you go crazy since I said I would kill your master?"

With that I came back to reality, but the words and actions that happened next were not my own, I felt like a camera watching a person.

"No, you won't kill her, I'll finish this duel."

"And why would I accept that?"

"Unlimited means, no surrender, and I can promise that no retaliation will come from the duchy."

"Now that's a proposal."

"And you win, should you injure me."

"Cocky aren't we? You weren't satisfied with the master being beaten, but now the servant must be too."

She smiled.

"Absolutely not."

The dean spoke up.

"Let it happen."

'I' said.

The dean froze.

"Karine Iproline, refuse this duel right now."

"Why are trying to interfere dean?"

"Refuse it, student Karine."

She looked confused for a moment.

"I accept."

With that, the pride of the families was once again on the line.

"Trying to help that boy aren't you Vice dean?"

Celeste and Alea were healing Aura behind 'me'.

"However, my terms are the same. No artifacts, no summons, for you at least. As for the surrender I don't think you would even do so."

"I accept."

"I accept."

"No, I was trying to help you."

The dean whispered before walking away.

Karine looked at her confused once again before staring a hole into me.

The dean walked up to me.

"Don't- Just don't kill her, I'll judge this okay?"

"That is up to my mistress."

The dean shivered at my words before she took the judges stand and declared the duel start.

'I' let out the remaining mana in my body, which by all means wasn't much after the barrier I had just destroyed.

The vice dean was sustaining the current one, since even she had no power over duels that held power over nobility, like this one.

The mana soon turned dark.

Karine looked at 'me' mocking the mana release.

"What are you trying to surre-hikkk"

She began to choke.

"You cannot surrender in this minute, so enjoy it while it lasts."

'I' said.

'I' launched toward her replacing the mana cloud I had created.

The punch 'I' threw connected to her face sending her flying away from 'me'.

But it didn't stop there.

'I' once again lept through space to where she was punching her up and down.

"Wait-"

I continued the assault.

Of course my strength was nowhere near hers, but 'his' was.

'I' continued to defy my body's limits as 'I' flew across the arena faster than I could process swatting her away at every juncture like a person swats a fly at the dinner table.

"I g-krkk"

'I' pushed her head into the ground using the surrounding mana.

"You said you wanted her to bark yes?"

"So I'll walk you like a dog."

'I' slammed her head into the ground, causing a crater to expand under her body.

"You will apologize, but first you will understand what it means to anger the duchy."

'I' was angry, much more so than I had realized.

"Aaaaagh."

Soon only sounds of a woman crying out in pain were heard throughout the arena.

The once proud mocking voice was reduced to nothing but whines.

"Good, now you sound like a dog."

'I' pulled her neck towards my open hand, as if willing her body to my palm.

'I' firmly grasped her throat.

"Do you see now? How truly worthless you are?"

Yet to 'my' eyes she still had a flame of resistance.

Sweet music to my mind.

All eyes were drawn towards the two as the next scene unfolded.

A thick red sticky like mist began to waft beyond the platform, past the barrier, causing an alarm.

The students once watching in shock, began to wretch at the touch of the mist.

'My' killing intent had intensified to a horrifying degree.

"Now that I think about it, you still aren't scared so, let's do something different yes?"

Her eyes only showed confusion, but we didn't care.

'I' pinned her to the ground with the gravity magic she enjoyed so much, before 'I' began to collect lightning bolts in my palm.

"You have been through a trial of fire before, so let's do baptism through lightning."

'I' cracked a crooked smile, as the dean watched on in horror.

I sent down strike after strike, hitting each part of her body.

I started with her legs.

'He' let me decide.

I watched as divine punishment rained down on her lower body.

Her legs were in flames, tendons torn into parts.

"I would use a healing artifact on you, but I can't use artifacts."

"So instead I'll do something better!"

'I' smiled even more horrifically.

'I' took out a steel pin and began the painful process of sewing her ligaments back together, using as crude methods and basic healing magic, barely enough to keep her conscious.

"Good, now your legs are-"

Unfortunately my magic ran out.

The cloud of mana I had created had dwindled into nothing.

Karine sensing a chance, launched an attack, disregarding her broken body.

However, a win for her was never going to happen.

***

*Matthew's Pov*

At first when Karine had suggested killing Aurelia I had considered shutting her down and crippling her right there and then, despite the Marquis.

However, Lucas signaled to me.

I had been standing while Ristonia was holding onto my waist.

Finally after what felt like hours, Lucas began to talk, but it felt like something was different.

His words were authorative.

He gave her a proposition, but it felt more like a parent asking nicely for their kid to do chores, before a punishment awaited them.

Unfortunately, I never saw that as Karine jumped to accept his terms.

The vice dean alerted by the barrier being destroyed understandably tried to prevent the duel, but with Karine accepting the duel terms, the duel between two high noble houses, all she could do was watch on.

At first all I could do was feel anger and pity towards Karine, but soon, a killing intent spilled offstage, Lucas' intent.

It was downright disgusting.

It felt like death was rapidly approaching me, I felt my heartbeat in my chest and my lungs squeezing trying to let me breathe.

Ristonia's countenance wasn't much better, and I watched other students begin to empty the contents of their stomachs out onto the arena seats below and next to them.

This wasn't a fear I'd felt before.

Father's was terrifying, spine chilling, like all there was to do was wait and accept death.

But Lucas' went beyond that.

Every cell in body told me to run.

However I couldn't. Something told me the moment I took my eyes off of him, I would suffer a fate worse than death.

I felt like I was teetering on the edge of the cliff, unable to pull myself up, yet also unable to let go.

It was like staring down a tiger, with your sword on the ground behind you.

To take a step back was to forfeit your life, to turn was to forfeit your life, to close your eyes was to forfeit your life.

And then it all stopped.

The dense mana cloud that had sweeped it's way over the crowd dispersed quickly, and I saw Karine make her move.

However, something even more horrifying occured.

Lucas let out a mana signature equivalent to that of a 8th tier mage.

Which would be fine was he actually an 8th circle mage, but he was a 3rd circle.

Perhaps because he defied the natural order of magic, despite his eyes being solely on Karine, it felt like every inch of my body was being observed, like a dish being served at a noble's party.

It wasn't like before where any outcome would lead to death, except to remain in existence.

This was beyond even that.

I felt dread, I was going to die, and my actions, my very existence was inconsequential to the power that was going to kill me.

I watched as Lucas pinned her down again, before resuming his torture ripping apart her arms and legs, and sewing them back together.

I saw him use pressurized water, blades of spatial intent, flamesteel, and worst of all, the lightning.

The sound made me flinch only to make me feel even more terrified.

I watched the dean and the marquis freeze up, trying to attempt a rescue, but we all just watched in abject horror at the scene playing out.

And then it all came to a halt.

Lucas had her on all fours, grasping her neck.

"Now bark."

And her lifeless eyes, betrayed the torture she endured, no she bore.

She had long run out of time in this world, and the feeling that Lucas gave off, was the final nail in that girl's arrogant coffin.

I felt the bullets of sweat slide down my spine, as a friend warped to me.

"Heya Matthew, what's happ-"

He turned and looked at the arena.

The floor was covered in red and maroon blood, like a macabre table cover.

Karine's body was covered in blood and ash, her nails and hair singed and destroyed.

Her eyes and face looked devoid of all hope.

He watched, feeling the eerie silence surrounding.

"He-Hey Matthew, who-who is that guy?"

"Lucas, the one who killed the tyrant and ninmurta, my brother."

***

*Lucas' Pov?*

I was smiling ear to ear.

This anger was so enjoyable, it was anger based on fear.

It was sullied, but it was so vast, it felt unending.

And I showed him what it meant to release the power.

It meant that he would be taken seriously, that he could protect those he needed to.

That he could let the anger flow and control the damage.

I looked at the dean he wanted to stay out of it, and she was terrified.

Not only because of the ramifications, but of me as well.

I did that, and it felt amazing.

And eventually the anger gave way to enjoyment.

And I could feel his satisfaction.

So eventually I left.

He would understand the power he was wielding, and soon he would be back to truly understand what kind of concept he embodied.

Very soon.