TBATE: Black Will

Gritting my teeth, I forced a smile, trying to suppress my irritation. Darius's gaze was filled with distrust and condescension, as if he had already written me off. Perhaps the dwarf thought he was the strongest competitor in this tournament.

"Seems dwarves grow beards faster than they develop their frontal lobe," I retorted, scratching my temple. "Or how else can one explain judging strength based on someone's age?"

Darius looked momentarily surprised by my comeback but quickly masked it with a smirk, ready to retaliate.

"We'll see what you're capable of, boy. But know this — there will be no leniency in battle. I won't save you if something goes wrong," he said, waving me off as if it were already decided.

Claire had been observing our exchange with a slight smile, but I noticed her sharp gaze tracking every word. She clearly disapproved of Darius's attitude but seemed to decide against voicing her opinion, at least for now.

"Alright, boys," she finally interjected, breaking the tension. "We need to stop bickering and start thinking about how to win this team trial. Each of us undoubtedly has our strengths, so let's use them rather than competing over egos."

Her words worked like a cold splash of water. I nodded, acknowledging she was right.

"Agreed," I said. "Let's discuss strategy and assign roles."

Darius scoffed but seemed to decide against further arguing. He understood that the battlefield would reveal true skill, not pointless quarrels.

"Fine. Let's see how you perform," he muttered, crossing his arms.

"To begin, let's share our strengths," Claire started, taking the lead. "As a reminder, I'm Claire. I'm a battle mage with fire and wind attributes, currently at the dark-orange stage. I'm an augmenter like you, Lucius, judging by the sword on your belt."

She handed the baton to Darius, who simply snorted.

"Darius Wolhem. Conjurer with the earth element, solid-orange stage," he said curtly, shooting me a sideways glance, clearly passing the turn to me.

I was the youngest among them, which seemed to further fuel Darius's skepticism.

"Lucius Triscan. Augmenter at the dark-orange stage of my core," I announced, watching their eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Their expressions soon returned to normal, but I could see they were expecting more. Oh, right — mana attributes.

"I don't have a predisposition to any element," I added.

Their puzzled expressions deepened. Claire squinted, clearly processing this revelation.

"So, you're a pure augmenter, without elemental attributes?" she clarified, trying to mask her skepticism. "That's a rare trait for a battle mage at this stage."

Darius didn't bother hiding his disdain, letting out an audible scoff.

"An augmenter with no magic? That's rich. So all your power lies in that pathetic sword," he said, gesturing toward my blade. "The elves could've sent someone more useful to this interspecies tournament."

I held back my irritation, though his condescending tone was grating.

"Even without elemental mana, I can stand toe-to-toe with many augmenters and conjurers," I said firmly, directing my words more toward Claire than Darius.

Claire nodded thoughtfully, as if calculating the value of my abilities. She understood that in team battles, success often depended more on coordination than raw power.

"Alright, let's not waste time arguing," she said decisively. "Our goal is to leverage each other's strengths. I'll take on the offensive role. Darius, your earth magic is perfect for defense and creating obstacles. You'll be in charge of protecting the crystal."

We began discussing our plan, evaluating strengths and weaknesses. Claire naturally assumed the role of leader — she was a skilled strategist, capable of quickly analyzing situations and proposing solutions.

She turned to me, and I saw understanding and acceptance in her gaze.

"Lucius, your role will be to support me in close combat. We'll rely on your speed and agility to disrupt opponents and deliver swift strikes. Together, we can compensate for each other's weaknesses."

I nodded. My role was straightforward.

"Serious opponents await us," Claire added, looking at us with confidence. "But if we work together, we can win."

She extended her hand, attempting to lift our team spirit. I placed mine over hers, and Darius reluctantly added his larger hand atop ours.

After finalizing our strategy, we headed to the site of our first trial. The arena was massive, divided into sections with various obstacles: stone walls, elevations, and deep pits. At the center of each section stood a crystal that teams needed to protect.

"The first two teams, take your positions," Cynthia's voice echoed across the arena. "Remember, your goal is to defend your crystal while destroying your opponent's. If there's a tie, additional time will be given. Teamwork and strategic thinking are key to success in this stage."

We approached our crystal, which stood as tall as I was, and took our positions. Claire surveyed the field intently, analyzing the terrain and refining our plan. Darius scowled but nodded, ready to act.

"Darius, we can use your earth walls to shield one side of the crystal," Claire suggested. "This will narrow the area we need to defend and funnel opponents into a manageable path where you can hold them off."

"Don't order me around," the dwarf grumbled irritably, but he got to work. Raising his hands, he summoned massive earth walls that enclosed our crystal, leaving only a single opening.

I kept a close eye on the opposing team, assessing their formation and movements. My job was to shield my teammates in close combat and prevent enemies from getting too close.

"Let's begin," Cynthia announced, and the crowd erupted into cheers. The first trial of the tournament had begun.

The opposing team moved swiftly and in unison. Their lineup included two conjurers and one augmenter — a classic combination capable of both devastating ranged attacks and powerful close-quarters combat.

One of their mages, who wielded the water element, began forming water projectiles aimed at our crystal.

"Focus on defense and counterattacks!" Claire ordered, enveloping her sword in flames to intercept the incoming water blasts. Her fiery blade clashed with the water, producing dense steam.

Darius didn't waste time, raising stone columns to block the narrow passage and slow the opponents' advance.

"They're trying to flank us," I warned, noticing the enemy augmenter circling our defenses, clearly intending to launch a surprise attack. I dashed forward, closing the distance quickly.

My movements were sharp and precise, and I intercepted him before he could strike. My sudden approach caught him off guard, and his attempts to parry my swift strikes were clumsy. Feinting left, I landed a solid hit, pushing him back.

"Darius, hold the barrier! I'll cover!" Claire called out. The dwarf reinforced the earthen walls, adding another layer of protection.

Their water mage summoned a massive wave, aiming to wash away our barricades and breach our defenses.

"I've got this," Darius grunted, erecting a stone shield that absorbed the brunt of the impact with a resounding crash. Although the shield held, cracks began to spread across its surface.

"This won't hold for long," Claire muttered, frowning at the fractures. "We need to counterattack and push them back before they wear us down completely."

I nodded, knowing we had to act fast. Staying on the defensive would only give our opponents more opportunities to exploit.

"I have an idea," I said, eyeing the enemies preparing for another assault. "I'll handle their augmenter and one of their mages. Claire, can you break through and destroy their crystal?"

She hesitated for a moment, calculating our odds. Her eyes flicked between the enemies and me before she nodded resolutely.

"I can do it, but you'll need to draw their attention long enough for me to get through. Darius, hold the line here."

The dwarf smirked, slamming his fists into the ground and creating additional earthen barriers around our crystal.

"I'll give them a few surprises. Don't worry," he said confidently.

I unsheathed my sword and assumed a battle stance, the familiar weight in my hands giving me confidence. In this fight, I had one key advantage—my mana expenditure for body enhancement was minimal. Taking a deep breath, I dashed forward, heading straight for the enemy's enhancer. He noticed me and moved to intercept, but I didn't engage him directly. Instead, I used my speed and agility to dodge his strikes, ensuring he didn't have a moment's rest.

This enhancer wasn't particularly strong, but I wanted to observe my teammates' skills. After all, duels awaited us at the end of the tournament, and I might face either Darius or Claire in battle.

As the enhancer focused on me, Claire surged forward, surrounding herself with a barrier of flames to ward off attacks from the enemy mages. Her movements were swift and precise, with fire erupting around her to create an improvised defense. One of the mages attempted to attack her with a water spell, but Claire swiftly countered, parrying it with her flaming blade, evaporating the water mid-air.

Darius, meanwhile, took up a defensive position near our crystal, repeatedly raising earthen walls and creating obstacles for enemies trying to breach our fortifications. He appeared fully focused, never allowing the opponents to get close.

Meanwhile, I continued to distract the enhancer, forcing him into constant defense. His movements grew more frantic, and the strength of his strikes began to falter. His gaze turned irritated and impatient.

"Why so slow?" I taunted, dodging yet another swing. This only served to anger him further, which was precisely my intent—to throw him off balance and provoke a mistake.

As I kept my opponent occupied, Claire executed something impressive. Concentrating the full power of her flames at the tip of her blade, she unleashed a powerful blast. The fiery surge tore through the air, forcing the water mage to retreat, unable to recover his shield in time. Claire stepped forward, giving him no chance to regain his composure.

Darius, on the other hand, operated like a machine. Every time the second enemy mage tried to advance, he raised another wall or summoned spikes to drive them back. His tactics were simple yet effective—deny the enemy any approach to our crystal.

I realized it was time to finish my fight. Accelerating, I dodged another blow and lunged, aiming for the enhancer's side. He attempted to parry, but my movements were too fast. My sword sliced through the air and struck his ribs.

"Ghh!" A cry of pain escaped him as he was sent flying several meters. Before he could get back up, I stood over him, sword at the ready.

"Want to keep going?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. The enhancer, breathing heavily, raised his hands in surrender.

P.s: If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 21+ at patreon.com/c/Lucius01

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