Transmigration Into The Beginning After The End

Chapter 34 - BY UNKNOWN MEANS

The tense air around the two of us tightened and got heavier as one of us was already known for feats that the other couldn't even imagine doing. Being a director of a prestiges magical academy that is hailed by nobles and well as the royalist. Paying and encouraging the academy, letting their children and grandchildren enter this school. 

This is quite the thing. I solely thought, thinking of many ways to dodge her duel or demonstration of magic to Dinzel Brook, who was initially against this but judging by his comfortable seat he has near his home, tenths of feet away from us fearing the spells or attacks reaching him. 

Wait… is that popcorn?!

"You seem quite uninterested, boy." 

Cynthia's words hit me like cold water, her sudden pressure that she released made me question my plans in avoiding her taunts and magic. Would it even be possible? 

I took this opportunity to breathe, a long and deep inhale that may as well made me get a clearer picture of the situation at hand. The less magic spells I use, the better. 

That was my hopeful thought. 

"No Miss Cynthia. Quite the opposite, I am nervous now that I am dueling a mage who has a giant reputation." I teased but in fact I wasn't lying. Much more, I was being modest. "If anything, it is a great honor to be in this duel." I bowed down with simplicity, not showing any fake emotions. 

"Your flattery is quite top notch. Well then, are you ready?" Cynthia grinned with a blatant suspicion. 

I nodded, getting to the stance of what I thought was best for me. I had no weapon other than my hands, and I wasn't going to hit an elderly woman. 

The ignition of my mana core and into action brought many questions to me, such as like; how do I even know when the barrier or case breaks and allows the death spell to eat at my very existence? Or how much mana can I really use before I am put into a disadvantage?

Deep inside my mind, there was a little flame, telling me with all its passion that it was the best choice to test how much I could let out before there were any consequences upon it. And of course, I was sweetly guided into it, unleashing two out of my four elemental affinities into my arms. 

Now, let's get this party started!---

"Wait! Before you two start, I think that having the boy without any weapon is a disadvantage. So here take these instead." Dinzel Brook stated, throwing me two narratively normal swords. 

Both of the swords were opposite colors from each other. One of the swords was dark black, making it the whole sword, from the bottom of the hilt to the tip of the blade. The other was more colorful, like psychedelic type, the guard and the blade, and like the black colored sword, this one hilt was also dark. 

These swords seemed familiar to me, like I had seen them before somewhere. The problem is that I don't know where.

Trying my hardest to remember where these weapons I have spotted before, Lady Cynthia broke my thought process of remembering and instead brought me back to reality. 

"Are you fine with those weapons, Luke?"

"Y-yeah. These will help." I responded, readying myself into a stance that I've never done but rather seen from a fictional character from an anime I'd seen in my previous life. 

On my right hand, I held the black sword with strength but not fully. Positioning it behind me, like I was hiding it, pointing the sword to the ground. The psychedelic colored sword was in front of me, pointing forward to the person in front of me, saying that it was there to fight for me while the one behind me wanted to defend me. I spaced the placement of my feet from each other and stretched my body to where I felt it was enough for me to take control of. 

We waited. 

We waited for a signal… no. We were waiting for the other's signal to start, closely watching each other's movement and limbs in case it moved. Starring hard enough that blinking was needed for both of us even though this was only a sparring practice to show Elder Dinzel what I was capable of before he decided whether or not to help me with my items and equipment. 

Yes… It was only to show him… 

So why?

Why am I so eager to start this spar? 

In truth, I wanted this for so long, ever since I've managed to control my affinities to some degree that I was comfortable with. Now the door to test my current abilities, whether it be mana manipulation or swordsmanship, was now open. 

A small grin crept across my face, seeing that I was now able to do something I wasn't even thinking of doing back in my old world. Fighting a mage who is an Alacryan. This gives me a euphoria feeling, the emotion and feeling to start this fight now, right now! 

Just a couple of years ago this was just a dream, where I would be woken up in a hurry because of school. Dreaming of being in this novel, changing multiple scenarios for my own entertainment. 

However, now this was a different story. I could now manipulate mana to my liking–or at least that is what I want it to be–in the world of The Beginning After The End. 

As I had my own moment lost in thoughts, the sudden pressure of mana radiating from the mage in front of me. If I wasn't a reincarnation or whatever this was, I would be insane to face her like this. I mean, I still am, knowing that my body is that of an eight-year-old. 

Shall I step up the game? 

I concentrated on my core, feeling and trying to resonate with the mana inside, trying to find the best elemental affinities that I had more control over. Fire and Water. Those two were something I felt a tight grip on, something that wouldn't go overcontrol on me because I had temptation or my imagination could go wild.

Moments like those remind me of what Destruction did to Arthur in the relic tombs and when he fought the Wraiths… 

Destruction… The GodRune…

Aether…

[Wind Crescent] 

As I caught myself into reality, flares of wind magic in forms of crescents flew towards me. My first instinct was to block it but with my current two affinities, it was impossible. I gritted my teeth and poured fire into the sword behind me and water into the one in front of me. Initiated and surging the black blade with fire, fueling it to the point where my spell came to life. 

[Fire Bullet] 

I swung the black blade from behind me to where the wind mage was. Fire and Wind clashed against each other creating a loud sound of similarities to a missile or nuke. With it, a forcewave was the consequence of the face front attack. 

On the other hand, my water spell coated into the blade made me think of a water spell, one that neither the novel characters have ever used. Swinging with force in a horizontal slash movement, a dozen water crescents strided after the clash of our earlier spells. 

[Water Blades]

Rushing through the air, the water spell course with one single thing in mind, landing on its target. 

I got her. I said to myself although I wish it was true but seeing her calm demeanor made me think otherwise. 

Her lips moved upwards into a smile but not a full smile. The air around her began to move around her like it was sharks circling around a prey but rather than trying to eat her, it was protecting her from my attacks. 

Swirling like a tornado, the very expectancy of my power was little compared to hers. She was a conjurer, different from me, an augmenter. 

No. Enough of me cowering because of her mana pressure. 

If I cower to her, then I will do the same thing when I fight the Alacryans in the dungeon. Getting myself killed there won't make this story any better. 

Yeah… All of these were for what? 

My aspiration to change this story for the better, where no lives are taken because Arthur or Virion weren't in the place at the right time. To hell with that… I am going to change the path. Change the way Dicathen loses the war. Change the way Fate follows this world…

With that in mind, my determination and means, they all weren't going to be dropped by my weak mindset. 

Was this going to make me a sort of hero? No. 

Was I going to take the path of the hero? 

There are going to be questionable things I do, many people, Dicathen or Alacyran and even Asuras, will think my methods of doing things will not be heroic. 

I am fine with that. 

I don't need a trophy or fame for the things I am about to do now and in the future. 

Ha, even that stupid name that Mordain and Elder Rinia had mentioned me on might not be bad with how things might roll. 

Fire, Wind, Water, and Earth. All four elements manifested and willed by my command. I had a doubtful concern on whether or not to unleash the deviants I could command without any stress involved, but I pushed it to the side. If I didn't get pushed back, I wouldn't need to use it. 

Seeing these four elements manifest on both swords, Cynthia Goodsky eyes widened with surprise and betterment. Did she expect this? 

Or was she trying to push me to this extent? 

It doesn't matter. I have already shown my cards and there is no way back, now I must go with force. 

Pushing a fire spell in front of me, using water spells to contain and act as a barrier in case there was a backlash or shrapnel from my attack earlier. I stomped on the ground and elevated the earth beneath me with my control over earth affinity. Rocks and boulders formed in the air as I used my wind attribute and later then launched the tens of hundreds of rocks, strong enough to go through buildings, into the mage in front of me. 

The deafening sound of the rocks breaking the sound barrier echoed through the duel stage. Three earthen rocks managed to hit the mage's navy cape with ease, even making a couple of holes in between each other. That was before she pushed most of them away almost instantly after with her wind attribute, making a six feet tall wall. 

Its sound was scary but bearable. 

"Sorry but I'm not going to let go now." 

Mana flared down on the bottom of my feet, allowing me to dash faster than what a normal human can, that is not a mage. The words that left my mouth traced me from my previous spot to my current place, behind Cynthia Goodsky's barrier. 

[Fire Ignition]

Blaze hot lava streamed through the black blade with emotion, eager to cut anything, living or dead. It somehow reminded me of how Destruction GodRune acted, yet this one was more tamed. 

I wished, if I ever got the opportunity to have a GodRune, I would want one where it could be the Salvation of things instead of its Destruction. 

Again, a small smile burned into my face, seeing that in reality I was holding a flaming sword, cutting through the wind tornado of a genius mage. Still I wonder, what were the powers that Cynthia Goodsky had with her runes, or maybe it was her runes that made her use a power similar to the Dicathians. 

[Glacies Imperium] 

A cold, chilly, crystalized element took over the tornado that surrounded the conjurer with ease. 

I let out a breath and it was visible, okay, it was working. My control over ice wasn't bad but I still needed some work, it takes some time for me to even make it appear on my hand. However, it was worth it. 

Now, let us use fire–

Where is my fire attribute?