The Arrogance of Humility 5

Lance noticed Malus’ dark matter fog and turned back in surprise.

From the dark matter portal, Malus appeared, ambling towards Lance. In defense, Lance drew an azoth dagger from his pocket along with some Alkahest vials.

Malus stopped and looked into Lance’s eyes.

“You are searching for me, correct?” he asked.

The unnerving aura from Malus pressured Lance, causing him to feel anxious.

“I am!” Lance replied aloud, trying to hide the fear.

The portal closed and returned to a floating black ball. The scepter’s tip glowed and, as soon as the black ball moved, Lance’s hands went cold while his legs were subtly shaking.

“Calm yourself,” Malus said, noticing the fear in Lance’s heart. “I won’t hurt you yet, as I promised.”

The dark matter ball returned to the tip of Malus’ scepter instead of going for Lance.

“So tell me,” Malus said as he raised his head, looking down on Lance. “What do you want?”

“Let’s talk.”

“A chat, eh? Fine by me. I’ll answer everything you desire before I completely crush you tomorrow.”

Lance lowered his guard, calming down. He put the alkahest vials under his pocket while he hid the azoth dagger under his robe.

“Why?” Lance asked. “Why are you doing this?”

“This?” Malus was clueless.

“Why… Why are you hurting everyone?”

Malus chuckled.

“Hurting?” he replied with a sneer. “The empire trains us as killing machines through the academy. Therefore, it’s natural.”

“Wrong. The empire and the academy don’t teach us solely for combat.”

“The empire always needs potent troops, and the academy offers its students for that purpose. Why do you think the academy implemented the rank system?”

“Rank is just a number! It means nothing—!”

“Because you’re the second-best, you could say such a thing easily, but what about the one far below the ranks? Don’t they fear you?”

“Agh.”

Lance was speechless. Malus walked past Lance to the ledge, staring at the students from afar.

“Ranks… The hierarchy… Those who dwell at the bottom will fear and respect the top. Isn’t it natural if a more potent one seeks for the highest?”

Lance turned, facing Malus.

“You didn’t need to injure them severely either!”

“If I can, why wouldn’t I? This is the battlefield, this is the simulation ground. No mercy, no survivors. Only victory.”

“What would you do if you kill the students accidentally?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing you said?!”

“That’s their fault for being too weak.”

“You bastard… How much have you injured?!”

“Too many… I’ve forgotten. Oh… Talking about that makes me remember my past victories… I have conquered the south, west, east, and north academy in six months… This is the only academy I haven’t yet defeated. After I defeat you and Lux—”

Lance pulled him by the back collar and grabbed his collar with his hands.

“I’ll never let you hurt the others anymore! Especially her!” he threatened as he looked deep into Malus’ eyes, but Malus stared back with predatory eyes. Lance felt an uneasy pressure coming from his gaze, causing both of his hands to go cold.

“Release me,” Malus said coldly.

“Tch!” Lance shoved him away and moved back a step with an angry face. Malus fixed his robe and stood still, staring at Lance.

“If you want to stop me, defeat me. If you can,” Malus taunted.

“I shall never lose against the likes of you! I am the one worthy below Luxianne!”

“Don’t worry. Both of you will grovel together.”

“You will never reach her!” Lance declared as he pointed at Malus. “Your streak ends by me!”

Malus chuckled.

“I defeated those top students without breaking a sweat,” he said with a subtle grin. “I hope you put up a fight.”

Malus turned, and his scepter’s tip glowed. The dark matter ball appeared and expanded, forming the portal.

“Wait,” Lance said before Malus took a step.

Malus stopped without facing back.

“Why are you so hellbent on reaching the top?” Lance asked. “It’s unnecessary for one to be the highest to become the empire's soldier.”

Malus looked back.

“Why, you ask? Hmph.” Malus looked forward. “I have to prove my worth using this power.”

Malus stepped into the portal and went away, leaving Lance alone at the quiet rooftop.

“Prove… to whom?” Lance thought.

The night came; it was time for dinner. The students and some professors would gather at the grand dining hall on the second floor.

Lucy sat next to Gina with other girls. During the dinner, Iggy and Celina weren’t present as Professor Carolus still nursed them. Strangely, Lance wasn’t inside the dining hall.

He was in the underground laboratory, creating and preparing potions, tonics, and elixirs for tomorrow. While it’s forbidden for the students to be around the academy building at night, Professor Carolus allowed Lance.

After dining, the students were still staying at the dining hall, eating (and fighting over) the leftovers, resting in their rooms, or sitting at the benches in the hallways. Lucy and Gina were staying, eating desserts.

Lucy looked concerned instead of enjoying her dessert.

“He’s not here…” Lucy thought as she looked at an empty seat belonging to Lance far from them.

Gina looked at the concerned Lucy and leaned her head on her shoulder.

“What’s wrong, Lux?” Gina asked.

“Nothing.”

“You’re worried about tomorrow?”

“N-No—”

“Come on,” Gina said as she patted her back. “You don’t need to hide—”

Lucy’s face turned red as she looked away.

“I-I’m not!!!” she declined.

Gina grinned.

“You’re bad at lying, Lux. You do care for Lance~,” Gina teased as she whispered to her ear softly.

“Gina—! Hmph!” Lucy pouted out of embarrassment with her face tomato red.

Gina raised her head and looked at Lance’s empty seat with the same concerned face as Lucy.

“Yes. I’m worried…” Lucy admitted.

“But Lance is strong, right? He used to be the ace until you defeated him.”

“I know, but—”

“Just put your trust in him, Lux. You both made a promise already.”

“I know,” Lucy said as she had a taste of her dessert.

“They picked tomorrow, hm? Tomorrow is the free day. Do you want to watch the fight?”

“I—”

Much to everyone’s surprise, Malus entered the dining hall. The students, except for Lucy and Gina, left in a hurry as soon as they saw him.

“This is the dining hall, I suppose,” Malus thought to himself.

Gina stood, holding Lucy’s right hand.

“Let’s go, Lux!” she whispered, but Lucy’s eyes were set on Malus.

Some students hid near the stairs, hiding and expecting something to happen there.

“Malus!” Lucy said as she stood and approached Malus in a hurry, pulling Gina with her “Where’s Lance?!”

“Lance? Who?” he calmly asked back.

“The grand alchemist you shall face tomorrow!”

“Oh? Your fiance?”

“He is not—” Lucy’s face turned red. “—my fiance!”

“Pardon, I don’t know where he is.”

Malus picked a seat and grabbed an apple.

“Calm yourselves,” Malus said. “I’m not here to hurt you yet.”

“Where’s he?!” Lucy asked again.

“Ask me that thousands of times, my answer remains the same.” He bit into the apple. “How should I know?”

“Tch!”

Lucy grabbed Gina’s hand and left the dining hall, ascending the stairs. They entered their room and sat on their beds.

From the look, Lucy seemed uneasy, worrying.

“Don’t worry, Lux,” Gina said. “Lance is probably in his room.”

Lucy took a deep breath, calming down, and laid on her bed.

“Looks like I worry too much,” she said.

They rested for the night while Lance stayed up late, working and researching.

The next day, during the early morning, Lance stood and waited in the academy field arena alone, waiting for Malus to show up.

After some time, Malus arrived, ambling towards the arena. Their eyes met, staring at each other with a bitter look.

“Didn’t expect you to show up, I thought you ran away,” Malus said.

“I was about to say the same to you, bastard. You’re late.”

Malus chuckled, hearing Lance’s taunt.

“Good, good,” he said with a subtle smile, eager to take Lance down. “That’s the spirit.”

Several students arrived, filling the spectator’s seats, eager to see their fight.

They looked at the spectators for a second, noticing Lucy along with Gina’s absence among the crowds.

“Your fiancee isn’t here, hm?” Malus said.

“Nothing changes. You still lose.”

Malus chuckled from hearing Lance’s words.

They both prepared themselves before the battle. Lance wore his special gloves and prepared his azoth daggers while Malus just stood; he was ready from the start.

“I’m ready,” Lance said.

The tip of Malus’ scepter glowed, and a fast dark matter ball launched at Lance fast.

“He’s not using the slow-moving ball?!” Lance thought in surprise.

“What is it? Afraid?” Malus taunted. “I’ll make it slow if you want it.”

Lance smirked confidently.

“You’re afraid of losing that much, aren’t you?” Lance taunted back as he ran to the black ball, startling Malus.

“He’s going for a suicide?” Malus thought. “Interesting. Show me the strength of the second-best!!!”

Before the black ball touched Lance, Lance pulled a white dagger hidden under his sleeve and stabbed the ball with it. The blade of the dagger dissolved into the ball as soon as the blade met.

“What a waste,” Malus commented.

“Perhaps you have to double-check.”

The black ball melted and fell to the ground, surprising Malus.

“For the first time, I’ve never seen someone do such a thing… I praise you for that,” he commented with a subtle grin. “But sadly for you, I’ve expected if this ever happens.”

Malus scepter glowed and the black liquid floated, returning to the tip of the scepter. The tip glowed and another black ball appeared, moving fast to Lance. Lance took another white dagger and stabbed the black ball again.

“It’s futile,” Malus said aloud as he returned the liquid to the scepter again and sent out another black matter ball, moving towards Lance.

And again, Lance took another white dagger and stabbed the ball. Malus returned the liquid and called another dark matter ball.

“What are you aiming for?” he asked, infuriated.

Lance prepared a dagger. This time, it’s azoth.

“Oh, now you’re serious,” he said as the tip glowed and muttered, “Gaap.”

The dark matter turned into a floating black sword speeding towards Lance, but before the sword touched Lance, the sword melted into liquid.

“What the—?!” Malus said in surprise. This was the first time he witnessed his dark matter became like that.

At this moment, Lance ran towards the baffled Malus with his azoth dagger ready. Malus, who did not know what happened earlier, had little time to react out of surprise. He used his scepter to block the dagger.

“He got a good reflex and awareness,” Lance thought.

Lance dashed a step back and took three vials with brown liquid. He threw them to the right, left, and front of Malus, surrounding him.

“I couldn’t have lost my concentration,” Malus thought as he pointed his scepter forward. Another black ball appeared while the black liquid behind Lance reformed into a black ball.

“Gaap; Claisalabolas!” Malus said aloud.

The new black ball turned into black canine-like teeth while the old one turned into a sword. Before Malus launched it, both of the dark matter things deformed and melted like before.

“Impossible!” Malus said in surprise.

Lance fixed his hair vainly and smirked.

“Futile you said?”

Malus observed the dark matter liquid. Upon closer inspection, he saw the liquified white dagger blade mixed with the dark matter.

“What is this?” Malus said, confused.

“A special alkahest I made to counter your black azoth. Now, you can’t use them anymore!”

Malus gritted his teeth, not out of frustration, but excitement. For once, he never felt so challenged in combat; Lance was the first one to make him thrilled.

He grinned like a maniac as he stared at Lance.

“Fine!” Malus said in excitement as he threw his scepter away. He opened his palms wide and clenched them tightly. Rather than using his alchemy magic, he fought using his raw magic.

“It’s been awhile since I used magic,” Malus said. “You have my honor.”

“Thank you, but I don’t give a damn about your honor.”

“Heh,” he smirked. “Just as expected.”

A black level 5 sigil appeared in front of Malus as he pointed forward and said aloud, “Dark Cyclone!”

An ominous aura came from the sigil, even the spectators could feel the uneasy feeling. The black sigil called forth a black cyclone raging towards Lance.

Lance immediately stepped left to avoid, but the cyclone followed him, just like the dark matter, catching him off-guard.

The cyclone shredded Lance’s robe, but luckily he was barely injured on his left waist. He rolled and kept running, dodging. Seeing that Lance could survive long enough, Malus pointed forward and a level 3 sigil appeared at the ground surrounding Lance.

“Dark Umbral Chains!” he said aloud.

From the ground, black rusted chains appeared, trying to constrict Lance.

“Good, now there’s more of them!” Lance thought as he kept dodging.

Just like the cyclone and Malus’ other abilities, the black chains chased after him.

“Looks like it is do or die!” Lance thought as he opened another brown vial and drenched his gloves.

He snapped both of his hands with his middle fingers and thumbs three times, combusting and setting his gloves on fire.

Lance dashed and ran toward Malus with the chains and the raging cyclone right directly behind him.

Right before they caught up, Lance jumped forward, but unfortunately, the chains caught his right leg.

“This is as far as you go,” Malus said.

The cyclone almost caught up with Lance, but Lance threw something burning to the ground in front of Malus, to the brown liquid from the vials. The flame spread, but it was too small and slow to combust.

“Hmph! I suppose that’s your last trick—!”

Lance smirked as the flame intensity increased out of the blue, creating a wall of flame with a U shape, surrounding Malus and obscuring his view.

“That’s all?” Malus said, disappointed. “You’re still stuck. I need not see where you are now.”

Malus forced the cyclone full speed from Lance’s back.

“You’re finished!”

The raging cyclone crashed against the wall of flame.

Malus unmanifested his chains and let the force of the cyclone pick and crash Lance’s body against the wall of fire for five minutes.

The flame decreased and faded, revealing something burning on the ground shaped like a person. Malus knew it was Lance.

He looked at what Lance threw earlier to cause such flames; it was an azoth dagger.

Thin smoke surrounded the area on Lance’s side, presumably from the extinguished fire.

“You lose,” he muttered as he moved closer. “Now, Luxianne is—”

As soon as he got closer, something felt wrong. He rushed and saw what was burning in front of him; it wasn’t Lance; it’s a cloak belonging to Lance!

“This is…!” he thought as he looked around. “Where’s he—?!”

Without a proper explanation, Malus’ felt his breath become heavier and heavier each time he breathed.

“What in the...?!” Malus muttered, bewildered, as he moved back.

He could breathe more easily after moving back, but the moment he landed back three steps, he felt he stepped on liquid. He looked back and noticed that the arena behind him was water-soaked.

From the spectator’s direction to the Malus’ left, someone threw an azoth dagger wrapped in copper cable on the water-soaked ground. Sparks of electricity raged abnormally, causing Malus to step forward to avoid being electrocuted.

He moved forward, but he couldn’t breathe normally.

“Is this all his doings?” Malus thought, realizing he was now trapped. “How’s it even possible?”

From the left, someone sprinted and ambled towards Malus. He wore a white thick cotton long sleeve shirt and a handmade gas mask with a tiny oxygen filter on his back and a potion belt.

“How do you like it?” the person asked.

Malus noticed the person was none but Lance.

“How could you survive?!” Malus asked as he stepped back, trying to draw breath while avoiding stepping on the soaked ground.

“You want me to explain? Can you even comprehend knowing that you couldn’t even breathe properly?”

“Bastard…”

[Eight Minutes Before]

After the fire obscured Malus’ view. The chains shackled his right leg, rendering him immobile. Lance took a flask from his belt, a special alkahest, and dropped the alkahest to the chains, damaging them.

He pulled his right leg, but at the same moment, the cyclone caught up with him. The cyclone tried to suck Lance through the robe first. In reflex, Lance removed his cloak and ran to the spectators’ seats, suffering minor cut injuries.

Under one seat, Lance hid a gas mask with an oxygen filter and a belt of flasks and vials. He took three glass flasks containing water and threw them far behind Malus. The glasses’ noise was lesser compared to the noise made by the raging cyclone and crackling flame.

He retrieved his items and threw two glass flasks containing white cryogenic liquid. He threw them in front of the flames and wore his mask.

The flame rapidly decreased near the fog until it extinguished, prompting Malus to move forward to check. After realizing Lance’s trick and the difficulty in breathing, Malus moved back, and Lance threw the copper-wrapped azoth to the water, causing sparks of electricity to appear.

With the suffocating air and the electrifying water set, Lance trapped Malus.

***

“Choose,” Lance said as he pointed forward. “Getting suffocated or electrocuted.”

Malus laughed from hearing Lance’s giving him a choice.

“You talk as if you’re in control of my fate,” Malus said with a sneer. “If you want my answer badly, I’ll tell you.” Malus pointed forward instead, surprising Lance. “My answer is—” Two level 10 sigils appeared in front of him. “—Neither.”

“This is bad—!” Lance thought as he moved back, knowing Malus would cast powerful magic.

“Twin Dark Inferno Pyro Blast!” Malus said aloud.

“That’s Iggy’s favorite magic… dark enhanced and double casting?!”

The more destructive version of Iggy’s magic appeared. Two pitch-black burning balls of flame, twice Malus’ size, launched towards Lance.

Lance knew running from that magic was impossible. He just stood still, thinking desperately.

“This is it…” he thought, accepting his fate.

Before Lance could give up, she heard a familiar sound; the sound of a girl he loved.

“Lance!!!” Lucy said as she hurried, running near the arena along with Gina. They overslept, causing them to be late.

They both saw the black fireballs hurled towards him.

“Lance, run!” Lucy shouted.

Lance glanced at Lucy for a moment, relieved she’s arrived, albeit later.

“Running away in front of my goddess?” Lance thought with a smirk of shame. “Where’s my pride?”

Instead of accepting defeat, he wanted to overcome the odds. With the cryogenic vials he had left, he threw them on the fire, causing it to explode on contact.

The explosion consumed half of the arena on Lance’s side and seemingly, Lance, leaving nothing but mist.

“It’s over,” Malus thought as he turned back and about to leave.

“Lance!!!” Lucy shouted, worried as she was about to rush inside the arena, but she held back, seeing a silhouette of a person running towards Malus from behind the mist, surprising everyone.

Malus turned back only to be greeted by Lance’s burning right fist on his face, pushing Malus back. He punched him repeatedly, trying to push him to the electrified ground behind.

Lance sustained the damage from before, but he held the pain with his willpower. His mask, suit, and his gloves were half-destroyed because of the black flame explosion while his body was full of frostbites and burn marks.

Lance moved and threw his left glove and using his left hand, took a brown vial, and poured it into his burning right hand. He snapped twice to induce combustions and coated his azoth dagger with black fire in his left hand.

He swung the dagger and pierced Malus’ right shoulder. Malus moved aside and withdrew the dagger, trying to aim at Lance’s chest, however the burning sensation of Malus’ right face blinded his eye, causing him to miss and piercing Lance’s stomach instead.

Lance was unlucky; the wound he received was deep. Instead of going back, he moved forward, tackling Malus down to the soaked ground. Malus couldn’t dodge, but he removed the copper-wrapped azoth dagger from the ground first, stopping him from getting fried for long. He threw it to Lance’s face, but Lance deflected it with his right arm.

The dagger distracted Lance, giving Malus a chance to kick him back in the chest, pushing him a few steps back. Lance removed the dagger from his stomach and cauterized his wound using the same dagger.

“At least…” he thought and writhed in pain. “I could stay conscious for now.”

He checked the flask he had; he only possessed one left. Lance gave no second thought and rushed to Malus before he could heal himself.

Malus stood and pointed forward at the charging Lance, projecting a level 8 magic.

“I can’t let him finish that sigil!” Lance thought as he sprinted faster with everything he had, aiming with the dagger. He was two steps away from Malus, but the sigil was completed first.

“Dark Lightning Stream!” Malus said aloud, and the sigil launched a stream of blinding black lightning towards Lance.

“Son of a—!”

Lance closed his eyes, knowing he would lose, but fortunately for him, Malus missed. His hindered right eye and the pain on his shoulder causing him the lightning to pierce Lance’s right shoulder instead. The magic didn’t last long as Malus lost his concentration, abruptly ending the stream.

Malus coughed blood; the pain he sustained was too much for his body to handle. His body became numb and heavy, almost causing him to pass out.

“I…” he muttered before saying aloud, attacking with the dagger. “I can’t let myself pass out!”

Malus blocked with his arms, but Lance followed with a powerful punch with his burning right hand, knocking him down.

“Is… Is it enough?” Lance thought, but seeing Malus standing and throwing the stuck dagger answered his question. Malus didn’t stand long as he fell on his knee, writhing and panting in pain.

“I… I’ve never felt this before…!” Malus thought. “This is the first time… The first time someone could have pushed me this far…!”

Malus noticed his scepter next to him and wielded it, pointing forward at Lance. Lance took his last flask and ambled towards Malus.

“This will decide everything!” they both thought.