The Arrogance of Humility 7

Malus was in disadvantage; he only had 1/4 of his energy and suffered shallow injuries on his shoulder and right leg.

In mobility and strength, Lucy (Asmoday in a disguise) was better so Malus knew fighting and running were pointless. His only choice was to defend and stall Asmoday, trying to find an opening.

Malus moved aside and caught the thrown bident to use it against the upcoming attack. Their bidents clashed, and Asmoday overpowered Malus, wounding and soaking its bident with his blood.

“He’s cornered!” Gina thought, cheering inside her heart. “Come on, Lux! You can do it!”

“Since when my goddess is this strong without magic?” Lance thought, confused. “Except… She’s not her. Lucy would never fight in that beastly and ugly way. I’ve observed (and stalked) her for so long that I know what she would do… Then… Who’s fighting him?”

“Anyway… What’s with her overzealous and insane reactions?” Gina thought. “Is she really that excited to win?”

Malus moved back, but Asmoday pursued relentlessly attacking.

“Where’s she?” Malus asked Asmoday as their bidents clashed.

“Where, you ask?” Asmoday teased. “She’s standing right here, dear~!”

Asmoday swung the bident, but Malus blocked it with his bident’s tip. Asmoday swung the bident’s lower part and hit Malus’ face with the blunt end, strong enough to knock him down. Asmoday jumped, ready to impale Malus’ face. Malus turned and rolled to the side, but the bident grazed his forearm.

“You’re weak. How can you please me like this~” Asmoday taunted and teased with a wink as it pierced the bident and danced around it.

“Heh, what a coward,” Malus thought as he stood. “Sending a demon to fight me in your place. I just need to defeat and expose her cheating!”

The moment Malus stood, Asmoday lunged, swinging the bident around, forcing him to block. Asmoday cornered Malus as he couldn’t keep up for long as he took some scratches. After a while, Asmoday felt the bident become heavier and heavier each time it wounded Malus.

Malus fell sitting down, giving Asmoday a chance to attack, but the bident resisted like it had a mind on its own. Malus smirked, and Asmoday noticed the blood on the bidents darkened, forming markings that Asmoday recognized.

“Amaymon,” Malus muttered as he controlled the bident on Asmoday’s hands.

“Amaymon?” Asmoday thought as it grinned while gripping the bident, trying to wield it. “Hmph! I didn’t foresee this.”

Asmoday gave up and released its bident. Now Malus wielded both of the bidents; one telepathically and one manually. The bident Asmoday threw floated and attacked Asmoday, injuring its right shoulder. The bident was relentless that it kept attacking as long as Malus desired.

Bright yellow flames appeared on Asmoday’s palms, quickly coiling its arms. The flames shaped like burning three-headed serpents. As soon as the bident attacked, the snake retaliated by biting the handle, preventing the bident from wounding Asmoday.

“Our power is—” Asmoday commented with a smug smirk as it moved forward casually while the flaming snakes took care of the attacking bident. “—quite similar, I might say.”

One snake on its arm moved and coiled the bident, incinerating Malus’ black blood, causing him to lose control over the bident. Another flame replaced and covered its arm. Asmoday took the bone bident and covered it with his yellow flame to prevent Malus from using Amaymon’s power again.

“What an annoying fire…” Malus thought. “A normal fire couldn’t burn that black blood, but a brimstone fire could? You learn something new every day.”

Malus pointed forward using the bident, and a level four sigil appeared on the tip.

“Dark Aqua Pump!” Malus said, and the sigil shot high-pressure water cannon. Asmoday blocked it with his blazing bident, pushing it back step by step. The water couldn’t put the brimstone fire off as the water boiled in contact, creating a thin mist.

“I see. I can’t put the flame out using water,” Malus thought. “Then, I’d like to see you block this!”

Two more sigils appeared on the tip.

“Tri Dark Aqua Pump!” Malus uttered, and the sigils shot three high-pressure water cannons towards Asmoday. Asmoday pierced the burning bident to the ground, and the bident expanded rapidly, creating a burning wall taller than Asmoday in front of it to repel the water cannons.

The water evaporated while some, in turn, soaked the spectators, including both Lance and Gina.

Another sigil appeared behind Asmoday’s exposed back area without it knowing. The remaining water magically gathered and re-accumulated in front of the sigil, leaving no trace on the spectators.

The moment Asmoday noticed the water drained, it was too late as the combined water cannon pressure shot its back, strong enough to launch Asmoday forward to the burning bone wall, cracking it.

The sigil changed color to yellow as Malus was about to fire lightning bolts. But thick fogs soon covered the arena.

“What the—?!” Malus thought.

The fog came out from behind Asmoday. Asmoday covered its body with the brimstone flame a second before getting hit by the water cannons, decreasing the damage it took.

The fog limited everyone’s view from the outside and the inside. Malus couldn’t tell where Asmoday was, and neither did Asmoday.

“Tch!” Malus canceled his sigil and went full defensive. He was at great disadvantages; he’s wounded and tired while Asmoday could track Malus through the smell of blood from his injuries.

“If I stayed still, I’ll lose!” he thought as he looked and moved around inside the fog quietly to prevent his location from being known. He heard no footsteps or slight movements inside the thick fog.

After a minute of aimless wandering, Malus saw a flickering flame five steps in front of him inside the dense fog. Sigils covered his bident, and Malus prepared to throw it to the flame.

“There!” he thought as he threw the bident to the flame, but the flame vanished on contact. Malus realized too late that Asmoday tricked him into telling it his exact location.

At the exact moment, Asmoday appeared behind Malus with its hands burning with brimstone flames. The magic before severely injured Asmoday, causing its face and body to appear like a mix between Luxianne and a hideous chimera. It had half of Lucy’s face and a bull, sharp claws, Lucy’s body, and rooster legs.

“Found you!” it said diabolically with Lucy’s distorted voice, ready to tear and burn Malus.

“No,” Malus said as he smirked. “Found you!”

“What—?!”

Before Asmoday touched him, chains appeared from the ground, restraining and pulling it to the ground. Asmoday noticed a black pentagram sigil below them.

“No way…!” Asmoday muttered. “You bastard…! Since when—?!”

Malus was bleeding from the injuries. Each time a drop of blood touched the ground, the blood darkened, joining the black pentagram. Malus had anticipated and prepared to create the sigil in the worst-case scenario.

“Asmoday, the trickster djinn. Return to where you are!” Malus said as the sigil turned pitch black, opening an underworld portal and taking Asmoday away. Asmoday screeched with twisted Lucy’s voice, worrying both Gina and Lance as the portal closed.

“Lucy?” Gina thought. “That scream… Are you all right?”

Lance’s body trembled as cold ran down his spine; he never heard something so dreadful in his life: the scream of pain from the woman he loved, even though he was unsure whether it was her or not.

“I’m having a nightmare for the rest of my life,” he thought, sweating profusely and trembling after hearing the chilling scream of pain.

Inside the fog, Malus fell on his knees and healed his wound. He tried to draw breath, but it was too heavy for him. He lost too much blood from before.

“I win… Since she’s not here, I’ll be declared the winner,” he thought as he regained his strength to stand. He pointed forward with his scepter and used a weak wind magic to remove the fog.

As soon as the wind swept the fog away, much to Malus’ surprise, Luxianne stood on the other side.

“Ah! Lucy is fine!” Gina thought, relieved. “Also, her reactions seemed normal now.”

“That’s truly her!” Lance thought, recognizing Lucy at the first sight. “There’s no mistaking it!”

“Damn it…!” Malus thought as he forced himself to stand, panting heavily while holding onto the bone bident. His skin was yellowish, as he only had 1/10 of iron left in his blood left while Lucy had 2/5. “Asmoday was just a distraction to exhaust me!”

If Malus used a level 6 or higher magic, he would be in a critical state, closer to death. Malus pointed forward and a level 3 sigil appeared in front of his finger.

“Lightning!” he uttered, and the sigil launched a lightning bolt to Lucy.

Lucy moved aside, and the lightning completely missed her. Lucy pointed forward with her left hand and a level six magic sigil appeared in front of her finger. Lucy knew Malus had reached his limit. She calmed down and looked at him with eyes of pity.

“You’re at your limit,” Lucy said. “Give it up. There’s no need continuing this—”

“And let you win?!”

“It doesn’t matter—!”

“Silence!” he barked. “Don’t you patronize me just because you think you’re better! You who are born blessed and talented… What do you know about those below you?! You barely do anything and profit while we have to endeavor and still fail!”

“I—”

“I said shut up! Why don’t you finish me off right now if you want to end this?! Show me no mercy! Look at me with your hateful eyes and disdainful sneer from before! You hate me, don’t you?! I injured your friends, defeated, and almost sacrificed your fiance. Don’t you want to tear and destroy me?!”

“He isn’t my—!” Lucy stopped; it wasn’t even relevant..

Her sigil broke as she put her left hand down. “I don’t.”

“Don’t pity me, woman!” Malus barked as he stood and shambled towards Lucy. “I’ll… I’ll k-kill you and prove that I’m better!”

“What drives him into this?” Lucy thought, astonished by Malus’ will.

“I… I just need to finish this…” Malus thought. “I’ll prove it to him…! No mercy… No survivors… Only Victory!”

He stood in front of Lucy and tried to punch her in the face with his right fist. His punch was sluggish and pathetic as Lucy caught the fist with her left palm.

“Enough,” she said.

Malus couldn’t move his body anymore; he’s beyond his bodily limit.

“If I don’t win this…” he thought. “What value do I have?! I’ll win… Even if that means I have to die trying!”

A hexagram sigil suddenly appeared below them both, and Malus’ body markings glowed pitch-black.

“A… Amay… mon… Abaddon!” he muttered as his right arm darkened less than a second.

Lucy immediately jumped back, and Malus’ right arm exploded violently with black liquid, spraying black blood around him. Malus fell on the ground, unconscious while the liquid kept pouring, joining the black hexagram sigil.

The hexagram sigil expanded further like fire and oil, surrounding both the arena and the spectators’ seats.

“This is bad!” Lucy thought as her body trembled. “Abaddon’s contract… He’s planning to kill everyone here by sacrificing himself!”

The sigil and the black blood formed a dome, trapping everyone inside. The spectators panicked, not knowing what would happen. They tried to escape, but the dome won’t break. The dome turned red and yellow like brimstones.

“I have to get away from this place!” she thought as a level 12 sigil appeared below her. She planned to warp, leaving the dome. But she remembered if she had done that, the spectators and Malus would surely die painfully.

“I can’t abandon them…” Lucy thought as she grasped the azoth necklace from Lance. “I’ve never used this before… Can my body handle this—?”

The hexagram sigil began opening a hellish portal similar to before but on a bigger scale.

“There’s no time to hesitate Lux!” she thought as a level 25 sigil appeared below the dome.

“Deus: Chronos Antisofi!” she uttered, and the sigil shone brightly with a blinding flash.

Everything went blank. No one knew what happened. They didn’t feel or experience anything.

[30 Seconds into The Past]

A moment later, in the arena, there’s no trace of the Maleficium happening. Lucy and the exhausted Malus stood on their respective sides of the arena. Lucy was pointing at Malus with a level six sigil in front of her left hand.

“Silence!” Malus barked. “Don’t you patronize me just because you think you’re better! You who are born blessed and talented… What do you know about those below you?! You barely do anything and profit while we have to endeavor and still fail!”

Lucy’s breathing was heavy as her eyes wavered in exhaustion. Her sigil broke as she fell on her knee, exhausted.

“Why don’t you finish me off right now if you want to end this?!” Malus taunted. “Show me no mercy! Look at me with your hateful eyes and disdainful sneer from before! You hate me, don’t you?! I injured your friends, defeated, and almost sacrificed your fiance. Don’t you want to tear and destroy me?! I’ll… I’ll k-kill you and prove that I’m better!”

Malus shambled towards Lucy, wanting to beat her.

***

The spectators felt uneasy. They tried to recall something important, but they couldn’t.

“Something feels… off,” Lance thought. “It feels like... a déjà vu.”

“Huh? Why does this feel familiar?” Gina thought, confused.

“Then! What happens next is—!” Lance thought as he stood.

“Lucy! Finish him now!” Lance shouted.

Lucy gathered his strength before Malus reached her. She pointed forward and a level 3 sigil appeared.

“Light Spear!” she said, and the sigil launched a white translucent spear towards Malus. Malus couldn’t dodge, and the spear of light passed through his head. He fell on the ground unconscious.

“I did it…” Lucy thought as she tried to walk. “I did—”

Lucy fell on the ground, unconscious. The win was on her. The spectators rushed to the arena. Gina and Lance carried the unconscious Lucy, bringing her to the infirmary. Professor Carolus helped them, lying her on the bed.

“You did it, Lux! You’re the best,” Gina said to the unconscious Lucy.

Lance looked at her and noticed that the azoth necklace crumbled, leaving just the chains.

“Hey,” he said to Gina. “Don’t you feel something off earlier? Like you know something’s terrible going to happen?”

“I do,” Gina replied. “I thought it was just my feeling.”

“It wasn’t just yours. Everyone felt that too.”

Lance put the robe next to Lucy.

“I hope you wake up soon…” Lance thought. “I’m sorry for not keeping my promise…”

After that, everyone resumed their routine like normal.

The next day, exactly 24 hours later in the infirmary. Lucy opened her eyes.

“Agh… What happened?” she thought. Her body felt stiff, so she couldn’t move much.

She opened the curtains and sat down. She looked around; no one was there. A moment later, someone entered the room.

“Oh? Awake already?” It was Professor Carolus, entering the room with a tonic and saw her sitting down. He took a chair and sat in front of her and handed the tonic. “Drink it,” he said.

“Thank you, Carl.” Lucy drank the tonic. After a gulp, she spat some and coughed. “Agh! What is this?!”

“Hey, don’t spit it! It takes one hour to make one!” Professor Carolus calmed himself. “You ran out of iron in your blood, so I made that.”

Lucy drank the tonic in one gulp and tried her best not to spit.

“Taste like chewing on a wire!” she thought, peeved while pouting.

“To be honest, I never expect to see you here,” he said. “It’s the first time you’re here, being treated. Defeating him wasn’t a simple task, no? I didn’t watch your fight, but I could hear explosions and subtle earthquakes. I bet the battle was too intense.”

“Yes… Too intense I might say.”

“Also, your right arm. What happened to it? There’s barely any blood flowing there.”

“Oh? That was for the cost of Maleficium. I used it to save Lance.”

“Can your arm recover?”

“I don’t know. The cost was too extreme. I’m lucky that it only took my right arm.”

“That’s what exhausted you?”

“No, it was me using Deus magic.”

“Deus?!” His eyes opened wide, surprised.

“Breaking reality costs you severely, even only for 30 seconds.”

“I see… That’s why you fell asleep for 24 hours now.”

“I… I what?!”

“You slept for a whole day.”

“Agh... Anyway, where’s everyone? I don’t see Celina and Iggy here.”

“After you defeated Malus, they recovered fully. Now everyone, including the professors, is in the auditorium. Don’t you know today is the academy’s anniversary?”

“Nope. I forgot.” Lucy wore her sage robe as usual as soon as she felt better. She then stood and ran to the exit door.

“Hey!” Professor Carolus shouted. “You’re still recovering! Come back here—!”

She ran past the door to the grand dining hall, ignoring Professor Carolus’ words.

“That girl…” Professor Carolus thought, peeved. He took a deep breath and shook his head. “She overused magic, but her body recovered just in a day while normal persons would take up to three days. She’s surely gifted with amazing recovery.”

Everyone sat down neatly there, filling every seat available. It was too crowded that only some noticed Lucy.

Lucy just arrived, trying to find a seat. She noticed Gina in the front-row seat and approached her. Luckily, she saved a seat for one person.

“Lux?” Gina said. “Why are you here? I thought you’re still sleeping.”

“But now I’m awake.”

“Come on, sit.”

Lucy sat down next to her.

“What did I miss?” Lucy asked.

“Nothing yet.”

Behind the podium, a lean man in his late 30s stood. He’s 6.1 feet tall with porcelain skin, ruby eyes, pointed nose, and white medium effeminate wispy hair with a long ponytail, M shaped bangs, and side-locks without facial hair. He had good and respectful manners.

He wore a white formal shirt, a short light-brown and white buttoned blazer, a short white short cape that covered his chest, skinny brown pants, and brown leather shoes. He’s Lord Alphonse Draco, the imperial sage and the descendant of the academy’s founder, the Draco family. Unlike his son, he gave a welcoming aura.

Next to him, a man, presumably in his mid-20’s stood. He’s 6.2 feet tall with pale skin, azure eyes, a pointed nose, and short black scruffy hair with no facial hair. His eyes were always narrowed slit or half-open with a constant subtle smirk, giving an impression of a calm person. He didn’t talk much, as he preferred avoiding needless conversations.

He wore a plain fancy black garb and a short gray cape covering his chest, dark brown pants, and leather shoes.

That man was Justus. He’s a neutral mediator between Axyvur and The Empire, appointed and approved by both kingdoms.

“Good afternoon, my beloved students of the academy,” Lord Draco greeted. Justus moved forward and whispered to Lord Draco’s ear. “Oh? Let us get to the main discussion.”

Some professors, including both Professor Arkana and Professor Vennefer, and students moved forward, standing before the audience. They were the descendants of the academy founders: Harvey, Draco, Arcus, Reinhart, and Arias family.

Once per decade, one person, a representative from the family, would be appointed as the headmaster (or headmistress) based on their (or their family)’s performance in the academy. The current holder was from the Arcus family held by Professor Arkana’s father, Mesdoram Arcus.

Lucy fell asleep out of boredom, skipping those family’s useless speeches. After an hour, Gina shook Lucy to wake her up.

“Lucy!” she whispered loud but quietly to wake her up.

“Hm… Yawn. What is it—?” Her eyes were half open and still sleepy.

“And for the number one student, Luxianne Serafell,” Lord Draco announced. “Please come over here.”

Gina shook Lucy even harder.

“Hey Lux!” she whispered louder. “Lord Draco called you!”

“Eh. Wh—?”

“Is the person present here?” Lord Draco asked aloud.

“Ah—! She is!” Gina replied aloud as she stood, pulling Lucy by her left arm.

“Just go already!” Gina fixed Lucy’s clothing and took her to the podium. Gina returned to her seat and watched.

“You must be Luxianne Serafell, am I correct?” Lord Draco asked Lucy.

Lucy looked at him with blank sleepy eyes; she’s half-conscious.

“Ah… Luxianne Serafell?” he called.

She dozed off and fell asleep again. Immediately, from her seat, Gina pointed forward and a small level 1 sigil appeared.

“Wind bullet,” she murmured, and the sigil shot a harmless, but painful bullet-shaped wind on Lucy’s butt.

“Ouch!” Lucy jumped a bit as she scratched her butt with her left hand. Her eyes were now wide open and fully conscious. She looked around and saw the top students standing before the audience too, wearing gold medallions with numbers while the professors, including the headmaster, stood, lined horizontally behind Lord Draco.

“Ahem. Luxianne Serafell?” Lord Draco called again.

“Yawn. Y-Yes?”

Lord Draco put the medallion on Lucy and offered a handshake.

“Ah—” Lucy’s right arm was still numb; she used her left hand to support her right arm for the handshake.

Lord Draco noticed her right arm condition but still accepted the handshake with a warm smile.

“Congratulations on the achievements, talents, and feats that make you the top and the best student of the central academy. I hope the students learn from you, Luxianne.”

“Uh… Okay…?”

Gina facepalmed from her seat.

“That’s her reaction from receiving such honor directly from Lord Draco?!” Gina thought, envious, and infuriated.

The students returned to their seats, and the event continued. Headmaster Arcus moved forward behind the podium to give a speech. As soon as the headmaster talked, Lucy fell asleep again in her seat.

“This girl…!” Gina thought, peeved. She took a deep breath and patted her shoulder as she smiled. “Sweet dream, princess. I don’t know why, but I’m grateful that you’re here. Did you save us by any chance before?”

Justus looked at the sleeping Luxianne from afar. He opened his eyes and smirked.

“I found her, Matthias,” he thought.