Duel

The twenty-seventh floor was split into two sections that were built like gladiator rings with bleachers to one side so that students, and staff, could watch the duels. There was a special room that was built up high with the outer wall as one long window.

Inside the room, too high for anything to properly see who was in it, Kelos and Austin sat side by side. They had a good view of the duel that would begin soon. There were also speakers and microphones setup so that those in the room could hear what was going on down below.

"This is another one of those things you should have disbanded when you became headmaster. It's just too dangerous."

"Have you read Gailuri's history? Did you pay attention at all in school? Seriously, if I disbanded the duels they would still have them, just without the safety that these rooms give. What I should have done was not tell you about this in the first place."

Austin frowned and ignored Kelos as he watched movement on the dueling grounds. On one side was Zidon with Lysander and Saraiva, on the other was Rowen, Nazeri, Nasi and Ewen.

"I'm just glad that it's not Rowen dueling. She at least had some sense and chose not to fight."

Kelos chuckled, "I'm willing to bet money that she will end up fighting before it's all over."

"What are you talking about?"

"We had our first lesson today, and had a good hour of sparring. I got to see their true form. It was impressive, to say the least. She had no qualms about shifting from human to demonic form, Blake. You keep clinging to this ideal you have of her. Just sit back and watch, you might just learn something."

*******

"You've got this, Nazeri, remember what I told you."

Nazeri nodded, though her eyes were focused on Zidon as he made his way to the center of the dueling platform. His demon was with him wearing the school uniform that all demons were given. It was clear that it was only a level two, it's horns were only a few inches in length.

Khan, the magic teacher, was off to the side and would act as a referee during the duel. It was his job to make certain everyone abided by the rules and fought fairly.

Nasi stepped up and bowed in Rowen's direction, "Master, may I speak with her privately."

"Of course."

Rowen and Ewen stepped back while Nazeri and Nasi moved to the edge of the platform.

"Whether or not you have confidence in yourself, you should have confidence in our master. She believes that you can do this. No matter what, it is our responsibility to live up to her expectations. Don't show your enemy weakness. Show them what it means to serve our master."

Nazeri took a deep breath and smiled. She held out her right arm, Nasi reached for it and they clasped forearms.

"For Rowen."

"For our master."

Nasi smiled and they broke away. Nasi returned to Rowen's side and Nazeri stepped onto the platform and made her way to the center.

Zidon smirked when she joined him, "Ready to get your ass beaten?"

"I'm ready to see you taken down."

Khan stepped up and had them shake hands, "Play nice. On three. One. Two. Three!"

Khan was clear of the platform when he shouted 'three.'

Zidon stepped back and his demon stepped forward. Nazeri took two steps back to give herself some distance. She could feel her heart racing and her vision threatened to blur, but Nasi's words rose up in her mind and she forced herself to take two deep, calming breaths.

"Redimio." She raised her right hand and pointed it in the direction of the demon as it started to move toward her. Right after casting the spell she turned in the direction of Zidon and repeated it. "Redimio."

The pull of two active spells at once was more than she had expected, but she managed to hold herself together. The pain she was experiencing with two spells was nothing compared to what she experienced when her powers had grown.

Invisible rope wrapped around Zidon and his demon, binding their arms and legs together and causing them to lose their balance. It was like a domino effect the way one went down, then the other. Not only were they tightly bound, but Zidon struggled to use his powers. He fought the spell and kept coming up short.

A secondary effect was that the powers of the one bound would be negated if they were weaker than the caster. Zidon unable to escape the spell, made it clear that she was stronger than him.

"Five. Six. Seven... Ten! Nazeri Collins wins the duel."

Khan announced after the required countdown. Instead of applause, the crowded bleachers were dead silent. No one had expected Nazeri to win. No one.

Nazeri was grinning, amazed at her win. She released both spells and turned to leave the platform. Rowen stepped up to meet her at the platform's edge.

"See, what did I tell you?"

In the background a stunned Zidon stood up. His face was red and twisted with anger. Rowen kept an eye on him as she listened to Nazeri and a second after he stood up Zidon threw a ball of hellfire at Nazeri.

Rowen's quick reflexes pulled Nazeri out of the way.

"There is no way I lost to a worthless piece of shit. You cheated, Nazeri, I know you did. Learned a little something from your cheating protector."

Nasi stepped up but Rowen stopped it, "Take Nazeri and step back."

"Master…"

Rowen smiled, "You will get a chance to fight, but not today. This is my fight, Nasi."

Nasi bowed then took Nazeri's hand and led her away from the platform. Rowen turned her attention back to Zidon who was now arguing with Mr. Khan.

"That was not a duel, she didn't even fight us."

"That's the only fighting that Nazeri will do. If you want an actual fight I'll duel you, here and now. I won't even use a demon, no powers, just my physical strength."

Both Zidon and Khan turned to face her, surprised to find her next to them.

"Ms. Nieves, are you certain?"

"I am. What about you, Zidon?"

He nodded, "I'm more than willing."

"How about we make this a little more interesting? Why don't we say that the loser must spend a day as the winner's slave?"

Zidon snorted, "I'll take those odds. I've read about your past, human. You're even less than Nazeri."

"Mr. Khan, if you could?"

Khan nodded and had them shake hands, then stepped back as he counted. The moment he shouted 'three' Rowen stepped toward the demon, Zidon stepped back, confident that his demon could take her out. The demon was as tall as Zidon, which meant that it was several inches taller than Rowen.

She ducked under the punch it threw at her, kicked the back of its knee and turned to face it in one fluid motion as it went down on one knee. Now that it was close to her height she reached out and grabbed it by the throat and slammed the demon back, cracking the platform where it hit.

"I suggest you stay down."

Its eyes went wide at the sound of her voice with it's growling echo. Some red had leaked into her eyes but that was the only obvious sign that something had changed. When she felt it relax under her hand she released it and ran toward Zidon.

Zidon summoned hellfire and began throwing it at her. Rowen managed to dodge most of it, her clothes were smoking from the places that she had not completely dodged it. When she got within punching distance Zidon went to hit her with a hellfire covered fist. He was shocked when she stopped his fist with her hand, oblivious to the hellfire.

Rowen stepped to the side, still holding his fist, and pulled his arm back. She kicked at the back of his knee and caused him to go down on one knee while she restrained his arm behind his back. She stepped in and grabbed his other arm, putting it behind his back as well.

"You think you know me, but you know nothing. To me you are nothing and I've proven it to everyone here. What are you going to do now?"

Zidon struggled to break free but her grip was like iron and did not move. Her voice still had the growling echo when she had spoken to him and the sound of it had sent a chill down his spine. That did not stop him from struggling.

"Seems like you're not strong enough to break free. Just submit and admit defeat."

"Never."

Rowen chuckled as she pressed down, slamming Zidon face first onto the platform.

"Submit or so help me I will fuck up your face and no one here will be able to stop me."

She could already see Mr. Khan had returned to the platform and was quickly walking toward them. He was coming to end the duel and keep her from going any further than she already had.

When Zidon did not answer her right away she raised his body up an inch and forced it back down again. He groaned and turned his head to blink up at her.

"Submit."

"I-I submit. I submit..."

Rowen released her hold on him and stood up just as Khan made it to them. The teacher went down on one knee to check Zidon's pulse.

"He's still alive. People really need to stop jumping to conclusions."

Khan looked up at her with a frown, "The rules clearly state that you are to back off the moment your opponent goes down. You are not to continue beating on them."

Rowen laughed, "I got what I came to accomplish, that's all that matters. Zidon, don't forget about tomorrow. You made a deal with me and you can't back out. I expect you to be waiting for me at the entrance when I arrive."

She turned away and walked back to where Nasi, Nazeri and Ewen were waiting.