Fear

"One hour left." I sighed, rising from my seat. "It's about damn time."

"I will say again that this is unwise. Your embarrassment- your pride, will be your downfall."

"Will you shut up, Duccec!" I spat at him. "Leave me be!"

"I cannot." He stepped to follow me, shaking his feathery head. "We are a team. A single entity."

Luckily, Rhody and Toni were nowhere to be found. So the only annoyances came from Twig and this feathered bastard as I made my way to the arena.

I'd have to pluck him at some point. But for now, his words rang true. We were a team. And I wouldn't have my points diminished just because he annoyed me.

But once we changed teams.

"I will see you at the end of your bout."

Ignoring him, I veered away from him to Zook's Armory give two firm knocks on the desk.

"Hi, hi! Welcome!" Shouted the gnome before he rounded the corner and saw me. Then threw his arms forward in a welcoming gesture and smiled. "Winston! Welcome, welcome! How may I help you today? Bet you need your gear? Well alright. Step right through the door here and I'll get you sorted."

"Uh, yes. Thank you." I stepped through the door with a groan.

Inside was a room shaped like a cooking pot when viewed from above. The pot itself was a run-of-the-mill armory. Filled with nothing more than an abundance of weapons and armor racks with sheets draped over them and the tools to keep them maintained. But the handle from where I entered- a corridor, led to two outdoor courtyards meant to be our dressing rooms. One vacant and one occupied.

Taking the only one available, I stepped through and watched the setting sun until I heard Zook's shuffling.

"Here you go! All set. Let me know if you need anything else." He waddled in and out with nothing more than a wave. Then I heard his shouting again once my door closed and another one opened. "Alright then! As I was saying, Art-"

Sneering, I turned away from the door to inspect my pride and joy before donning it. It was a set of armor unlike any seen in the Epeth family. Forest green in color and adorned with pinky-nail-sized scales that would rival a dragon's likeness. Accompanied by a sword and collapsable shield, stored inside the forearm.

Putting on, however, was a different story. I should've listened to mother. About many things. But especially about this.

Eventually, though, I got it right. And then I waited.

And waited.

And waited for the final hour to tick by.

"Hi, hi! It's time!"

"Finally!" I groaned and all but skipped to the door. Only to see the object of my ire- my opponent. Wearing nothing more than a golden sash tied off at the waist and his school uniform. No weapons. No armor. Just his scrawny self.

"Alright, here's the rules. You may prepare spells or techniques during the countdown. And then you fight! Lady Felicity is a Light Witch. So you can fight without holding back. But you can't kill.! That comes later!" He guffawed. Much to both of our apparent interests. "You can use any weapon. Any magic. Any spell. Just can't go to a separate dimension or plane and you can't leave the ring. Any questions?"

"What about points?" I asked.

"That's up to the instructors and the Headmaster. I don't know the specifics," he cheerfully said. "But it's no more than one hundred per duel."

"Thank you." I sighed.

"Alright. The challenged has already decided the terrain. So." He gestured to the end of the main corridor. "Into the ring."

'Alright.' I sighed. 'Remember the stories. Watch the shadows. Quell your fear. Ignore the summons, aim for the summoner.'

Repeating the mantra, I fell into a rhythm of deep breaths to calm myself while the lift ascended ever so slowly.

"I'll show you half."

"What'd you say!?" I turned on my heels.

But Amun didn't reply. He only looked at me. Stared into my eyes with no traces of fear or aggression, malice or mercy in his.

"The final duel of the evening! A challenge for disrespect!"

Even with Mr. Yurich's announcement- even with lift completing its ascent. Amun kept staring.

'He's just playing mind games.' I sighed. And turned away for a quick scan of surroundings. Only to see stone tiles as far as the eye could see. No stones or trees or anything else that could cast a shadow.

Just him and me.

"We have the challenger, Winston Epeth!"

Naturally, my posture straightened upon hearing my name. I tossed my inhibitions away and focused on the task at hand- who was still staring at me.

Even while Zeff shouted. "And the challenged, Amun!

"Ten seconds! Get ready!"

I moved at once. Kicking off the ground to place my shadow in front of me while drew mana into my cores and kept them on the precipice of being extracted so that I could use any of them in any way and at any time.

Amun, however, remained in place. He didn't even turn his body to face me. Only his neck so that he could keep staring at me blankly.

"Fight!"

He pivoted abruptly, and I reacted immediately. Pulling my barrier magic into my hand to prepare a counter, then stopped as I realized he'd only raised his hand to point two fingers at me.

And then I felt it. A surge of mana that I've felt once time before. Forcing my eyes grew wide just as a shockwave of dense mana billowed from his fingers.

In a panic, I raised my arm and poured mana into it. Spurring the enchantment within to spew out barrier after barrier to protect me from that horrendous lightning.

After an endless moment, the world turned white. Bringing with a hellish heat that probed my barrier to sear my flesh. Forcing me to huddle behind my shield just before the giant's hammer fell.

with a scale-shattering crack, my knee slammed into the ground and forced me back across the ground. Even as I pushed with all my weight to not lose my footing.

And then, as quickly as it came, it stopped.

Looking through my barrier, I saw a cone of pits and craters and outcroppings of loose rubble stretching between the two of us. And then I saw Amun. Still staring blankly with his hand held out before him palm-down. Dispersing a tidal wave of mana in all directions.

Reflexively, I spawned another barrier between us and scanned the environment for any noticeable changes.

Only for the world to tip beneath me. Like the ground had turned into the wall, I stumbled, tripped, and slammed my back against the wall. Then rolled and tumbled and eventually plummeted towards the far end of the ring.

Without thinking, I spawned a barrier behind me and cursed as I slammed into it back-first and clamored to my feet with a thrust of my hand. Spawning a staircase of repeating barriers that led right to the bastard before kicking off my barrier to charge. Conjuring and slinging sharp scales at him along the way.

And still, he just stared. Watched me approach and ignored the projectiles veering off-course on their own.

Grinning inside, I sent out a few Barrier Bullets formed into curved ramps and loops to curve the scales back around to strike him in the rear.

Seemingly without effort, and while staring, Amun sidestepped two of the scales but seemed to notice the last one far too late. Too late even for an elf. So I excitedly dashed forward to introduce him to my sword. Only for the scale to just… stop in place. Suspended just a meter before him. Spinning and whirling through the air as if it were actually going somewhere.

Cursing under my breath, I tried to cast out another spell but was outmatched by him pointing his finger overhead.

Causing the world to once again tilt beneath me.

Like I dove off a cliff, I plummeted. Upwards. Towards the ceiling at a frightening rate until I threw my arm behind me. Conjuring another barrier to catch me with a scale-breaking crack.

Squinting through the pain, I saw an inverted Amun and scowled. Pulled mana from my cores and stomped to my feet to thrust my arm forward. Casting a barrier to contain him while I mended my scale armor with my other arm.

"Come fight me, you bastard!" I sneered. I refused to allow him to keep playing these games with me.

But he just continued staring and flicked his arm down. And before I could move, the pull on me shifted and I was hurtling towards the ground with no chance of catching myself. I could only continue reinforcing my armor, cradle my arms my head, and hope the barrier surrounding Amun held up.

The fall was only a few meters away from the surface but I may as well have jumped from the heavens. The impact cracked the tiles beneath me. Flattening my body into a plank of flesh and cracked scales. Forcing the sound of a dying waterfowl my lungs as every bit of air within them emptied with explosive force.

Before I could even catch my bearings, I started sliding again. Forward this time. Right towards Amun and the barrier formed around him. Causing another wave of dull pain to roll through my body after landing. Causing more scales to crack and forcing another helpless groan from my lungs.

"The first spell."

"Fuck!" Spinning off the ground, I jumped back with my sword raised high. Only see Amun staring calmly behind my barrier.

"The first spell was half," he said. "But this costs nothing."

So saying, he raised his hand ever-so-slowly and looked into my eyes as it became…empty. Like some strange force had grown to encompass his arm. Creating a blank spot in reality that only resembled a hand. And with a single swipe from overhead, my barrier parted in two. Disappeared before my eyes while the rest of it remained intact.

Until he swept his arm again. Causing another streak of my family's magic to disappear and be erased until there was nothing left but Amun. Staring at me blankly.

"How dare you!" I lunged forward with a wide swing.

Amun snapped into action at once. Folding his elbow and raising his shoulder to cover his neck and head before seemingly lunging into my attack. Forcing my sword to go deeper into his shoulder than it otherwise would've. And with his ever-present stare, he wheeled his arm around to dislodge and grab hold of my sword prying it from my shocked grip to chuck it overhead. Then clenched the same fist and lunged down to deliver a hammerfist onto my scaled heard. Shattering a scale into a shower of pellets that shot back at him to form crimson streaks across his neck and face.

Uncaring, Amun reeled back for another punch. But instead of allowing him to break another scale, I formed a barrier in between us at the last second and watch his hand get crushed and mangled.

And for the first time since we got off the lift, he took his eyes off of me to look at his hand.

Following his actions was a gruesome sight. Red flesh hung from the shoulder he used to block with, revealing yellow bone encased in a syrupy coating of blood that soaked him down his hand. The fingers on his other hand were cracked and bent into horrendous angles. Causing the skin to be twisted and warped loose from the muscle and bone.

And yet, Amun simply stared at it as if he couldn't feel it at all.

Then, he turned his eyes to me and sneered as a cacophony of bone-chilling cracks started to fill the air.

Before my eyes- before everyone's eyes, Amun's fingers unnaturally bent back into shape. The skin unraveled and pulled itself taut. His muscles folded back onto themselves to conceal the bone once more. Flooding blood into his sleeve and out onto the floor to form a wide puddle.

And for the first time since the match started, Amun moved.

He stepped in my direction and stared. Smiling- sneering as we walked at a leisurely slow pace.

Stepping back, I did a scan of the surroundings in search of my weapon. Only to be distracted by Amun pointing overhead.

"It's up there."

I chanced a look and subsequently recoiled upon seeing my sword hanging in the air like a leaf in the wind. Then looked down to see Amun gone.

I wheeled around at once and felt a dull shock against my chest. Stumbling back, I saw Amun reeling bloodied leg back. Then I felt another, stronger shock. Followed by the scattering of another scale. Creating another shower of jagged scales to rain down on him.

But Amun kicked off the ground again. Wheeling his leg around to dig his leg into my kidney with almost inhuman strength. Forcing me onto my stomach to cower in the mercy of his blows- his punches and stomps, which impacted against my body with more force than almost anything I've felt before. Again and again. Until my armor was reduced to nothing but its frame.

With the softest grunt he could muster, Amun jumped off the ground to tuck his legs into his chest and accelerated towards me at an impossible speed.

And before I could react, his feet cratered against my bare abdomen, sending me rocketing back. Forcing blood, food, and snot from my mouth and nose as I tumbled head over heels.

And then… everything felt distant.

My vision returned sometime later- hazed and distorted as it was. Followed soon after by jarring, throbbing pain that encompassed my entire being. And then the cold embrace of stone against my flesh.

Finally, my vision cleared and I saw Mr. Wolfgang and the other instructors standing around. Smiling.

Just like Amun, standing across the way. Staring at me with a blank expression.