What do you mean I can't run?

"Now, I'm sure all the sensible people here who agree that the last game was horribly done." A red-glasses wearing girl had appeared in the arena, arms crossed, seemingly in an imitation of Opal. She continued, "Dwane clearly though he would get to do whatever the fuck he wanted too, so at least we wont have to beat him up later. If he even wakes up after that girl destroyed him. Now, I'm called Ruby and I'm currently ranked second. I wish to fight our rising prodigy, but since she's already left, I guess the one with all affinities will do."

With that, she flicked her hair out of her eyes and stared directly at Eric, a smirk on her face. "Well? Are you gonna get up big boy? If not I'll just take what I want from you as you surrendered without a fight." She turned to leave, choosing the opposite gate from the one Opal left through.

"Wait! I have to accept or you get to make a demand of me? What the hell is the logic? If you want a fight, pick on someone else, not someone who is nearly at the bottom of the class!" Eric was striding forward unintentionally, so it seems as though he didn't have much choice. It was either fight or be ridiculed. And nobody likes losing face in front of people.

"Why would I do that? I need someone unique to boost my credit among the nobles later. While my own house will support me, I need others to provide material and body support later on. Fighting you will give me that. So, if you agree, then let's have the wager out in the open. If you win, you get my second spot on the board, which is already pretty good. Im guessing you don't have something worth that in value to put up right?" Eric sighed and nodded. He only got what the school gave to him, which was barely enough to live off of. "Fine, we'll say you owe me two favours. I think thats fair, so would you like to fight me? It would be a good way to prove yourself too."

Eric glared at her, noticing the flaw immediately. "But if I don't fight you get what you want and I'll be disgraced right?"

"Right"

"So I don't have a choice."

"Right"

Well thats just great!

---------------------------------------------------------

Once again, Hatch stood in as the referee with Eric on one side and Ruby on the other. She was smirking, twirling her wrist and creating a miniature tornado around herself. One by one, small balls of fire forming in it. To respond to what seemed to be an over-the-top display, Eric formed a ball of water in the air in front of him, ready for defence or blocking rogue attacks.

Hatch accepted that both of them were as ready as they could before the match. He held his hand up, silence descended over the arena, and with a single worried glance to Eric, Hatch brought his hand down, signalling the start of the match.

At that very instant, with a snap of her fingers, Ruby sent innumerable fire bullets zipping across the short distance between them, each of them curving in arcs from the spin put on them by the wind. Eric dropped to his knees and lifted his hands, summoning an earth wall in front of him. He then turned his water ball into a flat disk and used it to block any fireballs which dove over the wall to rain down on top of him. Rapid fire explosions broke pieces off of the earthen wall, shards scattering all around Erics defensive stance.

"You see," Eric called out, returning the disk back into its previous state, "I'm not much of a fighter, but you can count on the fact that my defence is great against any who threaten me or my friends." After he said that though, he realised that while it sounded very cheesy, it was absolutely true. Now to show everyone what he strength he could muster.

He generated a ball of air the same size as his head. Dragging it across the ground, he scooped up hardened pieces of his wall, then flung it back at Ruby, who's tornado had expanded vastly. The ball of air pierced through with no resistance, much to Ruby's surprise. She slammed her foot against the ground, almost on instinct, forming several layers of fire to protect herself. The air and flames collided, and the earth shards exploded out like shrapnel from a bomb. It peppered Ruby, who's face was once again a mask of shock. Then, a burning rage took over, ridicule in the heat of battle and the heat from the very flames she made caused her face to flush red, and the glint in her eyes clearly showed that she would go all out. One. Last. Attack.

Both of them began forming a large ball of magic: Ruby's was a huge ball of fire, glowing orange like the sun, Erics a spinning ball of air, the biggest ball he could create. It was half the size of the ball Ruby was making, but the magic aura it gave of made it seem leagues above what it should have been with him being the third weakest in the class.

With only a change of stance as warning, both of them threw the balls, but over the wind he generated Eric couldn't hear much. However, he did see Ruby's mouth move, as if saying somebody, or somethings, name. The balls collided in midair and the force of their collision could be felt in the entire arena. Only Hatch didn't seem shocked at the force caused by the magic, only giving a knowing smile.

Then, the air ball seemed to disappear, but the wind expelled by the explosion gripped at Erics clothes, trying to rip them off his very back. The fireball, now slightly smaller, was moving towards him, wobbling as it continued its trajectory towards him. He could see that it wouldn't hit him, but a quick look at Ruby clenching a fist made him react. He threw his water ball at his feet, creating a wall of compact water, just in time for the fireball to explode. His wall of water was vaporised, but it had managed to block the brunt of the attack.

He began to draw in his water again, the mist around him slowly converging on his position and reforming into a useable support spell. That was his one and only mistake. The mist had been thick enough to block visuals between him and Ruby, but she could see where the mist was condensing towards. Before Eric could react he was held by the scruff of his T-shirt and a flaming fist was held at his face. He clearly saw the anger and indignation as fire in her eyes. He raised his hands in surrender, not wanting the same treatment Dwane received. Once Hatch had seen this, he ended the match.

With a smug smile slapped across her face, Ruby put her glasses back on and strolled back over to where her friends were gathered, her hands clutching each other behind her back. Only Eric and his friends, who had come over to console him, could notice that they were shaking. She definitely hadn't expected for him to put up such a fight nor nearly beat her in the first minute of the match.

With Hatch taking him by the arm and leading him away, with Mat bouncing after them, his chirpy voice trying to comfort Eric, but to no avail. Eric was trapped within his own mind, hatred at his own failing. He didn't even remember that he now owed Ruby two favours, no matter what they were.