VIII: Final Exams

Upon returning to school, the final exams at Vampire Noble Academy culminated on the horizon in the form of a single Shadow Duel that would determine the rankings among the students in their respective graduating classes. Each First Year faced off against an upperclassman stronger than them.

Kaizer, with his relentless determination and newfound prowess in Shadow Magic, felt a burning desire to excel. Yet, he knew he needed more than just his raw power. To win the tournament, he needed guidance. And there was only one person he could think of: Leon, a master of Shadow Magic— at least in relativity to his other First-Year peers— and a respected figure at the Academy, for he had graduated already once before.

One evening, Kaizer sought out Leon. He found the pensive Vampire in the library, deep in study, his eyes scanning ancient tomes.

"Leon," Kaizer began, trying to hide the uncertainty in his voice. "I need your help. I want to train for the final exam."

Leon looked up from his reading, his crimson eyes meeting Kaizer's. There was a moment of silence, and then a faint smile crept onto Leon's lips. "I've been waiting for you to ask, Kaizer."

Under Leon's guidance, Kaizer's training intensified. They worked tirelessly, practicing intricate Shadow Spells, mastering the Art of Deception, and honing his combat skills. Leon pushed Kaizer to his limits, but he also helped him discover something unique within himself. As the days turned into weeks, Kaizer's Shadow Magic evolved into a manifestation of his own personality and strength. He was able to summon and control his Shadow Conjuring as if it were an extension of himself. He delighted in making the shadowy tendrils ebb and flow around him like serpents as he laughed with joy after a tense sparring match with Leon.

"Thank you, Leon! I wouldn't have been able to get so good with my Conjuring without your help! I owe you one," Kaizer said with a grin.

Leon waved him off, smirking. "Don't mention it. Consider my warm welcome to the Academy. My first impression wasn't all that friendly, what-with me kicking your ass." He winked.

The night before the final exams, as the Academy's grounds lay shrouded in darkness, Leon spoke to Kaizer. "You've come a long way, Kaizer. Your Shadow Magic is no longer just a mimicry; it's a reflection of your inner self. Tomorrow, show them what you're truly made of."

The morning of the tournament arrived, and Kaizer stood at the edge of the arena, surrounded by his fellow graduates. Kaizer faced off against a formidable opponent, a Fifth Year student named Selene, renowned for her exceptional Shadow Magic abilities. His ranking would be judged based off the quantity and quality of successful blows, battle intelligence, and overall performance and finesse.

As the arena darkened, shadows stretched ominously across the ground. Selene raised her hand, and the shadows came to life, swirling around her like an inky vortex.

"You must be insane if you think you, a Human, can win a Shadow Duel against me." Selene scoffed.

Kaizer said nothing.

The battle commenced with Selene launching "Shadowstrike Serpent," a spell that sent tendrils of darkness snaking towards Kaizer. Reacting swiftly, Kaizer summoned "Phantom Shroud," a defensive barrier that absorbed the shadowy tendrils. They clashed fiercely, but neither gained an upper hand.

Selene's strategy shifted. She cloaked herself entirely in shadows, becoming nearly invisible. Kaizer struggled to track her movements until he unleashed "Luminous Eclipse," a spell that created a vortex of shadow, consuming Selene's camouflage and revealing her concealed form.

Caught off guard, Selene took a staggering hit, but she was not one to be underestimated. She countered with a Deception Spell, "Twilight Mirage," creating illusory copies of herself that swarmed Kaizer.

But Kaizer had honed his abilities well. He cast "Shadow Step," swiftly phasing throughout the room, making it difficult for any of the Selene mirages to deliver a clear blow. He then summoned an array of shadow clones, using a Shadow Spell he himself developed through repetitive practice. He called it, "Shadow's Shadow," and it allowed him to create multiple Shadow Clones that could also use "Shadow Step." Unlike Selene's clones, these manifestations were not mere illusions that could be dispersed with just a single blow.

With this skill, he was able to deliver blow after blow from different directions, destroying Selene's illusions, leaving the real Selene alone and vulnerable. Selene couldn't know which was the real Kaizer because they all kept phasing before she could get a chance to react.

Selene, undeterred, employed "Abyssal Grasp," creating a black puddle of shadow on the ground, restraining Kaizer and his clones like quicksand. He felt his movements slow, but he wouldn't be defeated easily.

Kaizer called upon "Spectral Chains," a spell that summoned chains of shadow fastened to his wrists. He wrapped the chains around a chandelier on the ceiling, then pulled himself up out of the shadow puddle, breaking free from Selene's grasp. With defiance in his eyes, Kaizer surged upward, summoning a swarm of bats to carry him upward into the air. He looked down at Selene, suspended in the air by his nocturnal friends, his eyes casting a cold glare.

Looking up, Selene's eyes narrowed. She attempted one final spell, "Eternal Nightfall," a massive shadow wave as large as the room itself. But Kaizer, drawing upon all his strength, unleashed a newly acquired technique, "Crimson Eclipse." He sent a swarm of bats carrying a net of shadow that wrapped around Selene, immobilizing her in a crushing grip of darkness. Then he, uttered the words that had etched themselves into his mind since his first day at the Academy.

"𝕬𝖑𝖎𝖚𝖒 𝖕𝖚𝖗𝖎𝖋𝖊𝖗𝖎 𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖔 𝖈𝖑𝖚𝖘𝖎𝖔!"

Suddenly, Selene froze in her tracks and her eyes went blank. The bats disengaged. Kaizer had trapped her in a state of consciousness that he called "The Shadow Reality", a hybrid of a Shadow Spell and a Deception Spell. He had figured out how to tap into his Shadow Self, an abstraction that could be made manifest by means of utilizing his emotions and internal darkness, and channeling them into a his shadows, resulting in an efficient, illusionary attack that damaged the mind instead of the body.

Selene, engulfed in silence and eerie echoes of hellish agony, began to panic. Kaizer had no control over what illusions his targets witnessed in the Shadow Reality, but he could tell that whatever Selena was experiencing was beyond traumatic — and recalling what he had went through and seen, he had an idea of what she might be feeling.

Selene fell to her knees, tears streaming from her eyes as she curled into a fetal position. Faint whispers flittered from her lips as she stared into nothingness.

With the arena trembling from the intensity of the battle, Selene had no choice but to concede defeat as the judges declared her Incapacitated, for she was unable to break free from Kaizer's shadowy jail through willpower alone. It was obvious that this was a power unique to Kaizer, something he had cultivated through the endless pain he'd suffered in his time spent in Sanguine, and the horrors he'd witnessed within his Shadow Self. Selene was taken out of the arena by a team of Necessaries who dutifully rolled her out on a stroller.

An eerie silence permeated the entire room. No one said a word. Kaizer paid no attention to the awkward silence, however, because he felt something itching his nose. He rubbed his nose with the back of his hand, and when he put his hand back down, he realized in shock that his nose was bleeding.

He stared at his hand for a moment, then lowered his arm down to his side. He looked at the silent crowd and the entire school looked back at him. He shrugged with a sheepish grin.

"I guess that means I win?"

The crowd erupted into booming applause. Even the professors were shouting and clapping with heartfelt praise. With this hard-fought victory, Kaizer solidified his place as a top student of Vampire Noble Academy's First Years, receiving a ranking of #4; Lucius was crowned #5; And Leon, Thalia, and Alaric were crowned as the Top 3 students. However, Kaizer's name would be the one whispered in the halls the most. He was instilling his influence in Vampire history at a rapid pace, becoming a figure to be remembered among the most distinguished Vampires of Sanguine society. He was the Human who defied the odds and claimed his own power.