64 Cheating?

Todd placed his hands together, cupping a marble of flame between them. He stretched them apart and the flame swirled, condensing into a spinning red ball. It streaked away, catching the Slasher in the eye as it roared.

The Slasher's roar turned into a scream of pain. Instead of staggering away or processing the pain, it charged. Todd stood his ground, watching the monster with careful eyes. It reared back with both hands and lunged.

Noah's chest clenched despite all the training they'd gone through. Todd dove forward, sliding under the monkey's arms and springing to his feet behind it, sending a beam straight into the back of the monster's neck.

The magic seared deep into the Monkey's fur, burning a hole out the other side, beneath its chin. Surprise flickered in the dim eyes of the Slasher, but it wasn't down yet. It spun, lashing at Todd with one claw.

Todd dropped to the ground, letting the attack pass over him, then fired one last bolt of fire into its other eye. The magic carved through the rest of its brain and the Slasher staggered before pitching to the ground and lying still.

"Yes!" Noah crowed, pumping a hand in the air. "That's how you do it!"

Edward nearly missed his own Slasher's attack as it leapt at him and brought both of its hands down toward his head. Allen barked out a warning and Edward reacted just in time, just barely managing to summon his Shield to protect him before the Slasher crushed him.

"Keep it up," Noah told Todd. "No reason to stop now. Congratulations on passing, though. We'll have a pizza party when we get back."

"Hold on!" Allen barked. "If they leave together, they could cheat. One stays with us or another professor."

Noah's eyes narrowed. There weren't any other professors in the immediate area and Allen knew it.

"Go, Todd. Isabel, you can wait for the next Slasher that shows up. Allen seems to think you're going to need help fighting these."

Todd gave Noah a sharp nod and jogged off into the forest. Noah turned back to Allen and crossed his arms. A crash shook the forest as Edward narrowly avoided getting crushed.

"We aren't going to wait around for much longer," Noah said. "Can he wrap things up?"

"Enough of the commentary," Allen snarled. "Edward, enough playing around. Kill the Slasher."

Edward gritted his teeth, and Noah repressed a smile. He couldn't even be bothered to repress his amusement. He didn't want the kid dead, of course. It was wrong to wish for the failure of others. He was still a teacher, after all. It was best if everyone succeeded and –

Ah, screw that. I didn't spend thousands of years dead to pretend like I cared about bullies. I hope you fail, you little brat. That'd teach you to talk shit.

To Noah's mild disappointment, he didn't get his wish. Edward's shield blocked yet another attack and he unleashed his water, carving the Slasher in half. He doubled over, breathing heavily and catching his breath.

"Wow," Noah said, his tone as dry as Scorched Acres. "Very impressive. Talking about Edward this time, by the way. Not the shield."

"Can I get the next one?" Isabel asked, shifting from foot to foot.

"Sure you can. It looks like Eddy needs some time to catch his breath."

"My name isn't Eddy," Edward snarled, pushing himself upright. "And I am perfectly fine."

"You're wheezing like my grandma, except I think she'd have whooped your ass six ways to Sunday and still have looked to be in better shape," Noah said curtly. "Don't get yourself killed to prove a point. How many Slashers could she possibly kill while you recover?"

Edward glanced to Allen, who gave a curt nod.

"We'll stay here while he rests," Allen said.

"Sure. Isabel and I will go find a monkey, then."

"No. As stated, you need to remain with me so that I can confirm if she actually defeats the monsters on her own."

Noah's eyes narrowed. "And how long does Edward need to rest?"

"As long as it takes until he recovers," Allen replied, the smugness in his tone palpable. "You may leave, of course, but I will consider any kills that Isabel makes in this time moot."

Noah resisted the urge to grind his teeth. He refused to give Allen the pleasure. There was no doubt in his mind that the man was petty enough to have Edward sit around for the rest of the exam. After all, one was more than zero.

And, while Noah was more than confident to let Isabel hunt on her own, he wasn't about to leave her together with Allen and Edward. If they planned to try anything, they'd have to do it while he was watching.

"What about a Rune Oath?" Noah asked. "They could-"

"Absolutely not," Allen said through a snort. "I would not tie myself to them and risk my Runes."

What is he talking about? Can't really press on it without giving away too much though. I'll need a different angle.

As he tried to figure out how to circumvent Allen's terms, the holler of a Slasher came from the forest. Todd burst through the tree line, a huge grin on his face as he sprinted over to stand beside Noah.

"I thought you might have difficulty finding another monster, so I got one for Isabel."

Isabel's eyes lit up. She readied her sword and took a step toward the darkness beyond the trees. An instant later, a Slasher lumbered out. Its eyes fixed on Isabel and it snarled. Then it froze.

A blueish white sheen crawled over the Slasher's skin as a layer of frost enveloped the monster. It tumbled forward, thudding into the ground and rocking back and forth, chilled solid.

"I cannot allow Slashers to attack my student while he is resting." Allen covered a yawn. "Since he is not actively fighting them, it is my duty as his professor to ensure that he does not have to be in undue duress."

"You're a cheating–"

Noah clapped a hand over Todd's mouth before he could finish speaking. Todd glared at him, but Noah shook his head slightly. Todd let out a hiss as Noah released him.

"Go find another one," Noah said, a cold note beneath his words. Allen wasn't even trying to hide what he was doing. And, thanks to his encounter with Moxie that morning, he was more than aware he stood no chance against a Rank 4 mage. Not playing fair, and maybe not even while cheating.

Todd nodded and darted off again.