Chapter 25: Victory?

"What was that?" Zena whispers.

"What?"

"How did you manage to get tanked Sian's attack?"

"Well- " Karl goes into the flashback, when he was unconscious on the ground.

He is in a dark place. He cannot move his body nor use mana. As if he is chained down to something. Karl tries his best get up but couldn't move an inch. Just then something is approaching Karl.

The abyss.

A crack in space.

A pocket which shouldn't be there.

Karl's instincts screams that he will die if the abyss touches him. He struggles to get up but fails. He continues to struggle as abyss is inches away from him. His heart sinks and stomach turn upside down. A feeling of fear and death overcomes 'No. I can't die yet.'

He tries to move his body with all of his might but it doesn't help much.

'Fuck it.' Karl forcefully gathers every bit of mana remaining, a spike of pain comes from his heart but he continues. The abyss is about eat Karl.

"AHHHHHH." He spreads the mana all over his body and he gets eaten.

'Huh? Am I dead?' Karl wonders. Nothing is changed. He is still in a dark place. Alive. He checks his body, there is a hole in his chest. But it doesn't hurt. [All the existing matter is equal to Arcturus. As it passes through flawlessly.] This line comes into Karl's mind.

He smiles widely. 'I am fucking invincible.'

Back to current situation. "Well, I learned my second spell."

"Now? How convenient." Zena smiles.

"Can you hold Sian still for 3 seconds?"

"1."

"Support me and wait for my call." Karl rushes towards Sian, the knight goes forward to protect him. Zena stays behind ready for his call.

Once close enough, the knight summons his brown circle which creates a large boulder of rock and he throws it. Karl breathes mana and pushes it into his legs, performing levitating steps.

'I am really going to die before a month.' He thinks as his chest aches from mana overuse. He dodges the boulder completely and appears just besides the knight. The knight notices Karl a second late which gives him plenty time to attack. Karl punches the knight in the head, staggering him.

Just when Karl is about to continue with another punch, a bright light flashes by. Karl quickly spreads mana from knee to head. The heat ray from Sian passes through Karl's chest and strikes into a nearby tree destroying it.

'How is he doing that?' Sian thinks in frustration. Karl ignores Sian and gives a side punch to the knight.

"NOW!" Karl yells. Zena's eyes glow orange as she glares at Sian.

'Wha-?' Sian looks down and sees a magic circle. Zena moves her hands and a chain of fire comes out of the circle. It wraps itself around Sian, immobilizing him. Karl summons a pointy rock from his void storage and takes a step towards Sian. He appears just in front of him. Without wasting anytime, he stabs Sian in the stomach. Blood falls on the ground. The chain quickly dissolves in air. Sian grabs Karl's throat.

'You are bleeding, just die bastard!' Karl curses.

A boulder comes flying towards Zena as she is trying to summon her circle. The knight interrupts her. It hits her in the head,

Unbeknownst, Karl spreads mana in his neck and head. He falls on the ground.

'Again. Is he using some kind of mind spell?' Sian's both hands is covered with fire.

"Fine. Let's do it your way."

Sian starts a series of fire punches at Karl. Karl ducks and dodges the first one. But he quickly realizes that he can't avoid them all. He pumps mana into his chest to head area and takes the punches head on.

'What? My punches are going through? Is this not some mind spell?' Just then Karl punches back and hits Sian's chest. Few ribs crack. In pain Sian loses his focus for second. Just then, Karl jumps and hits Sian's Adam's apple. Sian backs down and coughs.

'COME ON!' Karl pushes his body once more and summons his purple circle. He takes a rock out and smashes it on Sian's head. It was a fatal blow. Sian falls on the ground. Karl on the other hand smashes his head one more time, for surety. He falls on his knees. Looking at Sian's unconscious body Karl pants heavily.

Just then he pukes. A pool of blood comes out from Karl. He coughs every loudly, each cough making him regret his decision to help Zena. Tears and saliva coming out him. He somehow calms himself down.

"Surrender yourself!" A voice comes from behind. He turns back, the knight is ready to attack with Zena on the ground below him.

'Good grief.' Zena looks beaten up, blood coming out of her head. Karl forces his legs to standup. He ignores the knight and walks towards Sian.

"Don't move!" the knight yells.

Karl steps on Sian's face. "How about you surrender?" He smiles.

The knight visibly flinches. "Our backup has already entered this forest. They could be here in no time. What can you do? It's better to surrender. I let you live." Karl bluffs with a confident face.

'I can't afford to fight him. Just surrender.'

The knight glances back at the wagon. "C-can I take the wagon?"

'Caught you.'

"Leave him here." Karl points at Martin.

"Sure. He is paralyzed anyway."

'Paralyzed? I didn't hit him that hard.' Karl nods.

The knight slowly moves towards the wagon. Still on guard. He grabs Martin and tosses him on the ground. Karl watches him leave.

Once out of sight, Karl runs towards Zena in a hurry. "Zena! Zena! Look, they are there. You can kill them. You can leave. Zena! Zena!" He shakes Zena violently.

Silence.

He touches the wound on her head. 'It's deep.'

A realization hits Karl. His heart beating faster than ever. With shaking hands, he checks her breathing. No response.

She is dead.

Karl's heart sinks. A memories of Zena flashes through his mind. A single bloody tear goes down Karl's face. He holds Zena's body and sits still for few minutes. Then, he slowly gets up and drags Sian body slowly moves towards Martin.

He observes Martin, badly burned face, dirt on his clothes. He looks nothing like the doctor he once he was. Karl notices a glint in his eyes. 'Still alive?' Karl turns around and grabs a nearby rock. "It was nice knowing you."

He smashes both Martin and Sian till their brains are exposed. Killing them both. Karl is now breathing heavily, he glances at his bloody hands, their bloody face and lastly his own hands.

'Fuck.'

Back in the academy, Ian is sitting on a bench with Andressa. "Should I try again?"

'You already tried 74 times in the span 2 hours.' 

"Don't. He might be busy in a fight, that's why he isn't responding. Let's wait for his call." Andressa nods. Silence falls between them.

Suddenly, Andressa turns towards Karl. "I wanted to ask you this a while ago, why are helping Leo this much? Is it because you see him potential as your brother in arm?"

Ian chuckles. "No. I am helping him because I feel like he is the one true friend I ever made and he seems to be that type of a guy who help his friends regardless the situation." Andressa nods in understanding.

"Talk about yourself. Why are helping him this much?"

Andressa smiles and looks at the ground. "Well, we known eachother since we were kids. He used to live in my neighbourhood. Later, he moved. Then, in the entrance exam I found him. At first, he avoided me totally. But after the accident he started to talk to me more which makes me happy."

Ian listens with a grin. "Do you like him?" he teases. 

Andressa almost jumps from her seat in embarrassment. Her face red. "N-No, No. Of course not. He is just a friend who used to wander around in my area."

"Okay~ Then, I tell this to him." Ian says it in a funny tone.

"DON'T!" Andressa almost screams as she tries grab Ian's watch.

"Calm down. I am just joking." Andressa pouts as she sits back.

"Speaking of his childhood, did he have parents?"

"No, he used to live in an orphanage nearby. He used to wonder in streets, looking for work. Apparently, he matured at an early age. He also has 2 siblings. I used play with them and met with him. Back then, he rarely talked. But he cared for his siblings too much. If Layla lost in a game he would come and argue with me. He is a dotting big brother."

"Tha-" Ian's watch rings.

"Is it him?" Andressa asks in a hurry. Ian hopes the same. He glances at his watch and stands up.

"It's my father." Ian walks a little bit away and picks up.

"Where are you?" A dominating yet nice voice comes from the watch.

"I am in the academy, father."

"Come home for dinner." Ian's throat goes dry.

'Father calling me home? Did something happen?'

"May I ask the reason, Sire?" Ian asks in a respectful tone.

"It is about the recommendation for your friend."

'What?'

"Yes, father. I'll be there."