19 Second Stage
Moments ago at the other side of the portal, Selena was down on her knees completely rattled after witnessing the change in Rai's attitude. She described it as an uncontrollable anger that devoured him completely.
While she was right, she was also wrong. Yes it was anger but not just any anger, it was an accumulation of all the anger he had built up which fueled his assassins instinct thereby giving birth to the concept known to mankind as "bloodlust".
Rai's words hit her deep.
"Each time we stumble upon a new challenge, I always lose the will to fight." She muttered to herself as she muffled.
"Not anymore..." She said as she arose to her feet slowly.
"He said it himself, I knew the risks and challenges I'll encounter in the exams and yet I still lack the will. Not anymore, no more feeling scared and sorry for myself." She faced the portal which was opened up in front of her and immediately balled her fists.
"This time..."She spoke softly as she ran swiftly towards the portal. "I won't back down!"
SWOOSH!
A loud swooshing sound was made behind all the participants that had moved on to the next stage, they all turned to their backs to identity what created such eerie noises.
"I'm not done just yet!" Selena exclaimed as she emerged from the portal breathing heavily.
"Oh?" Ford uttered as he chuckled slightly.
"What!?" All the nobles exclaimed in shock, the sum total of the members of team c that had emerged from the portal was seven. No one expected that the two commoners will be part of the seven surviving members.
Abigail laughed softly, impressed with the results the two commoners displayed thanks to the efforts they put in. "This is getting interesting, this is getting real interesting." She spoke softly as the murmurs got louder and louder.
"Aren't those the two commoners who joined the exams?" King Julius questioned his son from his throne which was seperated from the eye of the participants, they could see the participants but the participants couldn't see them.
Julius smiled for a brief second, he now knew truly he made the right decision to persuade Rai to take the exams.
"Yes, yes they are." He replied with a bright smile illuminating his face.
"Father, I think it's safe to say that the generation of upcoming Essenmages aren't all talk, I've come across many who defy and break through known limits. Be it a commoner, noble or royal, we do not know the true potential of all unless we witness it with our own two eyes. So I plead with you, lift the restrictions preventing commoners to attend the exams." Prince Julius appealed to his father.
His father remained quiet for a brief period of time before he finally responded to his appeal. "Originally there were restrictions placed to all commoners which prevented most of them from partaking in the Essenmages exams. This act was to reduce the casualties our kingdom would face as all commoners were regarded as unfit to partake in the exams." The king paused turning his sights to the two commoners who had advanced to the second round.
"However, after witnessing the splendid results this two showed in the course of the first round. Being one of the first ten individuals out of the one hundred and forty members of their team to advance to the second round, I now declare those absurd restrictions lifted!" The king exclaimed as he watched from his throne, the second round that was about to unfold.
Ford cleared him throat loudly with a megaphone placed directly on his mouth in order to broadcast his voice. The murmurs died down as all eyes and ears turned to face their esteemed examiner.
"Alright you lots! I must commend you for completing the first round successfully, but things just gets more intense from here!" He exclaimed attempting to put hype into the second round.
"Instead of battling mythic creatures and beasts, you will face...each other." Ford spoke softly.
All the participants were flabbergasted given who was present with them in the Essenmages exams. The next round entailed them facing each other in a one versus one match with each match having it's own stipulations.
"Oh I so pity the poor soul that ends up getting paired with her majesty. With all this shitty formalities said, let the second round begin!"
"WEEEE!" Ford exclaimed as he slammed his right hand into the ground, a huge blue magic circle big enough to enclose the entire hall within it materialized out of thin air, moments after the ground began rumbling almost as if an earthquake had shook the exam center.
Bolts of lightning were scattered around the hall and following it up was the restructuring of the entire hall into what resembled a colosseum. Ford had transmigrated the massive hall into a colosseum which implied that he belonged to the Alchemy essence type.
"W-whoa! It's huge!" Selena exclaimed, admiring the abilities of Ford who fell under the same essence type as she.
"I expected nothing less from him." Julius murmured praising the essence levels and abilities of Ford.
All the participants took their seats at the stair-like chairs which surrounded the entire colosseum leaving a large empty space in the middle of it where all the action would go down. Selena sat right next to Rai who smiled as he closed his eyes.
"I gotta be honest, I didn't think you'd make it. But I had no doubts." He said casually.
"But that was clearly a doubt." Selena replied chuckling a bit, she then balled her fist and stared at it as she added. "Yeah, I was overtaken by fear and doubts at first, but not anymore. This time, I'll fight it and fight it till I can't no more."
The king and prince had their thrones above the colosseum in an enclosed space situated on the walls, where they could witness all the action without being noticed.
Ford standing in the middle of the battle arena held a paper in his hand and began reading it's content. "Alright! For the first match up we have Princess Abigail, oh oh this guy is finished, versus..." Ford paused, he stared at the paper carefully with shock written over his face.
"I don't believe it! For the first match up we have princess Abigail of the Ronowa Empire versus Prince Johnathan of the Nilecrest kingdom!" Ford exclaimed as all the participants who were basically made up of nobles screamed at the top of their voices.
"Huh? Who the hell is prince Johnathan?" Rai asked as he turned to face Selena.
"Oh you don't know? Johnathan of the Nilecrest kingdom, a kingdom known for the breeding of the most powerful Essenmages and knights in the whole continent and the world with the royal family standing on top." Selena replied, with a rather smug look on their faces as they were also one of the most arrogant people on this earth.
"Most powerful huh?" Rai uttered softly as he watched the two royals in question take their places on the arena.
"In a battle where light and darkness clash who will prevail!? A very interesting matchup indeed!" Ford exclaimed as both Abigail and Johnathan smiled staring at each other.
