Chapter 17: The Training

I pushed open the door and found Tartarus sitting in his chair.

"Hello Levantes."

"You didn't let me eat."

"Well this is more important."

"How?"

"As you probably realised by now, the Tournaments are going to begin."

"Yeah."

"Well did you know your father will be watching."

"Why should I care?"

"Your father might try to make you lose."

"Why should I care?"

"If you lose, you'll be suspended from the school."

"Again, why should I care?"

"You'll not be able to see your friends for a few hours."

"Again, why should I care?"

"You won't be able to go to the cafeteria."

"I see, so I shouldn't try lose and try in this tournament."

"Also we haven't won in a few decades so if you win this time you'll be treated to whatever you want, also another thing."

"What?"

"Pythius Dul'Mephisto will be participating in the tournament from another school."

"He's still alive."

"Your father revived him."

"Why the hell would he do that?"

"I don't care but all I want is to win, so try your best."

"Is that it?"

"Obviously not, as I pulled you out of your break to tell you this, you will be compensated with free cake."

"Okay then I'm going."

"Have fun with your lessons!"

"Sure."

I walked out of the office and headed back to the library.

"What was it?"

"Just some motivational talk, nothing much Arthur."

"I heard Pythius is back." Apophis said.

"But didn't you kill him." Pandora said.

"My father got him back, he's also attending the tournament."

"What the hell is that old man thinking?"

"I don't know Lilith but this year's tournament will be different."

"Oh yeah I just remembered."

"What Kyron?"

"The Primordials are attending as well."

"What?" Arthur said.

"The Primordials haven't been in the same place together since The Primordial King's reign."

"Exactly Pandora. This year something big is gonna happen."

"What is so different this year?" Cynthia said.

"A lot of things probably." Themis said.

"We have 20 minutes left. We need to discuss plans for the tournament."

"That is true Arthur but who's gonna progress in the first place."

"Simple question Lilith, it's clearly the strongest."

"Well obviously Themis."

"No but strageical thinking is an important factor just like in chess. The battlefield is a chess game no matter how you think of it."

"That is true Levantes but who do you think's gonna qualify."

"Off the top of my head I guess it's me, Arthur, Lilith and you."

"As much as I want to disagree it's true."

"True Themis. We would lose against you guys even if we all teamed up."

"This year's different though. As I said if it was normal the four I mentioned before including myself however this year is different so I don't know who will win."

"Are you sure?"

"I have a few assumptions but not accurate but that's if it's 2v2 and if it's the pairs I'm thinking of."

"I see so there's not much to go on just assume using different scenarios."

"We should go to class now, there might be an announcement."

"That's true."

We all proceeded to the classroom. We waited until the one hour break was over then entered the class and sat down in our seats.

"Students of 2-S as most of you have realised in about a months time the Tournaments will start and for selection of students who will represent the school in that tournament will be chosen through mini tournaments which will start in one week. You will all participate in the mini tournaments so you guys have one week of training. Now onto this year's

tournament selection. This year will be different, instead of the usual 1v1s we will do 2v2s as there is somehow an equal amount of students in the academy. These will be your partners and your opponents will be sent to the students via email. The emails will be sent two days before the student's match. This year will not be the usual fights, instead it will be a battle of various different games. Each student will be paired with a student so that the each team will be what the Headmaster calls an "equal" team. These are your partners, take a good look."

A projection appeared before us at each desk. Shit!

"As you guys can see you might be paired with your friend or foe or just a neutral bystander in your life up until now."

"LEVANTES?!"

"Yeah what Athena?"

"Why am I paired with him?"

"You don't like the paring Athena, you're pairs can change if you want."

"The I want to-"

"I was joking. You will stay with Levantes until the end of the tournament, that goes for everyone."

"Arthur who're you with?"

"Apophis."

"Makes sense."

"Pandora who're you with?"

"I'm with Cynthia."

"And I'm with Kyron."

"I didn't ask but okay."

"Themis who're you with?"

"Iris."

"I almost feel sorry for you. It's good that we're with people we know we'll."

"Laertes but you have, you know who."

"I'll still try a way to win."

"You all have one week to go over your plans and train."

"I could do it in a day."

"I could do it in an hour."

"Okay Arthur and Levantes let's not try to compete here. You can compete all you want in the tournament. Anyways you guys are dismissed, go home and do whatever."

We all we're about to leave the classroom when Athena acame running towards me.

"Levantes wait!"

"What?"

"I want you to train me."

"Okay."

I felt Pandora's cold aura hit me and I'm sure Athena felt it too.

"Can you train me as well Levantes?"

"Sure."

"You have to train me before her. We're a team."

"Quiet. You don't decide who goes first. Just stay silent." Pandora said.

From then on Athena became scared of Pandora.

"Sure, after you my Queen." Athena said as her voice shaked from fear.

"That's what I thought."

"I'm going then."

"Where?"

"To sleep Athena."

"What?! We have to train."

"Silence child. You don't know how Levantes is, so stay silent."

Athena didn't say anything because she was far too scared to even move at this point.

"I'm sorry my queen." Athena said as she looked at the ground because she was too scared to look anywhere else.

"See you at home then Levantes."

"Yeah I'll try help you after I sleep Pandora." I said as I disappeared from their sight.

Pandora's point of view

I watched Levantes leave to go back to the house.

"Pandora I have an idea."

"About what Cynthia?"

Cynthia then whispered in my ear. I blushed as I heard what she said.

"I can't do that!"

"It's for Levantes though."

"Would you think he'll realise?"

"Trust me Pandora what ever Cynthia said Levantes could tell anything different about you."

"Are sure Arthur?"

"Yeah."

"Okay then I'll do it."

"Let's do it now then, he'll realise it when you guys are gonna be "training"."

"We are gonna be training though."

"Sure. Anyways let's go to the house."

We all teleported to the house. We didn't spend any longer lingering. Cynthia took my by the hand and ran to my room them locked the door.

"Now let's start."

A few hours later

"It took a few hours but I'm sure Laertes will realise."

"It's only nails though."

"I'm sure he'll realise and if he does that means he'll at your hands so try so some of obvious mistakes with your stances."

"Okay then."

We then heard knocking on the door.

"Pandora it's training time."

"We're- I'm coming."

I quickly went to open the door then we both walked down to the training area. The training area was almost a large grassland but it wasn't real.

"First off show me your weapon."

I brought my weapon out of my spatial storage.

"The Grand Archmage's staff."

"That's a powerful one. Try blast a hole in that boulder."

I magic circle appeared in front of my staff and completely obliterated the boulder. Levantes then grabbed my hands and tried fixing my stance. Surely he'll realise! But nothing happened, he just told me with an expressionless face to put a hole through the boulder and not destroy it. The boulder then reappeared as if nothing happened. I then summoned a spell of the same tier but this time I tried to make it not destroy the boulder. I couldn't do it and destroyed the boulder.

"Do it like this."

Five boulders then appeared. Levantes summoned five spells which then made a narrow hole in the boulders.

"What? Those were Chaos tier magic and you controlled then so easily."

"Having absolute control over your spells gives you a large advantage in any battle."

"Okay then I'll try."

After many attempts I finally made a hole.

"I did it!"

"Now do that, but make the hole smaller and try do it consecutively."

"WHAT?!"

"If you do that I'll let you do anything after this."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Okay then."

This was my chance. After a few hours I finally made a hole in the boulder eleven consecutive times.

"Levantes I did it!"

"Nice." Levantes said as he took a piece of cake with a fork and ate it.

"So what do I do now?"

"This."

Levantes casted a spell towards me. It was too fast for me to react. The void beam then stopped inches from my face then changed its direction and hit the tree about a few hundred meters to the side of me.

"This is another magic control training."

I looked at Levantes then casted a spell at the boulder but it still hit the boulder. After many attempts I finally did it.

"Good. Now do this."

A void beam was casted towards the boulder. It then changes directions multiple times in the air like a dragonfly. The void beam then hit the boulder and made a small hole in it. The void beam hit the boulder from multiple directions until the boulder was obliterated.

"I can't do that."

"You can with practice. Making a narrow hole in a boulder consecutively takes months even years of practice but you achieved it in a few hours."

Levantes was right. I could achieve magic control. I then tried but after each attempt I failed. Levantes then came towards me and fixed my stance.

"Imagine how you want your spell to turn out first before casting it."

I then imagined how I want my beam of light to move. I then casted my spell but it changed its direction once.

"Keep your image of your spell in your head."

I then casted again. The beam of light then changed directions multiple times in the air. The beam of light then hit the boulder.

"I did it!"

"Now do that a hundred times."

After an hour I finally did it a hundred times.

"Now you're finished you can do whatever you want."

"I'm going to sleep then." I said as I felt my soul leave my body.

As I went through to the living room to find Cynthia, Arthur and Lilith sitting on the sofas.

"What did he say?"

"He didn't even notice Cynthia."

"HOW?!"

"You are talking about Levantes Artrium Volomir, my brother who could see what type of material of the sword I had when I was hundreds of kilometers away from him?"

"Yeah obviously."

"What did you want him to notice?"

"Her nails." Cynthia said.

"No wonder why."

"Why?"

"Pandora, didn't you know Laertes is colour deficient?"

"WHAT!"

"Lilith how could you not know?"

"I don't know. I don't ask him about his eyesight, I knew he could see from a few hundred gigasperics away I didn't know he couldn't see colours properly."

"How do you know Arthur?"

"I tested him when I realised he didn't know the difference between light green and yellow an with those nail colours that look the same colour as your original nails in Laertes's eyes there's no way he would see them."

"I see." I said as I felt my soul actually leave my body.

"All that work for nothing then."

"Pretty much."