A Story of Evil

As soon as the door closed, the whole team grabbed Sol. Forcing him to a corner where they began their interrogation.

"Holy shit Sol what did you just do?" Nathan asked, still feeling his heart thumping as if it could explode any second.

"What do you mean?" 

"What do I mean? I mean you freaking challenged the head of this Academy of course!" He added. This sentiment is shared by everyone else in the team who were just as shocked as Nathan was.

But Sol didn't reciprocate the emotions they were showing. His face was still static and his words didn't fail to deliver on this dull and lifeless tone.

"Yeah. And?"

"I give up." Nathan said, taking off his hands from Sol's shoulders as he added:

"From this point on, I will just think that all your actions equate to 'normal'."

"Same here." Was the unified reply of everyone else in the team.

"Look. The only way we can force her cards out is to make a gamble she cannot refuse. If there's one thing I know, it's that pride would always get the better of a person in a high position. And the Headmistress is just the same."

This move has been used by Sol on a few occasions. One of them being his discourse with the late Bishop Baron. The second being his argument with the late Prince Blaze. Both of which having death and pride as a thing in common.

"And what if we lose? She's gonna pick first isn't she?" Jade added.

They knew that the Headmistress won't let them chose first. In fact, they were already sure that every summoner on the top rankings would be utilized for the fight. That's why it seemed like a bad idea. Because no matter what angle they looked at it, the fight definitely was.

"Of course she's gonna pick first, that's the primary source of her confidence after all."

"Then why did we even go through with this?"

"Because, I doubt she's gonna get the one's I have in mind." Sol said, a grin already forming on his face.

"Yup. This is normal. Believe it Nathan, this is normal." Nathan said out loud as he massaged the temples of his head while everyone else worried just the same.

"Just trust me on this guys."

"Well it's not like we have a choice don't we mister leader?"

"I'm glad that you have that all figured out."

"Right."

"Come on then, we need to brief our dear competitors on what they need to do." Sol finally said as he marched forward.

There was no clear logic guiding what Sol was doing at that time or rather, there wasn't one which they knew of. Even Lumina was at a loss on what was happening. Even she, who is the daughter of the queen, doesn't have the nerve to speak to the Headmistress in that manner. With all of the coldness and all the harshness of Lumina, she chose the battles which she fights and always chose right. That fight was not it. That fight was clearly a loss. And although she wanted to say this so bad, she decided to keep her mouth shut. After all, she isn't even part of the team.

However Sol isn't an idiot. He knew what he was doing and, even with everyone doubting him, they knew that Sol would always chose right. That's why Nathan's words fitted perfectly to their situation. That they just have to accept all of Sol's actions as "normal" and push through with it. After all, one thing has always been clear with the group...that Sol never failed to deliver,

...

...

...

"Alright is that everyone?"

"Yup. Every person in the list just as you said."

Just as Sol ordered, they got students from the Academy one by one. What was weird about this was the fact that, none of them were even in the top of the rankings. In fact, most of them are students which nobody has even heard of. While there were those who were nothing but the servants in the classrooms. Students who get ordered around and who cannot fight back. That's why even the classmates of these individuals were surprised.

Of course it was just as shocking to the ones who were picked. They all stood there, in the middle of the arena which they never thought they'd be able to step foot on. With a vibe of nervousness being shared among them.

"Last chance Sol, I can still make the Headmistress change her mind." Lumina said, looking at the group and feeling all hope being lost.

"I won't be changing my mind. We'll push through with this no matter what."

"Suit yourself." Lumina said as three of the students approached her and Sol.

"S-Sir Solomon are we gonna get recruited into Shadow?" The first one said, stuttering in nervousness.

"Not yet. But all of you are likely candidates."

"Really?" The other one said, his eyes hopeful on the chance of being a Shadow member.

"Yeah. Now all you need to do is prove your mettle and win in the fights." Sol added which finally confused the students facing him at that moment. With the third one repeacting the most stressful word that Sol spoke:

"Fights?"

Solomon didn't answer them. Instead he smiled and waited for the announcement which happened a few seconds after he finished speaking.

"Greetings everyone." It was the voice of the Headmistress which welcomed everyone at that time. This gave a bad vibe on the three who were still with Sol at that time. Hoping that their hunch was wrong as they waited for the Headmistress to continue speaking.

"Unfortunately, our dear guests have not been satisfied by the performance we gave them. Not at all." Were her beginning words. Making Hendrickson's brows furrow.

"Hey what is she saying? We were entertained last time right?"

"She's getting the student body to side with her idiot. Don't let her words get to you." Jade said to the steel user as the Headmistress continued speaking.

"You see, they have asked for a kind of mini-tournament. The leader of that group, to be exact, has challenged me. Saying that the rankings are all wrong!"

"I gotta hand it to her, she does have a way with words." Sol said after hearing what Headmistress Eleanor had to say.

"Why do you sound happy about it?" Lumina replied as the Headmistress continued further.

"Now who would believe that right? Not I of course! Not Eleanor Valin!"

There was a shot pause after her declaration. Authoritative and demanding of respect. Even making some students stop breathing as they waited for what she would say next.

"That's why we'll hold these fights so that our dear visitors would be clarified about one thing. That we know our own people more than anyone else. That only summoners could see the true potential of their fellow summoners!" 

Sol and his allies could already hear the screaming of the students even though they were already in the arena. Frightening the students who were with them which Sol also expected. 

"So let us make this fight something worth remembering! I expect everyone to be prim and proper for the event. That is all and have a good day." With this, Eleanor was finally finished with her speech. And right after this, a student in the arena gave his quick reaction screaming:

"WHAT!?!"

It was an instant chemical reaction. The students which Sol picked began to panic. All of them speaking negatively about what was to come.

"We're gonna fight against Headmistress Eleanor?"

"I don't wanna die."

"I already have enough misfortunes in my life. I don't want any more!"

"I quit."

"SHUT UP!" Just before the students could begin walking out the room, Sol screamed these words. Surprising even his allies who weren't used to hearing Sol raise his voice like that.

This is all part of Sol's plan of course. The only reason why he was raising his voice like that was for everyone to listen to him. For them to understand that he meant business. And this is the same mood which he acted out.

"Is that how you want things to go? Are you content with just being ants in this Academy without any voice?" He began, his mood and tone of voice still seemingly filled by anger. 

"I know what they refer to people like you. Losers! People who cannot even fight for themselves."

"So what if we are? We just want peaceful and normal lives." One student said out loud, followed by others who shared the same sentiment. Sol quickly turned to them and gave them his reply.

"There is nothing normal or peaceful in being stepped on. There is nothing normal or peaceful in letting society decide your worth!" Sol's words stung deeply into the students. So much so that they weren't able to say anything bad anymore.

"I didn't chose you because I'm ridiculing you. I chose all of you because I know you have potential. I know that you can win. One hundred percent!" Sol continued, stepping down the platform and opening the door of the arena.

"Now you have one choice. To stay here and fight or, to leave and be marked as cowards for the rest of your lives."

One would expect the students to come out of the arena one by one. One would expect them to return to their normal lives – hard as it may be. But...the opposite happened. Because none of them moved. Not even an inch. They stayed there, awaiting the orders of the Paladin who gave a confident smile to all of them as he slammed the doors shut and said:

"Good. Now let's get to planning."