(19.) The Last Black Flare.
As the smoke cleared and black flames surrounded the field, the other students and even my homeroom teacher just stared in disbelief. Even Merlin was lost for words, his eyes filled with what looked like shock and even a hint of terror. It was like he had just witnessed god descend infront of him and grant someone a miracle. Turning slowly around, I looked at them all with slightly glowing eyes, before finally snapping out of my trans like state — shaking my head lightly and finally feeling like I was in control of my body.
'What the hell was that...?'
I thought, before looking around. Seeing the others so scared and even Merlin shocked confused me a bit, before I turned around and saw the reason behind their terror and shock — looks like when I lost control of my body, something decided to take things into its own hands...
I immediately turned to Merlin and hit my hands together, before bowing towards the sorcerer slightly.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do this, I don't know what came over me!"
I quickly apologised, trying to salvage this situation as much as possible. I mean, it will still raise questions on how a 13 year old was able to do what I did, but I can at least try to minimise the damage this will do to my reputation and possibly avoid getting placed under the observation of a official from the Evelia castle. Merlin exhaled before getting himself together and walking up to me, smiling warmly before patting me on the back.
Merlin: "No need to apologise! I shouldn't have expected there to not be someone as powerful as you at your age."
He stated, before patting my head lightly and telling me to go back to the others, which I promptly did. Merlin then looked towards the chaos that I had left behind before diving into his thoughts for a moment and staring at the black flames with a curious and thinking stare.
Then, our homeroom teacher approached him a bit hesitantly and still very obviously scared of what he had just seen.
Mr. Hedlestone: "Grand Sorcerer Merlin? What should we do now? There is still Alis left, but I don't think the targets will be able to be rebuilt..."
Merlin: "No, no they won't."
Merlin replied before exhaling and looking at our Headroom teacher and then throwing a gaze at us, the students. After a moment of silence, the human sorcerer exhaled.
Merlin: "For today that will be it. Miss Alis will have to wait till tomorrow to do her test, since I will need some time to get new dummies back from the royal palace. For now, just have the students head back to the dorms and you yourself take it easy."
Merlin stated, placing his right hand onto Hedlestones left shoulder. Mr. Hedlestone looked a bit hesitant to agree, however after a single reassuring stare from Merlin, he nodded and turned to look at us all with a slightly enthusiastic expression.
Mr. Hedlestone: "Alright students, you heard the Grand Sorcerer. Please head back to your dorm rooms for today and then we'll all meet here tomorrow in the morning."
He stated, before encouraging us all to leave, which we did. Everyone, one my one, left the arena, with the other students whispering among themselves and even throwing gazes towards me — some were stares of terror, others were glares of anger, almost like they were envious of what I managed to do. However the one individuals gaze that I noticed the most was none other than Alis' gaze — she was already for some reason very cautious and even downright nervous whenever she saw me, however now due to my display just now...
Alis had a pure look of distress and I would even say, a look of horror across her face — it was the face of someone whose fears had just been justified in one fell sweep. Alis and her friends left the arena just before me and Fritz, who couldn't shut up about how cool that move I pulled off was and how I was for sure going to become Merlins pupil in the future.
Gotta say, his praise made me a bit embarrassed and also slightly uncomfortable. After all, I didn't mean to use that spell nor the type of magic that I did just now. Speaking of which — that type of magic I just used when I suddenly lost control of my body... That was the 'lost' magic which was once believed to be one of the most powerful. I believe it was called 'Black Flare Magic' or something like that and it was one magic type that in game was only ever wielder by a single individual — Can you guess who it was? Yeah — it was the Demon King of Sins. I know — at this point, what can't the Demon King of Sins do? This was actually one of the main complaints with the game, being that the final boss fight against Avis Virtiosa was so ridiculously hard, it wasn't even funny.
It was such a shitty balanced fight that it genuinely could be used as a method of torture if someone wanted to. Anyways — me and Felix also left the arena shortly after Alis with her friends did, leaving Merlin and Mr. Hedlestone alone in the field.
Merlin turned to look at the black flames again, while Mr. Hedlestone looked at the Grand Sorcerer with a rather nervous and even frightened stare.
Mr. Hedlestone: "So... What do you think Merlin?"
He asked, turning to face the black flames as well. Merlin scratched his chin lightly, examining the flames from afar before walking up to the flames and examining them up close.
Merlin: "Well, there is one thing that there is no doubt about.... This magic we witnessed just now..."
Merlins started before kneeling down and reaching his right hand into his robes pocket, taking out a black glove which looked heavily reinforced, before putting it onto his left hand and then reaching out to 'touch' the flames. The black fire easily burnt through the glove and turned it to ash so fast, that Merlin was forced to pull back his hand as fast as possible, before backing up, sharpening his gaze onto the flames.
Merlin: "....It most certainly was the lost magic of Black Flare.."
Merlin stated before turning to look at Mr. Hedlestone.
Merlin: "I ask you keep an eye on him for me - that kid who displayed this magic. If we aren't careful, there is a possibility for him to possibly be a major safety risk for our kingdom in the future."
Merlin requested, before sharpening his gaze slightly onto Mr. Hedlestone — as if trying to intimidate him into accepting his request. Mr. Hedlestone remained silent for a bit, before exhaling and rubbing the back of his head.
Mr. Hedlestone: "Fine... I'll do it. But only because I myself am a bit suspicious of that kid. He definitely has some secrets that he is holding."
Hedlestone replied, before turning his back and beginning to walk towards the doors leading back inside the school halls, before stopping infront of the door and looking back at Merlin over his right shoulder.
Mr. Hedlestone: "Oh one more thing — I have a message I want you to pass onto Gilgamesh for me."
Hedlestone stated, with Merlin looking towards him with curiosity in his eyes, before crossing his arms and lowering his head slightly — a slight deathglare being thrown to Mr. Hedlestone.
Merlin: "I'm listening...."
• • • • • •
Summoned to Another World, but as the Final Boss
• • • • • •
2 hours later...
I was in the school garden, sitting all by myself on a bench — my head low and arms crossed, while my eyes were closed. It was slowly turning to evening by now and yet here I was in the garden, overthinking the event and situation that had happened earlier today. I mean — really, what was I doing? I had to worry more about school since that was my top priority right now - well, sort of - and yet, I couldn't get that whole display back at that power testing sight out of my head.
Why did I suddenly lose all control over my body back there? Why did I use 'Black Flare' magic once I did lose control? How was Merlin of all people not shouting at me and demanding to know who I was and who my parents were?... Well, maybe for that the answer was as simple as 'you shouldn't shout at strangers — especially if it's a fucking child'. But the rest of my questions were still valid!
Anyways.... Something I should mention is that when I lost control over my body, I had heard a very faint whisper in my head say something. Now what it said, I have no clue as I couldn't quite make out what the hell it was saying, however what I can tell you for sure is that it sounded a bit like... The narrators voice.
....Oh right — you don't know what I'm talking about. Long story short — the 'Narrator' is referred to as the storyteller of the games story. You see, 'Battle for Love & Hope' was a visual novel type game which had battle mechanics and grinding in it as well, however one of the most key things to note about it was that its story was told via narration, kind of like there was someone sitting there and reading a story book for you. This narration had its own personality and everything, even having its own Voice Actor — which also made it a sort of unique character on its own.
With this in mind, the fact that the faint whisper I heard right before losing control sounded a bit like the Narrators voice, was a bit suspicious to me. I don't know why, but something just rubbed me the wrong way about that.
As I sat all alone on the bench, I exhaled heavily before lifting my head up and just staring straight at the sky — watching the different colours dance in it as the sun was beginning to slowly set. It was such a beautiful sight. So beautiful that it didn't even feel real — which is something I think I have said all the time ever since I've come to this world. I mean, seriously — how many times have I already admired the scenery of this world by now? It has got to be in the 10s by now.
....And you know what, I don't mind it being a high number — this world simply was that beautiful.
Time passed — and eventually the sun had almost set, however I was still out on the bench, staring up at the sky. It was WAY past the curfew time of the school and yet here I was, sitting outside, using a specialized concealment spell to make myself invisible to anyone who may pass by. And yes - by specialized, I mean a spell that only the Demon King of Sins, Avis Virtiosa could use. One so strong, that it genuinely felt like cheating. I eventually exhaled before getting up from the bench and stretching out. Alright — time to head back to the dorm room.
Felix is probably in a panic and confused about where the hell I am at. Yawning slightly, I turned towards the school building, as I had to head back towards it and through the school in order to get back to the dorms — however before I could get very far, the sound of what seemed like bushes rustling and moving caught my attention. The sound wasn't very subtle or light — if anything, it was the complete opposite, being rather loud and one that would only be made by something large moving in the bushes. Curious, I turned back around and headed towards the sound, easily leaping on top of the stone wall in the back of the garden and then looking around for the individual who could have been making the sounds in the bushes.
After a bit of examination of the area around, I spotted who I could only assume to the perpetrator in this scenario — being a man who was dressed in a thick coat, with a hood on and a scarf covering most of his face. Lastly, he had a dark tome on his belt with him, which immediately caught my attention for one reason only - the Dark Tomes could only be used by those with access to dark or demonic magic.
So that meant that this suspicious person...
'Is either a Demon or a Damned. Well — this should be interesting.'
I smirked lightly before leaping into the air and flying over towards the man. He was moving towards the dorm building — specifically, the female dorm building, moving slowly and with a strong presence concealment spell surrounding him. Whatever he was here for, it was not good intentions. If anything, it was the complete opposite of good intentions.
Sharpening my gaze, I landed in a nearby tree, deciding to watch him move forward for a bit longer before doing anything — just to make sure that his intentions were indeed some that I should concern myself with. As the suspicious man moved forward, he seemingly looked around for anyone who may be around, before dropping to the ground and beginning to scatter this powder from a pouch he had been carrying in his left hand the whole time. Analysing the powder with a quick 'Dragons Sight' spell, I was quickly able to make out the powder to be a specialized material obtained from Vampiric Bats. This powder was called 'Sinful Dirt' and was used often for large scale Dark Magic spells or more specifically, the subclass of Dark Magic spells called 'Curses' — which were powerful spells only able to be cast using the Sinful Dirt.
And from what I could tell, the spell he was going to cast right next to the female student dorm room using that Sinful Dirt was the Curse spell known as 'Soul Searcher' — a dangerous spell that is capable of draining the souls of nearby individuals, killing them in an instant with no way to heal them. And the most intriguing or in this case, important part?
In-game, it was an AoE type spell - meaning it could hit multiple targets.
This alone was the entire reason for my interference being justified. Welp — guess I'm playing the guardian again. Exhaling, I hopped out of the tree before brushing off my clothes and placing my arms behind my back, before walking towards the man.
As the man was preparing to begin casting his curse, mumbling something to himself, I approached with a wide smile.
"Evening mister — you seem lost, may I help you?"
I called out to him, causing the man to gasp before looking towards me in distress before scuffing.
Suspicious Man: "Oh, it's just a brat. Scram."
He stated with annoyment and even a hint of hatred before lifting his left arm up towards me and casting a 'Dark Bolt' spell, which immediately collided with me and engulfed me in a smoke orb. The man shook his head, cursing to himself about being startled by a child, before setting his pouch with the Sinful Dirt to the side and standing up, about to begin the spell.
"My that was rude."
I stated, scaring the man and causing him to look over to me as I sat peacefully in a tree, my back pressed against the trunk and one of my legs dangling as I sat in a sleek position, a smug expression across my face. The man shed a sweat.
Suspicious Man: "The hell... How did you— ... No matter! I must have missed you the first time. Now, die!"
He shouted, before lifting both of his arms into the air and then towards me, two bolts of dark lightning flying towards me. He even knew pretty advanced dark magic spells — impressive.
But...
"Not quite enough."
I stated with a smug face, before opening my eyes and looking at him as they shined bright red. In an instant, the lightning he fired disappeared, causing the man to back up a bit, a more scared expression across his face.
Suspicious Man: "How the hell.... It doesn't matter! A brat can't stop me from doing what I will do!"
He shouted before looking down at the spell circle he had made on the ground with the Sinful Dirt, lifting his right arm into the air and conjuring a large orb of darkness in his palm, before attempting to smash it into the ground — only for me to quickly grab a hold of his hand and wave my left hands index finger in his face.
"Na-ah! We don't do that around here."
I stated, before looking at him with a cold glare. The man shed a sweat, before quickly manifesting a dagger made of dark magic and attempting to stab me, only for the dagger to enter my body and do absolutely nothing. No blood even came out.
The man looked horrified.
Suspicious Man: "The fuck.... How is there no... What are you?!"
He demanded to know. I smiled lightly, before letting go of his arm and knocking him onto the ground, landing onto the ground myself before staring him down with a smug expression.
"Well, if you need to know — I am none other than..."
I began, before transforming out of my child form and into my 'real' form, revealing my identity to the man, who instantly looked at me with an expression filled with terror. I glared down at him with my red pupils, before placing my arms behind my back.
"The One who will cause you Nightmares."
I finished, my voice rippling in distortion. The man screamed out in terror, before quickly fleeing to the side, stumbling as he tried to escape, lost for words. He ran towards the nearby woods, before falling to the ground — me having sliced off both of his legs before sitting down infront of him on a boulder.
"Already leaving? I haven't even asked a single question yet."
I stated, with the man screaming out in terror and pain as he flipped around and back up against a tree, looking at me terrified for his life.
Suspicious Man: "P-Please spare me Demon King! I will tell you all you want to know!"
He begged as I exhaled and got up from the boulder and walked over to him, crouching down and leaning down a bit, my face close to his as he breathed heavily — reaching almost hyperventilation levels of breathing. After a bit, I chuckled.
"Very well — then I shall start with my first question."
I stated, before standing up and smashing my leg into the tree he was pressed against, scaring the man even more as the tree shattered to pieces. I glared down at him with my red eyes, snapping my fingers and setting up a concealing barrier around us both, before leaning down towards him slightly, crossing my arms.
"Who sent you here and for what reason?"
• Next Time •
[ (20.) The Acolyte Dusk. ]