Chapter 25: Acquaintances

I had never been in the stadium before, and now that I was in it, it was... normal. Spiraling benches that went on for rows and rows. A single platform encircled the opened roof, seats going all around. The stage itself was inset into the ground, a circle, the ground was titanite, pitch black, an alloy that leveled the playing field of magicians or so it was said.

In actuality it was used due to its surreal resistance to magic, only being able to be enchanted and cursed, not manipulated by earth magic users like myself. The walls were the same, thirty-five feet tall, black. The doors were to the north and south, they slid into the ground as they opened.

The stadium was not my idea, I just simply asked for a sparing match. Though she insisted, she wanted to be serious, and if it were anywhere else, there would be collateral, or so she said.

She came in from the north and I from the south.

She was serious... surprisingly. She was then clothed in a red skin tight body suit that covered everything, a black line running in the center between her breasts leading down to her crotch where it split onto her two legs. It was akin to the material my jacket was made from.

Her face was covered with a mask, teeth, it was a giant jaw. The teeth spanning her entire face, a small space in-between the rows, as if to pretend it was made for eyes. The edge was red and scaly, it was imitating a dragon.

She walked out and started to stretch, it was a while before she spoke.

"I'm not going to easy on you, so don't die." A giggle betwixt her words.

She took a stance, her left leg stretched behind her, perched oh her toes. Her right in front, bent a little. Her hands were out in front of her, her right pulled to the side of her breast and her left lay flat like a blade out in front of her.

I too took a stance, my right leg pointed directly to my side, my left directly forward. The back of my right hand lay against the container, my left was pointed outward, flat.

Abigale who would be the judge, was in the stands.

"Begin!" She shouted her hands echoing her voice.

Jane acted quick, her left leg flashing out like a whip. A flame sprouted from her toes and continued through the air, it was white.

As it came closer, I made it. My wall, stacking the white mana on itself I made a barrier, It surpassed my height and stretched around to my sides. Almost instantaneously like a ripple the green spread, a grid being created.

As the flame got close enough, I let it go. The green enveloped the white and then instead of a hue I had a green. The flame hit the wall but that time, it shattered, thwarting as it hit the shield.

No words were said. Manipulating the shield I propelled it forward, I ran close behind. This time her right hand went forth like an arrow, and a flame shot from each of her finger tips, they dispersed, each in its own direction.

I stopped the shield and extended it, covering myself like a turtle. Each flame soon found there way back, each hitting like a falling tree, violent and forceful, shaking the very ground I stood on. Cracks sprouted as the first two hit, they had been aimed the same place.

The others soon followed suit, the crack grew, but shrunk in-between hits. The packed mana in the grid was like pressurized water, if there was a space, it would fill it. Thus the shield didn't break.

Not changing the nature of the shield I advanced. Each attack was getting stronger as the fight progressed, I was going to end it quickly. As I got closer, the left hand that laid flat in front up to that moment, was pulled behind and swung out front.

As her hand went a thin white line followed. At the end of the arc, it flew out. I folded my legs in as I ran and soon I fell. Sliding on my knees I bent backwards, my chest facing the sky.

The shield did not hold, and I wouldn't have either. The white line sliced straight through, like a warm knife in butter. As it passed through it arched down, but I was already too low. The top half of the shield engulfed in flames as I heard the whistle pass over me. I kept the bottom half and as I got closer, I spread it out and surrounded her lower body, encasing it.

She had attacked three times, each time with a different limb, and each varying in strength. I assumed the longer she held it the more powerful it got. Simply put I could not allow her to use her right leg.

I got in close, and as I did I swung my right leg forward, as it touched the ground in front of me it brought me close to a halt.

I swung my hands backwards past my sides, flat, and as they swung forward past it again. Water surrounded them. As they went on the water took its intended shape, blades. As my two hands came together in front of me angled upwards, the blades came closer to her throat.

Clenching my fists, I stopped them inches away from her neck. I had won. The blades floated in place.

She pulled in her right leg and raised both hands.

"Bravo." Her hands came together in a slow clap. "I was right not to under estimate you. You win, hands down, this time at least." She removed her mask, her blonde locks falling on her chest.

I pulled the water back into its containers and at the same time I let the shield fall.

"Were you trying to kill me?" I asked reminiscing on the thin white line that almost took my top half.

"That's what it means to be serious. If I wasn't trying to, my attacks would have no weight and it would be disrespectful. " She said playing with her hair.

"That's the last thing I expected from you." I said tilting my head to one side.

"Heh heh, my old man taught me good." A smile was on her face. "And you, you almost killed me there... so were you pretending in the training hall or something." She said her smile growing.

"No, I just underestimated you."

"See, could have cost you your life. Always take your opponents serious, treat every fight like your opponent is stronger than you, and unless you use everything you have you won't win." Her smile did not fade.

"Giving me tips now?" I said jokingly.

"Well, were sparing buddies now, I expect you to be ready anytime. It's hard to find someone that'll make you test yourself, so this is a God send as you can see, I'm pretty rusty."

"Hmph, I don't mind." I said accepting the offer.

"Shake on it." She said stretching her hand forward.

I was skeptical, but we shook with no funny business.

"I need more food, thanks to someone, breakfast is gone." She said giving me a side eye and a smirk.

"Where exactly... is this food?" My hunger was catching up on me, even if starving in the past was a regular occurrence, I would break out of that forced habit.

"What... when is the last time you ate something?" She said a her face in confusion.

"Ahhh... I ate last week Thursd... Thez." I said my stomach growling.

"What! Oh we are definitely having a rematch, I want to fight you at your best. Anyway, breakfast lets go." She said leading the way.

"What about class?" I asked because she wasn't going to.

"It doesn't start for at least another ten minutes, plus it'll probably be just notes." She twirled her hair around her finger as she spoke.

I followed her, meeting up with Abigale at the arched entrance. She said nothing to me. but instead praised Jane the entire walk. Though as she had said, a lot of people were not at class. We walked by and entered the elevator. She pressed negative two and the elevator descended.

As it opened, I could smell it, food. The design was similar to the infirmary, white with seams. The room was huge. It looked as if it could house the six-hundred students all at once.

The tables were white and metal, connected like benches, the table itself was like a block, stretching and connecting to the ground. There were twelve of them, each having tablets facing both directions ever so often.

I followed Jane and she sat at the table tapping away at the tablet. As I looked at the one in front of me, the options were stifling. There was scorched avian, roasted rinadactle, fried stout and the list went on.

"Just pick the beef and orange juice" She said smiling.

Following her instructions I did, and soon enough the tablet turned off and the table in front of me fell in and the food came out, steak with mashed whatever it was on the sides . I was reminded yet again I was in a totally new world. We ate with not much talking, I was starving.

As we finished the plate and bottle fell into the table and the tablet lit up again. It was simple yet effective.

We left together and headed to class all the while Jane still in her body suit.

"Your not gonna change?" I asked pointing at her clothes.

"Nah, you?" She said flicking her hand.

"No." I said looking at my knees that should have been dirty.

We got to class and I went to my usual seat, Jane did the same. The princess and Zack on the other hand were at the front of the middle column beside each other. They were staying away.

Soon enough Mrs. Eos entered with two sizable black boxes. Setting them down on the table, she spoke.

"I assume we know what these are? " She said scanning the room.