Annabelle’s Bastion

The arena was in the same style as the main colosseum, but with the ground being a comfortable grass and the stands lower to the ground. It wasn’t anything special, just a standard arena with enough space for magical brawls… and face-bashing.

Anna’s class was a perfect split of men and women, with exactly 30 people spread around, waiting for the professor to arrive.

It almost felt like she arrived late, seeing all the groups forming, all smiles and giggles. The largest was six people centered around a tall blonde-haired man with a charismatic smile. Those were the types of groups she disliked the most, the ones catered toward a single person. The man looked vaguely familiar, but how many blonde-haired people had she seen with that same slicked hairstyle?

It would be better for her to avoid joining one, especially with how competitive the class was bound to be.

The blonde man in the group of six had already pointed out Anna to the others, and they looked like they were about to approach. She recognized calculating eyes when she saw them. Those were not the gazes of friendliness—more like seeing an attraction at a zoo. Anna pretended not to notice and went to the stands.

“Like high school all over again,” she whispered.

Then, Anna spotted an excellent target to make friends with!

Alone in the stands was a pretty lady with dyed red, short, side-swept hair and brown eyes. It looked a little odd, but that didn’t matter. Her being alone was probably because of her slightly furrowed brows and light frown. She was definitely the snappy type. But even that looked cute!

“Hey!” Anna said as she sat beside her.

“What?!”  the girl exclaimed, jolting as she whipped her head toward Anna.

She had a fairly cute voice, one a little higher pitched than usual, especially with her shock. But judging by how she practically sealed her own mouth after the exclamation, it seemed she was embarrassed by it.

“You have a nice voice.” Anna disarmingly smiled. “No need to be embarrassed.”

However, the girl only looked more suspicious of her and didn’t respond with speech. She chose instead to scoot a little further away.

“Hey, my voice is... unique, too, right?” It was part of the reasons her closest friends called her princess as a nickname. “You’ll see no judgment from me!”

Instead, the girl glared at her. “What do you want?”

Anna’s smile widened. “I wanted to make friends, and I saw a pretty lady sitting all alone!”

The girl looked at her suspiciously and scoffed. “That’s a stupid pickup line, what the fuck do you actually want with me?”

“Anything but!” Anna chuckled and shook her head. “I really do wanna be friends, and I don’t wanna join a large group, you know?”

She moved a little further away again. “So you chose to come to me?”

“Why not? We’re gonna be together for a long time, you know. Plus, I want to get along with everybody in my class before they potentially beat me up.”

“What?”

“Combat training.” Anna gestured toward the arena. “I heard they’re gonna make us fight each other, and we all know what happens after that.”

“I heard about that!” But she shook her head. “But my Dorm manager said they’d be able to heal any major injuries like they never happened.”

Anna sucked in some air. “That’s even scarier!”

“I don’t think so—” She shook her head. “What happens ‘after that?’“

Anna resisted the urge to giggle. “Tough girl, huh? I’ll have to rely on you to protect me.” Detecting an outburst, she continued, “By after that, I mean that if we all have to fight, it’ll probably lead to some kind of pecking order. You know, a strength-based hierarchy.” She shrugged. “Some people might get a little too big for their britches.”

Her eyes widened, and she paused while checking out the students in the arena. Eventually, she nodded. “I didn’t think about that.”

“Well.” Anna shrugged. “I don’t think bullies will get very far. But with how much they emphasize competition, I wouldn’t be surprised if they allowed some struggles.”

The girl’s eyebrows deepened, and she muttered, “I won’t be bullied.”

That seemed like some kind of self-assurance rather than a statement of strength.

Anna nodded. “Same… so…” She clapped. “We should stick together!”

“That’s your conclusion?!” The girl looked at Anna like she was crazy and shook her head. “I don’t know you and definitely don’t trust you! I didn’t come here to make friends, and you’re one of my opponents!”

“Ouch...” Yet Anna maintained her smile. “Fine, not friends—acquaintances; at the very least, we won’t ever be enemies. I’m Annabelle, but you can call me Anna.”

She stared at Anna suspiciously for a few moments. “Mia,” she said quietly.

“Pretty name!” Anna offered her hand. “Nice to meet you, Mia.”

Mia stared at Anna’s outstretched hand for a few seconds, like testing for poison with her eyes. Finally, she took it briefly. “You’re… weird.”

“Maybe.” Anna enthusiastically shook her hand for that brief moment. “But don’t worry, I think we’ll get along just fine.”

Mia definitely wanted to have some friends, even if her exterior was a little hard.

“We’re not friends,” Mia reminded.

“Sure, sure!” Anna ensured she maintained enough distance to not make Mia uncomfortable.

“I see everyone decided to show up early!” Came a resounding, thunderous voice that bounced off the walls in the arena. “Good, very good! Keep that energy all year, and you’ll become forces to be reckoned with!”

“Oh... my God,” Mia muttered, her mouth open and eyes wide. “That’s our teacher?”

Anna followed her eyes and had to extend some effort to keep her jaw from dropping like when she saw Gromak.

The tanned-skinned man who stepped through that opened gate was the tallest man Anna had ever seen—easily over 6’8, with a hulking frame to boot. Two axes taller and wider than two of Anna stuck together were strapped in an X across his back. His grey plate armor didn’t cover much of his torso nor his massive arms, exposing a wide variety of scars and tribal tattoos.

He had the sides of his light brown hair shaved and a long, twisted ponytail going down to his waist. His neat beard went down to his chest, and his platinum eyes radiated pure strength as his gaze swept every person in the arena.

His steel-like greaves clanked heavily with every step, leaving indentations in the soft grass.

Every slow, steady step toward the arena center felt like watching a fierce, violent general leading a destructive army behind him.

That was a goliath of a man, and Anna fully believed he wasn’t human. Not with a body that big and eyes that color.

A smirk made its way to his face, and even his chuckle in that deep, rumbling tone sounded powerful. “This is why I like Humans—funny reactions.”

He stopped at the center of the arena.

“Of course, he isn’t Human,” Anna mumbled.

“Now, everybody, come on down and sit!” he ordered, his voice booming and reverberating through Anna’s bones.

“Well... here we go,” Anna said, offering her hand to help Mia stand.

A hand Mia ignored. “Yeah.”

Anna shrugged.

Each student silently took a spot on the grass, and because of them sitting, the titan looked even more domineering.

“Hmm~” He walked circles the group of students, sending palpable waves of pressure over everyone as he looked down like a giant choosing his next meal.

If his goal was to exert his authority, it worked wonders.

Anna swallowed a nervous lump as those hungry eyes swept by her, and his metal boots hit the ground behind her. She literally felt his impact on the Earth.

He finished his circle and stood at the front with his arms crossed and a displeased expression. “All of you are weak, too weak to even polish my axe. However, there is still hope for you yet! You were chosen to be the students of the great Thagrin, the strongest Barbarian!” He shouted every word with an increasing sound. Then, his voice lowered, “For now, you are worthless.”

After speaking, he went to the sides of the arena and gently laid down his axes. Nobody said anything, not even a whisper, as they watched him. Who would question a goliath calling them weak?

What sort of training would a man like Thragrin put them through? He undoubtedly used magic in some form, which created one of the most contrasting images Anna’s ever had between appearance and ability.

Once Thragrin’s axes were laid, he nodded to himself and smiled at the students. “You will all fight each other using your new toys - your mana. But first, you will try and lift my axes and give them a good swing. If you can impress me... I will make you my personal disciple. Promise."

Anna raised her hand, much to the horrified stares of a few around her. She had to ignore her anxiety over the behemoth for the sake of learning! Bastion definitely wouldn’t have an impatient man teaching them.

“Oh?” He smirked. “Good, you should learn from someone as great as me.” He then squinted. “However! If your question is stupid, pipsqueak, I will break your finger.” He stated it so naturally that Anna felt a shiver crawl up her spine.

“U-uh...” Anna cleared her throat. “A-are you gonna teach us how to use magic... sir?”

“Magic!” He broke into a boisterous laugh, even to the point where he tilted his head back and held his stomach.

“Um...” Anna’s mind blanked. What was wrong with her question? Was her finger done for?

Eventually, his laughter died, and he pointed toward one of his axes. “These and your muscles are all the magic you need. You will—” He suddenly stopped and looked toward the sky.

Anna followed his gaze but saw nothing there.

Within a short span of a minute, Thragrin’s face underwent a myriad of emotions, starting with a flash of anger, transitioning to surprise, then settling on acquiescence. He sighed and shook his head. “I was gonna, just after…” he muttered like a guilty child.

Someone must have said something in his mind! Who was watching their class? Was there someone supervising every combat course?

But the most astonishing part was that there was someone who seemed to be able to tame the titan! His morph to surprise was akin to when Anna’s mom caught her stealing cookies.

He rustled his hair and groaned. “I forgot human bodies are feeble, and you weaklings don’t even know the basics of your own power. Stand up, now. I will only do this once.”

Anna’s heart accelerated, and she complied. “Let’s go to the front.”

Thragrin raised his arm, and a mithril-colored ring extended from his wrist while emitting a near-silent mystical, heavy hum, a beautiful sound to hear in close proximity.

“This is my Ring, which stores every piece of magic ability I have.” He shook his head, then the ring shrank into his arm. “I won’t get into that, but what I will get into is an ability you humans have that all others don’t—and many envy. Not me though; I’m still stronger.”

Anna felt her flow again but didn’t feel any sort of unique properties in her mana, nor did she feel like she could do anything in particular. She definitely wasn’t stronger, faster, or more durable.

Thagrin scanned the crowd until his eyes found Anna at the front, where she and Mia moved to get a better look. When his eyes stopped on her, he smirked, earning a shiver from her.

“You.” Thagrin pointed. “You’re the best one for this—the smallest Human in my class with hands like a princess and a minuscule frame. Come up to my axe.”

“Oh god,” Anna whispered but complied.

“G-good luck,” Mia whispered. She sounded sympathetic, which would have been a plus if not for the current scenario.

“Come on, pipsqueak.”

She definitely didn’t think of her frame as minuscule! Her body was pretty good despite her shorter stature! However, she was the shortest person in the class and didn’t have the muscles or calluses of a hard worker.

But she wouldn’t argue with a titan who could kick her over the arena walls and into the ocean.

On the bright side, she would be the first one in her class to use magic, and she couldn’t help but feel excited as she stopped near the axe.

“Pick up this axe,” Thagrin ordered.

Or not.

“Uh...” Anna knew that wasn’t possible; it would only embarrass her to try. “I don’t think—”

“Do it.” His voice carried a threatening undertone. “Never question my instruction, either, or I’ll break your finger.”

It sounded like the titan just wanted to hurt someone!

“O-ok.”

She might as well get it over with.

The handle was ice cold and felt like some kind of steel but a little rougher on her hands, like sandpaper. Just by touching it, she knew she didn’t have the strength to lift it.

“Stop molestin’ my axe and lift it.”

Anna’s face felt hot, and she heard a few snickers from her class. She made a mental note to find out who those few were… not that she’d do anything with that. But a few sounded mocking.

She tightened her hand and stood while attempting to bring the axe up as she rose… yet it didn’t budge an inch. She tried a few more tugs, but still no difference—that axe was not moving. She wasn’t about to groan and keep trying in vain, either.

A few more stifled giggles. Those sounded like it came from three or four people.

“I can’t.” Anna sighed and released the body. “It’s way too heavy for me.”

No way was it made from any Earth material.

It didn’t decrease her embarrassment, even knowing she wasn’t expected to be able to lift it. While she understood why she was chosen for it, that knowledge didn’t make her annoyance any less.

Thagrin snorted. “Obviously, you can’t, and none of the weak bastards behind you would either.”

Anna’s impression of Thagrin went up a few points! Even though it would probably lead to worse repercussions since unreasonable people would blame her.

“You all probably tried to control your mana, but you got nothin’ to use it on—no purpose, so you gave up,” Thagrin easily lifted his axe and rested it on his shoulder. “That’s because you technically have no Sigils, and your mana reacts to your will. What does that mean, pipsqueak?”

Anna thought about it for a moment.

Rather than answer, Anna put her arm out.

She had an idea of what it meant; she only hoped she was correct.

Sigils were probably spells, while will was the trigger; they couldn’t pull the trigger for something they didn’t have. At least until they knew what they had. Thagrin said it earlier, and his task for Anna gave her an idea.

She touched on her mana and willed it to grant her increased strength so she could lift the axe.

Suddenly, she felt something from the depths of her body as the mana flowed, sending energy in waves through her body. The surges of power rushed to her right arm, washing over her muscles and bones.

A pure black ring extended from her wrist, along with a similar hum to Thagrin’s, except a little lighter and more pleasant.

“I did it!” Anna yelled excitedly as she waved her arm around.

She felt like she had the power to throw a car or punch a hole into a mountain! However, she only felt that way with her right arm, where the ring was.

“Hoh.” Thagrin smiled and nodded. “You’ve impressed me, pipsqueak... but that’s quite an ominous color you got there.”

It was the darkest shade of black Anna had ever seen—black like a void.

“Does it mean anything bad?” Anna asked.

He looked away from her quickly. “Nope, but it sure as hell looks powerful, so you get to brag about it.” Thagrin held out his axe. “Now, carry it.”

Anna grabbed it with her right hand, and Thagrin immediately let go. She almost fell from the sudden weight, but she managed to get it under control. However, it was still heavy! While she could carry it, she didn’t feel like she could freely swing it.

If she tried, it’d be the axe swinging her.

Even though it felt like she could throw a car, she didn’t actually have that level of strength.

“It’s something you have to work on.” Thagrin grabbed his axe like it was paper. “But you get the point. All humans can enhance their bodies with mana.”

A few more of her peers caught on, and circles began appearing on their wrists.

“Good, you guys got it. If you don’t, ask someone who does. This so-called class is to help get you up to par with every other basic child in the universe through fire, not pacifiers and candy. I’m not a teacher.”

Anna was still stuck in awe at the black ring over her wrist. Moving it around and staring at it from every angle.

She had magic. She was using magic. This was her ring, and it would contain everything she learned in her life as a mage! Tears almost spilled from her eyes, but she got a hold of that, lest she embarrassed herself.

And it was a cool color.

She pulled on her mana again, and a ring extended on her other wrist. It was hard to believe how simple it was; command it to grant her strength, and it would.

“If you drain your mana, you will die… and you’ll need it.” Thagrin darkly chuckled. “You will all fight, and you’ll continue to fight once every week in this arena until I am satisfied. That, weak humans, is your combat training; this is how we will catch you up to the very basic standards of children mages and test your growth every week.”

Nobody said anything through Thagrin’s chuckles.