Duelcrest Academy

The rest of the meeting was rather quick. While both my team and Sam's still looked unhappy about how we were going to decide the outcome of this game, nobody had any better ideas.

But even though I was the one who had accepted Sam's challenge, I couldn't help but feel a bitter taste in my mouth.

"In the end, we'll dance to Skylark's tune as usual."

No matter how hard I tried to avoid infighting, in the end we students were always going to be pitted against each other. If we didn't escape quickly, it was only a matter of time before I was forced to fight my own allies.

"And even though I chose to duel Sam of my own free will, I can't help but feel that I'm just following the path that bastard laid out for me."

The mana release incident during the dungeon. My newfound casting skills. And now I was about to attempt a feat that only the ancient heroes and Aldric had managed: fighting a high tier dark magic user one-on-one and living to tell the tale.

"It almost feels like I'm being trained by that shitty old man to be Aldric's successor."

But the end... would not be the one he wanted.

"My new strength, I'm going to use it to get us all out of here... and then I'm going to tell the world everything that's happened inside this walls."

Shaking off my worries, I raised my eyes from my knees to meet those of Sam Rover, who gave me a nervous smile in response. We had decided to have our duel tomorrow morning. That way, whatever happened, the transfer of the curse and the end of this game would be close together, leaving little time for people to try anything funny.

Even though I was confident that I could win, this duel was not going to be easy. The reason was simple. It would be a duel to the death, but I would not be able to kill my opponent directly. While Sam could kill me and still get what he wanted, I had to make sure that he was alive at the end of the duel so that he could keep his end of the bargain and become the sacrificial victim. But despite the odds against me, Sophia had declared so boldly that I would win. There was no way I was going to let her down.

My eyes went back to Sam, who was now talking to Andrea, sitting at his side. The thought of being the cause of his death was not pleasant at all. But he had decided to put his life on the line to protect his friends and I would meet his determination with mine. Besides, it was easier for my heart to fight a strong opponent who was ready to die than a weaker one who was reluctant.

«Very well,» Celeste said coldly, «it seems we are all on the same page. The duel will be at seven in the morning. We'll retire to the west wing while you spend the night in the east one. You can come and get some blankets now, but if we see you on that side of the school afterwards, we'll attack on sight.»

I had never seen her so visibly irritated. Not only had Sam backed her into a corner, but both me and Sophia had acted without consulting her first, even though she was our leader.

"But I refuse to make you take responsibility for my mistakes."

Sadly, she was going to pay a price for my stupidity no matter what: even if I won, she would still get a 1000 point penalty from holding the Demon card.

"We'll escape before that becomes a problem."

«Don't worry, we really don't intend to do anything like that,» Sam said quickly, shaking his head, «but as you wish.»

The only sound in the hall as people began to leave was the clatter of chairs on the dining room floor. Even if we had come to an agreement, it was clear that an unbridgeable gap had been created between our respective groups. And however it ended, things were only going to get worse.

"Any hope of cooperation is gone, I'm afraid... we'll probably fight each other from now on to the end."

After all, if I were to die, there was no way Sophia and the others would ever want to sit at the same table with Sam Rover and his friends again.

"Not only that... Sophia will probably try to kill him right away, no matter what the rules are. All the more reason to win."

I squeezed her hand in mine as we walked out of the dining hall together. But we were at the door when my voice called me.

«Elizabeth, can we talk for a minute?»

I turned to see Sam looking at me, still sitting in his chair, fidgeting nervously.

«Sam, but...»

Andrea at his side was clearly not happy to hear his request for me, but he put a hand on her shoulder and reassured her:

«Don't worry, they need me alive. And Elizabeth is not the type to attack someone unprovoked!»

"You trust me an awful lot for someone you've never spoken to before today."

But I wasn't really one to talk. Even after his previous terrifying show and the fact that he had forced me to risk my life... I still couldn't find it in myself to hate him.

"After my duel with Finch, I had decided to be a villain if necessary... so I can't really blame him for acting the way he did."

I turned to Sophia who nodded:

«I'll go with the others, don't take too long,» she said, giving me a light pat on the shoulder before letting go of my hand and leaving the room.

After his group left too, it was just me and Sam.

«This is kind of embarrassing...» he said, playing with a strand of his rather long and messy hair.

«You're the one who wanted to talk,» I replied, leaning against one of the dining tables and crossing my arms.

«I know, it's just... strange that we can talk calmly now, but tomorrow we'll be fighting for our lives.»

«So you have every intention of killing me,» I stated calmly.

Sam grimaced:

«I'd rather avoid it. But if I have to use the full extent of my powers, it may prove difficult. And I can't really afford to pull any punches with you,» he muttered and looked away. Then he added: «What I wanted to say to you is... I'm sorry. I know this whole meeting thing was your idea to avoid unnecessary fights. And how do I repay you? By dragging you into a duel to protect your friends.»

I sighed:

«Don't apologise. We asked you to choose one of your friends and kill them. I can hardly blame you for trying to get out of the situation. A fair fight is honestly one of the better outcomes for this stupid game. Besides... you heard Sophia, I'm going to crush you, so no need to feel sorry for me,» I declared defiantly.

Sam looked at me with his eyes wide open before he started to laugh.

«I'll make you eat that laugh back tomorrow,» I snapped in irritation.

«No, no, I'm sorry!» he said quickly, waving his hands and shaking his head, «I'm not trying to belittle or underestimate you... it's just that you and Thornton are really going out... I've heard some rumours, but I didn't really believe them.»

«Why? Is it because we're both girls?» I asked, raising an eyebrow.

«Not at all! It's just... I remember you two arguing a lot. You know, Thornton had a bit of a spotlight on herself in the beginning.»

«Tell me about it...» I commented, remembering how much my girlfriend had suffered in solitude from the scorn of our classmates.

«But you stayed on her side anyway... I have truly admired you both ever since. I wish I wasn't so awkward around new people... I really wish we could've been friends,» he said with a big smile.

I looked at him in surprise.

"Now I get it."

The reason I had taken an instant liking to Sam Rover was very simple: he reminded me of someone very dear to me. The way he looked awkwarldy around when he was talking... but also how he could instantly become steadfast and decisive when needed. Those traits were common to the person I loved the most.

"He reminds me of Sophia."

Of course instead of displaying the aggressivness that my girlfriend liked to employ to mask her social ineptitude, he seemed way more upbeat and amiable.

"Unlike Sophia he seemed to have found lot of friends... while she really only interacts with me and Celeste."

But still, this similiarity probably had some reason behind it.

"I want to know more about him before... the end."

Sam looked like he was about to leave. Honestly, talking with him would've made our fight much more painful tomorrow. But I couldn't resist.

«Sam… are you really a demon?»

Sam stopped and turned towards me, frowning. Then, with a sigh, he replied:

«Even if I'm not, you should really just think of me as one. It's going to be much easier to strike me down tomorrow.»

«You don't have to worry about that. You may be right that it would be the easiest way... but what can I say? I love to complicate things,» I countered, remembering the criticism Sophia often levelled at me.

Sam stood silent for a moment before nodding:

«I see... but why do you want to know about me? You are confident that you will win, aren't you? So you'd just be hearing the story of a soon to be dead man.»

«That's the reason. In this school, where the dead are not even allowed to be remembered or mourned... I have decided to keep their memory in me. If I end up causing your death, remembering you is the least I can do for you.»

Sam looked at me dumbfounded before his face relaxed into a smile:

«Thank you. Man, you really sound like a hero.»

«People really want me to be one for some reason.»

«Well, if you really want to know,» Sam returned to his seat, «as you can imagine, it's not a happy story.»

It wasn't the first time someone had tried to tell me about a dark past. But I clenched my fist in preparation.

"The people here all seemed to have some kind of terrible or sad past... but I guess that's to be expected from people who have manifested innate powers from a young age."

And Skylark had also tainted their future aside from their past.

«Like you, I'm a commoner. I lived in a huge mansion near a small village in the middle of the kingdom. We were rich commoners, the kind the nobles always complain about. We had land, good land, and I, as the first born of four sons, was to inherit it all. Even though I'd shown an aptitude for magic from an early age, my destiny should have been that of a wealthy landowner, not a mage. But now that I'm here, you can see that it didn't work out that way,» Sam said with a grin that was completely devoid of joy.

«One day, when I was twelve, I was playing in the forest near our house, even though my parents always said it was dangerous. But being the little troublemaker that I was, I never listened to them,» he continued in a sombre tone, «and then I heard it. Someone's crying. I ran towards the sound, thinking it was the son of one of the farm workers, lost in the woods. But what I found was a little boy, about six or seven years old, whom I had never seen before. He was dressed in rags and covered in scratches. He looked so innocent and scared and couldn't even explain to me how he got there, because he was crying so much. So I did what anyone would have done, I put him on my back and took him home. My parents were kind people, so they immediately made sure he was looked after. They put him in our guest room and told me to "run to the nearby village to get the doctor.»

I could see where this was going. Today had been all about the creature that often took human form to trick its victims after all.

«That boy, was a demon,» I muttered.

Sam nodded without raising is eyes:

«He was. If only I had realized…»

«You were just a little kid, and your parents didn’t realize either! And even if noticed... he would've just killed you if you tried to leave him behind,» I exclaimed.

«Thank you, I know… but I just can’t help blaming myself.»

"I can relate to that."

Sam continued his tale in a monotone tone:

«When I came back with the doctor, half of our mansion was no longer there. There was no debris or devastation of an explosion… no it was like part of the building had vanished into nothing.»

«Dark magic… it swallowed it up leaving no trace behind.»

«When we got inside we didn’t even find any bodies. Just rivers of blood and a bunch of flesh scattered around what remained of the house. He had eaten them all. My parents, my brothers and all the servants. It hadn’t even been half an hour since I had gone to the village, but that was enough for me to lose everything.»

«I’m sorry,» was the only thing I could say.

«It happened a long time ago,» replied Sam, «but that day, I decided I was going to at least get my revenge. Since I was still so young, my uncle’s family got to administer my inheritance. It was clear that under the pretense of caring for me, they were after my wealth. But I didn’t care. I only wanted to train myself so I could hunt down that demon. I was just a kid, so I didn’t know better.»

«It wasn't hard to find that beast. Since killing my family, it had made its nest in the forest where I first encountered it. The locals had just gotten used to the idea that someone would disappear every now and then to satisfy its hunger. It was the time when we were at war with the Demon King so the army was not going to send help to deal with a lone wolf like the one tormenting us. It was a bit like having a parasyte in your body but no way to get rid of it.»

«So, when I was fourteen, I went into the forest, armed only with my wand. I had read that while light magic was the only thing that could really fight demons, fire could be used to at least repel their attacks. What I hadn't considered was that my magic was nowhere near as powerful as such a feat would require. In the end, my fire spells fizzled out like the torches in this hall. Pretty stupid, wasn't I?»

"I probably would have done the same."

«It toyed with me. Demons seem to have very good memories. It took the appearance of my family and mocked me. And then it returned to its true form. I remember the way its purple eyes looked down at me before it forced me to the ground. I can still feel its foul stench in my nostrils as it tried to bite my neck,» Sam shivered.

«That's when you learned to use dark magic,» I said slowly.

Sam looked at me in surprise. But compared to the idea of someone suddenly appearing to rescue him, the awakening of his powers was the most likely way for him to get out of the situation. I knew that innate powers were something triggered by intense stress after all.

"But, according to what Skylark said, an innate power is something you have since birth and just needs the right condition to manifest..."

In that case, wasn't it too much of a coincidence that someone with the innate ability to use dark magic ended up in a fight with a demon?

"Maybe it's not a coincidence at all... maybe the innate power he manifested... took its form precisely because he was fighting a demon."

«It was just a hunch,» I said quickly. I really didn't want to spend time explaining to him what I knew about innate powers.

«I see...» Sam said in a bitter tone, «your hunch is right. When I think about it... my story could have been one of a hero. Imagine: a little kid on a quest for vengeance manifesting the power of light and becoming a demon slayer. But no... everything turned pitch black. Even though it was morning, the sun was no longer filtering through the branches of the nearby trees. In an instant, the demon was gone, swallowed up by the magic of its own kind.»

«And let me guess... this new power got you into some trouble,» I commented.

«You're really good at reading people... could it be your own secret power?» Sam joked, breaking the serious mood we had created between us.

«Not really...»

"It's more like I've heard this kind of story before."

Sophia had been called a freak because of her innate power. I could only imagine what Sam would have endured if people had found out he could use demonic magic. The way my friends had freaked out before was telling.

«But you're right. I wasn't a stupid kid. I knew my new power was bad news, so I tried to hide it. But... fate had other plans,» Sam went on, «You see, demons usually choose a mate for life, just like us, although they often go their own separate ways because they live so long. But they always meet up every few decades to reproduce. And you see... the mate of the demon I killed wanted revenge, just like me.»

«And you used your power to defeat him.»

«Aye. The village was almost gone when I arrived. This demon was much stronger than the previous one. It had 2 sets of horns, which signalled that it was a fairly high ranking one. But... demons rarely fight other demons. While dark magic can suppress any kind of elemental attack except for strong fire magic, it has no defensive properties against itself. That's why, by using normal magic to enhance my physical abilities and dodge its attacks, I was able to defeat it while giving it a taste of its own medicine.»

"This guy took down two demons all by himself."

But instead of fear, all I felt was relief that I had not forced my friends to fight against his power. After all, fire magic was my forte.

"I'll just have to keep the darkness at bay until I find an opening."

There was just one thing I couldn't help but think about:

"If he's this dangerous... I hope my mana doesn't shoot out against my will again.."

If that happened, I would have risked killing Sam in a single blow.

"Just like Aldric did with the Demon King."

As I bit my lip, Sam let out a small chuckle:

«Have you already realised the next part? That's right, the survivors of the village, the same ones I talked, played and laughed with, wanted to lynch me.»

«Even though you just saved them...» I remarked slowly, snapping out of my train of thought.

«I don't blame them. They had just lost loved ones to a demon... and when I use the highest levels of dark magic, I take on some of their estetic characteristics, as your friend Wilhelm has pointed out before.»

«I see... then how did you get out of the situation?» I asked.

«I ran away. I ran and ran, even though I was injured. But when I arrived at my home, with the mob chasing me, I found only a locked door in front of me. It was the perfect opportunity for my uncle to take everything I owned from me.»

His story was very similar to Sophia's. He was a kind child who was abandoned by the adults who should have cared for him, for reasons that weren't even his fault.

«Don't worry, I didn't go berserk and kill everyone,» Sam said quickly in response to my stare, «the priest of the village managed to prevent my execution by making me promise that I would leave the village that very night. And so I did. Once a wealthyy offspring, now a homeless little boy with a terrifying power. But I survived. Thanks to my decent magic, I was able to find some odd jobs and earn enough to live on.»

«And your power?»

«I swore I would never use it again, even if it meant dying. It's better to die as a human than as one of the creatures that stole everything from me.»

No, his story was even worse than Sophia's. While she had taken pride in her power and used it to make a comeback in life, he couldn't even do that. He hid it from the world because it was a constant reminder of his suffering. But if he was here now, smiling at me, it meant that at least in the end he had found some measure of happiness, just like my girlfriend.

«But something has changed, hasn't it?» I asked gently.

«Ahh you are really getting on my nerves,» he chuckled, «it has. Here at school I've finally managed to make some friends as I don't have to work all day just to survive. It's kind of awful to say, but even with the whole killing game part, I can't help but somehow really love this academy. It's where I finally got a taste of happiness. Of course, I despise Skylark for what he has done and want nothing more than to escape with my companions.»

«Don't worry... I understand you.»

Me, him, Sophia, Celeste... it seemed we all had our conflicting feelings about this school.

"And just like him... that's why I hate Skylark so much."

«But during the battle trial... I thought it was all over. Powerful students attacked us, seeing us as easy prey... we would've all died. So... even though I knew I would lose everything, I used my power to protect my friends.»

Sam looked down at his hands, almost as if he was still unsure if what had happened was real:

«But... they didn't leave me. Even when I used my terrible power in front of them. Even though I'm a demon. Andrea and the others stayed by my side. That's why I'm going to protect them with all my strenght. That's why I'm going to kill you tomorrow, Elizabeth.»

Seeing that smiling boy, saying those words in that cheerful tone, was more ominous than any hate-filled threat. But I didn't flinch. Instead, I held out my hand to him:

«I also have someone I really need to get back to. So I'm sorry, but you're going to die tomorrow. But let's have a good fight first.»

Sam looked at my hand for a second before taking it and shaking it vigorously.

«You really are amazing... I really wish I hadn't let my social anxiety get in the way and tried to talk to you... maybe things would have turned out differently.»

«I'm sorry, but I'm into girls,» I replied quickly.

«UH?!» Sam looked at me stunned, «I didn't mean it that way! And I...»

«I know!» I giggled, «Andrea, right? She's pretty cute when she's not spitting venom!»

«So you were teasing me on purpose,» the boy glared at me.

"He's easy to tease, just like her... I could have bullied him a lot if we'd become friends..."

But that was a thought I had to put out of my mind.

«Well, if that's all, I'd better go to sleep... or is not letting me rest your tactic?» I asked jokingly, letting go of his hand.

«Wouldn't that mean I'd have to stay awake too?» he laughed, but before I could get away he grabbed my wrist to stop me.

«Uh?»

«Elizabeth... I'm sorry. I really am... I really wish it didn't have to end like this.»

I sighed in response:

«I'm the one who brought this on myself. I told you, you don't have to apologise. After all, I'd rather deal with this myself than put the others in danger.»

«I see... you really are quite heroic,» he chuckled, but didn't let go of my wrist, "In that case... could I ask you for a favour?»

«Bold thing to ask someone you vowed to kill,» I said slowly, wondering what he was going to ask.

«You're right... but I guess I'm appealing to your heroic magnanimity,» he said with a half smile, scratching his head.

«... just shoot it...»

"I am such a push-over."

«If I die tomorrow... could you look after the others? I don't expect you to protect them with your life or anything, since you don't really know them. But... if you could keep them from getting desperate and doing something stupid, I would be grateful.»

I looked at him in surprise:

«Didn't you say you were going to win and kill me?»

«I did,» Sam replied, looking away, «but in the end... the heroes always defeat the demons, don't they?»

"What's with him now?"

Was he afraid of me after all?

"Anyway, regarding his question... Celeste told me that we will leave them behind. But until then..."

«I'll do what I can, but I can't promise you anything.»

«I see... that's enough, thank you!» Sam said to me one last time before he left the room, «Good night Elizabeth.»

I was left alone in the room.

"I really should've listened and remained a stranger to him."

Tomorrow I would not be fighting a demon, but a friend.