House of Amarin

Inside the Tower of Light, Lauron was meditating in his personal chambers when his bracelet pinged. Opening his eyes slowly, he looked at the sender and the brief sentence.

"I am here."

Dispelling the faint, golden aura around him, he slowly stood up, fixing his clothes before walking out, meeting the same boy who defeated Aurora.

"Simbad," Lauron said, making him turn away from the window, facing him, slowly putting his hand on his chest, and bowing towards him.

"Master."

"How was she?" Lauron asked, calm, walking to a cabinet, taking out a wine bottle, pouring for himself, and offering it to Simbad, who shook his head.

"Promising. Against Undead, Lady Aurora is very proficient. Her style is good and firm, and she has very few openings. But I would not yet let her fight intelligent variants. She needs to grow more and not in strength but in experience."

"Thought so," Lauron murmured, smacking his lips after tasting the red, chilled wine. "How're her injuries?"

"I left her with only superficial wounds. She should return to her feet in a week with the healing spells applied by the school. She mainly has to recuperate from her blood loss only."

"My Mother's instructions were to put them through the grinder this year. You can go hard on them."

"Are you sure, Master?" He asked, his face remaining calm and unperturbed.

"Yes." Lauron nodded heavily. "They will come for you, knowing my sister. Accept it, and don't hold back. Let them experience pain and loss here and not down on the continent! My Mother learned that the hard way!" He sighed, "Dismemberment is also allowed. We can reattach limbs if must."

“Master… that…” He said, finally displaying a shocked expression. Regrowing limbs could take years… to get used to the new ones... that could take even more time. This was not something light, and to be so nonchalant about it was shocking for Simbad. Not one mage was crippled by that trauma in the past, and even if they managed to replace their missing limbs, they were never the same after it.

"It is an order from Mother!" Lauron said, placing down his glass and looking into Simbad's golden eyes. "We are Amarins." He flashed a small smile, "If my sister loses all her limbs, we can fix her. Don't hold back, Simbad! This is your last year; it is time you go all out for once! Aren't you frustrated?"

"Me?" He asked, confused, pointing at his own nose.

"You were beaten down by Olivia, and you never had a chance to have a go at her again." Lauron grinned, trying to provoke a response from him, but Simbad regained his calmness.

"She was stronger. I lost fair and square."

"She beat you because you were on your 20th win streak."

"For why she beat me is of no importance, Master. I lost because I lacked the strength against her."

"And you trained harder than anyone since then, yet now she is gone, and you won't have a chance to ever go against her! She was beaten by my sister, you know…."

"I saw the recordings, Master." He answered simply, maintaining eye contact. "Lady Lia is still young. She is promising but weak. Me going against her… That would not be satisfying. It would be… bullying."

"Sometimes we have to play the bad guys, Simbad. This time, it is your job to be the bully. Again, I will say it; don't hold back when they come and challenge you. They need to learn when to let go. Going head-first against a stronger opponent is nothing but throwing away the lives of their subordinates! They have to learn when to retreat and choose another day to fight! Outside, it would cost them lives and the lives of their friends!"

"I understand." He bowed respectfully after a brief thinking. "I will not hold back. But what if…."

"You don't have to worry. Somia's System can only be beaten by someone like my Mother. It will not let them die while they are on the Island. Or are you fancying yourself to be better than my Mom?" Lauron grinned, making Simbad blush and feel embarrassed for a moment.

"No, Master! Never!"

"Ahaha, too bad, she likes to be challenged! Anyway, you will be sent to the 4th to train for real. You are going to be under my brother's command after graduation. After you have served your two years, you will be inducted into our family as an official subordinate of my Mother's line. This is your last chance to back out."

"I already decided, Master." Simbad bowed so deeply that he almost hit his head on Lauron's table. "I want to serve your Respected House, just as my grandfather served Lady Reyra."

"His name is entombed in our Hall of Heroes…." Lauron whispered softly, watching Simbad with warm light in his blue eyes. "My Mother and I don't want to see your name added next to his."

"I would be honored if it comes to that."

"Haah… Just don't. Okay? Now, your first task, given to you by Mom and me, is to put my sister and her Misfits through the grinder! Everything is permitted; I will ensure no teachers get in your way! Teach them a lesson that they never forget!"

…
….
……

When Aurora came to herself, she was not really angry, and even though she grumbled with Lia a little for making Sion go and challenge Simbad, she was not making a big fuss about it.

"He was just better." She wrote while eating some soup, being hand-fed by Koadriana.

"Good enough that he did not cut off your leg and arms," Ceiline added, walking down from upstairs. "I read the nurses' reports. When he disarmed you, if he did it with just a bit more force, he would have severed your hand! Clean off! We would have ourselves a Stumpy-2 then!"

"Grrr!" Her green friend growled, clearly unsatisfied with the prospect, following Ceiline everywhere she went.

"This is why I say he was just better." Aurora continued writing with her hair, "He had beat me fair and square."

"Yet you did not stop Sion from going up against him." Koa giggled, sitting next to her on their couch.

"I did not say I do not want to have some rematch." Aurora countered, "Watching that fight will help me learn more."

"If he accepts!" Lia added, but then the door opened, and Raufon, Sion, and Keily walked in.

"He did!" Raufon commented, slapping Sion's back, who also nodded.

"It will happen tomorrow," Keily added before Sion opened his mouth to speak.

"Which is weird. I expected him to turn us down." She looked at Lia and then at Aurora, "But he accepted it without question. Well, he did ask a question… And he spoke more than I have ever heard him do too…."

"He asked us," Rafuon explained, "if we want to come one by one or all at once."

"His words sounded extremely arrogant, but his voice was not like that!" Keily murmured, crossing his arms, "I had a weird feeling watching him. It was friendly but not. I can't put it into words, but he looked determined!"

"Then we all will go and watch the duel!" Lia said, flashing a thumbs up at Sion, "You can do it! If you feel you can't win, don't be afraid to give up! We will challenge him and explore his powers! Find a weakness that Aurora can exploit when it's time for their rematch!"

"That is a good plan~!" Koa grinned.

"I am not arguing against it." Aurora signed with her hand, but it was still moving stiffly. "In war, everything is permitted."

…
….
……

When the time for the clash between Sion and Simbad came, the leaders and every free member of the Misfits came to watch. They were not alone; surprisingly, some familiar but different faces also popped up to watch. Some were now on friendly terms with Lia's group, and one spectator who came surprised them, as it was Yanura.

"Yo!" Lia grinned, greeting her as old friends, making her blush a little before nodding back.

"I heard about it." She spoke softly, looking at Aurora who was still a bit pale but could walk without outside support. "So I came to watch. I know what it feels like, stepping on your toe, I mean."

"Hehehe!" Lia giggled, rubbing her nose, feeling a bit shy.

"But this will be different. I know a little about him."

"Oh? Please, do share!" Raufon scoffed, rolling his eyes, still not feeling like being friends with her.

"Don't be like that…." Keily whispered, nudging him as he fought against Palvina with her.

"He is a regular in the Tower of Light." Yanura continued, not minding Raufon's words. "Your brother rarely teaches boys and delegates them to other teachers in the tower. He is one of the few who gained 1-on-1 tutoring from him. Multiple times."

"You really keep track of everything Brother Lala does, huh?" Lia asked, amazed.

"Kinda…" Yanura blushed innocently, making Raufon roll his eyes again.

"So he is good. As Aurora said." Ceiline crossed her arms, "Anyone who receives the tutoring of a Tower Lord is considered an elite here."

"Really?" Lia asked, "I don't think it is a big deal…." She added, pursing her lips, making some people around her laugh nervously. Only an Amarin could say something like this, but then Koa patted her head, speaking softly.

"You say that because you dislike the Tower of Fire's lord."

"Because he is a dumb-dumb! Dumber than the silly fox!" Lia retorted indignantly. "He gave me an unreasonably high task for the end of the semester just because he liked Olivia! Hmph! I should report him to my Mother for having a relationship with a student of his!"

"Pft-!" Koa chortled, stifling a laugh while many others did the same.

"I don't think it would matter much." Yanura added, half-smiling, "It isn't against the rules."

"It isn't?" Keily asked, surprised, and even Lia was thinking, trying to remember all the rules she read in their first year.

"It isn't," Ceiline confirmed it. "It is frowned upon, yes, but the simple fact that the teachers here are the top mages of the Realm, nurturing the future top mages… the marriage of that two would result in a potential genius offspring… soooo… It isn't stipulated in the rules to not do it."

"Wicked!" Koa giggled, finding it praiseworthy. "Ahh… teacher-student romance… the pinnacle of erotic literature!"

"For you, maybe!" Aurora elbowed her, "I would argue with how you put it, though."

"It is starting." Ceiline cut in, focusing her eyes on the image projected from her bracelet as the rest of the multiple dozen people present also joined in, watching the feed. When Simbad arrived, entering the arena where Sion was already waiting for him, he only glanced at them before ignoring the commotion.

"As the challenged," The System's voice spoke up, "please choose the battlefield."

"A great oval hall at noon," Simbad said calmly, and the scenery changed in a flash, making them stand in a marble, round hall surrounded by dozens of tall pillars, holding up the glass ceiling from where strong sunlight shone down on them.

None of them said anything when the duel started. Sion's first move was to increase the distance between the two, summoning his pistols, taking aim, and firing off multiple shots. Simbad was equally as fast in his reaction, if not faster. He was using the pillars to his advantage, hiding behind them.

"I'm not that amateur!" Sion thought, moving his hands with the pistols in them, and his 'bullets,' leaving behind a white trail, bent their path, curving around their obstacle to simultaneously hit Simbad from left and right.

"Is it a hit?" Keily asked from the outside, excited, but his answer came immediately, seeing Simbad step out from behind his cover.

He was uninjured, surrounded by a creamy, white aura that made Sion's attack dissolve before making contact with his body. Sion was not that surprised about it, already preparing another attack. He held his pistols up, gathering his mana, aiming directly at Simbad while he was walking out from behind his cover. Then Sion's eyes grew twice their size, watching Simbad raise his hands and holding two pistols in them.

"No way…" Many said on the outside, watching as the two fired at the same time while their spells were colliding in mid-air, exploding in a bright flash of light.

"He is good…." Aurora wrote, her eyes watching, flashing with eagerness, wanting to fight him once more.

"How can he copy Sion so quickly?" Raufon asked, bewildered, watching the two move the same, fire the same spells and consistently make them connect right between them.

"He is a bit slower than Sion," Ceiline analyzed, focusing her eyes on Simbad's body. "He makes his move a split second later than Sion. He reads him and then reacts accordingly… It is very impressive as he does it extremely fast!"

"This can only be done," Aurora added, "If one is proficient in multiple ways of fighting… and…."

"He is getting faster." Ceiline finished for her.

They were not wrong. No matter what Sion tried or from what angle, Simbad countered it the exact same way and was starting to take the lead. By now, he was zig-zagging between the pillars, shooting at Sion's attacks with one hand and forming a different spell with the other. His light beams were bending around the pillars like a snake, aiming at Sion's blind spots.

"Damn… you are strong!" He groaned, getting hit in the back, and even with putting up a shield, expecting it to happen, it left his back searing with a stinging sensation.

"I think I've already grasped your style." Traveled Simbad's calm voice into his ears from nowhere. "You have experience in the art of killing. Your spells are quick and precise, but they lack strength. To finish off an Undead, it is best to obliterate it in one shot. But… if you wish to stick to this type of fighting style, let me show you how to use it efficiently."

Before Sion could understand his words, he was trying his best to roll away, but it was too late. Simbad kicked out with a leg and looked like he teleported right before Sion with how fast he zoomed forward. Standing before him, he masterfully blocked Sion's reflexive strikes, pointing his pistol down and firing at point-blank range at him.

Simbad's attack pierced Sion's right thigh, making him groan and lose all feeling in it, forcing him to one knee. He wasn't finished as he followed it up with a punch, hitting Sion's head from the side as he lost his balance, knocking him to the floor.

"First, incapacitate your enemy," Simbad said, shooting three more times, leaving gaping holes in Sion's arms and legs, immobilizing him. "Then deliver the finishing blow." He added, taking aim at his head, looking directly into his eyes. Simbad's golden irises were firm, unflinching, and Sion watched as he pulled the trigger before the System sent him out of the arena.

Outside, Ceiline and Raufon were already waiting, calling for the school's nurses through the System, who arrived swiftly, taking care of Sion, who was gasping for air. He wouldn't admit it, but everyone could see it in his eyes; he was scared. Looking into Simbad's gaze, he saw that he wasn't hesitating, and if not for the System, he would have indeed killed him. When Simbad stepped out from the arena and looked over, he saw only one person waiting for him. While everyone was gathering around Sion, Lia stood there, watching him walk out.

"Yes?" He asked, looking at her placidly.

"I challenge you." She said firmly, and before the others could realize what she was saying, Simbad simply nodded.

"Whenever you want."

"Now," Lia answered without any hesitation.

"Fine." Simbad agreed, touching the protective barrier at the same time as Lia, and they were transported back inside.

It was that moment when Keily looked up, searching for Lia, confused about where she was.

"Where did Boss go?"