RotDG Chapter 57: Midterms VI

“No!” Cecil exclaimed as he watched the wave of flames engulf his friend.

Next to him, Julie squeaked, falling off her chair from his sudden shout. He briefly glanced down at her as he rubbed her back.

“S-sorry, you scared me,” she said, before picking herself up.

He didn’t respond, although he gave her an apologetic nod. The two of them had never spoken before, but they were both friends of Eli. And during the entire battle, they had both been silently yet nervously watching as their friend somehow kept up with the greater spirit with the help of some potions and artifacts.

But now, the tide of the battle had turned as the spectral sentinel unleashed a pulse of flames that washed over Eli. The entire audience was gripped in silence as they watched this happen. Even Prince Claudius remained quiet as a sense of nervousness about their classmate’s fate washed over everyone in the arena.

Peeking over the stands, Julie stared down at the dissipating flames, eyeing Eli’s silhouette through the smoke.

“Is he… alive?” she asked apprehensively.

Cecil narrowed his eyes as the smoke cleared. And standing there, body half-burnt, right arm limply hanging from the shoulder, was Eli.

The young boy was panting as he stood behind a collapsing barrier of white light. Whatever that protective spell was, it must have taken the brunt of the attack. The pale silver fire that was coating his body from earlier also faded away as he straightened, before a golden light washed over him as he started to heal himself.

“He’s still standing!” Julie exclaimed, wide-eyed with excitement. “He has a chance!”

But Cecil just shook his head. “No— this battle can’t be allowed to go on any longer. Eli’s going to die if we don’t stop this.”

And the young saint wasn’t the only one who realized this fact. A susurration swept over their watching classmates as the spectral sentinel began to rise back to its feet. 

“Gracious Goddess—”

“This is bad…”

“Someone needs to stop this!”

And yet, despite the fact that almost everyone realized this battle needed to be stopped, Archdeacon Emmett was just silently standing to the side, watching the battle continue. So Cecil couldn’t help but ask himself— why?

Why won’t you stop this? the young saint wondered. But he never got an answer.

***

As the flames rushed towards me, and the realization that I couldn’t dodge the attack settled in, I immediately summoned my [Aura Armor Of Light] to protect me. Even though my body was exhausted, my mind was still sharp. The decades of combat experience I had from my previous life kicked in, and I managed to save myself from being burnt to a crisp by the powerful blue fire. 

Unfortunately, my [Aura Armor Of Light] wasn’t able to completely protect me, holding up for a few seconds, before shattering under the pressure of the attack. I was knocked back, crashing into the barrier as my body was still burned badly by the wave of flames.

But as I picked myself up and healed myself, I realized something strange. Somehow, the parts of my body that had been coated with my [Holy Fire]— mainly my legs and my chest— had sustained less burns than the parts of my body which hadn’t been covered by the pale silver lames.

Interesting, I thought as my eyes flickered, watching the [Holy Fire] dissipate. It must have protected me because it’s holy magic, not elemental magic. And that means—

But my thoughts were interrupted as the spectral sentinel rose to its feet, creating another giant broadsword from its blue flames again. I stopped using [Heal] on myself as I straightened and began to move. As I did, I instead activated my [Lesser Domain Of Light], while giving myself a [Boon Of Vitality].

The former began to heal me, but it was to a much lesser degree than casting [Heal] on myself did. However, it allowed me to focus on the battle, letting the healing continue without putting my mind to it. Meanwhile, the latter gave me the strength to ignore my aching body and move.

So I circled around the greater spirit, no longer limping, although still exhausted. I reached into my Bag of Holding and grabbed one of my two stamina potions, taking only a single gulp from it, when the spectral sentinel let out a tinny roar. It swung down with its broadsword, unleashing a torrent of flames my way.

But the boost of energy I got from drinking the stamina potion gave me enough energy to use [Quick Dash], moving out of the way of the fire as it struck the barrier. I stumbled to a halt as the spectral sentinel’s gaze snapped towards me. And as it began to raise its broadsword again, I responded by conjuring another [Aquatic Harpoon].

At the same time, arrows of light flashed into existence all around my [Lesser Domain Of Light] with the help of [Basic Light Magic Conjuration]. They shot forward, pattering the spectral sentinel and distracting it for long enough for me to finish casting my spell. The water trident propelled forward, but the greater spirit reacted quicker this time around.

It leaned away as the spell only barely struck its side, tearing open a small hole in the metal where it grazed. I blinked as my arrows of light continued to rain down on the greater spirit, barely a nuisance to it as it turned to me, its broadsword still raised.

Then it swung down, once again sending a torrent of fire in my direction. This time, I didn’t have [Quick Dash] to help me move out of the way. And while I was able to run faster since more of my wounds had healed up, I still couldn’t fully escape the blast.

The flames crashed into the barrier as I narrowly ran out of the way, only to be knocked back and burnt by the shockwave of the blast. I tumbled through the air, but managed to land on my feet as the new burn marks on my body already started to heal. 

Looking up though, I watched as the spectral sentinel charged straight at me. I immediately began to conjure up another [Aquatic Harpoon] as I backed up.

And as the greater spirit sprinted across the arena, its body still crackling with electricity, I realized something. It was getting faster. Or rather— its movement speed was returning back to normal.

The spectral sentinel swung down at me, and I rolled out of the way. As I circled behind it, I finished casting my spell and sent my [Aquatic Harpoon] at its back. The greater spirit recoiled as the attack pierced its armor, but it simply spun around and swung wide with its broadsword.

I managed to leap back in time, before I downed the rest of my stamina potion. The spectral sentinel continued to charge at me, its broadsword changing shape into something else. I ran back from the greater spirit as I created another [Aquatic Harpoon]. I sent the attack at it as it got close, but it must have anticipated this.

The spectral sentinel’s broadsword finished morphing into a shield and it blocked the oncoming water trident. I watched as my attack pierced the surface of its shield, but failed to reach its face. And that was when I knew I needed to end the battle soon. 

Otherwise, I was going to lose, even before the effects of my Potion of Weaker Speed came to an end.

Because the spectral sentinel’s movements would soon no longer be impeded any longer. Its body was still crackling with electricity, but barely as much compared to before now. 

Reaching me a moment later, its shield changed into a maul as it swung down at me. But even though it missed, and I dodged out of the way, the impact from the attack broke the ground open, sending me tumbling through the air. 

“Eli!” 

I heard Julie crying out as I soared through the air. For a moment, I caught a glimpse of the audience as I was about to fall back to the ground. I saw the terrified looks of all my classmates, staring up at my desperate state. They were all looking at me, evidently fearing for my life. Even Prince Claudius.

And in that brief moment as they all stared at me high in the sky, an idea crossed my mind as I remembered how my [Holy Fire] protected me. 

But then the spectral sentinel grabbed me out of the air the moment after as my classmates gasped. The greater spirit yanked me down and slammed me into the ground as my bones shattered from the impact, and I screamed in pain.

However, even as I lay there, groaning in pain, a smile crept onto my face. The spectral sentinel just raised its maul, about to finish me off as I heard Cecil’s voice shouting in the background.

“Archdeacon Emmett, you have to stop this, now!”

But before the elderly man could do anything, right as the spectral sentinel was about to swing down at me. I pointed at it, unleashing a [Greater Fireball] at point black, engulfing the both of us in the explosion. 

***

“If you don’t, Eli will—” Cecil started, facing in the direction of Archdeacon Emmett.

And a powerful explosion erupted, engulfing both Eli and the spectral sentinel. The young saint’s gaze snapped in the direction of the blast as his breath left his throat.

“No…”

That shock quickly turned to anger as he clenched a fist. Julie stared at him hesitantly, before looking down at his hand. Blood was seeping down from his fingers digging into his palms. She opened her mouth as she raised a hand towards his shoulder.

“Cecil—” 

But he ignored her, instead snapping at Archdeacon Emmett as she flinched. 

“You damn old fool!” he screamed, drawing the attention of all his classmates. “Why didn’t you stop the battle? Why did you let it go on? Now, because of you, Eli is…”

Cecil trailed off, biting his lower lip. The rest of his classmates exchanged uneasy glances. Julie lowered her head. Even Prince Claudius pursed his lips. 

But the elderly man just raised a hand.

“No,” Archdeacon Emmett said simply, staring at the pillar of smoke in the middle of the arena. The spectral sentinel stepped out of the curtain of gray as he continued. “It’s not over yet.”

“What?” Cecil blinked.

And then a white light expanded, covering the entire arena. Cecil looked around in confusion as he saw this magical dome seemingly encase the barrier that was containing the battlefield. He recognized this as Eli’s Skill— the very same one that had been able to heal him as he ran.

Which meant that Eli was still alive? But where was he?

That was when Cecil saw the young boy, bleeding and kneeling right behind the spectral sentinel. 

“Eli—” the saint piped up.

But the spectral sentinel moved fast. It spun around and swung for Eli in an instant. The young boy backed away, but he was too slow, and he was crushed by the crashing maul.

Cecil’s heart sank when he saw that. He couldn’t even muster up any words of shock. He just stared with round eyes as the spectral sentinel drew back. But then the greater spirit paused when it didn’t see the smashed body of Eli lying there at its feet.

It glanced around in confusion, only to catch a glimpse of Eli standing at the other side of the arena, unharmed. Cecil saw this too and furrowed his brows in confusion.

But the spectral sentinel didn’t wait for an explanation— it just unleashed a wave of flames at Eli, engulfing the young boy. However, as soon as the flames dissipated, its gaze snapped to the side, seeing its target standing unharmed, a dozen feet to the left of where he had been just a second earlier.

And that was when another Eli appeared just to the right of that Eli, followed by another to the left, and another behind the greater spirit. The spectral sentinel stumbled back, looking at this scene in sheer confusion.

Dozens of figures flashed into existence all around the arena. Each of them resembled Eli, all carrying out the same motions, as if they were casting a spell. The wounds on their bodies continued to heal, and they took in a deep breath.

“What is going on?” Julie asked, glancing around quizzically.

Cecil could only stare uncomprehendingly with her. “I… I don’t know…”

The spectral sentinel just roared and swung around wildly, destroying the various figures of Eli in the arena. And as it struck them, Cecil watched as their figures shattered into thousands of shards like they were made of glass.

No— like they were made of mirrors.

Wait, if none of them are real, then where is the real Eli? Cecil wondered as the spectral sentinel continued to rampage through the reflections of the young boy.

But then Cecil paused when he spotted Archdeacon Emmett from the corner of his eye. The elderly man was looking up towards the sky, ignoring the scene down below. Cecil followed Emmett’s gaze, before pausing at what he saw.

Up there, above the arena, standing on a glass-like platform made from light, was Eli. He had his hands outstretched, conjuring up a [Greater Fireball] once more. Except, it wasn’t exactly a [Greater Fireball]. Because, instead of bright orange flames, it was a shining silver fire.

“What is that?”

Cecil watched as the flames coalesced into a sphere that grew larger and larger, becoming even larger than an ordinary [Greater Fireball]. All the while, the spectral sentinel destroyed the last of the fake reflections of the young boy down below. It paused when it stared down at one of the broken shards lying on the ground, reflecting light from above.

The greater spirit spun around and looked into the sky, realizing what was going on. But it was already too late.

“I win,” Eli said.

And he unleashed the silver fireball shot down into the spectral sentinel as Cecil and the rest of the class looked on in shock, before a powerful explosion completely enveloped the greater spirit, before filling the magical dome encasing the battle with a brilliant white light.

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