Arena Thirty: Foul Restrictions IV

After showing us the core laws, Kain explained each law a bit before turning off the screen.

"Well, that covers the basic parts. Any questions?"

No one has had any questions so far. It was understandable, because the lesson was fairly easy. Too easy, in fact. I had expected something harder, but was a bit disappointed at the lesson itself.

Perhaps the other students were thinking the same. As if understanding our mood, Kain chuckled.

"You are thinking this is too easy? Well, maybe. Because this slide was made after compressing seven hundred pages and simplifying them to this point, until only seven paragraphs remained. In the coming days, you'd have to memorize around seven thousand pages, so look forward to that!"

Hearing his words, everyone stiffened. Some even looked at Kain with terror. Some looked ready to cry.

Well, as expected of a top-ranking academy, I guess...

"Well, anyhow, you can slowly learn. You don't need to think so hard about it right now. Your next class will be separate based on whether you are a Battle-type or a Support-type, so go to your respective rooms. Battle-types will go to room 101 downstairs, and Support-types will go to room 104."

Saying that, Kain yawned and gestured towards the door. But then suddenly, he turned towards me and announced.

"Arnold Tilgen, you have been classified as a Battle-type, so go to room 101."

"A-ah, okay, teacher."

I nodded. I already knew that I would get classified as a battle type, so was there any need to announce it?

Sighing, I left the classroom with other Battle-types. The other classes also joined us soon, and the large hall became crowded again.

I shoved my way through the crowd to Room 101. The room was fairly large, larger than the one I was in, but it still didn't have enough capacity to hold more than two hundred students who had gathered inside.

The room got filled up pretty quickly, with students pushing each other to get some space to breathe. I was no exception.

It felt kind of odd that a large, renowned academy would force so many students into one single room.

As if to reply to my suspicions, the floor suddenly started shaking. Then the whole floor started moving downwards like an elevator. The students quieted down as the floor moved through a dark, narrow place.

Soon, the elevator reached the bottom of the tunnel. The first thing I noticed was the gigantic metal door towering above us. The gigantic door on the wall slowly opened, revealing a brightly lit area in front of us.

Hesitantly, the students stepped forward, entering the white light in front of them. As my eyes adjusted with the light, I finally realized what this place was.

'A goddamn arena..."

The countless seats surrounding the platform, the screens floating overhead, the bright lights around us, the high ceiling that looked unreachable... It was a stadium. A theatre for fighting.

"Welcome to the Colosseum, students."

A voice welcomed us. Looking forward, we found a woman in a white lab coat. Her long brunette hair was tied into a ponytail, while her tanned skin was covered with bruises and cuts. Her aura was that of a warrior, yet the mismatched white lab coat made her look like a scientist or researcher at best.

The other students were also had similarly confused looks. Seeing that, the woman sighed and explained.

"This lab coat is my skill. I can't teach without it."

Her explanation made partial sense, as I didn't understand how can her skill materialize as a lab coat of all things. But then again, my own skill summoned completely built weapons, so I shouldn't even be surprised.

"Anyhow, my name is Erika. Just call me 'Instructor'. A pleasure to meet you all."

Unlike her aura, her voice was gentle. Her hazel eyes looked at us with curiosity, and for a moment, they stopped on my face, before moving away.

It seemed that the teachers already knew about my circumstances more or less. Though, whether that was a good thing or not was an entirely different question.

"I already have your skills here, so you don't need to explain them. Just show me."

Erika brought out a tablet from inside her coat pocket and showed it to us. Then, she started calling the names of the students in alphabetical order.

One by one, the students before me showed off their skills. Most were generic skills that increased their accuracy or reloading speed, though some were unique, for example, controlling the trajectory of the shot bullets, or controlling several weapons at once. However, all of them had a clear limit, with most failing to maintain their skills for more than a minute.

Finally, my turn came. As I stepped in front of the group, Erika narrowed her eyes and read my name aloud just like she had with the students before me.

"Arnold Tilgen... Grade A... Skill rank A... Hm... Demonstrate."

"Understood."

I took a deep breath and spread out my hands.

As I was about to activate the skill, Erika suddenly whispered.

"Don't try to hide anything, boy."

Hearing that, I decided to discard my plans of limiting what I was about to show.

[Aether: Summoning]

Suddenly, two vortexes appeared near my hands.

Without any words, I looked at Erika.

She narrowed her eyes further as she put the tablet inside her coat.

"Arnold Tilgen, I authorize your actions. Attack me with all you got."

"Understood, Instructor."

I took another deep breath before gesturing my hands forward. In the corner of my eyes, I found my status bar. After seeing all the bars full, I decided to pull the most powerful weapon.

"Come, Helios."

I decided to bring out a replica of the well-familiar giant. Almost immediately, my MP decreased by 80%.

Instead, the vortexes joined together creating an enormous warp hole.

And from inside that hole, came out a silver-red Regalia. But unlike the actual one, there was no cockpit, nor there were any sensors on its eyes. It looked like a hollow form of its true self. As it stepped forward, the whole arena shook. Ignoring the wide-eyed, surprised Erika, I issued the command. I felt extremely happy, seeing the terror in her face. Something snapped inside me at that moment.

I felt satisfied. I felt proud.

"Fire."

With my command, the Regalia lowered its arms, and the armour on its back opened with a hiss.

Two thin railguns appeared on its back from inside its chassis. The railguns aimed at the woman in front of them with a buzz. A blue orb of energy appeared in front of their barrels, before shooting out at an amazing speed.

Finally, Erika snapped out of her shock. She immediately spread her hands in front of her body.

[Gaia: Mother's Warmth]

Just as she spoke out the command, the projectiles hit her.

A loud explosion made the ground tremble as the projectiles hit an invisible barrier just before hitting Erika. The barrier shone brightly as it held the projectiles at one place until they lost their velocity before disappearing completely.

The smoke soon cleared out, revealing an unharmed but extremely haggard Erika. Her breathing was rough, and she looked like she will fall at any point.

So... I decided to end her. Her pitiful existence. Her weak self.

"Fire."

Yet, before I could command again, she gave the command. The barrier shined brightly in response before shooting out two beams at an astonishing pace.

The beams hit the copy of Helios hard, punching two holes through its chest region and head. The giant stood there silently for a few moments, then broke apart into particles and disappeared.

"Hah... Hah... Good job, Arnold Tilgen."

Erika smiled like a devil. Suddenly, I felt dizzy. Before I could realize it, my hands and legs were shaking. Not from fear of the woman in front of me, but from realization.

I was about to kill a human. I was about to commit an unforgivable crime.

And if she hadn't stopped the projectiles, I would have killed her and would have been... Proud. I would have turned into a monster.

I trembled before kneeling on the ground.

"Ugh..."

I vomited. My eyes became blurry, my mind went blank.

I felt disgusted.

"It seems that you have come back to your senses, Arnold."

Erika's words shook me. Had she seen through me from the very beginning?

"I..."

I muttered, wiping the vomit from my mouth. I looked at the teacher standing before me, and apologized.

"I'm... Sorry."