The Strongest Of The Academy

Standing up and stretching his body, Cyrus reflected on his battle whilst watching Caliban be carried away.

"The element of surprise and war of information even during a small scale battle, how important it is indeed. At least until I expand my combat abilities, keeping things secret seems to be the way to go…but how boring. How dull, how uninteresting. I want to stand at the top of this Academy, looking down on everyone below me and constantly being pressured to improve so that I may survive anything the future has to throw at me" thought Cyrus, his obsession rearing its head slightly after so long.

"Although I wonder what people will think of Ares, perhaps I can convince them that I really do have a god of war behind me? Heheh, although I hope a competent member of the Tower approaches me so I can see what kind of benefits I can wrench out of them in return for my 'spell' I made…although it is impossible for them to replicate unless they are me."

Thinking such insidious and somewhat petty thoughts, Cyrus finished stretching and sat down once again.

Looking onward with excited eyes as the number one student in the entire Academy walked up to his ring and sat down in front of him.

Primus Luxman Custodio, the one who the Academy deemed to be worthy of representing their school as the best of the best. He was a rather plain looking man upon first glance, donning a brown robe that looked extremely worn. His eyes were a dull brown and his hair unimpressive and patchy with an equally uninteresting greyish black color. Yet there was something that made him stand apart from anyone else in the Academy that he had ever seen, for on his chest was the patch that was usually empty for mere students. The same area where official mages Adept and above would have their rank in the form of the Tower of Babel's insignia. He had no such thing, thankfully else Cyrus would have surrendered then and there, but next to the area was another equally worrying symbol:

A black eye open wide, the symbol for the ever watching and ever present Inquisition...

Neither of them saying anything to the other, they reached out their hands and entered the fictional world.

--

Luxman looked at Cyrus, his eyes slowly gaining color and lucidity as he breathed in the air around him. His entire person went from plain and ordinary to radiant and bright. His features did not change whatsoever, but Cyrus could feel the weight of…something emanating from him.

Spreading his hands forth Luxman said, "I am the top of this academy, that which serves the Empire by training the next generation of mages to serve its glory."

Several daggers were thrown in response, but with a kick to the ground a thin wall of earth sprung up and blocked each and every one.

"To defeat me petty tricks will not work, you must fight me like a true man of the Empire and its tactics. And what is the most tried and true tactic of our glorious nation? Overwhelming force. "

Punching his fist forward and into the rock wall he had created a chunk of it was sent flying with enough force to surely decapitate anyone who found themselves in its path.

"I can see the wickedness inside of you, the lack of care, of empathy…but most importantly: A lack of loyalty to that which allows you to even live. Such a man like you, will never best me and my unshakeable faith. Praise be the Emperor!"

Having cried out his passionate speech he began to advance, with each step an earthen wall was raised and punched to create projectile after projectile.

Unable to deflect or counter such an attack Cyrus was left with no other choice but to dodge around pathetically, "He commands the earth with such power and precision, getting near him haphazardly is suicide. I suppose it's time to test out the full might of my servant."

Thus he stood perfectly still and even sheathed his weapon, turning towards the projectiles with his arms crossed while he called for his eternal servant.

"Ares."

Just like with what happened with Caliban, the shadows behind him trembled and out came a bony arm that smashed all the rocks in front of him into pieces.

Fully revealing himself to all who were watching, Ares fully escaped from the shadows and stood tall behind Cyrus.

On his back was a bag of bone spears and in his hand was his favored great sword, an immense hulking weapon that weighed enough to squish a child with its sheer weight.

Moving the weapon upwards and into both of his hands, he held it to his right side facing the heavens. The very image of a proud and strong soldier, but this was no respectable member of the living but a vicious and uncaring cruel entity of destruction and pure evil.

Luxman looked upon the figure of that which was summoned out of seemingly nothing, his expression turning grim for a moment before going back to neutral, "As expected, using such putrid means to obtain power. No respect for the living, no respect for humanity…how could you ever respect the Empire?"

Cyrus was getting a little annoyed by all this preaching, having always preferred cold hard rationality instead and so was goaded into replying, "All that matters is who is left standing in the end. Your faith has no weight, unless it is backed up by the strength to crush all who would oppose it."

With that said he established a connection to Ares in front of him, attaching a thin but constant stream of life essence for him to consume and use as fuel for the fight, and ordered him to crush his enemy.

Ares' eyes flickered in excitement upon receiving the order and with steps that started slow but rapidly exceeded even Cyrus' top speed, he moved towards the prey before him.

Luxman was unmoved, "Let us see how you fare when I break this toy of yours," said he as he crouched towards the ground putting his hands on it and then slowly standing back up with his arms stretched out. He looked like he was bearing a great weight, his hands trembling and sweat pouring down his face in a rapid stream.

The effect of his movements soon became obvious as the ground in front of him raised suddenly and quickly. A massive wall was erected under the disbelieving eyes of Cyrus and all the spectators that had not yet the pleasure of seeing this impossible student in action.

The wall was 10 meters long and 2 meters thick, a scale and scope that could perhaps be worthy of a small frontier village.

"The most beautiful of things, the Imperial Wall. Protecting its citizens from the dangers lurking in the countryside, but it can also be regarded as a mighty weapon against invaders" said Luxman as he walked up to the wall he had created and climbed a small set of stairs he had fashioned.

Looking down and over at the battlefield he saw the charging Ares heading straight towards him. He held his hands out as if he were in deep prayer and kneeled down, even closing his eyes completely.

"Emperor" cried Luxman, tears streaming down his face, "Inspire me, guide me, and deliver me victory through my unbending faith."

Cyrus saw a golden light began to emanate from Luxman's body. Such a light was familiar, all too familiar, as the power and majesty he had seen it emanate in the Labyrinth was something he would never forget.

Clicking his tongue and turning the trickle of power he was sending Ares into a wide river, he muttered, "Of course he can use that power, what a cheat."

The power that Ares was now receiving was able to be turned into a disposable fuel source, allowing him free reign of his soul manipulation abilities temporarily without running himself dry.

Such a boost in ability was something that was direly needed, for the wall began to tremble in its entirety and chunks of rock began to shoot out of it one at a time. Their destination, of course, being Ares that was closing the distance.

"From the wall its defenders can safely shoot those that which would invade it" began Luxman, slowly standing up once more and revealing a rippling golden light that was contained within his eyes.

His words appeared to have some kind of effect on reality as the rate of fire from the wall began to increase, causing Ares to have to begin to deflect them with his great sword as well as increase his power output to dodge larger ones.

While the attacks annoyed both Ares and Cyrus, as well as drained their limited fuel source, it was not powerful enough to truly threaten Ares.

"But of course, some fiends will not be silenced by simple ranged fire. Glorious melee combat is often required, the Emperor's favored weapon of war."

A golden light gathered on his outstretched palms, which he threw into the air in front of him and it descended onto the ground in front of him like a gentle rain.

Wherever it landed the ground began to move and swell, causing the earth to raise once more. This time, however, it was not a wall that rose but colossal constructs vaguely in the shape of men.

Twelve of them were raised and on their misshapen heads golden light glowed, right where the eyes of a man would be.

Picking themselves out of the ground they advanced forward, right for the fast-approaching Ares.