Brothers at arms

Zagritz looked at his little brother, preparing to fight, and was quite astonished by this turn of events.

"That's strange. He used to be a quivering coward who could barely speak a coherent sentence without tripping over his own words. But now he's confident enough to fight me, with all these eyes watching? Zaine, just what happened to you?" Zagrits thought to himself

"Alright, if you're so adamant on fighting me, I'm sure you don't mind losing" Zagrits stated.

"Not happening, 'bro'" Zaine responded. From the way he now carries himself, as well as his speech and tone of voice, it's clear that Luka's presence has had an influence on him, and in an unexpectedly positive way.

As Luka walked out of the way, the brothers' fight began.

Zagritz almost instantly made multiple magic circles, and Zaine responded in kind.

However, Zagritz's attack overpowered Zaine's and sent him flying back. Zaine was quick to regain footing and return to attacking, sending multiple lightning attacks his brother's direction, all of which were countered when Zagritz used wind magic to redirect the blasts, all while maintaining a straight face. Two large icicles emerge diagonally from Zagritz's left and right, both of which he blocks using a force field barrier.

"I see" Zagritz thought "Zaine can use basic spells without a chant or a declaration. This requires a lot of skill. I hate to admit it, but he's improved…. However, it will not be enough."

A wave of ice rushed towards Zaine. He was then seemingly dealt a direct blow and encased in ice.

"It's like I told you, Younger Brother" Zagritz proclaimed. "You don't have the skills to be a worthy mage". Right as he said that, the Ice nearest ti Zagritz broke open as his little brother burst out of it, surprising the older. Zaine made a split second decision to encase himself in fire magic as to not get frozen over. This made it look like he was trapped in the ice, allowing him to tunnel through the ice, unbeknownst to his brother, and take advantage of the opening.

"Greater Fire Magic: Prideful Soul Scorch!" He cried as he send a beam of fire to his brother. The eldest Belamond wasn't going to allow this attack, though. He used wind magic to block the onslaught, leaving him unguarded against a physically enhanced surprise attack from Zaine.

Zaine leaped in an attempt to land a hit on his brother, but Zagritz dodged the attack, leaving Zaine with no footing, and an opening.

"You should know, younger brother. If you simply plan on taking me on with nothing more than these childish party tricks, you will never beat me." Zagritz claimed with a monotone voice and straight face. This statement only angered Zaine more as he gets pushed back by wind magic.

A large magic circle appears under Zagritz, followed by Zaine shouting "Greater Earth Magic: Wrath of the Desert!". Zagritz is then surrounded by many long, sand-made hands and the floor of the stadium is covered with sand.

"Force Magic: Quake" Zagritz said, causing seismic pulses throughout the floor if the colosseum and dispelling the earth magic in the process. This pushed Zaine to counterattack with the same spell, breaking the floor of the stadium. Zaine exploited the change in the terrain in order to launch another attack.

"Greater Ice Magic: Ice-born Dragon's fury!" Zaine shouted as a dragon shaped beam of ice flew towards his adversary. The oldest was out in a position where he couldn't dodge in time. As a result he decided to reinforce his right hand with magic and stop the attack with his hand. While he was pushed back quite a bit, he ended up crushing the beam of ice, only to be greeted by Zaine, ready with another, faster, surprise attack using Physical enhancement magic.

"Wow, bro" Zaine said, grinning condescendingly. "Did a party trick make you move from where you were standing this whole fight?"

"He caught me off guard, and on top of that actually beat me in a battle of power. Even if it was but a minor victory." Zagritz thought to himself. "His coordination skills might be troublesome"

Zaine is about to land his punch, Zagritz uses wind magic to attack back. However, Zagritz only sees a small hole in the ground, only to realise Zaine used Levitation to quickly move to his other side.

"Physical Enhancement Magic: Warlord's Hammer!" Zaine cried as he connected a punch to his brother's left arm and sending him to the other side of the ring, and almost out of bounds. "Dammit! I was so close to getting him out!" He thought.

"Curious" Zagritz thought. "That hit actually did a bit of damage. Not enough to break my arm, but it wasn't weak by any means. He truly is determined to beat me and become a mage… which is all the more reason I have to crush that determination at all costs!"

Zagritz threw both his hands in the air. "I'll admit it, Zaine…" Zagritz said. "You're not as weak as I initially took you for. I also understand that if I don't take you seriously from here on out, I'll lose. Now witness the full extents of my power".

The fight officially got serious as Zagritz fired multiple Greater Wind Magic spells, causing Zaine to use greater ice magic to form a wall to block the attacks and move forward towards Zagritz. The older brother rushed to the middle before declaring his next spell.

"Greater Earth Magic: Earth's finger" he declared as a large rectangular pillar of earth formed beneath him, taking him skyward.

"Get back here!" Zaine shouted as he flew up in pursuit of him. Zaine then looked up to see dozens of magic circles at the peak of this pillar where Zagritz was.

"Oh no!" Viktor shouted in panic from the seats. "Zagritz lured him into a trap!"

"Good luck escaping this." Zagritz said before declaring his multicast attack. "Multicast…. Weapon Creation Magic: Lustrous Spear". As he said that, all the magic circles generated shining and clearly durable spears which all fell down towards the ground. However, Zaine remained strong, using his flying skills to narrowly evade the downpour of weapons.

"Hm. How persistent." Zagritz said. "I guess I'll have to use more extreme measures. Greater Vegitation Summon Magic: Thrornbladed Vinegard. Greater Water Summon Magic: Poseidon's Soldier."

There are many spells in this world and many offshoots of these spells. As a result of spell offshoots, there are many different kinds of magic within a magic type. One involves the creation of creatures made entirely of magic, under the control of the caster. These creatures are called 'Summoned Beasts' and the kind of magic used to summon them is a called a Summon Magic, which can come in many magic types. The two spells Zagritz Belamond casted created a Large, Muscular, Humanoid warrior with a thorn-like blade coming out of its wrists and vines covering most of its body and a Knight made completely of water respectively.

The Summoned Beasts rushed down the earth pillar and began to rush Zaine with a flurry of attacks. Zaine used physical enhancement in order to level the playing field. The Vinegard used its blade to try and a slice Zaine, but he jumped over the attack and followed up with a row d house kick, to its face. He dodged an incoming slash attack from the knight. However, the Vinegard used vines if its creation to climb towards Zaine and punch him. However, the heat of the battle had taken over Zaine, giving him a state of enhanced focus and precision, needed to counteract this onslaught. With this mental state, Zaine managed to take a page from his brother's book and catch the punch, reinforcing his hand with magic, before countering.

"Fire Magic: Pyre" Zaine said. The fire burned the Vinegard as he became a fireball falling to the ground. However, he still had the knight to deal with. He tried to gain sone distance by flying, but the knight hanged its sword into a whip and relentlessly bombarded Zaine with attacks . Zaine points at the knight then utters the words: "Explosion Magic: Chain Bomb". A series of explosions decimated the beast. Zaine then drew his attention to his brother, who was preparing an attack. However, he didn't notice what was behind him: a magic circle.

"Greater Earth Summon Magic: Golem!" Zaine cried as a stone golem appeared behind Zagritz, lambing a punch that sent him off the pillar. This attack was followed up by Zaine using Earth Magic on him.

"Earth Magic: Stone Fist!" A large stone fist appeared and attacked Zagritz, sending him flying into the air until he regained his footing using levitation.

The Golem and its master both flew into the air in order to finish Zagritz, but he had them right where he wanted them.

"It's as I said, Zaine. If your strategy is to use silly party tricks, you won't win" Zagritz stated as he used wind magic to blast the Golem away, which worried Zaine. However, what worried him more was when wind began to coalesce into Zagritz's magic circle and large, Brown Wings began to form from behind him.

"Greater Wind Summon Magic: Tyrant Lord of the Skies" Zagritz said as a large bird appeared from behind him. The Lord of the Skies then gave chase to Zaine while carrying Zagritz on its back. The younger brother flew away, but with its speed and the multiple wind based attacks, it began gaining on the boy.

"Now, Golem!" Zaine shouted as the golem, while half destroyed, flew in and punched the bird in the face. The bird then crushed it wit wind magic, but this was the distraction Zaine needed.

"Where is he?" Zagritz questioned.

"Greater Lightning Magic: Crashing Thunderbolts" Zaine said as lightning rained from above, destroying the bird and the earth pillar.

As the two were falling, Zaine used Fire Magic: Smokescreen to blind Zagritz temporarily.

"Nonsense" Zagritz said. He used magic to see through the smoke and find his brother. He then closed the distance and was about to use a spell at point black range before Zaine uttered the words: "Explosion Magic: Self Destruct" blowing himself up and injuring Zagritz in the process. Zagritz then sees his brother, perfectly fine below him.

"He used a clone as a human bomb to catch me off guard? Riffraff."

Zagritz is about to launch an attack but 10 clone Zaines appear from behind him and self destruct simultaneously.

Zaine sighed in relief. However, behind him was Zagritz.

"What?!" Zaine shouted.

"I teleported out of the blast radius" Zagritz responded. "Earth Magic: Stone Fist". A stove fist appeared from the ground, hitting Zaine directly in the stomach, sending him flying back. Zaine was incredibly injured, but still remained fighting. He prepared a punching stance, but Zagritz interrupted.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" Zagritz stated. "Don't think I haven't noticed. All of your physically enhanced punches have had a backlash on your body. You don't have the physical endurance required to use such moves successively without ramifications. You've also been throwing a lot of greater magic around, greatly reducing your MP reserves. You know just as well as I do that you can't go on with this for much longer, especially when you're physically and magically spent. Give up. You don't belong here, and I'd rather not harm you any more than I already have"

The Inventory crew watched from the sidelines. "This is bad" Viktor said. "He's right. Look at him. How could he possibly continue"

Luka scoffs at him. "Do you really doubt my apprentice that much. Just watch."

Zaine was shaking like a leaf, but he then began pounding his legs. "Spare your sentiment, 'bro'" Zaine responded, sending ice rushing towards his brother using Ice Magic: White Moonrise. As Zagritz blocked, A golem formed underneath him and latched onto him, stopping his movements. This allowed Zaine to get in close.

"Greater Physical Enhancement Magic: Hammer Of Judgement!" Zaine connects the attack, but is left in shock and horror as his brother stands there, unfazed. "Impossible…."

"Tell me Zaine…" Zagritz spoke with a serious and straight, yet menacing face. "Did you think you were the only one here who could use Physical Enhancement Magic?"

"Wind Magic: Songbird's Melody!" Zaine tried to fall back, but Zagritz wouldn't have it.

"Not so fast" Zagritz said, grabbing his brothers wrist after crushing the Golem with magic. I'll show you the true difference in our power". A large magic circle appeared in front of him, and the whole stadium knew what it was.

Lucia, Rebecca and Viktor looked in horror. "No! Don't!" They all cried. But it was too late.

"Ultimate Wind Magic: Sky-piercing Gale!" Zagritz shouted, for once, as a large attack was fired at his brother at point blank range. Zaine, however, was barely in front of the boundary line after he was flung back. But he was still standing.

"I see. He used magic in order to enhance his body and counteract a fair bit of my attack. While he is heavily injured now, he was able to escape being knocked out of bounds.

"Alright. That's enough" said Zaine.

"Finally ready to quit?" Zagritz asked?

"Oh I quit a while ago. In fact this whole fight is because I quit" Zaine said, to the confusion of his brother. "My whole life I've tried to make you proud, but all you did was insult me and tell me I'd never amount to anything as a mage. You have know idea how much I tried. But I'm done. I'm done with living my life for your validation. I'm tired of your insults. And I'm tired of you!"

Zagritz stood there for a while before asking "Do you still intend to fight?"

Zaine then begins to smirk. "How about you look up and see if that answers your question".

Zagritz's looked up before his face changed into one of shock. I'm the sky, was an Ultimate Circle.

Luka then began to laugh.

"You were weaving an ultimate array this whole time?!" Zagritz asked, in an uncharacteristically panicked tone.

"Yes. From the start of the battle" Zaine said, as he put his hands together. "Ultimate Ice Magic!"

"Noooo!" Zagritz shouted as he made a large force field around the two of them.

However the circle disappeared. Zagritz then laughed.

"Of course you can't maintain a circle of that size and power! Like I said! You're no mage!" Zagritz mocked while looking up. However he then recieved a physically enhanced punch from Zaine.

"No way… the circle… was all a distraction?" He thought, but his brother opened his fist to show a very small version of the circle that was previously in the sky. "No… he tricked me! I can't dodge"

Zaine then shouted" Ultimate Ice Magic: Frozen World!" Then a wave of ice larger than the very stadium was sent Zagritz's way.

Zaine landed, but then Zagritz broke out of the ice.

"Did you think that was enough to defeat me?!" He shouted. "That was your last ace in the hole and you failed to beat me! This is over-"

"Zagritz…. Is out of bounds!" The announcer said. Zagritz's anger changed to disbelief as he slowly looked down to see that his feet are past the line. He then realised. Zaine's goal was never to beat him, it was to win the match.

"Zaine Belamond has won!"

Everyone cheered as the Inventory crew went to celebrate with Zaine. Luka healed him before saying "Well well well. Looks like big bro lost huh?" To Zagritz mockingly.

"No!" Zagritz shouted. "I don't care if you won! I'll never allow you to join the cour-"

"Unfortunately mr Grand Mage" Luka retorted. "That's no longer your decision to make. Page 51 paragraph 5 section c of the Grand Court of Mages handbook clearly states and I quote: 'should any court mage be defeated in any magic based form of combat by another mage, the losing Court mage must relinquish their seat to the mage they lost to'". As Luka said this, Zagritz was too stunned to speak.

"So in other words, ladies and gentlemen, Zaine here is the Grand Court's new Head Mage!" The audience began to clap as Zaine's face brightened. He then faced his brother who began to cry.

"No… this can't happen" he whimpered. "Zaine! I won't allow it! I won't let you be a mage!"

"Why do you do this, Elder brother?" Zaine asked, sadly. "Why must you always try to interfere with my dreams and ambitions?!"

Zagritz sighed. "I guess there's no hiding it any more" Zagritz said. "When you were very young, our parents died. But I didn't tell you how. They were fighting alongside the last generation's hero. They were mages, like us." The crowd grew silent and Zaine was in shock. "After they died, it was me and you against the world. You were all I had left. You, and the promise I made to our parents".

"What… was the promise?" Zaine asked.

"I promised to do two things. Protect you at all costs, and to never let you become a mage"

Zaine looked in shock. "Why?…"

"Why wouldn't they? It's how they lost their life's. I wanted you to live a normal, peaceful life. Free from all the dangers of battle. So I became a mage and used my power to rise to the pinnacle of power in world of mages: Head Court Mage. I then used my authority to block any and all paths to you becoming a mage. I stopped mage groups from accepting you. I stopped teachers from teaching you. I even stopped any attempt of you trying to rise up the ranks. But you never gave up. You kept trying, so I tried even harder to break your hope. But then you somehow slipped by me when you entered the tournament. You even won the whole thing. I then decided to use my authority to ban you from entering the Court. But your boss here pulled that duel stunt. I figured it was the perfect opportunity. If I rattled you up a bit it may convince you to not be a mage. But now you've won, and now that I'm reduced to a court mage and not head court mage, I can't do a damn thing to stop you. I just hope mother and father can forgive me over in the afterlife"

Zaine was at a loss for words. But Luka was not.

"Out of care for your kid brother's safety, you did everything you could to stop his crazy dream. I see the logic, but it's still a bit stupid" Luka said. "I mean, if he's gotten this far then that means he's strong enough to not need big brother's protection anymore, right. Don't you think that if your parents were around they'd want their kid to fulfil their dreams? That makes more sense to me"

"I see. I'm sorry, brother. I thought what I was doing was right. I always how gifted and talented you were. Youre a great mage, but after our parents… it just couldn't sit right with me. I know you may never forgive me, and that's ok, but ill-" Zaine then interrupted the sentence by hugging his brother and crying.

"Cringe" Luka said.

But that aside, this ended well.

"The next day, the Inventory was back open and due to the Princess and Head Mage present, a large wave of customers barged through the doors. But there was one that took them all by surprise.

"All of you! Get out of my damn way! I'm his big brother!" Zagritz shouted.

Luka and the four employees were confused with Zagritz's presence here.

"Zagritz?" They all said in confusion.

"Hello" Zagritz greeted. "I'm here to apply for a job.".

"Whaaaaat?!" The others said.

"Brother, aren't you still in the Grand Court" newly appointed head mage Zaine asked.

"Well yes, but that's not why I'm here." Zagritz said. "I'm here to keep an eye on you"

"I'm cool with it as long as it's an extra pair of hands stacking shelves" Luka said. "Also…" Luka says, looking at Zagritz. "You seem like the type to attract women. We could use that to get customers.".

"If I can look after my brother I'm down". Clearly they both had their motives.

And so, the brothers not only reconciled but reunite under the Sacred Inventory. Whatever challenges they face from here on out, they face together.