039 Three's a Crowd

Anya and Jack stood on the opposite end of the Student Hall's battle court. Anya held onto a 50cm short sword while Jack carried a 30cm Bowie knife they have loaned out from the student hall.

Ashe, Vincent and Xavier watched from the side. Xavier prepared his his journal and quill to record the match.

"I guess I will officiate this match," said Nico. Ashe would probably be biased and Vincent was being Vincent. "On the count of three. One, two, THREE!"

Exactly on the third count, Anya released a spell. Jack was momentarily confused. It gave Anya enough time to charge directly at him.

"Is that a spell?" Nico wondered why Jack didn't attack.

"It looks like a Scramble spell," said Ashe. "It's use to delay an opponent attack."

As Anya slash across, Jack instintly dodged to the left right before impact.

Anya continuously swung her swords.

"Hey! You in the magic branch hack!" Jack shout ed. "Stop attacking with swords!"

Anya continued slashing her swords. "You're an idiot! Who said magician can't fight with weapons!?"

Anya attacked, forcing Jack in the defense position.

"Why isn't Jack fighting back?" asked Ashe.

"The Bowie knife reach is shorter than Anya," Nico explained. "He's surveying Anya fighting style first before attacking."

"He should have picked a longsword."

"He probably never used one before. And besides, Bowie knife is more flexible and fits Jack fighting style. He can't move really quickly with a longsword."

Anya slashed from left to right as Jack dodged with his acrobatic flips.

Nico noticed Anya was using the same attacks. "Why isn't she varying her attacks?"

"She can't, she's in the middle of casting another spell," Ashe replied. "She has to concentrate on that, so it's easier just to default on one move."

Jack suddenly made a strike. He guarded the short sword, and closed in on Anya. Just before he strike, he saw another flash and froze. Anya used the opportunity to strike three times into the force barrier.

Jack cuff turned white.

"Victory for Anya," said Nico.

Jack shook and knocked his head to clear the light spots in his eyes.

"That's so unfair, I felt like I was frozen forever."

"Just two seconds," Anya responded.

"Is it just sort of mind control?"

"Scramble is classified as an illusion spell. I'm not particular good at it yet. I can freeze a person for less than a second if they are far. If it's within range, the spell could last for 2 seconds."

"Wow, that's actually useful," said Nico. "Can you exchange one illusion spell? Let's say for ten manacores?"

Anya laughed. "You know I'll be expelled from the Magic Branch if I do that."

Jack patted Nico on the back. "Good try buddy."

"Well, it was worth a try," Nico was only kidding, but he really wanted to see what an illusion spell could do.

Even then, replicating a spell from sight was difficult. Nico spent a little more than a week watching the manacentipede shoot out poison acid before understanding its structure.

"Hey! Get off the court already!" A group of three green robe students walked along the side of their courtyard.

"Sir Fredrick, we still have 5 minutes left to use the court," Anya eyed them cautiously and responded.

Anya was well aware of Sir Fredrick reputation. He was regular on the second floor, but due to the combat team tryouts, many students had been reserving the courts to spar and practice.

"Oh, well, well, isn't it miss Anya?" Rooney, one off Sir Fredrick's entourage, leered.

"I heard you have made it on the combat tryout team as well," Sir Fredrick commented as he surveyed Anya's body. "I wonder what sort of favors you had to give for that position."

Anya shivered.

"If you don't mind, we would like some of the favors," said Salaon.

"How about a three-way or four-way?" Sir Fredrick added.

"F*** off Fredrick," Ashe jumped down the battle court.

"Oh, the sissy boy is here too," Sir Fredrick smirked. "I guess sticking with the lesser humans make you feel high and mighty now."

"And how is the great Sir Fredrick feel being on the first floor? It seems you have the short end of the stick if you couldn't even reserve a court on the second floor," Ashe sneered.

"At least I can go in and out freely. I can't say the same about a wimp who is too afraid to enter the 2nd floor."

"It's time, we should leave," Anya whispered to everyone.

"Hey! How about a spar!?" Jack unexpectedly proposed to Sir Fredrick.

"A spar? Hmm... What's the term?" asked Sir Fredrick.

"A 3 vs 3 matchup," Jack suggested. "If we win, all of you will have to kneel and we get your hour slot for the court. If you win, we will kneel and won't ever use the court again. How about it?"

The roommates were surprised at Jack suggestion.

"I'm in," Ashe didn't have any objection.

"Nico, Vincent, are you in?" asked Jack.

Vincent shook his head from the side. He had never sparred with them before, and he wasn't likely to join.

"Why should I?" Nico shrugged, he was sure it was better for Anya to thrash those guys. "Anya should join."

Nico also thought the three of them could handle Sir Fredrick and his goons.

"Me?" Anya was unsure if she could handle sparring against green robed students. She haven't sparred against people she didn't know too well.

"You can do it!" Nico cheered.

Vincent and Xavier clapped.

Jack and Ashe both nodded.

"All right then," Sir Fredrick nodded. "We need some punching bags for our practice, you better keep your word about kneeling at the end."

Sir Fredrick wondered if Baron Randall will award him with something if he knew Ashe bowed down to him.

Jack, Ashe and Anya all gathered near the weapon rack to discuss their strategy.

"Fredrick specializes in spear art, so we have a disadvantage right off the bat with range," Ashe knew them the best, and took the lead over strategizing the fight. "Salaon is a decent hammerhead user, but he's slow. Rooney can cast spells quickly, but his waterblast is pretty weak. You don't have to focus much on avoiding his spells."

Ashe explained to them their attack plans.

Jack nodded.

Ashe looked at Anya. "Are you good?"

"I'll try," Anya nodded.

They requested an instructor to officiate the match. A small crowd of students approached to watch the fight.

"Ooh, interesting, a group match." As the students talked, more gathered.

"Hm... Between green robes students too! You don't see this too often on the first floor!"

On the court, Anya and Jack stood in front and Ashe remained in the rear. Sir Fredrick, Salaon, and Rooney stood in vertical position, with Rooney, the magician, in the rear.

The instructor gave the signal. "Go!"

Anya and Jack both rushed toward Sir Fredrick. Sir Fredrick held his ground.

Rooney rapidly shot several waterblasts toward Jack and Anya. They effortlessly blocked the blasts.

As Jack closed in the front line, he stabbed his knife directly toward Sir Fredrick.

Sir Fredrick jumped backward before impact, allowing Salaon to charge in from the right, pinching Jack in between. Ashe's fireball stopped Salaon attack. Jack sidestepped to the left and countered Salaon.

Anya focused her attention on Sir Fredrick, continuously slashing him.

Jack knocked Salaon down and charged toward Rooney, took a hit from the waterblast and dismantled the fleeing Rooney.

Anya slashes were inactive against Fredrick spear. She Scrambled him quickly and attacked several times.

"You bitch!" Sir Fredrick broke from the spell and thrust his spear into Anya.

Anya was in a bad position. Ashe aimed a fireball directly at Sir Fredrick. The fireball damaged the force barrier, but it wasn't enough to stop him.

Sir Fredrick overpowered Anya.

Anya's cuff turned white.