Chapter 27: Clash of Swords

We all walked towards the gates of the school. Lilith also came with us while Kyron watched from his hospital room. Kyron fought to regain his consciousness in the night as we prepared for our own fights.

"You ready?"

"Yes Lilith I am."

"Let's see how this turns out." I said as I watched the audience already chanting Arthur's name in the distance.

"You already know the outcome."

"I know but it's better to see it."

"Well anyways wish us luck."

We waved as we watched Arthur and Apophis proceed towards Hall 3-A4.

"They're fighting them."

"I know."

Aulixio Lichter Sereno and Aldith Callyxto Dravin. Coincidentally, all of their names start with an 'A'-Arthur, Apophis, Aldith and Aulixio. Most of Arthur's power is concealed at this current moment so there will be a good fight today. Wait...No... He's here as well...He wasn't joking...Thanatos Almas Laurier...you really came. He knew that code. If he knew he was definitely part of it and the only ones to know was the 7th-9th generation. No...I left them only a few years ago meaning if he knows then he was in the early generation. 70,000? The capacity of the generations were 10,000 and after we killed 20,000 there was 50,000 left so he could be talking about the First Generations. The Omegas above the Alphas, Betas, Gammas and Deltas and even beyond the grandmasters of them, Epsilon and Omicron. The First Generations consisted of those classes with only seven children left. He was definitely part of them, the True Prodigies. The First Generations, the true devils of beings of this era. Wait...Why am I forgetting the most crucial thing of all? He shouldn't have remembered. Why does he remember? He can't have. No it can't be. He knows. I don't remember any of their names. I only remember six not the seventh. Looks like it did a number on me then.

I can't remember who Thanatos is, I know the name but I cannot recall a face to match the name. Even after I have seen his face I cannot match a face to it. Questions ran through my mind only to be disturbed by an annoying individual, my sister.

"Arthur is going to fight now we should get going Laertes."

"You guys go on ahead I'll catch up."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure, go on."

I waited until the others left me. Lilith turned to see me as if checking on me as I stared back. She entered the gates and turned to the right, I couldn't see her as a walk was blocking my vision. I turned around and walked towards a restaurant. I sat down and ordered my meal and waited, waited for him. After a few minutes of waiting, my order nor the person I was waiting for arrived. I felt a great surge of annoyance build up inside me. The feeling grew taking over my body like a plague until he arrived.

"What took you so long?"

"I didn't expect you to wait-"

"Thank you, how much will that be?" I said to the waitress who handed my food.

"I'll send a cheque to the student council." She said as she bent over and placed the plates on the table.

"Thank you." I said as the waitress turned around to serve someone else.

"She looks nice."

"What's wrong with you?"

"I'm a growing man. Her brown hair... It's so irresistible."

"The food?"

"What? No. WAIT A MINUTE! YOU ORDERED FOOD!"

"Oh shut up and tell me why you asked to meet."

"As you know I am joining this school and this mini tournament looks like a great even to compete in so...Lose this and you know what happens."

"Don't push your luck and try threatening me, trust me it will not end good."

"I'll test my luck and will threaten you."

"Why do you despise me much?"

"I'm sure by now you've figured out my origins, now think of every event that was caused in that place, that includes the ones you didn't cause."

"Giving me homework are you? That ended about a thousand years ago."

"Levantes, it looks like you haven't realised what exposing you would do. You know by saying that code everyone will remember."

"Fine then, I'll play this game with you." I said as Thanatos got up and was about to head back to the tournament. "Don't touch any of them, I'm warning you."

Thanatos stopped then continued to return back to the tournament.

Apophis, he is definitely going to use her like my brother. She's not the best as I have Pandora and Arthur.

I finished my meal and left the restaurant. I walked towards the gate, after reaching the gate I searched for my sister and the others.

"What took you so long the match almost started?"

"I had things to attend to Cynthia. Where's Themis?"

"He's gone with Pandora, he went yesterday just after Pandora went." Iris said.

"I wonder what's going on in that family." Lilith said.

"For now let's worry about Arthur's match." Cynthia said.

"Round 43 of the Tournament: Arthur Apollinaris and Apophis Dul'Mephisto are going against Alulixio Lichter Sereno and Aldith Callyxto Dravin." Tartarus announced.

Arthur's perspective

I tossed the coin into the air and caught it, I repeated this multiple times until the announcement ended.

"Heads or tails?"

"What?"

"Heads or tails?"

"Why are you doing this here?"

"Choose."

"Fine then...Heads."

I tossed the coin into the air but it didn't come back down.

"What happened to the coin?"

"It'll come back."

I placed my hand infront of me. The ground rumbled as what looked like guardians with large greatswords emerge from the ground.

"I'm more pissed than usual today Apophis, try do anything and I swear I'll erase you."

Cynthia's missing and this is the only thing that is keeping me company, anyone who messes this up for me is getting killed. 40km, 8 o'clock, traveling at around 6km per second from leaping it must be Aldith, he breathes around 16 times a minute whereas Aulixio breathes 12 times per minute, both at around 14 decibels.

I kicked a tree enough to crack the trunk but not make it fall.

Should be enough.

I then waited on a small boulder for my enemies, with the crown in my hand.

Finally.

Aulixio emerged from the bushes and quickly charged with his sword.

"Excalibur."

A sword stopped Aulixio in her tracks.

"Where's the other one?" I said as I walked towards Excalibur and then held it in my hands while it printed to the ground.

"Arthur, I will win this round even if it takes my life."

"Why?"

"I wasn't blessed like you with great power."

"You are from nobility, do not be go astray Aulixio."

"Well I will win, as you cannot hit a girl can you?"

"Times have changed." I said as I punched her causing her to be thrown back destroying the landscape. She was being dragged in the ground through the forest by the sheer impact of my punch.

Laertes is stronger. I'll hold back for this one. No need to go full out now.

I flew towards where Aulixio layed.

"Are you fine?"

"Sure." She said as she spat out blood.

"Ugh, Flat."

"Insulting my lack of breasts, that's not very manly."

"I couldn't care less what you or society thinks." I said as I gestured to help her up with my hand.

She took the gesture and helped herself up.

"Thanks-"

I then grabbed her shirt and threw her into the sky. I watched as she flew across the sky like a shooting star. I then leapt towards her and punched her causing her to be plummeted into the ground.

Onto the next one then.

I heard the clash of swords somewhere in an open landscape surrounded by trees.

"I'm still alive."

I whipped my head around to find Aulixio behind me with her longsword piercing my throat while she somehow remained unscathed.

"Pestering insects." I said as I drew my sword at hit Aulixio's sword away.

Our swords clashed as we took attacks at each other only to be defended.

Her swordsmanship is on par with my own. I'm sure she would loose against Laertes without him even trying but being on my level is no easy feat.

We then attacked each other with more speed now. Our attacks were so fast only people who could go at around 400 billion times the speed of light could only see the flash of the blade of the sword.

"I underestimated you, I'll go a little harder now."

I increased my attack speed as well as its strengths. It was clear Aulixio was struggling to keep up but she still stood, not backing down.

"Let me join the party!"

From the corner of my eye I could see an unconscious Apophis and a raging Aldith charging towards me with his longsword.

Why did they give me such a useless partner?

As Aldith was about to penetrate my body with his longsword I teleported behind him and punched him into Aulixio. With that and tried stabbing them but Aldith defended while also being on top of Aulixio.

"Flat."

Aulixio slapped Aldith. With the impact Aldith had a bit of aerial time until he came plummeting towards Aulixio. Aulixio kicked Aldith towards me. I watched Aldith's body almost fly towards me, without hesitation I dodged while also piercing is spinal cord. Aulixio had used Aldith as a distraction as I now found her sword pierce my back. I felt the blade in my back and as she pulled the sword out I felt a warm sensation but also a hot, stinging one.

Why isn't it healing?

"You're probably wondering why you aren't healing?"

"WHAT THE F*CK DID YOU DO YOU B***H?!"

"Hold your horses Arthur. I only have a mere skill attached to my sword. You see having cancelled your regeneration really is useful. Now you are nothing but a mere mortal."

I felt her blade pierce my very back.

No. No. No. No. No. I can't lose. Not now.

"EXCALIBUR!!"

There was a sudden silence. The breeze became a cold wind.

"What did you do?!"

Suddenly, metal could be heard hit the grass and trees. Aulixio whipped her head around to find the noise.

"This is one of my aces."

Now the air was filled with multiple Excaliburs raining down from the dark sky.

"No." Aulixio said as her smile vanished from her face along with hope.

"Checkmate."

Aulixio ran for safety covering her self with large, strong barriers but they were no use. Excalibur pierced her barriers as if they were paper. Now the Excaliburs surrounded Aulixio like a cage, trapped like a rabbit. I ripped the sword out and stabbed it in the grass. I walked towards the trapped Aulixio and watched the ray of hope leave her very soul.

"I forfeit just please, don't do anything to me." She said as tears formed and rolled down her cold cheeks.

"Well that's how it ends then."

"Winner of 43: Arthur Apoll-"

In the middle of the announcement a tree broke, usually a tree breaking is not anything to look at or look for but, where this tree was about land was not somewhere a trapped girl like Aulixio who was limited from using any magic due to Excaliburs aura. In other words this meant that her immortality is gone so she is about experience death.

Well shit. Looks like it then.

I held the tree with my telekinesis. Aulixio got up from her guard (crawling up into a ball) and so a gigantuous tree hovering in the air.

"Erase." The tree then was erased.

Sereno, a family of nobles in the Elf Kingdom dating before the Primordials.

I returned Excalibur back to its original state so every one of its clones vanished. Aulixio dropped on the ground and looked at me. I looked back to see not a face of someone who just lost an important tournament but a face that showed a near death experience. Trauma. Trauma haunts anyone until death and Aulixio finally has a traumatic experience which will scar her for life and me saving her life will not be dealt lightly. I walked towards Aulixio and gestured to help her up. She didn't respond in the slightest. She didn't even follow me and just watched where I stood. Multiple mages came from behind us all rushing towards the wounded.

"No need. Heal."

Every single organism in a 200m radius was now cured from any disease they had and any injuries were fixed.

"Arthur."

I looked to my left to see Aulixio was finally conscious.

"Arthur, I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I'm sorry for what I did."

"No need, I don't listen or feel anything flat females have to say or do."

"I TAKE BACK WHAT I SAID, GO DIE ARTHUR!"

"I'm just joking." I said while also laughing.

I could tell she wasn't angry with me but I could also tell something is different about her.

Why does this always happen? Even in the mangas I read this thing happens.

"Arthur...do you want to...you know...go eat somewhere later?"

"No, I need to do something."

"Okay then I'll wait."

Ahhhh. Why did this happen? I'm gonna need Laertes to put her in a coma or something because I can't handle this right now.

I walked towards the portal the mages came from and entered it.

Levantes's perspective

Arthur, you've gone weaker since then.

"So what did you think of it?"

"Of what?"

"The fight obviously."

"It's clear that Arthur didn't attack that tree in the beginning for no reason. That same tree was the one that almost fell on Aulixio which also means Arthur wanted it to happen."

"Wow. Even I didn't see that."

"Lilith,please explain how you have an IQ of 630?"

"I'm smart in some stuff you know!"

"Sure."

"The only people smarter than me is you and Arthur."

"You know there's more in the group don't you."

"Well obviously there has to be and you know who don't you?"

"Yeah I do."

"You're not going to tell me as its something I should find out myself."

"You're not stupid after all then."

"Of course I'm not, for the humans back then I would be considered to be beyond genius level."

"I mean you still are considered a genius, the average IQ now for all races is 150-200 while genius level is 300+ and you are in the 0.01% of people with higher than 400."

"Well times have changed."

"I couldn't agree more."

"Laertes."

"What?"

"What was your IQ before that?"

"I'd say about...7,000. Yeah, around 7,000."

"What the hell! That's so high!"

"I was a prodigy."

"Yeah-"

Lilith held her head as if she had a headache but I knew it wasn't, she couldn't even fight it and she couldn't even speak. I held Lilith's shoulders as she bent down holding her head.

"You okay?"

"I'm...fine."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. That word...after hearing it I got a huge migraine of somesort."

"Are you okay then?"

"I'm fine I guess."

"Tell me if it happens again."

"..."

Lilith didn't reply as she would usually so this clearly indicated she is hiding something. She definitely remembered something then, something she can't explain. If she remembers now it'll ruin everything.

"Let's go early then. Longwang."

"Yes my lord." Longwang said as he appeared before me.

"Tell Arthur we're going early and then take us back."

Longwang vanished leaving us.

"You guys alright?"

"Nothing major Iris we're just going to go back early."

"Okay then, bye!"

We walked out of the gates only to be met with the worst case scenario.

"This is not the time Pythius."

"Oh, aren't you going to ask me how I am alive? I see you've brought your sister, how was it Lilith." Pythius said pointing a sword to my neck while Lilith hid behind me.

"Pythius not now."

"Why Levantes? Why? You scared?"

"Give it a rest Pythius."

"Why?"

"Don't piss me off." I said as I held his sword and crumbled it in my hands.

"F-F-Fine then...just go." Pythius said as his voice shaked.

"My lord are you ready?"

"Take us back."

We got on Longwang's back and waited to return back to our house. After we arrived Lilith went straight to her room.

The next round is soon. My turn then.