Crackling through the air, this lightning bolt was much more powerful than any other that Darius had thrown out. It was coming towards me at a blistering pace.
I calmly exhaled, emptying my lungs of every ounce of air that I could. I could feel them screaming, begging for me to inhale, providing them with a fresh breath. I suppressed the urge, knowing that any loss of concentration would probably kill me.
Stretching out my left arm, I extended my index and middle finger, leaving the rest clenched in a gentle fist held closed by my thumb. I did the same with my right arm but kept it firmly behind my back.
Dropping into an athletic stand with my feet separated by a bit more than shoulder width, I prepared to welcome the lightning bolt. My left foot was in the front with my right foot in the back.
As it came in, I let the lightning hit my outstretched fingers. I could immediately feel the electricity ravaging my body but I had already been prepared. As soon as it hit me, I guided the mana, slowing it down and letting the strength build up. Controlling someone else's spell was unheard of so this would be extremely dangerous.
I slowly brought my arm inwards towards my chest to guide the mana in the attack inwards. I did this while gradually pivoting off my right foot, moving my left food to the back so my body rotated 180 degrees.
With my fingers still extended, I guided the mana dowards, around my heart, towards my mana pool. This was the most dangerous part and I could literally die from it. However, if it succeeded, I'd have pulled off the impossible.
As my fingers reached my naval, I felt a sharp pain that immediately radiated outwards. I knew I had to move quickly. This was revealed by nothing more than instinct.
My right arm was slowly brought around from behind my back, smoothly moving towards my naval. I then grabbed hold of the lightning mana in the attack.
As the mana violently flowed through my mana pool, the will that Damian had imparted on it was compromised due to it being overwhelmed by my own willpower. This allowed me to establish a firm hold on it.
With the index and middle finger on my right hand extended, I guided the mana up through the right side of my chest and into my arm, before quickly whipping my hand outwards, aiming straight towards Damian. I bent my left elbow, letting that arm fall behind my torso to stabilize my balance.
The lightning shot right back out of me through my right arm. It was even more powerful than when Damian launched the attack due to it being bathed in my vast mana pool. Compared to the ponds that most people my age had, I was in possession of a small lake due to reasons unknown.
Damian's eyes shot wide open, in absolute shock at what I had just pulled off. No one had ever heard of someone taking someone's attack and completely reflecting it. He was frozen in place, unable to get his body to dodge the attack.
My lightning struck him, sending him rolling for a few yards before he sprawled out on the ground. He wasn't moving and his uniform was in tatters, scorched pieces of it floating in the air as they smoldered from the intense blow.
I could tell he wasn't dead because I could see his chest heaving up and down while he stared off into the sky. I presumed that his belief had been absolutely shattered. What I had just done wasn't a measly feat.
It was quite common for a mage to completely overpower their opponent's attack using the same element, add that attack onto their own by swallowing it. This was completely different. His attack was absorbed without any expenditure by me and then shot back at him like it had hit a mirror.
Suddenly, he roared out in pure, unbridled rage. "NO! UNACCEPTABLE!" Damian raised his fist as it was coated in a dense layer of lightning mana. He then slammed it down on the ground in rage, causing dust and chunks of rocks to go flying.
Using his knees, he got back to his feet, clearly fuming. He took a few deep breaths as he clenched his fists unbelievably hard, his fingers turning white. "That should have killed you. How?"
I shrugged, thinking about a certain Dragon of the West that inspired this move. "As I thought. You really were trying to kill me. Guess there's no backing down now."
Darius shook his head. "Before me, you do not stand a chance." He reached up with his right hand gripping the smoldering uniform that was in tatters. He tore it off his body, the loose sections of fabric falling to the ground. "To redeem myself, I must kill you at all costs." He reached across his body with his right hand, pulling the remaining sleeve off his left arm. "As a heathen, you must be cleansed by the holy element, allowing me to regain my honor and prove my resolve before the lord." He then repeated the same thing with his left hand, pulling the loose sleeve off his right arm. "Take a deep breath and enjoy the moment, as it will be your last."
Darius gently clenched his fists, taking a slow, deep inhale with his eyes closed. He then opened his eyes as he roared. "HAA!"
A pulse of raw mana exploded outwards, kicking up dust and small chunks of rock. Lightning arced across his body, giving him the appearance of the god of thunder from Norse Mythology.
I was stunned by this. The amount of mana I felt rolling off of him was completely insane! I was absolutely convinced at this point that Darius was an unrivaled genius in our age group. Well maybe not unrivaled now that I just shit on his party, but the point still stands. He would undoubtedly kill me if given enough time.
Darius smirked as an arc of lightning shot over his face, giving his eyes a certain glow. "It is time to atone for your sins."
He shot forwards, hot lead out of a gun barrel. As he exploded towards me, lightning arced off of him and hit the ground. His eyes then began to glow with a sharp neon blue. Now he really looked like the god of thunder.
I was about to construct a shield of ice to defend against the attack, or at least weaken it since I doubted I could stop it. Suddenly, I felt a disturbance in the mana between us. The air and light began to warp as a portal formed.
As this was happening, Darius had extended his fist, intending to pop my head like a watermelon under a sledgehammer.
The portal quickly expanded and a small hand, at least by adult standards, reached through it. Darius' fist crashed right into the palm of this hand as it's fingers closed and clamped down on the lightning coated fist.
The remainder of the body came through the portal, revealing Hanako Sensei holding Darius' fist. The end of her sleeve was singed and torn due to the force of the punch. She was furious. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Darius was enraged that his attack had failed. "I was carrying out the will of god. Don't interfere with my work."
Hanako scoffed as she threw Darius to the side as if he was a sack of bricks. He tumbled across the ground a few times before getting back to his feet. "Did you even listen to Brooks? He explicitly said not to kill the other students."
Darius chuckled manically. "That second rate mage has no right ordering me around. I am a core apostle and the next in line to be the Grand Cardinal of Fulgur Ecclesia. Your words mean nothing to me."
Hanako rolled her eyes. "I suggest you get off your high horse and scram before I kick your ass."
Darius scoffed, shaking his head as if he was far superior to this instructor. "I suggest that you count your days as they are numbered. My father will be hearing of this and then neither you nor that heathen will stand a chance."
Hanako laughed. "You're funny, kid. Get out of my face." She snapped, a portal opening under Darius. He fell right in, disappearing to who knows where. She then stomped on the ground, a wave of pure mana exploding outwards and grabbing the attention of Jacob, Yanni, and their opponents. They stopped fighting instantly. "Get out of here before I detain the lot of you."
The two lower apostles immediately took off running, not wishing to be captured. Being imprisoned would be the end of them as many on the continent see them as an extremist group. If their status was higher within Fulgur Ecclesia, they would be immune to punishment but sadly, they were at the bottom.
Hanako sighed. "Are you guys okay?"
I nodded. "I'm fine. Any longer and I probably wouldn't have the same answer. How long were you watching for?"
Hanako chuckled. "I've been keeping an eye on you three the whole time. The headmaster asked me to do this personally on top of my regular duties as an overseer."
I sighed. "Well, I guess I'm safe for now."
Hanako shook her head. "I wouldn't say that. Nothing else will happen while you're here but the next time you leave the academy, your life will be in danger. Those terrorists will undoubtedly eliminate you since you found a way to counter lightning."
I raised my brow. "Terrorists?"
Hanako nodded as Jacob and Yanni walked over to join us. "Fulgur Ecclesia, or the Lightning Church, is a religious cult that operates across the continent. They are a pest that kills most people that oppose them. They mostly target vulnerable mages that are trying to progress the other elements with the goal of keeping their lightning element on top. They've been doing this for thousands of years but no one has been able to stop them even with their upper echelons being public knowledge. On the surface they are an official faction within the Kingdom that holds considerable power but underneath, they are vile terrorists."