Team fighting mechanics

"Good, everyone's here!" The professor hopped down the hawk, her reddish-violet hair disheveling just a bit.

"Welcome! My name is Professor Glory and I will be the one teaching all of you brats! This Flare Hawk is Torch, my precious bond." She began walking around, studying everyone in her class.

Fayden was genuinely surprised at her core level, a dull silver core dominated with fire and earth mana.

Once she came near him, she had to halt. Her eyes darted between Nathan's, who was one stage above her, and Fayden's, who she couldn't even sense.

She, an Initial Silver core mage, was unable to sense the Elf boy's core stage? That could only mean one of two things, either he had a strong seal or he was a High-Silver core mage. Maybe even…

She coughed, "I have to say, you guys have set the bar pretty high for all of the other classes."

'A bar few will ever cross.'

'Careful, your ego is showing.'

'Oh please, you know as well as I that most of the sixth years are barely past Solid-Yellow, even Claire and Theo are in the Light-yellow stage, never mind the dull silver cracks all over their cores.'

'I suppose…'

"Well if it isn't my newest colleague, Arthur Leywin. It's a pleasure to meet you." Professor Glory grinned playfully as gossip began around her.

"Professor Glory, what do you mean by colleague?" Brandon raised his arm inquisitively, confusion showing on his face.

"Ah! Most of you have probably seen him from the commencement this morning, but this boy is a freshman Disciplinary Committee Officer. A real prodigy if I do say so myself. He's also a newly appointed Professor for the Practical Mana Manipulation class that you guys all took during your underclassman years." She patted Arthur's back harshly, almost making him trip.

"WHAT?!"

Fayden raised an eyebrow at her words; was beating up a professor really all it took to become one in Xyrus Academy?

"Now now! Before we jump straight into complaints, we should have more faith in the Director's decision. He has qualified to some degree by beating the professor that taught the class previously!"

'Pretty sure Nathan or Elijah could do that too, doesn't mean they're fit to be a Professor.'

"But Professor Glory! The underclassman professors aren't all that great anyway! I bet some of the upperclassmen students here could beat most of them!" Another made a somewhat valid point.

"I don't know about most, but some can definitely beat him." Fayden spoke up, gaining the entire classes attention. "I doubt the majority of you can even sense what stage his core is currently at. Forget challenging him, I'd be amazed enough if you could even put a scratch on him."

That silenced the protestors; he was right after all. Only a select few could sense Arthur's core stage.

"And what about you?" The Professor said, "What stage is your core at?

Faydens lips curled up into a smile, "Guess?"

"High silver." She said confidently, expecting him to be surprised.

"Close enough."

"You mean…no, that can't be." Glory shook her head, a white core mage at this age was unheard of.

Fayden shrugged, "You could always ask Cynthia."

A couple of the students gasped at the way he addressed the Director.

Fayden looked around, "What? She asked me to call her that."

"Well, that does sound like her," the professor commented. "Enough about that, who wants to play a game?"

Fayden narrowed his eyes in suspicion, he didn't like the glint in Glory's eyes.

Continuing on, she said. "So! What kind of game should we play…how about War and Conquest? "

"Last I checked, War and Conquest weren't meant to be games." Fayden muttered under his breath.

"How about having the three Disciplinary Committee officers on the same team, Professor? I feel like that could be a good way to let us work on teamwork as well." Curtis prompted, Claire nodding in agreement.

"But Professor, both Curtis and Claire are one of the top students in this Academy! It wouldn't be fair to have both of them on the same team as him." A tall, black haired teen argued.

"That's true… Aha! I got it! For the DC team, we will have Arthur play the role of king with the match resulting in an immediate loss if he gets put out of battle. I think that should be fair.

Now, what about the other team?" As if she was talking to herself, she starts muttering the possible candidates when a hand is raised up.

'Ironic.'

'What?'

'Nothing important.'

"Professor. How about having the Student Council President and I as their opponent." Another black haired boy raised his hand, by his uniform he was a part of the student council.

"What?" Tessia snaps her neck to face the boy, but the Professor had already made her decision.

"OHH! NOW things are getting interesting! But it would unfair to have only the two of you versing the three of them." She looks around the group of students.

Fayden raised his hand, "I volunteer Nathan Ambers, he has both the strength and the necessary experience to face Arthur on an equal playing field."

"I volunteer instead, I'm sure I'll be a much better option than some hipster."

Fayden scrunched his nose in displeasure, "You? You're weak. You wouldn't last five minutes."

Lucas Wykes glared at him, "Weak? I'm the strongest in my class."

"Are you perhaps still in elementary school?"

Lucas' eyebrow twitched, "Why you-!"

"Enough." Professor Glory broke up their fight, turning to Fayden. "I can see how strong Nathan is, and to be frank Mr. Wykes, while you would be considered a ranker among the class, you're not even in the top three strongest."

The half breed's face flushed red, he seemed ready to explode but reigned himself in the last possible moment, "Tch."

"Now, the match will last for thirty minutes, after which we'll have a short discussion as I break down the fight. Please gear up." With that a pile of what looked like thin leather armor dropped from her dimension ring.

"You could've at least asked me before you volunteered me." Nathan stared at him neutrally.

"Would you rather just watch? Come on, I know you're itching to face Arthur in a fight."

"Fine, but you owe me a duel after this."

Fayden chuckled, "Sure."

Turning serious, she began explaining. "This is a special set of equipment designed by artificers to measure the amount of damage that is dealt. This equipment will activate, releasing a shrill noise, if the damage it takes passes the threshold that's encrypted into it.

If anyone chooses to ignore this warning and continues to fight or cast spells, it will lead to immediate expulsion from my class and other possible consequences regarding your stay here as a student. This rule goes for any upper division fighting class in this Academy so engrave this rule into your guys' brains.

All of you are all at the level where protecting yourselves with mana shouldn't be a problem. Let me reiterate this, but this equipment does not protect you so don't rely on it as a source of protection," she announced to everyone else in the class.

Clearing her throat, Professor Glory yelled, "Do I make myself clear!?"

""""""YES!""""""

"Good! Now, the six of you gear up." She said, getting back on her bond while the rest of the students headed towards the viewing platform.

As the participants began gearing up for their match, the remaining students seated themselves at the gallery.

"Who do you think is going to win?" Owen asked for his input, his eyes glued to the field.

"Hard to say, both Arthur and Nathan are beasts, so it could go either way. I'd say Curtis and my sister are around the same level too, and Claire is going to win."

"An astute deduction," Brandon nodded. "The fight could go either way."

Fayden noticed Arthur and Tessia helping each other to put on the armor, after which Arthur got close to Tessia's face, placing his palm over her mouth.

"Is he… fraternising with the enemy?" Brandon seemed confused, while the boy was smart, he didn't have much experience in romance.

"Look's like he's about to kiss her to me." Owen commented, before widening his eyes, realizing who was sitting beside him. "S-sorry."

"Nah, it's fine. I ship them too." Fayden flicked his fingers, as a black vine grew out of Arthur's shadow, ready to trip him.

But before he could do anything, the Professor yelled from above, "Are you guys done flirting over there?"

Fayden glared at her with mock annoyance, "Boo, cockblocker!"

Professor Glory stared down at the gallery, "Normally I'd warn you to watch your language, but I have a feeling you won't listen."

"Bite me."

An evil grin crossed her face, "Torch, you know what to do."

Her bond cawed, diving right where Fayden was sitting.

As the hawk got closer, Glory hesitated; he showed no signs of moving. But right before her bond clashed into him, he disappeared.

"Skewering children over vulgar language. Tsk, I didn't know Xyrus was a concentration camp. Maybe you should rename it to Auschwitz Academy."

Arthur's ears perked up, those were terms from Earth, how in the seven circles of hell did Fayden know them?

"A-what camp now?" Glory was as confused as most of the students there.

Fayden sighed, "Nevermind, just don't run me through your sword next time I make a vulgar remark."

Before she could respond, he jumped.

"DON'T-" The Professor's voice died down in her throat as she saw what happened next. Instead of plummeting to the ground and smashing to a pulp, Fayden slowly levitated down and landed softly right where he had been sitting.

"It can't be…"

Noticing the looks he was getting, Fayden rolled his eyes, "Never heard of gravity magic?"

Vanesy Glory sighed in relief, of course how could she not see that. Turning back to the battlefield, she spoke, "Are you guys done flirting over there?"

"Kyu!" Sylvie protested, she wanted to protect her father.

"I think it'll be better for you to sit this one out, Sylv." Arthur patted her head reassuringly. "I'll be fine."

Sylvie looked at him for a few seconds before scurrying off. As the fox-like mana beast climbed up the gallery, many stared at it, either squealing or simply smiling at her.

Fayden raised an eyebrow as she walked up to his desk, sitting in front of him. Zeke manifested in his shadow, taking the form of a wolf cub as the two began playing.

"Whoa, where did that come from?" Owen was instantly shoving his face at the two, nearly squealing himself.

"Hmm, by the looks of it, it's a shadow type mana beast. I assume it was hidden in your shadow?" Brandon turned to Fayden for confirmation.

"Zeke's a 'he,' but yes," Fayden corrected with a nod.

"Hm, I have to say, this is the first time I've seen any beast with fur like that." Brandon commented, admiring the star system in Zeke's fur.

Ezekiel puffed his chest in pride, it always felt good when people complimented him.

Owen chuckled, "Who's a good boy? You are?"

'Oh, how the mighty have fallen.'

'Shush…lemme enjoy this moment.'

Fayden smiled, looking down below. Claire brandished her rapier, orange flames igniting. Arthur held Dawn's Ballad in hand, the teal blade complimented further with wind magic of the same shade. Curtis' sword too burst in flames, but Fayden was disappointed. He was a prince, yet his weapon was…mediocre. Grawder growled from beside him.

On the other side, Tessia held a pearl white rapier, a teal gem embedded at its pommel, a weapon much more suitable to royalty. The other boy, Clive was his name, gripped a bow and arrow.

Nathan was the only one who was weaponless, Fayden would have questioned his choice had he not noticed the blue spark around his clenched fist, it looked like he was holding something.

Fayden narrowed his eyes, the runes under them awakening as his acquire phase activated. Red motes of fire mana had concentrated around his hand in the shape of a sword, Fayden's eyebrows shot to his forehead; that was advanced magic, and a strong variant at that. He had a feeling it was in the upper ranks of High-Tier spells.

Professor Glory's powerful voice echoed through the battlefield, alerting everyone as the contestants were spurred into action.

"LET THE MATCH COMMENCE!"