Constructors: New Beginning

Chapter 13 First Round

They called me up to the arena from the waiting room along with my opponent. We walked to the center of the stage where Alice was waiting. We stood a couple of feet apart and faced each other. The crowd was silent as they waited for us to begin. 

"Mages and witches, this will be the first fight of the Magus Exam. You all know one of our regulars, Ramon, but with us today is one of the newcomers, and he looks like he's itching for a fight." Alice got in between us and looked up at me. "So, tell us who you are, which rank you wish to be, and what you're going to do if you graduate." 

She put her mic close to my mouth, and I cleared my throat. "I'm James Kidd, I want the Battlemage rank, and I'm going to travel around Seraphim along with my sister, who is also in the Exam, when we both graduate. We've been orphans since birth, so we want to see everything." 

"Aw such a sweet sentiment. I bet she feels the same way. So, you have confidence that you two will graduate?" 

"I have complete confidence that we will graduate," I said with a confident smirk. The crowd went wild and I couldn't help but laugh in response. 

"Everyone, James Kidd!" Alice lifted my arm straight up and the students went even crazier with their cheers, but I could tell that Ramon was getting tired of all of this. 

"Let's get on with it. I want to bash his face in!" He finally let out, and Alice took a leap back in excitement. 

"Right! Gentlemen take your places so we can begin the match," Alice instructed us, and we did as she said. When we got into place, Alice tapped her toes on the floor, and she was sent up in front of where Head Mistress was. "As I have said before, use everything you've learned at your disposal and anything goes until someone says mercy or they pass out, but no killing one another. Let the first fight of round one...BEGIN!!" 

Immediately I dashed straight at Ramon, and before he could even move, I went around him and got my palm ready. 

"What?! Hold on, not so fast!" Ramon turned his head around, but it was already too late for him. 

"Renewal Acupuncture Technique: Bursting Lotus!" I rammed my palm up against Ramon's back sending a shockwave through him. I stepped back, and he instantly fell to the ground. Everyone was quiet as they waited for Ramon to get back up, but he didn't. Or more like he wasn't. I paralyzed him the same way Master Feng did when he and I first fought, but instead of just his arms, I paralyzed all skeletal muscles in his body, leaving his heart beating. I looked up at Alice who was too shocked at my performance. "He's not coming back up," I say, nonchalantly. 

When she heard me, Alice shook her head and cleared her throat, snapping out of her shocked expression. "I-incredible! James Kidd was able to defeat Ramon with only one hit and without using his magic! He advances to the second round!" 

The crowd goes back to cheering and screaming as I watch Ramon get taken out of the arena by two nurses, but he won't need a thorough check-up. He'll be up and kicking in less than ten minutes. 

I was directed back to the waiting room. When I got there, all of those who were giving me glares before now averted their eyes, because now they were afraid of me. All of them except for Jackal, who skipped over and congratulated me. 

"That was so fast James! I didn't know you had that kind of speed!?" he slapped my back and I almost felt myself cough up a lung for a second. 

"Thanks, I was hoping that he would be able to react to my attack but looks like I was wrong." 

"Not bad James." The towering guy came back over and put out his hand. "I was wrong about you. You sure know how to knock down a person to size, and I can respect that." 

"Shows not to underestimate your opponent, my master always told me." I shook his hand, and I could feel mine getting tightly squeezed by his, but I wasn't sure if it was on purpose or not. 

"So, you're one of the lucky few who got permission to have an O.T.? Me too. I'm sorry for not introducing myself earlier, names' Justin." 

"Pleasure meeting you Justin." 

"Hey guys, look! The next match is about to start and look who it is!" Jackal pointed to the big screen above, and I was surprised to see who it was. 

"It's Uriela!"

On the arena...

The crowd looked at Uriela unsettlingly, due to how calm she was as she adjusted her glasses. Yet, the students above still cheered and hollered her name out, but she ignored them, focusing solely on her opponent. 

"Let's begin the second fight of round one everyone! We have two regulars fighting, Uriela and Lilith. Alright ladies, you already know the rules. Go to your sides so we may begin." 

"I'm going to get you this time, Lizard Breath." Lilith taunted. 

"We'll see, Lilith." Uriela walked away to her side and waited for Alice to give the go. 

"Ready...START!!" 

"I won't let you face Shiki this year!" Lilith, a smoke destruction mage, began forming a spell, but when she was about to send it, Uriela was gone. 

"No one fights Shiki," Uriela said from behind her with a pillar of fire in her arms. "But me!" She swung her pillar against Lilith and sent her crashing into the wall, completely crumbling it into rubble. 

Uriela threw another pillar at Lilith, but it was stopped in midair and then it faded away. "Lilith is out, Uriela. There's no need to scorch her." Head Mistress warned her. 

"No one fights Shiki but me." She repeated as she walked back to her waiting room. 

"Magnificent! A flawless victory for Uriela the Fire Queen! She advances to round two!" Alice announced, and everyone cheered her name. But all that Uriela was thinking about was her goal. 

This year, I'll prove to Shiki who's stronger. This time I'll beat him.

James' waiting room...

"Woah, are you sure that was Uriela? She looked like a completely different person!" I stated, thrown back at what I just saw. 

"Yep, that was her James. That's a side of her that she only lets out when she fights. She becomes ruthless and only cares about reaching her goal," Jackal explained. 

It's hard for me to believe that Uriela could impose such a threat against her opponents. "Yeah, Fire Queen is no joke. I remember fighting her last year. I still have a burn scar from her 'going easy on me.'" One of the students walked over and lifted up his shirt to show a huge burn scar on his chest. "It still hurts sometimes." 

"Then why does everyone pick on her and call her names?" I ask with a confused tone. 

"Those who pick on her get it when they least expect it. Ever heard those rumors that some students mysteriously get burnt and are sent to the infirmary? Well, you just saw the culprit behind them." Another pointed up at the screen. 

I do recall hearing about those rumors. Those who say that they were attacked by a giant lizard before getting knocked out and left with a burn on their body. But Uriela isn't a lizard, so that doesn't make any sense?  

"Hey look, the next match is about to start." Someone pointed back up at the screen, and I looked up and just smiled. 

 "Do your best, little sis."