Mana Academy (IC) (Open, Fantasy)

[Serah]

Oliver sighed, relieved that the torturous and overly complicated magical cooking show was finally over.
If he were to be honest, he hadn't used much of his mana. Sure, it had been annoying to focus for so long, but so long as he put his mind to it, he didn't let his mana overflow with mundane tasks.
After all, he did use his powers in such a way already, closing the door, sometimes feeding Begnion that way when he needed to stay in front of something for a while.
Real time strategy battles tended to do that, mostly because he tried to not pause, so as to give himself the true thrill of being a general, making up strategies on the fly.

However, now came the true trial, the one he initially expected and somewhat wanted to avoid.
A five minute fight in which he needed to disable his opponent sounded fine in theory, if he didn't already have issues holding back until the very last moment.

Who's Iris?

He wondered and looked around.

"Hey, new guy. Do you know who Iris is?" He asked Elias, still not knowing his name as he had never actually said it.

[Haedros 92712]

Oliver sighed, relieved that the torturous and overly complicated magical cooking show was finally over.
If he were to be honest, he hadn't used much of his mana. Sure, it had been annoying to focus for so long, but so long as he put his mind to it, he didn't let his mana overflow with mundane tasks.
After all, he did use his powers in such a way already, closing the door, sometimes feeding Begnion that way when he needed to stay in front of something for a while.
Real time strategy battles tended to do that, mostly because he tried to not pause, so as to give himself the true thrill of being a general, making up strategies on the fly.

However, now came the true trial, the one he initially expected and somewhat wanted to avoid.
A five minute fight in which he needed to disable his opponent sounded fine in theory, if he didn't already have issues holding back until the very last moment.

Who's Iris?

He wondered and looked around.

"Hey, new guy. Do you know who Iris is?" He asked Elias, still not knowing his name as he had never actually said it.

Elias

Elias stared at the postings. He was going to be fighting number 11. That was Sanja, right? He shook his head and went back to thinking. He ran through all the determined matchups that were going to happen. He was worried about Iris. It looked like she would be fighting that deadpan bloke from earlier. Then he heard a voice to his left. Speak of the god damned devil and he shalt appear... He turned his head to face deadpan man himself. “Wait, you asked who Iris is? She’s my sister.” He thought for a moment. “Hey, by the way, my name is Elias. And please don’t hurt my sister too bad. I’d feel like

shit

if she got hurt badly, even though she is kinda annoying.”

Iris

Iris glanced over the postings and saw her name. She saw that she would be fighting Oliver. She looked over and happened to see her brother talking to her opponent. She skipped over. “Hey Eli! Hey Oliver!” She looked at the two boys. Elias had his usual bored expression on, and Oliver held an absolute deadpan face. “Since I’m here Oliver, I might as well tell you not to underestimate me! Just because I’m small doesn’t mean I don’t pack a whallop!” At this point she punched her fist into her other hand and smiled from ear to ear.

[Luminesa]

Cecily nodded, and then John stepped forward. “We’ll start with our first odd pairing, Iris versus Oliver. Everyone who is not fighting stand next to us. The two fighters will stand opposite each other, fifteen feet apart. Once you’re in position, you’re free to get started. We’ll time you for five minutes. Do your best, and show us what you can do! We’re all cheering for you,” he instructed.

Soleil gulped. He would be going second or third, depending on how the teachers picked the order of the opponents. He ducked his head for a moment, and wondered if he should pray. He had not been this afraid in a while. Yet he wanted to fight. He told himself he wanted to fight. He stuck his hands in his pockets, in order to keep his opponent from seeing how they were shaking.

[Serah]

With Oliver getting his answer, the professors wasted little time setting up the fight. Not that he minded. The faster the fight began, the faster it would end.

He looked over to Elias briefly before getting in position.

"I can't promise anything. Holding back isn't my specialty."

As he got in position, he summoned a longsword into his hand and lowered his stance.

He stared at Iris as well.
"Holding back isn't my thing, come at me with all you have."

[Saleon]

Amanda Stradt
The Storyteller
Outside Courtyard

---

---

Slowly, but surely, the teams all finished their cake and their cups of tea. The extra-credit table appeared, and everyone placed their finished products on the table. The light, fluffy, golden Angel Food Cake sat in the middle of the table, surrounded by a circle of different teas. The scents of fresh peppermint tea, coffee-like dandelion tea, earthy green tea, and spicy black tea filled the air, simple-yet-elegant on the pretty table.

Soleil’s eyes glittered as he looked at the sweet display. All of their hard work had paid-off and had created a beautiful work of art, almost. To top the excellent work, the students would all receive extra credit because of his discovery of the contents of the secret circle. So not only had everyone passed the second exam, but those who had not done well on the first exam would receive a helpful boost to their overall score. He let out a huge sigh of relief, and as he sniffed the air the mix of smells rejuvenated him.

Meanwhile, Ambrosia wondered if they would be able to taste their creations. Her cake looked and smelled delicious. Delicate, warm, and buttery. She hoped Professor Stradt would not eat the whole thing in front of the class.

“Congratulations everyone!” Cecily called everyone’s attention with a clap of her hands, and she smiled out at the class. “You all did fantastic, and your cake and teas look and smell wonderful! With this part of the exam finished, we will take the time to grade your work. In the meantime, we will move the cake and teas aside and prepare for the third exam. Your third, and final, exam, will be one-on-one rounds against your classmates. We will give each of you a random number, and once we have picked for everyone, we will present the pairings.”

Virgil looks towards Amanda, oggling the food. She then clears her throat and looks back to her familiar, "time to institute order 66." She then grins, rolling over to the blackboard. She lifts up one of her feet. The blackboard was massive and imposing, carrying tons of notes, scribbles, research, and the obvious now spent magical circle on the front. Amanda's eyes glimmered for a second, before smashing her foot on the side of the blackboard. It swiveled around, rotating at rapid speeds before grabbing the side with her hand. She somehow stops all momentum, causing wind to rush over the students slightly.

On the other side was an even more complicated array of circles encompassing the entire board. She grins.

Virgil then notices the bout of silence coming from Amanda. In a second, he can see her clenched expression, her grin. On closer examination, it is clear that Amanda's eyes are watering and she is forcing it for a second. She mutters from under her teeth, "don't.... make.... a word..."

After recollecting her composure, she slams her hand on the blackboard, the circles all lighting up and beginning to activate. Magic begins to interlace across the small courtyard where the students had been working. The tables became adorned with fine placemats and accoutrements. Flowerpots made of ink, giving them a dark yet soft allure. On the farther side of the courtyard, away from the sparring ring was a hefty counter with room for a glass display case. Intricately designed umbrellas were placed above each table as well.

Virgil began work on construction, a small troupe of rats sneaking in whilst the magic and smoke flooded the courtyard. They placed down the hefty glass display, some handpicked flowers for the pots, glass plates, forks, along with tubs of food.

Lastly, some of the circles splintered off and summoning waiters in french butler outfits and maid outfits--along with a strangely placed lady in a chinese dress--all made in ink. The student's angel food cake had been placed in the display case, along some green tea cake and crumpets. The teas were put in teapots and kept warm. Along with that, some sandwiches were made to go with the food. The waiters first began by preparing the food as the rats disappeared whilst nobody could see them.

She then puts up a sign handing over the register stating the prices. It looks like the student's projects is complementary, but things like the sandwiches and everything else seem to be ala carte. Not that it costs much, everything still seemed pretty cheap.

The sign also had a note mentioning that: "all students still waiting for their spar will only be allowed tea and some snacks. Students are required to finish their round before enjoying anything off the ala carte menu. All funds go towards student activities, as decided by the student council."

Amanda grinned, gleaming, as she moved over to the register and sat down in a chair. She placed her feet on the top counter, her brown heel shoes resting just a little off the counter. She pulls out a newspaper and awaits customers.

She puts down the newspaper for a second, "Amanda's Pop-up Bistro, open for business. Please follow the stated rules above or I will make you work here. I even have outfits lined up for troublemakers."

[Haedros 92712]

With Oliver getting his answer, the professors wasted little time setting up the fight. Not that he minded. The faster the fight began, the faster it would end.

He looked over to Elias briefly before getting in position.

"I can't promise anything. Holding back isn't my specialty."

As he got in position, he summoned a longsword into his hand and lowered his stance.

He stared at Iris as well.
"Holding back isn't my thing, come at me with all you have."

Iris grinned in Oliver’s direction. “You’re on Oli! I won’t be holding back either!” Iris inhaled before calling upon her magic. She couldn’t be using healing wind right now. She was too happy, so it would inevitably happen. Instead, she focused her energy on anger. Elias knocking her down in the hallway. She felt the spark of emotion she needed. “Alright, here we go! Take this!” She shouted as she sent a burst of hot air towards Oliver with enough for to launch a grown man into a wall.

[Serah]

With Oliver getting his answer, the professors wasted little time setting up the fight. Not that he minded. The faster the fight began, the faster it would end.

He looked over to Elias briefly before getting in position.

"I can't promise anything. Holding back isn't my specialty."

As he got in position, he summoned a longsword into his hand and lowered his stance.

He stared at Iris as well.
"Holding back isn't my thing, come at me with all you have."

Iris grinned in Oliver’s direction. “You’re on Oli! I won’t be holding back either!” Iris inhaled before calling upon her magic. She couldn’t be using healing wind right now. She was too happy, so it would inevitably happen. Instead, she focused her energy on anger. Elias knocking her down in the hallway. She felt the spark of emotion she needed. “Alright, here we go! Take this!” She shouted as she sent a burst of hot air towards Oliver with enough for to launch a grown man into a wall.

Now that the fight had started, Oliver found himself at a crossroads as to how he would fight the battle.
Would he default to his usual means of battle? No, clearly not. They had been clear enough on the 'Not killing' point of the exam. Plus, killing someone again with the kill count he'd already racked up was something he wanted to avoid.
There were several options however, beyond the default. Either he could let himself be beaten, or he could force Iris's magic back on herself. Or, last resort, he could actually hit periodically and intentionally miss his target to do significant but not egregious damage to her mana stream.
He would choose the latter.

However, he did like to test the strength of his opponents before hitting back. As a way of gauging exactly how much energy it's going to take to beat them into submission.

Indeed, for that exact matter, he accepted the first hit head on, and went flying. If flying meant being slightly lifted off the ground and thrown about ten meters behind his initial position.
That said, as the air was mostly heat and force, it didn't do much damage to his clothes, save for a slightly torn sleeve.

"Light fire magic with wind magic. You're not too proficient with it, are you?" He shouted from his position.
"Concentrate on your wind, you'll do more damage. Make it cut, I'm not in armor, heat is going to do little beyond being a slight annoyance unless you can put fire into it."

After giving some measure of advice, he decided that now would be a good time to counterattack.
And counterattack he did, as he drew up on the remnants of the wind that Iris blew out and used it to boost his running speed, which soon put him near Iris. Using the flat of his sword and the momentum he had built up, he went for a sweeping swing at her legs.

[Haedros 92712]

Iris grinned in Oliver’s direction. “You’re on Oli! I won’t be holding back either!” Iris inhaled before calling upon her magic. She couldn’t be using healing wind right now. She was too happy, so it would inevitably happen. Instead, she focused her energy on anger. Elias knocking her down in the hallway. She felt the spark of emotion she needed. “Alright, here we go! Take this!” She shouted as she sent a burst of hot air towards Oliver with enough for to launch a grown man into a wall.

Now that the fight had started, Oliver found himself at a crossroads as to how he would fight the battle.
Would he default to his usual means of battle? No, clearly not. They had been clear enough on the 'Not killing' point of the exam. Plus, killing someone again with the kill count he'd already racked up was something he wanted to avoid.
There were several options however, beyond the default. Either he could let himself be beaten, or he could force Iris's magic back on herself. Or, last resort, he could actually hit periodically and intentionally miss his target to do significant but not egregious damage to her mana stream.
He would choose the latter.

However, he did like to test the strength of his opponents before hitting back. As a way of gauging exactly how much energy it's going to take to beat them into submission.

Indeed, for that exact matter, he accepted the first hit head on, and went flying. If flying meant being slightly lifted off the ground and thrown about ten meters behind his initial position.
That said, as the air was mostly heat and force, it didn't do much damage to his clothes, save for a slightly torn sleeve.

"Light fire magic with wind magic. You're not too proficient with it, are you?" He shouted from his position.
"Concentrate on your wind, you'll do more damage. Make it cut, I'm not in armor, heat is going to do little beyond being a slight annoyance unless you can put fire into it."

After giving some measure of advice, he decided that now would be a good time to counterattack.
And counterattack he did, as he drew up on the remnants of the wind that Iris blew out and used it to boost his running speed, which soon put him near Iris. Using the flat of his sword and the momentum he had built up, he went for a sweeping swing at her legs.

Startled by the sudden approach of her opponent, Iris leaped back and heart leaped up into her throat. She held up her hands in front of her face, and her magic triggered. Wind gathered into the palm of her hands, forming a ball of wind so compact it was almost solid. It left her hands with a force hard enough to launch her backwards. She hit the ground and rolled, eventually making contact with the wall. As for the orb of air, it continued towards Oliver. As she hit the ground, Iris’ glasses hit the ground and the lenses cracked.

Elias

Elias stared at his sisters sporadic fighting style, absolutely appalled. She was flailing around, firing off wind magic regardless of potential consequence. Dear god...

[Luminesa]

Amanda Stradt
The Storyteller
Outside Courtyard

---

---

Slowly, but surely, the teams all finished their cake and their cups of tea. The extra-credit table appeared, and everyone placed their finished products on the table. The light, fluffy, golden Angel Food Cake sat in the middle of the table, surrounded by a circle of different teas. The scents of fresh peppermint tea, coffee-like dandelion tea, earthy green tea, and spicy black tea filled the air, simple-yet-elegant on the pretty table.

Soleil’s eyes glittered as he looked at the sweet display. All of their hard work had paid-off and had created a beautiful work of art, almost. To top the excellent work, the students would all receive extra credit because of his discovery of the contents of the secret circle. So not only had everyone passed the second exam, but those who had not done well on the first exam would receive a helpful boost to their overall score. He let out a huge sigh of relief, and as he sniffed the air the mix of smells rejuvenated him.

Meanwhile, Ambrosia wondered if they would be able to taste their creations. Her cake looked and smelled delicious. Delicate, warm, and buttery. She hoped Professor Stradt would not eat the whole thing in front of the class.

“Congratulations everyone!” Cecily called everyone’s attention with a clap of her hands, and she smiled out at the class. “You all did fantastic, and your cake and teas look and smell wonderful! With this part of the exam finished, we will take the time to grade your work. In the meantime, we will move the cake and teas aside and prepare for the third exam. Your third, and final, exam, will be one-on-one rounds against your classmates. We will give each of you a random number, and once we have picked for everyone, we will present the pairings.”

Virgil looks towards Amanda, oggling the food. She then clears her throat and looks back to her familiar, "time to institute order 66." She then grins, rolling over to the blackboard. She lifts up one of her feet. The blackboard was massive and imposing, carrying tons of notes, scribbles, research, and the obvious now spent magical circle on the front. Amanda's eyes glimmered for a second, before smashing her foot on the side of the blackboard. It swiveled around, rotating at rapid speeds before grabbing the side with her hand. She somehow stops all momentum, causing wind to rush over the students slightly.

On the other side was an even more complicated array of circles encompassing the entire board. She grins.

Virgil then notices the bout of silence coming from Amanda. In a second, he can see her clenched expression, her grin. On closer examination, it is clear that Amanda's eyes are watering and she is forcing it for a second. She mutters from under her teeth, "don't.... make.... a word..."

After recollecting her composure, she slams her hand on the blackboard, the circles all lighting up and beginning to activate. Magic begins to interlace across the small courtyard where the students had been working. The tables became adorned with fine placemats and accoutrements. Flowerpots made of ink, giving them a dark yet soft allure. On the farther side of the courtyard, away from the sparring ring was a hefty counter with room for a glass display case. Intricately designed umbrellas were placed above each table as well.

Virgil began work on construction, a small troupe of rats sneaking in whilst the magic and smoke flooded the courtyard. They placed down the hefty glass display, some handpicked flowers for the pots, glass plates, forks, along with tubs of food.

Lastly, some of the circles splintered off and summoning waiters in french butler outfits and maid outfits--along with a strangely placed lady in a chinese dress--all made in ink. The student's angel food cake had been placed in the display case, along some green tea cake and crumpets. The teas were put in teapots and kept warm. Along with that, some sandwiches were made to go with the food. The waiters first began by preparing the food as the rats disappeared whilst nobody could see them.

She then puts up a sign handing over the register stating the prices. It looks like the student's projects is complementary, but things like the sandwiches and everything else seem to be ala carte. Not that it costs much, everything still seemed pretty cheap.

The sign also had a note mentioning that: "all students still waiting for their spar will only be allowed tea and some snacks. Students are required to finish their round before enjoying anything off the ala carte menu. All funds go towards student activities, as decided by the student council."

Amanda grinned, gleaming, as she moved over to the register and sat down in a chair. She placed her feet on the top counter, her brown heel shoes resting just a little off the counter. She pulls out a newspaper and awaits customers.

She puts down the newspaper for a second, "Amanda's Pop-up Bistro, open for business. Please follow the stated rules above or I will make you work here. I even have outfits lined up for troublemakers."

Ambrosia had been starving after making that delicious-looking cake, and the smells of the various teas had also made her stomach grumble. Despite just having eaten breakfast, as soon as Professor Stradt made the pop-up bistro she appeared next to her, and she reached in her purse. “I know I brought a ton of money to this place...hm...here we go!” She then handed her the proper amount of money for a slice of cake and for a cup of tea. She then grabbed a slice of the angel food cake, along with a cup of the peppermint tea. The two pieces of cake were light, fluffy, and sweet, and the scent of the peppermint tea soothed her nervous stomach. “...I can cook now! And maybe that also means I can fight!” she suggested to the teacher.

John and Cecily were more focused on the fight ahead. John saw Iris’s glasses break, and he got worried. “Can she fight without her glasses?” he muttered. If she could not see, then she would not be able to finish the test. Even if she could, her vision was impaired. “...Don’t know if we should call the match...”

“I say we should wait and see. If she cannot fight back, then I suppose we can say Oliver is the victor...if she can still fight, I say we give her a chance,” Cecily replied. Iris was not doing the best job to start, but she was eager to fight and she did not want to surrender. She eyed the stopwatch for just a moment. Four minutes. Oliver could easily beat her in the time allotted, unless she decided to make a comeback.

Soleil just stood on the sidelines watching quietly. He noticed the pop-up bistro, but he was not hungry. He did not wish to eat before a big fight, as he might become nauseous while running around on a full stomach. He just hoped his battle would come soon enough...

[Saleon]

Amanda Stradt
The Storyteller
Outside Courtyard

---

---

The sign also had a note mentioning that: "all students still waiting for their spar will only be allowed tea and some snacks. Students are required to finish their round before enjoying anything off the ala carte menu. All funds go towards student activities, as decided by the student council."

Amanda grinned, gleaming, as she moved over to the register and sat down in a chair. She placed her feet on the top counter, her brown heel shoes resting just a little off the counter. She pulls out a newspaper and awaits customers.

She puts down the newspaper for a second, "Amanda's Pop-up Bistro, open for business. Please follow the stated rules above or I will make you work here. I even have outfits lined up for troublemakers."

Ambrosia had been starving after making that delicious-looking cake, and the smells of the various teas had also made her stomach grumble. Despite just having eaten breakfast, as soon as Professor Stradt made the pop-up bistro she appeared next to her, and she reached in her purse. “I know I brought a ton of money to this place...hm...here we go!” She then handed her the proper amount of money for a slice of cake and for a cup of tea. She then grabbed a slice of the angel food cake, along with a cup of the peppermint tea. The two pieces of cake were light, fluffy, and sweet, and the scent of the peppermint tea soothed her nervous stomach. “...I can cook now! And maybe that also means I can fight!” she suggested to the teacher.

Amanda looks up from her newspaper to see her first customer, Ambrosia. The girl was, as usual, too hyper for her own good. "You get one square of the angel food cake, not two. Only after your match will I separate out a double slice." One of the waitresses took the plate, before putting one slice back and hands the plate back. The waitress curtsied, before motioning Ambrosia to her table. Amanda peered from above the newspaper with the force of a tiger. A menacing beast simply relaxing at the entrance.

The teacher lifted up the newspaper, before drinking some coffee. She puts it down on the counter, before beginning to eat a Cubano sandwich. Amanda seems a bit nonchalant in her role. Also like this italian bistro has connections to a mysterious, nonexistent crime family. Some of the waitresses seem ticked off at Amanda for eating some of the merchandise.

[Caruolinda]

Kadnikov Valerianovich

It took them some time, but eventually Kadnikov's group had finished their assignment. It had been an uncommon task from his perspective, given he surely didn't walk into the Academy while expecting to use his abilities to make tea. However, that was not necessarily something he would complain about: to use his magic for something other than combat not only honed his skills, but also diversified where it could be applied. Not only that, but the end result composed of every group's creations was a delightful sight. In the end, Kad was relieved that, at least to some extent, he had kind of made up for blowing the written test.

The third part of the exam, however, surprised him to some extent. For a moment, Kadnikov had thought there would be no actual tests regarding combat abitilies. Thankfully, he had been wrong, and now the skills that he had actually been practicing were to going to be put to use. That was, in fact, his best chance to finally kill the written exam's phantom. Some clear excitement filled his expression at last, himself eagerly waiting for the pairings sheet to be filled.

After the list was done, Kadnikov was amongst the first to take a closer look. For a moment, he thought he would have to fight Dominique, but another read made it clear that he was actually going to face someone called Lynn. Being a newcomer of the Academy, Kad couldn't help but be clueless as to who that was, although it sounded like a girl name. Nonetheless, he would only hold back the minimum required. "Who's Lynn?" He asked out to the people who clearly hadn't found their pair already.

[Serah]

Now that the fight had started, Oliver found himself at a crossroads as to how he would fight the battle.
Would he default to his usual means of battle? No, clearly not. They had been clear enough on the 'Not killing' point of the exam. Plus, killing someone again with the kill count he'd already racked up was something he wanted to avoid.
There were several options however, beyond the default. Either he could let himself be beaten, or he could force Iris's magic back on herself. Or, last resort, he could actually hit periodically and intentionally miss his target to do significant but not egregious damage to her mana stream.
He would choose the latter.

However, he did like to test the strength of his opponents before hitting back. As a way of gauging exactly how much energy it's going to take to beat them into submission.

Indeed, for that exact matter, he accepted the first hit head on, and went flying. If flying meant being slightly lifted off the ground and thrown about ten meters behind his initial position.
That said, as the air was mostly heat and force, it didn't do much damage to his clothes, save for a slightly torn sleeve.

"Light fire magic with wind magic. You're not too proficient with it, are you?" He shouted from his position.
"Concentrate on your wind, you'll do more damage. Make it cut, I'm not in armor, heat is going to do little beyond being a slight annoyance unless you can put fire into it."

After giving some measure of advice, he decided that now would be a good time to counterattack.
And counterattack he did, as he drew up on the remnants of the wind that Iris blew out and used it to boost his running speed, which soon put him near Iris. Using the flat of his sword and the momentum he had built up, he went for a sweeping swing at her legs.

Startled by the sudden approach of her opponent, Iris leaped back and heart leaped up into her throat. She held up her hands in front of her face, and her magic triggered. Wind gathered into the palm of her hands, forming a ball of wind so compact it was almost solid. It left her hands with a force hard enough to launch her backwards. She hit the ground and rolled, eventually making contact with the wall. As for the orb of air, it continued towards Oliver. As she hit the ground, Iris’ glasses hit the ground and the lenses cracked.

Elias

Elias stared at his sisters sporadic fighting style, absolutely appalled. She was flailing around, firing off wind magic regardless of potential consequence. Dear god...

While Iris's attack did catch Oliver off guard due to how sudden and unplanned it was, it did little damage to him as he managed to eat away at the wind using his stone arm.
That said, the force still pushed him back a few meters. That said, he wasn't fighting entirely seriously, even if Iris were to hit him, the damage done would be minimal. She didn't know much about how to use her power offensively of her own volition; As she exhibited when she threw that ball of wind forward.

"Panicking does you no good in a fight, you'll lose balance, control and a clear head.
As soon as you do that-" He stopped, and ran forward once again and neared the wall in just a moment.

He stood over Iris and pointed his blade at her throat, but still watching her movements, so as to react to any unplanned panicking movements.

"-you put yourself in a situation you could've easily avoided, and very likely lose."

[Luminesa]

Seeing that Oliver had pinned Iris to the ground, John stopped the stopwatch and looked down at it. Iris had lasted a little over a minute. Ouch...I guess this is the downside of a random system...Next time maybe we should put them up against each other based on their skill sets... he thought. He then walked over to the field and helped Iris to her feet. “There we go. Looks like Oliver wins this match, but you put up a fight and that’s what matters. C’mon, Cecily will take care of you on the sideline,” he told her. He knew she would probably need her glasses to be repaired, or she would need new ones. He would see after the exam if he could repair her glasses, before trying to get her new ones.

Cecily nodded, and then looked to the students. “We’ll be alternating now with an even pair. Therefore, next we have Jadwiga and Shaun! Get ready to go, once we clear the field we’ll get started!” she called. The next fight would be interesting, she thought. The girl was like Iris, unproven and unknown. Yet she seemed to have a steel glint to her eyes. She wondered how she would fare against Shaun, who had participated in the Tournament.

[Saldinado]

Shaun Calhoun

It was finally over. Nearly an hour of test and fail methods on how to complete the second part of their exam where he basically stood there looking stupid finally came to an end. The end result wasn't really what he was expecting, but it was more laid back than he thought it would be. But how came the moment that he was expecting. A combat exercise. The look of boredom and tiredness were written in his eyes as he listened to the teachers explain what were to happen next.
"Hmph, that's easier said than done for some people." He replied softly to himself in response to the rules of not killing or destroying their manapoints. He knew that there were some people in the crowd that had a history with going a bit overboard when it came to fighting...himself included. But the fact that it was five minutes for them to subdue their opponent presented some form of relief. The quicker they do this, the quicker that they could be done and this exam would be over soon.

Observing the first battle between Oliver and the new girl, Iris, he quickly saw just how unequal this match was: A man who has had nothing but combat and tactical training for most of his life versus...her. It was rather interesting to say the least, although predictable. Shaun observed Oliver specifically, watching his every move for any "just-in-case" moment. He has a certain style to him that can be followed if watched enough.
But now, it was over and it was his turn. He shook his head upon hearing his name and looked at the empty space that the first couple stood. But exactly who was this Jadwiga person? He has never seen them before at school, so they must be a new student. Which means more thinking and coming up with plans to finish the job. Once Iris was off the field, nodding towards her for her attempts as well as for her loss of glasses, which were pretty expensive to replace and walked towards the empty area and waited for his opponent.

He looked upon the crowd of faces, starting each person down as the sun beamed down on him. His arms folded across his chest and his rocking on the back of his heels made it seem as though he was cool and collected about the entire thing, almost nonchalant. Yet on the inside, he was nervous. Not about whether or not he would lose, but more on who he was going to fight. The fear of uncertainly loomed within him, and until he could see this person for himself and what they were made of, that fear slowly crept within his mind and clenched to him, waiting to find a weakspot and attack. Hopefully it'll subside before he finds himself fighting two different opponents.

[Khasinkonia]

Shaun Calhoun

It was finally over. Nearly an hour of test and fail methods on how to complete the second part of their exam where he basically stood there looking stupid finally came to an end. The end result wasn't really what he was expecting, but it was more laid back than he thought it would be. But how came the moment that he was expecting. A combat exercise. The look of boredom and tiredness were written in his eyes as he listened to the teachers explain what were to happen next.
"Hmph, that's easier said than done for some people." He replied softly to himself in response to the rules of not killing or destroying their manapoints. He knew that there were some people in the crowd that had a history with going a bit overboard when it came to fighting...himself included. But the fact that it was five minutes for them to subdue their opponent presented some form of relief. The quicker they do this, the quicker that they could be done and this exam would be over soon.

Observing the first battle between Oliver and the new girl, Iris, he quickly saw just how unequal this match was: A man who has had nothing but combat and tactical training for most of his life versus...her. It was rather interesting to say the least, although predictable. Shaun observed Oliver specifically, watching his every move for any "just-in-case" moment. He has a certain style to him that can be followed if watched enough.
But now, it was over and it was his turn. He shook his head upon hearing his name and looked at the empty space that the first couple stood. But exactly who was this Jadwiga person? He has never seen them before at school, so they must be a new student. Which means more thinking and coming up with plans to finish the job. Once Iris was off the field, nodding towards her for her attempts as well as for her loss of glasses, which were pretty expensive to replace and walked towards the empty area and waited for his opponent.

He looked upon the crowd of faces, starting each person down as the sun beamed down on him. His arms folded across his chest and his rocking on the back of his heels made it seem as though he was cool and collected about the entire thing, almost nonchalant. Yet on the inside, he was nervous. Not about whether or not he would lose, but more on who he was going to fight. The fear of uncertainly loomed within him, and until he could see this person for himself and what they were made of, that fear slowly crept within his mind and clenched to him, waiting to find a weakspot and attack. Hopefully it'll subside before he finds himself fighting two different opponents.

Kazimiera Wojciecha Jadwiga Baskerville

The potions section could’ve gone worse, she supposed. After all, it was probably a solid B, adjusting for the points removed. Assuming someone didn’t horribly botch it, that is. But what use was it worrying now? Now was fighting time. Perhaps the outfit she’d chosen this day was a bit unwise for the case, but there wasn’t any going back now. Not wearing heels today was certainly a prudent decision. Her opponent was a Shaun fellow.

She hadn’t yet put a face to the name, but if she had to guess, it was gonna be the fellow standing away from the crowd where the last group had been.

“Are you Shaun?” she asked, walking up to him.

[Saldinado]

Shaun Calhoun

Following the voice that called his name, Shaun looked up to see what appeared to be his opponent. A rather attractive young lady with long golden strands of hair on top of her head with light blue eyes. It was rather uncommon to see someone so...normal here. But now that he had a good look at her and was now able to put a face to his opponent, now it was time to continue with the next stage of this. Clearing his throat, Shaun smiled wanly and nodded before responding to her. "Why yes I am, and I take that you are Jadwiga. And interesting name I must say." He added. "So um, yeah. Hehe...Hopefully it would be a pleasure combating with you madame."

An internal sigh of nervousness and annoyance erupted within him as he just wanted to get this over with. Whether he lose of not isn't his priority, but to be done with this exam. But even so, he had to put some type of fight. Closing his eyes as he removed a lock of hair from his face, Shaun smiled and held out his hand in a friendly gesture. "Good luck to you madame. Maybe after this I can treat you with a cup of tea and cake for your time?"

[Luminesa]

John looked at the two students, a bit confused. He was holding the stopwatch and waiting for them to begin, but here they were talking casually, as though an exam was not taking place. Neither of them seemed very interested in the exam, and Jadwiga carried herself with blasé, as though nothing around her really mattered. He blinked, and looked back down at the stopwatch. “...Uhhhhhh...you two can...erm...start now?...I have the stopwatch ready,” he reminded them.

In the meantime, Cecily finally noticed Amanda’s pop-up bakery, and she sighed. Her colleague was such a strange individual, with random ideas that she liked to implement whenever she pleased. “Oh well...At least you’re not eating all of the cake yourself...We did say, after all, that we wanted the students to have some...” she muttered.

[Saldinado]

Shaun Calhoun

Within the mist of introduction, Shaun looked back up at John as he explained that they were on the clock. A small blush came along his face in embarrassment as he nodded. How was he suppose to know? Why didn't he say anything before? But nonetheless, it didn't matter. He looked back at his opponent and smiled before backing up and quickly forming what seemed to be a sword within his hands.

"Well, let's just get this over with, no? May the best person win. I'll let you get the first hit in." He finished. But rather than just being all cute and courteous, he wanted to see her attack him first so he knew what he was dealing with.

[Rhomaia]

Mirai ‘Shikage’ Zanbaru

Things had been oddly peaceful for the past few months following Mana Academy’s third demon attack in two consecutive school years, and for the first time in a long while Mirai’s study was quiet while she pored over the meticulously organized documents on her desk, with dull sunlight streaming from the curtained windows and onto the bleached white pages. Against the black marble walls, scarlet decor, and soft glow of the room’s fireplace stood out her pale face and deep azure eyes, the few traits that she seemed to share with Ruta and all the other Jaegars the Academy had yet seen. Her tired gaze wandered over the words printed on the papers, where there were more sections redacted and blacked out than left intact, as it had for the last half hour she had spent committing them to memory, but by now she had ceased to consciously read the remnants and had more simply began looking at the pages. Weary and losing herself in thought for but a moment, the quiet crackling of flames just behind her reminded herself what needed to be done.

Before her lay a number of what essentially amounted to a small collection of censored documents and condemnations of memory, born from student files, personnel files, and clever forgeries of both the aforementioned. The discovery of certain non-humans on the island, notably the arrival of two homunculi right under the previous administration’s nose, and a demonic possession by one particularly troubled individual within the student body had prompted the erasure of these dangerous individuals from the Academy’s records by the school board and the increasingly nervous Noblebloods that sat thereupon. Among those damned to fade from memory were a redhead Aquo girl, an olive skinned Solum boy, a messy haired Ignis girl, and a strange white haired woman with a face practically identical to the Aquo girl. Having gone through their records only once before this point, Mirai still remembered the status of each. Two unconfirmed dead, one sent away in a straitjacket post-possession, and one still missing and likely to turn up dead within the next few months. She felt something akin to pity looking upon their old faces, knowing that after today their names would be scarcely spoken, let alone remembered. Nevertheless, Mirai was not quite one for sentiment or sympathy. After all, such things were at best fleeting and impermanent, never warranting anything more than a moment of attention, and were at worst a weakness and a distraction that tended to get people in her position killed.

The Jaegarin had been introduced to this school in the midst of a chaotic frenzy of blades, black blood, hellfire, and paranoia that she would have been quite accustomed to outside of this little island, but as time went on and she took her place here as the acting head of the Academy, peace had somehow set in not long afterwards. Mirai was not terribly used to such an idea, not after her long and bloody tenure with the Brotherhood’s German Chapter where she seemed to talk with the dead more often than the living. Fortunately, however, she had been able to adjust and apply herself to the less fatal tasks required of her at Mana that came with her appointment by the Accord. The administrative responsibilities of Headmaster were dull, as was to be expected, but Mirai had to some extent come to enjoy that aspect of the job, viewing it as almost therapeutic in comparison to her typical work, though owing mostly to habit she still performed the typical tasks of a Jaegar. When her daytime duties were over and all matters accounted for and satisfactorily resolved, Mirai conducted nightly patrols just as Ruta had, roaming the halls and the school grounds for things that went bump in the night. This had given some of the students some degree of comfort and feeling of normalcy, given that she had striven to continue the work of her predecessor, but even so, she had not been able to truly replace him.

Yet even without Ruta, the days had come and gone since the last incident, and new events unfolded as they always had. Ruta had been recalled by the Brotherhood, The Great Houses of Europe from France to Italy to Britain were at each others throats even worse than the months before, and the Quarterly Exams were already upon the students of the Academy. Mirai supposed that it would either be necessary or at the very least interesting to oversee the tests and observe how far (or more likely how little) the students had come in their studies. Between the mild claustrophobia she was experiencing from having been shut in this room for the past few hours and her own growing restlessness she had wanted the chance to do so earlier, but as a Friedensjaegar, Mirai was also not one to leave a task undone.

Rising slowly from her seat and gathering up the few remaining files on her desk, those last archival traces of the individuals within the walls of this academy, Mirai cast them into the flames and watched the embers scatter. With the new arrival, the dull blaze burned just the slightest bit brighter as the crisp white those pages had held just moments ago were melted into a charred black, the edges searing as they slowly crumpled inward and turned to ash. A waste to be sure, but orders were orders, and both the Brotherhood and the Noblebloods funding this Academy had ordered the destruction of any and all traces of those individuals and all those like them. The memories of these people might still have been fresh in the minds of the faculty and for the moment the students, but all things that went unrecorded faded from history without fail. Without repetition or reminder, that was simply the way of memories in this world, and nothing could change that.

Mirai held those thoughts in mind for a moment, reflecting until she saw the last remnants of white was swallowed and tarnished by the blaze. With a wave of her hand and the gust of bone chilling air that came after, the flames died out, and the job was done. Mirai went back to her desk, checked to sure that nothing was out of order before she left, and went out the door and into the gray marble corridors she had become so familiar with in these past months, now empty during the exam period. Clad in a hooded black dress, plain leggings, and leather boots, she looked remarkably more casual than when she had first set foot on the island wearing military fatigues and jackboots, but the ivory saber hilt and ebon scabbard hanging from her belt signified perfectly well that her purpose here had not changed, something both the students and faculty had not forgotten. With a steady pace, Mirai made her exit from the school building and went out into the outdoors.

The weather in the courtyard was clear, the wind was brisk, and as it always seemed to be in the months preceding spring, the endless skies were dull and gray. Mildly unwelcoming as it was though, Mirai had a small smile on her face when she finally got her first breath of fresh air, feeling refreshed after having holed herself up in the Headmaster’s room for so long. She liked the feeling of the wind going through her hair and feel the grass beneath her feet as she walked on it, but she knew that she would have time to indulge in such frivolous things later. The sounds of magical combat, among them bellowing flames, shattering ice, and clashing metal a short distance away had meant that the final part of the Quarterly Examinations was underway, and that she wouldn’t need to go terribly far to make a late entrance if she so wished. With that in mind, the Jaegarin set off towards the sounds of combat, blade bobbing at her side in the wind.

It didn’t take Mirai very long to spot where the main battlefield was, or the makeshift café that Miss Stradt had set up alongside it, for that matter. While somewhat disappointed that she wasn’t able to see the fighting when it started, she was at least content to watch and see how well the students would be apply their theoretical knowledge of magic and their own unique abilities in a practical setting. Approaching from the sidelines and staying under the shade the island’s oak trees provided, the Jaegarin merely leaned against the nearest tree trunk and watched from a short but safe distance as the duels continued on, her black form and piercing blue eyes going unseen as nearly everyone kept their attention on either the fights or the food being provided by Miss Stradt’s familiars. Whether or not she was going to be noticed or approached herself, she cared little, merely taking mental notes of particularly notable students as events continued to unfold.

[Luminesa]

Jadwiga and Shaun’s fight went forward, as Mirai watched from afar. Jadwiga’s fighting style was quick and fiery, while Shaun used his Mana to summon constructs to defend himself. Ultimately, Shaun seemed to wear Jadwiga our, but by the time five minutes had passed, the teachers could not determine a clear winner.

A bit of a dilemma for John and Cecily, who stopped the clock and then stared at each other. Cecily frowned, and John shrugged. The latter then began to take notes on the students’ work. Each was impressive, so they would at least get high grades for their performances. Neither of them were too badly injured either, so they fortunately did not need too much medical attention. They moved away from the battlefield, and now Cecily looked down at her clipboard to see the next two names. “Alrighty! Good job to both of you! Next up we have Soleil Rise and Alphonse Baskerville!” she called.

Soleil gulped. Now he would take his turn. Alphonse looked intimidating, but the young boy wanted to show he was ready to be Head of House Rise. After a moment’s tinge of anxiety, he swallowed his fear whole and steeled his expression. He then walked out to the battlefield, and waited for his opponent to take his place. As he stood, a breeze seemed to pick-up behind him, carrying leaves of various colors around the grounds. His blue-green eyes glittered with determination, and he stood like a soldier.

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Jadwiga and Shaun’s fight went forward, as Mirai watched from afar. Jadwiga’s fighting style was quick and fiery, while Shaun used his Mana to summon constructs to defend himself. Ultimately, Shaun seemed to wear Jadwiga our, but by the time five minutes had passed, the teachers could not determine a clear winner.

A bit of a dilemma for John and Cecily, who stopped the clock and then stared at each other. Cecily frowned, and John shrugged. The latter then began to take notes on the students’ work. Each was impressive, so they would at least get high grades for their performances. Neither of them were too badly injured either, so they fortunately did not need too much medical attention. They moved away from the battlefield, and now Cecily looked down at her clipboard to see the next two names. “Alrighty! Good job to both of you! Next up we have Soleil Rise and Alphonse Baskerville!” she called.

Soleil gulped. Now he would take his turn. Alphonse looked intimidating, but the young boy wanted to show he was ready to be Head of House Rise. After a moment’s tinge of anxiety, he swallowed his fear whole and steeled his expression. He then walked out to the battlefield, and waited for his opponent to take his place. As he stood, a breeze seemed to pick-up behind him, carrying leaves of various colors around the grounds. His blue-green eyes glittered with determination, and he stood like a soldier.

Alphonse Baskerville

As he was called to the fight, Alphonse remained silent. He observed Soleil before: A shy, stuttering boy, who rarely spoke out loud, with conviction. Definitely, he wasn't an example of the fame the Rise built across Europe, as ruthless murderers and strategists. This, or he was the best actor he saw in ages, a man capable of building a persona to keep himself above all suspicions. But this was a matter for another time.

Quickly, Alphonse summoned a circle of fire around himself, using one of the flames as a whip, that bent itself and quickly advanced towards Soleil in an aggressive motion. One went towards his face, while another one, slightly less noticeable, ran closer to the ground, as if trying to ensnare Soleil's legs or bring him down in a quick motion.

Let us see your agility, Soleil Rise.

[Luminesa]

Jadwiga and Shaun’s fight went forward, as Mirai watched from afar. Jadwiga’s fighting style was quick and fiery, while Shaun used his Mana to summon constructs to defend himself. Ultimately, Shaun seemed to wear Jadwiga our, but by the time five minutes had passed, the teachers could not determine a clear winner.

A bit of a dilemma for John and Cecily, who stopped the clock and then stared at each other. Cecily frowned, and John shrugged. The latter then began to take notes on the students’ work. Each was impressive, so they would at least get high grades for their performances. Neither of them were too badly injured either, so they fortunately did not need too much medical attention. They moved away from the battlefield, and now Cecily looked down at her clipboard to see the next two names. “Alrighty! Good job to both of you! Next up we have Soleil Rise and Alphonse Baskerville!” she called.

Soleil gulped. Now he would take his turn. Alphonse looked intimidating, but the young boy wanted to show he was ready to be Head of House Rise. After a moment’s tinge of anxiety, he swallowed his fear whole and steeled his expression. He then walked out to the battlefield, and waited for his opponent to take his place. As he stood, a breeze seemed to pick-up behind him, carrying leaves of various colors around the grounds. His blue-green eyes glittered with determination, and he stood like a soldier.

Alphonse Baskerville

As he was called to the fight, Alphonse remained silent. He observed Soleil before: A shy, stuttering boy, who rarely spoke out loud, with conviction. Definitely, he wasn't an example of the fame the Rise built across Europe, as ruthless murderers and strategists. This, or he was the best actor he saw in ages, a man capable of building a persona to keep himself above all suspicions. But this was a matter for another time.

Quickly, Alphonse summoned a circle of fire around himself, using one of the flames as a whip, that bent itself and quickly advanced towards Soleil in an aggressive motion. One went towards his face, while another one, slightly less noticeable, ran closer to the ground, as if trying to ensnare Soleil's legs or bring him down in a quick motion.

Let us see your agility, Soleil Rise.

Before John could even call for them to begin, Alphonse had engaged Soleil, and was looking to deal with him quickly. Soleil, however, remained calm, and responded quickly. Wind and light whirled around him, and butterfly wings formed on his back. He then shot into the air, and floated above the Fire Mage. Despite his normal nervousness, now as he floated high above his opponent, he felt slightly safer and more relaxed. ...Stay calm...stay cool...It’s okay...I can do this...I can do this! he told himself.

He then closed his eyes, and created a small ball of wind in his hand. He smashed the ball of wind between his hands, and a whirlwind opened and formed around Alphonse. As the wind trapped Alphonse, Soleil summoned three wolf-constructs, which surrounded the whirlwind. Should Alphonse break free, the wolves would attack and would tear into him.

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Alphonse Baskerville

As he was called to the fight, Alphonse remained silent. He observed Soleil before: A shy, stuttering boy, who rarely spoke out loud, with conviction. Definitely, he wasn't an example of the fame the Rise built across Europe, as ruthless murderers and strategists. This, or he was the best actor he saw in ages, a man capable of building a persona to keep himself above all suspicions. But this was a matter for another time.

Quickly, Alphonse summoned a circle of fire around himself, using one of the flames as a whip, that bent itself and quickly advanced towards Soleil in an aggressive motion. One went towards his face, while another one, slightly less noticeable, ran closer to the ground, as if trying to ensnare Soleil's legs or bring him down in a quick motion.

Let us see your agility, Soleil Rise.

Before John could even call for them to begin, Alphonse had engaged Soleil, and was looking to deal with him quickly. Soleil, however, remained calm, and responded quickly. Wind and light whirled around him, and butterfly wings formed on his back. He then shot into the air, and floated above the Fire Mage. Despite his normal nervousness, now as he floated high above his opponent, he felt slightly safer and more relaxed. ...Stay calm...stay cool...It’s okay...I can do this...I can do this! he told himself.

He then closed his eyes, and created a small ball of wind in his hand. He smashed the ball of wind between his hands, and a whirlwind opened and formed around Alphonse. As the wind trapped Alphonse, Soleil summoned three wolf-constructs, which surrounded the whirlwind. Should Alphonse break free, the wolves would attack and would tear into him.

Alphonse Baskerville

As the whirlwind surrounded Alphonse, he didn't move an inch. Observing the flow of the wind around him, its curves and returns, he threw a small ball of fire at the whirlwind. Molding the fire after the directions of the wind, he now had a whirlwind of fire at his control, that blocked Soleil's visibility. Pulling it down, he created a dome of fire around him, and from it he shot six tentacles of fire, two directed to each wolf Soleil had, hunting them down. Presuming that Soleil was still above him, he shot a large pillar of fire above him, trying to, at least, get his opponent focused on one place.

It was also a test of how patient and calm his opponent was against someone like him. The constructs were clearly Light Magic, and Alphonse wanted to avoid the use of Dark Magic so openly like that, but that never meant he didn't contemplate the possibility of employing it as a physical and psychological weapon against his opponent.

[Luminesa]

The wolves snarled and barked as the tentacles flailed and whipped at them, with two of the wolves being destroyed by the attack. Soleil winced as he floated above the now-fiery dome, and yet he still tried to keep control of his only construct. He had to try and make more, in order to reach Alphonse. He himself would not be able to pierce the dome, not unless he flew down to meet his opponent. Soleil refused to move that close, however, not without first seeing more of his opponent’s skill-set.

“Four-and-a-half minutes!” John was surprised at how violent the fight was looking to become, and so quickly. Alphonse was trying to draw Soleil into a trap, and he was being patient. ...This kid is clever...and dangerous...Hopefully Soleil can be careful... he thought.

Soleil dodged the pillar that shot out of the dome, and he focused on the dome itself. Alphonse had combined Soleil’s Magic with his own, so he needed to use that tactic to his advantage. He closed his eyes and focused once again. Inside the dome, he formed multiple other wolves, all which dove down on Alphonse. He just needed to concentrate, and he could keep attacking until Alphonse got tired.

[Kingdom of Irhk]

The wolves snarled and barked as the tentacles flailed and whipped at them, with two of the wolves being destroyed by the attack. Soleil winced as he floated above the now-fiery dome, and yet he still tried to keep control of his only construct. He had to try and make more, in order to reach Alphonse. He himself would not be able to pierce the dome, not unless he flew down to meet his opponent. Soleil refused to move that close, however, not without first seeing more of his opponent’s skill-set.

“Four-and-a-half minutes!” John was surprised at how violent the fight was looking to become, and so quickly. Alphonse was trying to draw Soleil into a trap, and he was being patient. ...This kid is clever...and dangerous...Hopefully Soleil can be careful... he thought.

Soleil dodged the pillar that shot out of the dome, and he focused on the dome itself. Alphonse had combined Soleil’s Magic with his own, so he needed to use that tactic to his advantage. He closed his eyes and focused once again. Inside the dome, he formed multiple other wolves, all which dove down on Alphonse. He just needed to concentrate, and he could keep attacking until Alphonse got tired.

Alphonse Baskerville

As he saw the wolves rounding him inside his dome, Alphonse realized Soleil was smarter than he thought. He used Alphonse's tactic to breach through his defenses. Patiently, he awaited until the wolves jumped to him, and while they were in mid-air, a burst of flames came from Alphonse in a circle that expanded the dome, turning the constructs into ashes. However... If one looked closely at the dome, the perfect rounded formation wasn't perfect: its walls contracted and expanded as if the energy inside had the will to get out, and Alphonse planned to use that.

In an explosion, the dome went back to a size Alphonse could control, but the fire releases shot upwards at an impressive speed... Before they came down at Soleil as balls of fire, small enough to not cause harm if only one hit him, but in a bigger quantity, it could cause him harm. Alphonse didn't aim to harm Soleil: he wanted his wings burning down. As the balls of fire rained on Soleil, he kneeled down and pressed two fingers against the soil, creating a slim circle of fire at the battleground. If Soleil came down, the size of the circle allowed Alphonse to quickly morph it to a weapon or tool that could restrain Soleil, effectively ending the battle.