The Second Stage (87)

Akasan stuck with Annya as they walked their way through the forest.

They preservered for several weeks.

Even after so long, Akasan still hadn't found Judah.

Every day during their breaks, Akasan would practice his magic spells.

Annya used to constantly try and get him to stop following her, but she eventually gave up. He wasn't as loud or rude as the others, and he usually kept to himself on their breaks. So she came to not mind his company.

Annya came to their resting spot with her arms full of various fruits. She found Akasan on the ground gasping for air.

"What were you doing?" she asked.

Akasan caught his breath before speaking. "I'm so... tired."

Annya looked at Akasan up and down. "Now that I'm looking at you... did you lose weight? You weren't this slim before."

Akasan raised his arm to look at it. It was true. He'd lost a lot of muscle during these past few weeks. His diet was low on protein and fats, and he couldn't do his regular gravity training. He's only been doing magic spells. But in return, he'd gotten really good at it.

Annya dropped the fruit on the ground. "I brought back food."

Akasan sat up and started gobbling up the fruit. "So... hungry..." he said while his mouth was full.

Meanwhile Annya was still on her first one. She closed her eyes and took a delicate bite. "So, how long have you been a fighter?"

"Since I was ten, I think." he said, mouth still full.

Annya took another bite. "And you're sixteen right? Don't you have anything you want to do other than fight? I swear, all you boys are the same."

Akasan continued eating. He swallowed and looked at her. "I'm a fighter because if I don't get stronger, then my world will end."

Annya hesitated to take another bite. "What do you mean 'your world will end'?"

"I'm the only Omega Knight left in my country. All the strong guys come looking for me. If I don't beat them, then there's no one left to stop them from taking over the country."

Annya's eyes softened up. "So why are you here now?" she said, taking another bite.

Akasan's expression darkened. "Because I failed."

"Failed?"

"I failed to protect everyone. So I have to live with the consequences. Though I can't live in the past. What happened, happened. When I get back I'll make sure this never happens again."

Annya finished the fruit. *"So he's not a meathead. He's stuck in this position."* she thought.

Annya pulled out her wand and tapped the ground next to her. "Cache."

A small magic circle appeared. She put her wand away and reached her hand inside.

Seconds later she pulled out a thick leather book. It was clearly aged.

Annya looked at the cover and ran her fingertips across the insignia on the front. She held it out to Akasan. "Here. It's a spellbook for wizards. You can borrow it."

Akasan carefully took the book with both hands. "Really? You mean it?"

She looked away. "I said you could borrow it didn't I? Just make sure you give it back to me. If you don't I'll hunt you down."

Akasan opened the book and flipped through the pages. "Woah, there's so much information in here! Annya, thank you!"

She blushed. "Don't thank me, I never said it was yours. Anyway, what's your magic affinity?"

Akasan looked up at her. "Affinity?"

Annya sighed. "So you don't even know that..."

She raised her hands at chin level and held her fingers out, just inches apart from each other. "Do this with your hands, and focus your mana at the tip of your fingers. If you do, you'll see the mana for just a second. The color of it determines your affinity."

A red-orange shock of mana went between her fingers.

"What does that mean?" Akasan asked.

Annya put her hands down. "It means that my affinity is fire. I specialize in fire-based magic."

Akasan rested the spellbook on his lap and held his fingers up. He focused his mana and waited.

A white bolt of mana appeared.

Akasan looked at Annya. She raised her eyebrows. "Wow. You're a blank."

Akasan looked confused. "Blank? That doesn't sound good."

Annya sat up. "It's amazing actually. A blank affinity means that you specialize in nothing."

Now Akasan was even more confused. "How is that amazing?"

"If you specialize in nothing, then you can learn everything. In my case, specializing in fire magic means that water magic is near impossible for me to learn. If there's nothing restricting you, then you can learn all types of magic spells."

--

About an hour later, Akasan was still reading the spellbook while Annya took a nap.

Akasan was specifically interested in a particular form of magic. He walked off with the book.

Two hours later, Annya woke up to being tied up with magic bindings. She wiggled, struggling to get free. "What, is this?!!"

Three boys walked up in view. It was Hide and two others. "Ah? You finally woke up eh?"

Annya grit her teeth. "Hide?! You did this?! Untie me!! Now!!"

The boys started laughing.

Hide had a grin on his face. "Untie you? For what? So you can run?" He got close to her face and licked her cheek. "It looks like the sheep caught the wolf..."

He got up and started laughing again.

"Akasan!!" Annya screamed.

Hide looked at her. "Eh? Who are you calling for? Don't tell me you were here with that guy who can't use magic?"

He started laughing again. "I've gotta say... we've been in this forest for almost three months now, and it's driving me crazy!! I've been trying to hold back but... seeing you all defenseless and tied up like that..." Hide grinned. "I don't think I'll be able to control myself!!"

Annya had an expression of a mixture of fear and disgust. She screamed Akasan's name again.

Hide slapped her in the face. "You shut up. Do you really think he's coming back for you? He probably bailed! Don't call for his help after you talked about him so poorly when we first entered the forest! You don't think everyone knows about you?! You always used your looks and status to jump from man to man until you finally got what you wanted! Don't you get it?! You're scum!! You honestly make me sick to my stomach! But don't worry..."

Hide stroked her chin. "I won't be the only one sick when I'm through with you."

Tears welled up in Annya's eyes. *"He's right... I don't deserve anyone's help. I looked down and used everyone and now I'm all by myself. Who knows what horrible things might happen to me... I'm helpless. Just like I was then..."*

Hide and his boys started walking up on Annya with perverted looks.

Annya's scream echoed through the forest.

Blood spattered on the grass.

Hide's face was frozen with shock. He wiped the blood from his mouth and looked at it.

Akasan had intervened and knocked Hide in the face.

Hide grit his teeth and swung back.

Akasan effortlessly dodged his swing and punched him in the middle of his face, breaking his nose.

Hide fell to the ground and started rolling around in pain.

The other two boys ran up on Akasan next. He dodged one of them and pushed him into the other kid. He then grabbed one from the top of his head and punched him in the back with his knuckle. His spine snapped instantly. He fell to the ground.

The next boy got scared and ran away.

Akasan quickly appeared in front of him. "You're not getting away." He took his right hand and chopped him in his throat to stop him dead in his tracks.

The boy choked and fell to the ground holding his throat, coughing.

Akasan walked back over to Hide, who stood back up and clapped his hands. "Magic Art: Lightning Fist!!"

Both of Hide's hands became covered in yellow lightning.

Akasan clapped his hands together. "Magic Art..."

Hide ran up to him, yelling out as he threw his punch.

Akasan held his hand out towards him. "Wind Pulse."

*foom!*

Hide's entire body was pushed back by a strong pulse of wind.

Akasan followed up by chasing after him and punching Hide in the face while he was still in the air.

The ground shook as Akasan sent Hide into the dirt.

Hide sat up. "You think you're good?! Watch this!! I'll make sure you never try me again!!"

"Oh by the way. You won't be needing this anymore." Akasan calmly kicked Hide between the legs. A crack was heard. Hide's face immediately went blank as he passed out from the pain.

The bindings on Annya disappeared. She looked up at Akasan with tears in her eyes.

Akasan calmly turned her way. "Yo. You alright?"

"Why, why did you come back? I gave you the spellbook, you could've just left me here and practiced your magic. I called you weak behind your back on several occasions, and I treated you wrong at the entrance..."

Akasan held his hand out. "You're saying this now after three months? We're friends. I don't abandon my friends."

Annya grabbed his hand as he pulled her up. She wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffed as she looked down, feeling like scum. "Thank you for saving me. I'm sorry for how I treated you back then."

Akasan smiled. "Who cares, I've been treated worse, it's no big deal. Come on, we still have keep progressing."

Annya humbly nodded.

They continued on their journey for another four days.

On the fifth they ran into a cave.

"This is the first cave we've seen isn't it?" Annya asked.

Akasan walked inside. "Yeah I think so."

They started walking through the darkness.

"Torch." Akasan lit a fire.

"Torch." Annya did as well.

After some minutes Akasan's flame started shaking. "I feel some cold air coming from in front of me, I think we're close!"

Soon they saw the light that signified the cave's end.

They walked out into a circular room.

The ground was covered in violet-blue flowers and plants. Blue vines went up the light-gray walls and coated the ceiling. The flowers gave off a luminescent blue glow.

There was a short stone pillar in the center of the room, and it had a blue jewel placed in the middle of it.

The cave closed up behind them.

"No turning back." Annya said.

Akasan walked up to the stone pillar and grabbed the jewel. He picked it up and looked at it.

Annya got closer. "It's beautiful."

The gem started glowing, and the two of them started glowing with blue light and disappeared.

They reappeared in a new room. This one was brown everywhere, and there were no entrances or exits.

What Akasan did see was Judah and some girl sitting down resting against the wall.

Akasan ran over. "Judah!"

Judah looked up. "Akasan. You made it!"

Fist bump.

"Who's this?" Akasan asked, looking at the girl.

"This is Kawa. She was my partner going through the forest."

Kawa nodded her head. "Hello."

Akasan nodded back. He looked at Judah. "Hey, you gained weight."

Judah looked at him. "You lost weight."

They both started laughing.

Annya walked up from behind.

Judah looked at her. "You two came together?"

"Yes, Akasan sort of... stuck with me."

Soon another two people came. It was Gin and a guy with silver hair.

Gin saw Annya and waved politely.

Annya looked away.

In the center of the room, a green magic circle appeared.

Merlin suddenly teleported to the middle of the room. He looked around. He clapped his hands to gain the attention of everyone there. "Hello examinees. I hope all of you are doing well. I am proud to say that the six people present right now have officially made it to the Second Stage. As for the twelve contenders that never made it, they will be disqualified and will be allowed to take the Trials again another time if they so wish. As for Hide, Kitchi, and Don, those three are also disqualified and will not be allowed to re-take the Trials."

Gin's eyes widened. "Hide didn't make it?"

Merlin looked at him. "No, he didn't. A battle ensued between him and this man right here, rendering Hide and the other two unable to continue." he said, holding his hand in Akasan's direction.

Gin glared at Akasan. *"Annya... why are you with him?"* he thought.

Merlin cleared his throat. "With that out of the way, the Second Stage will begin shortly. This stage will be... more intense than the last. You will battle seemingly endless hordes of magic beasts in a harsh and unforgiving climate, so be prepared. There will be no time for sleep or rest. Also, when the Second Stage begins, all of your normal energy will be returned to you, so good luck out there, I know you can do it."

Merlin then disappeared.

Everyone in the waiting room teleported at the same time.

Akasan opened his eyes to see an extreme volcanic climate.

The sky was red, smoke was in the air, and the ground was black and thoroughly cracked with lava.

Not to mention how hot it was, the temperature was above 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

Akasan was already sweating. He looked around himself.

Everyone was teleported to the same place.

Annya was behind him, and Judah was to his left. Gin and the silver-haired guy was somewhere on his right at a further distance.

Beams of light started appearing on the horizon. Hundreds of thousands of gigantic magic beasts appeared. Their roars echoed throughout the land.

Judah brung out his golden cross. "Now those, are big."

Each magic beast was over a hundred meters tall. All sorts of species were summoned together. And they were bloodthirsty.

Akasan felt his energy flooding back into his body. The Kamigen immediately activated in his right eye as his body gave off a burning blue aura. "Alright!! About time!!" he said, pounding his fist. "I feel refreshed!!!"