Declaration of Spirit

**Date Started:** January 1, 493XR
**Date Completed:** Completed
**Previous Role-Play:** The Lion and the Skeleton
**Users Involved:** User:Shen Yi,User:Dragon Lord Erin,User:KontonMan

**Setting**: Clover Kingdom
**Characters Involved:**
* **Royalty**: King Guthrie Clover II
* **Captains:**
* **Vice Captain:** Rosanne Vermillion
* **Examinees:** Ezekiel, Alastor Brixby

The sun hung over the arena, beating down upon the cheering crowd. Down below in the area, earth mages were cleaning up the broken stone and resetting the damage ground. "That was an amazing brawl wasn't it but we still have more for you all." He cleared his throat motioning to the gates on either side of the arena. "Now please welcome our next competitors in this years exams. Ezekiel and Alastor Brixby! Two outstanding candidates hoping to prove they've got what it takes to join the magic knights." The crowd roared as the gates opened and the two competitors entered, taking their places on their respective sides of the arena.

"Thank you, thank you." Shouted one of the boys. Mock bowing to the crowd, a smile painted across his face. The boy was dressed in a large and lavish purple and white garb, that extended almost to his knees. Below those flowing white pants came to about his ankles, and on his feet were fluffy white slippers. His lavender hair was unkempt, falling all across his face, but leaving one eye uncovered. "Nice to see you here Ezekiel." He called, giving a small wave as he began to stretch his arms.

An entire year had passed since he first met her. The woman who eventually became his sister and one of the most precious things in his life. A passion for him to succeed so that he could support her further. And ever since that promise was made, they would engage in continuous training. Sessions that left Ezekiel on the brink of death. But some called Ezekiel one of the luckiest rookies. To become someone that was trained by such a high ranking and powerful member of the Vermillion family. One whose prowess already surpassed her parent. Of course the royalty and nobility often questioned their relationship and subjected Ezekiel to horrific treatment. But it wasn't something he hadn't experienced before. Hell, even as he stepped on the stage, Ezekiel could feel the daggers of the nobility that felt this commoner overstepped his boundary. Still, it wasn't about them and he knew that.

Ezekiel walked to his starting position and took a deep breath. Just two years ago, the young mage spent his nights in cemeteries studying magic. Now, he represented the hard work of Bastian and Roseanne in one of the grandest stages in the world. Not that he cared for Clover Kingdom. No. He needed to become stronger in order to support her. Ezekiel's eyes rested to the king and then to the royalty who sat so high above him. His gaze finally rested to the rookie that would be his opponent. A man with a magic quite like none other. *I'll have to be careful around him.* And of all people, a member of the noble house. One would think that this was almost done purposely to prove a point.

"Same Alastor. I hope we have some fun with this." Ezekiel said before acknowledging that he was ready. The ebony mage began to discretely stream his magical power towards his bottom foot.

"I suppose I should get ready too huh." Alastor replied sticking his tongue out ever so briefly as they awaited the signal. He drew his arms inwards and thrust them out fully tossing the baggy top of and out of the arena, kicking his slippers out too now standing barefoot. His body was sculpted quite well from all the rigorous training he'd gone through. The Brixby family were all quite strong, training their body as well as their mind. Many of the older members were martial arts experts along with their talented magecraft.

Alastor's body was quite rugged, lean muscle covered in black tattoos. These covered his body from his wrists and ankles up to the nape of his neck. Now wearing only the white pants and a loose purple belt he smiled, using a band from his arm to tie his lavender locks into a tight ponytail. His grimoire floated form his belt, a see through purple book made of dark and light lines. With a single movement of his hand the book split apart, the lines darting around as they began to align with his tattoos and merge with his body.

It was just like he'd practiced so many times as his whole body began to radiate mana. He crouched down into a fighting stance, eyeing Ezekiel with a smile.

Making sure they were both ready the announcer spoke again. "Alright the combatants are set. Let's get this show on the road!" He held his hand high as a beam of magic shot into the air, exploding loudly as the crowd roared with excitement. The match had begun.

Alastor took no time in slamming his foot into the ground concentrating mana around it to cause rubble to burst into the air. In a continuously fluid motion he spun on the foot as the rubble gathered into a ball in front of him as he swung his foot over it. Once again using his continuous motion. He placed his foot behind the other, using his hand to spring his right foot upwards, impacting the ball of earth with a kick as he flipped forwards landing on his feet. Via his magic the ball shot forwards at an incredible face, causing ripples in the air.

There wasn't enough time for Ezekiel to think. He had to launch himself out of the way. Perhaps this would've been enough to take out one of the other rookies. But Ezekiel had spent a year fighting against the Vice-Captain of the Crimson Lions. A woman whose acceleration magic allowed her to cross battlefields in a slight instant. There were times when Ezekiel needed to dodge strikes which moved faster than this rock. Thus hone instincts often considered unbefitting of a mage. He even practiced a spell in hopes of mimicking the famed Crimson Lioness.

**Leg Strength Boost!**

The magic within Ezekiel's leg enhanced his physical prowess and allowed him to leap out of the way. He wasn't a fighter. He enjoyed combat but more so when it involved his thaumaturgy. Without knowledge of his opponent's magic, Ezekiel needed to figure out a way to guide the battle into his favor. *"That wasn't Earth Magic."* Ezekiel thought. *"That attack required too many maneuvers"*

Ezekiel rolled onto his feet and began to flow his mana into his hand.

Watching as Ezekiel dodged his attack, Alastor smiled. As his opponent began to land he continued his dance, his tattoos now glowing purple. He dragged his right arm inwards as he began to spin into a flip. Ezekiel would feel the air around him whirling towards Alastor, almost dragging him with it. Then as Alastor executed the flip, his body turning sideways as he brought right foot down. The ground splintered from his impact, forming a web of cracks and shooting projectiles of stone up all across the arena. Finally in the final movement of his dance he brought his left leg down, kicking it outwards at Ezekiel causing the suspended stone to fly in his direction.

This was the flowing movement of his family brought to fruition, not a single word uttered but magic exploding out from his body. A roar could be heard from the noble section of the crowd. "That's my boy Ally. Go punch him in the face!" A female voice roared. His older sister Theresa had always been one of his biggest supporters, often taking time out of her duties as the next family head to train him. The downside was that she still referred to him by the nickname she gave him when he was a kid.

Alastor let out an embarrassed laugh and wave behind him, still keeping his eyes on Ezekiel.

The rocks collided with the young mage, sending Ezekiel flying a considerable distance backward. It was weird. For the noble's magic lacked vocal invocation as well as any obvious sign of his magic being cast. Was this the power of nobility? Although it was nowhere near as strong as his sister, Ezekiel still found himself questioning if he deserved to be on this stage. But the cheers of the noble relit the flame within his stomach. The burning desire to prove them wrong by defeating each and everyone of them. And so, he decided to utilize the one thing that he possessed which those with substantial magical talent lacked. Ezekiel relied on Alastor's confidence. He laid on the ground surrounded by rubble before pressing his palm against the stage. His mana vanishing for a slight moment before flowing once again. His arm straightened as Ezekiel stood up.

"That actually hurt." He said with a smile. *His movements are too sporadic. I can't hope to get close to him. And I'm pretty sure his magic doesn't involve earth or stone. Only one way to figure it out.* There was no reason to hide his necromantic magic. Throughout the year of training, Ezekiel came to feel immense pride in his thaumaturgical development. And now he wanted the world to see the power of death which he wielded.

**Bone Magic: Mon Crâne**

A skull appeared in Ezekiel's hand. A rather simple trick, for he dropped it and kicked it towards Alastor with considerable force by reinforcing his leg strength.

"We playing games now?"

As the skull flew at him Alastor kicked at it as he swung his foot out he missed the skull considerably, it was about 3 feet from his foot, however the skull began to crunch inwards, the magic itself being shaped into a white ball. His foot landed and he quickly pivoted kicking outwards towards the ball and sending it back at Ezekiel at high speeds.

"Bone Magic huh. I know you're good enough to be here Ezekiel, what's with the skull?" Alastor shouted, cocking his eyebrow at his opponent.

*I knew it.* Ezekiel thought to himself. He took a step to the side and let the magic ball fly pass him. *Which explains why he's been repetitive so far.* Ezekiel ignored the crowd's boos and their thirst for violence, caring not for their entertainment but instead to ensure he could seize the conditions of victory. His opponent was an offensive mage. An aggressive type meant to demolish the threat as quickly and efficiently as possible. *No one should be able to manipulate my Bone Magic...Which means his magic has nothing to do with earth or stone. Yet he was able to interrupt it even without contact just as he was able to send the debris my way.* Ezekiel took a deep breath and glanced at the space within the rubble. *But I think I understand what's going on.* The skeletal mage started pressing onward.

"I'm sorry about that. My magic slipped." Ezekiel said jokingly. "I bet you that little move of yours won't work again."

He wasn't one for physical combat. But he spent the past years against someone a world above him who mastered hand to hand combat to unprecedented levels. Whose childish berserk nature often meant training stopped seconds away from death. And so, Ezekiel developed his own method of combat using his own thaumaturgical prowess. Mana began to flow to his hands while he grinned at Alastor.

"I mean if you're not even gonna kick the ball back to me..." Alastor sighed shrugging at Ezekiel. He knew he had bone magic but he wasn't quite sure how skilled he was with it. He was extremely quick on reaction for anything he could see coming and the skull seemed to be something much weaker than he could probably output.

"Let's try this again."

Alastor hopped forwards into a handstand as he began to flip and spin in place, almost like he was breakdancing. Every swing of his leg, every flail of his arm, they all send blades of concentrated wind flying at Ezekiel. Barely visible to the naked eye but sharp enough to easily sever an arm. He continued his assault. Sending more and more with each passing second.

*Wind!* Ezekiel thought to himself. This settled it. But he first needed to avoid getting skewered before Ezekiel could come to the proper conclusion. Rather than dodge the blades of wind, Ezekiel fired the concentrated mana he stored in left hand. He chose to compress the mana bullets so that they would collide with the center of the oncoming blades. Thus allowing him to deflect it without wasting too much of his mana. He also closed the distance with each step. He moved forward with impressive accuracy and a unique ability to read the next strike.

This was due to the blessing given to Ezekiel. Although they were naked to the eye, Ezekiel's eyesight was already known for being atrocious. Yet he never wore glasses or underwent any form of eye correcting magic. He just always *knew* the world around him. It was during times like these that his blessing began to show. For his body reacted to the memory of this feeling of each wind blade. But rather than react to the blade, his body instead maneuvered to the sensation of the energy emitted from Alastor. It was a phenomena in his country knew as Déjà Vu. Especially after endless combat against Roseanne, there existed few dangers in this world that the rookie mage hadn't encountered. And his body registered the sensations emitted during the situations.

Still, the noble managed to get a gash against Ezekiel's shoulder. This was due to the fact that, just because Ezekiel could feel it coming, did not mean he possessed the physical ability to react. However he bit down on the immense pain and ducked beneath the leg level of Alastor. He launched himself forward in an attempt to collide Alastor's leg with his right hand. The ploy being to keep Alastor focused on his breakdancing to notice Ezekiel closing the distance.

He closed in on Alastor but he kept the assault up. It was quite interesting to see the mage getting so close, using a much more basic application of mana to a devastating effect but how had he done it so perfectly? That was the mystery Alastor was still trying to wrap his head around. Had it been some form of bone magic? He doubted it. He couldn't remember the last time his bones had helped him with aiming. Regardless of the situation he wanted to see more, watching through his spins as Ezekiel closed in on him.

However as his foe stuck out with his hand, Alastor pivoted and slammed his leg against his hand with a good amount of force, grinning as he balanced on his hand staring into his eyes. "Didn't know you were such a good sharpshooter, you seem to have plenty of tricks up those sleeves of yours don't you." His voice was singsongy but more so, it was confident. If Ezekiel looked to his hand he'd see that it was hovering about a foot from his leg, having impacted something else entirely.

"The same can be said about you."

Ezekiel figured that this attack wouldn't work. It was his first plan and the one which probably would've done the most damage. But he stood against a noble of such a mysterious magic. Ezekiel figured that his opponent's magic involved some form of manipulation. Not in the sense of attribute generation but rather obedience exertion. From wind to earth to even Ezekiel's bones. And by missing something which Ezekiel surely planned to land, this only furthered his idea that Alastor's magic involved manipulation. This wasn't a fight like against his sister. This man possessed something entirely different and a power which would surely develop into a deadly magic as he grew older.

And so, rather than push back against the invisible wall, Ezekiel jumped back slightly. *He hasn't generated anything. The rocks, the blades of wind and even my own spell were simply sent back at me. He seems to utilize movement to invoke his command. How troublesome. I was hoping to fight either a normal mage or someone like sis. Now I'm fighting a fucking octopus.*

"Your magic is based on directional manipulation. Which would explain why you haven't created anything of your own mana yet." Ezekiel said with a smile. "God I always get the worst one's." He chuckled as he lifted his hand to scratch his head in confusion. The mana within his hand vanishing midway through. *This'll make my curses that much harder to land. Looks like I'll have to let him lead this dance.*

"Sorry my magic didn't work for ya. Damn I really tried ya know, got all dressed up an everything. Let me go change it real quick" He grinned as he flipped back, never comfirming or denying the statement from his opponent. Bringing his leg around to send a wall of wind outwards, enough to push Ezekiel back a about ten feet and put some distance between the two.

"Listen if it makes you feel better I can just stop using it." He stood up holding his hands outwards as blue balls of mana formed in his hands. He tossed them up as more and more began to appear. Finally as they all fell down he began kicking them at Ezekiel. With the much closer proximity and the power he was kicking with he wasn't sure how Ezekiel would handle it. In total Alastor had kicked about seven of the mana balls at him. Though if Ezekiel did dodge them he would find they weren't so easy to shake, darting back at him once they passed. All the while Alastor stood there grinning but strangely enough not moving.

Definitely one of the more calmer nobles that Ezekiel has had to deal with. He tanked the wall of wind and slid backwards, surrounded by rubble. Just as Ezekiel figured. *Because he can't generate anything special, he has to focus on the things he can manipulate outside. Which means he needs his distance.* The Necromantic magician took a deep breath and held his hand out as Alastor began to gather his magic. He thought back to the endless days training with Rose where he would get demolished by the amazing power of her righteous magic.

*Sister, watching you train made me desire to hone my own body. Although I'm nowhere near as powerful as you, I hope to one day be able to cut you with this.*

**Bone Curse Magic: Salaire du Péché**

A white spear formed in his hand's grasp as the balls approached. It emitted a ominous aura as if surrounded by death. Without giving the crowd the chance to admire the fine craftsmanship of the spear, Ezekiel began to spin the spear in a way that the flat side would collide with the balls. Doing so would activate the curse which flowed through his construct allowing him to absorb the mana from each. A simple curse. Though he'd dream of finding a way of invoking two curses onto a singular weapon.

*He'll send me flying away with the wind if I try to close the distance. And he's refusing to do it himself. So I'll just have to do what I do best.*

"I appreciate the pity but I'm shocked. I thought a noble of the famous House Brixby would have finished me, a foreigner, already."

Ezekiel made sure to say it loud enough for the nobles to hear. Even as his shoulder bled, the fact he spoke so boldly was sure to anger them. Hell, he was sure that Alastor lost a couple of them money already.

"First my magic is too much for you. Now it's not enough." He cocked his head, hands on his hips. "Listen if your salary peach," He spoke, purposefully mispronouncing the spell, "Is so cool and you're so confident why are you staying so far away?" He'd been watching Ezekiel for a while and it was clear he was much more comfortable at close range, considering just how many of his spells he'd run in to pull off. But from this Alastor also realized that Ezekiel might have recognized that he was also very dangerous up close.

"Listen man I don't really care that you're a foreigner, you're kind of a dick, though that's more personality than place." He pointed a thumb over his shoulder at his family and chuckled. "Also hate to break it to you, but my family isn't gonna get uptight cause I don't finish you in one hit."

Another roar was heard from the stands as the Brixby family once again cheered on Alastor. Unlike most of the noble families, House Brixby was't very uptight and often deemed to be the most boisterous of the nobles. Most attributed it to their roots in marital arts and their policy of often recognizing strength over wealth. Some of the members had even opened a small dojo in clover that provided martial arts lessons for cheap. Those who worked their enjoyed the training more than the money, it wasn't like they needed more of it anyways.

"Hey bone dude punch my little brother already!" A female voice roared from the stands.

"Yeah if you're gonna attack my son do. Throw some spells I wanna see him sweat!" The voice of an adult male rang out.

"Hey stop yelling, he gets it." Alastor called back, smiling apologetically at Ezekiel. He huffed taking his fighting stance once again. "I just wanted a fun fight here but I understand, you're here to show you're magic knight material without a noble house to your name." He grinned. "So come on, show these judges what you got then."

He kicked the ground causing it to rupture heavily, large and small chunks of stone flying up and outwards as the ground below them became unstable. The chunk flew up from all around Ezekiel, some from right below him and some changing course in the air to charge him. But Alastor didn't let up, the stomp served to boost him towards Ezekiel as he danced across the stone, charging him. "Come on Ezekiel, make me sweat."

And it was at that moment, as Ezekiel danced throughout the barrage of stone, that a small devious smirk emerged upon his face. One only Roseanne would be able to catch. For as Alastor ran forward, a magic circle erupted into existence within an arms reach. Spikes of bone erupted towards the noble mage with explosive force. Enough to pierce through steel, it possessed the puncturing power capable of completely skewering a human. The amount of mana that both magicians expended into the surrounding was more than enough to hide the presence of this trap. And Ezekiel, who practiced his trap setting thoroughly, was able to set the trap in thin air well before this moment.

Meanwhile, with each stone, Ezekiel showed his own rhythm. He danced between the flying rocks using a mixture of both his mana sensory and Déjà Vu. The sensation of the mana directing the stone triggered his body's memory. Allowing him to predict that there was a fast approaching threat. Similar to that utilized by Alastor at the beginning of the match. As Ezekiel stated before, this trick would not work again. Still the ebony mage danced himself backwards in hopes of avoiding hand to hand combat with Alastor. He found himself surrounded by rubble.

The magic circle appeared almost instantly as massive spears of bone shot outwards, right at the charging boy. The first one nearly took his head clean off but years of martial arts training offered Alastor that sixth sense that told you when a punch was coming from behind. On pure instinct he duck it out of the way, tucking his head in to avoid it. Two more shot out towards his arms and again instinctively he caught them with his palms, gripping them hard to prevent them from pushing all the way through. His legs were not so lucky, with both thighs being jabbed by the larger spears with enough force to move his whole body backwards.

Alastor didn't even speak he concentrated his magic as the spears around his hands splintered apart, floating aimlessly in the air instead of falling. They quickly moved to his legs, cutting the spears heads off as he grasped them for a moment, then as he moved his hands up the tips floated out of his legs on their own, joining the rest of the floating bones in the air. Finally he punched the bone above him, shattering it as more pieces began to float around him.

He looked at Ezekiel now with a smile on his face. "I did not expect you to have trap magic, well played. He reached up to wipe his brown only to frown as his hand came away. "Damn I seriously thought i'd be sweating. But hey you drew blood, that's close."

Behind his genuine words Alastor was quickly analyzing his option. It seemed he would have to make sure he had his defenses up at all time to account for Ezekiel's traps. The next time he tried one of those it would be much different. For now though he needed to get in and mess him up. The floating bone shards swirled in place as the lines on his body pulsated, mana welling up around him.

He could hear the crowd cheering Ezekiel as well as his family, happy that the fight was getting interesting. Alastor began to move again sprinting towards Ezekiel, as he did he flipped as the bones began to condense into numerous smaller spears that fired at Ezekiel. Though this time the objects moved in carefully spaced waves. Ensuring that even if Ezekiel spun his staff it to block them, it wouldn't be fast enough to hit them all. A couple would slip through the gap. In this time Alastor would close that gap between them.

"Thanks." Ezekiel said with a grin. "Though I wouldn't be good at setting traps if you knew they were there." He gripped his spear harder. The biggest issue about being a trap mage was that when the opponent fell for the first trap, the second would always be the hardest to complete. However, Ezekiel had an even bigger secret for this battle. Still he hadn't the time to necessarily think about it. Instead the ebony mage had to twirl his staff in order to deflect as many miniature shards as possible.

"Hey for the words earlier, you're not like the other nobles." Ezekiel said through gritted teeth and intense pain. "I'm actually having fun! Come give me everything you got!" Whereas other mages would have wanted to avoid direct combat with someone as powerful as Alastor, Ezekiel stood his ground in the circle of rubble where this match began. And for that, the skeletal mage received a deep cut upon his stomach. His body would have suffered further had he not relied on his mana skin for some of the other shards. He looked to Alastor and thrusted the spear upward.

Rosanne Vermillion had been watching the entire time. She was standing faithfully next to her grandfather, the current Captain of the Crimson Lions. The 20-year-old watched as her 'brother' fought. She could see him using what she had tried showing him in battle. But Alastor's Magic was rather annoying. She couldn't intervene in the fight, but she could cheer on her brother. "ZEKE!!" she yelled. The audience turned to stare at the beauty, her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice. "YOU GOT THIS!!"

"I appreciate that." Alastor replied with a smile, "Plus it looks like you got fans of your own." He weaved around the spear as it poke at him, grabbing the pole with his left hand as he moved to punch Ezekiel with his right. But he stopped briefly, an initial shock as he could feel mana leaving his body. He had it now, the balls of mana were absorbed into the spear. That was some dangerous magic for these exams, dangerous for most mages to fight against. However the Brixby family training had prepared him for this.

Spells that drain mana are one of the most dangerous enemies if you're fighting your opponent at close range. In his training they'd taught him that even though they may seem daunting, spells that drain mana are extremely complex and usually require much more mana to keep up if they're channeling them. However, with spells such as this spear, one could assume that it was a single cast. A spell that absorbed processed and transferred mana to its user. Alastor grinned as he put his plan into action.

Mana surged from his left hand flowing through the spear and enveloping it. Spells like these often had a buffer for absorption and a cap on how much they could absorb at one time. By over saturating the spear with his mana he could manipulate it while it tried to absorb all the mana he'd thrown at it.

With another grin he locked eyes with Ezekiel. "Ya got me huh, fine then. Vector Magic: Unravel." Speaking his spell for the fist time the spear exploded into shards of bone, flying wildly in every direction, though they all missed Alastor entirely. Continuing his assault Alastor lunged out with a powerful kick to Ezekiel's ribs.

"I have you alright." Ezekiel said with a grim smile. He took the kick like a warrior, surely feeling his ribs crack from the immense strike. But the purpose was more than Ezekiel could ever ask for. Upon contact, the ebony mage grabbed hold of Alastor's leg. He bit down hard through the thunderous pain and remained standing as he made sure to keep Alastor within his grasp. The purpose became known as Alastor began his kick. Another trap. However, this one wasn't the second one placed during the match. No. This magic circle was actually the first trap he placed throughout the event today.

A magic circle erupted beneath Alastor and Ezekiel. From which a dome of skeletal protrusions began to branch towards them both. However, the bones which emerged behind Ezekiel branched towards his flanks in order to create a thick branching system meant to skewer Alastor. They grew with enough force and speed to pierce through metal and followed a design that would greatly limit one's ability to escape. The bones were also much larger, capable of piercing a fully grown mage.

However, as the kick landed Ezekiel would not find himself on his feet for long. For it seemed even as he grabbed Alastor's foot, the foot was anchored to him by some magic as well. That is when he started to feel the crushing. Much like those other objects Alastor had crushed into balls, it seemed he was attempting this same trick on him. The force of the blow and him now being anchored to Alastor the upwards angled kick dragged Ezekiel along and into the air as Alastor himself jumped with it. Now parallel to the ground Alastor began to spin. "Blink and you'll miss it, Passing Fantasy!" He cried as he began to rotate rapidly aiming to slam and drag Ezekiel across the hard ground as many times as he could.

Ezekiel though always seemed to be prepared, astoundingly despite being off his balance and injured from the initial impact his casting was impeccable. He'd only managed to drag him across once when the trap sprung, sending the bones at his exposed back. As the bones shot up he used the last of his momentum to fling Ezekiel down at the oncoming bones and brace for impact. Thankfully he'd enhanced his mana skin with his affinity after witnessing the damage of the initial trap. And as the bones crashed into it they'd find themselves struggling to push past as their vectors pushed back. However to pull off such a move against Ezekiel Alastor had needed to remove the armor from some parts of him, and that was where it stung. Two large bones pierced his right leg, boring straight though his thigh and taking a good chunk out of his femur.

The roar of pain was held back but in his eyes the pain was very apparent. Using one of the bones as a handhold he twisted his body, using his magic to sever the parts of the bone that were once again stuck in him. Alastor huffed as he pushed off with his right leg, flinging himself a considerable distance from the bones. Crashing as he rolled across the ground.

It hurt to stand but he worked through the pain, using his mana to force the bones out of his leg. He stood, glaring at Ezekiel. A hole in his thigh and a part of his leg cut right off. These bones were dangerous. The right side of his pants was soaked in blood, as he held a hand over it. Attempting to quell the bleeding with his magic, forcing the blood back.

"I am gonna have to see a fuckin medic after this, got me twice with those damn bones of yours." He wiped a hand across his brow, swinging some sweat to the ground below.

Ezekiel would have surely faced defeat if not for the trap stopping Alastor. He could hear, through the intense pain, the crowd cheering at the two rookies who were in the process killing one another. The truth was, this battle was perhaps the most bloody of the exams so far. The ebony mage could feel his bones shatter from the force of the kick. Even though he managed to stop Alastor's plan from coming to completion, the force of the strike against his chest managed to completely shatter a good portion of his ribs. Hell, he'd expended a large portion of his own magic to maintain his mana skin in order to protect from succumbing completely from the strike.

Ezekiel attempted to stand up but found himself on his knee. His face bloodied and a smile plastered on his face. Besides against Rose, few have managed to bring this side of him out. "That magic of yours is absolutely frightening...and I've slept in cemeteries." Ezekiel said with a playful smile. But his mind had a different tone as his spirit remained restless.

*I can't fucking move. Shit! I would've probably died...* The struggled groans accompanied numerous attempts to return to his feet but found the pain absolutely unbearable. *I can't give up now...I'll have to use what little magic I have left and hope for the best...I'm sure he's able to move with his magic. Which means...*

Ezekiel took a deep breath as he began to channel his remaining magic into his left arm. He'd encountered this thought countless times before. He was in development of this spell but found it complicated to cast upon others. *I haven't found a way to bypass the subconscious magic defense of other mages...So I've only been able to use this spell using corpses as a catalyst. But there's no way I can hold back.*

**To become a Magic Knight capable of supporting her regardless of his own health.**

The Magic Knight to be had a glint in his eyes. A look which Roseanne would have seen countless times before. A man willing to sacrifice anything and everything to win. And so, as his arm breamed with his own magic but unable to move, the Skeletal Mage took his time to wait for the perfect time to strike. Where he would unleash his new spell with a deadly twist of course.

He hadn't genuinely been pushed this far in a while. Alastor tried to moved towards Ezekiel but pain shooting through his right leg was far too much. He could barely use it to stand much less as support for anything. He collapsed on his butt, pushing himself to a sitting position as he stared at Zeke intently. "You are really spooky ya know that man." Alastor replied in a joyous tone, a genuine smile beaming out for all to see.

It was clear that neither mage was moving anytime soon so it really just came down to who could hit the other fastest. As much fun as it was Alastor did want to win, not only for his family's sake but for his own. Ezekiel had been a fearsome opponent and he wanted to see it through to the end. To win against this boy seated across from him, each staining the area with their own blood.

He coughed a bit, blood spattering onto his white pants as he locked eyes with Ezekiel. "Its been fun, I hope we get to do this again sometime." He extended his right arm, placing his left to hover over it as he began to focus. The pulsating purple lines on his tattoos receded, traveling towards his right arm. The lines there began to pulse rhythmically as his mana was focused on them. Then bits of skin, blood, stone, and any other substance on or near him began to circle his arm. Faster and faster they spun as mana began to surge wildly within the conduit he'd created. It was a massive quantity already moving at incredibly high speeds, Alastor himself was shaking as he concentrated to contain it till the right moment.

The two boys roared as their mana surged outwards, spells readied for this final clash of theirs. The audience was on edge, some scrambling back to try and distance themselves from what was about to happen. Cheering echoed through the area but the two didn't hear it. They only hear each other and that voice in their mind yelling "Fire!"

From atop his throne, Guthrie had watched the rivalling rookies battle with a ferocity that he had seldom seen – it was rare for anyone to make an impression on the young King but here they were, he could already picture what glory they could bring his empire if properly trained under the watchful eye of skilled Captains.

Still if they kept at it at this rate they might cripple or end up killing one another in their zeal.

*What use have I of corpses?*

To the bewilderment of the elders of House Kira assembled behind him, the recently crowned king of Clover rose from his throne and moved with purpose out on the open tribune and past his subjects as they sat spellbound. Close enough that his subjects could reach out with their hands and touch at his velvet mantle, and many did in disbelief.

“Y-your Majesty?”

At last the King had descended down into the centre of the Colliseum itself and now strode past Alastor and Ezekiel both, his long cloak skidding across the sandy floor as he placed himself inbetween them and turned to look at the rest of the assembly.

“Hear ye, People of Clover for upon this day these two men have exemplified what Knighthood entails. We have beheld their valor, their talent and tenacity and I stand here not as King, not as Ruler or Champion but as a Patriot of our lovely country moved to applause by these brave heroes of the future.”

Emphasizing his point, Guthrie intitiated a round of applause for the two youths and almost at once the entirety of the Colliseum was moved to similar action. He permitted it to continue for a few moments before he raised a single hand calmly, restoring silence with the slightest gesture of his hand.

“Yet while it would please me to see the conclusion of this valiant struggle: I cannot endanger the lives of my precious subjects over such a matter and so I, Guthrie Kira Clover – Second of my Name announce the end of the Magic Knight Examinations on account of sustained injuries.”

Grateful. Shocked. In utter disbelief. But grateful nonetheless as this meant he wouldn't tear his body to shreds in order to obtain victory. Still, Ezekiel stared wide-eyed at the legendary king of Clover Kingdom. A man whose power he'd heard so much about. The one who stood atop one of the four largest mountains in the world. This enigmatic master of magic not only praised one born of foreign blood...but also acknowledged him as a true Magic Knight. Ezekiel found himself on the verge of tears as his magic died down. From the legendary Babineux to the House Vermillion and his own sister. Now the king himself. This past few years was filled with trial and tribulation. But he understood why as everything came together. Still, he remained strong. He attempted to stand but found the task utterly impossible.

The king had graced them. Alastor was giddy, dispelling his magic as the purple lines flew from his body, re-forming into his grimoire. It was a chilling moment for him, and an unexpected one. For Guthrie say they were exemplary, not only that but to personally end their match, Alastor felt honored beyond belief. None of his family had had this grace but here he was, grinning like a mook as he looked from Guthrie to Ezekiel to his family up in the stands. He could see Ezekiel too, radiating a joy similar to his. He used his magic one last time though, controlling his own vectors to stand himself back up so that he could kneel. The exams had ended with a bang and now Alastor was eager to see what Squad wanted them.

## The Choice is Made

Now came time for the captains to choose the newest addition to their squad. The choices went by as fast as the sun began to set. And now for the two who quickly became the highlight of the exams! Alastor Brixby and Ezekiel. Both rookies who managed to nearly kill one another in their battle. Although extremely wounded, the Clover Kingdom's greatest healing mage managed to restore their bodies as close to perfection as possible. Everything else, however, would rely on their own healing factors.

Ezekiel was first. He could feel his heart racing as he made his way to the center of the stage. He knew what squad he wanted to join and kept his eyes locked on the old man who'd he shared breakfast with a year prior. *I will support you.* Ezekiel thought to himself. Cold sweat began to fall from his skin. He'd heard rumors from the nurses and medical assistants that members of the nine squad were talking about his fight. They said things about his ingenuity. The fact that he was able to set two traps and lure Alastor into them both and even the usage of indirect spells to bring forth information about the opponent.

But he wasn't a fighter. Words which echoed throughout the deepest of his spirit. He could only stand against someone like Alastor *because* Ezekiel wasn't combat oriented. His magic revolved around trickery and deceit. And although deadly, his spells served purposes beyond simple destructive power. Still, Ezekiel hoped that the old man wouldn't mind this. He wanted to serve besides Rose.

And so, as Ezekiel turned to the captains, he watched to see who raised their hands.

“Well, I guess I’ll make the first choice.” Cognac Vermillion said, rising to his feet. The patriarch of the Vermillion Royal Family as well as the current Captain of the Crimson Lions. He bowed towards the King, before turning to face the two prospects. Alastor and Ezekiel. Two great mages in their own right. Alastor’s magic made him a threat, and Ezekiel’s control over his magic made him a threat. He looked at Ezekiel, a boy he had come to look upon as another grandson. The boy and his granddaughter Rose were like siblings. He suspected that she was closer to him than her actual siblings.

But despite all of this, Cognac knew what he had to do. He had stood up only due to tradition, not because he was going to pick anyone. He sat back down, crossing his arms, as if sealing off his way to offer a hand for Ezekiel. Rosanne looked at her grandfather in disbelief, then at Ezekiel, and then back to her grandfather. Cognac stayed silent, as if telling the other captains to make their choice as well.

Ezekiel looked away in shame when Cognac sat back down. The man who he admired more than all else rejected him. Not just that, had done so before all of Clover Kingdom's royalty and nobility. Sadness was planted on Ezekiel's visage as he realized that there were things that could not be changed. Even though Cognac invited him to live among them. Although Roseanna trained endlessly throughout the year...It still wasn't enough. And in that sadness...Ezekiel felt as if he'd failed the exams completely. He couldn't even meet his sister's gaze. Instead looking elsewhere until the next captain stood up.

"I guess it's my turn then." Sapphira Diamante would mutter under her breath with a small smile. She took a moment to assess the candidates. There was Ezekiel who had impeccable magic control, not something you see in most rookies. As for Alastor, his magic is what made him strong as opposed to his control over it, still making him a threat. Though something about the way Ezekiel went about using his magic, his control showed intelligence, he piqued her interest, was it enough to make her raise a hand though?

Sapphira stood from her seat, the train of her garment lifting from the ground due to her height and posture. She looked down upon Ezekiel for a moment before ultimately making her decision. Sapphira's hand would raise to the air, accompanied by mumbles and gasps stemming from others within the area. Sapphira quickly glanced down at Ezekiel, shooting him a warm and inviting smile before returning to her seat having made her decision, now awaiting a response.

Besides Sapphira, there was Adolf Eisenberg who stood and raised his hand to Ezekiel. The captain of the support division.

Ezekiel would have accepted him except for the warm smile of Sapphira. Something about the blue haired captain caught his attention and heart. The sadness brought upon by Cognac's rejection seemingly vanished as he met Sapphira's gaze. *Captain...Sapphira.* Ezekiel thought to himself. The Azure Deer squad was Clover Kingdom's main force behind magical research and technological advancement. And for someone like Ezekiel, who desired to further his thaumaturgy, perhaps that was the second best after Crimson Lion. Maybe he couldn't serve as the Crimson Lioness's support. But he promised to make a name for himself.

And so, Ezekiel stepped forward to Sapphira and smiled. "I accept."

"Excellent, we're glad to have you." Sapphira said once again meeting Ezekiel's gaze. She would then lift her hand forward snapping her fingers, the sound of the snap resonating throughout the area around them. As she did so her Grimoire began to glow and in an instant, a shimmering blue material would spread from her feet to the direct front of where Zeke stood, taking on a stair-like formation. "Now Ezekiel, join me and take a place amongst the AZURE DEERS!" Sapphira said grandly, her voice spreading from where she stood down to every wall and floor in a dramatic fashion. She sat holding out her hand toward Zeke motioning him to join her above his peers.

Ezekiel began to climb the steps of Sapphira's magic, heading towards where she was accepting him by her side. He looked to Alastor with a smile. One which shared a sign of gratitude but also competition. "Don't think this is over, break-dancer." He said with a cheery tone. As Ezekiel approached the captain, he noticed that he was getting closer to those who he considered family. His heart began to race as sweat started to form. But he'd never cared about anything like this before...Where did this pain come from. He had so many questions. Why wasn't this good enough? Did he disappoint them? Could he apologize for failing to please the two who showed him the most kindness? Ezekiel felt as if Cognac's silence was a sign of his grief that Ezekiel failed to impress him. But something within Ezekiel burned. And such, before joining his new captain, Ezekiel looked to Cognac and Rose. His eyes lit with the very fire that represented Vermillion.

"I may have not done well enough to join you today...I may have even failed to live up to your expectations...But I **will** make a name for myself!"

Cognac turned to face Ezekiel, and smiled. “You were exemplary, Ezekiel. However, your talents wouldn’t be able to blossom in the Crimson Lions, we are far more aggressive than would suit you. You are still welcome to visit the castle. Just know, Ezekiel. I am very proud of you.”

*Ezekiel. I am very proud of you.”*

Those words resonated within Ezekiel's heart. Nearly a decade of being tossed around from his family and forced to be alone, he had finally managed to make someone proud. And all the negativity in his heart had blinded him from the fact that he was trying to be something he wasn't. Just because he didn't fit with the Crimson Lions did not mean they weren't proud of him. As living with the Vermillion would have smothered his growth, serving within the Crimson Lion would've caused more damage than good. Yes. He would continue blossom. But as a flower meant to stand besides Rose in the bouquet that was the Clover Kingdom..

Ezekiel wiped the tears from his eyes and looked to Cognac with a shivering smile as he held back more tears. His eyes sent a silent apology. He continued up the stairs and joined Sapphira's side as her newest recruit. And with one more glance at his sister and grandfather, Ezekiel screamed

"I will also add onto your legacy!"

"Well..." Looking at the remaining candidate, the renowned captain of the Silver Eagle squad raised his hand. Stroking his growing mustache, he got up, rushing his speech before the reaction of any other captain.

"A great demonstration of power from a member of one of our admirable noble families." He started. "I must say, I was impressed by your feats in this fight, but you still have a lot of room to grow before I can acknowledge you as a worthy magic knight. If you are willing to, I'll gladly guide you through this path, along with your fellow comrades that share the same dream of protecting the citizens of the Kingdom with all their power and passion." He extended his hand from the top of the viewport. "What do you say?" Astro seemed to pay no mind to the other captains' intentions. At this point, he was too focused on the kid and possibly his hair color that almost matched his personal likings.

Alastor raised his head, hearing the cheers of his family in the distance. "I'll gladly accept. Thank you for your generous offer Sir." He stood grinning as he turned to Ezekiel, giving him one last thumbs up. "Till next time then."