[???]
"Say, do you think Mikoto is sad we left him out?" Ruby asked William as they walked through the recently restored forest.
"Well, he did not seem as bothered by that." William stated, it really was a shame they could only be two in a team. It felt kind of empty without Mikoto. "But I am rather sure he teamed up with my sister." A smile graced his features; his sister might detest him, but that did not diminish his care for the girl. It was nice to know Mikoto was keeping his promise.
"You seem rather happy," Ruby noted.
"I do, huh?" William just shrugged. Maybe he was a bit too glad for his sister; most would likely think him mad for even still caring about her. They would not be wrong for even thinking so. Agatha and him were not even on speaking terms; hell, his sister would not even glance his way. But that was fine; it was not her fault that she was so cold. No, there was someone else to blame. "Well, I guess I'm just happy to have peace of mind." He finally answered.
"Oh, right. I recall seeing your sister with Mikoto." Ruby noted with a hum. "It seems he is keeping his promise. Unexpected from a delinquent." William just chuckled at the jab thrown Mikoto's way.
"A trustworthy delinquent." William corrected. "But we proba-" William cut himself off as he suddenly lifted up his right hand; without even a chant, a pulsing bubble-like green shield was erected around the two of them. Just in time for what seemed like a bolt of lightning to whizz through the air, it collided with the barrier as it groaned and pulsed under the brief onslaught. But the barrier held as the lighting strike seemingly disappeared in a hiss.
William grimaced as he directed his gaze upward.
"Well, I guess I would have been a fool to think you would not seek me out." He spoke with a frown.
"Hello brother." Hoisted atop a thick branch of a tree, she looked down on Ruby and William. She was paired up with Mikoto at his behest, but the masked boy was moving a little too slowly for her taste. So, to make a long story short, she ended up ditching him and eliminating most of the other students already. Though she may have taken a detour to reach her brother and his partner,.
The duo consisting of Ruby and William watched as Agatha jumped off the branch, landing weightlessly on the dirt ground.
"Say, how screwed would you say we currently are?" Ruby questioned him as a sheepish look adorned William's face.
"Very screwed." He answered honestly. On queue, Agatha took action, as the two tensed for action.
"Creation Magic: Azure Wolf, Basilisk." She murmured as Williams eyes widened.
Agatha stretched her arms out, her palms facing upward, as vivid azure mana surged from her. A surge of magic surged through her, she summoned her will and manifested her thoughts. With a flourish of her hands, she channeled her magic, creating an spectacle of light.
A magnificent creature materialized before her. It stood tall and illuminated the forest with its aura of ethereal whiteness. Its fur, like fresh snow, flowed gracefully, cascading down its powerful form. Its eyes, two azure orbs brimming.
Beside the enigmatic beast, Agatha summoned a massive serpent, a replica of the purest white. Its scales shimmered under the dappled sunlight, as it snaked through the trees. Fathomless azure eyes glowed ready to heed Agatha's every command.
"You're kidding, right?" William could not help but blurt that out as he stared at those two large, intimidating creatures.
"She summoned them?" Ruby questioned sizing up the creatures.
"No, she created them." William corrected with a grimace.
("The Gregory's Familial Arts? Seriously!? Against us!?") Spawns of the Gods and Goddesses had access to any number of Familial Arts. The Gregory's were no exception; they possessed a number of Familial Arts. But Creation Magic stood out from the rest, a magic unique to them. Creating life itself is something all Gregory's needed to master. The absurdity of his sister using her Familial Art on him did not have time to properly sink in as she acted.
With a forceful gesture, Agatha directed the large serpent to attack. The forest floor quivered as the colossal creature slithered forward, its muscular body plowing through thick foliage and toppling towering trees like mere blades of grass. William and Ruby leaped aside just in time, leaves and branches swirling in their way.
But the respite was short-lived. The white wolf lunged forward in a blur. Its movements blurred with impossible speed, closing the distance between itself and the two in an instant. William's muscles bulged with strain as he summoned another magical barrier, a dome that rippled with mana. The wolf slammed against the magical shield, its claws scraping against the protective barrier as if testing its resilience.
Seeing her opportunity, Ruby took action, a surge of fire erupted from her palm, forming a torrent of flames moving with wild abandon. The searing fire sped towards the wolf, its intense heat licking the air hungrily.
The white wolf nimbly leaped to the side with an almost preternatural grace. Ruby's flame collided with the forest floor, leaving a scorching mark on the earth as embers hovered in the air. Though it missed its target, the torrent of flames provided William and Ruby with a welcome respite, allowing them to gather their breath.
"Well, it seems your sister won't be holding back." Ruby commented with a frown. The serpent and wolf seemed to still be ready to attack at any moment. ("She seems too close with Mikoto too...maybe I should...")
("A good thing she hasn't quite mastered the blueprints of the Azure wolf and Basilisk.") Her creations were still incomplete and, by extension, weaker. Creation magic was, after all, impressive; the power to create at a whim was impressive, but the ability itself was not easy to use. Hence, blueprints for creations are passed down within the Gregory family.
"Ruby, how good are you with teleportation magic?" William whispered to Ruby as he kept an eye on the still-idle wolf, serpent, and Agatha.
"Well, I'm garbage." She somewhat sheepishly admitted. "I'm good at hexes."
"Hexes are too lethal." He murmured, This was a training exercise after all. Any curse magic was completely off the table, as that spelled lethal magic. Though at least things could not get any worse,
"Starting the party without me, huh?" Just then, a familiar voice cut into his train of thought.
William felt like punching himself for just now jinxing him and Ruby both. So the two glanced to the side to see Agatha's partner. Mikoto walked to Agatha's side as he examined the large serpent and wolf.
"Completely comprised of magic, huh? Even the wolf's organs and each vein. Nifty spell." Mikoto murmured as Agatha narrowed her eyes at the masked boy.
"I have no need for any assistance; leave. Busy yourself with hunting the other students." She coldly dismissed him as he heaved an exasperated sigh.
"C'mon, why so cold now?" He questioned me with a shake of his head. "You really have it out for William, huh?" He mused as he looked at Ruby and William. "Sorry, you two, but it isn't anything personal."
"Why do I feel like you're grinning beneath your mask?" Ruby asked as Mikoto shrugged.
"Who knows? C'mon, let's go beat each other's asses over yonder and leave the twins with their baggage." William just gave him a look of disbelief, while Agatha looked at him with an unclear expression. Mikoto merely gave William a thumbs up as Ruby shrugged before the two merely walked off deeper into the forest.
Leaving Agatha and William alone.
"That guy...." Mikoto was an unpredictable person. Usually, upon meeting and getting to know a person, you get used to their character, how they function, and what kind of personality they have. Mikoto had no defining traits; one moment he was humorous, another he was quiet. He had no set personality, not to mention he was mysterious with that mask and all. But this was not the time to be thinking about this.
He had his sister and her creations to fight after all.
------------------
[Elsewhere]
("I really don't have any idea what her fighting patterns are.") Mikoto mused as he looked at Ruby, who stood across from him at a slight distance. ("But I guess she's in the same boat; all she's seen from me is that short scuffle with that princess chick.")
But there was his instincts, whenever he was close to Ruby they flared erratically. Every cell in his body was telling him to be on guard against this girl. He did not know why, maybe he merely needed to brush up on his instincts.
There was no way Ruby was that dangerous.
"C'mon, I hope you're not planning on just standing there." Mikoto semi-taunted.
"Of course a delinquent would taunt someone smaller than themselves." She shot back as he rolled his eyes.
"Seriously? You're still on with that delinquent thing?" He questioned, bemused. She just shrugged, raising her right palm at him.
"I am merely stating facts." She declared as a red glyph came into existence inches away from her palm. And then, without even chanting, bolts of fire shot out from her glyph like a rapid-firing gun.
("No chant and just a glyph, huh?") Mikoto mused as he merely raised his palm. The dozen or so bolts of fire collided with his open palm. It was as if they hit a solid wall as they disappeared into embers upon collision.
Ruby blinked in surprise at the outcome. The fire had just collided with his bare hand, and it did zero damage. No defensive spell was even used; that was his natural durability.
"You seemed surprised, Ruby." Mikoto noted, and Ruby felt as though he was grinning beneath his creepy mask.
"Of course I am." She admitted with a dry look. ("You're so amazing!")
"Well, 'I am' pretty strong." He boasted. "There's no shame in giving up, Ruby." Her eyebrow twitched at his show of arrogance.
"Very well then; if you are strong, then I need not hold back, no?"
For a moment the atmosphere felt suffocating, oppressive. A strange sense of foreboding filling his being. But that feeling disappeared as soon as it came.
This time two dark blue circular glyphs materialized behind Mikoto, suspended in mid-air. Within an instant, bolts of lightning erupted from each glyph, shooting forth like light piercing the air.
Mikoto had already moved to dodge as he instinctively moved to avoid the assault. His feet shifted, and he weaved between the powerful bursts of lightning, evading them with ease.
Not one to be discouraged, Ruby's eyes narrowed as she brought forth her magic once more. With a flourish of her hands, a large, fiery glyph suddenly formed beneath Mikoto's feet. Flames erupted from the blazing emblem, surging upward.
Yet, that too was hardly enough. His limbs carried him away from the fiery torrent, his form barely touched by the scorching heat.
("She sure is quick to cast her magic, but it seems like she's just sticking with elemental magic.") He noted. ("Must be easier to use without chants.") But oddly it seemed like she was holding back.
Ruby swiftly conjured several glyphs of different shapes and sizes around her, each pulsating with ,am. A kaleidoscope of elemental magic surged forth from the glyphs. Fire, water, earth, and wind converged, swirling in a collection of colors as they raced towards Mikoto. The sheer force of the magical elements tore through the forest, tearing apart trees and scattering debris with an absurd ferocity.
A thick cloud of dust kicked up as trees and boulders flew through the air like projectiles. ("Something's up...she's precise with her magic, she clearly doesn't need any glyphs.")
Mikoto emerged unscathed.
Ruby looked on with a slightly agape mouth. For some reason, the expression did not seem genuine, even so-
"Ah, so you can make expressions," Mikoto snarked.
("How amazing. As expected from you, Mikoto. Even in this world, you're amazing.") Ruby looked at the boy in front of her.
"Then I should attack, huh?" His body blurred in a burst of speed, he reappeared before Ruby, the girl staggering backward. Before she could fall, Mikoto caught her by her waist, bringing her closer.
"Hmm," Ruby did not seem to mind; she seemed content for whatever reason.
"I thought I was a strange one, but you're way more mysterious, Ruby." His red eyes, gleaming behind his mask, bore into the girl's aqua eyes.
"I am but an ordinary girl," she smiled, though it did not reach her eyes. "Our bodies are pressed against each other quite tightly. I do not mind, but-"
Immediately, Mikoto let the girl go, resting a hand on his hip.
"What, are you a fangirl of mine now?" He snorted.
She cupped her chin, "Mhm, maybe."
"I see...I'm still gonna bully you now, either way."
"Wut?"