[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/uZPMauH.png[/img][/center] Once they had all returned to class, Professor Nyx made a rather dramatic announcement. Sophiel had mixed feelings regarding the announcement. She had felt that Professor Nyx was being a little too competitive in regarding to the tournament, but she did agree that they should work hard for it. Though, she felt confident that her class out of all of them wouldn't be the ones to be expelled. If that wasn't enough the professor was going to throw them a test right of the bat. While Sophiel had no complaints wasn't this a little too early to start out with? It seemed like the Professor would take no complaints as he had them go towards the courtyard immediately. Sophiel had looked at the blooming camellia briefly before turning back to her professor and listen to what he had to say. [color=a2d39c]"Mana..."[/color] The essence that thrives in all living things and had many uses. Mana wasn't something that Sophiel could use. She had plenty of it, she was sure, but using that mana was out of her grasp. No matter how many books, how many attempts, or how many teachers she want to, she could never use her mana. A frown grew on her face as she listened to the professor's lecture over it. She could practically hear the insulting nickname in the back of her head as she listened to the professor's lecture.Though, finally when he finished he summoned a list of the match up for that test they were holding. She won't get expelled, she wouldn't. And as she looked at for her name, her calmness dropped when she found who she was going to face. Kiara Reinhardt Whichever god was watching over her right now must have been laughing their ass off when they decided to make opponent. The wretched feeling manifested again and writhed within her. She took a deep breath before turning to try and look for her opponent. It was nothing personal about this, nothing personal. She wasn't going to be petty. She wasn't. Kiara would end up having somewhat of a similar experience to Sophiel when they returned to class, by choice or chance. With their first true lesson under Professor Nyx, so too came with it the haunting announcement of the Festival of Champions. Though while the speech was, by all means, dramatic and hyped up, no doubt spreading some concern among the other students, Kiara couldn't help but frown to herself. Didn't that...not really make sense? Surely, if classes were docked off for expulsion, wouldn't that mean Class-C would have been cut off more than a while ago? After all, they weren't exactly a prestigious class to begin with. Thankfully, or perhaps less so, another voice answered her qualms by bringing to life the questions she had. Unfortunately, it came from none other than her sister. Kiara almost twitched an eye as Eris pointed out the obvious in her mind, but whatever answer their teacher gave, she was already thinking of other prospects. Like the fact they were moving now, towards their class' courtyard. The announcement of personal matches between each other was, once again, hyped up for dramatics now. Kiara couldn't help but think Professor Nyx was perhaps trying a bit too hard to scare them? Surely he couldn't just flat out expel the students who failed this one test on their first day; not to mention the flaws in his earlier announcements. Considering all that, she was pretty sure this was just another scare tactic. Oh well. With her [url=https://i.imgur.com/085XaU6.png]Volted Tome[/url] in hand, she looked at the list of student matchups, finding hers was the very first one. Sophiel huh? The name wasn't alien to her, and she distinctly remembered her being around in the earlier hours. Much like Sophiel, she looked about for her opponent before spotting her, walking up with a friendly smile and an extended hand. [color=0072bc]"Ah, Sophiel? I don't think we had a chance to introduce ourselves. We're supposed to be fighting now, so let's make this a good match."[/color] Coming up to Kiara, her unwanted disgust grew as the girl in front of her had the audacity to smile at her. Taking another deep breath to vent her feelings away, she smiled back and took the offered hand as if she wasn't wishing Kiara to begone. [color=a2d39c]"Yes, it will be a pleasure to fight you, Miss Reinhardt."[/color] While she didn't use Mandi or Yvain's last names, she felt better saying Kiara's. [color=a2d39c]"Is there any place you would prefer to fight at?"[/color] Sophiel said, retaining her polite tone and demeanor. It was a tough struggle to force her feelings away, but she was sure that Kiara wouldn't notice her apparent hostility towards her. Kiara's smile faltered a little but her hand didn't lose its grip in the pleasantries. [color=0072bc]"Er, I actually go as "Bastion" for my family name now. It's a little complicated, but Reinhardt isn't much of a moniker for me anymore. Anyway, we should pick a corner now. Might be best since it'll make sure we don't get in the others' way."[/color] True to Sophiel's predictions, Kiara didn't notice any flaring hostility sent her way, yet. Instead, she spotted out an empty corner unclaimed and led them there. Once both took their sides a few feet away from each other, Kiara's small smile turned into something of a smirk, if only for friendly competition. [color=0072bc]"Alright, ready when you are Sophiel."[/color] Sophiel blinked for a moment, [color=a2d39c]"Oh, my apologises I didn't know."[/color] So, it was Bastion now. Wondered what could have happened. Though, that didn't matter right now. All that mattered was to beat Kiara in fair combat. At the very least, she didn't detect any hostility direct at her. She followed Kiara towards their battlegrounds and took her place, opposite to where Kiara was. After a moment, she nodded at Kiara. [color=a2d39c]"Okay, on one, the match will be begin, okay?"[/color] With that said and done, she began the count down. [color=a2d39c]"3, 2, 1,"[/color] On one, she lunged forward to close the gap between them. Using her Sail Gun technique, she had briefly pulled back her arm and threw out a punch while quickly closing the gap. Unbeknownst to Sophiel, that punch was full of hostility. Everything started out smooth enough, Sophiel being the one to initiate the first move. So fast was it Kiara almost didn't think to move, and indeed, she only barely moved out the way from the first punch. But none of that was a concern, less so when she felt the air slightly disrupt from the impact of Sophiel's move. [color=0072bc]"You ok there?"[/color] she asked, skidding back. She knew Professor Nyx had told them to not hold back, but that seemed a bit more rushed for a training punch. Still, if this was how Sophiel was going to move, she'd respond in equal kind. The first thing she did was clench her Volted Tome, drawing in her mana inwards instead of out in a constant flow until her body sheened slightly of an outline, sparks emanating from her body. Narrowing her eyes, she stared head on at Sophiel, body clenched and waiting. So, she managed to dodge her fastest attack. That alone made even more infuriated than before. [color=a2d39c]"No, I'm fine,"[/color] Sophiel responded to the question with the same polite tone, though it seemed a little different. That same awful feeling was more noticeable than ever before, though Sophiel didn't take notice of it. She eyed the outline that was radiating off of Kiara's body. Sparks were essentially coming off of her as she stood there. Was that her magic? Whatever it was, Sophiel doubted that she return unharmed from attack Kiara. But choice did she have? If she didn't engage, Kiara would deactivate her magic to conserve it and raise it again when she was attacking. Taking a deep breath she focused. Her gloves were made out of a leather which would hopefully minimize the effect of Kiara's shroud. Readying a punch one more time, she lunged and punched at Kiara once more, again with the same hostility as before. [color=0072bc]"You sure?"[/color] By now, Kiara's smile was gone, replaced by her usual expression of neutrality. Along with something more. [color=0072bc]"The way you were moving almost looked like you wanted to punch my face off."[/color] No, not just that, she could [i]feel[/i] the force that came off from that first punch. [color=0072bc]"I don't know what's going on and I doubt you're going to tell me. But I guess this fight is the best way of resolving it for you."[/color] And as simple as that she pried no more, for there was no more to be said on the matter. Clenching her Volted Tome at the ready, Kiara moved just as Sophiel launched at her once again. However, unlike before where she just barely avoided the attack, this time she kept up even with Sophiel's speed, moving backwards just out of reach, clenching around herself to endure the drawback of the punch. The sparks around her sizzled, perhaps some indication to her suddenly faster reactions. The hand holding her tome drew power and with her other hand, she pointed it directly at Sophiel. Positioned like a firearm, she "shot" her Railgun, a single bolt of mana fired with a crack. At such range, she hoped it'd discourage Sophiel from a direct approach any longer. A frown soon grew on Sophiel's face in response to Kiara's now neutral expression. What was she going on about? She wasn't trying to punch her that hard? What did she even do that brought up that? Blinded with the now false accusation, it fed into her wretched feeling and she gave it up more to it. She didn't bother to respond to Kiara as she continued her assault. With her attack dodged once more, she gritted her teeth. Unlike before she had barely dodged, this time she managed to dodge it before she had reached her. Though, she didn't have time to think about it as she struck by a bolt of magic that felt like electricity.[color=a2d39c] "Agh!"[/color] Sophiel staggered a bit, but that only made the feeling within her even more outraged than before. With her already nearby Kiara, she pivoted her foot, brought up her leg high up, and swung her leg quickly at Kiara. Kiara's suspicions remained unsaid, though even she could tell Sophiel was getting more and more frustrated with their matchup. She almost expected the other girl to give up, especially when she took the brunt of her Railgun at such a close distance. Thus, it was to her surprise Sophiel only lashed out more, swinging her leg directly at her. Not expecting it, Kiara had no choice but to take the blow, raising her arms up as much as she could and brace herself. It still felt like her world was rocked, the kick sending her flying backwards and skidding along the ground. Still, she wasn't going to give up just because Sophiel was having a tantrum. As far as she saw it, this was the only way to help her classmate; letting her vent her anger. [color=0072bc]"Alright, scratch that. Just because you're angry at me for whatever reason doesn't mean I'm going to let you use me as a ragdoll without a fight,"[/color] Kiara sputtered, rolling along the ground before catching herself back to her feet. It was a calculated move, one that put distance between herself and Sophiel as she fired shot after shot at her. [color=0072bc]"Come on and throw it all at me if you have to, I'll return the favor...."[/color] Sophiel hissed as she had forgotten the shroud that Kiara cloaked herself in and winced at the electricity. Even if it was for a brief moment, it didn't mean it wouldn't hurt. Though she managed to land a hit with her attack, so she was okay with it. Though, she did notice that Kiara went a little bit further than usual. Did she kick a little harder than usual? Watching her classmate recovered from her latest attack. She was angry? Now that she had calmed that, she did feel heated. It then she realized that she had been consumed in that feeling prior to her first hit on Kiara. A small bit a guilt weighed in on Sophiel, apparent on her face, but she wouldn't let that get in front of her. [color=a2d39c]"I see, I apologize then."[/color] Sophiel said as she readied herself, [color=a2d39c]"But, I'm afraid I'll have to accept your offer."[/color] It was she would like to have said until she realized the distance between her and Kiara. Her classmate had begun firing her previous spell with rapid consistency. Sophiel had no choice but to dodge the attacks by performing some acrobatics. It was to make her harder to hit while moving at the same time. Cartwheeling, front flipping from them, she had to find a way to breach the distance between them. Seeing that Kiara was firing without a care in the world, it would seem that Sophiel was the one pressed for endurance. Deciding to take a risk, she dodged that last shot and went straight at Kiara. She front flipped forward and pushed with all her might to propel herself forward to dodge her last shot. With brought her leg up and was about to slam it at Kiara from above. Kiara was pretty sure she heard an apology from Sophiel. Pretty sure; it was somewhat hard to tell with the distance put between them. She also could have swore she heard something else but by then she was firing off shots that crackled in the air. If nothing else, it had Sophiel constantly on the move, ducking and weaving, dodging and moving in a display that honestly impressed Kiara a little. That admiration was hard pressed to remain though when the other girl was dashing right for her like a shot arrow. With her last shot dodged, there was no time for Kiara to dodge or even set up another shot, not when Sophiel was upon her in moments. For the first time in the fight, a look of surprised panic came over her features and in a desperate attempt, she raised her Volted Tome above her head as some meager means of protection. The tactic went as well as she expected, Sophiel's powerful axe kick smashing into the book and spearing through it; well, it was more akin to smashing it to pieces as pages and scraps of it were sent flying every which way. It did little to stop Sophiel's kick, if only a little, as it slammed into Kiara, sending a puff of air against the ground from the impact. With her tome destroyed and her head reeling in a million different directions, Kiara lashed out and held onto the pain coursing in her body just long enough to activate her trump card. [color=0072bc]"Schrade...Shroud..."[/color] She wasn't sure if she was even clinging to one of the scattered tome pages but felt the mana flow regardless, the area suddenly exploding into sparks and electricity that burned and singed the ground rotten black. She wasn't sure how long she had the spell going off for, delirious as she already was, as if her mind was swimming in an endless ocean and she was struggling to keep her head about the water.... Surprise was apparent on Sophiel's as she felt something hard that she made contact with. Was it... Wood? She didn't have a chance to question it further as a page flew up as if to answer her question. Her attack eventually did land onto Kiara, but in the next moment... Something happened. She had heard Kiara mutter a spell before an intense electricity was shocked into her. The explosion of electricity and sparks blew Sophiel far, far, back. She couldn't catch herself, as if she could, and she rolled over the camellia flowers. Pain was apparent throughout her body. A few places were burned and a few scabbed from friction. Not to mention her head was pounding... Did she get a concussion? It wasn't like Sophiel focus on that question alone as she winced and tried to push herself up. She felt like was conscious going to fade, but in the end she could only think about the battle. She clenched her fist over her defeat. The rampage of sparks and electricity continued to run loose and out of control, if only for a few moments. Kiara wasn't sure if she was unconscious or in some lucid state of a trance, but she was sure her magic was still being fired off. Strange. Were she not cognizant of the pain spiking in her back and the pounding in her head, she might have wondered why the spell was [i]still[/i] going off even without her tome. Regardless, the entire lapse lasted only for a few seconds more before she was brought back to reality, gasping a little. Immediately she reeled her mana back in, relinquishing the spell as sloppily as was allowed. Soon enough their little fighting corner was devoid of the crackles but still stenched of charred debris and surroundings. Her back also hurt like hell, no thanks to Sophiel's last kick. But she ignored that in place of trying to get up on wobbling feet, a hand to her back gingerly as she noted the scattered pieces of her Volted Tome. That...was going to be a problem. But there was no use in musing on it now when a problem she could solve remained in front of her. Hobbling over to Sophiel, she lowered herself as much as the pain around her gave her leisure for, mirroring the gesture from earlier and offering a hand. [color=0072bc]"Good match,"[/color] she huffed, teeth grit in some clear aftershock. It was almost ironic the both of them had been knocked out of commission from just one direct blow from each other. Shocked, ha, ha, shocked, she would have laughed if she didn't feel rather terrible right now. Though regardless, Sophiel was shocked at Kiara coming her over and offering her hand. She looked down and could only chuckle. How pitiful of her, not being able to look at your opponent in the end. Reaching up, she took her hand and pulled herself up. [color=a2d39c]"Yeah, looks like it's your win,"[/color] Sophiel said, still looking down.[color=a2d39c] "Sorry about earlier, I think I was... too focused into the match,"[/color] A sorry excuse for a sorry excuse of a person. Her expression evident on her face. She looked over towards the rolled over camellias. The professor would probably get mad at her for rolling over them. [color=a2d39c]"Do you have... another book? I can try to help you get another one if you don't..."[/color] The absence of Kiara's tome was apparent as Sophiel looked down at the ground. It made her even feel worse than before. Kiara almost wanted to ask what that was even all about, but before she could Sophiel was asking about her tome. Oh well, at the very least, maybe the other girl got it out of her system. [color=0072bc]"Well, uh, I don't,"[/color] she said truthfully. [color=0072bc]"Honestly with the professor, he might even rule out that you won just because I got my tome smashed. But I can always get another one."[/color] A pause then as she considered the rest of Sophiel's words. [color=0072bc]"I also wouldn't mind accepting your help in a new one too. Pretty sure the school has some materials to make a new one. I think."[/color] [color=a2d39c]"I see, well, I guess we should rest or something. I'm feeling a little faint right now,"[/color] Sophiel said as she took deep breaths. Looking over, she found an area with a lot of shade. [color=a2d39c]"Let's go there, I don't think I can take the sun anymore..."[/color] Sophiel said as she began her trek over there. Hopefully, she could make it up to Kiara somehow with how she acted earlier. Sophiel wasn't the only one feeling faint. Kiara felt like her head was still spinning, just barely fighting above some invisible ocean. But she kept those thoughts to herself, merely giving Sophiel a low nod as she hobled along with her to the shade. The idea of picking up her scattered tome pieces did briefly cross her mind but she was too busy trying to keep said mind from leaking out her ears at the moment. She'd just clean it up after the fact. [img]https://i.ibb.co/rtvdswm/divider-line-02.png[/img]