Nero had entered the battle, and Gladius was finally grinning and laughing like a maniac after being expressionless ever since we saw him for the first time today. Is this the excitement you get from battle? I wondered but got excited seeing the battle occurring right before my eyes.
After staring at each other for so long, Gladius took the first step and blitzed Nero with a kick from his knee, but to everyone's surprise, Nero caught that too "Get him!" Arza shouted, cheering Nero on, until Gladius gave her a stare that sent shivers down her spine "Sorry..." She said, with a sign of fear in her reaction.
Focusing back on the battle, "Go as far away as you can." Nero said to Winifred as she was frozen stiff where she stood "Go!" Nero yelled this time which completely shook her off and she started struggling to walk herself away.
Nero looked back at Gladius who was still smiling at him "No more nuisances in our way, hero." He said to which Nero replied with a kick towards his neck, which landed perfectly in a matter of seconds, however, it had 0 effects on Gladius, or so it looked like.
His facial expression turned into one of feeling pain but that quickly switched to a grin, He grabbed Nero by the leg and prepared to slam him on the ground, lifting Nero up, Gladius almost swung him down until Nero placed both his hands on the floor, in order to throw Gladius away instead now that he had grabbed his leg, and he was successful, however, through flips, Gladius stood back on his feet. He smirked.
"Let's all fight in 2 times gravity, shall we?" He said with utmost confidence, "Twice!" He yelled and all the combatants were almost brought to their knees meanwhile Nero was slightly hinged by it, and Winifred barely held by holding up parts of her body with her ice, Cloud and Noah trying to adapt to the gravity, increased their Rukh output but were still barely holding on "Hey Blondie, let's get rid of that annoying bastard first, you in?" Noah said to which Cloud nodded and both prepared.
"This too much for you? I thought you guys were as strong as me but it seems it was all a miscalculation." Gladius said, 3 figures suddenly came close to him from both his left and right and also from the front "Time to calculate properly then, you cocky bastard." 3 voices said in sync, following with kicks from both his left and right, which Gladius took no time to grab and slam both Noah and Cloud to each other, Nero came in to deliver a punch from the front but Gladius slammed Noah and Cloud on Nero.
"Thrice." Gladius increased the gravity which sunk the 3 combatants into the ground, "Seriously, is this all the so-called Specialists are capable of? It's sickening." Mocking them further to get a reaction, I felt as though he wasn't genuinely mocking them, but to get them angry so they attacked him with even more force than before "Release. I brought gravity back to normal, now get up before I change my mind." He glared at them with anger, calm rage that could bring a person to their knees.
A hand rose from the ground, it was Noah, he got up, picking Cloud up from his collar and moving him aside so Nero could also get up, "Hey Blondie, get your ass up before I give you a beating worse than you've ever experienced." He threw Cloud on the ground, "Don't get cocky, you Igshit scum." Cloud replied while getting up "Get up Nero, can't let you embarrass yourself when you're the only guy who has beaten me."
"Yeah, don't worry, I was just reflecting on something, I'm good now." Nero replied to Cloud, getting up "Any help, Ice Princess?" Noah said sarcastically.
"No. Although I can't say I'll be useful though, I'll try and reinforce you."
"Keh, teaming up now? You're hilarious." Gladius started laughing maniacally, "Don't expect me to go easy then, shitheads." He put his hands in his pockets "Twice." He activated 2 times gravity again.
"I'll go first." Cloud volunteered, he joined both of his hands together, both of his palms touching "Detonate." A fire started from his hands, covering the area with immediate smoke. I couldn't tell what was happening underneath except that Cloud was planning something.
A figure quickly moved through the smoke, clearing the path it walked, going towards Gladius who was still standing steel waiting for someone to attack, the figure reached Gladius, to which took no effort for Gladius to catch, and how he caught it was... Impressive.
He had caught Cloud by his throat. "I expected better from an Angus." He said, staring Cloud dead in the eye.
Cloud smirked, "Don't worry." Gladius raised a brow, "It's your turn, red head!" He shouted right before disappearing, turning into electricity that shocked Gladius, making him unable to move for a few seconds.
Noah rushed in laughing out of excitement, firing up his memory, into a bright red fire that looked similar to lava. "Accept this, your majesty!" Noah said sarcastically right before his burning fist made contact with Gladius' face, "Repel." Gladius forced Noah back using his gravity Sol technique, but was a bit late because Noah's fist had already touched his face and he was sent flying again to his right.
Nero rushed to where Gladius was sent, and kicked Gladius upwards, sending him high in the air "Zero." Gladius was still flying in the air, a big cloud of snow appeared above Gladius, "This is for you especially, my dear friend." I looked below and Winifred had her staff pointed in the sky "Hurry up and lose!" She shouted and an ice spear, bigger than ever before but the rate it was falling was... None? What the hell... I thought, "So this is what he meant by Zero, he has stopped gravity inside the barrier." Jun clarified, and everyone was astonished from what they heard "Impossible, it's not possible. Not for a child." A teacher said but clearly she was wrong. Gladius had stopped gravity inside the barrier, fear struck me but I was still excited regardless "He keeps impressing me more and more." I muttered but both Jun and Arza had heard.
Back to the fight, or that was what it was called anyway, this was not a fight from the beginning, Gladius had the edge right from the start. "Let's wrap it up." Gladius said flying towards the ice spear Winifred had prepared to bring him down, he reached there and stood on top of it by just one leg, "Fivefold." All the combatants fell on the ground, even Nero this time and so did Gladius smashing the ice spear on the ground.
The smoke of dust made by the impact cleared up and Gladius was standing just fine, "Is this all? Get up, cowards. Oh well, I'll just knock all of you out and get this over with." He rushed towards Nero with rapid speed, it was surprising since apparently he had increased the gravity five folds, realizing it, he was no less than a monster, a child with this much power was unheard of until now.
Reaching Nero, he picked him up by his collar, throwing him at the struggling blonde noble, knocking both out by the pressure he put, quickly, he rushed towards Noah, his left cheek still red from Noah's punch, he lifted Noah by his hair "Thanks for the present, red head, here's a little something in return." He punched Noah hard in the stomach, making his pupils disappear, "All that's left is the cripple." He released the knocked out Noah and prepared to go for Winifred.
"Not yet..." A hand had grabbed Gladius' leg, so hard he couldn't move, "It's Futile." Gladius said with a look of pity in his eyes. Noah's hand started to glow again, setting his opponent's pants on fire, and suddenly Gladius was engulfed in red flames, blood red flames of rage covered the guy who just beat rest of the special 5, but Noah's resolve wasn't shattered, still clinging to consciousness "Go to sleep." Gladius set his burning foot on Noah's head "Goodnight. Six-" the barrier shattered and a purple haired guy came flying, putting his hand on Gladius' shoulder "What were you planning to do?" Looking him dead in the eye.
"Nothing you need to worry about." Gladius replied, "Step back. It's an order." The familiar purple haired guy clinched Gladius' shoulder. "Get lost." Gladius resisting the insane pressure put on him by the guy.
"The match is over, step back." Gladius scoffed "Is it now?" He shook his hand off his shoulder and stepped back.
"Cough." Gladius covered his mouth, blood dripping from between his fingers, the purple haired guy, or Elijah turned around and noticed "So all that power didn't come without a cost." Gladius started falling and Elijah stopped it by reaching out with his right hand. "Rest." Elijah said to the passed out Gladius.
"Match is over! Medics come in." He said right before staring angrily at the teachers who had just set 5 children in a death battle. Arza jumped from the tall wall covering the arena, rushing towards Noah, and so I followed which caused Jun to come along as well.
Just as Arza reached Noah, she held her hand out and a green flame engulfed the unconscious Noah, "Don't worry, I'm healing him." She said to reassure everyone. "I can heal family members faster than anyone else." Worry in her voice, "Let's leave you to it then." Me and Jun left Arza to heal Noah and went towards the only one conscious from the fight, Winifred was struggling to get up, even though Gladius' gravity Rukh was lifted.
I grabbed her right arm and put it over my shoulder and got her up "What are you doing?" She asked, embarrassed, "Helping you." I replied gently, Jun handed her staff right as she got up and I released her gently now that she could walk herself "Thank you." She said, and started walking off, I prepared to follow her but Jun stopped me "It's better if you don't." I stopped for a moment and nodded, and we started following the school staff that picked up the unconscious students.
The battle I had witnessed was not your usual sparring session, it felt... Real, no, it was real, I realized why all these students were considered "special" all of them were strong, even after the wide gap showcased between them and Gladius, none of them were to be underestimated.
And I was even more excited to fight Gladius to prove myself, no matter how long it would take for it to happen, I'll wait patiently, growing stronger in my own way, that is my Resolve.