Laudis was trapped in the Ice Cage. His every breath produced a steam cloud. Three sorcerers versus one, an unfair scenario. Most would surrender and do whatever they ask for, but not him. He was different, way different. A flame of pride had been lit in his body not so long ago. The wind blew lightly, moving the sand around. Silence filled the area. Torches were extinguished. A smell of charcoal spread around them.
'There is nothing I can say that would make them change their mind. Maybe lying isn't the best choice after all... Nah, I was just unlucky if I had an ace in my sleeve, something unused: another technique or something like that. Wait, did I know two or three Sword Techniques? There was the zeroth and the first one, but the second one? When did I learn it? The ritual before it is quite strange, yet it feels familiar. Man, if it works, I might escape from them,' thought Laudis, watching the Crusaders. Their patience was slowly disappearing.
"So, what do you say?! Are you an Apostle?!" shouted Solisia, preparing herself for the strike.
"What if I am?" replied Laudis, with a smirk.
"You bastard! Aura of the Hare activare!" she snarled, enraged.
"Ice Spikes invocare," whispered Udania, summoning dozens of them.
"After all, you were just a thug, Laudis..." concluded Gladius, observing the double-sided attack.
The youth stood unfazed by the attacks. He bent his knees a bit, flexing his abdominal and back muscles. He tightened his hands around his sword. The girl rapidly swung the Flail of Diligence, destroying the cage, then swinging it at him. Tsh! — the strike was blocked, effortlessly. She spun in a place, trying to hit a pirouette blow. The boy rapidly fell to the ground, avoiding the attack. Thu! — he delivered a low kick, slamming her down. She looked at him, surprised, but not angry or disappointed. The Ice Spikes were coming at him with great speed. No novice like him could spare them.
"Sword Technique No.2: Cage of Sword," the kid murmured, closing his eyes.
Thuck, thuck! — two weapons went in, piercing through his skin. The blood slowly dripped from his right arm. Despite the inconvenience, he was fully focused, concentrating solely on the sound. He raised his sword and started imagining the summonings. He could clearly see them in his head. They were very slow, with a speed similar to a human walk. Tsh, tsh, tsh! — his blade danced in the darkness like a ballet dancer, blocking all the bullets coming at him. The youth stood still, but he was swinging his weapon like a virtuoso. The metal reflected the moonlight upon the projectiles. They glowed in a subtle shade of white. They watched him, marvelled by the scenery. A sorcerer, who had learnt magic less than a month ago, was blocking such a spell. The captain was the most shocked of them all. He watched him, intrigued, as he did it without much exhaustion. Tsh! — the last spike was nullified. Around him, there was a big pile of crushed bullets; there were at least one hundred of them. Suddenly, the boy rushed towards Solisia. She tried to fight back, but he was faster. The youth pacified her by kicking her flail away and holding her hands down. He quickly drew his knife and incised her skin, mixing their blood.
"Mark of Knowledge, trade my mana for her sight," he whispered. A white light came from his mark.
"What have you done to me?! Why can't I see?" she responded, scared.
"He used it again. I guess I have no other choice. Udania, block his pathway, so he can't escape," the captain declared, grabbing his sword.
"Are you sure? I won't use any more spells; my mana capacity is very low. That will be my last one," she replied, making distance from the fight scene.
"I'm sure."
"Right. Then, I will fulfill your command. Ice Walls invocare!"
Tshuu! — four solid ice blocks blocked three of them in the area. Their length was approximately six meters. The walls were thick, tall, and almost indestructible. You couldn't escape from them without flying out, which isn't possible for most.
'I can't escape, I have to fight. It's now or never. I have to win,' thought Laudis, preparing himself for the final obstacle.
The two men walked towards each other slowly. The captain took out a liquid in a colour of deep blue. He opened the bottle, trying to pour its contents onto him. Swosh, thu! — Dantenium appeared out of the blue, halting the process. He ran there so fast that it had to be done using magic enhancements. Everyone glanced at him, astonished by his speed. Usually, the crimson-haired man shunned away from unnecessary trouble.
"Can you let go of me, before I lose patience?" the knight declared, observing him.
"He isn't an Apostle, look at him. When I asked him, he was surprised by that name. I don't know what he said to you, but it was a lie. Stop it before you waste it," he replied, closing the bottle.
"Why did you lie?" the paladin asked, puzzled by the youth's statement. He hid the substance, but his sword was still raised.
"I can't say how I became the wielder of the Mark of Knowledge. I lied because there wasn't a logical explanation for why I had it. It isn't an upper hand. I have to give something for the target, so he can lose something else. Now, I can only give out mana; thus, my options are very narrow. I can make my opponent lose sight, but that's everything I've tested so far."
"I see... Treat it like a sparring we were supposed to have. Go to sleep now," the captain responded, sheathing his weapon.
"Oh, I can finally see. So, are we fighting or not?" wondered Solisia, observing the scene.
"I guess no. Let's go too," replied Udania, bracing herself with the Gulpa's Staff.
The Crusaders were on their way to the camp. Suddenly, they heard a falling sound. It was Laudis, collapsing on his knees. His left eye was bleeding. His vision became blurry, and breathing became hard.
"Are you coming, kid?" asked Dantenium, noticing his lack of movement.
"I don't..." he murmured, grasping for air. The boy lost sensation in the left side of his body.
"You don't what? the man responded, turning back to look at him
"I don't feel the left side of my body," the youth responded, losing consciousness.
He fell on the ground, deprived of mana and exhausted by using the Sword Techniques.
"You don't have any more mana, Udania, do you?"
"No, I don't. All we can do is let him rest," she replied, watching his wounds.
"Let me see this. Blessing of Vitality," whispered Gladius, touching his forehead.
The two men dragged his body to the tent. While he was unconscious, the kid was summoned to the same room. Now, unlike the previous time, the first chair was moved closer to him. Aamir was sitting closer, and his appearance was clearer.
"Do you know anything about the Sword Techniques?" wondered Laudis.
"I've never heard such a term in my life. It has to be a newer invention. Why don't you use normal magic?" responded Aamir, puzzled by the unknown term.
"I don't know how to use it," the kid responded, embarrassed.
"You have to imagine the thing you want to produce and say the incantation needed for it. The elements are somewhat connected to emotions. Fire is connected to anger, Water to patience, Earth to diligence, Air to egoism, Plant to sympathy, Light to kindness, and Shadow to narcissism. But you shouldn't care too much about it. Just look at how I do it. Fire Skulls invocare," the man said lightly.
Twelve skulls, burning with a greenish-blue coloured fire, were spinning in a circle. Their eyes were glowing white, and they were producing smoke. Fshu! — they suddenly burst out with flames out of their mouth. Its range was at least six meters. Schree! — they exploded with a loud screech. The area around them was filled with a smell of burnt bones.
"Quite an impressive spell..."
"Yeah... Give me your hand, I can tell what is your dominant element," he continued, reaching out his right hand.
"Okay."
"Hm... You are... Yes, I'm sure... You're elementless," the man declared, with confidence.
"What?"
"You lack a dominant element, I thought it was impossible. I can't activate your mana capacitor because it's already active. Almost like someone blocked your mana release, but you can use it with Sword Techniques... Say, do you have any anomalies that most people don't?"
"I have an odd eye, that is similar if not identical to the vampire's."
"Oh... You're very interesting, yet I can't help you. I didn't hear of either thing. You have to persuade the others somehow to talk to you."
"Why don't you help me—"
"Do you think I didn't try? When I talk to them, I can use only the Carolan dialect. They can't understand me. I don't know if anyone besides me is from Carola. Oh, I feel my body collapsing. It's the end for today."
"Really? But we didn't talk much."
"You're waking up. The time actually passes while you are in here, farewell."
"Yeah, bye."
It was still the night. Laudis tried to get up, but he was unable to. He was tied down with ropes. The Crusaders were standing over him, observing his behaviour.
"Why have you done this?" the youth wondered.
"It's just a precaution, if you decide to, I don't know, murder us?" replied Solisia.
"Yeah, you would be the first one for sure," he murmured.
"What?"
"Nothing. Besides, you know I can just detonate myself?"
"How would you accomplish it? asked Gladius, looking through his stuff.
"There are more than three Sword Techniques, thus that makes room for one producing explosions. Do you want to find it out in your afterlife?"
"I guess not, but you can't use magic."
"Why?"
"Because I negated your mana release. You can't use magic for now," the paladin replied, finding the ripped page.
"How did you find it?" he continued, his hands began to shake slightly. His breathing became uneven and heavy.
"I got it from the royal library."
"You should have left it intact. You shouldn't have found it... Do you know he inscribed this?"
"No?"
"It was me, I was possessed by a being. He was beyond anyone's comprehension. The entity spoke in a language unknown to us. His presence made everyone sick, and his possession made me a madman. The only thing I can remember is that page, the page which I wrote in my own blood!" he continued. His muscles began twitching uncontrollably.
"Why did you focus so much on it?" the kid said, puzzled by the sudden burst out.
"I had to! I had to at least remember one damn thing! Now, I have to kill you, Laudis. No, I have to kill all of you! I'll end your lives quickly; that freak will toy with you! Trust me, you have to!" the captain declared, filled with insanity. The man reached out for his sword, starting to cast self-blessings.
"You're full of shit!" stated Dantenium, slamming him down. The knight's eyes were wide open, almost like they saw something they shouldn't have.
The crimson-haired man tried picking up the page.
"Stop it! You can't!" he responded, biting his left forearm.
They looked at him with pity; he was losing his mind over it.
"Can you see this?! Can you see my face?! You can't see it, or you'll end up like me!"
"Are you all right, Gladius?" wondered Udania, concerned with his well-being.
"You trust me, don't you, Udania? Free me so I can do what has to be done!"
"Quit it already, you, lunatic fool," snapped Laudis, freeing himself with a knife.
"But you aren't so mistaken. I've met this de—" he continued, until he felt something.
The youth felt a pain, almost like an invisible needle was slowly piercing through his heart. He grabbed his chest, grasping for air. Everyone glanced at him, saddened, thinking he had also lost his mind.
"Why did you want to say?" the girl asked.
"Let him rest, he's tired. From now on, we will substitute him for his work."
"Maybe you're right, just maybe..." the captain accepted the possibility. His body slowly began to cool down.
Dantenium let go of him; the man went to his tent and fell asleep. The rest followed him, but not Solisia. She stayed in the tent with Laudis.
"Can I see it?" she wondered, looking at him holding the page.
"Do you really want to? You won't unsee it," he responded, trying to scare her off. He didn't know whether it was cursed in some way, so he took it with precaution.
"I guess, just let me see this."
"I changed my mind, it's too dangerous to be seen by anyone. Look at Gladius, he lost his mind over it. I'm lucky, I'm still sane," the boy answered, taking it away.
"Can't you be more open to others' opinions? I know I can suffer consequences, but I want it regardless."
Solisia tried to grab it out of his hand, but he was faster. Thus, she leaned forward, trying to shorten the distance. Laudis hid the page in the corner of the tent. The girl was crawling towards it, but she realised something beforehand. She was hovering centimeters over him.
"Can you get off me before someone walks on us? The position you've put yourself in is kind of awkward," said Laudis, feeling uneasy about the situation.
"If you really want to see this, I will show you," he continued, trying to get the page out of the place.
"Ah... I changed my mind! I will see this tomorrow, bye!" she replied, leaving the tent as quickly as possible. The Earth user fell asleep, embarrassed, blushing slightly.