August Intruder [SOL Progression Fantasy]

Oboz, I think you should stop the match.

The voice rang in Oboz's head. Enma was an A-rank [Telepath] with visual acuity. Interestingly enough, it didn't mean what most people thought it meant. In her case, it meant that if you granted her permission, she could see through your eyes.

Oboz did his best to keep aa flat expression as Devin used his skill [May I Come To You] once more. It was already surprising enough that he had lost in a head on collision when he had used it in the beginning. Wondering what the outcome was going to be this time, he waited.

Devin blitzed through the distance, straight into Melmarc. He was fast, but Oboz had seen vastly faster opponents before.

His jaw almost dropped when Melmarc timed it properly, slapping him just before he slammed into him. The sound of the slap filled the quiet amphitheater.

I can't be the only one that saw that timing, he thought to Enma. After all, she served as a connecting link between him and other examiners.

The fight is over, another thought came out. It did not belong to Enman. Stop it.

No, he answered. This is as much for the children as it is for Devin. He needs all he needs.

The plan wasn't for him to get his ass handed to him, though, Enjin's thought came in. He was an active part of the school's combat team. It's going to be bad for his confidence.

Oboz was in agreement. He watched Melmarc tackle Devin in a bear hug and lift him off the ground.

Interesting move, he thought. The only problem was that Devin had the [Juggernaut] class which made him very accustomed to wrestling tactics, how to use them and how to get out of them. A slap to the ears would be a perfect escape.

As Oboz expected, Devin used the exact technique. As if anticipating him, Melmarc dropped the boy at the right moment. The slaps landed a little too late, slamming into Melmarc's shoulders.

Oboz would be lying if he said that he wasn't impressed. The Lockwood boy was displaying some interesting battle IQ, especially against someone who had finished the last interschool competition as one of the top ten tank classes.

Then Melmarc turned his back on the boy. Oboz squinted, unsure of what was happening, until he threw himself bodily into Devin.

Enjin burst into laughter in Oboz's head.

Did you see that? He laughed. That kid's insane. I wouldn't have seen that coming.

Melmarc moved swiftly, like someone accustomed to wrestling. He maneuvered his way until he was standing over Devin, then grabbed him by the belt. With a surprising show of strength, he pulled him up and tossed him high in the air.

Are you sure this kid is a [Faker]? Enjin asked. Oboz knew the question was not for him. Still, he understood the confusion. Melmarc Lockwood was fighting like a tank.

Rather than capitalize on his advantage when Devin hit the ground, he stepped back and looked at Oboz.

He knows the fight is over, Enma said.

No, it isn't, Oboz replied, giving Melmarc no expression to work with.

Enjin, however, had an observation to make. What's with the look in his eyes?

Oboz had noticed it. It was more appropriate to call it the lack of a look. The boy looked uninterested… empty. As if he was emotionless, performing a task that he cared nothing about.

Melmarc returned empty eyes to Devin. Then he moved in a burst of motion and kicked him in the ribs. He sent Devin tumbling across the ground. Oboz almost squinted.

The determination and fight in Devin's eyes were waning now. Oboz found doubt creeping into them. To protect one of the team's tanker, he was supposed to stop the fight. But this was Fallen High, they were not here to raise proper members of their combat team, they were here to raise people who will grow to be useful Delvers.

A crushing defeat here would affect Devin's confidence which will not be good for the team, but it will play a strong role in making him a better Delver in the future.

Are we stopping it? Enjin asked. Devin looks like he can't take much more. And what is with his eyes.

Enjin talked too much on a normal day, it was no surprise that he also thought too much.

Not yet, Oboz answered. And the kid's eyes have always been like that.

"Ribs."

Oboz paused. The voices in his head fell silent for a moment. Oboz squinted. Had Melmarc Lockwood just said 'ribs'?

What did he just say? Enjin asked.

Ribs, Enma answered.

Why?

Oboz had an idea but couldn't be certain. The fact that Melmarc was simply walking over to him now, as if with a specific purpose, worried him a little. Then again, Rae was still around.

I think I know what he's doing, he answered the others. The question is if he's strong enough to do it, and if he has the mind for it. Devin is very sturdy for a Gifted his age.

Devin had strong bones and muscles. Very strong ones.

In the silence of the amphitheater, Oboz heard Melmarc's brother's voice.

"Fuck me sideways," he said in exasperation.

I guess this isn't news to him.

Oboz found it surprising since his short experience with the brothers told him that Ark was the problematic one. It also supported his delinquent-like reports from his old school. Melmarc's report, however, claimed him to be of great control and discipline—the good to his brother's bad.

A smile touched Oboz's lips as Devin ignored his pain and tightened his muscles. He had been wondering why he hadn't used [May I Come To You] again. The cool down had to have finished. Had he been biding his time?

Melmarc pushed him with his leg, putting him on his back.

Our boy's fighting for his life, Enjin noted. Oboz could almost feel Enjin leaning forward. But he was right, Devin didn't want to be defeated. He didn't want to lose.

He didn't want to—

Devin's fist snapped out at Melmarc's face. He had timed it perfectly. The beauty of the skill was in its burst of speed and the fact that no one could see its activation unless you could see the subtle motions.

Melmarc slapped the hand aside as if he had been expecting it.

That is not a [Faker]! Enjin exclaimed in laughter as the boy slapped Devin's second attack aside.

They exchanged a few more moves. Devin struck from a disadvantaged position and Melmarc slapped every blow aside. In the last exchange, Melmarc's palm ended up on Devin's chest.

Everybody froze.

The world went still. Tension rose to the skies and Oboz could feel it like a physical thing. Melmarc and Devin looked into each other's eyes and Devin showed a touch of fear.

Ribs, Enjin said suddenly in understanding. Hundred bucks says he doesn't follow through.

Enjin wasn't very good at placing wagers. He tended to lose.

CRACK!

The sound was loud in the silence. Oboz was in shock. All the boy had done was press down. Devin's bones were stronger than that. It was part of the reason they used him as a tank. He could take almost anything.

Devin's mouth fell open and he roared in pain. It was a terrible sound, one that Oboz had never heard him make before. Then again, he'd never seen Devin break any bone before. Even Eleanor had never been able to break his bones and she was physically stronger and faster than him by the time she used her skills as a [Weaver].

Melmarc gave no reaction to what had just happened. He could've been drinking a boring cup of tea and had the same expression. Instead, he rose back to his feet and looked at Oboz. Even in his empty eyes, he looked as if he was telling Oboz that he was done.

End it? Enjin asked. Everyone had agreed that in exchange for Enma to select the order with which the intakes would fight, he got to choose when the fight ended.

He looked into Melmarc's eyes and realized that he didn't care for Devin in this moment anymore. Oboz wanted to know just how far Melmarc was willing to go when there was no one to stop him.

We're drawing it a little too close, Oboz, Enma thought into his mind as Melmarc returned his attention to Devin and began to bend down, hand reaching for his leg.

Oboz heard footsteps then, fast and quick.

Don't stop him, Enma commanded, steel in her voice.

Oboz obeyed.

In the blink of an eye, Ark, the brother that was supposed to be troublesome, was standing behind Melmarc. He had a hand on Melmarc's shoulder, a hand to stopped Melmarc in his action.

Gotta love brotherly love, Enjin joked.

"That's enough, Mel," Ark said in a soft voice.

Still bent forward, Melmarc looked back at his brother. His eyes remained empty, but there was something there, something Oboz couldn't quite place.

Ark gave him a smile in response and nodded slowly, understandingly.

"You did good," he said, commending him. "You did good."

Interesting power dynamic, Enma noted. You would expect it to be the other way around from their school reports.

At his brother's final words, Melmarc nodded very slowly, like a child accepting a command even if he didn't understand it.

Ark's smile brightened while Devin continued to choke on his own blood on the ground. With his bright smile, Ark looked at Oboz.

"With all due respect," he said. "This portion of the test is over."

His smile reached his eyes, but Oboz could see something else beneath them. There was no respect in his words. It was a command, a show of will. Whatever Oboz said would not matter. If he opposed, it would change nothing. Even on the threat of losing their admission, Ark and his brother would walk out of here regardless.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

And Ark would fight to the death to ensure it.

It was official. The brothers were insane. And Oboz liked it.

Oboz nodded.

"Thank you." Ark turned to his brother and pointed to a random seat on the other side of the amphitheater. "How about you go take a seat and I'll be with you shortly."

Melmarc nodded before walking off.

Oboz finally gave Rae the nod that she was looking for. The [Healer] rushed into the arena as quickly as her legs could carry her and began healing Devin. Oboz wasn't surprised by her panic. They'd never seen the boy break bones before.

"I've got you," she muttered as she healed him. "I've got you."

The third member of the group walked up to the stage and picked Devin up as if he weighed nothing.

"Get him outside the arena," she told Rae, turning and walking away with him.

Eleanor never liked Devin because of his arrogance. Oboz liked to think that the dislike was increased because even while she could beat him ten out of ten times, she could not break him or leave him with any injury that really mattered.

He wondered how she felt seeing someone else do what she had always failed to accomplish.

As they walked out, Ark looked at Oboz.

"I take it that he's not going to be my opponent," he asked with a touch of disappointment.

Oboz shook his head. "No."

"That's sad," Ark muttered. "I would've enjoyed putting him in the ground… Oh well."

Oboz was right, there was something worrying about Ark. He'd delivered the line with a sad smile, as if it was normal to want to put someone in the ground.

Oboz almost sighed. "Eleanor."

"Yes, sir." Eleanor stood at attention, turning to face him. She was so militaristic, something she got from her parents.

"Front and center," he commanded.

Without delay, she forgot about Devin and made her way to the arena. She took her place, positioned against Ark.

Ark cocked his head at her. "You strike me as someone who doesn't talk much."

"I am not like my comrade," she said. "I am stronger and more disciplined."

Ark paused. "Better behaved too?" he asked.

Eleanor gave no answer.

Oboz raised his hand. "Ready?"

Eleanor took a combat stance and nodded.

"I should warn you," Ark said to her, taking his own stance. "While I am the kinder and less dangerous older brother, I am still the stronger older brother."

Eleanor gave no reaction.

Ark sighed. "You're no fun."

Oboz was confused by his stance. Ark stood with legs positioned as if he wanted to perform a Cossack squat. More interesting were his hands. He held them in opposite positions. Out in front of him, his left hand was held high, palm facing down. The right hand was held low, palm facing upwards.

Standing like that, he looked at Oboz and nodded. "Ready."

The crowd of new intakes still quiet from the fight before, Oboz brought his hand down.

"Fight!"

Eleanor burst into motion, weaving the world around him. She was a [Weaver], but her skill specialty made her something of a world weaver. They allowed her to borrow as much as her body could handle from the world. Her kind could borrow swiftness from the wind, sturdiness from the earth beneath them, explosivity from the flames around them.

Judging by how fast she moved, she was borrowing speed from somewhere while borrowing strength from the ground beneath her feet.

She closed the distance between her and Ark in the blink of an eye, pulled up short at the last moment and darted left. Ark didn't flinch. He simply kept his eyes on her.

Darting around him some more, Eleanor kept her distance, watching, studying. When she moved behind him, he didn't turn. His eyes only followed her when she was within his peripheral view.

At some point, when she got behind him, she put all of her strength into her legs and exploded towards him.

She struck from behind and the world boomed as she slammed into him. For all his control, Oboz's jaw dropped.

Enjin burst into uncontrollable laughter inside Oboz's mind.

Jesus Fucking Christ! Enjin exclaimed. We're a shoo-in for championship this year.

Oboz could not blame him for the reaction. He, too, was beginning to believe it. The Lockwood brothers were monsters.

Standing before him, Ark's hand that he'd held up high, was on the ground now. In the final moment before Eleanor had struck him from behind, he'd turned and brought the hand down on her. Now, his palm was on her back, pinning her firmly to the ground.

Eleanor could not move for all the strength that she had.

Keeping her pinned, Ark looked at Oboz. "I'm not moving until the fight is over."

This one's got spunk, Enjin commented.

In this moment, Oboz understood why their former school insinuated that Ark was uncontrollable. Melmarc did what he felt like he had to do no matter what. Ark did what he wanted to do.

As Oboz stared at the view in front of him, he wondered only one thing. If the older brother kept the younger brother in check, who kept the older brother in check?

According to school records, Enma said, reading his mind, Melmarc keeps Ark in check.

Oboz had only one question to that as he called the fight to an end.

What happens if they both lose it?

…

Enjin turned around and leaned against the table.

"So," he said cheerfully. "What's our opinion on the matter?"

Okoro wasn't sure what to say. The combat training had ended a few minutes ago. And things hadn't gone the way they had expected them to go, not really. The first test, the test of one's control over their own mana had been disrupted so terribly by the Lockwood brothers that it had delayed the test for the second batch.

The second test, which they were still waiting on results for had been… odd. Again, it all boiled down to the Lockwood brothers. Luckily for them, however, was that it had not affected the result for the others. The Lockwoods had come out of the illusion room far earlier than was supposed to be possible. Their answers to the question they were supposed to tackle had been part of the problem.

Why had they been unable to escape? They could.

It threw Okoro for a loop. So, he'd sent a message to the [Illusionist] that had been in charge of the test. From what he knew, the man was still trying to figure a few things out. Okoro would've liked to say that the man had most likely botched the whole thing and was looking for a way out if not for two things.

The first was in how Melmarc Lockwood had disrupted the first test, achieving something that was supposed to be impossible for a B-rank [Faker]. The second was the fact that Ark Lockwood was a [Demon King], an ominous title with no known historical record. The boy was quite literally the first of his kind.

So, no, he didn't think the [Illusionist] had botched it.

Then there was the test. After the Lockwood brothers had taken theirs, the rest of the test had been so uneventful that even Enjin had yawned a few times.

As the students proceeded to the next test, they needed to deliberate on what opinions they had.

Okoro looked at Enjin. "I'm guessing you would like the brothers in the combat team."

Enjin snorted. "You don't need any brain power to know that."

Favor, Mac, Jonathan, and Tenerif seemed to have their own different opinions on the matter.

"How did he break his ribs?" Favor asked.

With her [Physicist] class, Okoro couldn't say that he was surprised by the question. In the department of combat, it wasn't necessarily an impressive one, though.

She looked at Enjin. "I've seen Devin's records. He has abnormally strong bones. It would take at least an S-rank strength based class to achieve that."

"I don't know," Enjin said, curious. "Eleanor is an S-rank [Weaver]. And I've seen her reach high strength stats that can rival an S-rank, and she hasn't broken his bones before."

Jonathan, the [Crafter] put a finger to his jaw in thought. "Do you think it might have something to do with placement and timing? The bone doesn't possess the same amount of strength on all sides. Perhaps he has some knowledge on anatomy and bone structure."

Favor was already nodding. "He was a straight A student in his former school. His only problem was in math where he struggled with Bs and B-minuses."

"I'm guessing he was amazing in Biology," Mac said, but he was shaking his head. As an [Elementalist] he had dedicated most of his life as a Delver to combat. "But he didn't seem calculative. He seemed…"

"Deontological," Okoro finished for him, "as if ruining Devin was his duty."

"It was actually worrying to look at," Tenerif said. Being an [Empath], subjects on human behavior fell under his purview.

Okoro looked at him as the last of the students flooded out of the amphitheater on the screen in front of them.

"Why do you say so?" he asked Tenerif.

Tenerif had his eyes on the screen even though there was nothing worth looking at there anymore. It was a habit of his to stare off when he was thinking.

Finally, he looked at Okoro.

"Everyone has patterns, even as they fight," he said. "Even if you can't read those patterns, there is always a flow, a rhythm. Fights possess emotions. Love, hate, disdain, composure, arrogance. Inferiority, determination. They are all there."

"Do animals have them, too?" Enjin asked.

Tenerif nodded. "Almost the same with humans, but in their own ways."

"And the kids?" Okoro asked.

Tenerif stepped up to Favor who was seated in front of the monitor. "Pull up Melmarc and Ark Lockwood's fights side by side," he asked politely.

With a few hand gestures from her, the fights popped up side by side. Each started at the beginning.

"We can all agree that everyone acted as we expected of them," Tenerif said. "Correct?"

All the heads in the room bobbed in agreement.

"Personally, I thought Patience would do a little more against Devin," Enjin said. "When you consider where she's from and her experience."

"She was too lost in her head," Tenerif said, shaking his head. "She lacked the composure required to win. Besides, there's a reason Devin was chosen to be their opponent."

"Unstoppable force," Enjin smirked.

Okoro was in agreement. The boy wasn't just a powerful strength class, along with his [Juggernaut] class, he had a skill that actually allowed him to break through magic as well as a skill that granted him some level of resistance to magic of all kinds. Even other schools had a tough time handling him in competitions. His only flaw was in him as a person.

"She didn't know how to stop him or win," Tenerif continued. "So, from the beginning, she was reacting to him instead of forcing him to react to her. It was her downfall."

"There are times when that is all you can do," Okoro commented, remembering the times he'd found himself against monsters that he could do nothing but react to when he was in a portal.

Tenerif nodded. "I'm not saying that it's a bad thing or that she could've done differently. I'm saying that it is the reason for her defeat. But we all know that the reason we are having this conversation is for the boys on the screen."

Again, everyone nodded.

"I'll start with the younger brother, since he's the more complicated of the two." Tenerif pointed at Melmarc Lockwood who was in a sumo spider stance. "His decision to face Devin with his own skill in his own domain was completely out of character for him."

"He's a [Faker], though," Jonathan pointed out. "It shouldn't be very surprising."

"[Faker]s are just that," Tenerif countered, "Fakers. For all their abilities to copy, at B-rank, and after seeing what Devin had done to others, it would be unreasonable to face him in such a manner. Also, for all his size, Melmarc doesn't have any notable sports history in his academic history. But he did play games like chess. Of the two brothers, he's the brains." He pointed at Ark. "Ark's the brawn. At least that's what their history says."

"Maybe his time lost in the portal changed him?" Mac asked. There wasn't anyone present in the room that didn't know about Melmarc's mentorship mishap. What they didn't know was the details of how exactly he had been rescued from the portal.

From there, Tenerif walked them through Melmarc's fight with Devin. They all watched the fight through slowed frames and pauses. They watched empty eyes never change expressions from the beginning to the end.

"Not once did two moves he made flow into each other," Tenerif said with the video paused at the point where Melmarc had his hand on Devin's chest.

"But they all worked," Okoro pointed out.

"They were all unpredictable and worked," Tenerif agreed. "But, by all accounts, they had no flow or pattern. I genuinely believe that everything he did was a matter of reactions but not to Devin."

"How does that work?" Mac asked.

"Unfortunately, I don't have the answer to that. However, I would not necessarily say that the boy is dangerous."

"You just described him as dangerous, though," Favor pointed out.

Mac nodded. "She's right."

"Deadly," Tenerif said. "Not dangerous. For example, everything he did to Devin, like not capitalizing on attacks and seemingly humiliating him had purpose, in my opinion. The ribs…"

"Were punishment for what he did to the first kid," Enjin completed. "He collapsed the boy's ribs so he did the same thing to him."

"And when Oboz didn't stop the fight, he was going to go for his legs," Jonathan mused.

"As punishment for what he did to Patience's leg," Tenerif said.

Enjin chuckled. "That was a vicious kick."

"So, we can see that there is purpose," Tenerif continued. "My confusion is in his certainty. How was he confident that he could do it. When he said it…"

"Ribs," Enjin said, imitating the boy's emotionless words while shivering visibly. "It was so cool."

"He said it, and he broke it," Tenerif said. "If I didn't know better, I would say it was as if he declared it and brought his words into reality. I worry that—"

Okoro raised his hand, waving the [Empath]'s comment aside. They were going astray, derailing from the conversation.

"And the brother?" he asked, pointing at the side of the screen that Ark Lockwood occupied. "What about him?"

"Wild card, confident, knows what he's doing." Tenerif shrugged. "He knew what he wanted to do from the beginning. I'm sure we would've seen more if he faced Devin but I have a feeling that Devin should be happy that he didn't face him. I know nothing about his class, but I can say one thing for a fact. Eleanor knew that he wanted to do something and would've done nothing else."

"And she still lost to him," Enjin mused. "You all better know that I'm going to fight tooth and nail to make sure their admissions are not revoked. We need those kids."

Okoro ignored the man. The success of the combat team of the school was not his worry. He was here for other reasons.

"I say the younger brother should be transferred to a different school," Tenerif said suddenly.

"But you said that he's not dangerous," Enjin protested.

"Yes," the [Empath] agreed. "But he is deadly. Imagine what would happen should he decide to be dangerous. He would be a deadly weapon made dangerous. Believe me when I say that we do not want that on our hands."

Okoro sighed as he watched Enjin gear up for an argument.

"It doesn't matter," he said, stopping the argument before it even began. "After all, kids don't get eliminated for all this. These tests are just designed to help us best customize our special classes for our students."

"The next test, however, will," Mac pointed out.

No one in the room could disagree with that. Most of the students that were sent off to other schools tended to be sent off because of the result of the next test.

For a boy who'd accidentally gotten lost inside a portal, Okoro was fairly certain that he had some trauma hiding underneath everything.

It was the job of the psychological evaluation to pull it out. With an [Empath] and a [Telepath] present for it, it was impossible to get anything past them.

He returned his attention to the monitor. How was Melmarc Lockwood going to fare?

Enjin turned suddenly as the door to the room opened and bowed his head respectfully.

"A lovely day to you, sir," he greeted.

Okoro turned as well, doing his best to restrain his displeasure at the sight in front of him. Enjin had once been in the man's party as a Delver before taking up a job here at Fallen High.

The man returned Enjin's greeting with a nod.

Okoro simply watched him, holding everything away from his face.

"How goes the test?" the man asked, his voice clipped and strained, like someone who was in constant pain.

"Well enough so far," Enjin answered.

Okoro fought the urge to glare at Enjin. The man had no idea who really stood before him. He hated when the powers that be tried to interfere in matters as simple as a child's education.

The man looked at him finally.

"Okoro," he greeted.

Okoro nodded. "Callum."

In his head, however, he offered the greeting he truly wanted to offer with all the bile he could muster.

What the fuck are you doing here, Pain?