Crestfall: Darkness Unveiled

"What!" Ren was in awe, his mouth wide open.

Lyra crossed her arms and smirked. "Why do you care? You think your friend can't handle it? Or that he'll prove he's stronger than you?"

Ren was taken aback by her comments and relaxed himself after the news. "You think you know me that well, huh? I'm just wondering how he'll handle Arthur. He's not just any fighter." Ren turned slightly and pointed at Rin. "Didn't you see what happened to her? It was a shit show."

"I recall her putting up a fight though."

"Yeah, but…" Ren stopped, with no thought of what to say next.

Off in the distance, Sosuke and Arthur entered the transparent arena once more. He walked over to his side, his breathing shaky and sweating profusely. He wasn't sure what to expect. Would he use the same powerful spell? Or figure out a new strategy? No, he's too smart to reuse the fire cannon, Sosuke thought.

Arthur was calm, it was like nothing ever fazed him. He stood across the arena staring right back at Sosuke. Sosuke turned, looking outside at the professor, waiting for his mark.

Aleron raised his hand, quickly glancing at both fighters. The crowd began to grow in volume, clearly this fight was the one people were excited for. Aleron slammed his hand down, a large grin forming on his face. "Begin!"

Arthur's expression remained unreadable as he stepped forward, his movements precise and measured. A faint glow sparked at his fingertips, and without hesitation, he conjured a spell,"Piercing Lance.". The glowing spear of energy streaked through the air, but it wasn't aimed directly at Sosuke—it struck the ground just in front of him. The impact sent shards of stone scattering, forcing Sosuke to pivot to the side. Arthur's eyes tracked the motion, his calm demeanor betraying the sharp tactical mind at work.

Before Sosuke could fully regain his footing, Arthur launched a second Piercing Lance at the path his opponent had been funneled toward. The attack forced Sosuke to leap high into the air, the glowing projectile narrowly missing him. As Sosuke descended, Arthur was already shifting his stance, preparing his next move. Each step and spell seemed calculated, like pieces on a chessboard, with Arthur controlling the flow of the battle effortlessly.

He raised his leg, slamming Sosuke down with a kick filled with extreme force. The ground crumbled under the impact of Sosuke hitting it, dirt and stone flew everywhere. Once it settled, Arthur realized Sosuke wasn't on the ground in front of him. His eyes grew wide. He quickly shifted backwards, reacting to Sosuke appearing behind him. "Flashstep was it!?" Arthur roared, a slight grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

Sosuke tried his best to keep his composure, he was still struck by the kick after all.

Arthur stepped forward, his movements sharp and deliberate, eyes locked on Sosuke as he unleashed a barrage of offensive strikes. "Piercing Lance!" he declared, summoning a spear of glowing energy that hurtled toward Sosuke with lethal precision. Sosuke twisted his body to the side, narrowly avoiding the spear as it exploded behind him, sending shards of energy cascading across the battlefield. Without missing a beat, Sosuke extended his hand, lightning arcing between his fingers. "Paralyze!" A streak of electricity shot toward Arthur, forcing him to sidestep again with uncanny speed.

Arthur didn't relent. "Fracture Impact!" he intoned, slamming his fist into the ground. A shockwave of jagged mana spikes erupted from beneath Sosuke, forcing him to leap into the air. Arthur anticipated the move, his mana coalescing into a glowing projectile above him. "Meteor Shard!" The energy orb shot upward at alarming speed, slamming into Sosuke mid-air and knocking him off balance. Sosuke grimaced but managed to twist mid-fall and land on one knee, skidding back across the broken earth.

"You're good," Sosuke muttered under his breath before thrusting one hand forward, summoning his own weapon. "Forge, Aether Blade!" A crackling sword of blue mana materialized in his hand, shimmering with lightning coursing along its length. Arthur wasted no time, conjuring his own identical weapon with a simple, "Aether Blade." Their weapons clashed, sparks and mana flaring with every strike as the air buzzed with intensity. Sosuke pressed the attack, his blade moving with precision and force, but Arthur's calm parries and counters showed his mastery.

Arthur pivoted suddenly, sweeping Sosuke's legs out from under him and forcing him to the ground. As Sosuke rolled to evade, Arthur planted his foot and intoned, "Blinding Flare!" A burst of radiant light filled the area, blinding Sosuke momentarily. Arthur seized the opening, landing a clean strike with his mana blade to Sosuke's shoulder. Sosuke gritted his teeth, the pain sharp but manageable. He backflipped out of range, his Aether Blade reforming in his hand, lightning sparking around its edge. Arthur, standing tall and composed, adjusted his stance, a flicker of intensity now burning in his otherwise calm gaze. Sosuke could feel something, was Arthur holding back before? Why?

Arthur rushed forward, his blade sweeping under Sosuke who had jumped over. He landed behind Arthur like a blur. He lifted his arm, readying his hand for another lightning bolt. Arthur slammed his foot into the ground, pivoting at such a speed unmatched by any student seen in this tournament. Sosuke tried to evade the attack, barely reacting in time. But he couldn't escape that easily, Arthur's blade had sliced Sosuke's side. This left Sosuke on the ground, clutching his side, unsure if he could fight any longer. The pain was extreme, but bearable for him. Yet, no matter how much Sosuke wished to stand, he couldn't.

Arthur walked over to Sosuke, who appeared defeated. He lowered his sword, pointed at Sosuke's head. "Get up."

Sosuke looked up, confused. "W-what?"

"I said get up!" Arthur kicked Sosuke away. It wasn't a powerful kick, but enough to push Sosuke back.

"Why do you—?"

"Does it matter why!? Just get up!" Arthur roared. "Everyone promised me you'd be strong, that you were a prodigy. The Sword Saint's son they said. Get up! I'll prove to my father I'm worthy to be his son." Arthur's brow furrowed.

Sosuke lay with his hand at his side, covering his wound. "Who—is your father…?"

Arthur sighed and stabbed his blade into the ground. "I am Arthur Veiss, son of Julian Veiss. High Council member."

Sosuke froze, his breath caught in his throat as the weight of the words crushed him, his wide eyes betraying a rare and utter disbelief.

"But you're pathetic. Hardly an opponent. It's saddening really. You're father used to dominate mine in battles in the past, it's a shame he's dead." Arthur's eyes narrowed on Sosuke's, as if awaiting his reaction. "I heard it was just a beast, nothing special at all. Maybe he wasn't that great after all."

"Shut up! Stop talking!" Sosuke struggles to his feet. Sosuke's fists clenched at his sides, trembling as a surge of anger coursed through him. His breaths came short and shallow, his chest heaving with barely restrained fury. Arthur's words replayed in his mind, each one like a hammer driving a nail deeper into his resolve. "You don't know anything about him," Sosuke muttered, his voice low but shaking with emotion. His legs wavered as he forced himself upright, the weight of exhaustion crushed beneath an overwhelming need to prove Arthur wrong. Sparks of blue lightning crackled at his fingertips, faint at first, but growing brighter and more erratic with every passing second.

Arthur tilted his head, his expression neutral, though his eyes gleamed with interest. He raised his mana blade, its edge glowing faintly, and stepped forward, his movement smooth and deliberate. Without hesitation, he swung it in a clean, cutting arc, aimed directly at Sosuke's chest.

In that instant, Sosuke's body surged with power, his reflexes heightened as if driven by pure instinct. His hand shot out, catching Arthur's blade mid-swing. Sparks of electric blue lightning erupted from his palm, coursing up the blade and crackling between them. Sosuke's eyes, alight with a fierce, unyielding determination, met Arthur's. "You want to compare me to my father? Then let me show you what I'm capable of!"

In an instant, Sosuke's fist sparked with streaks of blue lightning. His punch connecting with Arthur's face. The impact sent a thunderous crack through the air, the lightning coursing from Sosuke's fist exploding outward in a dazzling burst. Arthur's head snapped to the side, his body sliding back several feet across the dirt, boots skidding and kicking up dust. For a moment, the air hung heavy with the electric charge left in Sosuke's wake, the faint scent of ozone lingering as Arthur slowly straightened. His face bore a faint scorch mark, but his expression remained eerily composed, his eyes sharper than ever as they locked back onto Sosuke.

Arthur steadied himself, adjusting his grip on the mana blade, his mind racing. No incantation… not even a whisper. He summoned that lightning purely through will. He analyzed Sosuke's stance, the faint arcs of energy still dancing around his clenched fists. This isn't normal—this shouldn't even be possible. Arthur's gaze narrowed as his thoughts turned tactical. Unrefined, but raw and overwhelming. He's not channeling mana the usual way—it's instinctual, primal. If he learns to control that power… Arthur pushed the thought aside, his grip tightening on the hilt. Core Technique.

Sosuke dashed forward, the ground crackling beneath his feet as blue lightning trailed his movements. Arthur, reacting with razor precision, swept his mana blade in a diagonal slash. Sparks erupted as Sosuke narrowly dodged, ducking low and retaliating with a lightning-charged uppercut aimed at Arthur's torso. Arthur sidestepped with uncanny agility, spinning on his heel to bring the flat of his blade down like a hammer.

Sosuke raised his arm instinctively, catching the weapon mid-swing. Lightning surged from his hand, crawling up Arthur's blade and forcing the older student to leap back to avoid the jolts. "You're not untouchable," Sosuke growled, his voice edged with both determination and fury. He hurled himself forward again, this time aiming a kick laced with electricity at Arthur's ribs.

Arthur blocked with his mana blade, but the sheer force sent him skidding back again. Sparks erupted from the ground as Sosuke pressed forward, each movement faster and more precise. But Arthur was relentless. He thrust his free hand forward, shouting, "Piercing Lance!" A thin spear of concentrated mana shot out, whistling through the air toward Sosuke's chest.

"Boltweave: Banish thy storm!" Sosuke roared, throwing his hand forward. A shield of lightning spiraled into existence, deflecting the lance and scattering raw energy across the battlefield. The force created a shockwave that whipped dust into the air, obscuring their vision.

Arthur emerged first, tearing through the haze with an upward swing. His blade struck Sosuke's hastily conjured lightning shield, shattering it like glass. Before Sosuke could recover, Arthur twisted his weapon and slashed horizontally, grazing Sosuke's side. Sosuke winced but retaliated immediately, his fist crackling as he drove it into Arthur's sword arm.

Arthur grunted, his grip faltering for only a moment before he regained control. He thrust his foot forward, aiming a kick at Sosuke's midsection. Sosuke blocked it with his forearm, but the sheer strength behind the attack sent him sliding back several paces. "You're holding nothing back now, are you?" Sosuke muttered, wiping a trace of blood from his lip, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Arthur didn't respond. Instead, he gripped his mana blade with both hands, taking a low stance. The air around him shifted, a subtle pressure building as he began to channel more mana. His blade glowed brighter, and he launched himself forward with incredible speed, slashing and stabbing in a blur of precise strikes.

Sosuke struggled to keep up, his lightning shielding him from lethal hits but failing to prevent minor cuts from accumulating. Then, with a fierce shout, Sosuke stomped the ground, creating a ring of electric energy that surged outward. The blast forced Arthur to leap into the air to avoid it.

Before Arthur could land, a deep voice boomed across the battlefield. "Enough!" Professor Aleron appeared at the edge of the field, his arm outstretched. "This fight is over. You're not ready to wield that power!"

Arthur's gaze snapped to Aleron, his jaw tightening. He lowered his blade slightly, but his stance remained combative. "Don't interfere. He's holding his own."

"This isn't about whether he can hold his own," Aleron growled. "That power is dangerous! Both of you need to—"

Arthur's blade surged with energy as he interrupted. "Stay back. This isn't finished." His calm demeanor cracked, revealing a rare glimpse of frustration. "If he wants to prove himself, I'll push him to his limit."

Sosuke, panting but electrified with adrenaline, raised his fists. "Let him come, Professor. I'll show him I'm not just potential."

Aleron hesitated, his expression darkening. But he didn't move, watching as the battle resumed with even greater intensity.