Magnus Academy: The Cursed Blood

Chapter Thirty-Seven

The Pieces Being Arranged On Her Game Board

I jumped back, sliding my scythe behind in an upward manner; immediately catching it wih my other hand as I landed perfectly on the ground after the impact between our clash sent everything away. Yet she remained standing there unfazed, a smirk visible upon her face as she circled her own scythe in front of her and with a sudden swift motion of it beside, the black gasses started dispersing.

"Oh spare me the trouble," she started. "I don't even sense energy from you."

Should I just release my energy again? I already exhausted myself with the battle against another candidate this afternoon, releasing another despite my fluctuations would certainly endanger my body more.

Thanks to the Gïzë storing it away, I'm not able to feel the pain brought by these fluctuations. But who knows what could happen if I overuse it. Plus, it's not that I got the hang of using that relic, it's more complicated than Sigillum.

"My weapon is enough for me to do the favour." I said, deciding against using my own energy. Summoning a weapon already took a toll on me, I can't afford any more of it.

"Hmmm..." she hummed again in a playful tone. "Too bad."

Upon saying that, she was already right in front of me, lifting her weapon straight down my head. Shifting my head to the side made the sharp curve of her scythe hit the back of my left shoulder. But I didn't wait for her next move as I wrapped the curve of my own behind her back, hitting her flesh with the same speed.

I used the pole of my scythe to push her back and not even having the chance to regain her balance, I used the opportunity to do a tornado kick with the assistance of my weapon on the ground; immediately hitting the side of her neck.

The force I used wasn't enough though for she managed to hold herself this time, grabbing my foot; she aimed to slam me down. Of course, before she could do so, I got myself out of her grip by twisting my body, and moved my weapon to hit her—which she then blocked using her own.

Both of us moved away at the same time, making our own weapons graze along each other's skins, resulting a big scratch. She started to hover above the air, twirling herself in circles and when she built enough momentum, she suddenly let go of her weapon towards my direction. The scythe came faster than I could even react, immediately going after my neck.

The blade didn't touch my skin, but it was enough to push me down the skulls-filled ground, trapping me in it. The smell of the decaying bones beneath my body was engulfing my whole sense of smell—as well as my back started hurting due to the sharp pain stabbing it.

Should I just start storing every pain I'll feel starting at this moment? I gritted my teeth in annoyance, once again deciding against the idea. No matter how unbearable pain is, it's not all that unnecessary. In the first place, having to feel no 'pain' at all isn't very thrilling. But at this rate, she'll think I'm this easy to beat despite being a candidate.

"Just do surrender, candidate." She said, raisng her hand and as she did so; the scythe went back to her grip. "You won't be the first candidate I'll kill, in case you'd feel embarrassed to give up. Rather...hmmm how many will you turn out to be—ah, thirteenth!" She even squealed.

I sat up, sighing as I grabbed my own weapon laying beside me. "Why do people always underestimate me and end up the same?" I wondered to myself.

"Whispering something?" She asked with her Southerner accent, along with a tilt of her head.

I smiled as I stood up, sinking my scythe deep unto the skulls. "That's it for the warm up." I let my weapon there as I started walking towards her. "I had fun, but I don't have time for it."