Chapter 54 - Fae Laws And Duels

After exiting the city and walking our way to a relative clearing, it was time for me to speak up and ask. A fool for a lifetime and all that.

"Uhh, what exactly is a Fae duel?" I ask as the rest of the party looks at me with a strange mix of confusion and understanding.

"I nearly forgot your age, sorry. A Fae Duel is a duel sanctioned by the Fae. A duel to the death where death isn't on the line so to speak." Teresa explains in a very matter-of-fact tone, yet that just raises more questions.

"Could you uh, start from the beginning," I ask sheepishly, as Teresa sighs and facepalms.

"Where did you learn magic that didn't teach you about the Fae?" Ivy interjects with a voice of genuine confusion.

"Nowhere? All of my magic is self-taught, mainly through the book 'Magic: From Plebeio to Dominus Tier' and another book on healing magic." I reply, earning looks of confusion and doubt from Flare and Ivy whilst Teresa just passively waits for the bickering to die down.

"Well, since you know nothing, here's a crash course on the basics. Fae, also known as Origin Fae, are beings of pure mana. They are the original creators and users of magic, and since they're immortal integral pieces of the universe, Ancient Fae Laws eventually became what is now known as Ritual Laws. Once a Ritual Law is invoked, whatever magic associated with it will occur, the most commonly taught and understood Ritual Law is known as a Fae Duel. A Fae Duel isolates the two consenting duelists and they fight to the death, upon death, both sides are healed completely and refreshed mentally, as to not leave any lasting scars." Teresa explains, giving a big yawn. That is actually a pretty concise explanation and makes me want to look into all the know Ritual Laws.

But one thing is bugging me.

"Are any of the Fae still around? Or Origin Fae or whatever?" If they are, asking them would probably give you the most accurate results on Fae Laws and such.

"Some Fae bloodlines are still around, such as Faeries and Faries, all your spirit varieties, etc. There are even some immortal races with big connections to the Fae, yet for all we know, all Origin Fae either went insane and sealed themselves or simply chose to dissipate into mana." Teresa said with another yawn before she continued. "Now, can we get this show on the road?"

Glances shot between me and Flare until I realized something important.

"Uhhh, how do I enact a Fae Duel?" I ask, looking over at Flare.

"I was hoping you knew. Teresa? Ivy?" Flare says, looking over our now bored-looking party.

"Read out the law, point at your target, target consents, bam duel. Simple as." Ivy replies, not realizing the exact problem we were facing.

"Here," Teresa said, a small sigh of annoyance escaping her lips as she handed me a piece of paper.

"By my authority as Knight of her Highness Lady Teresa Delarus, I challenge you, Flare Meadowflame. If you are victorious, you may take my position at her Highnesses side, and I will not resist. If I win, you shall submit to Lady Teresa as my equal." I say, as a deep violet chain viciously shot out of my chest.

Yet, the pointed end of the chain stopped, right before piercing Flare.

"I accept the terms," Flare says with a confident smile, as the chain pierces into her and disappears.

Without any further warning, a faint rumbling could be felt, as a massive golden cage began to erect itself around Flare and me.

The cage had a radius of nearly fifty feet, giving us plenty of room.

As Flare drew her sword, I began to channel mana into my staff. Let's finish this in one blow.

///

A light ring from the cage closing around us signaled the start of the duel.

Flare disappeared before my eyes, yet I could tell her plan was to simply rush me. Funneling the earth mana through my staff, I slammed it onto the ground.

"DISPERSE" I yelled, as the ground surrounding me in around a ten-foot radius disappeared, being forcefully compacted into a moat.

With a yelp, Flare was dropped into the said moat, a sitting duck.

Pointing my staff down, I set off three blasts of my Wind Shotgun, aimed at her head.

The blasts went off successfully, yet just like what happened at the Union Hall, the powerful projectiles were reduced to small pricks of damage upon making contact with Flare.

Unsurprisingly, Flare didn't let me breathe for even a moment, leaping to close the distance and slashing at my head.

The only reaction I could think of was a repeat of the trick against the Instructor, canceling Alter Ego.

Reducing myself down to the size of an eight-year-old allowed me to avoid the slash, but not the follow-up kick to the stomach, sending me slamming against the wall of the cage.

Utilizing the few seconds of reprieve I had due to the distance and Flare's need to climb out of the pit, I wracked my brain trying to find a solution to this red-headed demon of a problem.

Flooding my chest with healing magic, my staff with water magic, and re-casting Alter Ego, I pointed my staff towards the crater and waited.

As soon as I saw Flare land on the edge of the crater, as it looks like she just jumped up the edge of it, I unleashed the spell I'd been fueling.

"Absolute Zero!" I yell as the lighting-quick beam of blue and white magic slams into Flare. Yet unlike before, I don't maintain the spell, only having it shoot out for a moment to make sure my arms remain intact.

That idea proves fatal, as Flare's left shoulder freezes over but soon snaps out of its ice prison, only sporting a black and blue bruise.

"Give up Antonio, you're too soft and too slow," Flare says with a sadistic chuckle, as a flash of pain surges from my left side.

Before I was able to notice any movement, Flare threw her sword into my left leg, pinning me to the ground.

Was I going to easy on her? I guess I haven't really come to terms with this whole false deathmatch thing yet, so I may have been pulling my punches.

Dropping into a low stance, Flare begins to charge me at an incredible speed, not unlike a wild beast.

Ripping the sword out of my leg, I flood with as much mana as my arms can take before launching it back at Flare, yet it takes a simple contortion of her body to avoid the sword.

Is this the end?

If only I had that weird defense every seems to be able to use.

No, it's more than a matter of needing it, I really, really,

As these thoughts crossed into my mind, with Flare now only being a few paces away, something began to burn in my chest.

It was a feeling completely opposite of the coldness of mana that I had grown accustomed to.

Grabbing onto that feeling, I could feel it almost thrashing about, trying to escape.

So, why not let it? I really ???????????????? to see where this is going.