My eyes widened. Another contestant.

“Zeref? W-What’s happening?” Sara stepped back, behind me; her ears flat on her head. I looked over my shoulder and met her scared and confused stare.

“Yeah, tell her… Zeref.” Blake, the light contestant, mocked. I couldn’t tell Sara who I was. I just couldn’t.

“I’m here to propose a deal to you. Kid hear me out here. You’re still very young and extremely weak, therefore out of the kindness of my heart, I’ve decided to take away the burden on your shoulders, as the lightning candidate. Just hand over your seat to me and I’ll make sure to never harm you or your family ever again. How about it?” He proposed smiling, with a malicious glint in his eyes.

The cold chills of my ice mana coursed through my veins and the frosty bites of the cold fog bit my cheeks, as it shrouded my body. “Go take your proposal somewhere else,” I scoffed. This useless light contestant really thought I would surrender my seat just like that. Without a fight? Don’t make me laugh. Sara stood back, awkwardly watching.

Blake smirked. “Kid, you’re clearly too cocky. Maybe I should put you in your place. You picked a war with us already, maybe now I’ll officially declare it. As a general of the Umbra organization, I hereby declare war against the lightning candidate. Zeref Amara.” a disgusting smile stretched across his ugly face and his greasy blonde hair moved up. Cloning himself into 5 people and pulling his swords out, he got ready to attack.

Umbra. Again, that organization wanted to interfere with my life.

I unsheathed Voadhailis’s Claw out of instinct and prepared for the worst. My MP was at 80% capacity due to my last fight and my HP was around 94% but more importantly I was drained of stamina.

“Sara stay behind me.” I said as 2 of the clones charged at me swinging and slicing from all directions.

“B-But I can help.” she whimpered.

“Just stay back. You’re still injured.” I argued before throwing a slice of flames from my sword. 1 down.

Two more jumped at me, a sword swing was coming from the left so I dodged to the opposite side but a line of red still appeared on my chest. What technique was that?! Was my sense of depth faulty?

These weird techniques continued and my sense of perception was being played with. I would think I’d dodged an attack but the damage still inflicted on me; the cuts started to build up and my HP was down to 2600. He was using illusions to his advantage, tricking me with refracting actual light.

[You have suffered 1200 Damage]

[MP is dropping 5 HP/S due to blood loss]

I activated my flame mana then conjured a multitude of fireballs, which scorched through the air as they chased the clones. These balls of flames had a homing aspect so they wouldn’t stop until they hit their target. I recovered some HP as the homing spell brought me some time.

“Disappointing. Blessed with God knows how many elements but useless in utilising them all of them.” Blake laughed and mocked as he and his clones cut all of the flame balls in half with their swords; suddenly he disappeared out of my field of view.

Was he faster than me?

‘Godspeed.’

I thought in my head, but before I could move to end everything, it turned out my opponent was one step ahead of me.

“Woah, whoa, whoa. Not so fast.” Blake chuckled from behind me, as if he knew what I was about to do.

“ZEREF!!!” I could hear Sara’s scream as my body failed to move out of the way in time and a few seconds later, I felt the touch of the floor make contact with my limp body. It took me a couple seconds to register what had just occurred.

Blood poured out of the large slashes on my chest and back and the light mana stung and ate at my mana pool. What kind of technique was that? My body fell still in a state of paralysis. I couldn’t activate my spell.

“How disappointing. That’s all you got. That’s all the so-called Lightning candidate has to offer. You’re not even worth my time. What did you say before to my subordinate. I’ll wipe UMbra of the face of the planet. Don’t make me laugh. You couldn’t even beat me. YOU filthy peasant!” He shouted before kicking my body, making me tumble backwards and smash against a wall.

Sara rushed over and kneeled next to me, shaking. She probably didn’t understand a single thing about why this was happening and what role I was playing here. “L-Leave us alone. We a-are j-just kids.” she stuttered, her tears falling onto my wounds.

“Now, now. Don’t cry; you’ll make me look like the bad guy here.” Blake chuckled coldly, walking over to Sara and stepping over me.

I gripped his foot tightly.

“P-Please don’t- I’m begging you. Don’t-” I tried to beg but he kicked me across the room again into a big white pillar. I felt every muscle in my body scream as I desperately tried to get up but not a single bone moved. Why was this happening?!

“AHHHHH! PLEASE! PLEASE!” Sara screamed, pleading and calling out to me. Blake raised his fist and swung down on her in full force. A loud crack echoed through the room and Sara laid limp on the floor.

“I’ll see you soon then Zeref.”

I laid on my side, choking on the blood pouring out of my mouth.

[HP has fallen below 15%]

[You are suffering from blood loss]

[Light mana is interfering with the healing process]

[MP use is on cool down]

[Time until you can use MP again: 29 minutes 47 seconds]

He stood over Sara and lifted her up, scooping his hand under both of her thighs and the other around her shoulder. I tried to tell him to stop but my throat felt dry and stiff as the only sound I could make was the croaky screech along with the gurgling of the blood at the back of my mouth.

He looked at me one last time before throwing down a portal. It opened and he walked through it. I watched as he kidnapped Sara in front of me and I was completely helpless. I had never felt so desperate. This guy was way ahead of me in speed, moves, aggression and technique.

I guess I wasn’t as special as I thought because if you think you are strong, remember, there is always someone stronger. I remembered Nina telling me that. I guess I just… forgot. The power got to me.

I miss her.

“Humble yourself.” Nina’s and mum’s words circled through my head as I laid helplessly on the floor; too weak to move.

All my mistakes piled in my brain and regret wrapped its fingers around my heart. I was hopelessly going to die again.