I had thought about it before, but the original academy was a little too big for my taste. Now?
It was humongous.
This damn academy now had too many corridors to cover and too many dead-spots that could be used for ambushes, and that was not counting the classrooms that littered the area. Thankfully I had assisted in the placement of the protection spells so I could tell if anyone was around, but this was a little too much for me. Especially the bit where I had to deal with multiple grunts while running in this area.
"Enemy spotted!"
Great, the seventh time in twenty minutes.
Without a glance, I projected two swords and sent them down the hallway, not pausing to see them slaughter the magicians that stood in my path, a part of my mind noting the groups I had encountered so far. They were mostly the magus from this world from what I could tell, and they were very abysmal in their tactics. There was hardly any type of planning whatsoever; it was as if they just got up and decided to wreck the academy and somehow kill us in the process.
That only meant one thing, they were sent to wear us out before the real fighters come out. If so, I would need to get rid of these people quickly and get back to the others. Who knows when these attackers would come for those who were frozen?
"We found one of them!"
Bah! This was getting ridiculous!
I stopped my running to face the latest group of intruders, noting the odd robes they had that covered the majority of their bodies and heads, but what little I could discern told me that they were all female magus, the first such group I had encountered so far. One of the taller ones seemed to be the leader as she stepped forward with her staff pointed at me before pausing.
"You are the magician who has been on the news recently." She said with a hint of intrigue while the others looked at me with increased intent. "The one who also recreated the Excalibur with that unusual magic."
"Mage-craft. Please get the terminology and associations right." I grimaced as I spoke those words. May not be the best time or place to say, but it was grating on my nerves when people kept referring to it as magic.
I feel for you, Rin Tohsaka, for having to deal with me.
"My apologies." The leader lowered her staff and her hood to reveal a rather beautiful woman in her mid-20s with lightly tinted green hair and amber eyes. "My name is Celina Mercio. A pleasure to meet a fellow magician of a different cabal."
"Pleasure is all mine." I bowed my head lightly while maintaining a close eye on her companions. "My name is…"
"Shirou Emiya, a very interesting magician." Celina answered with a smile on her face, while a few of the others behind her removed their hoods as well to reveal girls of varying ages, the youngest looking to be at least 14 years old, all whom were looking at me with rather unsettling eyes. "The one who had made a lot of waves on the information network."
Well that was concerning, the enemy already knowing me by sight.
"A question if you would. Why do you follow the devils? I see no contract markings on you." Celina gestured with her hand.
"I'm not really allied with them, if that is what you mean." I answered while preparing Kanshou and Bakuya in my hands. "I am neutral in this area. As for the so-called contract, it is more of a business deal. They want something, I want something, and we bring out the goods and see who can bargain the most."
"I see." The woman nodded her head lightly as she stepped forward with the others still looking intendedly at me, her hips showing a notable sway as she walked. "You may forgive our ignorance, but usually the devils would form a contract with a magician, and considering the duration you have stayed in this town, you seem quite content with your placement."
"A temporary stay at best. I am not planning a long vacation around here."
"I see." She stopped just a few centimeters away from me, a smile on her face as she raised her hand at me. "In that case, would you prefer our company?"
What?
"After all, since you are neutral, that would mean you are not truly allied to the devils or the other factions currently." Celina continued as she looked at me. "But I would think that as fellow magicians, we should stick together. Don't you agree?"
"A nice offer, Miss Mercio. I am afraid I would need to decline for the current time." I answered while completing my mental trigger. "There are some things that need to be handled personally and as it is, this invasion is getting in the way of my schedule."
"Shame." Celina lowered her hand while her smile seemed to shift from general kindness to one of controlled viciousness. "Sure you won't change your mind?"
"I might consider for a later moment." I readied my weapons as I watched the others tensing up for action. "But for now, I would like to ask you ladies to leave the premises in an orderly fashion. I really do not want to fight you right now."
"Hmm… Too bad." Celina raised her staff to shoot a fireball at me while the others conjured up their own spells of lightning, ice and fire to aid her. I slammed my foot down to summon a wall of steel, cutting off their vision and giving me time to plan my next attack. With a gesture that spoke of long hours of practice, I projected the weapons I needed and sent them at the invader without needing to see the targets.
Their shouts of surprise were enough to inform me that the Black Keys I created were successful in sealing their movements, leaving them open for my next of weapons in the form of daggers giving off sleeping gas to knock them out. I waited a bit longer before dispelling the protective wall to reveal the fallen bodies of the intruders, each one sleeping soundly with little to no injuries.
Wait, I am missing Celina and two others.
"BOOM!'
I cursed loudly as an explosion forced me back into one of the classrooms, wrecking the tables and chairs as I tumbled inside. Using the momentum to my advantage, I rolled to a large piece of the wreckage and braced myself against it, using it both as my defence and my next step of attack.
"Come out little magician~" Celina called out in a sing-along tone as she walked into the classroom with one of the other magicians. "You can't be done in so easily."
Here's something for you then.
I projected a small dagger before throwing it at her. As expected she threw up a barrier to block the knife, but did not anticipate the secondary ability it had in the form of a dark mist that issued from its blade and covered her together with the barrier, distracting the other two enough for me to leap from my cover and take them out swiftly with quick jabs to the sternum. I had hoped to get Celina as well but that did not happen as the mist dispersed too early and Celina had her staff pointed right at me.
"Fuego!" The woman summoned a ball of blue flames and fired them at me, and due to the short distance, I was forced to take on the full blast of the attack, forcing me back out of the classroom and slamming into the concrete wall. I shook my head to clear the ringing before I realized that my anti-fire charms were not doing a good job at keeping the flames off me. With a quick shrug I removed my jacket and tossed away in time for it to burn completely.
Man~ that was my only jacket for this type of occasion.
"So it is just you and me, my dear boy." Celina twirled her staff as she removed her cloak to reveal a slender body and a light red dress with a plunging neckline to reveal a fair amount of her considerable chest, with dark heels that lightly clicked on the ground. "At least I get to have you all to myself."
"I don't usually get this close to a lady until the third date." I quipped as I projected Kanshou and Bakuya and got into a stance. "Let's hope this does not end badly for either of us." Celina let out a light chuckle at my words as she hugged her staff rather suggestively with the body of it pressed firmly between her breasts.
"Do make this an enjoyable dance for me." With a quick motion of her hands she directed the staff at me and let loose a lightning bolt which I barely dodged by pushing my Reinforcement to its limits. She followed up with some time dilation spell that gave her speed that could make Lancer proud, using that momentum to try and stab me with the pointed end of her staff, but only succeeding in tearing a portion of my shirt.
Damn it, the charms on the shirt was not something I could stamp out easily like a newspaper machine!
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A/N : The Story Needs More Power Stones ;)
PS : if we can reach 400 Stones by the end of the week, I will throw you an extra chapter
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