Lightning's Limit Read online

  The tournament is about to begin and right before the ramp headed for the main floor where the opening ceremonies are about to be held are a few tables filled with runes. All shapes and sizes as well as holders for them for every place they can be held. There is also a table with rune pistols of all different types.

  Vargas looks over at Bailey and can see the drool building in the corners of her mouth over everything that is in front of her. She frantically goes back and forth amongst the different options, finally settling on roughly the same setup she had before everything was locked up in her storage box.

  The stage is surrounded with students from all around the continent. Center stage is the Astrum government insignia, a red arbor shape with a white shooting star traveling across it from the lower left toward the upper right surrounded within a circle filled in with stars. As Tyler walks onto the stage the crowd of high school students goes silent.

  The coliseum seating filled to bursting and looks alive with the number of people that are pouring into their seats with the start nearing. The displays around the coliseum light up and focus on Tyler's face. The coliseum goes silent.

  "People of Eden, I would like to extend my personal gratitude for your attendance today. My name is Tyler Hemlic, I am the Captain Commander of the Paladin Order and I will be your Master of Ceremonies here today. We all have been given a great honor here to witness the first official High School Mixed Magical Arts Tournament. Our gracious host, The City of Bastion, is to thank for these glorious and luscious facilities. Today we shall witness the preliminary matches for the main tournament which is going to be held in New Atlantis. The points system will be in effect today. There will also be extra points awarded to schools that participate in the two surprise additions. One on one matches, and a free-for-all match. The extra matches are voluntary but could give as much points for the winners as the main bout. Students you will need to choose wisely. You will be receiving a HaLO prompt momentarily that will allow you to register for one or both of the extra challenges today.”

  Extending out his left arm with his index and middle finger out, waves his fingers around in a circle, then swipes to the right. Vernon could tell he was using some kind of overlay command, and receives a message prompt. Tyler is softly saying a prayer over the ground as Vernon opens the notification. Three options appear in the middle of their vision;

  None; One on One; Free for All.

  Vargas, without hesitation, signs up for both and hits ok. This is what he needed. There isn’t anything better he could have wished or hoped for than what is happening right now. He has to push himself to stand out, and he knows how to do that. There aren’t any rich kids he has to worry about for these.

  Tyler starts talking again, ”With that settled, we can begin the setup for the one on one matches. We will have four separate tiers going at the same time on this floor. They will be separated off, and walls added in just for this round. Once completed, the top four will face off to determine the winner. We will then continue onto the group matches, and then to conclude the tournament today will be the free for all. May the stars guide you all, and let the tournament begin!"

  3

  The officials bring out a shield generator to split the coliseum floor into four roughly equal parts. They also split the rankings so he didn't have to fight his teammates in the early rounds if they also opted in. During the registration, the form had a listing for your team mates, starting with the team captain.

  Vargas got put into group three since he was third seat, and he sees that Bailey also opted into these rounds and she got put into group one. Her group set up quicker than his, and he decides to look over at their first match. He sees Bailey waiting on the sidelines, and before he can look back the fight was already over.

  A black haired boy had moved behind his opponent so fast that Vargas couldn’t see it happen. What he did see was the massive cylinder of ice that was thrusted at the opponent and broke through the shield in between groups one and two. He looks at the boy and their glances connect. He can see concern in the boys icy blue eyes and on his face.

  Vargas has a smirk grow across his face and nods in an approving manner. The boys face relaxes and he can see relief. Vargas knows this kid will be the one to beat in this tournament. Before he can wrap his head around it, he’s called up his first match.

  Every other school had set up the teams in regards to strength not clout like what Pharis had done. This made things very easy on Vargas, it was almost pathetic. Blasting though each of his rounds with such ease he didn’t even have to use or rely on anything Master Sel had taught him. The one silver lining to it all, is he was finished so quickly he could watch all of the other matches, and look for openings in the winners fights.

  With the first set of one-on-one matches complete it was now time for the real fights to begin. His fight was against the boy that he locked eyes with from group one, Vernon Douglas. The official walks over in between and looks to the left and right at both boys, and asks if they are both ready. They both nod, and the official raises his right hand and then quickly brings it down shouting begin!

  Vernon boasts, “You'd better be ready.”

  Vargas remembered the way he opens and needs to be faster. His burst of wind magic behind him followed by a physical attack. It was time to use the first technique that Master Sel had taught him. Focusing the flow of his magic over his nerves, charging them, and giving him a quicker reaction time. This now simple technique had taken him a year just to figure out how to even feel his magical flow.

  Vargas yells with a smile on his face, “Try me!”

  Wind gathers beneath Vernon’s feet as he bursts forward, clearing the distance quickly. Vargas can see him this time and lays down a lightning wall spell onto the ground. He creates an arc of lightning at his feet and floats backwards across it, to avoid being hit by either Vernon or his own spell.

  Vernon passes over the spot he touched which creates a wall of lightning with him right around him. He passes through and gets covered in electricity, hitting the ground his body was writhing as he rolls to a stop. Vargas moves quickly by gliding over to where his opponent landed and thinks to himself he might be able to intimidate this guy off of his game plan. Mental games were something he was told were critical in winning a fight before it gets started.

  Standing over Vernon, he looks down at him and says, “You have quite a bit of speed, but you’re not faster than I am, I can ride lightning. I saw how you beat your other opponents. You use your speed to close the distance, and your strength to overwhelm. Sadly, you won’t be able to be so predictable against me Rune Master Vernon Douglas. You’ll have to do better than that.”

  Vargas finishes as he gathers magic into his hand forming bolts of lightning into two bluish purple spheres, as they form and grow streaks shoot from his hands to the ground.

  Vargas releases the spell, and Vernon barely wind bursts away from the blast, sliding away on the ground. Getting up Vernon brushes himself off. Vargas sees him glancing down which must be to his overlay, and does the same. His readout shows his current mana reserves and luckily he hasn’t used enough to register.

  His opponent doesn’t seem to be deterred by his attempt at intimidation. Vargas sees Vernon’s runes flare up as he slams down his palm to the ground. Ice flows out in all directions covering over half the two hundred yard coliseum floor. Vargas' feet get caught within the thick ice, just over his toes and up over the back of his heel.

  Vernon shouts, “Let’s see how fast you are now!”

  Vargas replies with a smirk across his face, “Good play Rune Master but you failed to realize what I said earlier, I ride lightning.”

  He shows Vernon what he means as he shatters the layer of ice covering his shoes. Lightning surges out from the souls of his shoes lifting him off the ground. He floats above the ice that Vernon just laid down atop the arcs of lightning under his feet. Leaning forward the bolts reach out and take him across the frost covered floor.
>
  Stopping abruptly in front of Vernon. His opponent flinches bringing his fists up to cover his face. Vargas takes this opportunity to use the second thing that Master Sel had taught him. He uses the extra magic around him to charge himself and his attacks similar to what an elemental mage does in a transformation.

  Most people don’t realize that when you cast a spell it releases more energy than just the spell. There is residual energy from every spell used, and with all the spells that have been cast here in the last couple of hours. He can’t even begin to think how strong this is going to make him.

  Arcs of electricity start flowing out of Vargas’ back as if he spread skeletal wings of lightning. He can see the look in Vernon’s face as he stands there in awe. Vargas can feel the extra energy flowing though the wings and into his body. It feels like he’s vibrating.

  The awe on Vernon’s face only last but for a moment, and then he smirks. “I heard you plain and clear, Lightning Mage Vargas.” Then makes a closing gesture with his hands.

  The ice beneath Vargas snaps and cracks, as it lifts off the ground closing in two halves of a sphere around him. It slams shut quicker than he can react. A muffled voice from the other side say, 'Hot la ow.' He sure that isn’t what was said, but that is what he heard.

  The inside of the shell would have been dark if not for the wings at his back. Which he was thankful for. He needs to get out and fast, because he’s pretty sure Vernon won’t wait. The ice around him is a lot thicker than what was around his feet. He was going to need everything he has to take down Vernon. He looks down and can see the dirt on the ground, and can feel the mana flowing in. Pulling from that mana he folds it into a lightning bolt, releasing it toward the sky.

  The ice shell bursts open with a frantic rage of sparks and shards of ice flying everywhere. The bolt of lightning heads toward the top of the coliseum and hits the shield guarding the crowd with a great thunder of sizzles and pops.

  Standing there radiating heat off his shoulders, he spreads his wings and they pulse as they gather up mana for an attack. The shield above flickers and sputters back to full power. Vargas looks around for where Vernon is. He finds him stumbling around. He thinks Vernon must have been knocked back from the blast. There is a pillar of ice that wasn’t there before behind Vernon. It was probably meant for him.

  Vargas sees he is still off balance and takes his chance. Forming a blade of plasma he swings at Vernon, connecting with his left shoulder. The blow takes him to his knees, as the air cracks and pops.

  He thinks, he needs to stat down. So he follows up to make sure. Sending a bolt through the ground which connects effortlessly with the underside of Vernon’s chin sending him flying in the air a few feet off the ground. Vernon comes crashing down on his back with a thud, and cloud of dust. Finally hoping to finish the match Vargas launches a volley of quick lightning strikes as fast as he can.

  Vargas waits for the dust to clear before noticing that Vernon’s stasis shield has not activated. He walks over to Vernon laying on the ground. His eyes are closed and he’s not moving. He would have to be in pain from everything he just went though. There isn’t anyone he knows of that could take that kind of punishment without feeling something.

  Vargas says with sympathy is his voice, "You do know how to take a hit Rune Master."

  "Just end it without too much gloating if you don't mind." Vernon replies quickly.

  "As you wish, I will make it quick." Vargas replies.

  4

  Reaching up into the air with his right hand clouds start to form and appear. The wind howls through the coliseum floor as the clouds turn black. A rumble and spark of thunder rolls throughout the coliseum as the thunderstorm grows in strength. The air smells like a brewing storm as the first lightning bolt strikes Vargas’ right hand.

  He feels the pressure from the strike, and the proceeding four. They almost take him to the ground but he holds himself up. The lightning courses through his body gathering up mana along the way forming a white ball of pulsing energy in his left hand. Vargas points the ball of light at Vernon and braces himself for one last bolt.

  The sky flashes, and seats rumble as all the newly formed clouds in the coliseum light up all at once, discharging into Vargas' hand. It all comes out at Vernon, his body jumping a few feet in the air as the clouds fade away to the clear sky up above.

  The crowd collectively gasps as his body falls back to the ground. Steam coming off Vargas’ shoulders as his wings dissipate. His breathing becomes labored from the over use and combination of his techniques. He didn’t realize how intense the third technique was until just then. Passing an element through ones body and charging it with mana to create an exponential effect.

  Vernon lays on the ground lifeless and still no stasis shell. There had to be something wrong. The boy he was fighting had to have met his limit by now. It would be nigh impossible for most to have taken a hit like that and survive. Yet he is laying there and no protective shell is healing him. There is always the chance that the stasis band wasn’t working right. Vargas gets a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

  Vargas walks over to the judge and asks, "Judge, can we call the match here, the poor guy is out cold and I don't want to hit him again just to try to get the stasis shield to work?"

  "Let me check him." The Judge kneels down to Vernon and checks his pulse. He grabs his HaLO and looks at his. The Judge calls up his Commander. “Sir, I have a HaLO I can't access the data for, can I call the match? He is knocked out but not in stasis?" Vargas overhears the Judge muttering into his HaLO.

  "Ignore it, and continue? Are you sure sir, the kid is pretty beat up... Understood..., yes sir..., sorry sir."

  The Judge turns around, and looks at Vargas, "The match can't be called till you stasis him. We have determined that the contestants stasis device is functioning properly and within expected levels. You can resume the match."

  Vargas stands there for a second, his mind blank. He looks down and doesn't even see Vernon breathing. He thinks, I have to attack him to win? Vargas wants to win, but not over some ones safety like this. Thoughts of forfeit spring up in his mind. He wasn’t going to hurt someone like this to win. He turns to the judge and opens his mouth to say he quits when Vernon gasps for air.

  He slowly starts to get up, first to his knees and then stumbles to his feet. Vargas is baffled by what he is looking at. This guy was next to dead from what it seemed. To see him standing now is daunting. How can he measure up to someone who can take a hit like that and keep going. He is relieved that he isn’t dead or severely injured, but he isn’t so sure about being able to pull out a win. Even if he was about to forfeit.

  Vargas asks with concern in his voice, “How are you doing Vernon?"

  "That was a good hit but I guess it wasn't enough to finish the match." Vernon yells and immediately drops to one knee. He stares at the ground for a few moments before he raises his head slowly.

  Vargas sees something behind his eyes that wasn’t there before. Like a light or shimmer. He asks, ”Are you sure you are alright?"

  "I'll be fine, and thanks."

  “The judge says that we have to continue until one of us gets stasis'd, so are you good enough to continue?"

  "I think so." Vernon stands, "I might have just gotten my second wind."

  Vargas laughs, “That’s good to hear. Let us continue then."

  Vargas walks back to the starting point and Vernon follows to his. Vernon then digs his right foot into the ground and makes a dash toward Vargas. He is moving faster than he started out with and he didn’t use his wind rune to increase his speed.

  The first punch comes in fast and he's barely able to dodge it as Vernon’s fist grazes his cheek. Vargas quickly refocuses on his first technique, to quicken his movements, just in time to block with both forearms a left roundhouse kick. The impact almost knocks him to the ground. In that instance he catches a glimpse of Vernon’s eyes which have turned completely black.

  Each pun
ch comes in faster and faster, and he has to start using more and more magic just to block and avoid getting hit. He can feel the strain on his body worsening and he knows he wont last long once Vernon starts connecting. It doesn’t even make sense that he could move, and now he is putting up a better fight than before. The only other person he has ever seen do anything close is Master Sel. If he is anything like that, Vargas doesn’t have much time left. He needs to get off the defensive and get back to the offense. Every dodge of Vargas’, Vernon brushes his clothes or skin, while each connecting hit rattles his bones. If he is going to counter, the sooner the better.

  He jumps back slamming the butt of his palms together forcing what magic he has left to gather into a plasma blast, as sparks fly from the tips of his fingers into his palms. It creates a pulsing ball of plasma which discharges at Vernon with a thunderous roar. It travels almost instantly but Vernon is able to brace for the impact.

  It lands square in his hands, as if Vargas pitched a baseball to him. The blast pushes Vernon back, his feet dragging across the ground. Vernon’s fingers grip then squeeze the ball, shattering it as if was made of glass. The gathered electricity dissipates like dust in the wind.

  Vargas vision blurs slightly from the drain. Using that much magic all at once comes with a toll. But he still can't believe what he just saw. His spell was broken, and as far as he knows there isn’t a way for anyone or any thing to break a spell. Sure they can be blocked or countered. Redirected even. Breaking a spell goes against everything he knows about magic.

  Vernon's hands and forearms are glowing black. Vargas believed he was just rune user, but he clearly has access to some type of magic or ability to break his spell like that. Vernon looks ready to advance again. His tank is on e and the only thing he can do is draw from the magic around him. It isn’t the kind of thing he knows how to nuance, so it is going to have to be big or nothing. So big it is. Plasma balls form in the palms of each of his hands, each larger than his last attack. He might have been able to get one, but he might just have a hard time getting two.