Chapter 79: Eternal

"Master, how do you cast spell without words?" I asked curiously as I practice one of my fire spell to hit the target he set up. 

"There are no such thing as a spell without words Claudia, you can try though, maybe one day you'll find one" he said while he observed me with a beef jerky in his mouth. 

"But...but I remembered last time you made a tree move without so much as uttering a word!"

"Ah that...I haven't taught you have I about wands?"

"Wa-wands? What's that?"

"It's a tool great sorcerers used to cast spell by simply a series of movement. Not many used them because making it is taxing and you can't write down the spell you forgot using it."

"Well that's handy, you can use spells but by remembering movement rather than words, how does that work? How is it not Wordless Magic? How do you make them?"

Master raised an eyebrow and gulped down the remaining jerky, "You know you aren't getting away until you hit all 100 of that bullseye right?"

Unintentionally, I clicked my tongue and look back at the many hidden target in the forest. I just hope there won't be another forest fire. 

#

"Holy shi-" Rick caught himself raising his voice before he could curse.

After activating his X-Ray ability, his surrounding was color was lost and the walls began to wane as he focussed his sight on it. Glowing red people were sitting and on their chairs and some were standing at every corner and gap of the place. At the stage, there were three people holding a gun and three more people tied together around a cylinder shape contraption. 

Curiously, he focused on that sole object, making out colors on it. He wouldn't have any clue about it if he hadn't saw the time clearly ticking at the side. 

He wanted to be double sure it wasn't a fake or anything the like, so he tried burning the structure of the bomb to his head and switch his ability with Analyzer and almost cursed once more how bad the bomb would be if it goes off. 

Slowly he stepped away toward the rest of the gang, he couldn't outright tell them there's a bomb, not without causing them to panic, but this means he needs to tell the SWAT team about the bomb so meeting them becomes a priority. 

He pushed through the bushes and trees, not bothering to hide his presence at the sound of his steps crushing dry leaves. "Hey guys, change of plans, we need to find them ASA-" he stopped short, not daring to move another muscle. Four black garbed mask men brandishing their weapons toward the group and theym kids look like they're going to wet themselves. 

A gun was pointed at him and Rick had no choice but to lift his hands in surrender. 

Things...just gone worse to worst. 

#

"What the hell! I asked you to call search out how our people is getting knock out and you lost two of our espers instead!" Shouted one of the terrorist who from his tone, I assumed to be the leader of this pack.

Great, not only do we spot the leader, we managed to piss him off too. How wonderful. 

"Psst, Claudia, are you sure it's better we put the two into sleep?" Jeremy whispered. I glanced at the two girls sprawled on one of the janitor's closet. I felt bad leaving them but with my sister being one of them, waking her up seemed to do more damaged, and I'm not just talking about my relationship with her. 

"They were put in control just a few moments ago and I don't think puting them in a life and death situation would be good for their mental condition and would most likely push us back because of it." I tried reasoning him. 

Jeremy, thankfully, accepted it without question. He then turned observing the hallways through my Ice Mirrors. 

While we make sure they move their resource to our Corridor of Traps, we waited for any signs the boys, hoping they're having more luck than us. I eyed the vents that they had crawled into with Stanley constantly used his hypersound voice to guide their way through. 

By the time they reached above the leader, Dale would somehow make a hole through the shutes (he admits he could with a pocket knife), and Foax would then make sure he controlled the leader action to dismiss the terrorist and destroy the controller. They would still be kept in a trance but they no longer can controlled their actions. 

"They stopped coming Claudia, what do we do now?" Jeremy asked in concern. 

"Then we'll just have to come to them"

#

"Get off me you little twerp!"

Why don't you try not blocking my way, Fillion!

"Guys, it's cramped and it's noisy, so if you two don't shut your trap then don't blame me if we get caught or led us astray!" the usual quiet and reserve Stanley couldn't help but voice out his annoyance. Even though Claudia wasn't the hero he had thought, it didn't change tehe fact she had become his hope for him...and maybe for the whole Class S. That hope entrusted him to guide these two for the main part of the plan and if he'll be damn if he couldn't do his job because of they were noisy. 

Technically, I don't voice out my toughts so Fillion would be the only person to blame if we get caught. 

"Then please don't give him reason to yell."

The shute became quiet down and Stanley had to held back a sigh. It was tiring letting his jaw opened and voicing out high frequency sound and guide through the maze. The image became clearer when he closed his eyes as the ripple of sounds let's him traced his surroundings.  

It was harder locating any gap that would help getting a clear position from the outside and right now all he knew is the terrorist are acting out of order, meaning Claudia and Jeremy are doing their job well. 

However, he noticed two familiar silhouette just outside the gym entrance, they were supposed to be out of range for him. His heart jumped at the fact they were approaching a gym swarm of terrorist and zombie espers. Though surely they have a plan right?

Stanley unknowingly hasten his crawl. 

The two noticed this and tried to keep up while wearing a concern look on their face. They were about to ask what was wrong when they felt the rising voices outside revenbrating trough the shutes. 

"What's Claudia doing outside!" Dale hissed. 

Something crazy apparently, Stanley, can you make out what's going on outside?

Stanley was silent for a moment and his movement slowed, "Would you believe me if i told you?"

Dale and Foax looked at each other, then turned to Stanley once more, "Try us"

Stanley heaved a sigh with a defeated expression, because not even he could describe what was going on. "From what I saw-or heard, Claudia seemed to be confronting all the terrorist"

"...by all of them, how many do you mean?"

"By all of them, I meant every gun using men here are facing her and I'm not sure what she's doing, wait..."

"What now?"

"She's holding something? It suddenly appeared on her hand, it looks like a sword?"

Dale was quite sceptical at the fact, and opened and closed his mouth while thinking the words to retort, "You're telling me she just summoned a sword in her hand?"

"Yeah I guess...I'm not sure how she..."

I don't care how she magically call out a sword, what I do want to know what she's planning to fight guns with a medieval weapon!

Few of the things Foax was glad having Telephaty, is that he could screamed in anguish at someone and no one would notice him. 

Dale cringed at the pounding sound in his head and tried to calm him down, "Foax, she said herself she's a...a witch, I think she has a plan"

You think?

"How should I know how a witch fights?"

"Uh, guys I think we don't have a problem" Stanley interrupted once more. 

"Why's that?" Dale and Foax asked together. 

Stanley couldn't help but let out a smile, "Because she's kicking every one of their asses"

#

When I suggested to go in alone, Jeremy looked furious and that I shouldn't be stupid. I know I wouldn't have done this if there weren't any risk, but since we've taken out half of the guards, I should be okay. 

There's also the problem that I haven't been fighting with swords for a long time so I'm mostly going to wing it. 

Jeremy would have put me out to sleep if he heard it though. 

Which is why I'm here at the eyes of all terrorist to look at me, well...actually there watching a mirror image of me as I watched from the entrance how they all looked threatening toward opposite side of where I am, to them I look like a suspicious masked figure who had appeared out of nowhere.

My image mirrored my confident look as well as my every movement,  I pulled my necklace off and held the pendant like a prayer. I couldn't resist the muscle pulling my lips into a curve smile as I could use my partner after so long. "Let summer burn, let winter froze, I command thee show thee self, Aerenus!"

My pendant dimly glowed and as I twirl it in my hand, it grew into a sword with swinggling carving glowing from the tip of the sword to the handle where a red gem is embeded on it. 

The men fires their gum but that only gave the image a blurry look. Once they realize it was a fake, I swung the sword around then stab it to the ground in a practiced move. Ice began to crept up on the floor, freezing everyone's feet in places. 

I knew there would be an esper that could crack them, so I rushed to the nearest man and knock him on the head with the blunt edge of my sword and cut the rifle into two. I then made a round motion with the sword, sending ice shards toward a few of terrorist putting holes to them and to their rifles. 

Despite the tensed and rushed air aeound me, I was overwhelmed with glee and relieved in using my wand again. 

Yes, you heard me right, MY WAND. 

What? Did you think I would have a flimsy wooden stick to cast my spell? I never understood why people have misconception about wands, maybe if it was the period where Greek still thrives but there never was a rule of what a wand needs to look like. 

Wands are tricky things to make, once you have one you need to apply the motion for the spells and like an Ipod, you could save it in and call out to it whenever you want. The problem would be once you registerd your spells in it, you can never change it back. Moreover, you can't change and make a new wand like someone changing a new game character. Which is why it's more efficient to have a few but a strong long chanting spells and saved it with a simple motion like a swish and flick.

Plus, with a sword as a wand, I can use spells and hack people at the same time! 

Going back to the fight, the rest of the men somehow escaped my ice imprisonment using the espers. They began to shoot me but that just what I had hope. I twirlled and the bullets was encassed with ice by the time they reach my zone then sending them back. I heard them bellowing in pain but I had my eyes toward the benches. 

Three men was there and two was flaking on the one I pressume as the leader. I wanted to so bad looked at the ceilings for any signs of the three but I kept my eyes fixed on him. 

While the other two men were gawking at the performance of a woman who wore an owl mask, the Leader kept his poker face and eyed me in a stern observing way. What made me tick though was the smirk he made his way at me. 

Again, I send more ice shard, but this time I chanted a spell and made a barrage of air bullets to go together with it. It didn't surprise me they made some of the espers to become shield, one of them happends to be a Pyrokinetic and breathed out fire to melt my ice. That didn't stop my air bullets and I heard high pitch groan from them. 

The man on the left used this chance to enganged on me with a hand to hand combat. I created the Ice floor once more and he jumped with an aim kick at my face. I had almost gasped when I saw his skin change to a dark shade of gray but block it with my sword. Yet that was enough to pushed me back that I had to put my knee down to steady myself. My eyebrows furrowed at the strength but when he was about to land a clean hit at me, I dodge at the last second and saw dust flting from a small crater around that man's fist.

Enhanced strength huh... 

I'm so dead if that hits me. 

He came at me once more and I saw at the corner of my eyes the man on the right flank was aiming at me with a gun but was hesitant to shoot, he must have seen me controlled it somehow and sended it back. Looks like I can ignore him for a bit. 

The man I'm facing I decided to call Spike with his spiky blond hair, he readied his stance and advance with great ferocity that could unnerve my nerve. I dodge and block at every punch he throws, at every kick he flick whilw reading his movement as I barely could keep up his swift and precise movement. I couldn't even think of a spell as my focus were on his. 

I decided to make a risky plan.

The moment he threw his punch I intercept it with my blade and he didn't so much as flinch as blood oozes out from his knuckles while the wound itself looked like a scratch. 

So he has enhanced defense too. 

I slip through the side and lunged at him but that only gave him a clean hit at me as he twirl his body around and gave me a punch at my gut. The solid thin ice covering me was crushed to bits and my lunch was thankfully had been digested so I didn't puke.  

It helps that the ice could let me live longer. 

I clenched my teeth and bare it and stab his hand to the floor. I didn't flinch at the full blow scream Spike bellowed right in front of my face and made a clean kick at his jaw. 

That silenced and knock him out. 

The man on the right flank was about to shoot me but the Leader held out his hand and he stood down. "Interesting ability you got there, controlling ice, make illusions and summoning a weapon out of nowhere"

"You've seen nothing yet" I snarled at him. He was large men and wooze out a wave of authority that made men listen to him. I pointed my sword at him and giving the best furious glare I could muster. 

He only chuckled in response, "You're only one person, even if you take me out the plan would still move on. What could you possibly do?"

"For one, I'll make sure to take the controller you have on you"

His smile turned to a frown and his eyes squinted to a thin line. "So you're going to fight me for it?"

"That's right!"

Now he started to look dissapointed and tsk me, "No, that's not right, you're just a distraction, they though..." he aimed his finger to the ceiling and the man beside him began to shoot above in rapid succession. A scream echoed the gym and my face paled looking at my three friends falling. 

"Wind, give them wings!" I bellowed. 

They had been falling to their deaths when a pull on their back gave them making them float. That was an opening I made for him to to knee me the same place Spike punch me, pull my sword away and threw it, then hold my right arm and twisted it making me screamed. 

"It would seem you're one of the reason the doc wanted to use this school so badly" he held my arm where it was twisted and pulled toward my back, locking me in place. He pushed me closer and had our faces inches away and I saw his eyes, his cold ruthless dark blue eyes while the touch of his fingers made me shivered disgustingly. 

He gently took my mask away, giving him full view of my face and it made me want to cover my face with mud just so I don't give him the satisfaction of seeing it. 

"Hmm, you're going to be a fine beauty once you reach at this age"

My eyes widen and my lips parted, "How did you-about me-and the boys, you shouldn't have known!"

The Leader smirk and motion to his ring, "You know there's a boy in Class 1 who could listen to every conversation at 10 miles radius? They thought it was a useless ability, but who knew it help me find a witch? When I heard it, I thought you were nuts but that display certainly gave me doubts now."

The blood began to quickly drain my face, so he knew all along? About the plan? About us? About everything happening in this school?

"Oh, and your little friend of yours in the auditorium? They would have seem to be caught if one of them cursing is any indication to that. My men would have set the bomb by now, it's a waste to left them to burn but our time is running out"

I tried and tried to struggle out of his grip, but it's no use. His grip was too firm and it only hurt myself more. 

I kept struggling. 

The piece of shit of a man seemed amused by my effort, he held my chin and had me face the entrance of the gym where Stanley was being carried like a sack on a man's shoulder. To place the last blow, he whispered the word that took the final piece of my spirit. 

"Face it, you lose"

Hello readers, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

It would seem my writing becomes a bit tad slower so the update would not be weekly like before.

I also blame Pokemon Go for that because damn the game is quite addicting.

Plus let me brag, yesterday I hatch a Porygon and caught an Aerodactyl! Two rare pokemon bitches! Magmar would have joined the club if it weren't for the internet.

Okay enough bragging, I'm sure some or most of you don't care anyway.

It's already the first day of working and school for most people, are you still on holiday? Or are you back to your daily lives? Whichever you're having I hope you had and will have a nice holiday!