Chapter 53: Is Reynold Dead?
Note: Jaxon is different from Jaxson Storm. Jaxon is the leader of the Iron Fists crew that invited Reynold to join their crew during the Selection exam.
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The crowd of students was stunned at how far this challenge was going It seemed like this year’s challenge was going to go down in Wyrmwood Academy’s history books, as something that has never happened before.
The challenge was now two against one. As Reynold, Briar, and Zephyr moved to the open field, the crowd followed them while still keeping a distance. No one wanted to get caught in the crossfire.
Even Kael was surprised by the turn of events. Damn! This was never in their original plan.
Everyone knew Briar was already a top dragon rider, and pairing him with Zephyr, a skilled air magic user, made some of the lowborns to feel dejected. They wondered if Reynold could really take on the two at once.
Jaxson, Silla, and the other lowborn representatives exchanged worried looks.
Just then, the teacher in charge of the challenge approached and ordered the crowd to move back.
Seeing the teacher, some lowborns sighed in relief, thinking he was there to stop the fight.
But he shocked them by weaving a spell and putting up a protective shield around the open field. It was a visible blue wall of energy that is looking like a barrier of woven light.
This meant he was allowing the fight to continue, which did not sit well with the lowborns. In truth, the teacher was not okay with Briar and Zephyr teaming up against Reynold, but Professor Valerius had instructed him not to interfere. They wanted to test if Reynold, as a rare "Two" with storm caller powers could handle two opponents without causing a disaster. Control was very important for someone like him.
So, in the end, the teacher had no choice but to raise the shield and let it go on.
The stunned cadets backed up as the teacher murmured, "You may now begin."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Briar grabbed his sword, raising it high overhead. He glared at Reynold with a smug grin. "It is a shame, Starweaver. You could have been on our side if you’d just accepted Jaxon’s invitation to join the Iron Fists. But no, you had to play the hero."
Briar tsk-tsked mockingly. "Not my fault you picked the wrong side."
Reynold forced a smile. "You think this is about picking sides? I’m doing this to fix your injustices. First, Gwyn yielded, but your boy Silas kept going. Then, only lowborns get challenged while you highborns lounge around. If you want to represent Wyrmwood in the Quadrant Tournament, then earn it fair and square. Don’t you think, Briar?"
Briar nodded slowly, his tone dripping with fake admiration. "I kinda admire your guts, lowborn. But it’s a shame you don’t get how the world works. Highborns lead; everyone else follows. Simple as that."
Zephyr, growing impatient with the banter, snarled. "Enough talk. Let’s get this over with."
Before Zephyr could finish, he started summoning wind, and his hands glowing as air surrond him.
But Reynold was ready too. He drew energy from the wind Zephyr was summoning, turning it into visible air slashes that looks short like swords. With a flick of his wrist, Reynold directed them straight at Zephyr and Briar.
Briar yelled, "Slide down!" But it was too late. One slash grazed Zephyr’s arm, making him hold the wound and hiss in pain.
Zephyr muttered through gritted teeth, "How the fu£k did you do that? You’ve never taken a single magic class!"
Briar snapped, "No time for questions!" He swung his sword quickly, deflecting the incoming slashes.
As Briar cleared them, Reynold sent more, and the air started filling with whistling blades.
Thanks to the teacher’s shield, the stray slashes bounced harmlessly off, without touching the cadets.
Briar was shocked at Reynold’s skill that he gritted his teeth. The boy had never attended magic classes, yet here he was wielding power like a pro. "Get your ass off the ground and do something!" Briar barked at Zephyr.
Zephyr shouted back, "I’m on it!" He wove a quick spell, forming a visible shield of compressed air. "Direct it back at him now!"
Briar swung his sword, and the slashes hit the shield, rebounding toward Reynold.
Reynold closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and steadying his feet firmly. Instead of the slashes slicing him, the slashes stopped mid-air and dropped to the ground at his feet, harmless.
Zephyr gasped, cursing loudly. "Is the boy a fucking human shield? Why did they stop? They did not even touch him!"
Briar’s expression did not change. He gripped his sword with both hands, slamming it into the ground. The impact sent the shattered pieces of earlier slashes flying back at Reynold.
Boom! Reynold grabbed his own sword, swinging it in a wide arc to send them right back.
Zephyr was still trying to process how the slashes stopped at Reynold feet with slicing him. He had not expected this. Teaming with Briar was supposed to be an easy and quick beatdown. But Reynold Starweaver was something else and beyond anything Zephyr had seen in his life.
Both Briar and Reynold paused their sword clash together and jolting them backward from the force.
Briar groaned, then pushed forward, applying pressure on the locked sword. Before Reynold could react, Briar kicked him hard in the groin.
Reynold hiss in pain while staggering. Briar used the opportunity to backflip, kicking Reynold square in the face and sending him flying backward.
The crowd gasped, and some highborns cheered wildly.
Zephyr smirked, clapping behind Briar. "Nice one!"
But Reynold pushed himself up quickly, drawing energy from the ground. He summoned a massive wind, his hair flying wildly, his shirt fluttering like a flag.
Seeing the wind barreling toward them, Zephyr acted fast, countering with his own summoned wind.
The crowd watched in awe as the two winds collided like a battle of swirling forces.
No one in thr crowd dared move, their eyes were fixed on the clash.
But suddenly, Zephyr was lifted off his feet and slammed onto his butt. He cursed and hissed in frustration.
The crowd erupted in shock.
Reynold looked like something else. His hair and shirt were dancing in the wind he was controlling.
Briar grabbed Zephyr and shoved him in front as a shield while Reynold directed the wind at him.
Zephyr screamed, "Let me go!"
Briar shouted him down. "Shut the fu£k up and create a shield! Air magic is your specialty, including wind!"
Out of fear, Zephyr summoned his own wind, pushing back.
In a flash, the field exploded into violent winds. The entire area was engulfed in howling gales.
Even through the shield, the cadets’ shouts were echoing. It was a mixes of fear and excitement.
Briar was shocked. Zephyr was even more shocked.
How could someone that is not trained control this much wind? Reynold’s strength was terrifying.
No one had imagined Reynold could stand a chance against both. This was beyond everyone’s expectations.
Reynold knew if he drew too much power, his body might not handle it. This was his first real test, and control was key.
Everything he was doing came from books in the academy library he had read. His body and mind were not trained yet, so he relied on instinct and the library book.
He took two steps back, weaving his hands to send more air slashes at them.
Slashes were the only attack he could manage with his storm caller power right now. Maybe he’d learn more after actual classes and training.
Zephyr was focused on the wind clash and he did not see the slashes coming. Before he could react, Reynold pushed them forward with his wind.
Since Briar was using Zephyr as a shield while he blocked the gale, the slashes hit Zephyr hard, dropping him to the ground.
Briar staggered back, using fancy footwork to dodge.
With Zephyr down, the slashes flew freely. Reynold redirected them at Briar.
Briar avoided them. For a split second, fear showed in his eyes, but he steadied his sword, using footwork and swings to send them back.
Thanks to his training, he held out for ten minutes without getting weak. He kept deflecting and countering the slashes.
Briar’s face twisted in fury. Being pushed this hard by a lowborn nobody felt like a slap to his pride.
Just then, Zephyr groaned, gritting his teeth as he stood. Seeing the intense exchange between Briar and Reynold, he breathed deeply, opening his arms like he was embracing the air.
A heavy whooshing sound built like wind started to form into arrow-like shapes.
The cadets could see the strange wind arrows hovering and aiming at Reynold.
The scene turned to terrifying scene.
Zephyr lowered his head, glaring at Reynold with disgust. "Say hi to your ancestors for me, scum."
He swung his arms, sending the arrows towards him.
With Reynold’s attention divided, Briar seized the moment, sending his last batch of reflected slashes at him too.
Both the slashes and wind arrows closed in on Reynold. They slammed into him all at once.
The impact was terrifying. The cadets murmured in panic. "Did they really hit him?"
Another voice asked, "Did he block it?"
The field was still windy and obscuring the view. Students struggled to see.
Zephyr and Briar stood tall, looking like champions.
As the wind cleared, the crowd saw Zephyr and Briar standing confidently, but Reynold was nowhere in sight.
Murmurs started to get loud. "Where is Reynold Starweaver?"
"Is he dead?"
"Did the wind Crushed?"
The lowborns had shocked expressions. But the highborns face beamed with happiness with smug satisfaction on their faces.
Kael had the widest smile as relief washed over him.
But deep down, a few lowborns had hope.
Reynold had already proven so much and stood up to the system, fought for fairness. If he was down, it wasn’t the end. Or was it?
The teacher scanned the field, his face neutral but eyes alert.
Jaxson clenched his fists, whispering to Silla, "He can’t be out. Not like this."
Silla nodded, her bandaged arm throbbing. "He’s tougher than that."
The wind had not completely died down but the view was much clearer now.
A highborn laughed. "Told you. The Lowborn trash can’t do sh!t"
Another voice sounded. "He is fucking back to the slums where he belongs."
Lowborn cadets stared at each other, but fear held them back from making a move. Mara, Jaxson’s girlfriend, bit her lip, her eyes scanning the field.
Briar dusted off his hands, smirking at Zephyr. "That was easier than I thought. Kid had some tricks, but nothing real."
Zephyr nodded, wincing from his wounds. "Yeah, but damn, he packed a punch. Glad this is over."
They both high-fived.