Phoenix Flight

The woman with reddish-brown hair made a face as she felt the wand press to the back of her head. Her eye twitched slightly. She'd likely be able to coat her body in enough chi to block the attack, but doing so would take her a few moments, and that would be all it took for the other person to slam a spell point-blank into the back of her skull.

Slowly, the woman let go of Olivia's arms. "You really don't know who you're dealing with, do you?" The woman kept her gaze on Olivia, but it was clear she was speaking to the person who stood behind her.

"Oh, I know who you are." The voice said, and the wand cautiously moved away from the back of the woman's head. "You're Ken Yuan. Member of the Yuan clan. That's why I'm all the more confused why someone like you is here."

The woman, apparently named Ken, gave a faint smirk, her lip curving up slightly. Casually, she turned around and stared at the person who still had their wand drawn on her. It was a rather handsome boy, though not as good-looking as herself, of course. He had grayish hair and bright silver eyes and wore a white buttoned-up shirt with black pants and held a long, slender ivory wand.

Olivia felt her eyes widen in shock as she took in the appearance of her savior. "A-Ash?" She said in stunned silence.

Ash didn't even bother to glance at her and kept his wand trained on Ken. The woman had her head cocked to the side and seemed to be studying Ash, her eyes scanning him up and down. Ash could feel the mana in the air shift and could tell that the woman had some sort of trait or ability that was currently active. Some magical effect in her eyes.

"You're nothing special." Ken finally concluded. "Not a single useful trait."

Ash growled and squeezed harder on his wand. He thought about casting a spell but knew that wouldn't end well. This person wasn't someone he could beat. The Yuan family was very, very famous in Rossum. He had read about them during history lessons at Lotus Magic School. "Why is someone like you even here?" Ash demanded. "You should be in your homeland becoming a Martial Cultivator and helping fight back the invasion, yet here you are trying to become a Knight?"

Ken's grin faded for a moment, and her eyes narrowed. Olivia also pulled her wand out just in case a fight did break out, but thankfully, the tension in the air faded. Ken spun around and looked away from them. "I take it you two know each other. It would be unbecoming of me to get in the way of a reunion between lovers. Good day." And with that, she walked away, leaving a horrified Ash and Olivia behind.

"We're not lovers!" They both screamed out at the noble woman, but it was too late, as she simply vanished into the crowd.

Once the woman was gone, Olivia turned to look back at Ash. He finally pocketed his wand, and some of the anger in his face faded. "Still getting into trouble?" The boy sneered slightly and stuck his nose up at her. "Why am I not surprised? This one really takes the cake, though. Seriously, getting into a fight with a member of the Yuan family? That's like picking a fight with the Lance of Victory."

Olivia folded her arms and rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. That woman is nowhere near as great or epic as the Lance of Victory."

"Maybe not now, but give it a few years." Ash mused. "The Yuan are all legendary warriors. That clan creates some of the finest soldiers for their nation. Someone like her being here is very troubling."

"Speaking of being here, why the hell are you here?" Olivia demanded, and she pointed at Ash. "Did you come all this way for me?"

"Don't be stupid." Ash gave her a deadpan look. "I told you, I'm going to become an Arcane Knight." The boy clenched his hand and balled it into a fist. "It was pure dumb luck that I found you." Then Ash gave a smirk. "I also can't help but notice I beat you here. You left days earlier with an Arcane Knight, yet Bruno and I arrived first. How sucky can you be? Still useless, huh?"

"Hey!" Then Olivia stopped. "Wait? Did you say Bruno was here-"

"Bro!" Olivia grunted and felt a wave of pain as a force suddenly tackled her to the ground, and she was slammed down. "I found you!" Bruno declared, sitting on top of Olivia now.

"G-Get your fat ass off of me!" Olivia gritted her teeth and used some of her mana to boost her strength, allowing her to toss Bruno off of her, who let out a groan as he smacked onto the ground. Olivia sighed and stood back up. "So you're here also, Bruno?"

Bruno looked just how she remembered, with dark skin and combed-back hair. He was still lacking a shirt and instead kept on a black cloak that he used to cover himself up. He had his typical goofy smile and was already back on his feet. "Yep! I came all this way to save you!" Bruno declared. "Olivia, where's that fake Knight that kidnapped you?"

"Davi?" Olivia looked around and made a face. "Good question. That jerk totally ditched me! Also, he didn't kidnap me; I willingly left with him." She huffed out.

"Stockholm syndrome." Ash coughed into his fist, getting a dirty look from Olivia.

Bruno reached out and placed his hands on either side of Olivia's shoulders and pulled her closer, looking deep into her eyes. "Olivia."

"W-What?" She asked.

"That guy isn't actually a Knight. He's a—"

"Fake Knight, yeah, yeah, I already know." Olivia rolled her eyes and slapped Bruno's hand away. "I know way more about the situation than you do, trust me." Olivia placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward, giving a smug smirk. "Also, he's not going to be a fake Knight for much longer. It's only a matter of time until he's the real deal!"

"You mean he's taking the test?" Ash asked, a little surprised.

"Yep!"

Bruno frowned and rubbed his chin. "That Davi guy was crazy strong. I don't know if I can beat that bro in a fight, but if it's a match between bros, I'll bro-down and beat his bro-ass."

"Please stop saying 'bro'…"

"No."

"So you two are both here to take the exam just like me." Olivia couldn't help the smile that broke out onto her face. It wasn't a smug one or a smirk but rather the real deal. "Just like we always discussed. This is actually happening." She looked down at her hand. "I trained a lot, just so you two know. I have zero plans on losing. I'm going to become a Knight."

Bruno also gave a smile and pointed his thumb at himself. "Bros. We've got this. We're all going to become Knights. I know it. We all worked hard."

"Some of us more than others." Ash stated, and he turned away from the two of them. "Honestly, Olivia, I'm shocked you actually did show up. I don't think I could do it if I were in your position. Then again, if I were born with useless blood magic, I would have killed myself long ago." Olivia made another face but didn't say anything. After the insults Garon threw her way and that fight, all of Ash's words meant very little. "Don't feel too bad when Bruno and I are Knights and you have to return to Fri. Maybe I'll put in a good word with my new Guild and get you hired as the stable girl. How good are you at cleaning horse shit?"

"Most Knights don't even use horses anymore and drive cars." Olivia huffed. "Still, get your insults out while you can, Ash. It'll be all the sweeter when I prove you wrong."

She had been into three different dungeons, slain a boss monster, fought a powerful fire mage to the death, and was trained personally by Davi. Even if her training wasn't what it should have been, she no longer felt scared or nervous. After seeing the many people who had given up after failing, she had been, in a way, reborn. It wasn't confidence that she now had. Instead, it was something more.

It couldn't even be called determination or a desire. 

The closest thing it could be compared to was a path. One that she was going to walk, no matter what. Either she would become an Arcane Knight or her story would come to an end. 

It was as simple as that.

Ash looked a little shocked at the look she was giving him, and for a moment, he felt a weird feeling. Almost like a coiling sensation around him. He shook it off, though, and deliberately looked away from Olivia. "You better hope none of these tests have any rounds that involve combat." Ash stated, and then he walked away.

Bruno watched him leave and sighed. "Bros, why can't you two just get along? Rivals to lovers would be nice."

"Never!"

"Just joking." Bruno snorted and folded his arms. He nudged her slightly, and Olivia glanced back at him. "I'm glad you made it. When I first showed up, I spent the first hour running around looking for you, and when I didn't see you in the crowd, I got worried. Just when I thought hope was lost, I heard your voice and how you declared yourself to be a Knight."

Olivia felt her cheeks flush a little red. "You heard that?" She said, embarrassed once more.

Bruno just laughed and clapped her on the back. "You've changed a lot." His look grew serious again. "I know you said you willingly left, but that Davi guy really didn't do anything bad to you, did he?"

Olivia shook her head. "I'm telling the truth. I asked him to leave with me. The only bad thing he did was lie and claim he was a Knight. He's a good person once you get to know him, though."

"Is he?"

"Yeah! He's always helping people. Like he helped this flower mage grow more confident in order to protect his ship, and he went out of his way to do a favor for this merchant guy we met, and also helped this town that was in need, and helped train me. He's also doing everything he can to help people and is super nice."

Bruno raised an eyebrow and looked around slowly. "Wow, I never heard you talk about someone like that before. You must be into this guy. Where is he anyway?"

"I said it already, but he wandered off and totally ditched me." Olivia also looked around, but there were just way too many people scattered around, making it impossible for her to see anything. "Who knows where he is?"

As it turns out, Davi Hawker was bothering more people. "Can I have your sword?"

"No?" One of the people who carried a generic-looking longsword gave Davi an odd look and then scampered away before Davi could try to take the blade.

Davi frowned and folded his arms. "I figured none of the nobles would give me their swords, but even these guys who look all dead inside? I just need one weapon, and I'll be set for the rest of these tests."

"I doubt anyone here is just going to hand you a sword." Davi turned, and he found Ash was now standing next to him. The gray-haired boy had his usual sneer on his face and was looking Davi up and down.

"Oh?" Davi looked at Ash and then cracked his knuckles. "You again. Are we going to fight?"

"Why do you keep assuming I want to fight you each time we speak?" Ash grunted. "Look, I just came to make sure you were really here. I guess Olivia wasn't lying. You really aren't an Arcane Knight?"

"Not yet."

"So, how did you do it?"

"Do what?" Davi asked.

"How did you become so strong?" Ash said, and the boy stared directly into Davi's emotionless gaze. "I don't get it. You're not a Knight, but you're so powerful. I was pathetic. I couldn't even harm that damn lizard, yet you showed up and beat two of them along with a bunch more like it was nothing. You've fought so many monsters and done so much. You're clearly strong. Way stronger than me. Yet you aren't a Knight. The thing I don't understand, though, is why you picked her. Out of anyone you could have taken with you, why was it Olivia?"

Davi was silent for a moment. He seemed to process Ash's words, and slowly he reached up and rubbed his scar. He thought back to Lotus City and how he first met Olivia. "I just had a gut feeling when I first saw her." He said quietly. "Her mana was familiar. Then she asked me to help her, so I helped her. That was it. If you would have asked to go with me, I would have taken you as well."

"Really?"

"No. Actually, on second thought, I viewed you as an asshole back then, so I would have just left without grabbing you." Davi said almost sheepishly.

Ash looked annoyed by that answer and might have said more, but before he could, a loud horn suddenly blared, getting the attention of everyone who had shown up for the tests. Davi looked up and found that the stands were no longer empty. More men in suits had shown up as well as other Arcane Knights, all wearing different gear. Above the stands, at the highest peak of the arena, eight thrones were also brought out.

Each throne was large and forged out of solid stone. They also had a banner of some sort of them, each one having its own unique design. The thrones were also all empty.

The horn kept blaring, getting louder and louder, the sound growing in volume with every passing second. Davi looked up, and something caught his eye. It was small but rapidly growing, and as it got bigger, so too would the noise grow. Other people in the crowd all gasped when they saw who it was that was coming down.

It was a woman. One with long, snow-white hair and fiery red eyes. She was just as pale as Olivia was, and she wore a long white gown that was made out of feathers. In her hands, she held a long, bull-like horn, which was thick and curved, and the tip of it was in her mouth, which she was blowing into, creating the massive amount of sound waves that were filling the colosseum. The thing Davi noticed the most, however, were the long wings that came out of the woman's back. They looked like they belonged to a dove and were spread out, gently flapping, as the woman came down and floated only twenty feet above them all and finally stopped blowing on her horn.

Ash stared up at the woman intently. "That's Pretty Face." He said after a moment. "She's a very high-ranking Knight in the Shining Sentinels Guild."

Davi nodded, though he wasn't actually listening since his ears were still ringing from how loud that horn had been.

Pretty Face looked down at the silent crowd of exam-takers who were all staring up at her wide-eyed. A smile broke out onto the woman's face, and she brought a hand up to her head, giving a salute. "Yo! What is up, everybody!" She announced, catching Davi completely off guard with the way she spoke. "Good to see all of you that made it!" She casually tossed her horn into the air, and it spun around and glowed. As it fell, two things came down. The first was a microphone, which the woman caught, and the second was a sleek black drone that had a large camera mounted on it. "Are you all ready to get this party started?"

The drone buzzed to life and dropped further down, its camera going up and down across the people in the crowd. Cheering filled the air as several people whooped and hollered up at Pretty Face. In the stands where the other Knights stood, many of them pulled out tablets or other devices that were hooked up to the drone, allowing them to see everything more easily. The tablets also had a scroll wheel and hundreds of different names that ran all along it that would allow them to click on a person's name and do a full background check, seeing a list of their stats, traits, magic type, and items, as well as how many combat classes they took and passed and their overall score.

None of these people were Captains, but they all worked for the Guilds, and it was their job to find any notable people in order to then pass those people on to their Captain, so the Captains could then properly vote once the test was done.

Pretty Face pointed down at the crowd and twirled the microphone in her hands, her smile growing. Her eyes sparkled a bit, and she scanned all the various people. Thanks to a trait she had, she could see the mana coming off of everyone, allowing her to judge who did and didn't belong here. "Many of you have come here all for the same thing! You all want to be Knights! Isn't that right?" Louder cheering filled the air. "Unfortunately, only some of you are going to be able to make the cut. Cheer if you think you have what it takes!" The screaming got even louder, and Davi winced and covered his ears. "Yeah! That's the spirit, babies! Give it your A game! At least a few of you are going to reach your dream, so be sure to give it everything you've got!" Pretty Face raised her other hand to the sky and pointed up as a series of fireworks blasted up. "Before the tests can actually start, though, there are some people that need to be introduced! The eight strongest people in the world!"

Davi groaned and pressed down harder on his ears as the screaming grew deafening. "You good?" Ash asked, slightly concerned.

Davi gritted his teeth and shook his head. He never liked loud noises or flashing lights, and this was really starting to set him off. It didn't help that his scar was burning hotter than it ever had before. He felt sick. Like he was going to throw up. No one seemed to care about him, though, besides Ash, as everyone was utterly transfixed on the woman up above.

"You all know their names, but they're so important we're going to introduce them anyway!" Pretty Face's voice was already loud and booming, but it felt like a bomb going off each time she spoke into her microphone. At least that's how Davi felt. Everyone else seemed to be loving this. "Let's start with a classic! You all love this Guild, and this year its Captain was ranked as the number one hottie! Give it up for the one who makes legends and fables, the one and only Myth, leader of Pantheon!"

There was a great big flash, and one of the stone chairs ignited. This chair had the symbol of a large bull-like head on it. Its banner flapped in the wind, and suddenly it wasn't empty. Many people, especially the girls, all cried out when they saw the man who was seated on the throne. He was tall and extremely muscular, looking like he could easily pick up a horse. He had dark skin and long, flowing black hair. White robes barely contained his muscles, and in one of his arms he held a book that was made out of solid stone, each page being literal slabs of rock, that he casually turned with his fingers. Next to him was a woman with long silver hair who wore a white buttoned-up shirt that was a little tight around her chest. She casually leaned on the throne next to the man and had a grin on her face.

Myth and his vice captain, Whisper. Members of the Pantheon Guild, currently ranked as the seventh-best Guild.

Pretty Face gave everyone a moment to admire Myth before she moved on to the next person. "Men want her, women want to be her; let's give her a warm welcome! Gorgon!"

Across the stands, a few feet away from Myth's seat, was the second stone chair. Its banner had the symbol of a golden coin that was swarmed with snakes all across it. In a flash of light, a woman suddenly appeared on the throne. Her hair was long and black. It flowed as if it were alive, moving and twisting through the air like dozens of snakes, and the clothing she wore was actually forged out of her own hair, which formed an elegant black dress around her. In her hands, she toyed with a golden coin, casually flipping it into the air. Next to her was a man who wore a pair of black sunglasses and was dressed like a banker, wearing a black coat and pants. At his side was a simple longsword, and in his other hand he held a silver briefcase.

Gorgon and her vice captain, Briefcase. Members of the Wandering Coin Guild, currently ranked as the sixth-best guild. What concerned Davi, though, was the vice captain. The man in the suit was someone he had seen before. Both that man and Gray had been the two Arcane Knights he passed by in Gladiolus. That meant there was a chance that man knew who he was and what he had done.

"Next up, who can forget this guy!" Pretty Face began, gassing the crowd up for the next celebrity. "He's single-handedly fought off dozens of boss monsters all at the same time, created his very own guild in under a year, and is the current youngest Captain in history! Give it up for Dye!"

This throne had a black banner that had a decoration that was kind of hard to figure out. It was a little too detailed, with dozens of different shapes and colors all placed along it, twisting together, as if a person just kept adding more and more to it. The figure that appeared on the throne also seemed to be way too busy painting to actually notice them. He was young, barely even twenty, and had colorful hair that was dyed dozens of different colors. He wore a white, gown-like costume that was stained with every color of the rainbow, and he held a paintbrush, painting away at a canvas. Unlike the other Guilds, there was no second person who stood next to the throne. It was just the lone mage and his painting.

Dye, a member of the Hydra Storm Guild, the newest Guild to be created, ranked as the fifth-best but was rapidly rising through the ranks and would soon become rank four. Many people were yelling encouraging words to Dye or trying to get his attention, but the boy just kept painting in silence.

"And now for the oldest living Arcane Knight!" Pretty Face snapped back into talking once the hype died down a bit. "The coolest GILF around, Grampa Green!"

Unlike the other thrones, this one was made out of wood instead of stone, and various flowers grew along it. It had no banner, and the Knight that appeared in the chair was not what Davi had been expecting. The man had wooden skin that was bark-like, and he was so frail he practically looked like a corpse. Where his hair should have been were various vines that were jutting out, and the man appeared to be mostly sleeping. Next to him was a slender woman who wore what looked almost like a nurse's uniform. She had long pink hair and tired-looking eyes.

Grampa Green and his vice captain, Paragon, members of Oak Watchers, ranked the fourth-highest guild. Most of the cheering and screaming that was being done was all sent Paragon's way, with many people, mostly the men, all simping for the cute nurse girl that looked done with life. Davi was more concerned with the tree guy, though. Was he a Magical Mutant? He couldn't be human anymore; that much was obvious at least…

Pretty Face gave a few seconds for everyone to calm down. Her wings were starting to hurt from how long she had been flying, but luckily for her, this was almost over. "And now, the ones you've all been waiting for!" Her words once again caused a roar to ripple through the crowd. Unlike the others, the last three Guilds always came out at the same time because they were constantly swapping places, and their order was changing due to how good they were. These were also the three top Guilds of the eight that everyone wanted to end up in. "Do I even need to give them all an introduction?" Pretty Face asked, and the yelling doubled. "Well, if you say so! We all know who they are, and they're the reason no other nation has been able to bother us! The three strongest mages in the world! They grow in power every day and outdo each other constantly! These three have been locked into a rivalry, and they serve the king himself directly! Ladies and gentlemen! I give you the leaders of the Mourning Stars! The Umbra Mortis! And the Shining Sentinels!"

Two of the thrones had symbols Davi had seen before. The first was a symbol of a sun, which that Lance girl had on her, and the second was of some sort of hammer that was pointed like a star, which Gray had worn. The third one, though, looked almost like a moon and was curved and pointed.

All three thrones lit up, and six people appeared. The Mourning Stars guild was led by an older woman who had stress lines all across her face. Her hair was turning white from years of stress, and she wore black armor that was practically just like the kind Davi would make, but hers was made out of real metal instead of shadows. Next to her was Gray, already in his stone armor, which made him look like a bull. The woman in charge of this guild was dubbed Dark Star, and Stone Bull was her loyal right hand.

The Shining Sentinels were currently the number one ranked Guild, but that would change since Umbra Mortis and the Mourning Stars were always stealing its top spot. The vice captain of this guild was the Lance of Victory. Tori stood, holding her lance, and looked down at the crowd before her eyes finally settled on Davi. She frowned when she saw he was kneeling on the ground, clutching at the side of his face. Next to her was her Guild Captain. If you were to look up the image of a paladin, he was likely what would come up. Neat black hair and golden armor that was glowing. He had a long red cape, a heavy shield that was attached to his arm, and a longsword that rested at his belt that was giving off so much mana it was for sure an S-grade item at the minimum. He was known simply as the Father. 

Lastly was the final throne and was the only one of the three that had the symbol Davi didn't recognize. The vice captain was a woman with long blue hair who wore a dress made out of water. A pipe was in her mouth, and as she blew on it, bubbles rose up. Her name was Mermaid. The man in the chair was the one who had Davi's full attention, though. He had messy red hair, and one of his eyes was covered by an eyepatch. A cigar hung in his mouth, and his shoulders were slumped a bit. Unlike the other two top captains, he wasn't in armor and instead wore a black T-shirt and long black pants, looking very comfortable. As he puffed on his cigar and his ashes fell, the shadow beneath him lifted up and swallowed it.

The leader of Umbra Mortis had Shadow Magic. His name was Crow, and he was easily one of the greatest Shadow Mages in the current era.

If the yelling had been bad before, then it was downright awful now. Davi had to literally jam his fingers into his ears just to stop it, and he hissed loudly as everyone screamed up at the seven Guild Captains-

"Wait, seven?" Davi did a double take. There were eight thrones, and the woman had started with the second-worst-ranked guild and worked down but had failed to mention the eighth Guild itself. Only seven Captains were seated. "What about the last Guild?" He asked.

Ash somehow overheard him, even with all the screaming, and followed Davi's gaze to where the final throne resided. It had a long red and gold banner that had the image of a bird made out of fire across it.

Ash made a face when he saw it. "Normally, that Guild isn't even invited to this event. Most people don't even consider it a proper Guild."

"Why not?" Davi asked, confused. 

"Because it's worse than trash, it's straight up cursed." Ash snickered. "They call it Phoenix Flight, and the name is very fitting because this Guild has been destroyed and rebuilt since the time of Haru. Honestly, you're actually better off not becoming a Knight if your only option is Phoenix Flight."

"It's that bad?" Davi looked closer at the throne. He saw something, but it was hard to make out. He began to focus mana into his eyes, rapidly boosting how far he could see.

"Oh yeah, it's that bad." Ash nodded. "I'd sooner kill myself than end up on that Guild. The only reason it still exists is because it was one of the first four Guilds, and before, for whatever reason, the king kept placing people in charge of it. The current person leading it isn't even a proper Knight, and every time she's made a public appearance, she's screwed something up and caused mass destruction. Seriously, that Guild sucks. They mostly just throw Magical Mutants or other trash mages into it and call it a day."

Davi's eyes finally made out the object that sat on the throne. It was a small stuffed toy that looked like a bright orange hawk. A note was taped to it, and thanks to his eyesight, he was able to read it.

'Had to take a fat shit; just start without me :-)'

Davi decided that the Captain of Phoenix Flight was now his favorite person.