Mana spilled out of the prisoner’s pores, shrouding his body in a cyan mist. Like with Percy’s Synchronization, the influx of mana was simply too much to fit inside one’s channels. The only way to survive the technique was to let this excess out, essentially storing it externally.
But the captive didn’t stop there. The mana formed whirlpools all around him, in specific patterns that seemed to connect with those on his skin. They drew and mixed with the ambient mana, before pushing it back inside his body with even greater force. Not just into his lungs, but through his pores too, using the existing flow inside the body to help refine the ambient mana faster.
This was it! Mana Flow! No…
‘The Dance of the Savage Gods!’
Circulation took advantage of one’s mana channels, expanding one’s capacity by storing the mana in every corner of their body. Similarly, the final step took this to the extreme, forming a secondary flow outside. It boosted one’s capacity and regeneration both, maybe even pushing their physical and magical strength further still in the process.
Though Percy wasn’t in the mood to appreciate the demonstration, his mind drifting elsewhere, his heart pounding like a drum.
‘What External Flow?! What Mana Flow?! It’s the exact same thing! The bastards didn’t even keep its name!’
There was no doubt in his mind as to why they’d done it. It was just another slap on Huehue’s face. Same reason for bringing a prisoner to teach the technique. There wasn’t a real need for that! Any adult on Felmara could have taught the course – they all knew the spell! It was all for show! Having his kinsmen – the traitors’ descendants – guarding him too. Everything done to humiliate him...
‘It’s him… Rhaziel has to be the one who ordered the coliseums built too! He’s the reason Micky spent his whole life in a cage!’
“This is wrong!” somebody screamed, shocking those around him.
Percy was the most taken aback by this. The voice had come out of his own throat, tears rolling down his cheeks!
Yet, he wasn’t the one who’d done it…
Leo was finally awake!
The boy leapt to his feet, already skidding down the stairs, running towards the centre of the auditorium.
‘Stop, you idiot! What can you even do?!’ Percy tried to warn him, but the kid wouldn’t listen.
Guilt… indignation… rage… It all spilled through their connection, as Leo failed to contain his feelings. This was it. The reason the boy had lost his sleep over the past year! Unlike all his kinsmen sitting silent by the sidelines, allowing this abomination to unfold, Leo just couldn’t stomach his people’s cruelty!
“Silence.” an authoritative voice echoed through the hall, causing everyone to bow their heads. Their god was speaking.
“Isn’t this the same kid who freaked out last year? Young or old, it appears a simple beating is too lenient a penalty for blasphemy.”
Leo had already made it to the floor by the time the first person moved to stop him. Heeding his god’s command, the man grabbed him by the back of the neck, slamming him on the ground.
Percy barely managed to identify the assailant by the corner of his eye. Dugris! The alchemy teacher’s expression was stone cold. Gone was the mutual respect they’d slowly built over the past term – of the man who’d recognized his talent and given him the opportunity to excel. Now, there was only blind obedience left. Zealous deference to his cruel god.
“Your Radiance, what is your command?” Dugris asked, bowing his head.
“Execute him.” the god replied, not hesitating for a moment to order the death of a child.
But Percy ignored them entirely, as well as the growing commotion all around them. His priority was to rein his host in before he did anything else.
‘Leo… you need to stop this madness! Just listen to me!’
Percy wasn’t powerless when it came to his hosts. He could damage their souls whenever he wanted, ensuring their demise. This was how he’d blackmailed Rambert in the past. But such methods weren’t applicable if he cared about their safety. Sadly, it meant he couldn’t seize the boy’s body against his will. He couldn’t even twitch a muscle without Leo’s permission.
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‘Shut up!’ the boy snapped back. ‘Who the hell even are you? What does any of this have to do with you? This is the doing of MY people! OUR cruelty! MY responsibility!’
Percy wanted to click his tongue at the boy’s stubbornness. This wasn’t the time for words. Left with no other choice, he allowed his own feelings to seep through their bond. The sight of Mixcoatl looming over a dying Micky… of his starving mother and sister… of their bleeding bodies as Mixcoatl’s spear ran through their hearts…
‘You…!’ the boy’s eyes widened in shock.
‘I’ll explain later. If you want to save him, give me full control of your body. No matter what happens, don’t get in my way.’ Percy said, not leaving any room for debate.
Leo nodded as Percy started taking deep breaths, one after another.
Dugris gathered earth mana in his hand, a stone blade forming around it as he pointed it towards their heart. To the man’s credit, his body faintly shook, some signs of hesitation creeping through. But he quashed them just as quickly, ultimately unwilling to disobey his god’s command.
Percy felt the boosting art coming into effect as his eyes darted around the room. Once again, he saw all sorts of expressions in the crowd. Anger. Disdain. Annoyance. Pity. Even glee – in a couple of places.
He recognized a few people. Namely, his other teachers, and his classmates. But none of their expressions contained much warmth. Not even Mrs. Lia’s, or the kids’ from the Alchemy class. Evidently, a few weeks were far from enough for them to stand beside him in such a moment.
He sighed. The only two people who genuinely seemed worried were Klatz and Lyn. Their faces were pale as their lips quivered.
‘I’m so sorry it’s come to this…’ he smiled bitterly.
It had all started with a simple wish – to give them their friend back. And he’d done everything he could to drag Leo back to life. Yet, no matter what, it seemed he had failed to give them the happy ending they deserved…
‘At least, I swear I’ll protect him.’ he decided, clenching his fists.
Taking another breath, he focused on the strongest people. Thankfully, the dean was still far – on the other side of the room. As were the vice-deans. Hopefully, they wouldn’t reach him in time. But a few Blues and several Greens were close enough to interfere.
‘I’ll have to be quick. I’ll only get a few seconds.’
There was no more time to waste. The teacher’s construct was ready. Dugris tried to stab at him, but Percy didn’t let him.
Pushing the boosting art past the point of no return, he forced a series of green lines to light up all over Leo’s body, swirling around like gales of wind. Briefly overpowering the teacher, he managed to roll aside just in time to avoid the blow, before sweeping the man off his feet.
Then, he jumped up with a single fluid motion, dashing towards the prisoner.
The professor was already up again, running behind him while shooting more shards of stone. And he wasn’t alone, as more teachers were moving to intercept him, drawing mana from their cores.
Percy side-stepped and pivoted to avoid the spells – dancing like Micky had taught him to. Turning to the captive, he gave him a meaningful look, the prisoner’s eye widening in return.
More spells rained on him by the time he was halfway through the stage.
Releasing bursts of air mana from his body, he sped up like he’d done in the challenges with Gabe, moving even faster than he ever had with his main body. The attacks all missed him, crashing into the marble floor with deafening booms, sending shrapnel all over the place.
Several shards grazed him, drawing blood. A few even stabbed into him directly. Worse still, a domain finally fell on him with the weight of a mountain as he neared the guards, freezing his very muscles.
Stabbing his palms, he used the pain to jolt himself out. At the same time, he grabbed a hold of the mana inside his core. Controlling it was harder than ever, the raging flow of Circulation agitating it further. Still, he persisted, splitting and pressing the mana into two dense dots, before pumping them through his channels.
Lifting his arms, he pointed his hands at the guards, unleashing two blasts of concussive wind. He poured everything he had into the attack, nearly losing his boosting art in the process.
The men raised their hastily forged weapons to block. Luckily, they hadn’t had the time to activate Circulation. That, coupled with the elemental advantage helped bridge the gap in their grades a little, the constructs cracking against the intense pressure.
But overpowering them had never been Percy’s plan.
The two landed on their knees, staring at the teal daggers sticking out of their chests in disbelief! The soft Orange mana wasn’t potent enough to rip their souls apart, but more than enough to buy Percy a precious moment. Also, to get them to drop the prisoner’s chains…
Ignoring them, he forced himself forward. Every step was a battle, his legs straining against the weight. Then, a second domain slammed down like a hammer. His knees buckled as he nearly stumbled.
‘Come on Percy… You need to move, or the kid is dead…’
Biting his tongue, he barely ducked as a fireball brushed over his head, singeing his hair. A blob of pressurized water splashed behind him at the same time, the noise adding to the ringing in his ears.
A warm trickle rolled down his chin by the time he reached the captive.
Another barrage of spells was closing in, this one far larger than before. Evidently, the Felmarans had given up on precision, determined to take him out along with the prisoner, and even the guards.
A faint distortion formed behind him. The spells swirled in the empty space around it, falling into the rapidly forming portal. A rift tore open, smooth metallic walls adorned with colourful runes visible on the other side.
Percy grabbed the captive’s shackled hand, giving him a firm look. The man nodded, grabbing back as Percy pulled them both into the portal.
The cacophony in the hall continued, from the whizzing spells flying his way, to the crowd’s shocked voices blending into a buzz.
But Percy didn’t care about any of that, his focus elsewhere. Turning his head up, he looked into the screen on the wall. His glance brushed right past the god’s shaken expression, locking into his eyes.
“Rhaziel Proudheart…” Percy muttered.
His voice was soft, but he knew the god could hear every word clearly. He took everything in as he sank into the closing rift. The god’s fancy clothes, the jewels and gemstones decorating them, the features twisted by rage and surprise, and the golden pupils glinting in a cruel light…
He wanted to burn every detail into his mind. This was the person these people looked up to. The kind of guy who’d torture and humiliate countless people for the crimes of their ancestors. The kind who’d murder a kid for speaking up against him.
“…one day, I swear… I’ll feed you to my crow.”