The Azra-El Series Ch. 15

Blaze dived at her without any thoughts of mercy. She raised her shield in defiance and the glaive thundered down on it, buckling her knees.

Falling to one knee, she kept her shield raised as Blaze landed in front of her with a thud.

Bang Bang Bang Bang, he continued the assault on her shield. Either the shield would break, or she would. He didn't care which.

Streams of thick blood began to gently trickle down her hand, as her skin under the shield began to split. But Priscilla did not give up. She dug her sword into the ground and took his blows.

"ENOUGH!" The scream of a familiar voice made Blaze's glaive pause a couple of inches away from the shield.

Blaze half expected Priscilla to lunge at him, but there was no response. Her face was hidden under the raised shield. Suddenly, he realized that he couldn't feel any of the emotions he had been feeling prior to the match.

Panting, he glanced towards the source of the voice. The adrenaline that still coursed through his veins kept him from feeling tired or overly guilty. Yulia and Siofra stood beside Achila.

"Enough!" Yulia shouted. "This fight is over," she told him angrily.

Blaze dropped his arm and looked around. Except for Siofra, every other student seemed to be looking at him with fear in their eyes. The awe they had possessed when he had displayed Righteous Fury was nowhere to be seen.

The clatter of a shield pulled his eyes back towards kneeling angel. Her left arm lolled to the side, dripping with blood, and the left side of her short and white battle dress was speckled in red.

Blaze was surprised, but strangely he did not feel any pity towards her. Looking at the defiant expression on her face, he didn't think she'd want his pity. Instead, he felt an ounce of respect for her.

Without saying anything, he put the remains of his weapon in his space ring and turned around.

"I await the day when you're the one kneeling in front of a Malakim. It's not too far away," Priscilla told him through clenched teeth.

Blaze stopped after walking a few steps. He thought for a moment before turning around. "Not this time. I can't afford this time," he said, deeply gazing into her angry blue eyes. "But maybe once the tournament is over, I wouldn't mind losing to you once," he told her a little more gently, before walking away.

***

When Blaze reached Yulia, the stoic teacher immediately manifested her wings and grabbed him by the arm. She nodded at the other teacher and took to the sky with him.

"Have you sated your anger, Ms. Blaze?" she asked him grimly. Siofra silently followed them.

"Yes, and I am not too sorry about it," he replied softly. His body finally began to feel the consequences of his fight. His nirn, the receptacles of his wings, ached like never before and his limbs felt heavy.

Yulia sighed. "Strength gained from rage is fleeting and destructive. It will neither help you gain the ultimate victory, nor make you deserving of it."

Blaze knew he couldn't justify his actions, so he remained silent.

Yulia took him back to their training field and set him down. "Ms. Blaze, since the duel was mutually agreed, I will let you off this time. But know that I will not tolerate such actions anymore. Understand?" she asked him with a steely, unblinking gaze.

Blaze bowed his head shamefully.

"You can get on with your training," she said waving her hand at him to leave.

But Blaze did not move. "Min Yulia?" he said, looking up at her with a grim resolve, "How do I defeat Nikolett Lovag of the Malakim?"

Yulia raised a brow at him before her eyes furrowed in thought. She looked at him for a moment before she replied. "Under the presumption that you're more talented than her —for without which, you have no chance— you need to work on three things."

Hope surged in Blaze's chest.

"Control over your emotions, manifesting energy weapons, and the mastery of a weapon you can counter her with."

oOo

Blaze was late to get out of bed the next morning. When he came downstairs, Elyssa was waiting, her blue eyes staring up at him without blinking.

"That little brat snitched on me, didn't she?" he asked her.

"Come with me," Ely told him seriously, turning on her heel and leading the way out of the dorm.

She took him straight to the fifth and the highest floor of the library. The Library of Ashur, as it was known, was an ancient and massive stone building. It had a unique trapezoidal structure with massive landing terraces on each floor. However, even opening one's wings inside the library was strictly forbidden.

Blaze quietly followed her, wondering why she was suddenly being all mysterious. Is there a hidden technique or something? Maybe a hidden training area? Hyperbolic Time Chamber?

But Ely took him towards a common looking shelf and pulled out a thin book in hard binding. Leading him to a nearby table, she made him sit down before handing him the book.

Blaze gave her a curious look and opened it.

It contained a list of every winner of the Young Angel Martial Arts Tournament (YAMAT) from its inception, 2910 years ago.

Blaze couldn't be bothered to read through all of them, so he quickly shifted through the pages until he reached the last page, with eight entries.

Lucian Era 555: Yingjie Shangdi of Xian defeated Fulla Frejadottir of Vaikunheim to become the champion of the 283^rd YAMAT. She...

Lucian Era 565: Yingjie Shangdi ...

...

Lucian Era 615: Berenice Saragnon of the Holy Caledonian Empire...

Lucian Era 625: Eshu Abara of Alkebulan ...

"Ooh. This Xian ivka won twice in a row!" he said, quickly going through the names.

"Yeah, the Xian usually do quite well in the tournament. They have the highest number of championships after the Caledonian empire, but that's not what I wanted you to see," she said, flipping to the previous page and pointing at two names written in golden sparkling ink. None of the other names had that honor.

Lucian Era 465: Lynn Sturm of Aranya defeated Amanah Tudor of the Caledonian Empire to become the champion of the 275^th YAMAT. She...

Lucian Era 475: Arina'il Avesta of Zara'-Ard defeated Anastasia Marigold of Aranya to become the champion of the 276^th YAMAT. As ...

"Why are aunties' names in gold?"

"Because both are Tir alumni. We will have our names written in gold too. Do you know why I haven't taken part in the tournament yet? Hint, it's not because I was too young," Ely asked him

"Because it'd be too much of a bother if you are not assured of winning it?" Blaze replied dryly.

Elyssa smacked him on his shoulder. "It's good that you still have a sense of humor but not everyone's lazy like you," she said, before taking in a breath. "Don't tell mum I said this, but I don't want my name to ever feature in the defeated column. And, I want to win all the tournaments I take part in. That will make me a four-time champion, and that's a record! The most anyone has won is three."

"Very cool, but why are you telling me this now?" he asked her curiously. Ely wouldn't show off when he was feeling anxious over the possibility losing Sky.

"Because from the moment I heard about the USMAT, I've had this picture in my head. I want to see your name as the winner of the next four tournaments. We can simultaneously be the undefeated champions of Aranya. And, when I am no longer eligible for the YAMAT, you can take up my mantle and win the next four.

"Blaze and Elyssa of Aranya. The undefeated champions, holding the highest number of titles in history!" she said dreamily, her aqua eyes staring off into the distance.

"Great job Ely! Thanks for putting even more pressure on me," Blaze said sarcastically.

"N-No! I didn't mean to..." Ely stuttered before she saw the glint in his eye. "Seriously Blaze! I know it's going to be hard, but I always wished you'd take part in this tournament and win it. Just make Sky your motivation. I am sure you can do it."

Blaze couldn't help but be moved by her words. He knew her well enough to know that she meant every word she said. The fact that she truly wanted to share her glory with him meant even more to him.

He got up and pulled her into a warm and tight hug. "Thank you, Ely," he said choking on emotion and unable to keep his eyes from turning moist. He held her for a few moments before pulling back to look at her face. "But what if I decide to take part in the YAMAT before I turn sixty?" he asked her cheekily.

"You will not!" Elyssa declared categorically.

"Oh? Why not?"

"Because I neither want to win nor lose against you. Besides, you better not spoil my dream of our perfect record," she warned him.

"Okay okay! I will let you keep your perfect record," he droned, releasing her and sitting down to peruse the book a little more.

Ely shook her head and pulled out a chair to sit beside him and read a book of her own.

Blaze sifted through the pages of the book, reading about the past champions and their accomplishments. Most of them seemed to have went on to do something significant in their lives. Suddenly, he came across a name that sparked his interest. She was a two-time champion with one runner-up title.

Lucian Era 395: Vida Veles Lokra of Angalnebo defeated Freja Nerthusdottir of Vaikunheim to become the champion of the 269^th YAMAT. She hailed from a farming family, but immediately joined the HU army upon graduation. She became a Deity at an age of 213 and was subsequently made the major general of the 'Blood and Fire' division of the HU. She fought in numerous battles during her career before perishing in the Battle of Muye in LE 520, facing three Devils of the Hela empire. She was posthumously awarded the Medal of Athena, for her courage, wisdom and prowess in battle.

Blaze read and reread her description a few times, adding up the dates. Is she my grandmother? Er... adoptive grandmother? He wondered. It would make sense why Jie Er never talked about her family. Maybe she was the only surviving member.

"Oi," he nudged Ely. "Do you know anything about her?" he asked, placing his finger under Vida's name.

"You think she may be related to aunty?" she asked, after quickly reading through the description. "Hmm. It's possible, I guess," she said at Blaze's nod. "I've read and heard much about that battle. It was vicious, and both sides lost a lot of troops over some stupid mine at Xian's border. Her name's familiar too, but I don't know much about her background. Why don't you just ask Aunty Jie Er?"

"Well, she usually gets all mysterious and sad when I bring it up. I guess she will tell me when she's ready," he sighed. "Anyway. I just had a thought, Ely. What if I decide to reveal my real age? I might be able to win more YAMAT titles, even without competing against you."

Elyssa looked at him dumbstruck. She had completely forgotten about that issue. "Don't make me spank you, you little punk!" she screamed.

***

"Ely..." Blaze said to her, later in the afternoon. "This Nikolett seems really strong. I'm worried I might lose Sky," he confessed. The words and worry he had been keeping at bay since the meeting finally spilled over.

Elyssa looked at him and a tinge of concern flashed across her face. "Blaze... you may be silly, obnoxious and the laziest little twerp I know, but you're also the most talented angel I've met," she told him. "You also have me, Aunty Jie Er, my mothers and so many others to help you get stronger. Trust me. As long as you put in the effort, I firmly believe you can win the competition," she told him resolutely.

"And what if it's not enough?"

Elyssa considered his statement for a moment. "Then we will take Sky and run away together. And when we both become Devas, we will come back and make the Malakim wish they never tried to take him away from you."

"You mean you want to elope with me?" he joked.

"I don't know what that means, but I can't let you runaway by yourself can I?" she replied seriously.

"Pinky swear?" Blaze raised his finger.

Elyssa raised a brow at him, but ultimately locked his finger with hers. "Pinky swear."

oOo

Over the weekend, Blaze spent a lot of time with Sky, and it helped him get his emotions under control. He was also able to get some solace from Seshat and Claudis. There was nothing like the warmth of a Quetzal's feathers or the soft comfort of a well-endowed angel.

Astrid called Elyssa over the weekend to arrange another meeting with Clio, but Blaze was in no mood for another interview. He gave Astrid the details of the meeting and postponed his appointment to another time.

By Monday morning, however, Blaze had found his bearings. He even vowed to try and become a better knight. Though his talents lay in a more freestyle fighting, he couldn't let Sky have a clumsy rider.

So, by the time Fiora summoned him to her office that afternoon, he was back to his usual self.

Opening her office door, he was greeted by the plump ass of Fiora on all fours. It lightly swayed as she reached for something in the space under her bookshelf. She was wearing a barebacked sweater that revealed deep into the cleavage of her butt. It was a true virgin killer.

The arch of her naked back was exaggerated as she reached for whatever she was looking for. The sweater slowly stretched over her ass, revealing more of the butt cleavage peeking above the red sweater.

Lost for words, Blaze simply basked in the gloriousness of the image in front of him.

"Oh, Blaze! You're here," Fiora said, getting up with a blue ring in her hand. Her words broke his daze. "It slipped from my hand and rolled off," she told him, adjusting the dress over her thighs. The hem barely reached an inch or two below her groin, and despite its skimpiness, Fiora still pulled off the look of a strict headmistress.

"What's up with the change of clothing?" he asked her bluntly.

"I've had a hectic couple of days. Just wanted to be comfortable today," she replied casually, going back to the chair behind her desk. "Have a seat."

Blaze simply accepted her answer. He had long ago decided that the only reason angels wore any clothes was because it was a cultural artifact from the times before they had mastered the art of energy manipulation.

"Are we here to talk about my fight with Priscilla?" he sat down and asked her.

"No. I doubt I have anything to say that Yulia hasn't or anything that isn't a mere platitude. I can't punish you for starting a duel that was mutually agreed upon, and it seems like you didn't even hurt her too much this time," she replied flatly, and Blaze cringed under her stare and the memory of Priscilla's bloody hand. "Nevertheless, I will tell you that acting on anger never results in the best solution. Fuel it towards something constructive or find means to get rid of it – like meditation. If that still doesn't work, put your energy into something else. Don't beat up an angel you know to be weaker than you."

Blaze hung his head and nodded. "So, what am I here for?" he asked, hoping to put a stop to her incisive words.

"I have a couple of things that I wanted to tell you myself. You already know that the delegates have decided to limit your interaction with Sky. I have been compelled to forbid you from spending more than an hour a day with the quetzal, starting today, and the length of your interaction will be slowly reduced."

"Those fre-"

"But I am not one to easily give in to the Malakim's wishes," she interrupted him with a little smile.

"Huh?"

"We are building a large coop for the quetzal in the likelihood that he will be staying with us again in the future. It will be built next to the Pegasi stable, and I have no control over the bird interacting with other creatures. It is also the school policy to let the students use the Pegasi in their free time," she said casually.

"Ah! Yep. I am really trying hard to improve my Pegasi riding skills," Blaze agreed. "What's the other thing you wanted to talk about? Are we going to dress up a Pegasus as a quetzal and send it to the Malakim, saying we give up on the tournament?"

Fiora's mask of severity crumbled and she burst out into clarion laughter. "I would pay any price to see the look on Amanah's face, if we ever decide to do that. It would be worth it," she said without bothering to hide her smile any longer.

"Yep."

"Unfortunately, we are not stupid enough to do that. No, what I wanted to say is that I've convinced the board to allow me to start a special training class for potential Tir's candidates to the USMAT. Since this is the first time an under sixty tournament is being held, we need to prepare both currently enrolled students and those not in the current year."

The education system of Aranya worked on a decadal basis. Students had to attend school every ten years from the age of twenty, but the school had at least one batch of students every year.

"It will have around thirty students including you, Siofra, and Priscilla. It's optional of course, but I suggest you take it since you are one of the main reasons I pushed for the class," Fiora told him.

"I guess you can't keep Priscilla out of it?" Blaze asked.

"She is still a student of Tir, Blaze. I won't exclude students based upon their faction."

"I guess not. When does it start?"

"It will be held over the breaks between the quarters, starting this winter break. I will provide you with a schedule once everything is finalized. You may or may not have to travel."

Tir's school year was split into quarters, each ten weeks long, and the winter break was coming up in a couple of weeks.

"What about Sky?"

"Cluadis has been designated as her temporary guardian. I am sure you know how good she is with animals."

"Yes, she is," he agreed. If he could trust anyone with taking care of Sky in his absence, it was Claudis. "Anything else?"

"No. That is it. You are free to go. You don't want to be late for your next class," Fiora said. But Blaze had no intention of leaving.

"Thank you, headmistress," he said warmly.

Fiora gazed at him and saw his sincerity. "You're welcome. I can't claim to not have any vested interests in helping you, Blaze, but I am honestly on your side. I hope you can confide in me more."

"I know, headmistress. That's why I want to do something to show you my gratitude for your efforts," he said, unable to keep the sly grin of his face.

"Oh? And, how do you intend to do that?"

"I was thinking I could help you explore more about the nature of the bi reproductive processes. And I suppose there's nothing wrong with making you feel good while I'm at it," he said smirking, getting to his feet and going around the desk.

"Now? You have classes to attend to," she said, turning to look at him as he made his way behind her. But her body language did not reflect her words.

"It's just Physics. As you know, I am way ahead of the material, and it'd be more productive to explore this new frontier of knowledge," he replied sagely, his hands gliding across the smooth skin of her back and up her neck.

Fiora considered it for a moment, visibly trembling, "Just this once. You can't keep skipping classes to - teach me things...," she said over her shoulder, biting her lower lip while her eyes flicked up and down his body.

Just this once? I don't think so, he thought, while nodding with a knowing smile. "I just need to do one thing before we start," he said, suddenly taking his hands off her and walking to the door to open it.