Annabelle’s Bastion

The arena cleared after Thagrin organized the class into groups for their first round of fights. At first, it seemed random, but there was definitely some method to his choices. Otherwise, why was Anna fighting a man so much bigger than her?

Standing across from Anna was a rotund man around 5’7, with long, messy dark brown hair and dark eyes. He introduced himself as Jared, and he’d be Anna’s first opponent. He didn’t look as nervous as Anna felt; he looked like he just received a gift.

Anna expected to be the first to fight, but no amount of mental preparation worked in this scenario! She had only ever sparred before, and those were light! The most she knew were the motions, such as throwing a punch, kicking, and guarding. Even then, those skills were at a basic level years ago, and she hadn’t practiced them since.

She detested the idea of a physical altercation! But fate, the cruel mistress, decided her first introduction to magic would be crude violence!

The logic made sense… probably. Anna's body still felt odd from awakening, and Aria mentioned it could take a while to get used to the new feelings. Fighting—forcing them to use the mana to an extreme degree—would help acclimate them. Probably.

Her opponent also tried to pick up Thagrin’s axes with his strength enhancement, but he couldn’t give it a mighty swing, as Thagrin called it.

“You’ll fight once today, two times next week, then three, then four... you get the point,” Thagrin said from his perch in the stands, the amusement clear in his voice like he was at the theater about to watch an anticipated movie. “I don’t care how you fight, and I don’t care if you injure your enemy; in fact, I prefer you do! Despite my harsh objection, you will be mostly healed after. If our lazy healer decides to show up.”

Shouldn’t they wait, then?!

Anna took a deep, calming breath. Despite her anxiety and the high likelihood of her loss, she still felt a sense of excitement creep into her body. She wanted to win.

She wanted to impress the Goliath sitting in the stands with her peers behind him. She wanted to tell Aria she actually won! Most importantly, she wanted to test herself.

Not to mention that arrogant man looking like he just received a free win!

Aria mentioned a competitive spirit; Anna did have one. One that didn’t come out until the man opposite her had his orange rings around both wrists. When almost every person in the class, her opponent included, looked at her like she was already on the ground.

Her fists clenched. Be it Earth or a new world, some things never change; she’d have to forcefully change the way people looked at her.

She didn’t know if talent had anything to do with the enhancements, whether some people could have stronger enhancements or more fundamental things like higher mana quantity or potency. If so, the fight should be hers based on that.

As much as she would like to test a few things, that’d probably be impossible. No way could she focus much on observation while trying to keep her nose intact.

“I really don’t wanna do this to a little girl.” Jared showingly shook his head with his hands up. Despite that, he had a confident smirk. “Maybe you can surren—”

“No!” Thagrin shouted, sounding offended. “If you give up even once, you won’t be returning to my classes. Suggest it again, and I’ll cut some of that weight off you myself.”

Anna scrunched her nose. “No need!”

God, why did people like that exist? A whole future played out in her head. Except she’d have to deal with it on her own this time.

Jared’s brows furrowed, and he looked at Anna as if she was the one who made Thagrin insult him. “Fine, don’t say I didn’t try.”

Anna snorted. “You don’t scare me.”

“Good, you should get fired up!” Thagrin chuckled, then stomped to indicate a starting signal. “Discover what you can do. Fight, now!”

Anna dismissed the rings around her wrists and commanded her mana to make her capable of high speed.

Her rings expanded from her ankle, and her legs filled with an energy that trickled to the rest of her body. She would have to try and discover what sort of power she had during the fight.

Jared kept two around his wrists and launched forward. He was surprisingly fast for his size and would reach Anna in seconds.

Rather than retreat, Anna angled her body forward like she had seen those sprinters do. But, rather than a charge, she launched herself like a missile.

Way too strongly!

Her eyes widened in horror as she realized what would happen. She underestimated the amount of power given by her ring!

Jared sidestepped before she even launched, anticipating her charge.

As she passed Jared, the uncontrolled power caused her to trip over herself. She would have dangerously tumbled to the ground had it not been for the wall!

“Damn!” She shouted while she put her arms over her head and adjusted her body to brace for impact.

She slammed into the wall with what felt like it would have been a head-shattering impact.

However, at least she wasn’t sent sliding on the ground like a ragdoll.

Those in the stands, Thagrin included, laughed as Anna’s face heated up.

“That will never get old,” Thagrin said between his laughs.

However, Anna was unharmed.

A black pulse spread from her upper arm, and she only felt a slight force from the slam—mild discomfort, but she was fine.

“Dumb fuck,” Jared shouted with derision. “This is what trying to show off gets you. Stick to your lane.”

“Ballsy to try and use speed in your first fight, I like it!” Thagrin shouted.

Typical Barbarian.

Anna recovered, though, and Jared’s eyes widened at the lack of visual injury.

She scanned her forearm, but it really had no injury.

“What?” Similar questions came from the audience.

“Mana defaults toward protecting your body!” Thagrin shouted, annoyed. “Don’t waste my time and fight!”

Anna smirked at Jared. “I don’t think you’ll be able to hit harder than that.”

Just from that hit, she had a basic understanding of how the defensive ability worked. Her impact into the wall might have broken a bone had the barrier not absorbed most of the blow. However, it seemed to drain a noticeable amount of mana to do it, something she didn’t have any control over. One more blow—especially from an enhanced fist from a mage—could probably shatter it.

But if she didn’t have control over it, there was no way Jared was any better; he was probably worse!

She could make up for the embarrassment by outplaying the easily infuriating Jared.

“Come on, are you scared of little ol’ me?” Anna mocked with a bring-it-on gesture. “I don’t bite.”

Thagrin laughed.

Perfect.

Jared’s face crunched. “You still have the balls to talk like that after embarrassing yourself?” He snorted. “Fine!”

Anna planted her leg back and angled her body slightly as her smirk widened. She had an idea that would definitely impress Thagrin!

Jared charged, but Anna didn’t move; she dismissed the rings around her left leg, leaving only one. She poured every bit of mana she could into the remaining ring; it felt like she could kick a whole mountain apart!

If barriers worked like she expected, there was only one realistic way to end the battle.

The light hum from Anna’s ring and the encroaching rough hum from Jared clashed near the wall.

“Die, bitch!” Jared swung his fist in a right hook that moved so quickly Anna wouldn’t have been able to guard had she wanted to!

But blocking wasn’t Anna’s intention.

His fist connected, and a sound akin to an amplified shattered glass rang in the arena as Anna’s barrier shattered and her mana drained exponentially. The sound had Anna’s ears ringing!

Anna felt his fist hit her close to her ear, and a stinging pain reverberated across her jaw.

Even knowing it could shatter her barrier, she didn’t think she’d still feel pain! She underestimated the enhanced strength and overestimated the barrier!

The stinging almost made her plan crumble as her eyes became watery, but she couldn’t let that happen.

Before she got thrown to the ground, she planted her left foot to balance herself and spun.

She saw his arrogant smirk, his hand returning to deal another blow.

“Watch your language, brute!” She whipped her leg out toward Jared’s knee with all her strength.

It worked.

Too well.

She felt all of it vividly: the impact with what felt like a solid sheet of metal, the metal cracking, and the shattering like a plate. Worse, she felt her impact with his bone.

The similar sound of glass shattering echoed in the dead silent area. Followed by Jared’s screams as he collapsed to one leg and then to the ground, clutching his knee with both hands.

Anna stared wide-eyed as her rings faded. The energy coursing through her body slowly disappeared as her body returned to its normal state.

Jared kept screaming as he held his knee and rolled in the grass, occasionally shouting profanity.

“S-she won?!”

“What the fuck?”

“Jared?”

Anna was just frozen, the feeling she just experienced cycling through her head—the vivid feeling of snapping Jared’s bone sending a shiver down her spine.

“Ahh shut up,” Thagrin said as he jumped into the arena. “Hurting my damn ears.” He flicked Jared’s head, instantly knocking him out.

“S-sir.” Anna approached the downed Jared. “I didn’t mean...” However, she stopped herself upon seeing Thagrin’s beaming smile.

“Good, very good! That is how a real warrior fights! To assert your dominance over a bigger enemy that nobody thought you would defeat. Taking the punch, showing him you didn’t care for it, then shattering his bone like worthless paper.” He nodded proudly toward Anna. “Brilliant. Pip—Annabelle Frost, you have earned a sliver of respect from me.”

Anna swallowed. It didn’t feel good at all, and her jaw hurt. “Sir... Professor... what happened?”

She only wanted to send him reeling and potentially break his barrier, not actually grievously harm him!

“You broke his knee, obviously!”

Anna shook her head. “But why?”

Thagrin squinted. “You’re too squeamish; you should be hopping in joy and craving an ale.”

“I felt his bone break!”

“Even better!”

Anna clicked her tongue. “Please, tell me why that happened!”

The shout made the pain in the right side of her face radiate, and she hissed and clutched it.

“Aaah~ You’re so damn boring.” Thagrin picked up Jared’s body and placed him in the stands like a sack. “What happened, pipsqueak, is that this sorry excuse of warrior poured every minuscule amount of mana he had into punching you like a rampaging animal instead of fighting like an intelligent being.” He scanned his students. “And what happens after that?”

The tall, blonde-haired man who pointed Anna out earlier stood. He stared at Anna for a brief moment before turning his gaze to Thagrin. “Sir! I believe I know the answer.” He had a deep voice and a British accent, a sound that would have been pleasing had he not been among the ones to look at her like dead weight earlier.

“Wells. Show me that this class isn’t entirely useless.”

“When Miss. Frost launched herself into the wall, her mana produced a barrier that absorbed a blow that ordinarily would have broken her arm—”

“Stop.” Thagrin raised his hand. “I couldn’t care less how you figured it out; just tell me why.”

“Sorry, Sir.” He cleared his throat. “You said earlier that mana defaulted toward protection, but barriers can range widely in how sturdy they are. Especially ours, that only just awakened and are likely incredibly fragile.”

“Sure, something like that.” Thagrin turned to Frost with a smirk. “He definitely is an idiot, but...” He pointed at Anna. “That is why it happened. All of you assumed you were equal when you awakened, but that’s naive nonsense. Pipsqueak over here might have far more potent mana than normal. Or the fat one has a terrible barrier… you guys figure it out.”

It definitely didn’t feel special.

“Can our enhancements and barriers get stronger? Only one hit to shatter it and break Jared’s bone is just...” A girl in the stands asked.

That got a round of nods, including from Anna.

“Of course, but—” He suddenly looked toward the entrance. “About damn time our healer showed up.”

Anna followed his gaze while sighing in relief. She did not want to be the one responsible for creating a cripple when all she wanted to do was send him for a little tumble.

“Sorry! I overslept!” That was one of the most calming voices Anna had ever heard. It felt like a warm breeze on her ear, even when she shouted.

The doctor was a woman barely taller than Anna, with short, side-swept azure hair and unnatural bright green eyes. Her soft, fairy-like face looked tired. She wore a set of sky-blue doctor scrubs.

When she got closer, Anna saw the sun shimmer off the blue scales along her forearm, indicating her nonhuman status. Her hands were completely human-like save for her longer, pointed blue nails.

“About damn time, Alice.” Thagrin placed Jared on the ground again, handling him terribly. “Heal him.”

“Already?” Alice slowly approached his body and knelt. “Oh, just a hurt knee... and you knocked him out!” She glared at Thagrin accusingly.

Their height difference was massive; it was almost comedic to see the small woman stand up to him.

Thagrin smirked in response. “His screams weren’t helping anybody, and I had a class to run. Wouldn’t have happened if you showed up on time.”

Alice harrumphed and placed her hand over Jared’s knee. A foggy grey ring expanded around her hand, and similarly colored threads went downward. Her ring’s hum was light and graceful.

“So,” Alice didn’t raise her head as she spoke. “You have someone talented enough to break his natural barrier AND damage a bone? Why didn’t you stop it?”

“Cowardly,” Thagrin spat. “A fight isn’t over until the opponent is down.”

“Barbaric brute, that is how we lose good men and women!” She scoffed. “Fights end when the barrier shatters!”

Anna rubbed her jaw; she would have lost if that was how duels worked. The only reason she won was because Thagrin was barbaric. To be fair, she would have found another way—but she knew taking the blow and ignoring it would impress him.

“Thanks!” Thagrin boisterously laughed.

Anna approached Alice. “Doctor... it was my fault.” She shook her head. “I didn’t think my hit would do that; I shattered his barrier and broke his bone at the same time. There was no time to end it.”

Alice looked at her appraisingly, but her hand didn’t stop healing Jared. “That makes sense. The brute didn’t tell you anything about your capability or how to control it… Ah, but you didn’t break his bone.”

Anna sighed in relief. Jared’s screams must have been more about the terrifying nature of the wound.

She didn’t feel she should respond to Alice’s last part, but she was correct. Anna only realized she could control the flow because of how it moved in her body as her barrier absorbed the blow from the wall.

“Of course,” Thagrin confirmed Alice’s earlier statement. “They shouldn’t be so mindless that they need me to teach them how to use their power.”

“These humans haven’t even heard of magic before, dumbass.”

“Forged in fire is the best method for making powerful warriors!”

Alice scoffed but didn’t respond further. She finished up healing Jared and approached Anna. “You got hit pretty hard, but I’m not allowed to heal injuries that don’t inhibit you. Sorry.”

Anna shook her head. “I’m fine, thanks.”

Just a little tired.

She could stare at those gentle eyes on Alice all day.

“Bah! Get up there so I can continue having these guys fight.” Thagrin waved them off and turned toward the stands. “You lot. Don’t think I’ll allow cowardly fights just because the healer is here. Fight with the intent to break your opponent, or leave Bastion.”

“You—” Alice started.

Thagrin didn’t even turn back. “Fuck off, this is my class, and you’re here as a healer, not my damn assistant.”

Alice shrugged, and from Anna’s perspective, it seemed like she actually didn’t care that much. “I tried,” she mumbled.

Alice went to the side of the wall, and Anna returned to the stands.

She received quite a few side eyes as she moved toward Mia, a mix of envy and anger. Those two feelings Anna expected but felt helpless for. She didn’t want to make enemies, but some people couldn’t be reasoned with.

The blonde man stared at her uncomfortably long as she entered the stands. Was he Jared’s friend? That wasn’t going to end well. She knew how those types of people worked.

“That was amazing,” Mia whispered as if her earlier hesitation wasn’t there. In fact, she looked like she admired Anna in a way that wasn’t like a friend but close to an idol!

Well, she did kind of prove that gender didn’t matter in the world of magic, and Mia seemed to place great importance on being self-sufficient.

Anna smiled, which made her jaw hurt again. “T-thanks.”

She didn’t feel that good about the fight, and nobody treated her victory with any fanfare. But that was likely because people were more terrified and curious about the fights than to care how others performed. That would change, and hopefully, they could grow to treat the fights as friendly bouts.

Not that she expected some to be capable of that. Either way, Anna had to get over her hesitation; breaking a leg would be the least of what she may end up doing.