Ascension Of The Failed Mage

'Do you think I'll allow myself to suffer indignation just to satisfy you all and keep you entertained?!' Ciara thought to herself in annoyance.

No more!

She suffered and endured quite a lot to achieve this level of power... She wasn't going to shame herself and her master just to give her opponents a feeling of satisfaction.

"I'll make you all regret fighting me!"

>WHOOOOSHH<

In a flash, her blue-colored body, covered in lightning raced across the battlefield, with traces of her speeding light and afterimages seen, Ciara clenched her fist and drove powerful blows into the bodies of her fellow students.

They couldn't defend themselves with magic, since both spells and enhancements had been rendered ineffective for some reason. Their bare bodies embraced the very painful hits that were sent to them, causing the previous predators, now prey, to spit out blood and cough in agony.

Their bodies froze as they watched their fellow students pummeled. Paralyzed and shocked by the beatdown going on, the bullies couldn't have imagined that things would turn out this way.

"N-no... Plea-"

Before any of them could complete their pleas, powerful blows hit them, sending them into unconsciousness.

Even if the suffering students wanted to, they couldn't react or dodge the strikes before they landed.

Ciara was just too fast!

>POW!<

>BAM!<

>BOOM!!!<

In mere moments, everyone had been subjugated. In the midst of the, Ciara stood. Looking tired and at the same time deadly, her heavy breaths huffed as her eyes darted around to see if there were any more enemies.

There wasn't!

Using her least favorite Magic Type, she dominated thirty students on her own... such was the power of the 3rd Tier.

******************

"Ciara... are you okay?" Serah finally spoke up, after enduring a tortuous amount of time walking with Ciara and Sam.

Recollecting what had led to this moment, she didn't exactly find it pleasant. However, Serah couldn't let things keep going the way they were.

After Ciara defeated the bullies, she gave a menacing glare to the spectators, who instantly got the message and scurried off before their turn came for a beatdown.

Soon, the area became deserted. Other than the hard breathing escaping Ciara's lungs and the hard whooshing of the evening wind, no sound could be heard around.

The girl's blue energy dissipated, and she loosened her fists while relaxing her body. The battle was over. She glanced at her two friends and saw them in a distance.

"Are the both of you alright?" Ciara's voice suddenly broke the tension.

Serah and Sam, who were also paralyzed while watching Ciara, instantly snapped out of their daze.

"A-ah..." Sam muttered in his usual stutter.

In the presence of overwhelming power, he was always a coward. Perhaps it was due to Ciara's friendly nature or how much time they had spent together, but the both of them seemed to have forgotten how she had dealt with Mia in the past.

With this incident, their memories returned, and for a moment, Sam couldn't answer Ciara properly.

"We're fine..." Serah sharply cut in, realizing that they had somehow hurt Ciara by their expressions.

She knew their reaction to Ciara was rude. After all, she only went so far in order to defend herself and them. Besides, she wasn't in the wrong or seeking trouble.

'Why then... why did I compare her to Mia at that time?' Serah's conscience pricked her.

"Alright. As long as you're both fine... that's what matters. Let's go..."

And just like that, without waiting, Ciara headed toward her dorm, expecting the two of them to catch up.

"H-hey, wait up!" Serah shouted, jabbing Sam as she ran toward Ciara.

Sam, feeling guilty, but unable to stop his natural reaction, jumped slightly. Serah had already begun running to Ciara and he was getting left behind.

"W-wait for me!" He yelled, before dashing with his little legs to catch up.

After some time, they walked at the same pace. However, Ciara didn't say a single word to them, and the distant expression she had on her face wasn't making it any easier for either of her friends to talk.

'Things can't continue this way!' Serah's mind rang.

They were already close to their dorms, so if she didn't make any move now, the chance to do so would soon vanish.

'It's now or never!'

And so she blurted out the first word since the several minutes they had been walking together.

"Ciara... are you okay?"

Ciara's body slightly quivered upon hearing those words, however, it quickly stiffened almost as soon as it loosened.

"I'm fine." Her voice replied in a low, distant tone.

Serah, of course, wasn't going to buy that response and decided to further the conversation.

"Are you su-"

"Serah, please..." Ciara's voice sharply cut off Serah's attempt at a conversation.

Suddenly, Ciara halted, causing the rest to stop abruptly and wonder why she had chosen that course of action.

"... I... I just want some quiet right now. I want to be alone. Please..."

As Ciara said this, her voice trailed, and her eyes were stretched away from where they stood. She gazed far into the distance, hiding her eyes from her friends.

Serah wanted to push further, but bridled her stubborn tendency. She would only be selfish if she kept pestering Ciara to open up when the girl was clearly hurt and needed time to gather her feelings.

Plus, she wasn't very good in situations like this.

"O-okay..." She managed to let out, feeling pricked in her heart.

"Thank you," Ciara answered flatly, before finally moving forward once again.

Sam and Serah shot each other helpless glances as they could not do anything in the situation. However, they knew within that they weren't only quiet for Ciara's sake, but theirs as well.

After all, what she needed at the moment were friends to cheer her up, and neither of them could provide such warmth.

At least not today.

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[A/N]

Hello. Author here. If you like this book, please do well to support by sending your Power Stones and Golden Tickets. Your comments and reviews are also much appreciated.

Thank you.