Connor

You know, when I saw this place, I was seriously excited to see my bedroom. Turns out, I didn't have a bedroom. This giant cabin only had one bedroom. And there was no way I was sleeping in the same bed as July. Don't get me wrong, she's a nice girl, but she'll tease me into next week if I did.

So, I slept on the couch. And you know what, it was extremely comfortable. For the first night here, it wasn't that bad. July made dinner, and it was actually pretty good!

That morning, I was woken up by July. She was standing over me, next to the couch.

July: "Heeeeyyyyyy! Good morning~!"

I sat up and yawned. I looked over to see she was completely dressed.

July: "You're a seriously heavy sleeper. Tried to wake you up a couple times, but nothing"

Connor: "I... guess I am. Thanks for trying at least"

July: "So, I guess you don't remember anything yet?"

Connor: "Nope, nothing"

July: "Well, cheer up! As of today, you start Demigod Training!!"

I shifted on the couch so I could sit normally.

Connor: "What exactly does that involve?"

July: "Combat Training mostly. There are others like Mythical Beasts or Battle Strategy, but you'll mainly do physical combat here"

Connor: "Seriously hope I knew how to fight"

I got up off of the couch and walked into the bathroom. July handed me a fresh change of clothes before I walked in. They were a plain purple T-Shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans. I realized I was still wearing the necklace I woke up with. For whatever reason, I didn't want to take it off.

I met up with July by the front door.

July: "Just a word of warning, don't upset anyone"

I smirked.

Connor: "I'll do my best, no guarantee"

July and I left the cabin and started for the more densely populated area of the school. The area consisted of a bunch of different buildings that looked like they belonged in the medieval age. Each building had a different class inside it, at least that's what the signs on them said.

Connor: "So what's the plan for today?"

July: "Probably to get you a weapon. You won't last long here without one"

July brought me into a small building near the edge of the school. From the outside, I could tell it was a blacksmith. The second we walked inside, I could smell all the different things you'd find in a blacksmith. The inside was much bigger than the outside made it seem.

I guess that was just a common building design here.

The inside was separated into two different parts. The first one, was more of the shop of the blacksmith. Weapons and tools lined the shelves on the walls. There were swords, spears, bows, daggers, axes, and a whole bunch of other weapons.

On the other side, was the actual forge. It was where all the weapons were forged.

There was a person at the front desk, which I assumed was the head smith. It was a tall, buff man who looked to be in his 30's. He was covered in soot and looked really dirty. The second he saw July, he grew a huge smile on his face.

Blacksmith: "Morning, July!"

July smiled back.

July: "Morning, Blaze!"

Blaze: "How's that chain and spike doing you?"

July held out her hand with the handcuff attached to it. The end that was dangling down melted and turned into a metal spike.

July: "It's been pretty good! I love how you made it handcuffs. You know me so well!"

Do I even want to comment...?

Blaze turned to me.

Blaze: "You new around here?"

Connor: "Yeah, kind of"

July: "We were hoping to get him his first weapon"

Blaze's face lit up with excitement.

Blaze: "I'd be happy to help!!"

He leaped over the counter and shook my hand.

Blaze: "Great to meet you!"

Connor: "You too"

July: "Blaze makes the best weapons in this school"

Blaze: "Former Son of Hephaestus. I seriously hate my Pops, but I'll tell you what, he gave me one hell of a gift"

Connor: "Hephaestus... the Greek God of Blacksmiths?"

Blaze: "Correct! And that's where I got my talent!"

Blaze leaped back over the counter and into his workshop. He dug through some things, making a lot of noise while doing so. He then called out to me.

Blaze: "So, what kind of weapon you want?"

Connor: "What do I have to pick from?"

Blaze: "Hell, it can be anything! Name it and I'll make it!"

I actually had to think for a second. Maybe a sword? No, that's too basic. Maybe an axe? Definitely not, I don't look very muscly. A gun? Yeah, okay.

Then, it clicked in my mind. Something I seriously wanted.

Connor: "Can you make a scythe?"

Blaze's eyes literally lit on fire from excitement. His eye sockets were filled with fire.

Blaze: "That's what I'm talking about! Don't typically see a Demigod with a scythe! I'll make this one extra special!"

July: "How long do you think it'll take?"

Blaze: "About an hour, give or take"

July: "Perfect! We can go get breakfast!"

July grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the blacksmith without giving me a chance to say anything.

As we made our way to the food court, everyone was actually smiling and waving at me.

Connor: "Why is everyone acting so friendly to me all of a sudden?"

July: "Like I said, we're all like family. You just appeared out of nowhere, so yeah, they were a little scared. But now they know they can trust you. At least, that's what Nanami told them"

We finally reached the food court, which looked more like a huge outdoor barbecue. There were pavilions all over the place, with all you can eat food in random locations.

July: "Oh nice!! It's Italian food today!!"

July dashed off to get some food. I followed after her and got some myself. The food looked delicious, and according to the sign, it was baked ziti.

The second I took a bite, my mouth watered. This was easily one of the best foods I've ever tasted!! At least... that I can remember.

Connor: "Holy crap! What's in this?"

July: "Magic, literally. The school uses magic to make the food taste amazing"

I smiled.

Connor: "You know what, it isn't so bad here"

July: "Still a little skeptical, huh?"

Connor: "Not anymore. Everyone seems friendly, and you're easily the best person here"

July: "I'm not even close, but thanks for the compliment!"

July's face suddenly went pale when she looked at me. However I quickly realized she was looking right passed me. She quickly turned to look down at her food tray, avoiding eye contact with anyone else. I then heard a boy's voice from behind me.

???: "Seriously, the new kid is sitting with the Dirt Blood?"

I turned around to see a very tall, buff boy. He wore really expensive looking clothes, which matched his short, blonde hair. His light blue eyes were as sharp as knives.

???: "You know, if you really want to get to know your new classmates, you'd better stop hanging around that thing"

July suddenly turned and yelled.

July: "S-Shut up, Yarou....!"

Yarou's face suddenly went cold.

Yarou: "Is it just me, or did the dirt just speak to me?"

I noticed July was about ready to punch him. However something was holding her back from doing so. I saw a hint of fear in her eyes.

I then stood up and faced him.

Connor: "I'd take that back if I were you"

Yarou scoffed.

Yarou: "Seriously? You're defending that Dirt Blood? Oh, that's right, you're new here. You have no clue what a Dirt Blood is"

He ran his fingers through her blonde hair.

Yarou: "Demigods are beings with both mortal and god blood. However then there are creations like that. 50% mortal, 25% one god and 25% another god. She only has a quarter of a certain God's power, making her weaker than the rest of us normal Demigods. She's inferior to the rest of us, a filthy Dirt Blood"

I quickly took an aggressive step forward and grabbed him by his shirt collar.

Connor: "I said... Take. It. Back!"

Yarou smirked.

Yarou: "And what if I don't?"

I slammed my fist into the side of his head, making him stumble back a little. A little blood dripped down from his mouth, which he wiped away with his hand.

Yarou: "Now you've gone and done it"

He glared at me with something I can only describe as murderous intent. His body then started to emit a black aura. The floor started to shake as his eyes went pitch black. When he spoke, his voice was completely distorted and echoed.

Yarou: "YoU'rE DeAd YoU LiTtLe ShIt!!!!!!!!!"

Suddenly, Skylar appeared behind him and swung his body around, hitting Yarou with a deviating back kick. The kick had so much force behind it, that it sent him out of the pavilion and onto the grass about 30 feet away.

Skylar: "No powers in the food court!! And definitely no bullying!! Do I make myself clear!!!!!!"

Yarou's face went pale.

Yarou: "Y-Yeah... whatever..."

He quickly got up and walked away. Then, I got a quick slap from Skylar.

Connor: "Ow!! What the hell!!"

Skylar: "First actual day here and you're already starting fights"

I sat down to continue eating.

Connor: "That bastard started it, he had it coming"

July: "P-Please don't get mad at him. He was calling me... some things... and Connor tried to defend me"

Suddenly, July grabbed the hand I used to punch Yarou.

July: "I'm so envious of you!! I've wanted to punch the living hell out of him for so long!!"

Connor: "What was up with that guy, anyways?"

Skylar sat down across from us, with his own food.

Skylar: "He's the former son of Epiales, the Greek God of Nightmares. No surprise that he became a huge asshole"

July: "His mother was some rich snob, so he expects everything to get handed to him and that everyone is inferior to him. What I wouldn't give to put him in his place..."

Connor: "I thought you were all family? Why does he do that?"

Skylar: "Every family has that one jerk cousin"

July: "And he's basically that"

Connor: "So, is Nanami like the big sister to everyone?"

July: "Yeah! She's so kind to everyone here, she's only mean to the enemy. But she has good reason to be"

Connor: "Why's that?"

Suddenly, we heard loud speakers all around us. From them, we heard Nanami's voice.

Nanami: "Attention all Demigods, please report to the execution field"

Connor: "Execution field?!"

July: "Sometimes we have people who break into the school, or for traitors, we have an execution field to publicly show what happens to those who betray or go against us"

Connor: "That's... seriously messed up..."

Skylar: "The enemy wouldn't hesitate to kill any of us. We can't show any mercy"

July and Skylar led me to the execution field, but by the time we got there, there was a massive crowd of other Demigods. At the other end of the crowd, there was a large stage, almost like the kind you'd see at a concert. There, I saw Nanami and a few guards standing a few feet behind her. To her left, we're two people sitting on their knees. Their arms were bound behind their backs and bags covered their heads.

Nanami: "Just this morning, we caught these two trespassing just beyond our borders. They are likely spies and shall not be allowed to leave"

Nanami stepped behind them and drew her sword out of its sheath. The blade was thin with multiple symbols carved into it. However it looked sharp enough to cut through steel. She lined her sword up with the two people on the floor.

Nanami: "If anyone has a reason they should not die where they stand, speak up now"

Not a single person made a sound. I was about to speak up when July quickly grabbed me. She then whispered to me.

July: "Don't, they're the enemy"

Nanami scanned the crowd.

Nanami: "Very well, then let us send these demons back to the pit from which they came!"

Nanami went to swing her sword.

Connor: "WAIT!!!!!"

The second I yelled that, everyone turned to me. I ran through the crowd, then climbed onto the stage.

Connor: "Y-You can't just kill them!! They haven't done anything wrong!!"

Nanami: "You do not know that"

Connor: "Then how do you know they're with the enemy?! They could be like any of you, rejecting the Gods"

Nanami's eyes fixed on me.

Nanami: "Why help these people?"

Connor: "All lives are worth something, everyone has a reason for living. Life is a gift from something higher than us, and we have no right to end someone's"

Nanami grew a small smirk. It looked like it was out of respect.

Nanami: "How far would you be willing to go for them?"

I spoke without a second thought.

Connor: "As far as I need"

Nanami turned to the crowd and raised her sword into the air.

Nanami: "It would seem we will have a Duellum tonight!!!!"

The crowd burst into cheering.

Connor: "What?"

Nanami: "Duellum is a challenge by combat. You will fight a Demigod for their lives. If you win, they live. If you lose, they die"

Connor: "How can you be so calm about killing people!!!"

Something inside Nanami snapped.

Nanami: "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAS HAPPENED DURING THIS WAR!!! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MANY LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST!! WE'VE ALL LOST LOVED ONES!!!"

Nanami suddenly caught herself. She bit her lip and shuddered a little. She took a deep breath and regained her composure.

Nanami: "I do not gain enjoyment out of this. The fact of the matter is, these people wouldn't give a second thought about killing us. So we must do the same"

Connor: "I won't let them die. They've done nothing wrong"

Nanami: "Then will you fight in Duellum?"

I looked back at the two people. I could tell they were both girls, because they were both wearing skirts. One was wearing a white one and the other was wearing a black skirt. The one in the white skirt was also wearing a fancy white shirt. The one with the black skirt was wearing a dark blue hoodie, one that seemed familiar for some reason.

Connor: "I will"

Nanami: "Splendid. Then tonight at 8pm, we will have Duellum. If you win, their lives are yours"

She snapped her fingers and the guards stood the two girls up and started walking away with them. Suddenly, a breeze of wind blew through and forced one of the bags off of one of the girl's heads. The bag flew right off of the girl who was wearing the blue hoodie. She had long black hair and silver eyes that glistened in the sunlight. She turned to look back at me. The second she did, her face froze. Tears started running down her face as she stared at me.

???: "C-Connor....?"

She knew my name?!?!

She then broke free of the guards and ran straight for me. She ran right into me, making us fall over. She landed on top of me, pressing her face into my chest.

The guards quickly ran over to us, with spears pointed towards us. However I quickly put my hand out.

Connor: "Hold on!!"

I managed to sit up, holding her in my arms. She continued to cry into my chest as I held her.

???: "H-How... h-how are you alive....!!"

Suddenly, she reached her head up and pressed her lips onto mine. My eyes opened wide as she kissed me. When she finally separated, all I could do was stare at her.

???: "W-What's wrong?"

Connor: "How do you know my name? Do I know you?"

Something inside her broke in that moment.

???: "I-It's me, Angel! D-Don't you remember?"

I stared at her blankly, not knowing what to say. Nanami walked over to us, then faced Angel.

Nanami: "So you know of Connor's past?"

Angel quickly got between me and her, even though her hands were still bound.

Angel: "Stay away from him!!!!"

Connor: "H-Hey, calm down a second!"

I quickly grabbed her.

Connor: "Y-You know about me? W-What I was like?"

Angel looked at me with confusion.

Suddenly, she was knocked out from Nanami slamming the hilt of her sword onto Angel's head. She collapsed into my arms.

Connor: "Holy crap!!"

Nanami: "Relax, she is alive. For now"

The guards took her away from me and took Angel and the other girl away.

Nanami: "You will report to the training grounds after dinner. There, you will fight a warrior of my choosing"

Connor: "Yeah, whatever..."

I quickly got down off of the stage, avoiding eye contact with everyone. My mind started thinking a mile a minute. Who was she? How did she know who I was? If she did, was she connected to my past?

That just made me question who the other girl was. Maybe she knew me too. My thinking process was interrupted when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I quickly turned around and saw something that scared me at first.

I saw a small girl, maybe about half my age. She may have looked young, but her face looked more like something out of a horror movie. One half of her face looked normal, however the other half was filled with decay. She wore a long pink dress, almost going down to her feet. She only held a small bunny plush in her hands

Connor: "Um... can I help you?"

???: "Sorry to bother you, but I have a question for you"

Connor: "What is it?"

Something about this girl kept me on edge. Maybe the decaying half of her face. But it felt like there was something else. Something I definitely wanted to remember, but couldn't.

???: "Wanna be my friend!!"

I stared at her blankly.

Connor: "Um... what?"

She quickly grabbed my hand and started shaking it.

???: "My name is Deidamia!! It's nice to meet you, new friend!!"

Connor: "Hold on, I didn't—"

Someone came up from behind her and pulled her off of me. The person was a pale, skinny girl. She was dressed up in all winter clothes, almost like she was ready for a blizzard. Her hair was white as snow, and her eyes were just as white.

She spoke in a very timid manner.

???: "I-I'm so sorry for Deidamia! S-She means well, sorry to disturb you"

Deidamia: "Oh come on!! I just wanted to meet the new kid!"

???: "Coming from you...."

Deidamia: "Shut up, Frostine!"

Frostine looked up at me.

Frostine: "Please forgive her, she can be a little over dramatic"

Deidamia: "You know... he kind of looks familiar. I can't put my finger on it though...."

Deidamia held up her bunny and wrapped its ears around her neck. I noticed one ear was sown back on, maybe because it was ripped off somehow.

Frostine: "Now that you mention it, he does seem familiar. Have we met before?"

Connor: "If we did, I can't remember. I don't exactly have my memories at the moment"

Frostine quickly bowed to me.

Frostine: "I'm so sorry! I-I didn't know!"

Connor: "It's okay, but if you really do know something about me, please tell me"

Frostine: "I will if I remember"

Frostine quickly grabbed Deidamia and started to drag her off.

Frostine: "It was very nice meeting you!"

Deidamia: "I definitely won't appear in your room while you sleep!"

Frostine slapped the back of Deidamia's head as they walked away. As they walked away, I noticed Frostine looked back at me for a second, with her eyes open wide. However she turned her head and kept walking.

Then, I heard July calling me.

July: "Hey Connor! Over here!!"

I quickly turned around and saw July waving to me. I walked over to her, however I could tell she was a little scared.

July: "What were you thinking?!"

Connor: "I'm not just letting them die"

July: "They're the enemy!!"

Connor: "I don't care, I won't let them die just like that. How do you even know they're the enemy?"

July: "Nanami said they are, so we trust her"

Connor: "That one girl knew who I was, I'm not letting her die. I need her"

July's whole face suddenly went smug.

July: "Someone's got a crush~"

My face grew red.

Connor: "H-Huh?! No I don't!!"

July: "I can read your emotions like a book, and you so have the hots for her!"

Connor: "I... just... I feel like I'm supposed to know her. She's the only person who knows about my past"

July: "Suuuuure~ I can tell when someone has a crush. And you have a big, fat, crush~"

I could feel my face growing even more red.

July: "But I also understand. She may be the only person who can help you, even if she is with the enemy"

Connor: "How do we even know they're with the enemy schools? They could've just been walking by and happened upon this place"

July: "Maybe... but we've had situations like this before, so I don't trust them"

Connor: "All I know is I need to fight someone and win"

July: "Then we better go get your weapon"

I could see she was trying to keep herself from fangirl screaming.

July: "I can't wait to see what it looks like!!"

July and I made our way back to the blacksmith, where Blaze was already waiting for us.

Blaze: "You're actually taking part in a Duellum!! This is the best possible outcome!"

Connor: "How exactly?"

Blaze: "You get to show off your new weapon!"

Blaze then held out a small ring. It didn't look like much. It was a pure golden ring with some purple metal mixed into it. There was a single small crystal in the center.

Connor: "That's my weapon?"

Blaze: "Oh, you'll definitely love it. Try it on!"

I slipped the ring on my right ring finger. It was a perfect fit and it felt really comfortable on my finger.

Connor: "So... what does it do?"

Blaze: "The ring itself can transform into one of five different weapons. All you have to do is tap it and say what weapon you want"

Connor: "What are the weapons?"

Blaze: "Just say mode 1-5 and see what happens"

I tapped the gem on the ring.

Connor: "Mode one!"

The ring morphed until it formed a long steel sword. The handle was gold, with a leather grip.

The sword felt perfectly balanced.

Connor: "Woah"

July: "That looks so cool!!!!"

July started drooling while looking at my sword.

Don't fucking take that out of context....

Blaze: "Try the other modes"

Connor: "I think I'll save that for the fight. If I do it now, it'll ruin the surprise"

July: "No fair!"

July pouted.

Connor: "You'll see them during the fight"

Blaze: "Oh, one last thing. Each mode has its own function. The sword can harness your demigod powers to power it up"

Connor: "Still no clue who I'm the child of"

Blaze: "Well, that doesn't really matter. You'll find out soon enough"

Later that day, it was time for Duellum. I was brought over to the large training field just on the outskirts of the school. There were bleachers on both sides, filled to the brim with students. Every single student had to be there. I was escorted to the center of the field, where I was met by Nanami.

Connor: "Wait, do I have to fight you?!"

Nanami: "Of course not, you wouldn't last a minute against me"

I looked into the bleachers, hoping to see someone I recognized. I saw July sitting in one of the bleachers closest to the center, cheering me on. I turned back to Nanami.

Connor: "So who am I fighting?"

Nanami: "They will arrive shortly"

She snapped her fingers, and in a puff of smoke, Skylar appeared in front of me.

Nanami: "You will be fighting Skylar, good luck"

———————————————————————

Okay! I promise to have a good fight next time we come back to Connor's POV, I promise!!

I wanted to put the fight in this chapter, but it would've been too much for one chapter.

I hope you all enjoyed!! I'll see you next time!!