Think...think... what could his power be??? His cane is reacting very oddly to the environment. From how he's holding it, it shouldn't weigh more than two kilograms. Even with his mana infused, it should only be able to stop an animal that weighs ten to fifteen kilograms.
After seeing what Malena is capable of, there is no way it could hold her down. The mana must be acting somewhere else... He must be messing with our bodies. The only way that would be possible with his current core level is that...
He must have a myth assigned to his core !! That must be it. That's why I found his calligraphy so off-putting. He's faking it. That's the only logical explanation for what's happening!
Now... what could it be?
"This man... he's destroying their confidence before attacking them. A classic way of ensuring you have the psychological advantage when in a fight." The voice that had already helped Alex once was making another move.
What are you talking about? I don't have time for jokes about insults or confidence. If he catches me, we're all dead. Alex's mind was racing, trying to put the pieces together.
"Look, if he had the power to attack all of you at once, he would have done it. He wouldn't have taken the time to speak to each person individually, and he sure as hell wouldn't have known such insignificant details about a child's life."
Now that you say it like that, it's true that his cane started glowing each time he badmouthed them. He hasn't conjured any element yet. This looks like one of the stories that I read in one of the books that Uncle Theodorus left for Malena.
The story was about a god who always criticised everyone around him. Everyone was tired of him, but they couldn't do anything about it. One day, he made the mistake of criticising the king of the gods and got himself banished from their holy kingdom.
That story matches his style. He acts all mighty, but he got kicked out of the Lord's court less than a year ago.
Why am I thinking about this right now? Am I losing it?
"I know this story. It's called the myth of Momus. The god who criticised Zeus and was kicked out of Mount Olympus for it. This tale has always reminded me that there are some people whose egos you cannot afford to bruise. It kept my arrogance in check during my glory days in France."
Zeus? Mount Olympus? And did you say France? So you know it? I'll ask more later. Since we both have the same story, even if we're not from the same country. It must be known enough to be a mythical grade at least. It must be fuelling his power. That's his myth.
"I don't understand what you're rambling about, boy. But you'd better find a solution real quick, he's getting closer."
"So! The great intellectual, Alexander Starlight! You've managed to pass all your classes without a drop of mana. However, you can only go so far as a Static. Xander's word stung, but Alex had his eyes locked on the cane; it glowed once more and bolted to Alex's wrist. Pulling him down to the ground.
"Have you gone senile? Why are you smiling, you pig?" Xander began to sense that something was wrong.
The cane is still imbued with this disgusting oil-filled ink. It started pulling me down harder and harder after latching onto me. If it were just weight, the force pulling me down would have been constant, not exponential and my wrists would have been crushed. My muscles must be failing me much faster than they should.
Alex started recalling how the interaction went last time. Alex was being held down by the cane, and it felt lighter at the end when he pushed with all he had.
The cane pulled me less last time, when I decided to fight back, when I accepted my condition as a Static.
"Tell me, Xander... Word is that you decided to leave the dais on your own accord? Is that really true?" Alex's voice wasn't fake confidence; as he spoke those words, he was sure he would win.
"Hmmm? What are you talking about?" Xander clenched his ink sac, ready to conjure an element.
"I know what really happened. You were cast out because of how useless you were." Alex started to get up, as if the cane holding him down was made of dried-out bark.
"It was inevitable, really, the only thing you're good at is criticizing people. But what have you made yourself? We've known you for five years, and all you've done is destroy!" Alex was now standing tall.
He broke free from the wooden handcuffs with ease under Malena's startled eyes.
"I found it odd that you'd stoop so low as to demand rent in advance, even for you. This was out of place. You're desperate, aren't you? There's something else you're not telling us."
Xander's anger was palpable in the air. He grabbed his ink and conjured a fire arrow. Alex recognized the pattern easily and dodged it with a simple step to the side.
What a blunder...
Once launched, that spell was fast and stronger than the firebolt, but the caster couldn't adjust the angle after starting the cast. It had to materialize the bow before launching the arrow, giving a wary enemy enough time to dodge it by stepping out of the blast radius.
"I know who you really are." Alex's words filled the whole place, and an uncanny silence had replaced the sounds of magic spells and metal armor.
...
...
...
"It's over... Momus!" Shouted Alex.
Those words didn't just shake Xander's world; they shattered it. His eyes betrayed him; he was frantically searching for a solution. For the first time in years, Alex and his team had the advantage.
"Do you think you've won just because you've figured out my power? It's too late, I'll kill you with one spell and get rid of the others! After all, you're still a sta..." Within his panic, he didn't process that Alex was right in front of him. Alex's fist made contact with his face as he was finishing his sentence.
"Yes! I'm a static! And I don't need your filthy ink to make a place for myself! I'll forge my own path!" Alex jumped over Xander and started punching him. He knew that if he could knock him out, he would set Malena and his parents free. All those years of compensating for his lack of mana with physical strength were finally paying off.
His punches didn't stop. He kept punching while blood was coming out of his knuckles.
After what seemed like an eternity, Alex heard his mother telling him to stop. Xander's myth had finally worn off.
"My poor baby! I was so scared." Zora hugged her boy;tears falling down her cheeks, it was as if she hadn't just fought with the might of a hundred men.
"Good job, Alex. I always knew that I could count on you." Said Herald while holding his son by the shoulders.
"Come here, Malena. You were great too, you're going to have to teach me a thing or two when we have the time," Zora invited Malena to their group hug. The air finally felt light again, and the birds were chirping to their hearts' content.
"YOU! FUCKING! ANIMALS!" A scream tore down the moment that had just begun. "DO YOU THINK THIS IS OVER? I WILL NEVER LET THIS GO THROUGH! IF I DESTROY THE LIBRARY, THEY'LL GIVE ME MORE TIME! IT'S OKAY, I'M GONNA MAKE IT!" Xander was barely standing, his face was puffed and bleeding from all the punches that he had taken.
The fight wasn't over yet...