Isekai'd Into The Wrong World-Chapter 94: Ch - Where Twelve Stand

Ryan’s throat tightened. "They’ll be here."

"Dawn will be here momentarily," Vera said. Her tone wasn’t rude, but it was serious. "If your sixth doesn’t arrive by first light, you forfeit."

Ryan looked to the east. No sunrise yet—but close.

Where are they?

James stepped closer. "Ryan—"

"They’ll be here," Ryan said. He had to believe it. Ryan looked down at the gemstone in his hand.

They have to come...

A sudden burst of flame caught his eye.

Academy staff, mostly groundskeepers but also instructors—were at the edges of the arena where large stone goblets sat atop short pillars, each one positioned inbetween every single one of the twelve statues.

One by one, the staff poured black tar into the goblets and then lit them with magic.

The flames leapt to life despite the rain. Each goblet had a small stone overhang—it was just enough to shield the fire from being snuffed out while still letting light spill across the arena floor.

Twelve points of flickering light shone through the gloom.

The mist glowed faintly orange where the firelight touched it, creating a magical, yet daunting shifting illumination across the fighting ground.

Ryan stared at the flames. They did little to cut through the fog—visibility was still terrible but at least they marked where the boundaries were. Showed where the sacred circle began and ended.

"It is quite atmospheric, do the Gods approve?" Jeremy who had a grin plastered across his face, nudged Marcus with his elbow.

"Of course they do," Marcus said seriously.

James said nothing. His face was back to being as lifeless as the stone statues themselves.

Ryan couldn’t see the crowd anymore—which was probably a good thing—but many more students and civilians from the city had gathered, all eagerly awaiting the bout. The wooden stands were nearly full—nobles, instructors and rich students were all seated and waiting. Arcturus was somewhere there too.

Although Ryan couldn’t see them, he could hear their voices. How the crowd was... excited. They thought of this as a fun way to pass their time, not a fight to the death between young knights.

His stomach churned.

"How long until dawn?" Jeremy asked. His earlier enthusiasm had dimmed. He looked worried now. But that wasn’t because of the coming fight, but because their sixth competitor hadn’t arrived yet.

"Soon," James said quietly.

Ryan turned back to where he believed was the direction he came. Searching the fog for any sign of movement.

The rain continued its steady rhythm. Pattering against metal. Drumming on the wooden stands. Hissing where it met the fires.

And then—

Footsteps.

They were rushed and heavy. The distinct sound of armoured boots squelching as they ran through mud.

The five trialists turned.

A figure emerged from the mist.

Fully armoured, the visor was down and they were moving with a rushed panic.

Ryan’s breath caught.

They came.

The figure approached quickly, cutting through the fog. Rain pattered against their steel—a metallic rhythm distinct from the softer sounds around them.

As they drew closer, Ryan noticed details he’d missed the last time they had met.

The armour was quite plain, sure, quite similar to what he wore. But on the center of the breastplate, etched faintly, was a tree.

Not a grand oak or burning phoenix. Just a simple, peaceful, brown tree.

The knight carried a mace and a round shield.

They stopped in front of Captain Vera, out of breath.

"My apologies," the muffled voice said. "I’m late."

Vera’s expression didn’t change. "You’re cutting it close. Dawn is moments away."

"I know. I’m sorry."

"Your name?"

The knight hesitated. "I cannot give it."

"That’s fine, your tier is all I need." Vera reached for their gauntlet.

The knight extended their arm.

Vera removed the knight’s gauntlet with rushed efficiency, she needed the trialists ready before dawn broke.

A hand emerged from the gauntlet. It was soft and slender. Small compared to the armoured glove that had concealed it.

Ryan stared at the hand.

Is the mystery knight... a woman? ...Not like there’s anything wrong with that. I just can’t remember seeing many woman knights around this place.

Vera placed her fingers against the exposed wrist. Her eyes closed.

A moment passed. Although Ryan couldn’t see the person’s face, he could still tell that the mystery knight looked... nervous.

Then: "You pass."

The moment Vera released her hand, the knight immediately put the gauntlet back on.

"All members of the Trial have arrived," Vera announced, her voice carrying across the arena. She pointed to opposite sides of the circle. "Accusers—take the right side. Accused—take the left side. Take your positions."

Ryan’s team moved right. Navius’s team moved left.

The distance between the two groups widened as they approached the edges of each side of the arena. Thirty paces. Forty. Fifty.

The mist swirled around Ryan as he walked through it.

Ryan lost sight of Navius’s team through the fog. The last thing he saw of them was the glint of red armour catching the firelight.

They reached their designated position, close to one of the statues, and stopped.

The arena floor stretched before them. Packed dirt was turned to slick mud by two days of rain. Puddles reflected the flickering firelight. The mist rolled across it in slow, ghostly waves.

Visibility here was abysmal.

Ryan could make out the two fighters closest to him—James on his left, Marcus on his right. Beyond them, vague silhouettes. Jared somewhere to James’s left. Jeremy and the mystery knight were just past Marcus in the fog.

The fires burned in their stone goblets. A God’s statue loomed above them—silent, judging and ancient.

Rain pattered against Ryan’s helmet. Against his pauldrons. Against the mud at his feet.

The crowd had gone quiet.

Ryan’s heart pounded in his ears. Each beat loud and distinct.

Breathe in... Breathe out.

He tried to calm himself down.

But he couldn’t.

His hands gripped his sword tightly. The white-green blade felt heavier now than it had moments ago.

Then suddenly, James rushed to unclasp his helmet. He threw it to the floor, and bent over.

The sound of retching cut through the rain.

James vomited into the mud. His whole body shaking.

He straightened slowly, wiping his mouth with the back of his gauntlet.

"Sorry," James muttered.

Ryan’s own stomach lurched in sympathy. Bile rose up his throat but he barely managed to swallow it down.

"If you’re going to throw up, aim that way," Ryan said, gesturing vaguely in Jared’s direction. "I don’t want to slip in it during the fight."

James let out a shaky laugh despite his condition. "Noted."

Marcus glanced at them both but said nothing. His expression was calm, lacking the religious vigour that it usually had every other time Ryan was with him.

The mystery knight stood silent and still.

A statue among statues.

Jared’s voice came from somewhere to the left, muffled by his helmet. "Is it starting soon?"

No one answered.

Ryan looked toward the East, or where he thought was East. He had lost track of where he was exactly. The mist was thicker in the arena.

The sky was lighter now. Black turned to dark grey at the edges.

Dawn was edging the horizon.

Captain Vera’s voice rang out.

"Combatants of the Trial of Twelve!"

Every head turned toward her, whether they could see her or not. Vera stood at the edge of the circle, elevated slightly on a raised mound of dirt Ryan hadn’t noticed before.

"You stand before the gods themselves," Vera continued. "Twelve witnesses to divine judgment. This Trial will determine the truth. The accused claims innocence. The accusers claim guilt. Combat will decide."

She paused to take in a long breath.

"The rules are simple: fight until one side yields or cannot continue. Yielding and killing is permitted. Once a fighter yields, falls unconscious or exits the arena, they are removed from combat and may not rejoin."

Ryan put his gauntlet to his heart, trying to stop his chest from imploding.

"There are no other restrictions," Vera said. "Use your weapons. Use your magic. Use the very environment that surrounds you! The Gods shall judge which party is wrong, and will deliver their verdict."

Silence. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

The rain fell.

The fires crackled.

"When I give the command," Vera continued, "you shall begin."

A fallen branch cracked under someone’s foot.

A creak came from the wooden stands.

Ryan’s eyes looked through the claustrophobic slit in his helm. He saw James, he was locked onto the fog ahead of him. Marcus, who was on the other side of Ryan, held his shield up, and his long dagger pointed forward into the fog.

Apart from the two beside them, all Ryan’s eyes could find were the mist, the mud under his feet, and the water that trickled down his helmet.

The uneasy silence lingered on for a while.

Then, Vera raised her hand.

"Combatants!"

Ryan’s sword shot up.

Every single muscle in his body, from his head to his toe, turned as stiff as a corpse.

"BEGIN!"