Absolute Counterspell? Yeah, Right! (8k watchers)

The 8k deviantart raffle winner th1rt's idea!

It was the yearly festival of graduation where all the apprentice mages from every academy from around the country. The apprentice mages compete in one-on-one duels against each other in tournament-style brackets.

Winning a bracket means you graduated and would be granted the title of rank C mage. Which allowed the mages to begin studying higher forms of magic and going on adventures as part of a party.

Losing means they have to go back to their academy for another year, which happens to most of the mages, as only about ten thousand graduate every year, most of whom have participated in at least three tournaments before winning.

It is rare, but a first-time participant can win, and Pruzax was confident he was going to be one of them. He was bragging back at his academy about winning on his first try and continued to brag once he got to the festival.

To be fair, he was about five years younger than most of the mages who are allowed to participate and was one of only two students that age completing this year. So it was obvious he was quite skilled and gifted in magic, which clearly went to his head.

Once the tournament began, most of his opponents were people he bragged to and were dying to teach who they thought was a snot-nosed punk a lesson; however, Pruzax was more than capable of backing up his boasting.

Pruzax had one spell he developed himself, which he called Absolute Counterspell. It’s capable of working on all known types of magic from all directions. It does use a lot of mana, but Pruzax had large amounts of mana as well as excellent mana control.

That allows him to suck mana from nearby people, animals, and plants to replenish his own. So in battles all he needed to do was to keep Absolute Counterspell cast and watch as his opponents cast spells that ultimately get used on them.

If somehow his opponents managed to dodge all of their own attacks, they’d be out of mana eventually, and Pruzax would use that time to take them out with a powerful spell. Duel after duel, Pruzax sent his opponents flying.

With only one more battle until he officially earns his celebration. All he had to do was beat some girl named Uro. He waited for her to come onto the field and face the fact that she wasn’t graduating this year. Pruzax was expecting the normal type of apprentice, one like the ones he’d already beaten.

However, by some twist of fate. Uro, his next opponent was the other mage who was his age. She was small and looked nervous. She seemed weak and pathetic, and Pruzax couldn’t sense much mana coming from her.

He couldn’t tell how she had managed to get into the tournament, never mind beat all her previous opponents. Pruzax knew this wasn’t going to go well for her, so to taunt her, he told her she could have one free attack before he cast Absolute Counterspell.

Uro asked him if he was sure, as she said that would be a big mistake. He confidently nodded and waited for her to attack. Uro shrugged and then pointed her staff at him. Pruzax was waiting to see what she did.

He knew since she didn’t have much mana, she likely drew some from the area around her. So she’d do that first, then she’d start funneling it into a spell, which was when he’d figure out her specialty.

The process, while seeming fast to weak mages and incredibly fast for non-magic users, was actually quite slow for powerful mages like Pruzax, so he truly wasn't worried about the type of spell she'd end up using; he’d simply use a teleport spell to dodge.

Uro then took a deep breath and in less than a second she had collected a massive amount of mana and shot out a huge ball of fire without the need for a casting circle. Pruzax had managed to feel the quick spike in mana and used his teleport spell.

However, the speed and size of the fireball made it still hit him and as he came out of teleporting, he was thrown across the ground, which at least put the fire out. Pruzax picked himself up and groaned; he wasn’t used to being hit, and it was quite painful.

Uro looked panicked on the other side of the field and apologized to Pruzax for going so rough on the first blast. Pruzax brushed himself off and looked at her. He shook his head and apologized for not taking her seriously.

She was clearly powerful in her own way, with her own unique abilities. He was sure this could be an amazing duel if they both put their all into it. However, he was more focused on graduating, so he was going to cast his Absolute Counterspell now.

Uro looked at Pruzax for a moment and then lowered her staff. She said she was interested in seeing it so she’d give him time to cast it. Pruzax felt his eye twitch as he was a bit insulted; even with how fast she can cast spells, he didn’t need her to do that.

However, he wanted to graduate so any advantage he could use, he would. He took his staff and drew mana from around him in order to preserve his own. He then slammed his staff down and a casting circle appeared under his feet.

A wall of magic came up around him and created a dome. Pruzax smiled and told Uro she was free to hit him with everything she had. Uro nodded and said she’d give him a stronger spell this time. She raised her staff and pointed at him again.

Like the first time Pruzax sensed her go from having nearly no mana to even more mana than he had stored. She then used all of it in an instant, creating a strong beam of lightning that struck his Absolute Counterspell. Pruzax smiled as Uro’s spell was absorbed and then cast back at her.

Pruzax was actually a little worried for Uro, as he thought her own spell would kill her; however, yet again, Uro turned out to be quite surprising. Using her free hand, she lifted it up and absorbed her own spell, converting it back into mana and releasing it into the air around her.

Uro then looked at Pruzax, puzzled, and Pruzax found himself doing the same. Both of them were analyzing the other wondering what they should do. Uro needed something that could cause his spell to fail, while Pruzax needed a moment to attack.

Normally that moment came when his opponent ran out of energy, which Uro didn’t have to worry about, so he needed a new strategy. For Uro, she just needed to understand how the spell worked. Whoever figured it out first was likely to win.

Uro stopped looking puzzled and smiled. She told Pruzax that she knew how to beat his counterspell. Pruzax scoffed and said he doubted it. Uro shrugged and said he was about to find out. She then lifted her staff and prepared her next spell.

Pruzax wondered what she’d use, another attack spell or something else. Either way, Pruzax had studied all known types of magic to make his spell, and it was capable of reflecting everything and could never fail.

Uro collected mana, which confused Pruzax, as this time it wasn’t that much. She then cast the spell, but Pruzax didn’t see anything come from her staff. Pruzax kept looking, wondering what she had done, when he felt something hit the dome of Absolute Counterspell.

He couldn't see it but he knew it was there; he also knew it had passed right through. Pruzax panicked as he couldn’t dodge it without letting his spell cancel out. It hit him and immediately he felt his entire body starting to move, as if it was reshaping itself.

Pruzax had no idea what was going on; he’d never read anything about a spell like this. He looked down and after a moment of watching, he could have sworn it looked like his waist was getting slimmer. As he watched it, something came flowing down the sides of his head.

He looked at them and it turned out to be long, curly pink hair. He followed it up and found it was attached to his head. Pruzax previously had short red hair, so this wasn’t normal. Was this what her spell did? Transform his waist and hair? Had it not been used on him, he’d be impressed.

Transformation magic has never been effectively created and always created problems when used. However, Uro was able to use it without said problems. Pruzax let out a sigh and said that this wasn’t enough to beat him.

Uro chuckled and told him the spell wasn’t done and when it was done she’d be winning their battle. Pruzax raised an eyebrow but then felt something heavy on his chest. He looked down and nearly started yelling when he saw two bumps poking out the top of his robes.

Pruzax moved his hand up and touched one of them while firmly keeping his other hand on his staff, which he needed to maintain his spell. Pruzax started yelling once he touched it and confirmed the large growing lump was indeed a breast.

Pruzax started yelling at Uro and asking her what the hell kind of spell she had used. She smiled and said it was a gender transformation spell, one her master had created and used on her when she started training under him.

Pruzax's eyes twitched even more as he started to stutter. He asked if she seriously used a spell on him to turn him into a girl. She nodded, and then he followed up by asking why. She chuckled and said he’d find out soon.

Pruzax was really nervous now and had no idea what was coming until it started to come. He felt his manhood start to tingle and knew it was about to be replaced. Without thinking, Pruzax let go of his staff and moved both his hands down to his crotch.

Pruzax’s staff fell to the ground and her Absolute Counterspell dissolved. Pruzax was now holding her crotch, completely embarrassed about being turned into a girl, which left her completely defenseless, and Uro was already taking advantage of that.

Uro raised her staff, collected mana again, and used a wind spell to blow Pruzax out of bounds so far he was in the next battlefield when he landed. The sorcerer in charge of the battle deemed Uro the winner. Uro cheered for herself, then ran over to Pruzax to check on her.

Uro helped Pruzax up and said that was pretty fun. Pruzax still managed to push back her embarrassment in order to congratulate Uro on her victory and finding a way to break through her counterspell.

Pruzax then said that she’ll have to rework her spell in order to prevent transformation spells, which might be hard since, as far as she knew, Uro was the only one who had one. Uro said they were all her masters and that she had hundreds.

Pruzax was amazed to hear that and sort of relieved, as that meant Uro should have a spell to turn her back. So she asked Uro to cast it. Uro suddenly looked nervous and started to rub the back of her head. Pruzax asked her what the hold-up was, and Uro revealed the truth.

She only knew how to use that spell because her master used it on her to help motivate her into working harder. Uro also said his master promised to teach her transformation spells once she graduated, so as of now she only knows how to turn people into girls.

Pruzax’s jaw fell open, and she asked Uro what she was supposed to do then. Uro shrugged and said she had no idea, but she could take Pruzax to meet her master, who would have been watching their match. Pruzax nodded and followed alongside her to go meet him.

Once they got to him, Uro’s master imminently scolded her for using his magic. He then told her he’d have a punishment for her later, which made Uro hold her chest and look nervous. Uro apologized and then asked her master to turn Pruzax back into a guy.

Her master looked at Pruzax and refused. Pruzax was shocked to hear this and asked why not. He said it was because Pruzax was wasting her talents at the academy she was training at. Pruzax didn’t even know what to say to that.

Uro’s master then said Pruzax had amazing gifts just like Uro, but the academy didn’t know how to help grow that. He told Pruzax that had she trained with him, she’d be even stronger than Uro. Pruzax couldn’t even begin to picture it; being able to use magic like Uro would be incredible.

Uro’s master then made Pruzax an offer. Since his last apprentice was now a mage, he’d take Pruzax as his new one, and he’d train her like he did Uro, and then once she graduates, he’ll start to teach Pruzax about transformation magic.

Pruzax immediately said yes, as this wasn't something she could turn down. Uro’s master told her to wait, though, as there was a condition. Pruzax would have to stay as a girl, even if Uro learns how to turn her back. Pruzax would have to stay a girl until she learns how to turn herself back.

Pruzax looked at Uro, who was clearly embarrassed about it, and Pruzax could tell this was all serious. It was quite the sacrifice in order to become a more powerful mage, yet the answer was still clear to Pruzax.

She had to go back to somewhere and train for another year anyway, and it seemed Uro’s master wasn’t going to turn her back, so her best bet to get stronger and one day become a boy again was to agree to his terms and become his next apprentice. Which Pruzax did, embarrassed and excited for what’s to come.