"Y-You!! You motherf*cker!"
Liam staggered to his feet, his face a brilliant shade of red. Whether from my punch or the humiliation of being knocked down in front of everyone, I couldn't tell. Maybe both.
"You motherf*cking attention hog!!"
He lunged at me without hesitation, all thought of dignity forgotten in his rage. Perfect.
"Phew~"
In that moment, I activated Lunacy. Not like before in the training capsule - this time I focused it inward, channeling it only to enhance my vision. No purple aura appeared; no one would notice anything except my eyes taking on a slight purple tinge.
Time seemed to slow as I watched his attack unfold. Every detail became crystal clear - the way his face contorted with anger, his amateur footwork, the trembling in his fist as he swung. After facing a pseudo-fallen level monster, this display seemed almost... cute.
I kept my hands in my pockets, watching him with casual interest. His movements were like an open book - telegraphed, obvious, amateur. Compared to the creatures I'd faced in Paradise, he might as well have been moving in slow motion.
-Sweep
His fist cut through the air with all the force he could muster. A simple bend at the waist was all it took to dodge. But why stop there? I extended my right leg into his path, not even bothering to remove my hands from my pockets.
"Gahh-"
Liam went down hard, face-first into the ground. The impact made a satisfying thud, and his face turned an even deeper shade of red. The embarrassment was clearly getting to him.
Behind me, Julia's giggle rang out like a bell, adding salt to Liam's wounded pride. I could practically see the steam rising from his ears.
-Shiiiiing
The sound of steel sliding against steel cut through the air as Liam drew his training sword. His eyes had taken on a wild, unfocused look. The humiliation had pushed him over the edge.
"Hey!! Using weapons outside of sparing is prohibited!" Julia's laughter turned to alarm. Her voice carried genuine concern - and for good reason.
Training swords weren't toys. Though designed for practice, they were sharp enough to take down low-grade monsters. Using them outside designated areas was strictly forbidden. Breaking that rule could get you expelled, no questions asked.
"Shut up, bitch!" .net
Liam was beyond caring about rules now. The rational part of his brain had checked out, replaced by pure, undiluted rage. He charged at me, sword raised high.
'Pathetic bastard.'
Even armed, he posed no real threat. His swordsmanship was nonexistent - all wild swings and brute force, no technique or skill. Still, this gave me a perfect opportunity to test Lunacy against a living opponent. I hadn't activated the future sight aspect yet, but the enhanced vision alone was incredible.
I studied his movements carefully, finally removing my hands from my pockets. His right hand, gripping the sword with white knuckles, would be my target.
The blade whistled through the air toward me. I waited patiently, timing my move. When the sword was just two inches from my face, I struck. A quick, precise hit to his forearm.
-Arhh!
A yelp of pain, and the sword clattered to the ground. Liam stumbled backward, clutching his arm. The weapon had hardly left his hand before I was moving again.
Seriously! How could someone so weak be so confident? The students these days really were getting soft.
"That's right, professor, Levi hit Liam."
Their voices overlapped, a chorus of protest and accusation filling the space. However, standing beside Levi, Julia stepped forward, interrupting the cacophony of complaints.
"That's a lie, Instructor!" Julia's voice rang out, firm and unwavering. "They started picking fight with us first and that guy even took out his weapon. Levi only responded in kind."
Julia's assertion echoed in the tense silence, finding support in the form of Toby, who stood by her side.
"That's right! Levi didn't use a weapon either."
Together, they reinforced the truth of the situation, emphasizing that Levi had acted in self-defense without resorting to the use of a weapon.
Professor Vake looked at Liam who was sprawled on the ground and at Levi standing without fear, back and forth.
Internally, he pondered the events that had unfolded before his arrival. 'He was able to disarm that boy with bare hand in such a situation? That too a freshman did that without incurring any injuries?'
He looked at Levi intensely.
He had seen the boy in their first class - he didn't seem much remarkable, but that's what exactly caught his attention. In the academy where every student is trying to standout, this boy had avoided even using his abilities on the training session.
'Intresting...'
There are only two reason as to why a person would try to hide his abilities in the Favored Ones academy - One, they had something deeper to hide or their abilities were simply useless.
Professor Vale had a strong feeling that it wasn't the later but he didn't have any concrete evidence to his thoughts - it was just a thought.
Professor Vale made a mental note to keep an eye on Levi and concentrated on the situation at hand.
Breaking the silence, he directed his attention toward Liam's henchmen, his voice cutting through the tension like a sharpened blade.
"You there, take the knocked-out student to the infirmary immediately."
Turning his gaze back to Levi, Professor Vale's tone held a cryptic edge as he uttered, "And you, Levias Drake? right, come to my office after classes."
With those enigmatic words, Professor Vale strode away without further explanation, leaving Levi to contemplate the weight of his summons.
Toby, concerned for his friend's well-being, approached Levi cautiously, his voice filled with worry.
"Hey, Levi. Will you be okay?"
Levi paused for a moment, uncertainty clouding their thoughts.
"Probably... "
Even he doesn't know what Professor Vale is thinking, so he couldn't anticipate anything. But he doesn't think that Professor Vale would go as far as expelling a student for a minor misstep.... right?
Regardless, there was no point in dwelling on the events that had already transpired. What was done was done, and Levi needed to focus on moving forward.
"What the hell! Those bastards were trying to frame us? Disgusting!" Julia's anger still simmered, her frustration evident as she voiced her contempt for Liam's henchmen.
---***---