Most of the old group of students were still doing their daily routine training outside. However, as usual, Raze wasn't outside as he was in the room working with Safa on improving her mana control.
He was trying to get her to improve in a number of ways and learn the tier 2 spells related to Light magic, while resting himself. After that, he could continue on and make sure she broke through to become a 3-star mage.
New students, he didn't care about that. They, the people, always existed and everything was still the same with what he had to do.
However, things were devolving rather quickly, far more than any teacher thought. The group of fifty or so Red Headband students that had passed the assessment together had finally exited the building and were now in the courtyard.
For a brief moment, the old group turned their heads to look at them, just like they would for any noise, but then continued on their way, doing nothing.
"Look at them, they're not even paying attention to us!" Opus ground his teeth. "Just because they passed the assessment the first time. I bet they think they're some type of elite. Even the academy wants us to learn from them. We are both wearing red headbands."
Violet, while training, could feel a sense of energy coming off from the side.
"Hey, don't you think that those new students are looking at us a bit strange?" Violet asked.
"Relax, we need to focus on us. Do you think we have time to bother with them? Let's just let them do their thing and we'll do ours. If we don't, then we might be dead in the next trial."
Stepping forward, Viker entered the middle of the training courtyard, and then spread his hands out wide, holding a wooden sword in one of his hands.
"We are the new Red Headband group!" Viker shouted. "We have come here on a different path from the rest of you. We weren't part of the original assessment, but just like all of you, we worked hard, trained hard every day, to the point where we both earned this."
Viker was pointing at his headband, and he paused for a moment to see if the others were listening to him. The new students were glued to him, but the old group looked disinterested.
"I wish to get rid of that prejudgment and prove to you all that we are deserving of this place!" Viker shouted again, and the new students cheered with excitement.
Mada, listening to all of this, was just shaking his head.
"The new guys are a bit sensitive, right? I wonder, were we like that as well? Were we thinking that everyone was looking down at us, and at every corner, we had to prove ourselves again and again. That last trial, it really did change us. Those things look stupid now, even though it was only a few months ago."
Ricktor agreed, more so than ever, but didn't say anything.
"Which is why, I want to challenge one of you to prove our strength in a friendly spar. Which one of you here is the strongest and willing to accept my challenge!" Viker shouted.
Everyone fell quiet, waiting for an answer, but there was no response, just the sound of several strikes being heard, mainly from Liam and Simyon in the back.
"Are you really ignoring us!" Viker shouted so loud a vein was extending out of the side of his head.
"Hey, I think his eyes are mainly looking at you," Mada smirked. "Are you going to ignore him? If you keep doing so, then he might do something even more drastic, maybe you should just go out there and teach him a lesson."
"Why would I do such a thing?" Ricktor replied. "Would I fight against a child that is throwing a fit? That is what this looks like in my eyes, and besides, he asked for the strongest, and I'm not the strongest, am I?"
Viker was running out of options as to what to do. He didn't want to just start attacking the students out of the blue, especially a main disciple. He wanted to beat them in a fair fight to prove himself or it would mean nothing, but none of them were engaging.
In the middle of his ramblings, another student from the old group, one with white hair, walked through, and went toward one of the pillars. As he walked past the other students, each of them could hear his pained breathing.
Finally, Raze, ignoring everything around him, grabbed his sword, and struck down at the pillar once again, waiting for his time as he rested.
"What the… what the heck!" Opus couldn't help but place his palm on his face and shake his head.
"What is that? Why is he still in the Red Headband students if he's like that? Did he become a cripple from one of the assessments?" Opus had seen Raze during the assessment, so he knew he had some skill, but this, what was this?
Someone who couldn't produce two strikes in a row? Or even combine a foot movement with a strike.
"Hey, someone like you, you don't deserve to wear the red headband!" Opus called out as he moved forward. He saw this, maybe it was an opportunity for him to do the same as what Viker was trying to do.
However, Raze ignored him and went on to strike the pillar again.
"If you really think you're deserving of the red headband, then why don't you fight me in a duel, huh? If you win, I'll leave you alone," Opus said, but there was no response again. "Are you listening to me?"
In the middle of his break, Raze glanced behind, looking at Opus, and shook his head. Since Raze still was unable to speak, that was all he had done.
"What the F*CK, you won't even talk to me, a no-name, and now a cripple is doing this. Just because you're part of the old group you think you can look down on us!"
"Kick his arse, these guys have it coming, and it's just a no-
name, you can't get in trouble for that!"
The new students were cheering him on. They felt like they were united, while the others were fractured, and with their strength in unity, they were far stronger than the others, even with the main disciples, of which there were only two now.
Opus moved forward, and when he did, he grabbed Raze's arm, pulling him around so he could face him. Immediately, Raze's face changed in an instant. His heart was pumping as he felt another person touch him.
The expression on his face had completely changed as the sword was held in his hand.
'I already told you no, and then you go and touch me! When will you people ever learn.' Raze's sword was raised, he knew he still didn't have the strength to operate a full strike, but he could do something else.
The magic started to gather around the edge of the wooden sword, and as it swung across Opus' chest, it slashed a deep cut against him, slicing through his wooden sword.
Blood was gushing out from the loud cut, and the power of the single strike was strong, with the added Qi he could muster, to the point where Opus fell to the ground. But at the same time, Raze himself fell to one knee.
'I pushed myself a little too hard.'
Looking at the sight, Viker's eyes lit up. This was perhaps the opportunity he needed, an excuse to start a scuffle.
"That student, he just attacked my sworn brother, no, he just tried to kill him, everyone, get him!" Viker shouted.
The new students were ready as they charged in. They would see one of the old group get beaten to the point of near death. No one would come to this person's aid, and then they would move onto the others.
Right when Viker and the others charged in though, a sword came swinging down, hitting him right on his shoulder, pushing him to his feet. The other students were seen flying in the air, being pushed back and were already on the ground.
Multiple of them were moaning all in pain. In an instant, the moment they had charged in to attack, all of those in the old group, Tinson, Joe, Violet, Mada, Ricktor, Simyon, Liam, and Dame had come in, and pushed back all of the new students in a simple strike.
'I didn't even see his attack!' Viker thought as he looked up, holding onto his shoulder. He guessed a few bones had broken.
"No one is allowed to touch him," Simyon shouted. "All of you back off, and let him do as he wishes."
"If you guys even try to attack him, we will deal with you!" Tinson shouted.
"Why, why are you all protecting that no-name! Why the heck would you all get involved, I was just going to get punishment for my sworn brother!" Viker shouted. "Who is that guy?"
Viker was looking over; Opus still wasn't moving. He was quite a skilled Pagna warrior, but he was caught off guard by a strange attack. Now though, the white-haired student was standing back up and just as if nothing happened, he turned around, and continued to whack the pole again.
"That guy?" Ricktor said with a smile. "Is the one person no one should ever try to mess with while in this academy, that guy, is the White Dragon."
