A day to the monthly assessment.
"Are you sure this is going to work? It is not going to backfire, is it?" Derrick asked. His hand trembled slightly as he shook them, clenching and unclenching it, his eyes shifted around the cafeteria.
There are cafeterias in the Academy, and the amount of credit a student has will determine the type of food they will eat. There is also the Academy-owned cafeteria, but no one wanted to eat what looks like monster vomit.
No one but the weak and poor, and it was what Severin always ate before he took over the body, but he had taken one look at it the day before and shook his head.
Meanwhile, he had ordered Derrick to use the credit he stole from the class five students to buy them food. The lowest of the lowest job can be done by the class five, and at least they would get one credit per day that way.
"You are a bully, Derrick. Why are you afraid? This is your niche," Severin said to the fidgeting guy. He wanted to use the break between classes to cause the drama he wanted.
It was the quickest way he could think of to get Derrick to class four. He needed to show power that is comparable to the class. In an overwhelming way.
Derrick shifted uncomfortably again. It was not that he was that afraid, Severin knew. It was the inborn instincts of the weak and the strong. His opponent is strong, and Derrick should be weak.
Severin did not allow it. He snapped his fingers, and the blue halo that only he could see appeared atop Derrick. Then he ordered, "Go now."
The combination made Derrick jerk upright, and his chair screeched against the ground as he stood, drawing attention to them. He took a deep breath and clenched his fist, feeling the raw strength in his body. "Alright."
"Remember to make it as dramatic as you can, draw attention to yourself. Be the bully that you are. And, Derrick," Severin smiled, "make it as bloody as you can. It will help you."
Then he sat back and watched him go. Severin had chosen a seat where he would be able to see the whole show. The cafeteria was filled with a mixture of class four and three, and the mood was quite pleasant.
Severin was about to change that.
Derrick seemed to get more confident in himself as he walked over, passing several tables to the one he was targeting. His eyes were focused on that single table, and his intent showed in the way he moved, his fist clenched, and his face pulled together in an ugly frown.
Unconsciously, he drew eyes towards himself, and everyone turned to watch the one stupid enough to let their bloodlust and fighting intent loose in the cafeteria.
"Eh? Is that not the class five fool?"
"The one who is always trying to suck up to us class four, right? Seems he is the strongest of the class five. What a joke."
"What do you think he is up to?"
"He is probably going to bully one of those class five students again... but wait. There is no class five student here apart from that one, and he is not going towards that way."
"Eh! Do not tell me!"
Whispers spread quickly, and more and more attention turned towards Derrick. Severin saw as some of the class three students even turned to see what was going on.
Finally, Derrick reached his destination and loomed over a table, his shadow falling like a small mountain.
The table was made up of four class four students, three guys and a girl. One of the boys was a short one with yellow hair, the same one that beat Derrick that day and the one that joked about Severin's death. His name was Cole.
"Sorry, but you will be a stepping stone for one of my pawns, Cole," Severin took a sip from his drink, not taking his eyes off them at all.
"What is this bastard?" one of them sneered when they saw who it was.
"Where did you crawl out from? Shoooo, go away before we beat you. We do not have time to play with dogs."
Cole smirked. "It is you. Do you want more beating? Or are you here to apologize for your stupidity the other day?"
Derrick gritted his teeth so much that it creaked, veins appeared on his head. "Apologize? If you start begging now, then I will stop at only crushing your fingers."
The whole cafeteria was stunned. Literally paused, and the room settled into silence. A silence that did not last.
"What?!"
"I do not think I heard correctly! Did he just challenge someone with a Talent Ability higher than him?"
"Is this the new way people commit suicide?"
The cafeteria was buzzing. Students turned, shifted their chairs to get a better look at what was happening. Even the class three were looking at it with an entertained look on their faces.
It was not actually unheard of that lower class students challenge the upper class. It is actually normal, but not for class five. In fact, the class five students are also referred to as cripple, and most students hold the idea that class grouping should start from class four.
What was happening right there was nothing that had not happened before in the Academy. For a class five to challenge a class four.
Everyone knew how it was going to end.
Cole flushed, glad that Derrick was bringing him the attention he failed to get the other day in class. He stood up from his seat and pointed at him, looking up at his "opponent." "I should beg you for not crushing my fingers?
"I know you are the strongest in class five, but the difference between our classes is the biggest. It is like the difference between class one and every other class. You have really made me angry, Derrick. You have insulted me. A dog challenging me? That is so embarrassing!"
Faint blue light began to roll out of Cole as his Etherion pressure rolled out and slammed into Derrick, pushing him back a step.
Severin took another sip and muttered, "My bet is on the big guy."