It was early March and only a single day was left until the annual School Tournament would start. Everyone from the ninth grade and above could attend, thus this would be the first year that Quin and his classmates would join the Tournament.
Though there was not much time left, Quin usually did not focus on his training, only did what was compulsory, just like today. Finishing his exercises he hurried once again, to meet with Aline but was stopped by Leyn midway.
“Wait, wait! Seriously, these days you can’t even spare a minute of yours on me?” she asked a bit disappointed.
“Ah, sorry, I had a lot of thing recently,” Quin answered.
“Like meeting your new girlfriend? That’s all you do nowadays.” She sighed dejectedly and Quin only returned a slightly embarrassed look. “Without spending time with a friend, you slowly stop being a friend with them... You know, in the past months you acted somewhat strange, not like you used to be... What was that a few weeks ago with Mang?”
“Nothin’ much, he just thinks too highly of himself,” Quin replied without the slightest hesitation.
“Just because his element? Don’t you think it’s wrong to look down on someone because of it?” she asked, this time a bit concerned, as well as sad.
“Oh, you don’t have to worry just because you’ve got a simple water element, though it’s an average one, they’re at least quite useful for healing.”
“That’s not the issue! The problem is that you started to act like you’re superior just because you have lightning for your element,” she said.
“Hmm? But I am superior, and lightning itself is superior. Just like Aline and Alinor, look at them both of them were born to a noble family and not only have they good talent, but great, unique elements. While I am not a noble myself, but my talent and element is way superior than anyone else,” Quin proudly explained to her.
“Your strength may be greater than others, but that’s not the only value a human has... And now you’re just acting... Arrogant! You know, at first I was really happy for you as your friend, because I’ve seen what you’ve achieved through hard work since your childhood, but now... I’m not sure anymore. I started to think that you getting that lightning element only made things worse. Are you honestly that certain that you’re so much superior? Do you remember where you started? A kid who hated all those things, training and exercises and I’m not saying that was a good thing. I’m only trying to tell you that it’s not only strength that matters. You were the same person before, only with a different point of view and though someone whom you’d look down now, yet still, here you are.
“Besides, you can call them simple and average elements, but people with them are needed just as much as your type. Without the people with earth element, who do you think would build our houses or the wall defending the city? Without the water element users, what would happen to the sick and injured? Each of them has their own place in our society and all of us are the same humans, only with different elements, just like we’ve got different hair color,” she said. It made her quite sad seeing Quin like this, and felt that it is her responsibility to try explain and convince him.
“You were happy as my friend? To me you doesn’t look like one! All of this nonsense you say, only make you look like miserable, like you’re just jealous of my accomplishments! But I’ve got more important things to do than argue with a so-called friend who’s sad that I’ve got such a good element!” he snorted and left, looking quite annoyed.
“Huh? Wait! That’s totally not what I’ve been saying!” she answered confused, trying to make Quin listen to her, to fix things up but without any success as he did not pay any mind to her and disappeared after a few moments.
The next day the annual tournament began, starting with the group matches. Each groups had five students of the same grade and each of them had to fight with others. Afterwards, only the ones at the first and second position in the group could continue.
There had already been a couple of turns and because there was not only a single stage for the kids but multiple, all of the group matches would be expected to end on the very first day.
Quin and the bunch sat next to each other talking, while waiting for their names to be called. Alinor and Dreon had already finished and won one fight, while the other were not called in yet.
Quin had naturally checked with whom he shared a group -- he had not been worried though, only curious. He did find out that Mang was among them, but did not pay much attention to the fact.
Minutes and hours passed, and most of them had already finished two or three fights, it was only Quin with a single one done. He did not have to wait for too much: in a few minutes he was called onto the stage, this time against Mang. After walking up, and the necessary handshake the match began, but Quin decided to poke a bit of fun at Mang.
“Hmm, you don’t have to warm up, it’ll be over an instant,” Quin mocked him, while showing a proud, maybe an even arrogant expression.
“Oh, you say an instant? And then why’d it be? Care to tell me?” Quin’s mockery did not seem to have any effects on him, in contrast he was still calm, smiling and looking genuinely interested in Quin’s reasons.
“Hmph, you ask why’d it be?” he snorted. “Seriously you should know it very well, just looking at your pitiful Earth Qi, should give you enough of an answer, but I could also mention the fact that our cultivation is not even on the same level,” Quin explained, his head high. Sometimes he gave a small sigh, appearing like someone lecturing their student. “Moreover even if we had the same cultivation base, just with my output rate, I’d easily mop the floor with you.”
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“Mopping the floor you say?” Mang interrupted him.
Quin has just realized that while he was giving out his speech his opponent was busy and already cast a spell.
Hmph, just a little quicksand! Trying to ambush me, what a fool! Flash Ju-! He did not notice and especially did not expected Mang to cast multiple spells in this amount of time. Just about he was ready to use Flash Jump to leap away, two big palms made out of earth appeared on both of his sides. ‘Not bad for someone like him, but our strength is like heaven and earth! he thought.
He swiftly jumped up, escaping the palms and decided to end the match with ranged attack, Bolt. However another unexpected thing happened, before he could finish the spell: he felt something hitting the top of his head, and after spitting out a mouthful of blood he simply blacked out.
Ouch, what the hell happened? He opened his eye only to realize he has already lost the match and was currently being carried away in a stretcher. That damn cheating bastard! He ambushed me, insolent fool!
After the outburst of anger, he looked around noticing the stares at him, and another emotion flooded him: humiliation! Losing to a nobody like Mang, and in a way like this? He would be the laughingstock of the entire school!
Meanwhile, he was brought to the healing station, where seeing him injured, Leyn -- as she was also on duty -- ran to him right away to heal him.
“You took a solid hit, but don’t worry I’ll heal you in no time!” She smiled at him, reassuringly.
“Oh, here you are!” After a minute or two of healing, Mang walked into the room, looking for him. “You don’t look that bad, but what a waste! I’d have rather seen you in fight, but you were just talking and talking.” Looking quite amused he even faked a yawn. “And you know, we couldn’t just stay there for hours, taking precious time away from the others, it’d be quite discourteous to them don’t you think? So I thought I’d start the fight. I guessed with how superior you are, it wouldn’t matter much, but alas!” He shook his head with a disappointed and sad expression, and then left the room, as quickly as he entered not giving any time for Quin to answer.
He had no time to rest because in mere seconds another person came: his instructor whose face was painted completely red, and looked thoroughly pissed.
“What the fuck was that?!” he shouted. “What kind of retarded thing did you do? The fight had already started and yet you thought you were in some kind of tea party, or what? You got it that the tournament is about fighting and not arguing or boasting, heh?” Quin thought that he had already experience his instructor’s loud yelling enough times, but now unbelievably, it was magnitudes louder... And though he would not admit, scarier as well. “You realize, that you basically handed your ass over to him? Get your shit together, and fight at the next round, for a change!” He stood there for a couple of breaths staring at him and then stormed out.
“It’s all your fault! Speaking about stupid stuff, and making me lose like that!” Full with rage himself, and without anyone else nearby, -- unfortunately for Leyn -- he targeted his anger at her. After shouting at her, he stood up and ran away.
“Wait, you’re still not healed yet!” Even after hearing these hurtful accusations, she was still worried about him.
Quin did not return to his friends, he was way too embarrassed to do that, instead he chose a spot hidden from sight.
That damn bastard, making me lose face! Just let me fight against him another time and I’ll make him sorry! I’ll make him pay! he thought fuming.
The next times he was called on to the stage, he did not make the same mistakes. Just when the fights started he merged with lightning right away -- making him extremely agile and explosive -- and attacked, leaping to his target and punching them with a spell called Lightning Pillar. Using it, his arms were filled with his Lightning Qi to the brim, and when striking they exploded out with great strength, and then all of the qi was let out as well, as a second strike. No doubt, it was a spell with a great offensive power, so much that Quin even seriously injured several participants. Fortunately for him, he was not disqualified as he managed to stay within the allowed limits.
The first day passed, and he did advance to the next rounds but only with the second rank in the group, as the first place was taken by Mang.
The next days proceeded quickly and without any hindrance to Quin, what’s more many of his opponents forfeit after seeing his aggression. In the end he reached the semi-finals, without breaking a sweat. Fighting his friend, Alinor to get to the final was hard, however both of them respected each other and after testing each other for minutes, they mutually agreed decide the match’s outcome with a single attack. Alinor’s magma was hot and dense, hard to get through but Quin’s lightnings were adamant and partly thanks to his unnaturally high output rate his lightnings finally pierced through the attack and defeated Alinor.
After the fight ended Alinor simply nodded, however some disappointment could be seen his eyes, and then left the stage.
It turned out the Quin would have his opportunity at revenge, because the other kid who reached the final was none other than Mang.
Author's Note: Quin's arrogance only brought a shameful defeat for him, but he'll have the opportunity to settle the score in the next chapter, which will feature the first real fighting scene in the fiction.