"Honestly, I'm not surprised by his reaction, especially for someone so ignorant." Malleus added, showing little regard as he drew Shynerai's ire.

"We've only met once and you think you know me?" Shynerai snapped back, with an unshaken gaze laid upon the Student General.

Taking notice of his underclassman's furrowing brow and increasingly piercing glare at the bickering before him, Arno let slip his growing annoyance...

"...Sigh..."

Creivolt stood with his aid as he informed his fellow Student Generals of Shynerai's attitude is the result of some level of resentment towards "the nature of how things are"

"Showing an unusual capacity for rage towards the established order. For some reason, you cannot help but despise authority, can you? Or at the very least placing your faith in it?” With a trembling voice, Shynerai warned him to hold his tongue:

"That's kind of hard when...the 'established order' has done nothing for me—because when someone cries out for help, does the 'established order' protect them...do any of you?" The more tentative of the Student Generals in the room were surprised by the young Daumier's resolve, at the very least the audacity to mock Student Generals to their face, within their Council room..

But Arno along with his aides had no interest in praising such insubordination, they only sought the nature of his resolve, how far would he go after everything he had said.

‘You speak with such conviction, but what of your actions?’ Arno wondered as he watched Shynerai before looking at Creivolt and Malleus

"Then, how about we show you."

For a moment, the chaos fell to a standstill as everyone in the room set their sights on Arno.

"Sir, What do you–"

"Call it a Clash of Ideology. He doesn't seem eager to accept the reality of his situation. My how the youth have grown callous and rude this year.” He answered Malleus.

“So how about it? What you desire versus what you have been given, 'Defiance against Authority', 'Rebellion v. Order'. You against Us. If you so desperately want something, then you should have the strength to achieve, not to leave it to chance or to blame all that is external" Arno declared as he moved closer to the boy, all the while gesturing to his subordinates to not interrupt.

"Sir–please" Malleus begrudgingly let loose his displeasure with what he has just heard.

Arno had presented him with a chance to challenge his seemingly unwavering stance, for him to oppose the authority directly. Wherein his success would mean the change he wanted.

But if he failed...then he would have to learn...and the Student Generals were entirely prepared to teach him.

A still-detached Jaret asked him what he hoped to gain, but Shynerai simply accepted the challenge.

“When I win, you have to change my ranking”

Finding his enthusiasm quite excitable Arno called out to his cockiness as a demonstration of a mindset from a country boy.

But Shynerai brushed aside the insult and questioned him on if they should take it outside. A statement that couldn't help but cause Arno to laugh with Malleus berating him for his disrespect.

Taking a few moments to catch his breath…

“While I admire your tenacity, you are simply far too young to seek a fight with me. I wouldn't want to strain Dr. Arturion with your care. Though I may have someone fit.”

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Arno appointed Creivolt to handle the matter of the challenge in his stead, which surprised him.

“The challenge was issued by you, and I’m sure you would barely strain yourself in the matter of disciplining him”

“That is true, but I believe you can do it. Besides, if my victory is a certainty, would you not have more to gain by seeking that level of mastery by taking on this challenge. Make no mistake, I have chosen you not out of certainty, rather you have given me no reason to ever believe that you would fail me” A sense of awe washed over the room, captivating the previously disinterested onlookers.

“Rousing speech, Arno. Careful, or you might put our Student Council President out of job” Jaret teased as he pat Creivolt on the back, assuring him.

Creivolt wasn't bothered by the request and accepted, but Malleus, still shocked by the challenge, insisted that he needs to step in if the vice president would be involved.

"Ehem..."

Elldra Drucariium ordered them to get out of his office as he had work that needed to be done, but found the group's rowdiness to be drowning out his words.

Now pushing Henrietta to remove the bunch. The equally annoyed SG eagerly cast a flaring burst of magic, knocking the group right through the doors and into the corridor.

"Ms. Vermillion...cough...cough....there was room for restraint!" The now fuming President Elldra addressed her with a firm grip crushing her skull, as he begged the President to show her mercy, before he slammed the doors of his office shut.

Dusting off the debris from Arno, Jaret and- Creivolt, Malleus scoffed at the sight of the underclassman before walking off, informing Shynerai to meet them at the Arena after class.

Though Shynerai was too busy extinguishing the embers covering his smoldering jacket.

Back in the Student Council office, President Elldra scolded Henrietta's rashness as flames littered the office, with the embarrassed SG frantically rushing to extinguish them. Amidst all that had happened Arno and Jaret remained untouched...using the commotion to exchange curious words.

The excited Arno was quick to lose his humor to his now darkened expression as he questioned his friend if that is going to be his reaction each time they meet a rowdy underclassman.

But Jaret says nothing as he started walking out, telling the president that if he needed him he would be in History Class...but before he could open the charred remains of the door, Arno called to him:

"Jay...you need to let this go! Sigh...you need to let h–" But he was cut off as the door flew into splinters, raining down the few remains throughout the Council room. With the doorknob crushed firmly in his grip, he dropped the fragmented pieces before excusing himself.

Leaving an even more worried expression on Arno's face.

Moments later...

Shynerai made his way to his first Guardian class, eagerly and with clenched fists.

'Combat class.' He muttered with a warped look of excitement.

As the echoes of the last footsteps of the students rumbled out from the halls and finally eventually past the bounds of the gates, silence fell across the entire scape, all save for one place...just as silent, though not as empty.

Shynerai looked at the grounds of the Arena from atop the stands, meeting eyes with the man that would be his opponent. Despite overlooking Creivolt, he couldn't bring himself to let his guard down. Exuding a calm that flows from the Student General into the ring felt akin to staring into a fog-covered pit.

Gripping the seam of pants tightly, he drew a deep breath and grit his teeth with a show of ferocity.

'No turning back now...NO. No more thinking, he's already waiting'

The young man attempts to quiet his fears as he removes his jacket, folding it and placing it beside his holster, still fitted with his Notebook.

Leaving his belongings neatly atop the stands, Shynerai descends into the Arena. An echoing chime of his jingling necklace alerting the collected Creivolt of the underclassman's arrival.

"Merely submit and forfeit. Your transgressions can still be reprimanded with some degree of leniency" Malleus crowed as he emerged from one of the entrances to the Arena.

"After staring daggers into my eyes, I doubt he'll heed any reason." Creivolt answered his subordinate's plea.

All the while, Shynerai made sure not to stagger, let alone risk breaking his gaze as he approached the two.

With clenched fists fiercely disguising his instincts unyielding distress, he came to a halt, Standing in front of his opponent, a single thought burst through the disquiet of his mind, desperately urging his conscious mind, senses, muscles, bones...every part of his that would listen, heard the disheartened plea,

“Run!”