"Apiru Naderamu versus Senko Sukudo!"
A cold breeze gently passed through the area, grazing the two students' skin. Both contestants can be seen standing across each other, glowering at their current opponent for the fight. Naderamu had her arms outstretched, with her hands open. Sukudo, on the other hand, had his arms lifted upward, reaching for the sky. From an outside perspective, Mr. Oshieru found it interesting to see what the students had learned prior to attending the academy.
"You already know the rules. Get ready!" Mr. Oshieru's eyes flitted between the two students as they waited patiently, parting his lips to begin the match countdown.
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
"Go!" Mr. Oshieru ordered, prompting the two students to engage.
In Naderamu's hands, three shuriken took shape, glowing a bright blue color. As for Sukudo, visible magic emitted off of him, forming five, twenty-six-inch hawks, non-verbally commanding them to soar toward the blonde-haired girl swiftly.
Naderamu flung the three shuriken at three of the birds, forcing them to dissipate instantaneously and leaving two birds left. The two remaining hawks made of Sukudo's blue Aura Sense surged forward and clawed Naderamu's arms as she lifted them to shield her body.
"AARGH!" Naderamu screeched painfully as she formed six shuriken, three in each hand.
She tossed the shuriken in her right hand as Sukudo attempted to form more Hawks, but failed as he got 3 shuriken lodged in his arm, leg, and chest.
"Hrng! It burns!" Sukudo howled with a hoarse voice, his face strained.
Naderamu went to throw her remaining shuriken when another hawk made of blue Aura Sense appeared out of seemingly nowhere beside her and rammed into her side, knocking her over and constantly clawing her. Naderamu deftly killed the hawk by jabbing one of her shuriken into its translucent chest, causing it to pop like a bubble. After being clawed. Naderamu to stand, but immediately noticed as even more hawks surrounded her, grabbing her arms and legs and flying her out of the chalk-made boundaries.
"Apiru Naderamu is out; Senko Sukudo is the winner!" Mr. Oshieru asserted by lazily raising his right arm.
Sukudo simply walked away with a content look on his face. On the sidelines, the spectating students watched with goosebumps forming along their skin, being forced to watch the bloody encounter unfold on the training ground. Class 1-AB will undoubtedly be an extremely competitive class throughout the year.
"Up next is Tanjo Nozomu versus Shizen Utsukushi!" Informed the teacher, both the students walked up to their designated spots before taking a stance.
"3"
"2"
"1"
"Go!"
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{BACK IN THE VILLAGE OF FURUSATO}
Three cloaked men could be seen conversing in a throne hall, with flaming torches being the only source of light in the vicinity. The castle itself had been damaged beyond repair, but Regashi Ketsueki made sure that the throne hall was one of the few remaining rooms to be left standing in perfect condition. Two of the three men that resided in the throne hall were standing tall, while one of them had decided to be seated on a throne with red, puffy cushions.
"This seat is comfier than I originally imagined." Regashi spoke in a surprised tone, kicking one leg over the other as he sat on the throne comfortably.
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"King Regashi," One of the men called out whilst kneeling, "we believe we have found new possible recruits for our unit."
"Oh, who might these people be, Imawashiki?" Regashi queried with a curious tone, tilting his head.
"Two people named Itami and Doryoku, sir." Imawashiki answered truthfully, his face aimed at the floor.
"We found them battling nearby village folk and they seemed to be experienced, but can easily be taken care of if needed." The third male revealed obediently, bandages concealing most of his appearance.
Regashi smiled with visible amusement, nodding. His green eyes shimmered brightly, yielding a look of understanding. The throne hall grew colder in seconds as the torches flickered repeatedly. Imawashiki and Gimu did not dare to interrupt the brown-haired man's thoughts, letting Regashi be enveloped in silence.
"Perfect. Thank you, Gimu." Regashi commended the swordsman with glowing eyes, grinning. "Now, fetch them."
Imawashiki and Gimu shifted their bodies to face the exit, utilizing their Aura Sense to propel themselves out of the throne hall at breakneck speeds in the blink of an eye. Regashi sat alone on his throne, tapping his index finger against the brass arm of his seat. Forbidden knowledge was veiled behind the man's face, and he enjoyed every second of it.
"I can't wait to see the green ring again, Doryoku..."
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Sounds of sprinting can be heard as a pink-haired girl with visible magic around her sprints at full speed, producing blue claws, blue cat ears, and blue boots. Tanjo believed that the visible magic resembled a feline animal, particularly a cat, and that she would have some real benefits in almost any fight due to them. The boots were sure to be blunt and scorch the flesh of anybody they collide with, while the claws were sharp enough to slice. The ears, Tanjo hoped, were just for an enhanced auditory prowess.
Tanjo simply stood still, stunned, with no Aura Sense being drawn out of his body.
'Shit! I've never used my Aura Sense!'
Shizen Utsukushi thrust her body forward in an attempt to scratch Tanjo, yet she was unsuccessful due to Tanjo's frightened stepping to the side and sliding across the training ground's grain-like surface texture.
"Why aren't you attacking?!" Utsukushi examined, narrowing her yellow eyes.
Standing off to the side, the other students were spectating the match with confusion lingering in the air. Was Tanjo refusing to engage in the fight? Was he scared? Tanjo was the only student to not utilize a physical form of his Aura Sense. The student also refrained from using his fists or feet when fighting.
"Maybe he's being cocky." Meisei theorized with a snort, his arms crossed.
"That will get him killed in battle." Sukudo added, shaking his head.
"Maybe he doesn't know what to do?" The blonde-haired Akogare inferred, blinking.
While the students are murmuring to each other, Utsukushi continues to rush at Tanjo, lacerating his cheek with a burning claw as he hops backward. Tanjo tries to clutch Utsukushi's wrist but fails horribly as the magically formed claw surrounding her hand is scorching hot to the touch, making him flinch back and blow on his hand.
"S-shit!" Tanjo cried out in pain, watching his palm turn red.
So far, the battle appears to be unequal, with Tanjo being thrown around by the magical girl with apparent cat-like features. Tanjo, who was now lying on the ground, attempted to stand before being swatted at by Utsukushi once more. Shortly before Utsukushi reached Tanjo, the boy raised his hand in submission.
"Wait!" Tanjo hollered, his blue eyes widened.
*BOOM!*
*THUD*
Without warning, a sudden beam of blue light was expelled from Tanjo's right palm, striking Utsukushi in the abdomen. The force of the blast made her lose her footing, momentarily being swept into the air before plummeting onto the training ground on her back.
Tanjo carefully raised his head, discovering that his opponent was no longer standing. The boy lifted himself off the ground and stood up, only to notice a small trail of smoke rising up into the sky. Tanjo then glances down to see his opponent, who is knocked down and wearing scorched clothing riddled with tears.
"W-wha-" Utsukushi mumbled before looking down, her yellow eyes widening as her face became flushed.
"....."
"....."
"....."
"AAAAAHHHH! PERV! PERV! PERV!" Utsukushi yelled at the top of her lungs as she then covered herself with her arms.
Tanjo instantly tried to apologize.
"I'm sorry! I don't know what happened! One second I'm on the ground and now this! Please don't arrest me!" Tanjo pleaded, clasping his hands together.
The hollering persisted for a few seconds, mostly driven by Utsukushi's unparalleled anger. Mr. Oshieru stood back, chuckling at the scene while waiting for it to subside. Suddenly, as Tanjo was pleading for forgiveness, a thought struck him on the head like a mallet. The boy looked down at his hands, eyeing his palms with interest.
"I used magic!" Tanjo cheered, jumping up and down.
Tanjo had an Aura Sense! He had magic that he could use, which mean that he could actually fit in with the rest of his classmates! The teenager felt immense exuberance, his eyes scanning his classmates before staring back at Utsukushi, who was still incredibly irate.
*SMACK!*
"Pervert!" Utsukushi shouted, smacking Tanjo across the face without her claws.
"Well, that was interesting, to say the least." Mr. Oshieru noted as he watched his pink-haired student run away in embarrassment.
The rest of Class 1-AB nodded dumbly.
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