It's a beautiful day. The sun is shining, flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and the academy halls are rumbling. Ash runs.

"Kill him!" the Mob screams as they chase Ash throughout the Academy halls. Miss Rutherspoon tries to chase too, but quickly falls behind, breathing heavily. It didn't take long before she was out of sight, and out the other kid's minds. She quickly lost control of the situation. That's what happens when you leave an amateur to teach a group of kid's expected to reach her level by the end of the year. There is no true gap in power, something a teacher can leverage to keep the kid's in line. As Rutherspoon is now, she can overpower most of the class, but not enough to suffocate them with presence alone. In a fight between her and the thirty kids, the thirty kid's would likely win. Her athletic capabilities are beyond lacking, it's an insult for a martial arts school to have such a person for a teacher, did she get this job through nepotism? Ash scoffs, dodging rocks, tomatoes, chalk, shoes, and more.

The Khal Sect also employs low level disciples to teach newcomers, it's much more effective than utilizing genuinely great teachers for lessons any disciple can teach. The same reasons are likely why this academy is utilizing a woman like her. However, there needs to be a genuine gap in power and capability between teacher and student. Even a low class Trashman of the Khal Sect is powerful enough to obliterate a class of newcomers with the toxi-grip alone. Without including Ash and Baro in the equation, it's clear that Ms. Rutherspoon would lose to her class in a fight. The gap in power is simply not wide enough to command respect and authority.

Ash doesn't know who to blame for this predicament, regardless he's lost almost all desire to attend classes anymore. The teacher, though her actions understandable, incited others to lynch him. She lacked the situational awareness required to foresee how the students would react. A dangerous thing for a teacher to lack. Ash had a feeling this would happen, Rutherspoon does not have a powerful gait, such as the one Bear Clan members possess in his old world. Like them, Rutherspoon is a heavy set person. Unlike them, she lacks athleticism. The heavy frame and weight isn't an issue, the Bear clan of his old world were world-class fighters who used their tremendous size and weight to overpower any and all who dared compete with them, even bears.

More shoes and tomatoes hit Ash. A grandfather clock clonks and crashes a little bit behind, it's hands spinning backwards upon impact.

Ash recalls magazines where women of the bear clan were portrayed as world-class models. Their bulky curved frame though soft on the outside were thick with muscle beneath. An imposing defense which absorbs even the most extreme forms of blunt force trauma. The videos of cars crashing into them were outright inspiring feats of human capability. The raw power in their immense bodies evident from just the way they stand and walk. They had round bellies, and giant arms, yet lacked fat folds throughout their body. With the right lighting, which the magazines always made sure to use, the thick layers of muscle and hard work are clearly visible under their cushiony layers of fat. The nature of their beauty significantly different than the other women Ash has seen in the new world thus far. It's different from the slender and aloof poise of Xiaojie, the ruthless elegance of Lady Belevere, or the savage nimbleness of Janne. The beauty of the bear clan is in their power, pride, and majesty. To Ash, and many others in the old world, the models of the Bear-Clan were gorgeous beyond words.

Rutherspoon however lacks the explosive power which the Bear Clan is known for. Being overweight isn't the problem, it's the fact that she's clearly lacking in even the most basic forms of athleticism. It's a clear indicator that she lacks the discipline needed to surpass beyond what she teaches. These obvious inadequacies are likely why she could never cultivate beyond Qi Practitioner. Of course, she's more than qualified to teach the bunch currently chasing Ash, but not enough to earn their respect and command authority. Especially when two of them have already reached her level.

Ash turns a corner, out of sight, and engages the garbage collector's glide. With a flash he's already crossed the hall, ready to turn another corner.

"He's getting away!"

"No he isn't!" The Sar brothers said, releasing qi and bursting forward. Blue haired Bou Sar hits the wall, fracturing and cracking it. Red haired Lou Sar's feet slide and stop the corner. Their eyes flashing white, before locking onto Ash. Lou bursts forward again, closing the gap in an instant.

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Woosh.

Lou passes Ash, spreading debris, and cracking the wall across the hall. Ash lowers his hand as the dust settles. They're easily using more than twice the qi Ash does to step.

"You're cornered, Bumpkin trash," Bou said from behind.

"And things have changed." Lou said as he walks forward.

The students catch up, and wall off the path behind. The classroom doors are all closed, but the windows are still an option. Ash looks at the cracked walls, and laments. This school has been nothing but unfair, if he were to hop out the window then they'd stick him with vandalization of public property. What else can he do though? It's not like he can just beat up the entire class. Is that even possible given his current state? Furthermore, he has no idea who in this class has troublesome connections. Fighting everyone will only make the situation worse, and will cement his reputation as a threat rather than an outcast. Being a threat is much worse, it will surely attract stronger enemies. He'll no doubt have to fight bigger and bigger threats while getting more and more ostracized with each win. Noble pettiness and pride will escalate the conflict until Ash is eventually fighting way outside of his league, without any friend or family to fall back on for support. Janne is still missing, Baro didn't return to Sec Academy, and Prince Charock only wanted the purchasing rights for Kireina Kami. That last one stung. How is he going to promote Ash to a royal position and not let him use it to deactivate situations like these.

"We caught onto your little lie. If you weren't so fat we never would have bought it," Bou said.

Oh yeah, I convinced them I ate my dad.

It's not like Ash wanted to give them the run around. All his frustrations stem from just how pathetically weak he really is. If he were stronger, Baro wouldn't have gotten hurt and would have trusted him. If he were stronger, Janne wouldn't have been able to leave the way she did. If he were stronger, that damned Prince Charock wouldn't have made him a slave. It's his fault for simply not being strong enough to Junk Punch all his problems away. He anticipated dealing with powerful people from the start, a lesson learned from his old life. Ignoring the festering jealousy of Khol Khan and continuing to succeed is what led to Ash's death. For this reason he opts to operate differently in this world. After all, where there are high status and low status people, there are politics. If he were to get caught in some political mess with people on the same level as Charock, without any allies or securities... that's guaranteed death. At this rate his only option is to leave the academy for good and start with an untarnished reputation. This current predicament is damned if he do, and damned if he don't.

If that's the case.

Ash faces the window, spreads his legs wide, and raises a hand towards Lou, and another towards Bou. This is an ancient Junk-Fu stance designed to simultaneously deflect and strike at trash coming from multiple directions. Initially designed by the forefathers to combat avalanches, frequent occurrences in the Junk mountains of Trash Valley. Ash wants to see how these two brothers have awakened their qi in such a short time, and what they're capable of. Given his current state though, if they all attack at once, he'll probably die. A slight smile.

So what, not like I haven't died before.

Lou raises his hand.

"Stand back, all of you. He's mine."

Ash tilts his head, keeping his stance steady. He doesn't trust Lou one bit to actually mean what he says. Lou points to Ash and Qi pulses. The students around gasp.

"He's a Qi practitioner!"

"That's why he's so fast!"

"You're the coolest, Lou Sar!"

Can you background characters please just shut-up.

Lou qi steps far behind Ash. A moment of stillness. The students continue their laughter.

"This trash bumpkin is too scared to move!"

Ash scoffs and turns, only for Lou to qi step behind him again.

"That idiot can't even keep up."

Veins of anger pulse on Ash's head as he and Lou repeat the motion. After a few more tries, Lou eventually gets exactly behind Ash. With sweat trickling down Lou's forehead, qi engulfs his fist like ocean waves. That wave, coming for Ash's face.

Ash wishes he never got out of bed. Last nights sleep wasn't exactly bountiful, and his dreams were shaky and disjointed. He went to class just to hang around until Baro returns. Unfortunately, he's getting lynched instead, and the guy throwing a fist at him is so inexperienced that he's wasted half his qi just overshooting qi steps. If this measly punch lands, at least half the qi being put to it will just diffuse into the air. It's amateur, plain and simple. Ash barely needs to use his qi to deflect what lands. Ash felt danger and death from Baro, from Lou it's the buzzes of mosquitoes. Lou's attack is that much weaker than Baro's burning fist. Still, this Lou who's unlocked qi around the same time as Ash, can already use qi to move, and fight. Is he perhaps a prodigy? His body is clearly nowhere as refined as Ash's, yet he managed to unlock Qi regardless. Does qi awakening perhaps have genetic factors and anomalies? Lou roars.

Gods, what a slow attack.

Ash almost yawns as he waits for the fist to connect with his arm. A block he established before Lou had even thrown the punch.