"What are you waiting for? The game has started," Lauryn muttered those words as she stood leaning against the door, inciting a frenzy among the class as most of the students stood up from their seats.

In the class of fifty students, consisting of twenty-five boys and twenty-five girls, twenty boys rushed towards the desk, while only ten girls did the same.

More than half of the girls remained seated, while all the boys, as if possessed by a beast, rushed towards the desk.

The first to reach the desk were those who were closest to it—the students in the front seats.

"Hahahaha, I am going to ask her on a date!" One enthusiastic boy exclaimed happily as he picked up the ball.

The size of the ball was large enough to prevent it from being shoved into the mouth or pocket, leaving the only option to clutch it in their hands, occupying one of their hands.

"No, I will!" Another boy crooned as he jumped at the boy, snatching the ball in the process.

The frenzy resumed as boys jumped over each other in an attempt to snatch the ball.

"Arghaa!!"

All was giggles and shit until one of the boys threw a punch at the boy in front.

"Why you!!" The boy shouted as he returned the punch, landing it squarely on his opponent's jaw.

Everyone was trying not to hurt each other more than necessary, but when it comes to ego, teenage boys tend to lose their cool quite quickly.

"Haaah."

Amongst the group of students, a chubby figure rushed forward, determination etched on his face as he launched himself into the fray.

"Hiyaaa."

With a swift, calculated motion, he delivered a round kick, strengthening his leg with mana, aimed squarely at his opponent's midsection.

The impact sent shockwaves of pain coursing through the boy's body.

"ARGHH."

The painful cry tore through the chaos as the boy holding the ball doubled over in agony, clutching his stomach in a useless attempt to alleviate the searing pain.

With a grimace of discomfort, he loosened his grip on the ball, which rolled from his grasp and onto the ground below.

"All of you, stop!" The chubby boy shouted, picking up the ball, causing everyone to freeze in their tracks.

"I am the son of Viscount Mckinney, and I order you to stop this nonsense!" He bragged, making everyone look at Lauryn, who simply shrugged.

"I am ordering you to stop right no—."

Crash!

Shards of glass rained down as they collided with the chubby boy's head, rendering him unconscious.

"Sorry, but not sorry." A girl, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, mumbled with a smirk as she picked up the ball.

"Hey!"

But the ball was quickly snatched from her hand by a boy who strengthened his legs with mana, then ran away, jumping on desks.

"Hahahaha, fools! Everything is fine, even mana!"

Jumping from desk to desk, he laughed and snorted, looking at the students.

"Oye!" But he quickly stopped as someone growled in his direction.

"Don't jump in my seat." A boy with purple hair and eyes looked at him with clear annoyance.

"Y-yeah, I mean yes, sir." The boy yelped before changing his direction.

"Want some?" Azariah took out some popcorn from his bracelet before passing it to the girl sitting beside him.

"Thank you." Ashlyn replied with a smile as she took some.

"Are you not going to participate?" Azariah asked, watching as the chase for the ball started again.

"N-No, I will just get pushed aside without being able to do anything," she replied embarrassedly with an awkward smile.

"Don't worry, it's the first day. You will get better as days go by," Azariah replied, smiling back as he watched them.

"Are you not going as well?" Eating popcorn, she asked, frowning as she looked at him.

"Not now," Azariah mumbled as he looked at the front seat where the brown-haired boy still hadn't made his move.

"Can't you use your family name like he did?" She asked again, making Azariah look at her.

"She won't allow it," he replied, glancing at Lauryn.

"But she didn't stop the chubby guy."

"Well, she won't allow me," he mumbled as he munched on the popcorn.

"Ohh, Ok."

"Fucking bland."

"You said something?"

"Nothing."

He mumbled, his gaze quickly shifting as the raven-haired boy stood up from his seat, and the girl with orchid-colored hair also stood up.

"Close your ears," Azariah said, looking at Ashlyn.

"Huh? Why?"

"Just do it," he urged her, and she nodded her head.

Stribog's blessing,

" Oliver mumbled, focusing on the boy who was holding the ball.

"First form: větrem."

"Huh?"

The wind moved at Oliver's words, causing the ball held by the boy to float in the air before it moved towards Oliver.

Lauryn raised her brows as she wrote Oliver's name in her dairy; for the first time in the class, someone had used the blessing.

Given that the gods themselves chose who they would bless, and only one person could have one blessing at a time, it was rare to find someone like them.

But things are different when the God is dead and someone still get his blessings....

"Seventy-five twenty-five."

Passing the ball towards Miley, Oliver mumbled.

"Fifty fifty."

Miley rebuked as she played with the ball.

"Sixty-five forty-five."

"Sixty fort—."

"Deal."

"Wait! No."

Ignoring the girls' cries of surprise, Oliver focused intently on the group in front of him.

"Stribog's blessing,"

he muttered once more as he extended his hand forward, and Azariah mirrored his action by covering his ears, just like Ashlyn.

"Second form: zvukom."

The air compressed in his hands, gradually altering the wavelength of the sound waves around him.

Just as the students were about to reach him...

BOOOM!

A high-pitched sound wave erupted from Oliver's hands, instantly neutralizing all the students in front of him.

"Urgh..."

"I... I can't hear."

As most of the students groaned in pain, Oliver stood in front of Miley, guarding her while she played with the ball.

"Hey, Oliver," Miley mumbled, glancing in Azariah's direction, "don't you think we should stop him?"

"Hmm, what?" Oliver asked, noticing her gaze on Azariah.

"Ashlyn, we should keep him away from her," she whispered softly so that only Oliver could hear, "you know she is recommended by the principal, and even the church is keeping a close eye on her."

"Well... I don't think Az will do—"

"Last I remembered, he tried to kiss the Third Princess forcefully," Miley interjected, "what makes you think he won't do the same to her?"

Oliver didn't reply, as even he was unsure why Azariah was trying to get close to her.

"Don't do anything, but I will keep her away. Just don't take sides with that scum—"

"Miley," Oliver interrupted, glaring at her, "don't call him that."

"So I can't call a scum a scum now?"

"Orestes' blessing."

Oliver quickly shifted his focus towards the boy who had just rushed towards him while mumbling.

"First form: aisthisi."

Oliver stood ready for anything to happen, but Ethan just stood there with his eyes closed, without moving an inch.

"Hello?"

Oliver tilted his head in confusion, perplexed by Ethan's lack of movement.

The only sensation was the rapid circulation of mana coursing through Ethan's body.

"What are you—Huh?"

Growing frustrated, Oliver threw a punch, but Ethan, as if anticipating the attack, swiftly countered by grabbing Oliver's hand and using his momentum to execute a throw, rotating his body at the waist.

"First form: větrem."

Using the wind around him, Oliver balanced himself as he moved back, creating some distance between them.

"Second form: zvukom."

BOOM!

Compressing the air around his leg, Oliver threw an over-the-head kick, aiming at Ethan's jaw.

As if sensing his attack, Ethan leaned back before grabbing Oliver's leg and then kicking his thighs.

Their collision sent a shockwave around the class, as Oliver used the wind around him again, increasing his agility to land on his feet.

"Argh...Now this is something," Oliver mumbled with a smile groaning in pain, as he understood what Ethan Varon was capable of doing right now.

Every physical move thrown at him.

Every attack within his capability.

Ethan could counter them, with utmost accuracy.

"But for how long?" Oliver muttered to himself as he rushed towards Ethan, covering his hands with wind to increase their agility.

But Ethan grabbed his hands again before throwing him towards Miley.

Oliver adjusted himself in mid-air, narrowly dodging Miley, but with a thud, he landed hard on the ground.

"Need help?" She asked, looking at him, and he quickly shook his head.

"Urgh...I can handle him," Oliver replied, pushing himself off the ground while grabbing a nearby chair.

He hurled it towards Ethan, aiming to catch him off guard.

But Ethan was ready, easily sidestepping the chair.

The fight continued, each exchange more intense than the last.

Oliver moved with swiftness and agility, his attacks coming in quick succession.

But no matter how hard he tried, Ethan always seemed to be one step ahead.

As the fight progressed, it became harder and harder for Ethan to counter Oliver's attacks, as after every exchange, Oliver was adapting his fighting style.

"Huff...Huff..."

As they fought, their mana also depleted at a faster rate, and it didn't take long for them to struggle for breath.

And just when the game was about to end...

"Amun-Ra's blessing."

A voice echoed in the class.

Follow curr𝒆nt nov𝒆ls on freew(𝒆)bnov𝒆l.(c)om