Relenah turned her head to see her other seniors' reactions but was slightly disappointed when it seemed like they were nodding their heads in approval.
What?
Looking back at the students, Relenah suddenly found clarity. Of course, why did she not notice it just now? All the students in front of them might've been fifth years but they were all wearing robes with white embroideries.
She let out a relieved sigh. After thinking about it, Relenah also gave them a nod of approval. She had seen some younger students that were ranked white doing training, and they could barely condense their elements, let alone throw them at the targets.
Relenah was brought back from her train of thought when someone suddenly called out to her, "Teacher, is she the new water elemental S level student? Is she really a first year?"
She glanced up and saw other students looking her way. They all looked at her curiously. The student that asked the question was looking at Relenah with disdain in his eyes. She scanned his face but couldn't recognize him.
"Yes," a buff looking teacher that was standing to the side came up and answered.
"Since she's an S level, can we see her show off some of her skills? She must be really impressive to be chosen as an S level as soon as she enrolled into the academy," a different student that was standing beside the first student asked. He also had a look of disdain on his face.
"Why you little-" William wanted to walk up to the student and beat him up but Eric was holding onto the back of his robes.
"Don't make a scene. She's in S class now, you and I both know that the only way they would get off her back is if she proves them wrong," Eric said in a low voice. The students that were standing near the targets didn't hear him, but the others in S class all heard him, including Relenah.
Straightening her back, Relenah sends a comforting smile at William before making her way towards the targets.
The other students all moved to the side to give her a clear path.
As soon as she was twenty feet away from the target, she stopped moving and instead turned her attention to the two students that were questioning her earlier, "So, you just want me to show off my skills? I have so many of them, can you be more specific on what you want me to do?" she gave them a taunting smile.
They both looked at her in anger, "Just show us your best spell," the one in a green colored robe replied.
"Yeah, that's right," the other student that was wearing a brown colored robe commented further.
Relenah shrugged her shoulders at them and then turned her attention towards the targets. She was trying to think of a spell that wasn't too excessive but was also not too weak. She snapped her fingers when she recalled the book she read earlier.
Taking a deep breath, she took her position and lifted both her hands.
With a single thought, a bow made of ice manifested in her left hand. She positioned her left arm in front of her, and as she moved her right hand, an arrow made of ice appeared.
She pulled back the string on the bow that was weirdly elastic. Taking a deep breath in, she released her arrow when she exhaled. The arrow zipped through the air and quickly hit a target. As soon as the arrow was embedded into the target, ice suddenly erupted from where the arrow hit.
Relenah could hear the students in the background gasp at her little stunt. She turned her head and was surprised to see some of them even fainted.
Okay?
Before she could question them, she suddenly saw a teacher pointing a shaky finger at her, "Y-you didn't e-even say a single c-chant…" the buff looking teacher stuttered.
Relenah stiffened when she heard that.
Crap.
She forgot.
Relenah could feel sweat dripping down her spine as she saw everyone staring at her with wide eyes. What should she do now? Crap, stupid spells, why must there be chants? She scratched the back of her head as she tried to come up with an excuse.
"Umm… well, I-I umm… that's right, I was chanting," she managed to stutter out through a crooked smile. Everyone else around her looked at her like it was the biggest joke of the century.
Relenah let out a slight cough, "I was chanting. It's just, you all didn't hear it because I was chanting in a very low voice," this time she had a more genuine smile on her face as she lied straight through her teeth.
"Well… I guess that makes sense. She wasn't facing us the whole time so maybe she was chanting," a random student commented.
"That's true, plus, she might've not wanted the other water elemental students to hear her chant. Maybe it's a highly classified spell," another student whispered.
As soon as the student finished whispering to those around him, others also started discussing on why she didn't want others to hear her chant.
Relenah let out a relieved sigh when they started discussing how her spell might've been a classified high-level spell.
"Ahh, so that's why she was able to get into S class. She actually knows and is able to perform high-level spells already at her age. Good God, is she a genius?!" a student wearing blue colored robes commented out loud.
As soon as the student's comment got out, the others also started claiming her as a 'genius'.
Crap, another problem headed her way.
Relenah could suddenly feel a cold gaze coming from the top of her head. She looked up and saw the big black box that was hanging over the whole training area. She couldn't see anything through the dark-tinted glass, but she could distinctly feel someone staring at her from there.
Before she could think anymore about it, she suddenly felt incoming danger headed straight towards her.
Relenah instinctively dodged to the side and was exasperated when she saw William's flying figure missing her by a few inches.
"What were you doing William?" she sighed.
William quickly got off the ground and ran back towards Relenah with a big fat smile on his face, "Of course I was about to give my little junior a biiiiig hug! What was that? That was so awesome! How did you do that? What's your secret? You seem more powerful than Malcolm, and that's saying something!"
Before he could speak anymore, he was suddenly sent flying again, this time by a black whip. Relenah didn't even have to turn to know who it was that sent William flying.
"Someday, that big mouth of yours is going to get you in a lot of trouble, William," Malcolm slowly walked through the crowd. He had an annoyed expression on his face, and his grip on his whip tightened when he saw William's sorry state.
"Well, it's true, no matter what you say, Relenah could probably beat you when it comes to magic," William gave Malcolm a taunting smile. If only he wasn't laying on the ground, his sorry state didn't bring as much impact as he originally intended.
"Hmph! Pretentious! I'm a fourth year, do you really think I'm going to lower myself and fall for your stupid taunts. I am not so low as to challenge a first year just because of something so low as inferiority complex," Malcolm huffed.
Although it seemed like Malcolm was talking to William, Relenah had a feeling that it was also directed to all the other students that were around them. Just as Malcolm said, she was still a first year, and the others were all fifth years. No matter how powerful she was, she was still younger than them and have less experience.
And yet, they were the ones that came to her and instigated her to show her magic, all to satisfy their feelings of unjust and jealousy. Relenah clenched her fists at the thought. That's right! Why was it that they kept targeting her? Frederick even had a formal duel with her because she was a first year S level student.
Relenah could feel frustration building up inside. Three years. That was how long Relenah had trained herself. She spilled blood sweat and tears just to get to this point. She also did it through her own observations.
Although her family tried to help as best as they could, it wasn't enough. She still had to do most of her training on her own. Her family couldn't do magic. Her father did his best to teach her actual combat. Her brother taught her how to hunt. Her mother taught her how to live so that she could still stand on her own when she was in the academy.
All of it, they were proof that she didn't become an S level student just for show.
Taking a deep breath, Relenah turned to face the crowd, "I just showed you a spell that is about half of my actual strength. If you still think I'm not worthy of being in the S class, then this month's coming class ranking battle, I besiege you to challenge me. If you dare," she glared at the students.
She saw almost all of them taking steps back when she glared at them.
Before she could comprehend it, she suddenly felt herself being lifted, "That's right, for all of those that think you deserve to be in S class instead of us, then come and challenge us. That is, if you dare," Relenah turned her gaze downwards and saw William standing straight with her sitting on his left shoulder.
"Well isn't that what the monthly class ranking battle is for? If you think you deserve to be in S class, then fight for it," Relenah turned her attention to Malcolm who spoke just now.
"Hmph, I guess even idiots have their moments," Eric huffed before walking towards them, standing beside William.
"Well, this is my last year, I don't mind going out with a bang," Preston said with an intimidating smile on his face. He was walking towards them with Skylar hot on his tails.
"Even though the dark elementals aren't that many. But, if someone wants to challenge me, then, I won't back down!" Skylar had a timid outlook but he spoke with resolute.
"So, with that said. If any of you have any problems with anyone in S class, instead of cowering, come and fight us head on!" William spoke righteously with his chest puffed out.
The other students all had a complicated expression on their faces. It was completely silent as both sides were having a standoff. Before anyone could make a sound, static was heard all around the training area.
Relenah looked up towards the black box when she heard the static. As she predicted, the dark-tinted windows became translucent and an old voice came through, "All fights are prohibited. Only formal duels in the presence of a teacher is allowed. Other than that, the monthly class ranking battle exists so that only the strongest remains in S class. Do not forget it. Any conduct unbefitting of this magic academy, will be dealt with severely."
The static died down and the translucent windows got darker again.
Relenah could hear students discussing from even outside the training area. Apparently, the announcement wasn't just in the training area. Did it spread to all around the academy? She couldn't help but feel like she should be more careful from now on.
Because of that announcement, it means, every month, there is a higher chance that she will be issued a challenge. She could feel a sweat drop at the back of her head. Letting out a sigh, she looked at her fellow S class members and couldn't help but smile. She's not alone now.