Chapter 9 - How's That Fair!
Soon after that voice left my mind, my teacher's voice kicked in. "Well done Mr. Ignis, I'm sure nobody in this class expected such a raw display of not just power, but heart as well. Honestly, well done, I'm impressed."
Now that, that caught me off guard much more than the fight that I just had. At first glance, I didn't think that he would have been a particularly nice teacher. But now? He almost seemed supportive of me. Maybe, just maybe, that fight had actually managed to impress him.
His next words, however, brought a large grin to my face. "Hikari! You should be ashamed of the way you fought against Amon." His use of my first name made it feel like I'd managed to earn his respect. And that was not something that I was used to.
"You underestimated your opponent, and ultimately, that was your downfall. You didn't account for the fact that your opponent might have a weapon, and use physical skills instead of magical ones. You relied too heavily on your wind magic, which while powerful in its own right, is very predictable, and easy to dodge. Amon however, knew just how effective mixing up your attacks can be, and one day, it might just save your life." This teacher sounds like he talks from experience. Then again, it is expected for all teachers to have at least some combat experience. "So, as I said before, I can, and will ruin your life if you disappoint me. And you, Hikari, have thoroughly disappointed me. As such, you are hereby excluded from my class until you learn actual combat techniques." My heart sank as he finished his sentence. Yes, I wanted to win, but I didn't want to ruin someone's life because of it. 'Just great,' It's my first day, and I've already made at least one enemy.
"Well, now that our first class is over, let's move swiftly on into our second, Magical Artefacts." 'Magical artefacts,' I questioned myself, with a slight frown on my face. 'What the hell is a magical artefact.'
As if he read my mind, he answered the unsaid question. "Magical artefacts are items that have been imbued with a certain type of magic. This item is then passed down, usually from parent to child, to be used for either fighting or protecting people. Unfortunately, many have been either stolen, or destroyed over time. And, before any of you question why we don't just make more, the answer is simple. We can't. All the magicians with the power to make these artefacts have died of old age, or have been hunted down and killed. Luckily for us, however, we have someone in our class with a seemingly very powerful magical artefact."
I, just like everyone else, looked around the classroom, hoping to find them. Not for one moment did I ever consider that I could be the student that had a magical artefact.
The teacher's voice cut over the students' ramblings, "Amon. I'm talking about you. Can I please see that katana you used during training? Apollo, I believe you called it?"
I looked slightly uncomfortable at being called out like that, but quickly complied and handed him my blade. He caught it with one hand, and used the other to unsheathe the weapon. The word Apollo stared at me. Directly at me. I shook off that weird feeling. 'Probably just getting paranoid.' I thought.
After, he continued on, until the bell that resided on the wall suddenly rang, signifying the end of the lesson, and the start of lunch.
"Alright class, the majority of you have done well today so keep that up. We'll continue this topic after lunch so be prepared." After that, everyone stood up and began packing their bags. I was doing the same when my teacher called out to me.
"Amon, could I please keep your sword to look at over lunch, I would like to see what type of magic has been imbued within it."
Realising that it would probably be beneficial to both of us, I replied saying that I didn't mind that much. "Yeah. Just don't break it. I've had that sword for a very long time."
He smiled at me, like he was proud of my choice of words. "Yeah kid. I won't."
I walked out of the classroom. The happiness that I had felt throughout the entire day so far refusing to leave. Which, to be honest, I wasn't complaining about. I had a smile on my face as I walked down to the overly large school field. I took one quick breath of fresh air.
BAM!
A quick, sharp and very powerful punch to the side of the head sent me down. My vision was swimming with black spots. It was honestly a struggle to remain conscious. 'Damn! That was one hell of a punch.' I quickly turned around, so that I was lying on my back. I saw a group of about six or seven people, all looking down on me with arrogant sneers and flexing their magic. I felt fear worm it's way into my heart. I could tell from their magic that they weren't class 3-A, their magic wasn't that strong. But they also weren't from my class. 'Class 3-B huh.' Reaching to my hip, expecting to grab Apollo, I paled as I remembered that I had left it with my teacher. My only other option at this point was to just try and talk it out with them.
I sighed deeply and placed a hand at the side of my head, attempting to ease the throbbing pain. "So, you're all gonna fight me. The seven of you Class B students, against one class C student. Not just any student. The weakest one. Seems a little overkill, doesn't it?"
I saw a few of their faces getting red with rage. 'Good. It's working.' I thought.
"Alright then! Come at me, I'm not scared of you or your pathetic magic!"
And just like that, they all charged at me. Projectiles shot towards me at speeds too fast for my eyes to track in my dazed state. Some pierced my skin, others cut my face. All I did was get to my feet, and stand there. I wouldn't allow any of them to get to me. I was scared. Very scared. But that didn't matter. They were trying to make me look weak. And I wouldn't allow that without a fight. And yet, I couldn't do anything. I tried to move, only to get hit by another projectile. This was just even more proof to me that life isn't, and never will be fair. The weak are the prey, and the strong are the predators."
'Only the strong will survive.'
I felt anger bubbling up inside me whenever I remembered that phrase. It was the phrase that dominated my society. The one one that condemns me. The one that stops me getting what I want. What I deserve. What I need. The one that stops me whenever something good looks like it's heading my way. It all gets taken away from me and I can't even put up a…
SLAM!
I can't even put up a…
SLAM!
A FIGHT.
SLAM!
My body, only just managing to cling to life hits the ground once more with a loud thud. I could feel the blood gushing from the wound on my forehead. 'That's not good.' I mentally said. My head was once again bashed into the ground, and the world once again became black.
'Is this the end… Is this death?'
A voice spoke out to me from the surrounding darkness.
"It will be. If you don't make a change. If you don't fight back. If you don't win. Just look at where your weak power has gotten you. Absolutely nowhere. Just a bloody pulp on the floor. A stain under other people's shoes. Do you even want to get stronger?"
After a few moments of shocked silence, my voice finally forced itself out of my mouth.
"Yes. I do want to get stronger. I want to put them through the same hell I had to endure. I want them to suffer. I want this society to suffer. All the pain, anger and sorrow. I want them to feel it all."
The voice spoke once again, from somewhere in the darkness.
"Good. I can show you how. I can make you strong Amon. Stronger than anyone who dares to challenge you."
My eye's jolted open, only to be blinded by the bright light of the infirmary.
"Mr. Ignis, are you okay, you were badly injured when you were brought here." A nurse said as she rushed over to me.
My voice came out raspy, as if I hadn't used it for a while. "Was I? I feel just fine now."
The nurse grabbed my clothes and passed them to me, "School is almost over, you should get dressed, go home and rest."
I spoke quietly, "Oh okay then. I'll be on my way. Thank you for healing me."
I quickly got dressed in my newly cleaned clothes and saw Apollo on the table just next to me with a note attached to the hilt. 'I'm sorry Amon. Maybe if you had Apollo you could have fought them off.'
A few stray tears escaped my eyes. It wasn't his fault. It was mine. I was just too weak to fight them. I doubted I could beat even one of them with Apollo, let alone seven of them.
I grabbed Apollo, attached it to my hip, and tried to contain the tears forming in my eyes.
After what felt like an eternity, I reached the entrance to the school. I barely managed to walk a few steps before a rock was thrown at my head, powered by wind magic. It left quite the nasty cut in my head, which caused blood to pour down it once again. Even more tears built up in my eyes. I had to leave. I couldn't let them see me be weak.
I thought back to my encounter with Yui this morning. I really hoped that she didn't see me like this. But unfortunately, luck wasn't on my side, as I heard a distinctively female voice call out to me. Her voice layered with shock and horror.
"Amon! What happened to you!?"
I turned around. I couldn't hold it in anymore. Tears and blood streaked down my face.
"I told you this morning. My magic just isn't strong. And this is what happens."
She grabbed my hand. Caught off guard by the sudden contact, and my less than stable mental state right now, I let her lead me to a park bench. She sat me down and then stood in front of me. She put her palms face forward, and muttered some incantation that I couldn't quite hear. Suddenly, her hands glowed green. And then so did my body. I felt the cut from the rock healing up. It was healing perfectly even. However, my mind was something that even the best healing magic couldn't fix. After checking me over for any injuries that she may have missed, she sat down beside me. She turned towards me and asked what exactly happened. I took a deep breath as tears began to fall harder against my trousers.
"T-They beat me….. I couldn't even fight back against them. No matter what I tried. Magical or physical. Nothing worked against them. Im weak. The weakest in the entire school."
She cupped my head in her hands, and then brought it to her chest. She slowly rubbed my back, and stroked her slender fingers through my hair.
I didn't say anything.
Neither did she.
I just cried.
Life really wasn't fair.