TO GET STRONGER
With the looming threat of the Sin of Greed, Mammon, all students are encouraged to train even harder. A week after they are admitted to the school, Logan's batch which are called 'New Ones' are put into houses where they would benefit from both seniors and teachers. 4 Houses named after the 4 Elemental Archangels, Aarav the house with the Phoenix insignia that represents fire, Cesar the house with the Dragon insignia that represents earth, Barna the house with the Griffin crest that represents the wind, and Amaya the house with the Kelpie that represents the water. Though the Archangels, who are the namesakes of the houses, are not present to train them because of the task given to them. Aarav is the only one to stay there and protect the whole 'Underworld' from any threat.
Students are put in those houses depending on the main element that they have mastered, a natural towards, and the element that they are comfortable with. The students who are able to control 2 or more elements train with the house that their second element or third element is, depending on the day. Sundays are for the fire where the sun is the hottest and those who use that element can grow much better compared to other days, Tuesday are for those who use the earth where the earth is in complete stillness and they are able to control it much better compared to other days, Thursday are for those who use the wind when the skies blows around the Earth much stronger compared to other days, and Friday are for those who use water where the moon's connection to the water of the Earth is stronger and those who harness it can pull the waters as strong compared to other days. Those who have control over more than 1 element are asked to train during those days, for the other days its focused on their main element if they want to.
The 'Underworld' is quite different from the 'Overworld'
Hans, Mila and Sofia are put in the house of Amaya, and Hans also has to attend classes during Sundays for the element of fire. where she studies with Ava and Remi.
Enola, Halona, and Istas are put in the house of Cesar and are easily put in the top 10 and to the advance classes because of their mastery of their base element. They start to train on advance forms of the element such as lava and sooner other elements that are related to the Earth itself.
Harry is put on the house of Barna and 'Invokers' such as himself who can invoke creatures as their ally, join in with the other 'Invokers' and are trained by Seraph herself. Remi is also with him as she is an 'Invoker' she also attends 4 more classes as she can control all 4 elements with no setbacks. Ava is put on the house of Aarav where she also advanced to a much more difficult class who can control lightning by themselves.
The Warrior classes are also put in different houses because they also have an element that they use as their main, but for most of the week they are being trained on different aspects of their person. They are being trained in Endurance, Agility, Resourcefulness and others. All of them are put into the houses, except for Logan who is arguing with the Oracle, the person who gets to decide which houses they fit in. This is as to not avoid any incompetency or incidents.
The Oracle wears a chrome mask, with only slits for eyeholes, her eyes seems to have the galaxy in it, she wears several layers of robes. each layer gets thinner. Her hands are skeletons wrapped in a type of see through-leather.
"NONE!" The Oracle repeated. The Oracle replies in cheerful way, but that is just the way it talks. Logan misinterprets this as it mocking him.
"Calm now, Logan"
"Why, why?" Logan starts to feel annoyed as he is the only 1 that has been there for so long. He stays in a small building just right outside of the campus, made for passing guests.
"Child... You have a massive pool of Imperium in you and something is blocking it, I cannot see the element that your Imperium can comfortably transform into, break the blockade and allow the element to flow through"
"Comfortably, what does that mean?"
"Like Ava, the first thing that her Imperium turns into when she uses it, it was fire, she did not experience any problems right?"
"That was the pu-"
"Not the Pure form, you idiot"
"What is it then?"
"Like this"
Finn opens his arm and Logan awaits for something. A piece of leaf breaks apart from a nearby tree and floats down to his palm. The leaf lands on his palm.
"Interesting?"
"Just wait" Logan looked closer on the left and it seems to be spinning in a slow pace. It starts to accelerate and eventually it flies 3 inches off Finn's palm. Finn added more imperium to it and the leaf was teared into shreds.
"My main element is Wind, and if I were to accumulate Imperium in its base form its like this"
The does the same thing and Imperium appears, much smaller than the fire that fire-users have, and the color is the same. 'You forgot?' Finn asked him and Logan cannot reply and just smiles.
"Right, I'm guessing he has to train as well?"
"You do what you have to do in order to go past it"
"Come"
"Next Student"
The Oracle continues to read the Imperium of other students who is going through the same thing as him. Logan and Finn walks away the Oracle can only feel scared and relieved at the same time. Logan seems to be incredibly disappointed as he is the only one who is yet to wear the new uniform among his friends. Their uniforms are a navy blue, with a slick design and accents with the House color, crimson for Aarav, emerald for Cesar, gray for Barna, and aquamarine for Nicholas, the lilies flower crest is on the collar button.
Students walk pass them 1 by 1, and Logan can only look at them with jealousy as he still wears Finn's uniform. People start to murmur and chatter about him as they pass in the hallway toward an open area.
"I get it, you hate my sewing?" Finn said through his chuckles.
"No, Its impressive this design reminds me off, Japanese middle schoolers"
"sure"
"Its that I feel so left behind"
"Well thank goodness we are about to train once more, and maybe you'll be ahead this time"
He and Finn got into a unused practice field and they start to prepare for their training. Finn puts on a bit of armor because he is afraid of what Logan can do now, and Logan has no idea what he can do, no one cannot remember what happened the moment they got the orb and they gain their consciousness fully. Its a sort of damage control in case some of them were to feel bitter about the history.
"I have no weapon"
"That's fine, we're looking for your element"
"Okay, but I'm a warrior, not Magician or something"
"The Elements are used as a tool, you need to manifest imperium into an element, the base form alone won't do anything"
"What?"
"Imperium enhances all of our 5 senses, the element, being the form of that your imperium take can add more damage to the enemy. Fists alone won't kill them"
"I might as well be a sorcerer now!"
"THE ELEMENTS ADD POTENCY TO YOUR OVERALL ATTACK, IF YOU ARE ABLE TO RELEASE THE IMPERIUM THAT IS. IMBUNING THEM IS DIFFERENT FROM DISCHARGING THEM!"
"What is he saying"
The 2 screams at each other, Finn explaining the purpose of having an element. There are some Warriors that cannot control the elements but instead the imperium adapts to their body turning it into their 6th sense, it turns them into superhuman, but they are rare. Warriors who can control the elements can choose to be Sorcerers or Warriors, the main purpose of the elements for Warriors is to add more power to their attacks. It does not affect the other 5 senses as this can be achieved by training.
"Oh, we have spectators now" Finn told Logan.
"Good, I'm excited" He replied sarcastically.
"You can show off to the pretty girls right?"
"No, I don't care"
"Chad"
"How do-"
"LET'S GO!"
Finn jumps ahead to his side of the battlefield and Logan slowly walks up to it, students from other houses and classes appear because it is also their break. Logan takes a couple of breath thinking of what element he can use. He looks up and sees Finn asking for a sign that he is ready, he replied with a thumbs up, as soon as he gave it Finn appears in front of him with a big smile, he manages to dodge his swing. Finn realizes completely that Logan's over all speed including his reaction time has increased.
"I can't lose right?"
"Sure, go at it"
"Let's go"
The 2 of them got into a speedy fight with everyone being keen enough to see the whole battle, Finn goes in the offense trying to force out Logan to use at least one of the element and so he did, when Finn's sword struck his left arm he burst into air and disappears. "Wind" Finn thought as he is falling in the sky, he sees a small pebble fly by him and realizing he is in a bit of a problem he tries to stick the landing, but he gets hit with a rock right through his groin.
"AAAH"
"SORRY!"
Finn falls directly to the ground, he panicked in order to make Logan lower his guard. His right arm gets stuck in a rock wall.
"Earth too?"
Logan landed on his side and fires a jet of flame at him, he manages to break away and runs to the other side.
"USE ONLY ONE ELEMENT!"
"I CAN'T I'M SCARED!"
The spectators can only laugh at the words of exchange the 2 had. Logan stomps on the ground and boulders float, he punches and kicks it towards Finn who breaks it with his bare hands, he missed some of the boulders but the students breaks it for him. As he turns he sees Logan's palm directly on his face and a tongue of flame is slowly increasing in size, Finn automatically responds with his own attack directly aiming for the fire and blowing a gust of wind made it explode. The spectators are in shock upon what just happened but the fight is still on and they cheered. Logan now has the 'Fangs' and is going at it, he imbued it with fire.
Finn notices how Logan is 'dragging' his feet on the ground but is moving quickly. He aims at it and Logan just dodges away using the earth.
"You're gonna have to go on the offensive right?"
"Yeah, right now"
He put his 2 of fingers together and it seems to be focusing Imperium on both, "learned this from the advanced fire class" Logan said with the most confidence that Finn has never seen. He moved right hand clockwise and left hand counter clockwise as he is putting his whole arm vertically, realizing what Logan is doing Finn can only brace for the attack. A huge clap of lightning happened as the air around them vibrates.
"urrghh!"
"Wh- where did h-" Finn looks around.
He feels huge amounts of electricity on the left side of his whole face, the time has slowed down for the both of them and he can see a fist manifesting from the electricity around him, he tries to move but the fist is faster than him. Logan's right fist landed on his cheek and Finn sees his student fully manifesting from the element with a smile.
"finally" Finn thought to himself. As soon as Logan finished manifesting time went back and he flies and with the effort of the students they managed to catch him. He looks on his whole hand and lightning flows around his whole body down to the ground. Thunders roar above their heads. "Whoa" the spectators cheered on his win and Finn comes up to him to congratulate him.
"So fire?"
"Sort of, but the advance is offered there"
"Isn't is supposed to be for the wind or water? Lightning?"
"Agni"
"Sanskrit for fire, or the one in that animation?"
"what? No Sanskrit, Agni is a Sun God"
"Uh uh"
"He exists in 3 levels. Fire in the Earth, lightning in the atmosphere, and in the air or sky he is the sun"
"I sort of get it" Finn tried to explaining something to Logan, but he is clearly confused so he kept his mouth shut instead. Logan looks onto Finn expecting him to explain further.
"So?"
"Good, lightning... How do you feel?"
"Like I, uh... nothing"
"Not tired?"
"Not tired, or something"
"Odd, I wonder why" Finn looked at Logan with a sort of mocking face. He hears a low growl and a voice made from several other.
*Its because of me, human, don't forget my existence within him*
"Sorry"
"For?"
"Nothing, let's go to the oracle"
As Finn and Logan walked to the Oracle's office, the reactions are divided, half of them are cheering loudly because they have heard of what Logan has just went through and the other are in shock because of what he can do. The Oracle instead went to where Finn and Logan are, "I guess you know where you belong?" the Oracle asked, since she wears a mask Logan has no idea what she expression she has.
"Are you happy?"
"Of course"
"Really?"
"Yes, now all of you students will you go back to your classes your break time has ended"
"Yes ma'am!"
They all left back to their respective training area, some approached Logan and patted him on the back and congratulating him, he shyly thanks them. As the students cleared out of the area Themis and Merlin appears behind them and they also congratulated him.
"We heard a loud thunder, was that yours?"
"Yes, sorry"
"Its fine, now I think this is yours"
Merlin gave him his uniform, with the crimson accent and the crest on the collar button. Logan grabs it and it feels him with delight. Themis told him where the Dormitories are but he already know where it is, he run opposite to the training field.
"Go train, us t-"
"There he goes"
Logan uses his newly learned skill and goes to the fire training field. He sees Ava and Hans and approached them, 'So?' Hans asked to which Logan replied with 'Pyro', everyone who is part of the House of Aarav cheered and surrounded Logan, they introduced themselves one by one. It was too many names for Logan.
"Now now, children go back to your post! Now is not the time, you can congratulate our new member at the end of the day!"
"Yes Ma'am!"
"I am Mariel, I am the overseer and headmaster of this House"
"Nice to meet you ma'am"
"Now, Hans, since this is you first sparring why don't you to be sparring with him"
"Fire only, Logan"
"Sure"
"Are we allowed to us weapons?"
"It depends on you, but please try to master the usage of the element of fire"
Both of them summoned their weapons and they start to fight, both of them are easily cancelling out the attack of the other. Hans has learned from his battle with the Chimera by charging his attack, and enduring the heat that his attack put outs. Hans started to get used to the increasing heat and uses it to his own advantage. He makes gigantic jets of flames because of the style that he is doing and the certain day that he is training, the effects of the training results with permanent effects. Logan dodges all of the attack or controls it to his side and fires it back at Hans, both of them exchange powerful attacks just like the other sparring duos.
"Ava?"
"Oh, Remi"
"What's up?"
"Look at them"
"They seem pretty happy?"
"I want to be as strong as them"
Remi shoots a bolt of lightning in front of her, "That's why we train". The 2 girls also flexed on their lightning abilities and everyone in their enclosure stopped training just to witness it, but Mariel did not allow them as she hears some of them murmuring their jealousy.
"Do not be jealous children, you should be motivated to go as big as those 4"
All students starts to train hard and even harder when the other 4 goes much harder, they worked themselves through the bone on their first Sunday. Merlin and Themis who wanted to check how Logan is fitting in the group stayed until the sun has sunk over the horizon, all students are drained of their energy but the 2 boys who started it are still continuing.
"Curious as to why they are still sparring"
"Probably because its not them who are fighting Master Merlin"
"Right 2 siblings that has waited for over millennias just to play once more, take your children to their respective dorms, Mariel, we shall watch this 2"
The dormitories are not based on the House that the students belong in, but the batch that they are in, there is a 5 years gap from the batch that will graduate up to Logan's batch, the 1st building is for 'New-Ones' and the student that came last year, and so forth but the 4th building are for the 7th years, the graduand, alone and no other lower-grades are allowed to walk in or even talk to them, because they are busy doing the work that will be passed down to them.
"Are you getting tired sister?"
"No, how about you?"
"Yes, we are tired watching, now you 2 that is not your bodies they must have passed out when the others did" Merlin cuts in.
"Good to see you Merlin, I see you have aged"
"I have, thank you for noticing"
"How's Mother's tree?"
"Its still in the middle of this school, do not worry, it is a good decision that you built this on its foundation"
"Of course, just like how my mother would have wanted it"
"And thank you, for entrusting us with your Uncle's role to oversee them"
"I am also in gratitude with your kind, maybe you are not so bad after all"
"Now we shall go, this 2 might be tired, we're sorry once more"
"It's fine, lay them down"
Mephistopheles and Seraph lies Logan's and Hans' body down and the 2 slowly drifted their consciousness away, Logan and Hans woke up but sleeps anyway.
"Our body hurts"
"Go to sleep"
'Sweet Dreams' Themis whispered to the 2 boys as they are carried to their own rooms in their dorms.