Tora's Pov
It's been a week since the whole fiasco occurred at the evaluation hall. I was still a hot topic for most of the student body but I ignored it because I had to focus my attention on more important things. Like the magma-like flames that were being hurled in my direction by the Professor. He had started training me personally after the incident like he said he would and it was by no means a walk in the park. We were working on my reaction time and movement speed today. Hence, my swords were taken from me and I had to stay alive and on the move for the better part of two hours to avoid the flames that were approaching me from various directions.
The muscles in my legs were screaming for a moment of reprieve while my brain was in overdrive mode. Dodging a ball aimed at my midsection I jumped to the side while calculating the distance between the professor and myself. This lesson will only come to an end if I'm able to get within 5ft of the professor. Hiding behind a rock to catch my breath I decided on my next line of action before professor Pius decided to up his firepower.
Leaping out into the open and sprinting like my life depended on it, which it probably did, I willed my weary legs to move faster while taking out the pebbles I had picked up while trying to stay alive. As a much smaller but more deadly fireball was launched towards my chest I steeled my resolve to attack first before trying to evade it at the last moment.
Suddenly, my palms began to feel tingly, and as I was about to launch all the pebbles hoping to use them as a distraction everything suddenly began to move at a much slower pace in my vision. Even the fireballs seemed to have slowed down considerably. The sensation began spreading till I felt it run through my entire body. The soreness in my legs disappeared as I was filled with renewed vigor and with more force than I initially could muster I launched all the pebbles in my hands forward. To my amazement, I saw the pebbles covered in a thick layer of electric current which made them more deadly than normal ones. I saw the professor's left brow raise in surprise as he casually swiped his hand in front of him making the air in front of him seem like it was beginning to melt.
Pius' Pov
Seeing clearly that the boy was well close to his limits, I switched to smaller and more effective attacks in an effort to make him speed up his decision-making process. This was a process I had been using on him regularly to speed up his learning process. However, an unexpected result was gained. At the time the boy charged at me and was about to launch the pebbles he had picked as a distraction, his body took on a blue hue that started from his hands before spreading to the rest of his body. Faint traces of electric current began emanating from his hands before his eyes sparked to life as well.
Pulling back his arms at a faster speed than I had seen him use so far, he launched the pebbles which were bathed in electric currents at me. Being surprised to the point of unconsciously lifting a brow, I flicked my hand and created a heat wave to obstruct the path of the pebbles. What had actually surprised me in earnest was that in the split second it had taken to launch his attack, the aura emanating from the electricity being generated by him took on the shape of a massive cat head behind him.
A feeling of familiarity and camaraderie emanated from the phoenix in me and instantly I knew who or rather what that power belonged to previously. The celestial white tiger of the west, ruler of the skies and wind, lord of metals, and most short-tempered of the divine beasts. The divine tiger BYAKKO.
The instant the projectiles hit the shield I created I knew it was the right option. Although I can heal to a certain degree because of the Raksha, if any of these had hit a vital point it would have done some serious damage to me. On impact with the defense I had put up, the pebbles hit and exploded with such force that they created a smokescreen in front of me.
Waving my hand with a bit of force the smoke cleared only to reveal the boy a few inches from me with his hand outstretched to touch me. Twisting to the side to avoid his hand, I saw far too late that what I had evaded was an afterimage and the boy was already at my side having anticipated my move already. The moment I lifted my arm the impact of his punch pushed me back a few meters and left a shocking sensation behind.
"It seems you were too eager to be done with today's session boy. I did not expect that last attack."
However, he could not answer me as he was breathing as hard as a hunting hound after a long chase. The hue around him left as swiftly as it came and the boy was left in a state of fatigue and he collapsed on the floor. Walking up to him I stared down at the student who had continued to pique my interest over and over again for the past week. He was quick to learn and his ability to adapt was on a frightening level. Waiting patiently beside the boy, the bird-shaped flame manifested itself on my shoulder as it also looked down at him.
"I guess we did the right taking him under our wing Raksha. It seems your brother has finally found a suitable vessel for himself."
"Indeed. His tenacity is the same as always. However, it wasn't what we felt in the chamber that day. Perhaps he is also a dual vessel like you Pius."
Hearing the bird's words it seemed plausible because the manifestation of the divine tiger was indeed not what I had felt that day. Before I could ponder more on it the boy awoke with a start and pulled in a deep breath.