The hall fell silent as Stare punched Y-204.
The clatter of swords, spears, and various training equipment echoed as they hit the ground.
All activity ceased as every eye turned to Stare and the dazed Y-204, who clutched his face where Stare had struck him.
Even the esteemed figures like Ava and other top elites were fixated on the unfolding drama.
A myriad of emotions played across the faces of those in the hall, but shock united them all.
Bobby had out right fainted, and Joel stood frozen in disbelief, while the rest of the crowd eagerly anticipated Y-204's reaction, given Stare's supposed notoriety.
This was quite expected, as Stare was most likely the most hated person in the academy at the moment.
Most had wide expectant smiles on their faces as they looked on eagerly. Ares in particular seemed to extremely enjoy the show, his smile was undeniably the widest and his two hands in gauntlets clasped together as though about to clap.
"Such a pity, the kid got to die so soon before we even had any fun." Ares muttered in a half amused, half disappointed tone.
There were also a few who just looked on with indifference, these were the likes of Eleanor, Xel, surprisingly even Ava and some few students who were never offended by Stare from the beginning.
As everyone eagerly anticipated the white-haired boy's response, Stare remained oblivious to the turmoil his little stunt had stirred. He continued to smile warmly at Y-204, who stood frozen with his hand on the spot Stare had struck.
In a tone that made it challenging for others nearby to hear, Stare broke the silence, "We need to discuss the Oracle."
However, Stare's confusion grew when he received no response from the still-frozen Y-204, despite several seconds passing since he mentioned the Oracle.
'That should be enough clues for him right?' Stare thought in confusion, he then looked into Y-204's dull green eyes again.
"Did you hear me asshole I said…"
Bang!
Before Stare could finish his words, he had been propelled by a sudden punch to his face a couple of meters away from Y-204.
The hall seemed to immediately erupt into cheers as murmurs and comments of support could be heard from every corner.
Stare, who had barely even noticed when Y-204 hit him, attempted to lift himself from the floor.
He felt pain infiltrate his body after the punch, starting from his face and head and then spreading to all over his body.
"This fucker…" Stare cursed in annoyance, already half way up his feet with his trembling legs and blurry vision.
"I gave him a friendly punch, and he tried to outright kill me in return," Stare grumbled, annoyance evident.
He raised his hand to wipe away the trickling blood from his nose.
"Might as well return the favor," Stare growled through clenched teeth. His emerald eyes emitted an eerie glow as he advanced toward Y-204, fists clenched.
At this point, he paid little heed to the spectators. He could barely even comprehend their words, though he saw the smirks on their faces.
Y-204 showed no intention of backing down either, closing in with fists clenched, his demeanor seemed darken in comparison to Stare. Some nearby onlookers believed they saw wisps of gaseous substance emanating from the white-haired boy's body as he moved.
When they finally met, they synchronized their actions, gripping each other's collars and positioning clenched fists near each other's faces.
Their movements appeared so rehearsed and seamless that it seemed like they had practiced this scenario extensively.
Neither Stare nor the white-haired boy displayed any signs of yielding, as their fists hovered near each other's faces.
It was as if they were locked in a moment of uncertainty, each contemplating who would make the first move.
Murmurs of discontent spread through the crowd, with many students growing impatient at the prolonged standoff.
Ares, in particular, appeared furious, egging on the audience to boo and taunt the pair, however none dared to do so, at least not in an audible manner.
It was like they were trying to avoid something or someone even more oppressive than Ares himself.
It was obviously not Lagertha as she was not around, neither was it Stare as almost everybody hated him but then there was the gloomy white haired boy as well.
While Ares was busy trying to provoke the two combatants, a peculiar event occurred amid the standoff that instantly seized everyone's attention.
The white-haired boy's body began to exude a dense, dark fog. Initially resembling a gaseous substance, it gradually thickened and expanded, enveloping his entire form.
Simultaneously, an oppressive aura radiated from the white-haired boy, stunning the audience once more.
Bobby, who had regained consciousness at this point, was shocked to see the white-haired boy grasping Stare's collar with the thick fog emanating from his body, causing him to lose consciousness once more.
The pressure and the fog escaping the white-haired boy's body were palpable to everyone, even Stare, who had been engulfed in anger. His grip on the boy's collar had involuntarily slackened at the sight.
A singular thought occupied the minds of almost every onlooker in the hall as they felt the release of pressure from the white-haired boy's body.
"He shouldn't possess such an overwhelming pressure this early."
Stare appeared to be the most taken aback among them all.
'Just what incarnation had this fucker turned into in this Cycle.
He didn't have the aura of a Mid Tier I Prime, which was already an impressive feat for a novice student and Prime or the aura of an early-stage Tier I Prime that Stare was confident not even all the elite students had reached, but the pinnacle.
Nevertheless, none of these realizations deterred Stare. It was no longer about his strength but pride.
He refused to accept that Y-204 was superior to him.
Stare could suddenly feel the fog slowly invade his nose, eyes and slightly opened mouth.
The fog induced dizziness and hallucinatory sensations in Stare. His hold on Y-204's collar weakened, his raised fist lowered, and his eyes nearly closed.
Everyone thought Stare would suddenly drop unconscious after being evaded by Y-204's fog but then his eyes suddenly shone bright again, as his grip on the white haired boy's collar tightened.
"I'm not going to give in so easily fucker." Stare muttered to Y-204 through gritted teeth.
It was situations like this that made Stare wish he could use his fief already.
Seeing the thick fog still emanating from Y-204's body and the dark and oppressive aura he unleashed simultaneously, Stare felt like some skilled vigilante fighting against a metahuman capable of crushing him many times over but still doing so because of some pride.
A slight frown immediately appeared on Y-204's face when he noticed Stare's resilience to his attack, the fog leaving his body seemed to be growing thicker and spread further, that even a few students who were a little close by began choking slightly from inhaling.
The fog continued to gather, completely shrouding the white-haired boy's form. Suddenly, it surged with great force, spreading rapidly throughout the hall and driving Stare back a few paces.
Yet, Stare showed no signs of intimidation; instead, a wide grin stretched across his face. The peculiar light in his emerald eyes intensified, giving him a manic appearance.
"You're finally getting serious. Good. Let's go all out then, just like the old times," he muttered, then charged toward Y-204. He maintained his grin, paying little heed to the fog enveloping him as he closed the distance.
As they neared each other, Stare leaped several meters into the air, fists poised to strike Y-204's face.
By this point, the entire scene was obscured by thick smoke, leaving most students with only two silhouettes to discern. One silhouette hovered slightly above the ground, ready to unleash a powerful blow, while the other, Y-204, appeared to be conjuring something.
Just as the two silhouettes were about to collide, a sudden, immense force swept through the hall, causing everyone to drop to their knees under its power.