Aoroi walked out of his room, the door swinging shut behind his broad shoulders and muscular back. Hours of intense training had transformed his physique from lanky to lean and sexy ripped. He strode down the hall with determination, eager to get to the training arena.
"Hey, punk!" a loud, familiar voice bellowed from behind.
Aoroi tensed, recognizing the grating tone of the third-year student who had assaulted him in the cafeteria. The bully's presence filled the hallway like a dark cloud, threatening to ruin Aoroi's plans for the day.
Aoroi kept walking, refusing to give the bully the satisfaction of a response. He had come too far in his training to get dragged into another useless fight. The training arena called to him, the promise of honing his skills far more enticing than brawling in the hall.
Heavy footsteps pounded behind him as the third-year and his two underdog friends hurried to catch up.
"Think you're too good to talk to me now?" the third-year taunted. His lackeys snickered sycophantically.
Aoroi remained silent, his gaze fixed ahead. He wouldn't take the bait.
The third-year grabbed Aoroi's shoulder and spun him around. "I'm talking to you, punk!"
Aoroi met the bully's glare with calm defiance. "What do you want?"
"A rematch, that's what." The third-year poked a meaty finger into Aoroi's chest. "You got lucky last time. But I've been training too."
His underdogs flexed their scrawny arms, trying to look tough.
Aoroi brushed the bully's hand away. "I don't have time for this. I have a training session to attend right now."
"Oh yeah? Well we'll just have to train you then." The third-year cracked his knuckles menacingly. "Right here, right now."
Aoroi sighed. It seemed there was no avoiding this confrontation. He slid into a fighting stance, ready to defend himself. If it was a fight the bully wanted, he would get one.
Aoroi held up a hand. "Look, I don't want any trouble. I have a training session in a few minutes that I need to get to."
He met the third-year's glare steadily. "If you really want to fight, we can meet later somewhere more private after my training. I don't need an audience."
The third-year scoffed. "What's the matter, afraid to lose in front of everyone?" His lackeys jeered, egging him on.
"Come on, stop being a coward and fight us right here!" one underdog taunted.
The other made clucking noises. "Bawk bawk bawk! The chicken's too scared!"
Aoroi clenched his fists. He didn't want to fight these fools, but their mocking was grating on his last nerve.
The third-year got right in his face. "Well, what's it gonna be? Gonna run to your little training session? Or are you gonna prove you're not just talk?"
A crowd started to gather, anticipating the confrontation.
Aoroi took a deep breath. Fine. If it was a fight in front of others they wanted, he would oblige. "All right, let's do this," he said through gritted teeth.
The onlookers murmured excitedly. This would be a redemption battle to remember.
Aoroi took a fighting stance, muscles coiled and ready to strike. The first underdog, a dazzling teenage boy with a semblance of a cheetah rushed at him, activating his Emoji Art with a shout of "Emoji Art- Sonic Boom!"
He came at Aoroi in a blur, fist cocked back. Aoroi's devine sense kicked in and his reflexes became quick, allowing him ducked under the blow. The underdog's punch met only air as he shot past.
Aoroi smirked, his agility allowing him to avoid the attack. But he knew he couldn't keep dodging forever. As the underdog wheeled around for another pass, Aoroi steadied himself. He would need to go on the offensive soon.
This was the fight they had been itching for. Now it was time to show them exactly what he could do.
Aoroi closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath. He focused his mind, activating his newly learned Total Concentration technique. He could sense and feel his surrounding, the third year student standing in front of him, his two underdog friends, the power thrumming through his veins as he prepared to unleash his Emoji Art.
"Let's see, I now have god's eye, god speed, devine regeneration and a Hero's Conquerer Sword, which shall I use against these fools... The sword would be fatal so that's out of the picture, I'm not really sure what god's eye does so I won't risk it until am certain of it's capabilities, devine regeneration, well that's not really an offensive skill so it's out of the picture too. Only one left..." Aoroi reminenced of the abilities he now possessed.
The underdog charged again, cocky after his first attack. But this time, Aoroi was ready.
"Emoji Art- God Speed!" Aoroi calmly chanted with a whisper, pushing his god speed ability to 10% capacity which was the maximum capacity he could use at his current level of total concentration. The world seemed to slow around him as his speed increased exponentially. To the onlookers, Aoroi appeared to simply vanish, leaving only a blurring afterimage behind.
The underdog's second punch sliced through empty air. Before he even realized what was happening, Aoroi was behind him. With lightning quick reflexes, Aoroi grabbed the waistband of the underdog's pants and yanked them down around his ankles.
The underdog let out a yelp of shock and embarrassment as his pants puddled at his feet, leaving him exposed in just his underwear. The crowd erupted into laughter at the humiliating sight.
Aoroi reappeared a safe distance away, twirling the underdog's pants around his finger. "Looking for these?" he asked with a smug grin, having effortlessly evaded the attack and turned the tables on his opponent.
Aoroi tossed the stolen pants into the air, letting them float down toward the second underdog who was still reeling from the shock. As the underdog glanced up instinctively to grab the pants, Aoroi struck. He moved with blinding speed, delivering a precise knife-hand chop to the side of the underdog's neck.
The underdog's eyes rolled back in his head as he crumpled unconscious to the ground. The crowd went silent, stunned by Aoroi's display of speed and skill.
With two opponents down, only the third-year student remained. Aoroi turned his gaze toward the older boy, who was trembling with a mix of fear and rage.
"You wanted a fight, didn't you?" Aoroi mocked, beckoning him forward. "Come on then. Or are you too afraid now that your little friends are out of the picture?"
The third-year student clenched his fists, humiliation burning through him. But faced with Aoroi's calm confidence, he hesitated.
"I...I..." the third-year student stammered, before his bluster melted away entirely. He dropped to his knees in front of Aoroi, hands clasped together pleadingly.
"Please, have mercy!" he begged pathetically. "I don't want to fight anymore!"
Aoroi shook his head in disgust. He reared back his fist as if to strike. The third-year flinched, scrunching his eyes shut...
But the blow never came. Aoroi's fist stopped inches from the third-year's face.
"You're not even worth hitting," Aoroi sneered down at the quivering bully. He had emerged victorious, without having to seriously harm his opponents. The point was made.
The third-year student opened his eyes tentatively. Seeing Aoroi's fist halted before him, he exhaled in relief.
"Oh thank you, thank you!" he gushed, bowing his head repeatedly.
Aoroi stepped back, looking at the pathetic display with disdain. As the third-year began to stand up, Aoroi noticed a spreading dark patch on the front of his pants.
"Well, well, what's this?" Aoroi said loudly, pointing. "It seems someone couldn't hold their bladder!"
The watching students burst into laughter and jeers as they realized the third-year had wet himself in fear. The boy's face burned crimson with humiliation.
"No, I didn't...it's not..." he stammered, but the evidence was plain on his pants.
"I think you need a change of clothes," Aoroi mocked. "Better take care of that."
The third-year student turned and fled down the hall, the echoes of laughter chasing him away. Aoroi watched him go impassively. With no fight left to give, the bully posed no more threat.
Aoroi turned to leave, the crowd parting ways deferentially. The confrontation was over, but reverberations from his victory would surely continue to spread.
As Aoroi walked away, the residual adrenaline still coursed through his veins. His decisive victory over the bullies left him feeling emboldened, powerful and excited for the doctor's training session.
He replayed the fight in his mind. He had moved with a fluidity and speed that even surprised himself. The intensive training was clearly paying off in spades. He felt stronger and more confident than ever before.
A small smile played on Aoroi's usually stoic face. He had proven himself against opponents who used to torment him. No longer would he be seen as weak or vulnerable. This confrontation marked a turning point.
Other students now looked at him with awe and respect in their eyes. Word of his victory would travel quickly through the academy halls. His reputation was forever changed after today's events.
As he continued on his way to the training arena, Aoroi's mind turned to the future. He was now progressing in his training and abilities. Where his training would take him next was a thrilling unknown.
The path ahead was open and filled with potential, a far cry from the hopeless place he had been before. He was no longer the same person the third-year student had picked on all those weeks ago. Aoroi had been reforged anew.
With this exhilarating sense of freedom and purpose, Aoroi stepped into the training arena, ready to hone his skills even further. The next chapter of his story was just beginning.