After hearing the bell signaling the end of the day and passing by some teachers from the basic academy, Liam quickened his pace towards class 4-C.
Rozer exited the classroom and stopped in the corridor when he saw them blocking his way by lining up and filling the passage. Not only did they obstruct Rozer, but also other students who were either going home or wanted to pass through this corridor.
"Let me through," Rozer said.
"Here's the thing, at times like this, you have to plead by saying 'Please let me through, seniors,' then I will give you a way," Liam replied.
"Why should I ask for permission from you? Go away, you're blocking this path."
"You insolent brat," one of Liam's friends lost patience and tried to push Rozer, but Liam's left hand blocked him.
"So, you want respect? How about we 'Ijen'; if you win, I'll respect you."
Poetica approached Rozer from behind and whispered in his ear, "He is Liam, Levi's friend—or the one you defeated this afternoon. They are deliberately doing this to challenge you again. You better not accept that challenge; I think they will gang up on you when the duel starts."
Rozer nodded and said clearly, "Is that so, I don't mind if you attack together."
Liam, who had been glaring at Rozer for some time, suddenly became angry. He felt humiliated, like an insect. Lifting one eyebrow, feeling much relieved because he didn't need his dirty plan anymore, he said, "Are you sure? Besides being insolent, you're also arrogant. We'll teach you how to be a good junior."
"Let's go to the knight's field," one of Liam's friends said.
They then went to the mentioned location in the north, pushing aside other students who had piled up and forcefully pushing their junior students to the side, ordering them loudly to "move aside!"
Other students behind Rozer, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, quickly spread this information to others, causing them to reconsider going home and choosing to witness Rozer's actions.
"Fight?"
"Typical of Ijen."
"Basic academy student? With that senior in a white robe?"
""The kid who dueled with the senior this afternoon is dueling again!"
"Exciting stuff!"
"Let's go watch."
"Yeah, let's go, let's go!"
After performing the ceremonial Ijen, like earlier in the day, Liam threw a wooden sword in front of Rozer as he bowed to show respect.
But this time, Rozer didn't take it.
He made a hand gesture, the wind, and his body movement changed into a battle position, placing his stretched right palm on the left; above the clenched left hand.
At this moment, Rozer gathered magical energy in his right hand.
"You're not taking that wooden sword?"
"With bare hands, I can defeat all of you."
"Is that so?!" Liam shouted,
Leading his friends, they ran carrying wooden swords—charging towards Rozer, appearing like a wave.
About 25 steps away, just before they could completely surround Rozer, he swung his right hand quickly from left to right, releasing the energy he had gathered.
That energy transformed into a cutting wind that slammed the dust on the ground, coming towards the twenty people running. It collided and penetrated their bodies simultaneously with a strong wind.
The magic Rozer had just used was a Burst Of Magical Energy or called BOME; releasing a powerful sonic wave that damaged the magical flow in those affected by the magic. The impact of the explosion was enough to push back the enemies and disrupt their magical flow for a while on the affected part of their bodies.
Though not bleeding, those affected felt pain in their stomachs and couldn't control their legs, trembling and falling—only able to support their bodies with their hands on the ground.
Rozer walked slowly towards them, picking up the wooden sword, then pointing it in front of Liam,
"Is it just this much?"
Liam couldn't accept his defeat and dodged, stating, "We are knights; you have tarnished the battle between knights with your magic."
This was an Ijen; he shouldn't say that, especially since he was doing this duel with twenty people. Liam truly had no shame, but Rozer didn't want to bother and challenged him again, "Fine, let's start over. I won't use magic this time."
While walking back to the starting position, Rozer coughed up blood, visible when he caught it in his palm. The effect of the technique from this afternoon still lingered.
Esh, who understood his master's suffering, appeared and offered help, "Master, what if I assist you? You look very pale."
"Thank you, but don't kill them, Esh."
"I understand."
A male teacher with red hair named Berg, locked the library door after coming out of it, then turned around. He saw many students flocking towards the crowd in front of the cafeteria, obscuring his view of the field. He was curious about this rare event and decided to approach.
From behind the students, he saw Rozer preparing with his wooden sword and twenty students standing up again and adopting a posture, ready with their wooden swords.
"So, he's the Mr. Zerenia son's—the one who killed the goblin two days ago in the school labyrinth. What are they doing? Training? It seems he's very popular, attracting the attention of many students. I'll watch this for a moment."
On the other side, Esh called 18 spirits scattered beside Rozer, matching the number of Liam and his friends. Esh, along with those spirits, transformed into Rozer while carrying a wooden sword. From their height, appearance, it closely resembled Rozer.
Twilight crept into the sky, illuminating the empty field that bore witness to the epic battle between the two factions at the academy. Twenty clones of Rozer, led directly by Rozer himself, faced off against twenty students from Liam's group, commanded by the relentless Liam.
A large number of academy students gathered around the field, creating a human wall that eagerly watched. A festive atmosphere lingered in the air, and cheers of encouragement resounded so clearly.
The two factions prepared for battle, wooden swords in their hands gleaming in the twilight. Rozer and Liam locked eyes in the middle of the field, creating tension felt by everyone present. As the sun dipped lower, starting with Liam's shout, the battle began.
They ran towards each other. Rozer, with his extraordinary skill, unleashed lightning-fast attacks, inspiring his troops to keep advancing. On the other side, Liam charged forward with a sharp gaze, along with his troops.
Cheers from the audience erupted, accompanying every attack and defense. The competitive atmosphere between Rozer and Liam added to the fervor of the battle. As time passed, the twilight sky witnessed a more dramatic performance.
The battle reached its climax when the two leaders, Rozer and Liam, met in the middle of the field. Their exchanges of attacks seemed to be the culmination of the entire battle. Academy students held their breath, waiting to see who would emerge as the winner.
With a wooden sword in his hand, Rozer launched precise attacks that were unpredictable. His agile movements and mature strategy caused Liam's group to retreat continuously. The initially tense atmosphere turned into a striking advantage for Rozer and his troops.
With lightning attacks, Rozer's troops surged forward, cutting through the air with nimble movements. Their wooden swords slashed through the air, creating resonating echoes.
On the other side of the field, Liam's group defended against the attacks with a sturdy formation. However, Rozer and his troops continued to cut
through the opponent's ranks with incredible speed and power. The battle became more intense with each launched attack.
In a short time, Rozer launched a spectacular finishing move. With graceful movements and speed difficult to follow, Rozer's wooden sword cut through the air towards Liam. In an instant, Liam was pushed back, and Rozer secured the victory with a powerful blow.
Cheers from the audience erupted, decorating the twilight sky with joy. Rozer's troops disappeared without celebrating this victory. Rozer stared at the red sky with a sense of emptiness. Although victorious, he felt neither joy nor pride. He only thought about the complicated relationships outside the Boszeven Forest.
"Was that an illusion from Rozer? No, those were spirits transformed to look like him,"
***
Teacher Berg entered the faculty room and reported Rozer's incident in the knight's field.
"The technique of transforming spirits or shadow play is a requirement for graduating from the Middle Academy. Rozer has already mastered the technique of shadow play, which is above the average academy students. I feel that the decision to place Rozer in the basic academy was not the right one, so please allow me to mentor Rozer in my class."
The school head, sitting at the most elegant desk in the room, glanced at Teacher Edele and asked, "What is your opinion, Edele?"
Edele replied with concern for Rozer still lingering in his heart, "It's not my intention to shirk my responsibility for Rozer, but in these three days, he seems less interested in the lessons I provide in the basic academy. Perhaps Mr. Berg's suggestion is correct, and I agree with it."
"So, he's a genius kid who trivializes basic lessons." said the school head.
"As you say, headmaster." said Edele.
"So, it would be better for Rozer to move to a higher class, is that your suggestion, Berg?" commented the school head.
"Yes, Headmaster. Allow me to delve into and assess Rozer's strength within my reach to guide him to a better future." said Berg.
The sharp gaze the school head had been giving softened along with his heavy heart.
"This has never happened before." thought the school head.