"No matter you say or do, I'm not going to the academy."
"Why not? With your martial prowess and magical ability you could still do something."
"I don't see a future in going to the academy." Oscar said in all seriousness.
What he said could be perceived as not being good enough for the academy, but the way he spoke, made it feel like it was the other way around.
"How conceited? You are incapable of success, a total loser. Don't try to act high and mighty here, you are not strong enough to display arrogance." Paul said looking at Oscar with disdain and ridicule.
Joshua was not any better. His lips were curled in a smirk, choosing not to say anything, merely looking at Oscar with derision.
"Arrogance?" Oscar's demeanor changed from a neutral expression to a sinister smile
.
"Arrogance my friend, is having excessive pride in oneself. In contrast, I have a reasonable estimation of myself and my superiority. In terms of knowledge and relevance to me, you are nothing more than an ant."
"You dare?"
Hoom!
The temperature of the area surrounding Oscar rose up by a few degrees, and kept increasing.
There was no visible flame on his body, but the intensity of the heat made it seem like the place was aflame. No other mage could achieve such a feat without cast a fire spell.
Looking at Paul he said: "an ant will always remain an ant even if it stood on the back of an elephant ."
For a moment, Paul felt fear but that passed as soon as he circulated the mana in his body, reducing the effects of the heat radiated by Oscar.
The others had reinforced their body earlier, Paul's reaction was a bit delayed due to the psychological pressure he felt from Oscar's gaze.
'What's wrong with me, I'm stronger than him. After all I've awakened, I've been practicing my skills. I shouldn't doubt myself.'
"I'll be able to beat you now." Paul said, standing upright facing Oscar without backing down.
"You guys shouldn't fight here, let's go to the sparring grounds." Anya, who hadn't said anything for a while suggested the idea.
"Yes, we should." Oscar said before turning around.
"Go home." He said to the group of people that had gathered, observing them like they were actors in a play.
He didn't need to say it twice, as they all left. None of them was curious enough to stick around, they preferred having their body free of injuries for the time being.
Oscar turned around, looking at the rest. "Let's go."
********
"Why did you make them leave? You didn't want people to witness your ass getting beat up right?" Paul sneered as he looked at Oscar.
"It should be other way around." Oscar replied.
"Huh? You think you could beat us?" This time Joshua was the one that talked back.
"Shut the hell up, you friggin NPC."
Oscar responded.
Joshua didn't have a retort as his face contorted slightly in anger.
The high school's training hall was on the larger side, being a hundred square meters in area. It was divided into different segments and had a particular portion of the hall specifically for students to train and spar against each other.
"I can see some of you have something to prove. Feeling the need to establish one's own worth is not a bad thing. However, you should know one thing."
"What is it?" Sarah asked gazing intently at Oscar.
"I am not a stepping stone."
"I doubt that."
Oscar ignored her.
"Who's first or are you all going to attack together?" Oscar said as he took of his red jacket, and folded the sleeves of his buttoned shirt.
"What do take us for? Even the weakest among us would defeat you." Paul growled.
"Is that so? Then what are you guys waiting for?" Oscar responded, making his way to the sparring ring.
It might have been called a ring but there were no ropes, as it was a large circular space, built one metre above the ground and made of concrete with some padding above it.
"Josh" Paul called out.
"I'm on it, this will be a cakewalk." Joshua said as he sauntered away from them, heading to the ring.
"Wait, who will be the referee?" Marcus asked.
"Why don't you do it?" Anya replied.
Marcus trotted off to go join the fight as a referee while the others chose to remain outside the ring as spectators.
"Josh, are you ready?"
"Yeah"
"Oscar, are you ready?"
Oscar responded with a faint nod.
"Start!" Marcus shouted.
'He might be a skilled fighter, but as long as I keep my distance while casting spells, then my victory is certain.' Joshua thought as he made his move.
Joshua took a step back, while readying a lightning spell. A bolt of blue lightning caressed his palms, but before he could shoot it.
Oscar came forward parrying the arm holding the bolt, standing face to face with Joshua, Oscar wasted no time in throwing a solid right hook (a punch to the side of his face), marrying Josh's face with his fist.
The motion and force of the punch was so strong that Joshua was pushed to the ground with Oscar's fist still on his face. It was as if Oscar wanted to punch through his face to the ground.
"Doom!!"
Joshua was in a state of disfigurement, his jaw was broken his cheekbone bent in an awkward angle. His eyes bulged out. Fortunately for him he was unconscious, but his eyes were slightly open, giving off an inspiration of fear..
Oscar stood up and took a handkerchief out of his pocket to clean his hands then he adjusted his sleeves. Looking at the rest of them
"So who's next?"
Paul could feel his heart beating in another place apart from his chest, there was a pulsing effect somewhere in his body. He looked at Joshua on the floor, then at Oscar. He was enveloped in a feeling of dread.
While they were in high school, Oscar always sparred and trained with them. They never won, but they always felt close to winning. Paul often felt himself improving, still he never won. It was always a close call to victory.
What he didn't know however, was that Oscar trained twice as hard if not harder than them. After sparring in school, when the others would go home to rest or play, Oscar would go home and train instead. If he didn't train, he would read. He didn't have many hobbies apart from reading and martial arts. Which, for his age group seemed as boring. Why learn martial arts when you could use magic to overpower your opponents. Martial arts was treated as optional, as mages were long ranged fighters.
In spite of that, this guy decided to come in front of a lightning spell not using any mana to augment his body or a spell to counter the attack. Only a punch to kill the momentum and secure his win.
"Paul, aren't you next?" Sarah said trying to act calm, but she was visibly shaken. 'How is he this strong? That speed, could I evade him?' Sarah's head was filled with questions.
She thought beating him wouldn't be hard. In any case, her training for the past six months shouldn't be for nothing. She was ignorant of the fact that Oscar never stopped improving himself, he trained with the guards and knights of his family on a daily basis.
He never won any of the fights though. Regardless of that, he was still considered a monster by his training partners. Keeping up with a syne-two mage in close combat was akin to having the power of a syne-two mage even without the ability of mana control.
"I said, who's next?!"
Oscar's shout jolted Paul and Sarah out their reverie.
This didn't mean the others weren't surprised.
Anya expected Oscar to win against Joshua but not to such a degree, maybe if he won against Joshua, the next fight would take him out of commission, but a one hit punch? If she was unconcerned about him before, she was immensely wary now.
'Good thing I chose to wait, I need to tell father about this. Oscar's strength should not be left unguarded. With such potential, if he goes against the royal family in the future...I need to do something' Anya was already making plans on restraining Oscar's growth whilst observing the situation.
"Let's get on with the next fight. I'm tired of waiting." Myra spoke out.
After that statement, all eyes turned to Paul. Who at this moment, knew he fucked up.
"Do you plan to forfeit?" Anya asked.
"N-no, I'm a man of my word."
"Indeed... it's your funeral."
"What was that?"
"Nothing, good luck." Anya smiled, wishing him well.
After Joshua was taken out of the place. There was no reason for Paul to keep standing, so he went to the ring.