He directed his gaze back at the rest of the students who had fear instilled in their eyes. Even Ren, Mei and Yui dared not face him, not after how he handled Mizuko.
"I-is this power... Of the A-rank Soul-Hunter Shun Li?" With a wavering voice, the arrogant noble questioned as he held his midsection, groaning slightly in pain.
"That was incredible Sensei! I now see why they call you the wild beast of the dancing dragons." Silver said, complementing his achievements.
"Oh? You aren't going to try your luck? This is the only way to pass this exercise." Shun Li replied, chuckling as he couldn't get over the compliment he was given.
"Not really, who knows what might happen if I end up fighting you." Like a woman's mood, his voice took on a chilling edge, each word dripping with an icy detachment that sent shivers through the air.
The warmth of his earlier demeanor vanished, replaced by a palpable tension. His eyes gleamed with a predatory intensity, narrowing as a smile twisted his lips.
"So I'll pass!" As swiftly as his expression changed, it returned to his cheerful demeanor from earlier. Leaving the A-rank Soul-Hunter puzzled. 'This boy...' He thought, slightly worried about his sudden demeanor.
The expression of the other students showed fear, they doubted their abilities the moment they caught a glimpse of Shun Li's capabilities.
"Defeat doesn't start by losing the battle, it starts the moment you begin doubting your abilities and losing the will to fight. I hope you overcome this before it's too late, that'll be all for today." He announced, dismissing the students.
"Mizuko! That was amazing!" Snapping out of their previous demeanor, several members of the class including Mei and Yui approached Mizuko. The hole in the ground was enough testimony to the power he attained, they viewed his power as the most superior.
After a few conversations the previous day with some of the students in the class, they became acquainted and he became the only commoner they could tolerate.
"You alright?" Daichi asked, offering Rentaro a hand.
"Yeah, I didn't expect Shun Li to be that fast, honestly it's exhilarating." After experiencing firsthand the power of Shun Li who was just an A-rank Soul-Hunter, Rentaro became even more thrilled, now his quest to get stronger had a more defined purpose.
"That's Shun Sensei for you." Daichi replied, praising his personal trainer.
"Nice match." A voice spoke behind the two boys, as turned, they were met with the hand of Mizuko extended forward for a handshake.
At first Daichi felt conflicted, but before he could say anything, Rentaro extended his own hand forward. He wasn't going to be part of the Mizuko's squad anymore, but at least he could still shake to a friendly spar.
As the students left the courtyard, Shun Li approached the small hole created by Rentaro's technique. As he gently stepped at the corners of the hole, the surrounding grounds nine meters from it released a crackling sound.
Alarmed, Shun Li leaped backwards as the ground underneath him shattered in sync.
As he landed on his feet, he gazed at the hole with disbelief. Shota had informed him on the details of each students skills and abilities, but this was something else.
"That boy, Rentaro was it?"
His eyes glanced down at the 8 foot deep crater created from the dispersion of Rentaro's [Electric Burst]. "There's no way that kid is a D-rank Soul-User, not by a longshot."
The [Electric Burst] technique wasn't a technique that disintegrated it's target in impact, it was a technique that disintegrates it's target on a cellular level. The moment it hit the ground, it's compactness was still intact causing it to just penetrate the ground.
But as it dispersed, this was the results.
..
"Man that was awesome, I was frightened by the power of Shun Sensei but you along with Daichi and Rentaro went at him!"
Gathered in the living room after lights out were four of the five individuals summoned by Nezuna, presently they completed their training for the day with Mizuko leading the session, the two core stages development.
"Yeah, you almost took him down, I'm sure you will next time." Besides Mizuko were his two cheerleaders who continually praised him due to their obsession with him.
They neglected the fact that he had help while they cowered in fear like children, it was frustrating, but he had no choice but to keep them in check. After all he was assigned by the goddess to lead this team.
"It wasn't just Mizuko you know, Daichi and Rentaro played an important part in that exchange." Ren chimed in, his eyebrows furrowing deeply, lips pressing into a thin line. Once again, they missed the main point.
"Weren't you watching, you saw what Mizuko's technique did to the ground. He was the most capable in defeating Li Sensei." Yui growled, refusing to accept his point.
"No, I can't beat him on my own with the level of power I have, not to mention Daichi and Rentaro played a vital role in that training session. If anything I really didn't do anything much without the distraction both of them created for me." He summarized the battle at once, laying it out for his team.
"Indeed, as expected of someone who awakened an A-rank Soul-Type, you have quite the perception. Though I can't say the same for the rest of your team." Lucy's voice broke through the murmurs of the four students, clear and unexpected.
The group turned sharply, their faces a mix of surprise and confusion, eyes widening as they caught sight of her.
She was dressed in a short, pink night gown which was barely revealing, crossing her arms with a radiant smile on her face.
"Hey!" Both Yui and Mei exclaimed, feeling offended by her remarks. Frankly they also assumed she was trying to hit on Mizuko
"What do you mean by that?" Ren asked, confused by her statement.
"I'm sure you realized it after shaking hands with him didn't you?" Lucy said, smiling sinisterly as she spoke, referring directly to Mizuko.
"Huh!?"
Her words left them even more puzzled, Mizuko on the other hand became lost in thought as he recalled the moment he shaked hands with Rentaro.
"Just what are you talking about you damn bi-"
"Uh uh uh." Lucy said, rudely interrupting Yui as she waved her index finger in the air. "Language please, you both were distracted so much that you failed to pay attention to the main man of that match, Rentaro Mizuno." She added, a cocky smile on her face.
"What? Is your beauty and status just for show? Don't tell me you didn't witness what Mizuko's technique would have done?"
"Actually." Mizuko cut in, finally ready to share the experience he went through. "As I grabbed Rentaro's hand, I felt... Well a strong force that threatened to overpower my hand." He said, squeezing his right hand tightly.
"Huh?"
"Let me put in simple words since you don't have to knowledge to understand, the channeling of Soul-Energy into any part of the body that results in a phenomenon is known as Soul-Technique. To use a Soul-Technique, the principles of the amplification core stage and the enhancement core stage are applied. To amplify is to channel one's Soul-Energy and to convert that Soul-Energy into a Soul-Technique is to enhance the Soul-Energy."
Retiring back to her bedroom, Mizuko stood up to his feet, running after her from behind. "Wait, what are you trying to say?" He asked, standing face to face with her at the entrance of the living room.
With a slight shrug, she turned her head over her shoulders and glancing at him before speaking in a low tune.
"What do you think happens when a Soul-Technique has been over amplified before it's enhanced? And why is one's Soul-Energy over amplified in the first place? And more importantly, do you know where Rentaro is now?"
Her question left him speechless, every day was a new lesson to him and apparently, this particular lesson was directed specifically towards one person.
"A word of advice, I don't know how long you've known him. But do not assume Rentaro Mizuno is the same person you once knew."
Thanks to her ability, [Perception], she was able to justify what had truly occured during that battle. With all said, she retired to her room.
..
The next week arrived swiftly, which meant only one thing.
"I hope you took my words and the teachings of your instructors seriously, because the Soul-Hunter Exam has been set to hold tomorrow." Situated in the front of the class, Shota revealed the date of the exams.
The students eyes widened and darted as if trying to piece together a complex puzzle. Their lips parted slightly, revealing a hint of confusion. The Soul-Hunter Exam was tomorrow??
"Without wasting time I'm going to lay it out simple for you, after all the assessment throughout the past three weeks, only 8 of you have qualified from Class B to take the Soul-Hunter exams."
His revelation left them even more puzzled, out of the 14 students in the class, only 8 was granted the opportunity to take the exams.
"Yui Freecs, Mei Suki, Miyuki Tenuari, Mizuko Haruno, Silver Knightwalker, Daichi Ryuu, Lucy Akume and finally Rentaro Mizuno. You all are the selected eight that will take the Soul-Hunter Exam." As he read the list, he returned back to his seat.
"Impossible!" Sado exclaimed, rising to his feet before slamming his hands on the table, venting out his displeasure.
"I didn't make the list!? Cut the crap! How the hell did low life commoners become eligible for the Soul-Hunter exams more than the rest of us who are pure born nobles!?" His frustrations reached the rest of the class, leading them to support him.
However at that point, that wasn't the main issue for Mizuko and his team.
"What? I didn't get selected?" Ren's eyes were widened in disbelief, the thought of him not being selected echoing continuously in his head.
"Why?" He asked himself repeatedly in a soft voice.
"Why wasn't I selected?"