The students sauntered into class one by one, taking their seats and winding down after the festivities. Ty was still on cloud nine from his victory over Lanza, and as a result, was actually sitting quietly, just enjoying the feeling of being on top for a bit. However, when the professor spoke, the mood of the classroom changed. Festival of Champions? Opposition research? He flashed back to the insidious gleam in his clubmate's glasses. Did she already know? Had she manipulated him into participating into a challenge to see his abilities? He wouldn't doubt it, coming from her. But then the professor announced the stakes. FIVE classes expelled!? Ty's jaw dropped when he heard it. Once he had a chance to digest those words, his heart began to race, not out of fear, but out of excitement. The professor beckoned them to the courtyard for their first test. Ty practically jumped out of his seat.
"Hell yeah! Let's kick some ass in this festival!" The threat of expulsion didn't bother him. All they had to do was win.
***
Ty took in a deep breath of fresh air as they all assembled in the courtyard. Outside classes were so much more interesting, even if the topic was just about boring stuff like math or history. However, the professor's quick lecture took an unexpected turn. The class went from festivals and explosions to... books. Ty scratched his head when Nyx explained the Lexicon. How could mana be a language? He didn't use words to cast any of his spells. Hell, his spellbook didn't even have any words in it. Surely that was just the professor's way of doing things. He'd been using magic just fine without using any kind of language. Eh, he'd figure it out as class went on. But, one thing he was definitely good at... one on one combat.
Ty's opponent was Sekhandur, the guy who had introduced himself with a long lineage of names and... stuff. He kinda zoned out when the boy introduced himself. It didn't matter who his opponent was, though. He was going to win. The professor could expel as many people as he wanted. All Ty had to do was win and none of that would matter. It was kind of harsh, expelling students after one test, but they were ultimately here to learn how to fight. If you couldn't do that, then perhaps this wasn't the right school for you. Ty wouldn't let sympathy dull his fangs. He made his way to the patch of land where he would fight his adversary. He rolled his shoulders, but his body was never really stiff these days. He inhaled, filling his lungs to capacity, threw his head back, and bellowed,
"ALRIIIIIGHT!"As he let out his roar, his whole body hummed. He felt his blood rushing to his limbs, his bones rattled, and he felt lighter on his feet. This combat ritual of his was no form of magic, and had no justification in any martial art. But, it got him psyched up. His mana swelled, emitting the presence of a pouncing tiger. He was ready.
"Give me your best, Sekhandur! I'm not going easy on you!" He crouched and leaned forward, the muscles in his body tensing. He activated his sixth sense, a standard enhancement for his fights. And with that, he was ready for it to begin.