New World - A New Beginning

"Welcome back," said Amelia. The girl was grinning, her entire class finally reunited.

I could tell Mia was still a little uncertain about the entire thing, but the fact that she had pushed herself to attend the class was already a huge step forward. My eyes quickly glanced at all the students in my vicinity. There were five of us:

Asthia, Diana, Mia, Haus, and me.

Haus Klee, a holy user who's power was similar to that of a C or maybe a lower B-rank adventurer, had just awakened with the advanced element. Considering he was already on the norm in terms of power for his age, the sudden unlocking of holy bind was sure to boost him up significantly.

"So I just wanted to get a few things clear before we begin," continued Amelia, "first, there'll be no lectures or anything in this class. Use this time to practice your mastery over your advanced element, and I'll pass from person to person and help you out, okay?"

We all nodded. It was a relief that we didn't have to worry about boring lectures or studying for the advanced bind class, and having an entire arena to just let off some steam while training your manipulation was something every student here appreciated.

"Ok then, let's get started!" exclaimed Asthia, brimming with excitement.

I watched the five students trickle into the arena, Asthia looking back as I followed the group.

"What will you be doing?" she asked. I raised my eyebrows, understanding the question immediately. I wouldn't be able to practice my lightning in front of all the other students, meaning I'd be forced to resort to ice during the main classes.

"Focus on my ice manipulation. Amelia said I could have private classes to improve my lightning, and that way she can focus all her attention on me," I explained. Asthia didn't seem to enjoy the last bit of the sentence, a small frown appearing on her face.

"I see. It seems like I'll have to join as well and practice too," she muttered, nodding at her own logic.

I chuckled at her comment, following her inside as the bright white lights of the arena illuminated my vision. Surges of bind erupted around me as the others began practicing. My eyes darted around the arena, finally settling upon Haus as he began forming holy bind around him.

His entire figure glowed a bright golden shine as I felt the power levels within him rise. I could immediately tell his power was nowhere near Diana's, but I wasn't in the slightest surprised. Being friends with irregulars, it was easy to forget what was considered normal at our age.

I approached Mia; the girl was clearly uncomfortable. I smiled as she looked at me, nodding encouragingly. She opened her hand, a small snowflake forming above her palm.

Mia slowly lifted the snowflake, allowing it to float upwards as it expanded. The intricate crystal evolved midair, continuously growing as it became more and more detailed. The flake suddenly shattered, a brilliant white rain of snow showering down on the arena.

Was this some sort of farewell to her brother?

Bind suddenly awakened within Mia, her hair fluttering from the condensed energy. My eyes widened.

This level of power was incredible.

Mia's brown eyes morphed into a cool blue, steam escaping her mouth at every breath. Mist enveloped her arms as she closed her eyes, concentrating.

BOOM

The ground beneath Mia froze immediately, icicles emerging from the newly created layer of ice. A spell that covered a 360-degree radius around the user? I sighed.

Maybe I should ask her for help with my own ice abilities.

--

"Good work guys!" shouted Amelia as the three students left the arena, leaving only Asthia and me to keep the S-rank company.

Amelia looked at Asthia, slightly confused as to why the girl was staying behind.

"You're not going on ahead?" she asked, implicitly lying by saying I'd be following shortly after. Asthia smiled innocently.

"I was hoping I could get some more practice in," she responded.

Liar.

Amelia smiled, nodding.

"Of course. I hope you don't mind I steal your boyfriend for a few minutes, though."

The 19-year old girl smirked at Asthia's flustered expression. I sighed.

"Let's get to it, Amelia," I suggested, heading back into the arena.

"Yep!"

Asthia went to one side of the arena, flames immediately encircling her as she tried to see her own limits of manipulation. Amelia approached me pensively, clearly attempting to think about what she wanted to teach me.

"Ok, so... we know that you can somehow control six elements, almost all of them simultaneously," she muttered. "I think I got it!"

"Hm?"

"If you were to learn how to play around your abilities with lightning and use the other elements to support the aggressive fighting style... I believe that would be the best way to increase your efficiency in battle."

I smiled. Her logic was completely sound, and when she said it out loud, I could immediately see why it would be the most beneficial way of fighting. Lightning allowed the user to move faster than the naked eye could see, so as long as you capitalize on that speed, you could beat almost any opponent.

"Ok then, let's try it out," I said, facing Amelia.

The girl stood bewildered, slowly understanding what I wanted to do.

"Wait, you want to practice by fighting me?" she asked, surprised. There was no way I'd be able to land a single hit against her, but that didn't mean it was pointless.

Amelia Lala was the second most powerful individual in all of Auroria. If I were to start practicing against her, I'd slowly start to become accustomed to her levels of speed and power. The girl smiled slowly, almost as if she had read my mind.

"Very well then, Jay. Try your best."

I felt my small arm hairs prickle up immediately, Amelia opening her closed eyes as they roared with power. A green swirl of energy could be seen deep within her eyes, her pink hair flailing uncontrollably at the sudden surge of power.

Upon seeing her, I kind of regretted my decision...

I bit my lip, preparing myself for the ridiculous beating I was about to receive. Even so, a small smile could be seen on my face, a smile I wasn't able to remove. Something deep within me was excited about this confrontation. This would be my first time seeing an S-rank in action, and I intended to try my best to at least land a hit.

"Don't hold back, Amelia."