NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: A Spar At The Arena.
—THE ARENA... After the supposed "Death" of Wisteria's cripple, Reyy (King) made an instant abolishing to scandal within school premises. This action was made to clear out any leads of school violence or bullying incase a murder investigation started.
And in order to avoid the grudge that could follow up with the new rule, he bought a dojo and named it the arena, where students could come to settle disputes with a good fight.
With the anonymousity of the arena's existence, it was rather a more tolerable policy that every students found preferable.
But... How long was the Arena going to last?—
* * *
THWACK! Another punch fisted into his face, and this time, Lucian didn't miss the crack in his jaw. He collapsed to the floor in defeat, his soul yelling to let him go.
"We have a winner!" The referee shouted, and the whole audience erupted with excitement.
They were all students, students of Wisteria High. And they had all gathered here for the housewarming of the Arena, it was a full house. A celebration that lingered around with sweat and blood.
But only Lucian couldn't feel his body, he had been standing here for the last 16 rounds, different students taking turns to beat him up. Some he recognized, the others he did not.
He had bled from everywhere possible, sustained a few bone nudges and all that, but they still weren't done with him. Maybe it was the time to start regretting ever deciding to take up the fight for Michael.
Or maybe, just maybe his talents might turn up in his way...
No, he couldn't. He had made his vow never to use those abilities again, not to even think about them. And just because he was getting all beaten up was not an excuse enough for his irrational thoughts.
"Get it together Lucian." He groaned inwardly as he staggered up to his stubby feet.
It was only a matter of another fight before he lost his consciousness for real. Lucian knew that he was done for, they weren't going to spare him until he defeated somebody.
At least that was the agreement he came to with Steven.
"Alright, time's up." Steven climbed the ring, rage obvious in his expression. "I fight now."
"Steven, it's isn't your turn yet–" The referee stopped admist words when the bully threw him a deathly glance. "Alright...
... Ladies and gentlemen, now on the ring is Steven, A.K.A The Chosen One going up against as always.... Our newbie!!!"
The crowd went uproar.
"Your pal is late." Steven smirked, his fingers cracking. "I guess I'll have to pass my message to him through you."
Steven's talent became activated, and Lucian could see the amount of energy he was putting into it, his mana shone fierce red around him, and his anger was doubled.
It was kind of an attribute of Lucian's talent to see mana too.
And his guess? Steven probably intended to kill him.
"Alright, that's enough." He heard someone say from the distance, his voice loud enough to grasp everyone's attention. "Let's get this over with."
Michael stood at the dojo's doorstep, an unbothered expression on his face. His crimson hair had grown longer than Lucian remembered, and they arrayed in smooth waves along his forehead, almost concealing the wrath in his sapphire red eyes.
"It's the cripple..." A student whispered to another.
"I heard Steven challenged him to a fight." Said another.
"He sure has some guts to be here."
As Michael walked, everyone made way for him to pass, whisperings about him sorrounding as he inches forward. He climbed the wrestling ring and clenched his fists, his gaze piercing into Steven's.
Lucian wanted to open his mouth to speak, but Michael cut him off.
"Go and wait for me Lucian." He said coldly. "You and I have a chat."
"Oh...Okay." Lucian could only mutter, he alighted the ring and found an unoccupied bench seat near him.
As he sat, he could only but crouch his back because of the intense pain he felt I his guts. Maybe it was the adrenaline that didn't make him feel this much pain earlier but it was all starting to come back to him.
His head ached twice the pressure, his feet felt like spaghetti beneath him, in other words, he couldn't feel them. His jaw had been cracked, alongside a few other bones in his body.
"Water?" A student darted a bottle of water to him, looking up Lucian met the warm smile of a student with calm reddish brown eyes and silky brown hair.
He wanted to decline this sudden hospitality, but he was really thirsty, so he recieved the bottle from him.
"Th...thanks."
The guy's smile was his response, but one thing Lucian noticed was that it never faded. Even when he turned towards the ring, observing the new air of tension, the smile was still there.
"Hey Alex, I bet you a thousand dollars Steven would win this fight." Lucian heard a student say.
"That's a stupid bet dude!" The guy named Alex said, he was seemingly his friend. "It's obvious that's gonna happen."
"I'll take that bet." The guy with the reddish brown eyes said, his gaze still fixed on the tussle ring. "A thousand dollars for the cripple's win."
"Jack?" Alex replied. "Why would you take on such bet?"
Lucian took his time to process the situation. So apparently he hadn't just been approached by any student, but the Jack of Wisteria High, the fourth most powerful person in the school.
This wasn't good.
"Isn't it obvious? The glow in his eyes." Jack said. "He may be just a cripple but he has sure seen alot of fights, and his aura is way stronger than Steven's."
"Oh..." The guy could only mutter, staring blankly into Jack's smile.
"And if I'm wrong, then it must be because I'm in the mood for philanthropy this evening." Jack finished, grinning at Alex.
* * *
NAME: LUCIAN ALGERS
TALENT: TELEKINESIS
RANK: A
STRENGTH: 08 SPEED: 09 STAMINA: 50 SKILL:??
_____________
NAME: STEVEN C. ROOK
TALENT: PHYSICAL CAST
RANK: C
STRENGTH: 45 SPEED: 28 STAMINA: 15 SKILL: 20