Humbled

I can't suppress the grin stretching across my face. Being a bitch is real fun. I think I understand why Lysandra and Biana are such assholes. The sheer satisfaction of breaking the ice queen's façade and getting a reaction feels almost euphoric.

"You have no right to make fun of me!" Zara shouts, her voice resonating with pent-up frustration. In a swift movement, she's on her feet, her sword a blurred arc aimed directly at me.

I effortlessly dodge, taking a graceful step back. Damn, no self-control whatsoever. Can't afford a scene here.

Not deterred by my evasion, she runs at me, her blade now glowing, enveloped in aura. Her next words come out like hisses, dripping with disdain. "What right do you have to make fun of me?" The sword's path is unpredictable, bending in mid-air like a ribbon, almost as if it has a life of its own.

"I didn't choose to have bad control. Bastards like you wouldn't understand!" she screams, every ounce of her emotion projected through her blade's erratic trajectory.

I'm swordless, so I fall back on my most trusted weapon: my body. Each of her swings are met with a calculated dodge, an intricate dance of give and take. It's not just about reflexes but reading the situation, predicting her next move.

As she lunges, her sword bending in a particularly tricky angle, I narrowly sidestep, my heart racing. Sweat drips from my brow, but my adrenaline is pumping. I pivot on my heel, trying to use my momentum to throw her off. The wind whooshes past my ears, amplifying the intensity of our spar.

Suddenly, her aura morphs, its sheen different, more vibrant. A new technique? I marvel momentarily at her adaptability before refocusing on the immediate threat. She's crying, angry tears streaking down her face. "I work my ass off! I try harder than anyone!" she yells, desperation evident in her voice.

The precision of her movements suggests deep-seated discipline. Did she copy some moves off Aira? I wonder briefly, deflecting her attack with a sideward swipe of my hand, feeling the jolt of her aura but pushing it back.

She's not done. With each swing, her frustration, her pain, and her determination resonate. "Why... just why am I constantly being compared to others!? I-I... I'm not bragging, I don't go out and show off," she stammers amidst her slashes.

Well, I don't know about that, I muse silently, indulging her. I'll give you a bit more time to vent.

Spotting an opening, I swiftly maneuver behind her, placing my foot in her path. As she loses balance, toppling backward, I lean forward, attempting to deliver a punch. But Zara's quick. She blocks my fist with her forearm, attempting a counter slash. The proximity of the blade, the glittering aura, and her fiery eyes all blend into a stunning, yet terrifying tableau.

A swift kick to the stomach. My foot connects with her abdomen, the impact of which pushes all the air out of her, and her eyes widen in surprise and pain. "What? Did Aira say you wouldn't achieve shit with the control you have?" My words are sharp, cutting deeper than any blade.

As Zara attempts to jump back, I grab her foot, yanking her off balance. "Did she say you won't be able to keep up?" In one smooth move, I force her face flat on the ground, making her eat dirt. There's an instinctual satisfaction in leveling the playing field, literally.

From the corner of my eye, I spot a glinting blade on the floor. Perfect. Swiftly picking it up, I rush towards her as she scrambles to her feet. She raises her blade in defense, but her posture is all wrong, the timing off. I shift my blade, taking advantage of the opening, and deliver a powerful side kick, sending her sprawling across the platform. "You're telling me not to judge you, and yet you let Aira judge you? Are you stupid or outright retarded?" My voice drips with disdain.

She groans, wiping the blood off her mouth, tears streaming down her face. It's evident that whatever this is about, it's deeply personal for her. With an enraged scream, she comes at me again, but anger has made her movements clumsy. "You call me a bastard without knowing who I am," I taunt, landing a solid punch to her gut, feeling the satisfying thud of flesh on flesh.

Each of my words punctuate my actions, a rhythmic dance of verbal and physical rebukes. "You say you try harder than anyone without knowing anything," I state, gripping her sword in my hand. With a combination of mana and aura, I snap it in half, rendering her weaponless.

"Have you starved yourself for weeks on end?" My question echoes in the room as I kick her across the room. She lands with a thud, pain evident in her eyes but also determination. Without waiting for a response, I continue, "Have you ever experienced the pain of forcefully taking aura into your body?" A knee to her gut emphasizes my question.

Gasping, she still tries to retaliate, but I'm relentless. "Have you trained nonstop in hellish conditions with only an hour to sleep?" As I slam her onto the ground, the reality of our disparity becomes clearer. "Have you experienced aura deviation? Don't act like you've done it all. You don't torture yourself in training. Do you think I grew to this degree by diligently training?"

As I pin her down, I realize that amidst all the pain and tears, her gaze is unwavering. Stubborn to the end. Almost admirable. There's a certain firmness to her face, even through her tears. Did I go too far? I think momentarily. But it was necessary.

Letting out a long sigh, I release her and sit down next to her battered form. The silence enveloping us is deafening. "Stop acting like you're cursed," I say, my tone gentler than before. "I'll ask again, what did Aira offer you?"

A heavy sigh leaves my lips. Sometimes, a beating is necessary. There's a small solace in knowing no cameras are around to capture this. Eamon, wise as ever, knows when to stay away. The fact that he hasn't turned once speaks volumes. And then there's Luna, peeking out from behind the door like a curious kitten.

"I just want to stop being compared to others," Zara mutters, her gaze fixed on the ceiling. Her tone is resigned, broken. "Get the hell out of here, you dick. I won't be joining the student council. Aira offered to give me enough high-end herbs until I graduate."

I rub my forehead, frustration building. This damn girl. Does she think I care about recruiting her? Tsk. I'm only meddling because if she ends up joining Aira's faction, Liam will try to snatch her brother. Ugh, why does everyone have to be so stupid?

Rising to my feet, I look down at her, an impassive mask replacing my previous expression. With a swift motion, I flip her onto her back. Her eyes, ice cold, challenge me. "What, are you going to beat me some more?"

"Just shut up," I retort, my patience worn thin. "I don't have time to scout someone else. Do you know, even with those herbs, if you lack control, there's a high chance you could destroy your own aura paths?"

Moving closer, I add, "Don't get any weird ideas. And definitely don't scream." As I focus on her back, I let out an inward groan. I hate this. I really do. In one swift motion, I rip the back of her shirt.

She lets out a startled scream. "W-what the hell are you doing!?"

"I told you not to scream," I snap, annoyance evident. "And stop struggling."

"G-get off me, you rapist!" Zara protests, a mixture of fear and anger in her voice.

Ignoring her outburst, I roll my eyes. I can sense Luna's protective bloodlust emanating from behind the door. It seems she truly cares for Zara. This makes everything so much more complicated. I didn't want to resort to this.

"Will you just concentrate?" I mutter, trying to focus.

Placing my palm on her back, I channel my aura into her tangled aura paths. It's not as bad as I expected, but it's a mess. As my aura courses through her, she gasps in surprise and a hint of pain. "W-what the hell are you doing!?"

I let out a tired sigh, closing my eyes momentarily. I can feel the warmth of my aura intertwining with hers, steadily flowing through her jumbled aura paths. With a soft click of my tongue, I increase the force, pushing more of my aura through her channels. A sharp gasp escapes her lips.

She jerks beneath me, her voice tinged with panic. "Stop it! You'll kill me! Only masters with high control can do this!" Fuck, if someone sees me like this they'll think I'm actually raping her. 

"Shut up," I retort, annoyance flaring. "You're making it sound all wrong. But seriously, your aura control is that bad, huh?" 

She shivers under my touch, eyes darting around as if looking for an escape. "You know I can report you for this!"

I roll my eyes, choosing to ignore her threats. She doesn't know what she's talking about. As I delve deeper, I stumble upon an anomaly. What the hell is this? Has she been on the verge of a breakthrough for over two months? The strain on her body is evident. I guess in extreme situations like this, herbs do come in handy. No wonder she opted for Aira's offer. She's at her wit's end. If Sera hadn't enrolled in the academy, she would have been Raelle's target by now. I feel bad now...

Concentrating, I exert more force to steady her erratic aura, effectively keeping it in place. She trembles beneath me, a look of sheer relief painting her features. She's probably feeling better without the constant strain of her own aura trying to tear her apart.

"Feeling better now?" I quip, smirking. "Be grateful I'm helping. Operations like this can drain one's wallet, you know?"

Her breathing stabilizes a bit, but her face remains contorted in a mix of fear, relief, and confusion. I marvel for a moment at my own prowess. It feels good to have such command over aura. Now, I have to widen her aura paths. Her circulation technique is undoubtedly advanced, but her lack of control has been the hindrance. I need to regulate her aura so she can have her breakthrough on her own. I don't want her to be reliant on mine.

"I'm about to speed up your aura circulation. Brace yourself," I warn. Without waiting for her acknowledgment, I begin accelerating the flow of her aura. She reacts by biting her hand, probably to suppress a scream. Poor thing. Due to her subpar control, she's likely only experienced her aura moving at a snail's pace to avoid spontaneous combustion. But not anymore.

"Just a little more..." I mutter, mostly to myself. Creating a new pathway to aid her control, I sense the moment drawing near. "Prepare yourself. Here comes the breakthrough."

And then, there it is. The moment her aura stabilizes and she finally makes her breakthrough. The tension drains from her body, replaced by a mixture of euphoria and exhaustion. She gasps, "Ooh Fuck!" tears forming in her eyes. "I... I did it! I feel... incredible."

Shaking my head, I work to stabilize her aura further and decelerate its flow. This idiot had totally overlooked the aftermath. The last thing we need is for her to burn out after such a breakthrough. Tsk, I don't get paid enough for this shit. 

I click my tongue, the all-too-familiar annoyance gnawing at me. Carefully extracting myself from the intimate position with Zara, I take a few deliberate steps back. Misunderstandings seem to arise too easily, especially given my unfortunate visage. Ugly people are an easy target for blame. Tsk. It's not like I asked for this body.

Standing upright, I address Zara, who's still lying on the ground, regaining her composure. "Now that you're no longer desperate, will you join the student council?"

She rolls onto her side, smirking mischievously as she catches her breath. "Why would I?" she responds. "You did this without asking, so I'm not obligated."

I mentally curse her audacity. Such a waste of my time and energy. Her smug expression infuriates me even more. For a split second, the malicious thought of 'accidentally' causing her to experience aura deviation flits across my mind.

Before I can respond to her, she continues, "If... If you can help me break through while we're in the academy, I'll join the student council. I don't know how the hell you have such high control, but... yeah, that's my offer."

Before I can mull over her proposal, Raelle appears out of thin air, the intrusiveness of her arrival nearly giving me a heart attack. "He'll do it!" she declares with a devious smile.

Gritting my teeth, I shoot her a scathing look. Who does she think she is? Just because she's the student president, does she assume she has the authority to make decisions for me?

Zara's amusement is clear as she reaches out a hand towards me. "Then I guess I'm now in the student council."

My cold gaze remains fixated on Raelle, who seems to sense the impending danger. Her smile falters, becoming awkward as she realizes her mistake.

My laughter, bitter and dripping with sarcasm, fills the gym. "Hahahaha! Oh, now you've done it," I tell Raelle. Without any further ado, I pull back my arm and send a powerful punch straight into her face. The force sends her flying across the gym, her body crashing against the far wall with a resonating thud.