5 New Kid

Present Day.

Everyone in the room went silent. Arata stood there completely calm and unfazed. In front of him, the student he fought lay unconscious on the floor. Even the Vice Principal and the teachers had not expected this. To the untrained eye, Azrail looked completely disinterested, but a hint of pride could be seen in his eyes. Arata looked at his father who made a gesture. Arata understood.

Establish your place.

Arata had an air of a true noble as he looked down disdainfully on the student and all the students around him.

"Father, you said that I would grow here. Are you certain that there is anyone here I can learn from?"

He spoke loudly and with a tone of arrogance. The shocked atmosphere quickly changed to a hostile one. All the students looked at Arata with hungry eyes. They all wanted to devour this arrogant noble. You think you can talk down to us just because you have some skill?

Arata could feel the hostile gazes and inwardly sighed. He had figured out what kind of place the South Wing was. He also figured out why his father wanted him to be here. He didn't want to, but for him to grow, this was what was needed.

He walked towards the room and looked inside. He saw that the room had a single bed inside. Clearly that battle was for the room. Arata understood that there must be a room order of some kind and new students must battle to gain a room. But he didn't just want a room. His father wanted him to establish a name for himself. He inwardly sighed.

'I just want to meditate quietly in the corner. So much effort.'

Arata turned to the Vice Principal and his father.

"This room is small and dirty. Is it possible to get another room?"

The Vice Principal's eyebrows shot up in shock. Azrail revealed a sinister smile. The Vice Principal looked at Azrail and realized what was going on.

'This boy is just as much of a monster as his father.'

The students that heard Arata say this were instantly on edge, whether the boy knew this or not, that was a provocation to all that were there. To get a new room, you had to battle the current resident and win. Obviously these rooms were just average rooms for new students but he wanted a bigger room? The best rooms in the dorm were occupied by powerful individuals, how else could they defend their right to live there?

This was the key aspect of the South Wing. There were constant battles that happened as students fought for better rooms. Certain rooms had inscriptions within them that made cultivation more effective in the rooms. They were the prized rooms in the dorm.

This was a battlefield, not a living area.

Arata was smart so had already guessed most of the situation. So he purposefully provoked everyone in hopes for a better room as well as to show off his power. If you wanted to be respected, you had to prove you deserved it. Arata disliked these things but he understood the politics of power.

The Vice Principal saw the young boy in a new light. He was interesting to say the least. He would definitely grow here while also challenging and improving those around him.

Iron sharpens iron.

Before the Vice Principal could say anything, a boy walked forward from the crowd.

"My room is better than his. Challenge me."

The boy sneered, obviously wanting to put the new kid in his place. Arata didn't even pay him attention. The boy growled, provoked, and leaped forward while chanting.

His right arm changed to that of a bear's claw and he slashed at Arata.

'Water Bear Claw. Bronze grade. Judging by the incomplete upper arm, probably Minor Mastery as well. Still boring."

Arata sighed as he swiftly moved into the young boy's area, grabbing his arm, he flung him over his shoulder and slammed him into the ground. Before the boy could get up, Arata hit him quickly in the side of the neck putting him to sleep.

"Someone of this level can't possibly have a good room. Anyone else?"

Arata stood up, arrogantly brushing the shoulder he flung the boy over, as if he was afraid that the boy had sullied his clothes. The shock and the anger increased in the air.

A couple of enraged students charged at Arata. Arata went back into his previous stance and waited for them to approach. He had one foot in front and one behind him. His weight was distributed 90/10, with his back leg slightly bent, holding most of his weight, while his front leg rested lightly on its heel. His hands were softly positioned in front of him. The Empty stance. This was the stance he saw his father use all those years ago and the one he had been using. It was the best stance to channel the Vitality Bestowal.

The students saw the calmness that Arata held and charged angrily. The two students split, each approaching Arata from different directions. Arata however looked bored.

As they approached, finishing their Physical Enhancing chants, one threw a punch aimed at his head while the other went low and rose with an uppercut aimed at his ribs. Arata again didn't move until they were both in a close enough proximity. Then he shifted his body backwards while simultaneously grabbing their wrists. The students felt they had lost control of their movements as Arata lead their fists towards each other. They were thrown in opposite directions as they hit each other.

Arata still had the arrogant and bored look on his face, he stretched and yawned loudly. The students were still enraged but there were traces of fear in their eyes. This boy had taken out multiple students alone and none of them had even seen him chant to apply any Physical Enhancements or cast any kind of magic. He just took them all on with power and technique. They wanted to take him down a notch but none of them could.

Who was this kid?

"What's all the commotion? New kid? Has he already gotten thrashed?"

A tall boy with with golden hair walked out from the crowd. His hair was disheveled and messy, like he had just woken up. When the other students saw him, they immediately made room for him to pass through. This was not missed by Arata as he smirked.

Finally, someone interesting turned up.

One of the students in the crowd came up to the golden haired youth and whispered in his ear.

The young boy looked at the students lying on the floor before locking eyes with Arata. He then smiled warmly.

"Welcome to the South Wing. I see that you have already embraced the spirit of the South Wing."

He spoke simply while gesturing to the students on the floor. He then noticed the Vice Principal and the teachers, which surprised him. The new kid can't be that simple for them to be here.

"Greetings to the esteemed Vice Principal Zhang and the respected teachers."

The boy looked at Azrail curiously for a second before turning back to Arata.

"You have made a grand entrance, new kid, but as protocol states, you may only have one room yet you have defeated four students. Have you chosen which of their rooms you would like?"

Arata chuckled to himself before answering.

"They attacked me, so I put them down. I don't want their rooms. By the degree of their skill levels, they aren't likely to have decent rooms. Senior seems to be an important figure here. I think I'll take your room."

The students that heard this arrogant statement simply laughed. This new kid is asking for it. Who does he think he is?

The golden haired boy found this new kid amusing. He would silence him and put him in his place.

"As you have probably learnt by now, to have my room you must first defeat me in a battle. Are you still certain you want to try?"

Arata responded by going back into the gentle Empty stance he had used previously. The golden haired boy chuckled in response as he bowed.

"Oishi Takuma. 13 years old. Second son of the Takuma Clan."

"Arata."

Oishi frowned. 'This kid won't even give me his name and title. Too disrespectful.

I'll force it out of him.'

Oishi quickly finished chanting; lightning burst from his hands and covered his arms, crackling loudly. Arata raised his eyebrows.

'At least Silver Grade but I'm not sure. His Mastery is high, I could barely catch his chanting speed.'

The lightning travelled through his body as Oishi stepped forward and vanished, even Arata was shocked at the speed. The next moment he appeared a couple steps in front of Arata before disappearing again and then reappearing on Arata's right side. And then the left. He weaved around Arata before appearing beside him and hitting him into the wall. Arata couldn't react to the speed and was hit for the first time.

Arata pushed himself off the wall. Although he felt that there was no Lightning in the strike he was hit by, there was still plenty of force behind the attack due to Oishi's insane speed.

'I'm not sure what grade that spell is, but judging on how refined his energy is, he is clearly at the Major Mastery level on how he uses it.. Possibly higher. Perfect."

Oishi reappeared a few paces away from Arata. Arata then noticed that the lightning was no longer on his arms, but there were some sparks coming off of his legs.

That explains the speed.

Arata smiled as there was finally someone that was going to make him try a little. He gave his father a look. Azrail smirked and nodded.

Arata closed his eyes. He moved off the wall and got back into the same stance he was in before.

Oishi looked at Arata with his eyes closed and grinned.

Cocky kids are all the same. Oishi chanted so there was a surge of Lightning around both his arms and his legs. He approached again, weaving around Arata. But just as he was preparing to strike again, Arata opened his eyes and looked directly at Oishi. There was a silver tinge to his eyes that wasn't there before. Oishi tried to retreat but Arata opened his eyes while he was mid jump.

Arata raised his hand in Oishi's direction, and Oishi could do nothing but to continue with the punch he had thrown.