Hand to Hand Combat

At first, no one moved a muscle. Not even an inch. After several seconds had passed, one of the students began to move.

"RAAAH!" [Student]

He swung at Mr. Frank, but was sidestepped and tripped.

"You need to do better than that." [Mr. Frank]

Following the lead of the first student, the rest of the class started charging at him.

("Wow, that's a lot of people at once.") [Mr. Frank]

He grabbed a nearby student and threw him into the onrushing crowd, causing a small group of them to fall over.

"That'll lighten the burden." [Mr. Frank]

Adam tried hiding behind his fellow classmates to look for an opening.

("He's just toying with us! I need to flank him!") [Adam]

He looked Felix's way and realized he's also looking back at him. Some gestures were made and they both nodded. The two circled Mr. Frank while their classmates kept him busy. Unfortunately, their classmates were dropping one by one, so they had to act fast.

("Now's the time!") [Adam]

He bent himself forward and dashed at Mr. Frank's back, his arm brought back ready to throw a punch.

"!" [Mr. Frank]

He noticed Adam's surprise attack and brushed off his punch. Aiming for the throat, he tried grabbing Adam by the neck.

"I've seen that move before already!" [Adam]

He quickly dived down low, letting Mr. Frank's hand swings overhead. Utilizing his position, Adam kicks off the ground following up with an uppercut.

"You're open!" [Adam]

("The kids got moves, but it's not enough.") [Mr. Frank]

He took a step back preparing to counter after dodging.

WHAM!

"Wha-?!" [Mr. Frank]

Felix came from behind, slamming him towards Adam's uppercut.

("I cant dodge in time!") [Mr. Frank]

WHACK!

Adam felt his blow connect, but when he looked up… His fist was in the palm of Mr. Frank's hand!

"You almost had me there, I'll give you points for that." [Mr. Frank]

Using Adam's hand as a support, Mr. Frank lifts himself up and over Adam. Bringing his arm behind his back.

"And now I've locked your joints. What will you do now?" [Mr. Frank]

Felix tried to attack Mr. Frank, but was stopping his punches mid way.

"What's wrong?" [Mr. Frank]

Felix tried his best to send a flurry of punches Mr. Frank's way, but to no avail.

"Stop. Using. Adam. As. A. Shield!" [Felix]

Mr. Frank shifted Adam constantly, keeping a distance between himself and Felix's fist.

"This is a battlefield, I will use every means to win." [Mr. Frank]

"You're a coward!" [Felix]

"No, I'm Mr. Frank." [Mr. Frank]

The horrible joke angered Felix to the point that veins could be seen.

("I can't just sit here and be a meat shield all day, I need to do something!") [Adam]

He stared at Felix straight into his eyes.

"Felix, punch me right in the face." [Adam]

"...Are you serious?" [Felix]

He looks into Adam's eyes, becoming convinced by his determination.

"...Alright." [Felix]

("What are these two up to?") [Mr. Frank]

Felix swung full force at Adam's face. But before it connected, Adam lurched forward as much and as fast as he could. The momentum caused by it lifted Mr. Frank from behind Adam, to where Adam's face used to be.

"Oof!" [Mr. Frank]

He took a blow to the chin from Felix, releasing Adam as he staggered backwards.

"Urk!" [Adam]

Such a feat could not be done without a sacrifice. Because Adam was already joint locked, lurching forward like that had also dislocated his shoulder.

"Ugh… You got me there." [Mr. Frank]

He rubbed his chin to ease the pain.

"Adam! You all right?" [Felix]

Adam glanced over to his dislocated shoulder, and back to Felix.

"Does this look all right to you?" [Adam]

"...Touché" [Felix]

Mr. Frank picked himself off the ground and patted the dirt off his pants.

"All right, I guess we can wrap it up here. Felix, bring Adam to the nurses office. Everyone else, you can go home if you don't need to see the nurse." [Mr. Frank]

Felix picked up Adam by the shoulder, supporting him to the nurses office.

"This is the other way around from yesterday you know?" [Felix]

"...Yeah, I guess you're right. Except I didn't get downed in one blow this time." [Adam]

Felix made a slightly complicated look.

"That line kind of hurt my pride…" [Felix]

Upon reaching the nurses office, he noticed that the door is locked.

"Uh… Adam, I don't think we can get you treated today." [Felix]

Adam looked up at the door.

"...There's a sign right there. How did you not see it?" [Adam]

Felix's eyes followed up to where Adam's head was directed.

"Oh… Sometimes I make slip ups too you know?" [Felix]

There was a sign on the door that read "Please use the door on the left" with an arrow pointing towards the usable door. After sliding the door, they met a woman with long brownish black hair sitting leisurely in a chair.

"Oh?" [???]

She spun the chair around and faced at the two.

"So the two boys who were fiddling with the wrong door finally walked in through the right entrance." [???]

("Is this the nurse? She's way too sharp!") [Felix]

"How did you-" [Felix]

"I could hear the door rattling because one of you two repeatedly tried to open it." [Nurse]

Felix started to blush in embarrassment.

"Oh…" [Felix]

("I can't believe I just thought that she was sharp when it was so obvious…") [Felix]

She stretched a hand towards a stool next to her.

"That boy is injured right? Set him down so I can fix him." [Nurse]

Felix brought Adam over to the stool and carefully set him down.

"...Can I get your name?" [Felix]

The nurse inspected Adam as if she didn't hear him.

"...I'll tell you after I fix him." [Nurse]

After poking around Adam here and there, she sat back down in her chair.

"Uh huh, he definitely dislocated his shoulder." [Nurse]

She took hold of his arm and pushed it up, HARD.

"AGH!" [Adam]

"Can you move your arm now?" [Nurse]

Adam swung his arm around and rubbed his shoulder.

"...Thank you, I feel fine now." [Adam]

The nurse looks at Felix and Adam one last time.

"You both look healthy to me, you can go now." [Nurse]

The two began to walk away, but when Adam went out the door first, Felix stopped in his tracks.

"So… Your name?" [Felix]

The nurse smiled.

"You remembered, but you're too young to know my name." [Nurse]

"Then... I'll come visit again when I'm not." [Felix]

He stepped out of the room to catch up to Adam.

("Cheeky kid.") [Nurse]

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The two made their way home passing by exhausted and beaten students.

"I guess the other classes are also going through some tough training for this." [Adam]

"I think we're the only ones who didn't get beaten that badly." [Felix]

"...I got my arm dislocated. How wasn't that bad?" [Adam]

Felix observed the other students in his close proximity.

"But they look like they just got a royal beatdown, while we managed to land a hit." [Felix]

"I wouldn't brag about how we landed it though…" [Adam]

"Whatever man, this is my stop. I'll see you later." [Felix]

The two parted ways to their own homes.

"I'm home~" [Adam]

The only reply he got was the sound of kitchen tools being used and the smell of food being cooked.

("Ah, that smells amazing…") [Adam]

Passing by Vivian, he went up to his room to change.

"Haa..." [Adam]

He released a sigh as he flopped down onto his bed after an exhausting day at school.

("How can I win on my own next time?") [Adam]

He replayed the fight he had with Roy and Mr. Frank in his mind.

("Roy is way too fast for my reflexes, and Mr. Frank is way to flexible in combat.") [Adam]

He began to replay his fights over and over in his mind thinking of ways to dodge, counter, and attack.

"Adam! Dinners ready~" [Vivian]

Adam opened his eyes before getting up and making his way downstairs. After devouring his dinner, he laid back down in bed and continued thinking.

("What else should I do to become stronger?") [Adam]

He continued pondering to himself for a while.

("Oh, there's that!") [Adam]

He sat upright and checked his ID.

("My mana pool amount should be right here. Did it increase from yesterday?") [Adam]

His ID read "Mana Cell Amount: 263/263".

"Woah!" [Adam]

He was so shocked he couldn't hold in his surprise.

("If my mana pool has that much from twelve times of training… Then I can get stronger if I keep doing it now!") [Adam]

He set his hands below his belly button, beginning to compress his mana pool.

"Guh…" [Adam]

("I know it won't rip my insides apart anymore, but it still kind of hurts." [Adam]

The feeling he got was no longer like a blender in his stomach, but similar to a light stomach ache. After passing the time like that, he decided to go to bed.

("I think I'm going to keep doing this every night.") [Adam]

He laid down and raised his arm high into the air.

("And then I'll finally be strong enough to be a hero.") [Adam]

After that thought, he drifted off to sleep.