16 Showdown

"Beat it, kid. I have to teach this fatty a lesson."

Aric looked at Dempsy and waved him off.

"Hoh... A kid? You're not strong enough to call me that."

Dempsy replied with a smile on his face, but the pulsing vein on his forehead gave away his fury.

"....."

Hugh felt awkward. He didn't want to be in the middle of this fight.

Tension was in the air. Everybody could feel the atmosphere in the room get colder as the three of them stood against each other. Everyone was silent as some of them watched with curious eyes and some enjoyed the conflict.

"You wanna try me? You look like you're looking for trouble."

Aric turned his attention to Dempsy and tried to push him away using both his hands only to feel like he went against a wall, an unmoving and unchanging barricade that he couldn't win against. He realized the difference in power.

Dempsy sneered, proud at his superiority against those that went against him. His smile faded as he felt more force pushing him. He didn't think that Aric would double down on his attempts to win the struggle for supremacy.

Aric didn't back off even when faced with someone stronger than him, it only served to motivate him further. His feet were planted firmly on the ground, with his center of gravity low to generate a much stronger force, like a bull.

Dempsy frowned as he felt himself move a millimeter. His arrogance filled his fury as he used all his muscles to constrict into a tougher body.

They were at a stalemate. Both of them used their full force to best each other.

"Tsk. If it weren't for my restrictions you wouldn't able to touch me."

"Stop spouting excuses."

Both of them exchanged words as they concentrated on their power. Hugh watched them square off, with no intention of meddling in their affairs.

Hugh suddenly felt a force from his back and it made him trip forward, right into the two fighting bulls. His fat body collided with the two and broke the equilibrium between the two which made them fall on the ground; defeated not by each other but by a third party, Hugh.

Pressure started emitting from the two who were defeated down on the ground. Aric was speechless, exasperated at the blasphemy that just occurred. He didn't think that Hugh dared to push him around like that. He stood up, ready to greet Hugh with his Desire.

Dempsy let out a laugh. This was what he was waiting for. Hugh was finally joining the party; he was ecstatic as he powered up his constricted Desire.

Hugh didn't want to fight, but now that he was in this position he wouldn't back down. Deep in his heart, he was ecstatic. He was tired of being pushed; it was now his time to do the pushing, now that he had the power to do so.

Hugh was filled with power. Adrenaline rushed through him as gray and brown liquid leaked out from his skin, ready to show a burst of power even for just a second.

Tension built up exponentially as the three of them held the trigger against each other. Just one movement from any of them will create chaos that will escalate into a full-on war.

"Simmer down. I'll give you guys the time to fight it out but not today."

Nobody noticed it but a bald black man appeared at the front of the classroom. He was wearing a navy blue suit that made him look classy, like a gentleman.

A physical pressure bore down on everyone present. They felt constricted, vulnerable, and unable to do anything but sit down. Hugh and Aric were forced down on the ground after a second. Dempsy was able to hold on for two.

Hugh, Dempsy, and Aric all had their differences but in this instance, there was something similar between them. In their eyes was a sense of rebellion, an arrogance that will never let them bow down to anyone, not now and not ever again. Their clear and serious eyes looked directly at the professor and only had one purpose, to revolt against the pressure.

The professor looked at them with uneven eyebrows, then smiled at the youths struggling against him. He put his hands on the desk and the pressure on the three increased threefold.

They were down on the ground, struggling to not let their heads reach the floor. Hugh's sweat dripped down the floor as something deep inside him gave him the power to hold on, to not be suppressed.

Hugh's head was only one centimeter away from the ground but never moved any further. Aric tried to hold on, but his head hit the ground and a loud bang sounded out from the collision of his head and the floor. Aric gritted his teeth and pushed himself off, lifting his head from the floor. Dempsy's head was the furthest from the floor, but it fell slowly with no signs of stopping.

"You guys are too young to be going against the system."

The pressure lifted and everyone felt their bodies lighter than ever before. The students slumped down on the ground, tired from the crushing force that bore down on them. Hugh, Dempsy, and Aric reared their heads back when the pressure suddenly lifted.

Hugh panted, with sweat pouring down his face. It felt like he ran a marathon in 10 seconds. He knew that he had a long way to go but this difference in power was too astonishing. At the very least, he got a goal in mind; he wanted to overcome the professor's pressure.

"Sit down. Every year there are always freshmen fighting to show off. I've dealt with worse students than you guys and don't get me started on the juniors."

Hugh sat down on the chair furthest from the professor. Dempsy sat down next to Hugh and put his feet up in the chair. Aric had a frown on his face as he pulled his chair out, creating a screeching sound. He sat down with a strong force, reluctantly following the professor's orders.

"Let's get started. Do you know that pressure I showed on you?"

"..."

Everyone was silent. It was a topic they did not want to discuss as it made them remember the suppression they felt. Being enrolled in the special class gave them a sense of pride that they were superior to 99% of the people here. The professor shattered the glass wall they put on themselves.

"Don't worry. You'll be able to acquire a domain when you have your second advancement."

Everyone looked up at their professor and dreamed of obtaining their domain. They were in this class for that very reason. This was their ticket to advance faster and further than anyone else. The special class was a tried and true method of advancing through the ranks.

Hugh was different. He didn't gain his Desire from a pill but it activated on its own. He didn't know if the methods they applied here would help him advance. He would have to figure this out for himself which made it harder than anyone else.

"I'm professor Kain and I'll be your guide in this special class. I know you guys are tired of the lectures, so I'll just show you."

Professor Kain raised his hands and pointed at the ceiling. A green mold spread out from where he pointed and grew a flower upside down.

"That's the first advancement. Being able to extend your Desire away from your body at a focal point. I don't have to tell you how this is more advantageous."

Then professor Kain spread out his hands. The mold spread out from the ceiling and onto the walls and then onto the floor. The mold enveloped the whole classroom like a new environment, like a new habitat. They flinched as they felt the pressure bearing down on them but it was weaker than before, not enough to force them down the ground. This was the second advancement that they dreamed of.

"For the third advancement....well, I don't think you're ready for that. Just focus on getting to your first advancements."

The students wondered at the show of power by their professor. Everyone started practicing their Desire, playing with it, and trying to extend their Desire outwards. Hugh didn't bring out his Desire. He shouldn't. All of them could show their Desire for a long time without any problem. Hugh had trouble keeping it for one second.