[Echoes of Destruction]

Humans are typically loquacious by nature. They tend to group themselves together when in a state of confusion or fear. The belief that as long as they have the upper hand in number, they will always prevail had been engraved, rooted deep into their mind.

Because of this flawed of a mindset, humans are slow to improve themselves. A person is often limited down because he or she cares more about what others will think. They would rather please the egotistical mindset of society than to work for the betterment of themselves.

What drags a man down is also his fellow men. Only those who can stand atop by themselves are considered being the best.

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*Knock* *Knock*

"Ray! Are you there?"

While my mind was occupied with what I just did. A knock, followed by a call, gathered my attention. The voice belonged to Angel. She must have come to fetch me, since my healing sessions are still not over. I panicked because my hand was still blazing with the bright red flame.

"Yes. What is it?"

"It's time for your healing session. Are you busy? We could do it later if you are."

"Not really. Wait there for a bit. I'll be there soon."

I bought myself some time, but that is not enough. I may have figured out how to conjure flame, but I have to figure out how to extinguish it as well.

'Wait. I created the fire by using mana as a fuel to burn oxygen in the air, so in theory, as long as I keep fueling it, mana it should keep burning. Alternatively, If I want to kill the fire, I just have to remove the source of fuel that keeps burning the oxygen, right? That has to work.'

Focusing my mind, I imagined the mana leaving my hand and going back to my body. Slowly, the fire started to get weaker and weaker until it was a tiny piece of flame that illuminated the room. After a few seconds, the blazing fire in my hand was completely extinguished.

'Phew... I can finally go outside. Wait. Why am I even hiding the fact that I can create fire? Weird.'

"Angel." I greeted the pretty lass who, just yesterday, used to be my classmate.

"What were you doing in there? You even locked the door."

"Nothing. I just wanted to test something out. What about you? Have you finished giving the rations?"

"Mmm. It took a bit longer than I expected because the room was bit cramped, but everyone managed to have a meal."

We talked as we walked together to our classroom, which Angel had occupied as her own room. I mean, females value their own privacy more than anything. To them, having your own personal space is a valuable treasure.

Interestingly, only she possesses private accommodation. The remaining classrooms were shared amongst the survivors. Even her brother Prince shared a room with his fellow Elementors. However, nobody dared to utter a complaint. Can't blame them, since who would be brave enough to question the sister of a beast-killing fire-wielder of a brother?

"Okay, take off your clothes."

Angel told me to strip down of my clothing to which I was forced to comply. Normally, having your own body being seen by your classmate, especially a female one at that, would be embarrassing, but to the both of us, this is just a treatment between a doctor and a patient. There were no obscene thoughts running through our minds and she was genuinely just trying to help me.

"Amazing. I know it's also because of the healing magic, but it's still mind-blowing how fast the rate of your wounds heals."

She didn't lie. Because my body is constantly being coated by mana, something that I naturally do ever since my fight with the mantis, the wounds in my body are using it to heal itself. However, it is not as efficient as Angel's healing power. It's akin to using a broom to sweep a wet floor instead of a mop.

Placing her hand on the lower-left side of my torso, Angel closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. I have noticed this before, but it seems like she needs the utmost focus to use her powers. Then suddenly, her hand emitted a light-greenish light.

"Heal."

It was a weird sensation. I could feel the tissues inside my body rapidly connecting with each other, but you know what they say. If it works, don't touch it. After a few seconds, Angel removed her hand and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"There. The wound should be closed now, but still, don't move around too much or it might open up again."

"Thank you, Angel."

"You're very much welcome."

After talking for a few more minutes, Angel left to do things that she was supposed to do.

'Being the mother figure sure seems tough.'

It hurts me to see a youthful woman like her be forced to carry the burdens of adults in this world. However, the situation just demands it. We have no one to rely on, especially now that it's not safe to go outside and find our parents.

Nevertheless, she was not the only one with an agenda at hand. With my wounds completely healed, I can finally start doing some exp- tests regarding mana. I'm not sure how long this haven of theirs can hold, but I sure don't plan to just stay in here, caging myself in.

Initially, I planned to meet with Kenny and try to get more information about using the earth attribute out of him. However, even after circling the whole campus, I didn't even see a glimpse of him.

'He must have gone outside. Maybe to train or to help? No matter which, I hope you don't die, old friend.'

Settling down in a seat somewhere outside. I gathered my thoughts and made a plan of the things I am going to do next. First, I want to know how many of my classmates survived? I don't give a shit about the lower levels, but my buddies are another matter.

Second, I want to go outside. Yes, I know it is not safe and I can die, but there is not much to do inside this academy except wait for the day that you will perish. So, I wanted to explore and test my newly acquired powers on the beasts outside. You could say I was feeling like an adventurer who is about to take a quest.

Third, as well as the last, I want to visit my home. I need to see what happened to my belongings in there. Some of those have a very sentimental value to me. It reminds me of the things that I had lost, and also my parents.

With those in mind, I was about to go look for my fellow tenth-graders, or at least used to be my fellow tenth graders, when suddenly an explosion occurred.

*BOOM!*

"Kevin, you hold the left flank! Ramielle, you attack from the rear!"

I could hear Prince giving out orders one by one. Based on the exasperated tone in his voice, I could presume that they were fighting a monster. A typically powerful one at that. Everyone inside the academy had already noticed the ongoing battle outside and had already hidden themselves.

'Heh. Let's go watch, shall we?'

Reinforcing mana to my feet, I jumped to the roof of a classroom near the entrance. There, I saw four people fighting a five-meter gorilla. Prince, Ramielle, Kevin and some other guy from the lower levels who managed to be awakened.

'Oh, so that's why I couldn't see Kevs.'

It brings me joy to see my buddies survived. Not only that, they are even able to go toe-to-toe against a freakishly huge gorilla. However, just one look at it, I could already feel that it's weaker than the mantis I fought.

"Miel! I'll hold down his left arm, you go finish it!" Kevin shouted his battle plan and immediately went to work.

*Bzzt*

'Hmm, sparks?'

"Go to hell! Electra!"

A lightning strike suddenly came out of his hands that completely immobilized the gorilla's left hand. Lightning, when directly hit to the body, can damage the nervous system as well as the nervous cells. This causes temporary paralysis to the being that is hit.

"ROAR!"

The gorilla roared in pain upon being hit by a lightning directly on its left hand. With its attention diverted, Ramielle also made her mode. Swiftly maneuvering until she was behind the gorilla, Ramielle placed both of her hands on the gorilla's broad back.

"Coalesce! Wind Blast!"

A massive gale of wind gathered at the center of her hands. The wind was so strong that the even I could feel it despite being tens of meters away.

"Die!"

Ramielle directly hit the gorilla with her wind attributed attack. However, the wind is not particularly deadly in nature. Despite being one of the primary elements, it is, like water, is languid by itself. It is not that deadly, unlike fire or lightning.

Because of that, her attack didn't manage to kill it. It left a patch of wound in the gorilla's back, but the gorilla still was still to turn its body. It quickly raised its right arm to squash the lass who did that to its back.

"Oh, no! Miel!"

I could hear the three of them shout in unison. I guess they were already fighting it for a long time since everyone was already too exhausted to even move to save the woman from the hand of the aggressive monkey.

'Why the fuck am I not worried?'

I should be worried. My friend is about to die right there. I should be in my feet, charging onto the gorilla by now. I have to save her, right? So why am I not moving?

'I knew it. I also am an arrogant piece of shit.'

I didn't need to move from my position to save her.

"Combust."

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