Bullying

As Alastor was returning to the dorms, he saw most of the first year students kneeling in front of the building to some unfamiliar, older students.

'These must be the second years.'

He saw the pleading eyes of some of the boys but,

'Not my problem.'

Alastor mentally shrugged and tried to go inside, when a second year stopped him.

"Hey, you bastard! Did you not hear me? I said get in line!"

Alastor replied truthfully,

"I didn't hear you. My bad, I must have tuned you out thinking it was somebody's pet barking."

The second year's face went red as some of his 'friends' laughed at him.

He shouted, "You worthless maggo-"

His angry words were cut off as the butt end of a spear, slammed into his mouth before he could reinforce himself with mana, breaking a few teeth as he went flying.

'Horrendous reaction time, as I thought.'

'He was a tank type, so taking him out now was beneificial.'

The 'friends' stopped laughing and one spoke up.

"Hey, you're the top ranker this year right?"

Alastor nodded.

The same person spoke up again, "Well shit, looks like you got a big ego after beating some useless maggots."

"See, only we get to mess with Boris like that. Not some upstart shit who doesn't know his- !"

He dodged as a spear pierced towards where his head was a second ago.

Alastor thought to himself, 'If I beat them all up, can I directly join the mercenary program?'

"Stop blabbering and come at me already, you bottom feeders."

As the second years were gearing up for a battle, a feminine voice interfered.

"Oh my, I came here as soon as I heard you guys were trying to mess with the first years, but you're the ones who are having it tough instead?"

A golden haired girl who seemed much too happy for life bounced in, before introducing herself.

"Hello spear person! I'm Dana! Nice to meet you."

Alastor could feel himself having a physical repulsion from the sheer positivity she was emanating.

Dana looked at the second years and said, "Now, I wonder why some people can't understand civilized speech....even after I asked you to specially avoid the first years..."

The second years paled and got on their knees, shouting about how they weren't at fault, and how someone else forced them to come along.

The first years who had been kneeling, were puzzled when the overbearing seniors were easily tamed.

Dana smiled sweetly and said to the first years, "I apologize on behalf of the entire second year student body for their actions~"

"I hope none of you hold a grudge against them. They were simply misguided, and I am willing to take responsibility for their actions."

Even the bullied first years couldn't help but think, 'What an angel!'

Alastor did not buy the act.

Conveniently, Dana happened to hear about this at just the right time.

She also took away the major source of 'negativity' in the first year male's heart, making them see her in a good light.

'Yeah I call bullshit.'

Alastor spoke up, "I hold a grudge."

"Against each and every one of them."

"I wish to be compensated for my physical and mental trauma from their bullying actions towards me."

The rest of the guys were about to turn on him for going against the 'angel', but he added, 

"And I want every single on the victims here to be compensated as well."

And so, they united under the banner of profit.

Dana's smile looked a little strained as she said, "A-Are you sure about this? They really regret their actions. We can take this to the Principal, you know?"

Alastor thought to himself, 'No, she won't care enough and just tell us to have a series of duels to figure it out.'

'What does she want to avoid?'

He said impassively, "Compensation, or let me fight them."

Dana thought for a while, before deciding.

She turned to the leader of the bullies that had appeared here, and said, "Fight him."

Seeing how easily she let her goons fight him, Alastor wondered,

'Is that the wrong answer? Or is she just underestimating me.'

All too eager, the lanky guy jumped up and pulled two daggers from his back.

The thin rogue spoke up, "All of you are witnesses! He asked for the duel, and we granted it! The conditions for victory are....the victor gets the losers equipment!"

Alastor interjected, "I have no interest in that horrendous fashion statement you're wearing."

Although Alastor himself had no idea about fashion, he believed it would at least rile him up a bit more.

The bully growled through gritted teeth and said, "Fine! If you win, I'll kiss your feet! And if I-"

Alastor responded immediately, "Sorry, I'm not into that sort of stuff."

"I'm not trying to shame you, but please keep this conversation appropriate. I do not have any romantic interest in you or your feet."

The bully finally lost it and almost rushed at him, when Dana said, "How about winner gets to give any one order to the loser?"

"We'll ensure it's nothing too drastic~"

Alastor finally agreed, and as soon as he did, the lanky guy was upon him, swinging his twin daggers towards Alastor's ribs.

Alastor dodged by, but before he could bring up his spear, the daggers were upon him again, forcing him to dodge.

A spear was good at keeping enemies at a distance, but what if the enemy was close?

Alastor felt himself be challenged, as he used his superior control of mana to dodge.

Externally, it looked like the lanky bully was winning with his flurry of blows, but Alastor was dodging them, at most getting minor scratches.

The reason Alastor had been confident enough to challenge them, was because they were only one year above him.

The first year was mostly theory as well, with the second year having the more practical applications.

'Meaning, they aren't that far above us.'

The one with the daggers was evidently an Adept, better at using his daggers than Alastor was at the spear, but Alastor had the superior mana control and greater reinforcement.

Alastor felt the boundary to Adept mastery being broken down as he fought, contemplating upon the spear.

He hit the wielder's elbow with his as he came in to stab his head, bending his arm.

But the lanky bully flicked and spun the knife into a different grip with his fingers, using the other side to swing again.

Alastor blocked the dagger with the shaft of the spear, but the other dagger headed for his throat.

Just as the dagger approached him, Alastor coated his mouth and teeth in mana, before biting down on the dagger's metal.

He injected the weapon with mana, or tried to, since it was already full of the wielder's mana.

So he made the mana in his mouth vibrate quickly, making an angry buzzing sound which prompted his opponent to swing the other dagger at him.

Alastor felt disappointed.

'Almost there. I was almost there. But unfortunately, this one is too weak to get me the full way.'

'I should end this.'

Alastor brought the spear up between the lanky bully's legs, as the haft hit a certain area.

He didn't stop there as he used the butt end of his spear like a bat, and proceeded to whack his enemy's face.

For a while, none of them understood what was going on, before Dana came to her senses.

"Stop! It's over! You win."

Alastor stopped and Dana heaved a sigh of relief.

As she was about to ask Alastor for what he wanted to order around the now-eunuch, Alastor raised his spear again, staring right at Dana as he slammed it down on the thin second year's hand, crushing it as his mana entered his hand and vibrated, mangling it further.

He did it twice more, before he suddenly saw a sword of ice at his neck.

Dana hissed in rage, "I said, it was over."

Alastor said, "Didn't hear you."

Alastor then looked at Dana and said, "My order for him, is for him to crush his hands into paste, then eat them."

Dana denied it immediately, "Don't go too far."

Alastor then replied, "Hmmmm. Fine then. He can go."

Dana and the injured bully were suspicious, but Dana helped him to his feet and was about to get his hand healed, when Alastor said,

"What are you doing? I said he can go. Not his belongings."

The lanky guy grit his teeth as he heard that, and Dana reprimanded him quietly,

"The fault lies with you Gert. The recruitment plan was going just great before you guys brought in this crazy fucker."

To Alastor, she smiled and threw him Gert's daggers and made to leave.

Alastor called out again, "When I said his belongings, I meant all his belongings. Even the clothes."

Gert asked desperately, "But you said-"

Alastor cut him off, "It grew on me."

Gert turned to Dana, but all he saw were her eyes filled with quiet contemplation.

"Gert. Why haven't you stripped yet?"

Gert cursed in his mind, both Alastor and Dana.

'I hope they both die! That crazy bastard and this emotionless bitch!'

Alastor looked at the clothes left behind on the ground, and said to the first years behind him, "On second thought, I don't want this stuff anymore. Any of you wants it, you can take it from here."

He left it on the ground because,

'Ew, I'm not touching that.'