This Next generation

Kage grits his teeth and plants his feet on the ground.

"Attack me all you want; I won't fall!"

Nest continues to hit Kage with multiple cuts to the body.

"Haha, you think you can just stand there? fine! I'll make sure you suffer!

Nest goes in for another attack on Kage, but Kage sees it coming.

"Energy manipulation: energy barrier!"

A barrier of energy forms around Kage, completely blocking off the Nest attack.

"What the hell? You have a shield? Whatever it doesn't matter with my speed, I should be able to put enough pressure on that shield until it breaks!"

Nest starts to once again speed around Kage and cut the same spot on Kage's barrier in an attempt to break it.

As an intense fight goes down in Grava Forest, back at Grava Academy, Mr. Mink is having a very interesting conversation with two other teachers inside the teacher's lounge.

"So how was your first class after winter break?"

Mrs.Iris, a slim, white woman standing at 5'6 with copper-red hair and an all-black suit, is the first to respond to Mr.Minks' question.

"Yes! It was amazing. My students are just the cutest things; I missed them so much!"

The second person to respond to Mr.Minks' question is a 6'1 tired-looking, beefy, dark-skinned man with an afro and a short beard who also wears an all-black suit. Everyone refers to him as Mr. Chad.

"I mean"

Mr.Chad starts to doze off as he speaks.

"It was alright; my students are more tolerable, I guess."

Mr.Chad takes a sip of his coffee and starts to doze off. As Mr.Chad dozes off, Mrs. Iris and Mr. Mink continue the conversation.

"Well, Mr.Mink, speaking of classes, how are your students doing?"

"Well, Mrs. Iris, considering that I have the top class and your class is second to mine, they're doing pretty well."

"Well, it seems your sense of humor hasn't changed since the last time I saw you," she says with an agitated expression. 

"It wasn't humor; it was me being 100% honest with you."

"Oh, is that right? Don't you have a meeting with Principal Nixion in like half a minute?"

"Yeah, you're right, but like I tell my students, I'm never late."

Mr.Mink vanishes in the blink of an eye. Mrs.Iris looks behind her and sees the door left wide open.

"That Mr.Mink is always showing off his mastered accelerate technique like we've never seen it before."

Mrs.Iris slams her hand on the table to wake up the sleeping Mr.Chad.

"Is it time for work already?"

"Hehe, oh, Mr. Chad, you never fail to make me laugh."

Mrs.Iris leaves the teacher's lounge. After she leaves, the confused Mr.Chad says, "What the hell is up with her being so strange?"

In another part of the school, at the very top, is the principal's office. The principal's office is the biggest room in the school and has one huge desk with multiple bookshelves on the sides of the room and a big window behind the desk and chair.

The large desk is occupied by a serious-looking middle-aged man with a beige complexion and green hair who goes by the name Principal Nixion among staff and students. He is dressed in a green suit and glasses. After completing a piece of writing for the school, Principal Nixion glances up.

"He should be here in three, two, one."

Principal Nixions door opens, and out of nowhere, Mr.Mink appears in front of his desk.

"Never late; as usual, I see Mr. Mink."

"You know it! So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I need to ask you about many things concerning this next generation."

"Oh really? Well, ok, then go ahead and let me hear your concerns."

"I don't know if you have noticed, but ever since this school year started, I've been being watched."

"Yeah, actually, I've been sensing watchful eyes, especially around you, but I didn't know it'd been going on for that long."

"Yes, and who knows, it could have been going on for longer, but I'm afraid that I'm not being watched for giggles. I'm sure of it; I'm being watched by someone or many, so then they can make sure I can't do anything when needed."

"Are you sure? What could happen in the future that someone would need you to be unable to do anything?"

"I have theories, but for now I can't say."

"Oh well, if that's the case, what do you need me to do?"

"As the number one teacher in Grava Academy, I want you to put the best teacher other than you on guard duty."

"Ok, I'll put Mrs.Iris on guard duty; she has a great response time, so it should be a no-brainer."

"Okay, great, now for the students."

"huh?"

"What do you think about them?"

"Um, sorry, I don't seem to understand your question," he says while gigling.

"Mr.Mink You have the top class in the entire school, so I'm asking you to be honest. Do you think they have enough potential to achieve level three?"

"Haha, so that's what you're asking. I should have figured Principal Nixon would ask such a serious question."

"..."

"Oh, right, to answer your question."

The weather suddenly changes from sunny to stormy, and Mr.Mink's face turns serious.

"If any generation could discover the secrets to level three, it's this one."

"hmm? Why do you say so?"

"In my years of teaching, I've seen many different situations, different personalities, and different reasons for people to do what they do, but this one, this generation we are teaching now, is the one. They have more drive in their eyes—more drive than any student I've taught before. Trust me, we will have many struggles, but that comes with any generation. All we have to do is watch over them; they will form their own path, and then one of them will reach the ultimate goal.

"So what you're saying is that with enough time, eventually one of them will discover level three."

"Yes! I'm saying it now without a doubt that this generation will flip this world on its head," he screams happily.

Back in Grava Forest, it has started raining. As it rains, Unknown, who is knocked out, starts to regain consciousness.

"Ouch, my head hurts; it feels like it's being stabbed by a million needles."

Unknown stumbles his way back on his feet.

It seems the poison is still taking effect. Ok, then, from the amount of noise I'm hearing in this forest, Kage must still be fighting. So in that case, I'll go make myself useful and save those kids."

Unknown gets up and runs to where Kage and Nest are fighting.

As he runs to save the kidnapped kids, Kage and Nest continue their intense battle. Nest, at great speed, is continuously attacking the middle of Kage's energy barrier, attempting to break it.

"Come on now, creep! What's wrong? You can't break my barrier! How about you just give up?"

While running so fast that Kage can't see him, Neat responds.

"Would you shut the hell up? Also, stop calling me creepy, damn it!"

Nest slams his blade onto Kage's energy barrier and leaves a small crack in it.

"Haha, you fool, if you hit something hard enough, it has to break!"

"Yeah, you're right, but don't get too cocky now."

Nest once again slams his blade onto Kage's energy barrier, completely destroying it. Nest, while standing in front of Kage, is breathing heavily and sweating aggressively."

"Hehe, good. Now it's time to die!"

Nest tries to cut Kage's head off, but Kage easily dodges it.

"Hmm, it seems you've gotten slower, creep. Have you used too much of your OGI, or are you playing around?"

"What, but how? I haven't used that much OGI, and even then, I should still be quick enough to cut your head off."

"Hehe, I see you haven't noticed this entire time."

"What the hell is your smug ass on about?"

"It's my ability "energy drain." This ability allows me to drain the energy of anyone who happens to be within my 20-meter radius. So that means this entire time you've been fighting me, you've been using double the energy while at the same time recharging my energy. Unknown loves to call this ability my X-factor."

"You damn cheater! So this whole time, you've been letting me expend all my energy on that damn barrier so then you can finally keep up with my speed."

"Boy, oh boy, thanks for stating the obvious creep."

"My name is Nest!"

Nest throws his blade at Kage, but Kage shoots it down with an energy beam. Nest rushes at Kage with a face full of rage.

"Now that you're low on energy, you're throwing shit and going in head first. Tch, pathetic!"

Kage dodges Nest's attack and punches him in the face. Nest's holds his nose as it bleeds.

"Wipe your damn nose and listen up. You dare to come to this zone and kidnap children!"

Kage walks up to Nest and punches him in the face, then continues to scream in anger.

"And then you kill them while at the same time traumatizing the other children!"

Kage once again punches Nest in the face.

"You're sick! You are the scum of the earth! Now I'm going to treat you like scum!"

Kage jumps up into the air.

"This attack right here will end it!"

Kage curls up into a ball, and his body starts to excude a massive amount of energy.

"This attack takes all of the excess energy I drained from you and releases it all at once!"

Kage starts to glow, with green electricity coming off his body. Nest falls to the ground and starts to sweat aggressively.

"Wait, please, we can talk about t—"

"Now energy manipulation: energy release!"

Kage uncurls and releases a massive amount of energy that engulfs Nest and destroys the surrounding area."

Chapter 9 end