Edited

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"Did you hear? Y'know that class?" She shook her friend's arm as he continued on staring blankly. "The new student has already gotten challenged! Bonus, he's super handsome!"

The other student still had a calm expression on his face, albeit the sleepiness behind his eyes was absolutely unmistakable. "En." After giving his curt input, he went back to slumber on his desk. The other student couldn't help but sigh at how often this occurs.

"Come on! Please, without you, who am I gonna enjoy this fight with?" The eyes watered, struggling to appeal to the listless student, but it was to no avail. The lethargic student opened only one eye before quickly facing away.

"Too loud..."

A few blood vessels throbbed, her hands radiated a yellow aura. She slammed her palm on the desk which her classmate was laying upon. The desk decayed under the pressure, however, before he was swept aside by the dismantlement of his desk. He sensed the changing atmosphere beforehand.

She slammed her palm onto the desk, causing it to vibrate violently. "You wake up now, Zhou Bingwen!" She patted down her skirt and bent down to snag her's and Zhou Bingwen's bags. "Jeez, if auntie didn't tell me take care of you, I swear I would've left you already."

Zhou Bingwen only sighed and got to his feet. "Jeez, what's it with you. He couldn't even be that handsome with your low standards. You always end up disappointed after getting to know them, anyway." He grumbled under his breath. His back arched over as he tried to get closer to Luo Yingtai's height.

She turned back to see his towering physique and only snorted at his snide remark. "I'll have you know, it wasn't my fault that they couldn't reach my conditions!" Her long hair swayed as they wandered closer to the arena. "Anyway, why don't you just date me? I know practically everything about you." She replied, practically oozing with sarcasm.

She handed over the bags and quickly sped through the spindly hallways, each hallway adorned with a unique assortment of decoration, each depicting a piece of history entwined with the walls of Mavia Academy.

Zhou Bingwen grabbed his bag from her hands. Slinging it over his shoulder really enhanced his laid-back look. "Luo Yingtai, this better be worth it..." The ecstatic atmosphere of the crowd reached their eyes; all around them was stands of excited students awaiting the fight. Some were even making bets on who would win.

The ecstatic and thrilling atmosphere encompassed the entire arena. The arena had technology in almost every part; the scoreboard, the platform that could transform into any terrain.

"Wow..." He uttered quietly, but it was drowned out by the loud cheers.

"Let's quickly get seats!" Luo Yingtai dragged Zhou Bingwen to a pair of seats close to the center of the arena. Suddenly, an outburst of loud cheers erupted. In the center was Tao Boqin and the arriving figure of-

"I am your lovely commentator, Xiang Jiaying! Today is the first day back for all you 2nd years and we're already starting off with a bang. The arena will hold Class 13's Tao Boqin and their newest student; Duan Xianliang." The crowd went wild again.

'Ah, I truly have forgotten how lower beings act when there is violence included in anything.' Duan Xianliang could only lament at the incompetent attitudes of his "brethren". He ambled onto the platform, not a single sight of nervousness in him.

"Oh, I thought you would have already chickened out!" The vermin said. They cracked their knuckles, trying to appear menacing. But it had no effect on Duan Xianliang, only further proving how idiotic lower beings were.

"I shall show you mercy." He simply said.

Angered by Duan Xianliang's words, a faint aura burst from his body. 

Purple

"I'll clean this fucking floor with you, pretty face." He smirked defiantly at Duan Xianliang, but it only angered him.

Duan Xianliang knew immediately what this vermin had now. Deciding on those most optimal plans to desecrate this fiend, his lips perked up into a dastardly grin. "Is that all? This hono- I'll teach you that speaking against me was a blunder."

Tao Boqin got into his fighting stance. The aura surrounding him solidified, forming a humanoid bull shape. His eyes reddened with each passing second.

Duan Xianliang gave a light sigh, "It truly will be a little relaxing to have a warm out after so long." He flexed his left hand. A metallic scent wafted off of it before it quickly disappeared. He stared back at his next victim and couldn't help but smile again. 

"3..." The countdown began.

"2..." The crowd chanted along.

"1..." Both opponents readied themselves.

"FIGHT!" A black cloud covered the arena, in it two auras clashed against each other. The purple pushed against the abyss-like one. The abyss-like one was like an enormous mouth that wished to consume all, including the other. Tao Boqin was sweating bullets just staring at his losing aura, deciding now was the best time.

The tough hide that coated him flexed as he got on all fours. His eyes were focused on Duan Xianliang's lithe physique. Scoffing at himself, he wondered what part of him could lose to such a petite thing.

He lunged at Duan Xianliang's visage. The malicious glint in his eye shone brightly just thinking about his win.

But as soon as he reached for him, like a mirage, the image in front of him wavered. He was sent flying again by Duan Xianliang's kick. He spluttered out blood like a fountain, but his aura acted like a temporary bandage to his wound.

A sharp pain attracted his attention. He reached for his cheek, only to feel the slimy texture of blood on his fingertips.

Thud

Twisting his head back to direction of the noise, water flooded his eyes.

His throat was sore and dry.

When he looked at his shoulder.

Nothing.

All below it was gone.

In the far distance, he could spot a finger.

Just the finger. It had a shiny gold ring adorned on it.

That was his...

That was his finger.

Everything registered in his mind at last... He had already lost. 

Not only his limb, but the entire battle. His shrill shrieks and whimpering filled the arena, not even noticing how abnormal the current situation was.

.

.

.

It had felt like hours had passed.

The remaining saliva in his throat had already dried up.

His fingers couldn't even conjure the strength to curl up.

His eyes were peeled open, blood veins strained in his iris.

A constant ringing was in his ears, like it was taunting him.

He could feel the flesh on his stomach caving in, pressing against his ribcage.

.

.

.

"Kekeke! Is that really the end of your brief struggle?" An arrogant voice reverberated from the dark clouds. In front of Tao Boqin's deplorable person was an ethereal being out of this world. But one of the off-putting thing was that plastered on his face was a grin that was reaching so far, that he was sure that if it wasn't kept in check, it'd rip.

Behind him was a slithering creature. Its icy eyes stared at the decrepit individual. In their mouth was a faint purple, but it was quickly gobbled up before it could even have a fighting chance.

He recited Tao Boqin's earlier words. "I thought you said you would clean the floor with my face, vermin." The last light in Tao Boqin's eye faded away. Duan Xianliang could only lament at how mentally weak the humans of this generation were.

The shrivelled Tao Boqin could barely even form letters with his mouth, but Duan Xianliang knew what he wanted.

Mercy

"Since I am so merciful, I shall grace with my benevolent mercy." He stared down at the pathetic shell of the student and snapped his fingers.

The dark clouds rolled away, revealing to the confused crowd a whimpering student that was close to just breaking down and a clearly bored individual who was already getting their bag.

"Uh-, it seems Duan Xianliang has won...?" Even the commentator themselves were confused about what exactly happened in those 3 minutes. But the only ones who knew what exactly happened were a mentally exhausted individual that looked as if one gust of air could knock him over and the other, clearly looking bored, still had their dangerous aura radiating off of them.

The loud outcry of students cried for a redo, since they didn't even get to see anything.

Tao Boqin's loud squawk of tears and snots, however, wanted that torment to end.

Without looking back, Duan Xianliang slung his bag over his shoulder and walked, but not before a keen gaze appeared at his back. He swiftly twisted around, trying to find that mysterious gaze again, but he just yawned and gave up on finding it for now.

He looked down, only to notice that the wool on his jumper was coming undone. His teeth ground against each other. Simultaneously, his grudge against Tao Boqin deepened, but quickly faded.

Just thinking about those inferior things gave him a headache. 

.

.

.

Zhou Bingwen heaved a sigh when Duan Xianliang looked away. Luo Yingtai looked at him weirdly before leaning back in her seat. "Ah, man! I thought I'd get to see some pow, pow and bang, bang! But at least Duan Xianliang is like even more handsome than I thought!" She squealed.

He could only wish to be as blissfully ignorant as her.

Just imagining the prior scene again sent shivers down his spine. He truly hopes he doesn't have to see that new student again.

***