The two then prepared for battle.....Renji made his stance and the enemy set up runes for his spell to activate.
There was no tension-filled silence. No dramatic staring contest. No honor-bound opening speeches. Just immediate, overwhelming action.
With a sharp flick of his hand, the noble conjured fireball. Three massive fireballs ignited behind him in a spiral, burning bright red, hovering with a deadly hum. Then, without pause, he summoned seven more. Ten in total, swirling like orbiting suns, searing the air around him.
It was like he was a mage covered and protected by fire. Like a Fire Tyrant that was famed for its fire wielding capabilities.
The noble's pride was clearly hurt, his status mocked by this nobody, his honor challenged to the point he bursted out in an unwanted duel. And now, he did what most nobles did when cornered.
He lashed out....
Renji stood his ground.
The fireballs spun once more and then launched.
They surged forward in a barrage of roaring flames. Each one of it waiting to devour him alive. The first eight came straight for Renji like meteors, but he didn't even flinch. He slapped them aside.
With his bare hands...
They collided with the courtyard grounds, some were blocked by other students and other were resulted in damage of property.
Boom! One of them collided with a nearby statue, erupting into shards of scorched stone and smoke.
The spectators gasped.....
Renji turned his head slightly. His palm was burned, skin red and smoking, but his expression was calm, too calm. Another wave of fireballs followed. The air distorted from their heat as they hurtled toward him. This time, Renji vanished in a flicker.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions erupted across the courtyard as fire met stone, flame met dust. Smoke clouded the battleground, and the students watching nearby shielded themselves from the sudden winds and heat.
Then, in a blur of motion, Renji reappeared, zigzagging, weaving through the battlefield like lightning on two legs. The fireballs struggled to lock onto his moving form, their trajectories thrown off by his unpredictable movement.
He side stepped with every fireball that was coming and then his foothold were always going to get obliterated. His speed was unmatched, even with his enemy's fireball speed, it was not enough to catch him or rival him with their attacks.
"Is this how slow the Fireball spell is?" Renji was quite intrigued and concerned.
"This damn brat!? He was just evading my fireballs!"
Another fireball came. This one, dead center, aimed at his chest. It was a close one and then he decided whether to evade or not.
Renji didn't dodge.
He slapped it to the side using his palm.....
Pang!
The aim was not intended but it flung to another direction.
Bang!
The fireball struck the statue...The fireball diverted but to their chaos, it exploded on the statue.
CRACK!
The stone figure of the Principal was split clean in half, the upper torso toppling and shattering into rubble.
His hand was burned again, more severely now. Huh? Wha...wha what!? My hand! My hand is burning!" Flesh sizzled. A scream escaped from him, but he gritted his teeth and ran to the side. He splashed his scorched hand into the nearby fountain.
Steam hissed upward.
For a second, silence returned.
Everyone watching could only stare.
That attack...those fireballs...were strong enough to destroy a stone statue… yet Renji, a seemingly a nobody, slapped them aside with nothing but raw power and physical grit.
The noble was furious. His eyebrow twitched due to his anger. His aura flared in red.
"You… You dared mock me?!" he roared.
Renji stood, his hand still dripping from the water, his gaze sharp and unwavering.
"Name?" he asked casually, brushing his hair back with his good hand.
"…Lukas," the noble replied, his pride smoldering as brightly as the flames he conjured. "You?" He asked.
"Renji," he nodded. "Nice to meet you, Lukas."
Then right after.....
"OI OI OI OI! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"
A thunderous voice echoed through the courtyard. Heavy footsteps followed, and a tall figure emerged from the archway. The students froze. The dust finally settled. Smoke still lingered, but the fireballs had ceased.
"THE DEAN! THE DEAN HAS ARRIVED!" someone shouted...
"Oh no, now they're doomed," said another. Murmurs then followed.
His face was stern, carved from experience and sleepless years of keeping reckless students in check. He looked around, the scorched tiles, the obliterated statues, and the singed hedges.
His gaze landed on Renji, then on Lukas.
"Explain," the Dean commanded.
Neither answered immediately.
So he spoke again...slower, deadlier.
"This academy is for the gifted and disciplined… not the reckless and entitled. Infighting within school grounds is prohibited and will not go unpunished."
He glanced at the destroyed statue, the rubble, and the fountain still steaming.
"You two! On your first day no less have caused more damage than a typical midterm trial."
He sighed, deeply disappointed.
"Renji," the Dean said coldly. "You are not yet a student. One more infraction and your entrance will be officially rejected."
Renji didn't speak. He only lowered his head slightly.
"And Lukas...." The Dean turned sharply. "You, a noble, have allowed your ego to cloud your judgment. This school does not bend to titles or bloodlines. You are not above the rules."
Lukas' jaw tightened, but he lowered his gaze then bit his lips.
"This is your warning. One more incident… and both of you will be expelled or denied entry. Understood?"
"Yes, Dean," they both said at once.
The students whispered among themselves, but none dared speak aloud. Renji stood quietly, hand still recovering, body still alert. Lukas clenched his fists, his pride shattered harder than the statues he'd accidentally blown apart.
And yet, even amidst the chaos… there was something else.
A new respect.
The students now whispered a different kind of rumor.
"Did you see that? He slapped a fireball… with his hand!"
"Renji… is he a mage? A warrior?"
Renji walked away slowly, calm but deep in thought. He had revealed a little too much… but it was fine. He never planned to hide forever.