Aria Gentus screamed and cheered all in one at watching with pride and horror- her brother fell from the stars, streaking with impossible speeds. Tactically, the drop had Gentus placed directly to where the Wyvern could run, leaving it only to take on his confrontation.
With precious few seconds, the Blight got up on its back legs and withdrew its neck, like reeling one's arm for a hard punch. The crowd screamed and backed away as the subjugation force pushed backward to give space.
The figure up above, Gentus, was only a dot in the clouds and looked to be no match for the incredible horror that was this Demon-Level Blight. In a single shattering second, the dot became a beacon of wincing light- and in another second it was propelled downward.
FERROOO KRAKK KSHIIING KREAAASSH
Gentus makes his entrance, activating some sort of power, those around the scene could easily guess that he is a Blessed- the Holy Lights he's able to activate is proof enough.
Words of praise and fright are shouted to each other, the feeds can pick up all the surrounding commotion.
"What the Hell is that!?"
"Who is that?
"No way!"
"Kill it!!"
"Is that an Angel??"
Everyone wanted to know what was happening, but it was this one person who posed the question that everyone needed to know.
What exactly did the arrival of this person, who could single-handedly face down the Demon-Level Blight, mean? Who among all humans, Blessed, and Cursed, could actually keep up with it?
That's when the new text reached across the screen.
"Is this a veritable Angel still left among us humans!?"
Then-
Gentus stayed in battle for another three minutes. He stayed in an evenly matched bout with a Demon-Level threat and managed, with the subtle help of the subjugation force, to eventually take the Blight down. Crowds cheered, cried, and raced to his side when the smoke and fire cleared. As the crowds tried to raise him above themselves, attempting to grab and pull him above to their shoulders- Gentus used his beautiful Blessing and threw himself into the sky.
The fight was ended, celebrated, and remembered by the world over. The enormous gift that the Wyvern's death brought forth in its corpse was more than enough to repair the land and relocate all that were affected- all of this heroism attributed to the lonesome Gentus.
***
"Haaagh… yes, that was me."
Mr. Gentus' chest sinks in, a mix of relief and disappointment in his being discovered. An odd reaction, but he can only feel this is necessary as he starts to suck air back into his body. Mr. Gentus blinks hard and opens to his classes inspired gazes.
The class funnels closer, in their desks and chairs, the dragging of the legs reverberates around the room.
Kgrgrgrr
Holding his hand up, wanting everyone to keep their distance, a subtle movement that says to calm down.
"Masquerade saw the incident...saw me… and I guess they had made an offer to me."
Everyone huddled a bit closer, but not too close, looked at one another, sharing guessing looks.
"Well, it was one I couldn't refuse, so… here I am. Your teacher."
In a shy movement, Mr. Gentus pulls out a pen from his pocket and twiddles it around in his hand. It's a cute silver pen with a tiny purple pom-pom hanging off of its end by a chain.
The class seems to have a singular relieving sigh, pleased that they get to witness and be taught by someone so popular and clearly powerful. Mr. Gentus relieves too.
Across the room, the one unmoved desk and student sit.
"Jeez. Lay it on a little harder. We're all sooo impressed."
Mason mocks Mr. Gentus, his arms crossed and his head slacks all the way to the back of his chair. Checking out of the conversation, Mason starts to think about the morning and the Blight that he and Melody came across. Quickly exercising how else he would have defeated the little creature, wishing it had been bigger and more dangerous.
Mr. Gentus looks around at the students as they begin to reset the room, dragging their desks back to their spots, whispering in less than quiet ways, giggling and laughing about their cool new teacher.
"Interesting."
Mr. Gentus notices Mason, and more specifically what Mason is wearing on his face.
"Excuse me, Mr…?"
Mr. Gentus waves his pom-pom-pen at Mason, directing the young man's eyes to him with it.
Breaking Mason's disregarding concentration, he sneers, caught off guard at the sudden attention.
"Mason."
His barbed tongue fires at his teacher, barely meeting his eyes.
"Mr. Mason, do you mind if I ask-"
Sam's face immediately burns red with embarrassment and regret.
Sam knows Mason is going to kill him for this one. Sam's fingers grip into his palm, nervously squeezing.
"Do you think this class is a joke?"
Mr. Gentus continues, aiming the pen and the pom-pom at its end towards Mason, moving it around to outline Mason's head.
Not understanding his meaning, Mason takes a moment and starts to retort anyways.
"No, I think you-"
"Mason!"
Sam stands up speedily, knocking his chair back to interrupt his friend's insubordination. Sam desperately looks at Mr. Gentus, apologizing in a glance about disrupting him, but stayed standing regardless.
Now everyone's paying attention and notices Mason's face, knowing instantly to keep quiet.
"I dr-"
Sam begins to confess, lowering his head and shoulders and bringing his hands in front of him, shamefully twiddling his thumbs. Sam tilts his head and opens his mouth.
"That's enough."
Mr. Gentus cuts Sam off now, clearly enjoying the turn of events happening. A sly smirk drags across his face as he waves Sam to close his mouth and step down. At the giggles and chuckles of every student, Mr. Gentus waves his pom-pen and silences them. Mr. Gentus leans his arm onto the podium desk at the front of the room, casual-like.
"Apologies."
Mr. Gentus waves the pen in front of his face, clearing the air of the silence held there.
"I'll just return to my lesson then, you feel free to pay as little or as much attention as you see fit."
He turns slowly to the one side of the room, ready to begin their first day of school. Disregarding Mason, Mr. Gentus smirks just before leading to the front of the class again.
Sam looks up at Mr. Gentus and he passes back a glance that says,
"You'll say nothing."
Sam is too much of a rule-follower to offer himself up to get in trouble with the new teacher, accepting this and lowering himself to his desk. Laying his forehead to the cool desktop, his deep sigh fogs the sheen of the desk.
"Now, yes, I am that Gentus, and yes, I am a Blessed."
Mr. Gentus returns to the board and chalks up a few terms and phrases. Smoothly across the board, Mr. Gentus waves his wrist and chalk, throwing his first lesson at his new students.
Questions race in everyone's heads confirmed in the rumors that their new teacher was going to be a Blessed; a most strange turn of events as this has never happened in Masquerade, let alone in other schools teaching the next generation.
Mason, unperturbed by the teacher or the class, blinks hard and slowly, letting sighs escape him for the rest of the introduction to Mr. Gentus' class. Wiping his eye at a forming drowsy tear, Mason smudges a bit of his marker-glasses to the left, yawning widely and then letting his hand fall to the desktop.
Barely seeing the black on his finger, Mason thinks nothing of it and closes his eyes, prepared to slack off the rest of the day.
Continued in PART X…