Sweat dripped down the dark-haired boy's forehead, each drop landing on the floor with a loud plopping sound. His silver eyes gleamed with exhaustion, yet they burned with an urge to finally get through this phase. He sprinted through the Arena, the Great Hall where Summoner students took their classes. In his hand, he held a sword, its blade reflecting the the light that pierced through the windows.
Behind him, the wooden golem—a tall and imposing figure resembling a doll with multiple long hands—closed in, moving with an speed that was so threatening.
The golem's wooden joints creaked as it moved forward, swinging a hand to swipe at him. Its limbs were sharp, ending with fine blades that could slice through flesh as if it was fresh butter.
With a burst of adrenaline, he dodged to the side, his heart racing as the golem missed him with a loud whooping sound. He could feel the rush of power coursing through his veins as he forced himself to reach his limits. He had to defeat the golem, just like how he had defeated the other ones in the other classes over the week.
He charged towards the golem.
He jumped left, then right, before delivering a rough blow to the golem's joined waist. The sword cut through the wood with a satisfying crunch. But the moment was short-lived; the golem also attacked, striking him with a powerful backhand that sent him flying several feet backward. He landed on his feet, barely maintaining his balance, the ground shaking beneath him.
With an urge to win, he erected his fingers, raising them into the air—just two fingers. He felt the darkness pooling beneath him, swirling like a storm.
"Come forth, Sea Guardian!" he shouted, his voice ringing throughout the chamber.
A massive figure emerged from the depth of the darkness. It rose above him, an petrifying mermaid with glistening scales that shimmered in the light. The Sea Guardian floated gracefully, her presence commanding attention as she held a trident.
Drawing a deep breath, the Sea Guardian exhaled, releasing a torrent of water that flowed forward like an oceanic wave. The force of it was overwhelming, crashing into the wooden golem and sending it spinning against the wall. Splinters flew as the golem crumbled under the pressure, its wooden arms flailing helplessly before it collapsed into a heap.
As the water faded, a hush fell over the Great Hall, only to be broken by the number of fellow students who were clapping their hands.
The instructor stood up, his eyes gleaming under his spectacles. He wore a smile on his face, clearly impressed by his number one student. "Bravo, Bravo!" He said, clapping his hands twice. "You've outdone yourself again, Hanzo."
Nearby, a group of girls whispered excitedly, their eyes wide with admiration. Numerous voices, whispers and rumors stained the air.
"Did you see that? He's so cool!" one of them gushed, while another nodded in agreement, clearly impressed.
"I wish I was that's strong."
"That was impressive, but I can beat him."
But gossips weren't so new to him.
Hanzo sighed, feeling the aching pain that came from where he had been hit during the lesson. He tossed his blade to the ground, where it landed with a loud clanging sound. What he needed at the moment was to heal, find someone who could heal him instead of paying attention to his admirers. This was just one of those normal days, yes, normal days for Summoners.
*
"That's awesome!" Quinn couldn't hold back the fascination that gripped around him like a dragon's claw. His jaw was dropped, his eyes widened, staring at Hanzo as he walked back to where the other students were.
Maybe it was because of the display he had done during the Selections, that forced the instructors here to schedule him as a Summoner. And now, he was being forced to participate as a student under Summoners.
The school operated under two categories: Casters, and Summoners.
Casters were experts, people who were naturally born with the ability to cast spells, and manipulate elements. Summoners on the other hand, were born with an ability to conjure spirits and entities from the Otherside to aid them — whether in healing, support, defensive or offense.
Quinn couldn't take his eyes away from Hanzo as he watched him walk away, surrounded by a swarm of admiring girls. "He's so fucking awesome!" Quinn exclaimed, his voice full of admiration.
Just then, Azra appeared beside him, a scowl on his face. Quinn had almost forgotten that he was standing with Azra since the start of this lesson.
"Please, he's not that great," Azra said, rolling his eyes. "Hanzo's got a lot of weaknesses. He's weak against lightning, earth, wind... basically, anything that's not water-based."
Quinn chuckled, still grinning from ear to ear. "It doesn't matter. He's still fucking awesome. And all the girls love him."
Azra snorted. "That's because they don't know any better. Trust me, Hanzo's got a lot of flaws."
Quinn playfully clapped Azra on the back. "Dude, you're just jealous. Hanzo's got the skills, the looks, and the fan club. What do you have?"
Azra's face turned bright red, and he spluttered, "I-I have... uh... better hair than him!"
Quinn burst out laughing. "Oh man, that's the best you've got?"
Azra huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Shut up, Quinn."
Hanzo glanced over, a hint of amusement on his face. The girls surrounding him giggled and whispered, casting admiring glances at Quinn and Azra.
Quinn grinned, "Hey, maybe we can learn a thing or two from Hanzo. He's definitely got the summoning thing down."
Azra snorted. "I'd rather learn from someone else. Preferably someone who's not a pretty boy."
Quinn chuckled, shaking his head. "You're just mad because Hanzo's got more fans than you do."
Azra's face turned even redder, and he muttered under his breath, "I'll have you know, I have a lot of fans... in my own way..."
"Sure you do...." Quinn said.
Azra ran a finger through his hair, his eyes landing on the instructor. "Old man, Kalid sucks. He's always giving us the same lessons over and over again....like he's trying to prove just how awesome Hanzo is."
Quinn brushed a hand against Azra's shoulder before walking away, his eyes glued on Hanzo, who was still surrounded by the admiring girls. "Uhm... you must be Hanzo, right?" Quinn said. "I really think you're so fucking awesome."
Hanzo stared down at Quinn, a hint of amusement on his face. "And you must be Quinn, Quinn Winter... the infamous summoner who fights like a caster."
The girls around Hanzo started murmuring, their voices filled with excitement.
"I heard he's from the demon kingdom," one of them whispered.
"No way, he's under a sponsorship," another girl countered.
"I don't care where he's from, he's so cute!" a third girl squealed.
Just as the murmurs were getting louder, a voice cut through the noise, silencing everyone. "Well... well... well..." a girl said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Another anomaly in our midst."
The girl stepped forward, her long, curly brown hair bouncing with each step. Her piercing green eyes were glued on Quinn, as if sizing him up. "Welcome to our humble school, Quinn Winter," she said, her voice laced with a hint of mockery. "I'm Lilith, by the way. And I must say, I'm intrigued by your... unique abilities."