"Wow… This is a lot more violent than I thought it would be. Then again… Satoshi tried to kill me the moment we met. I guess we are all just psychos."
Yamato looked at the camp, now destroyed from his hill. He had witnessed the whole thing, but of course he couldn't intervene. He was of no help in these combat situations anyway, and would only hold his class back. But was it really safe up here? Just when he decided to move, three class 1 students flew above him.
"And how might I help you?"
"I want you to know that this isn't personal. Shin said you were the most dangerous one, and we should only go near you when you were alone. Again, nothing personal."
He helt his hand up high and the clouds started moving together. It started raining but all the trops were gathered in the air, crystallized and stayed there. It was snowing. A lot. In moments the clouds were gone and a massive mass of snow was right above Yamato's head. Not right above. It was at least 30 meters above him. So if it were to fall down, it would have a lot of impact force. This was clearly a high level spell. Yuki level even.
"Again, I'm sorry…"
The massive wave of snow, comparable to an avalanche, crushed everything in its path. All the trees were ripped out of the ground, as it made its way towards Yamato. Normally Yuki would just stop it with some sort of ridiculously powerful spell. But she was not here. Had Yamato miscalculated? Was sending her away a mistake? As the thoughts ran through his head, he got swept off his feet and carried away with the snow. Once he was completely buried, the class 1 student stopped.
"I'm sorry… Hey, guys, did you detect any defense magic?"
"No… And I don't think you can subtly defend that. You'd have to cast a very strong one, to even survive that…"
He landed on the soft snow, though he didn't know where Yamato would be, he was hoping he stood directly on top of him.
"From what I've heard, you were not a nice person. Arrogant and condescending. Even if I don't find pleasure in this, I can't feel bad for you either. I'm sorry."
The other class 1 students landed beside him. They seemed to accept their victory, and not feel as guilty as the other one. One seemed quite content even.
Suddenly, a hand punched straight out of the ground, a couple of meters away from the students. It pulled himself up, out of the snow, revealing Yamato to be still standing. With torn clothes and cuts on his face and arms, blood streaming down his forehead, he silently began tumbling up. Yamato, who usually always had a calm and elegant demeanor, seemed genuinely furious, understandably so. He breathed heavily as he leaned forward, his eyes twitching and his fists clenched tightly. The students backed off a little at the sight, clearly startled.
"How… How could anyone survive that… I didn't feel any sort of protection magic at all! This can't be!"
One said, more to himself than to his classmates.
"You… Aren't you embarrassed? What would your sister think?"
"W… What? How do you know I have a sister?!"
"I guess I have been silly… To think I could just lay around. I mean, I guess I can! I'm standing! I won't play around anymore, to show respect to your efforts. Now… Your sister. I will kill her. Your whole family. Everyone. There is no escape. I will make sure everyone knows this is your fault. They die knowing you started this. You basically killed them. When everyone you know is dead, and you don't have anything left you can call yours in this world, then you have my permission to die, knowing that nothing will ever change. That you will exist alone and with no value even after death."
Everyone took another step back. The apologetic one's guilt was replaced by a stressed expression. His family situation was indeed complicated. His sister always had to rely on him for protection, since their parents were unable to. But how did Yamato know? For her, he would kill Yamato right now, he thought.
"Even if you kill me now, it won't stop anything. You don't have the tiniest idea, of what I'm capable of."
The three looked in shock, unsure how to react. The apologetic one was most shook. Had he read his mind? How could he know he was thinking of killing him? Well, he had just thrown an avalanche at Yamato. Clearly death wasn't off the table for him, but still. They could probably just cast a simple attack spell and Yamato wouldn't be able to do much against it. But somehow, no matter how much they tried, they weren't able to. Frozen in place, completely confused by what is happening. Yamato just wished the blood of his forehead with the back of his hand and stood up straight, straightening his uniform as well.
"Phew… What do you guys think? That was quite the something, was it not?"
"…What… What the fuck is wrong with you?!"
Yamato just calmly smiled.
"Oh, well, mister I throw an avalanche at a fellow student, I don't know… What do you think?"
"I think you're messed up… Seriously messed up!"
"How hurtful. But no matter… What will you do now?"
"Finish what I started, of course... I have no choice."
"Oh, will you? And then? Tell everyone how you beat me and how messed up I was?"
"That's exactly what I'm going to do... It's self defense by now, really."
"Hmm… Well, not like anyone will believe you. I was careful to have a polite image. I don't know where you got that arrogant and condescending stuff from. Be it true or not, I'm fairly certain that no one I know perceives me that way. I'm pretty good at that stuff. And besides, it's already over anyway."
"What do you mean by that? How is it over, if it's three against one?"
"…"
Yamato just smiled to himself in silence for a moment, breathing in the cold air and looking up at the sky, just listening to his surroundings. There were no birds. Just the wind and his breathing. Then he suddenly let himself fall to the ground and made a troubled face.
"Ah, HELP!"
"What are you doing…?"
Suddenly from out of the forest, Arina came rushing towards them at lightning speed, kicking one of them against the back of his head with her knee before positioning herself between Yamato and the remaining two, since the one who got hit by her was knocked unconscious immediately.
"What happened here?! Yamato, you're bleeding! And you look all roughed up too… You guys, you are horrible! I won't stand for this!"
"Thank god, Arina… I think my leg is broken… They just came out of nowhere and threw an avalanche at me… I'm sorry to trouble you with this…"
"Don't apologize… So far it seems they are all a little messed up. I saw what happened down at the camp, before I found you up here. You guys are sick!"
"Says she who protects the most dangerous of them all."
"You really are crazy. Does he look dangerous right now?! Sure, he can be… I've seen so myself during our test exam… But he always helped me in the end. And right now, he is not endangering anyone. You are. And for that, I will fight with no guilty conscience."
"Fine. Be that way. See where it gets you."
They two flew up, carrying the knocked out one away before returning.
"I will be honest… I can only support you now. The other spell took everything out of me. Will you be alright?"
"They are class 3. Hell yeah, I'll be alright. Leave it to me."
Arina let them finish, because she was just like that. But after they seemed to go on the attack, she jumped up immediately, drawing her golden sword gifted by Yuki and casted "The Need to Protect". She took a swing but with the flat side of the sword so it wouldn't be lethal. But as the class 1 student noticed, a string formed in his hands. He held it in a way that it would just bounce the sword off, which wouldn't cut it since it's sharp side wasn't pointed at the string. Once Arina was parried, he casted even nore strings around her. They were sharp, cutting in her arms as she was basically tied up in the air.
It was then, when she remembered Yuki's words. Something about trying to kill, not to kill but not to die, because it gives you the boost you need to reach someone's level. Was now the moment to decide? If she doesn't, Yamato will get hurt or worse, just like Yuki said. Hesitation is lethal. Time is of the essence. Now or never.
But her hand couldn't move, and she couldn't move her sword to cut the string, which was tightening up every second.
"What? That easy? You were blasting on about how you won't stand for it and all, now you just lose? Pathetic."
"…I've been called pathetic quite a lot in the recent week… And hearing it from you… Doesn't bother me at all!"
She drops her sword and shoots it up using wind magic, cutting the strings and catching the sword mid air again.
"But I'll make sure you never call me that again. Because I'm only content hearing it form one person, and her alone!"
She attacks again, this time with thr sharp side, aiming for the head and casting small attack spells simultaneously. He backed off a little, getting overwhelmed by her new found strength. But just when it was about to get close, the apologetic one intervened with a small pulse of energy, which was enough to catch Yuki of guard. Allowing the other one to kick her in the stomach and get some space in between them.
"Urgh…First attacking without provocation, someone unarmed… Now two against one… You have no honor… I won't feel bad for what's coming…"