Chapter 4
Dante's expression darkened, and in the next moment, he flicked his fingers. His minions came charging down without hesitation, the sound of their boots hitting the floor echoing through the hall.
The first one reached out to grab me. Before his fingers could touch my shirt, I pulled a pen from my pocket and drove it straight into his thigh. He screamed, his leg buckling, but I didn't give him the chance to recover, I ripped the pen out and slammed it into his shoulder, the metal tip crunching into muscle. Blood sprayed. He dropped to the floor clutching both wounds, rolling in pain.
The second guy came swinging at my head. I tilted slightly, letting his fist cut through empty air, then stepped in close and rammed the pen up under his chin. His eyes went wide, breath caught in his throat. I twisted hard, yanked the pen free, and he collapsed like someone had cut his strings.
These damn little twits were no match for me even without me using any magic.
I heard footsteps coming fast from behind. Without looking, I spun around, catching the third one's wrist before he could land his punch. I stabbed the pen into the soft spot between his thumb and index finger. He screamed, dropping the knife he'd been holding. I smashed my forehead into his nose, there was a sharp crack, and i shoved him to the ground.
The fourth tried to tackle me low. I sidestepped, grabbed the back of his neck, and jammed the pen into the side of his neck. He staggered, hands clawing at the wound, coughing blood before falling face-first.
The last two froze, eyes darting between me and the pen still dripping red. Their breathing was loud, too loud in the silence that had swallowed the room. I started walking toward them slowly, the click of my shoes loud enough to make them flinch.
They stepped back. One shook his head, muttering, "Nah, screw this," and they both backed away into the crowd. I guess they got scared.
I stopped in the center of the hall. The floor was smeared with red where they'd dropped. I still had the pen in my hand, my knuckles and shirt splattered. There was only one reason I was doing this, to force Dante to use magic.
This academy was for awakened students, but students were strictly forbidden from using magic to fight eachother. Anyone who did could either get expelled or punished, depending on the severity of damaged caused.
If I was able to push Dante to use magic, we'd both get in trouble for sure, after the obvious damage I had caused, but he would be in more trouble. I could rule out mine as self defense, but his would be oppression. Besides, the management would hardly believe that an F-rank awakener could cause this much damage.
The rank of awakeners varied, and Lucian happened to be the weakest, another reason he was the target of every other student in this academy. Easy target with a fucked up dad who ended up in prison for his crime. Perfect reason to treat him however they wished.
Dante stood slowly from the bleachers, his boots echoing with each step down. The room seemed to shrink around us. Students leaned forward, wide-eyed, some with their phones out, ready to record what they thought would be my funeral.
He stopped a few feet away from me.
"You really think you can walk in here, spill blood, and not pay the price?" he asked with his voice low and calm, but his gaze was burning with barely restrained rage.
I shrugged, still holding the pen loosely between my fingers. "i missed their vital points on purpose, shouldn't you be thanking me?" i asked with intentional mockery.
His lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile. "Lucian… I don't know what's gotten into you, but you've made the dumbest mistake of your life."
"let's just say," I said, tilting my head, "I decided to stop being a coward."
That flicker of anger hit his eyes again. He stepped forward. I could feel the heat rolling off him, his mana swirling just below the surface, restrained. He was trying to hold back because of the rules. But I needed him to break them.
I dropped the pen. Letting it hit the floor with a small clink, like a signal. Then I straightened, meeting his stare head-on.
"You're hesitating." I let my voice carry across the hall, making sure everyone heard. "What's wrong, Dante? Afraid you'll lose to an F-rank?"
That did it. His mana spiked, crackling faintly in the air like static before a storm.
The crowd gasped, some stepping back instinctively.
"Fine," he said, his voice sharp. "You asked for it."
The pen I dropped shot off the floor like something had hooked it and yanked it up. It zipped past my face and slammed into the wall beside my head with a sharp thunk, deep enough to stick there.
Dante hadn't moved from where he stood. His boots stayed planted, one hand slightly raised, his eyes locked on me the entire time.
My shirt suddenly pulled tight against my chest. It wasn't fabric catching, it was pressure. An invisible grip clamped around my ribs, squeezing hard enough to make breathing difficult. He'd never used his ability in present of Lucian, that must be why I had no memory of what his ability was. Talekinetic, cool but he was clearly amateur.
"First mistake," Dante said. His tone stayed calm, but his voice carried an edge. "Thinking you can take me without magic."
The knife Blondie had dropped earlier scraped across the floor. It lifted smoothly into the air, spun once, and stopped with its point aimed right at my throat.
I held my ground, still keeping my expression blank, but my eyes held a taunting mockery. "Go on. Do it. Show them you're scared of an F-rank."
His eyes narrowed. The knife moved in just enough for the tip to slice my skin. A thin line of blood ran down my neck, warm against my skin. I knew he wouldn't dare to kill me, he couldn't, Dante didn't have the guts. Even his own father would disown him if he did.
The crowd didn't make a sound as they all watched. Not even whispers could be heard, just plain silence.
Dante flicked his wrist. My feet left the floor instantly, the invisible pull dragging me toward him. My stomach dropped, and my knees slammed against the ground when the force let go. Pain shot up my legs, but I didn't break eye contact.
The pen ripped free from the wall and floated next to the knife, both hovering inches from my face, ready to drive forward.
"Second mistake," Dante said, his voice colder now. "Thinking I won't break the rules to crush you."