Gallion Academy
"Tuatri has invited us for a competition between academies? Let me guess— academic?" The president of the student body asked as his secretary gave him the folder
"No sir, it is combat focused." She said
The secretary was a short statured young lady with crimson hair and brown eyes, a descendant of the Crimson dynasty.
"Oh? Who signed it the documents?" The president asked, a young man who was 16 years old. He had black hair and brown eyes and was 178cm tall!
"A Markus Windwave. I asked our scouts for information. He's a stage three learned of the wind who almost single handedly took down his competition of nine learned and three experts. He is supported by two experts, five learned and four learners. And his second is an Aquabourne bastardess, Helen Aquabourne." She said
"Woah woah— a stage three does all of that— and he has experts by his side… I'm the only expert in our council and have only three learned! What kind of monsters is Tuatri raising!?" The president asked
"So do we respectfully decline?" She asked
"And concede to Tuatri? No. We can conscript powerful individuals and say they're part of subcommittees and thus they can participate! In all of Gallion's academy there should be people capable of beating them! We cannot lose face to them!" The president said with passion and courage
A while later at Tuatri's academy, after Gallion accepted specialised instructors were hired to assist the competitors. Markus himself would take part so he got a wind instructor for himself and Amy.
The instructor was a middle aged man with brown hair and green eyes, tall at 190cm and had a very unnoticeable presence and was light on his feet. The instructor arrived and with a glance evaluated both Markus and Amy.
He turned to Markus.
"How it is that a powerful young man such as yourself is finding himself stuck as a mere stage three?" He asked
"What makes you think I am powerful?" Markus asked
"At the fifth rank you become attuned to the world. I can see how the world around you is warping to your power. The wind around you is attentive to your whims. Your allies breathe easier when you're there. These are all observable things around you which tell me you are powerful." The elite instructor confessed
"I see… my current problem is ascending to the fourth rank of expert. I simply have not felt any profound intuition drawn from the wind." Markus said
"That is exactly right. You have not— yet. And that is indeed what makes the wind a difficult element to become an expert in. Some people are inherently gifted- not just compatible. Others need to put in more work. Even so, the fourth step cannot be rushed. It is not up to you when the wind will whisper to you." The instructor said
"So the wind may never whisper…" Markus said slowly
"Perhaps. Although considering you are a learned already at your fragile age I would not fret. You have your whole adult life waiting ahead of you. It may be that as an adult the wind may decide to whisper to you, and invite you to follow the intuition." He said
"I can't wait! I need it within the year!" Markus shouted
"… I cannot help with that. I am sorry. But I can help you with refining your senses and techniques so that when the wind does whisper, you will be ready to follow that intuition and ascend." He continued
"I guess… it will be better than nothing. Let's do it then." Markus said
"Before we begin. I would like you to cut me." The man insisted
"Okay?" Markus said
He conjured a sword to his side which flew and attempted to cut the man. His sword was caught by the instructor's fingertips and instantly shattered.
"The gap is that big huh—" Markus mumbled
"Hold yourself Windwave. You're tempted to call upon whirlwind. Resist it." The man said calmly
Markus indeed wanted to try having a go using whirlwinds out of pure curiosity but it seemed it would all be futile. Instead he was shocked by how he was read. In the short moments he had known this instructor he was all but exposed from every position. His power, his intentions— honestly it wouldn't be a surprise if the old man found out Markus was an imperial vessel.
Thankfully the old man was not looking for it and conveniently Tuatri's academy had been exempt from inquisitions due to the screening process before admission of students and staff.
"Good. Now there were several mistakes with your process. First, if you wanted to cut me with a sword, why didn't you create it right next to me?" He asked
"Force of habit—" he admitted
Focusing on constructs as of late and creating them around him caused him to act before thinking.
"Second, why did you not just conjure a blade of wind?" He asked
"What?" Markus asked
"Expand your mind a little. Beyond swordplay, balls and bullets of swirling energy. Look here." He said creating a wind blast
"Notice the swirling lines within this ball of swirling energy we simply call a wind blast. These lines are essentially wind blades, blades which can slash. They cost almost nothing essence wise and yet they are exceptionally effective. They are not flashy but they are potent." The instructor spoke as he looked at Markus
"If I may— what is a blade of wind actually useful for?" Amy asked
Just then the tips of her hair fell, as if they had been cut by an extremely sharp blade in an instant.
"An instant attack? No tell?" Markus asked shocked
"There is one but you need to always be on guard or extremely attuned to the world around you and notice the subtle changes in the wind before it's too late." The instructor said
"So only an elite or master can do it? Then why is it not done by lower ranks?" Markus asked
"Probably because it's exceptionally difficult to do it— isn't it?" Amy asked
"Yes. You need to be able to break down the most fundamental of techniques to its bare bones. Most people struggle to even consider replicating an effect of the wind blast as the attack itself. The swirling is subtle and refined— and most certainly not the star of the show. Therefore one has to focus on one element of the—" he explained as he raised his index finger to express one but all of a sudden he sensed something small.
A small cut on his index finger, so small you'd think it was a paper cut. But it was not.
Amy just saw blood begging to drop from his fingertip.
"Wha— how!?" She exclaimed
"I just imagined a really big wind blast and what that would look like. Then it became easy to see the 'finer parts' as he calls it. Visualisation is half the battle with these things anyway. The other half is actually pulling it off. How does one create a single cut forward? You don't— instead I used the same thing as whirlwind and just influenced the existing air and pushed it at high speed forward— creating the cut." Markus explained his thought process
"… you got the very core of the technique down from just a simple description on how it works..?" The instructor asked, baffled
"More or less. It was knowledge from everything else that let me actually do it. Especially the influencing the existing wind part." Markus admitted
"Brilliant… which is all the more strange… I don't know why the wind hasn't whispered to you. But your talent and quick understanding is beyond impressive." He admitted
"Honestly I'm concerned of when you'll be an expert… and beyond that. Honestly if only you were born a Windbourne instead of a peasa— normal person I mean— you could be a legendary figure in the history of all wind attuned people. I mean you still could— but the flashy noble title would've helped." She added
"You were about to call me a peasant weren't you? Well- that's fine. This peasant is going to wipe the floor with all nobles that challenge him! Just watch!" Markus said
"Alright alright— back to training. Next let's work on your balance with whirlwind…" he continued
Overall everyone had a productive week. Whilst Markus may have not been able to break through a stage, Spence and Vern were able to! And it would be in just under another month that they'd face Gallion's best.
Naturally the month was also spent studying odd bits but also for Markus… he had to intervene a few times as a member of the disciplinary committee…
Most memorably however… a school fight broke out. Several students fought with each other in front of Markus— over 20 stage two students!
"Beat yourselves up for all I care- just don't use any elemental attacks." Markus mumbled as he looked at them
And not a moment after he said that… the first blast flew out.
"Oh come on!" He exclaimed
More and more blasts flew out and instead of beating them up individually, Markus simple exhaled and released an essence zone that encompassed everyone fighting. Then with a breath in, he commanded all oxygen to make itself scarce.
By thirty seconds some began to drop like flies. And by the full minute they were all on the ground passed out. Then he dismissed the command and collapsed his essence zone. By the time the guards showed up, he stood between twenty passed out bodies.
"They'll come back soon— I think." Markus said before walking on them— well— on top of platforms of wind on top of them.
"Halt! Surrender yourself!" A newly joined guard commanded
"You idiot, he's a part of the disciplinary committee!" Another shouted
"Oh… and they can do that?" The newbie asked
"Well I can do whatever I want within the grounds. Being president of the student body is a pretty handy position." Markus admitted
"Oh crap—" the newbie said
"Oh crap? I have sway over the guards? Everyday I discover something new about this role." Markus said, smirking
"Please have mercy— I need this job." The newbie said
"Relax. I'm not fussed about it. I'll trust you to handle this then." Markus said to the guards before leaving
Eventually though, the competition day between the academies arrived…