I Refuse To Be Fate’s Puppet - Chapter 32

Those that hadn’t been defeated stared at the Class 7 students. The students from Class 7 who had been fighting now came back to stand with the rest of their class as they eyed out everyone who was still standing. Tallis looked around.

“Is there anyone who would like to continue?”

The cafeteria fell silent as no one moved. Tallis smirked as he walked back to Arata, Ryouma and Akari.

“I apologize for all the noise. Please continue eating in peace.”

He then turned back around to face the rest of the cafeteria like the others from Class 7. No one dared to approach them. In the corner was Teacher Lu who observed quietly. The Institute allowed spars and fights to occur as they believed that it strengthened the students, there were only rules prohibiting sneak attacks and killing your opponents. Teacher Lu had witnessed the entire exchange and wasn’t surprised at the outcome. He knew what Teacher Takuma was capable of and her class of monsters were well known to the staff.

What he was surprised about was how quickly the class had come to Arata’s aid. He had only been here a day or two and he had already gained the respect and acceptance of the class. And Class 7 weren’t ordinary, as they had just shown, so it was a difficult thing to gain their support. Yet he did it. Teacher Lu continued to watch the students in thought.

Arata was impressed by the power of his classmates as well as touched by their words and actions. Akari and Ryouma had already started eating. Arata inwardly grinned and began eating as well. Class 7 continued to eye out everyone in the cafeteria while the three of them ate. When they finished, Akari nodded to the Class 7 students who all finally dispersed. Some going to get food for themselves and others leaving back to their dorms. The rest of the students in the cafeteria finally felt the tension in the room ease up. Those that had been defeated had woken up already and had either moved to a table where they stared angrily at Class 7 and Arata or they had retreated back to their dorms.

The short haired student had woken up just before Arata and the others finished eating and watched them leave with fury in his eyes. Seeing the three leave together angered him.

“Just wait, new kid. We ain’t finished with you yet.”

Arata, Akari and Ryouma walked out of the cafeteria together. As they exited, Oishi was standing outside, looking at them with a grin on his face.

“That was quite a show yout class put on. Serves them right for underestimating a class of monsters.”

Arata walked over to Oishi.

“They know their place. And if they don’t, I can enter the fight and shut them up for good.”

Oishi pretended to be scared.

“Oooh scary. P-P-Ples M-Mister Arata. Don’t hurt anybody.”

Ryouma laughed and Akari silently giggled. Arata cracked a smirk before pulling it back and looking at Oishi arrogantly.

“What is your business?”

Oishi stood up straight like he was a military cadet.

“I have compiled a list of potential rooms and theirs current inhabitants that may suit you and Young Ryouma, sir! Hyosuke discussed with me last night suitable places for your cultivation and insisted that Ryouma move to the South Dorm, sir!”

Akari cracked and laughed at Oishi’s military impersonation. Ryouma’s eyes lit up, knowing that it would be better to be closer to Arata as his Shadowguard, he hadn’t even thought about their living arrangements. He really had a lot to learn.

Arata reached his hand out and Oishi “respectfully” handed him a piece of paper with a list of names, rooms and locations in the South Dorm. He then found two rooms that were next to each other and would work perfectly for Ryouma and himself. He showed Ryouma the piece of paper, pointing at the two rooms and the current inhabitants. Ryouma grinned devilishly. Oishi saw the looks on their faces.

“I guess I’m getting my room back.”

Arata looked over to Oishi with a grin.

“You can call it payment for being our Housing Agent.”

Oishi put on a professional demeanor.

“Right away, good sirs. Shall we go Room Hunting? The competition is fierce but I do believe they won’t be a problem for the two of you. Follow me.”

Oishi led the way back to the South Dorms. Akari walked excitedly, she was looking forward to seeing what would happen. Arata spoke quietly with Ryouma.

“Now, due to it’s drain and us not being in the Shadow Realm anymore, you can’t use your Dark Flames. Well you can, but they would consume you. So old man Masahiro sealed them in your blade. You can use the Darkness when you use your blade. But you are currently too weak to use the blade, thus you can’t use the Dark Flames. You should still be able to use your regular flames though, so you will just need to fight as you normally do.”

Ryouma nodded. He didn’t know much about the South Dorm, but from the looks of the Dorm, he knew that it was a place that involved a lot of fighting, so he just nodded as he followed Arata. They reached the South Dorm and went inside. There were students hanging out in the halls, gossiping about what had happened in the cafeteria when the three people the fight had started around now walked in. Everyome went silent as they walked down the corridors. Oishi looked at the students and grinned.

“There’s going to be a wonderful show. You all may want to come along and get front row seats.”

The students were all residents of the South Dorm and knew what Oishi’s words meant. They followed along excitedly. Oishi led them up a few flights of stairs, the crowd growing as people joined in. When they reached the sixth floor, the walked down a corridor and Oishi came to a stop. The crowd went wide eyed.

“This is the room they want? Are they insane?”

“But which room do they want?”

“Either way it is suicide to challenge either of them.”

Hearing the chatter of the crowd, Ryouma and Arata looked at each other with grins. Oishi turned to the two of them.

“So, who’s going first?”

Arata stepped forward.

“We’ll just get it over with and face them at the same time.”

Oishi grinned.

“Keeping it exciting, I like it.”

He gestured to the two of them and Arata and Ryouma stood in front of a door each. The crowd went wide eyed in shock.

“They are taking them both on?”

“They really are asking for it.”

“Don’t you guys remember, that’s the son of the Angel of Death! I think he has a chance!”

“Isn’t that Ryouma? The guy from Class 7? He’s supposedly really powerful.”

As the crowd spoke, they were all teeming with excitement at the battles they were going to witness. Ryouma turned around to see Arata go to knock on the door so Ryouma was about to do the same.

“We’re over here.”

Everyone turned to see two students at the end of the corridor. They walked over slowly, looking st Arata and Ryouma. The one looking at Ryouma seemed to be 16 years old and was quite tall. He was bald and had broad shoulders. He was a mountain of a young man. He wore a sleeveles shirt and vest and his right arm had a red dragon tattooed on it. The other student looking at Arata looked to be the same age and wore an elegant blue and white robe. He had long black hair that made him look slightly feminine, which was enforced by his pretty face.

The two came to a stop a few steps away. The pretty, elegant student spoke.

“You are in the way of our rooms, would you please step aside? You are both too young to try and take our rooms.”

The other student just chuckled at the comment and at Arata and Ryouma. Arata smirked as he bowed.

“I am Arata Sato, son of Azrail Sato the Angel of Death, and Heir to the Sato Clan. I shall be taking senior’s room today.”

Ryouma smirked as he bowed as well, following Arata’s lead.

“I am Ryouma, Shadowguard to the Heir of the Sato Clan, Arata Sato. I shall be taking senior’s room today.”

The room gasped. They didn’t know that Ryouma was a part of the Sato Clan as well. It explained why Ryouma followed Arata around. And why he was here today. The large, bald student chuckled.

“Names and titles mean nothing in the South Dorm. Only strength speaks.”

He then got into a stance.

“But I will at least give you the name of the man that defeats you. Aidan Kemp. First son and Heir to the Kemp Clan.”

The elegant student also got into a stance.

“Galen Fortier. A simple commoner. Let us begin.”

Aidan gripped his arm with the tattoo and chanted while he brushed his hand over it. As he did, the dragon tatto lit up and glowed. The tattoo began to move on his skin before changing and growing. Fire flickered off of Aidan as the dragon began to come of his skin and began taking shape, turning into a real dragon. Ryouma’s eyes lit up as he saw the dragon coming out of the boys arm. He was excited to fight him. As the dragon finished coming out of Aidan, flames circled off of the dragon as it hissed and growled. The dragon wrapped itself around Aidan who stared at Ryouma.

“You best have something to defend yourself. Don’t want to accidentally kill you.”

Aidan grinned as he leapt forward charging at Ryouma. Ryouma created flames over his arms and under his feet as he burst forward to meet Aidan. Ryouma shot his fist forward, aiming for a head on clash with Aidan who smiled as he also preferred to do things head on like this as well. The dragon wrapped itself around Aidans arm and its mouth became one with his fist, his arm seemed to have become the dragon itself. Fire spewed out of its mouth towards Ryouma who slowed slightly from the fire before coming into contact with the dragon.

His fist and flames clashed with the dragon as it bit down on Ryouma’s fist. Ryouma grit his teeth as the dragons fangs held him in place. Aidan smirked as he poured his Energy into the dragon who let fire explode out of his mouth, completely covering Ryouma, who couldn’t pull away due to the dragon’s fangs. Akari gasped in shock at Ryouma being swallowed up by the flames, it was so big and bright that you couldn’t see Ryouma within the flames.

There was suddenly a fierce growl within the fire. The dragon stopped breathing out its flames. As the fire died down, Ryouma stood there covered in flames. He wasn’t moving but there was a strange aura coming off of him. The sword on Ryouma’s back shook as the growl was heard again. Ryouma lifted his head to look Aidan in the eye. Something felt off about him.

The dragon felt fear as it released Ryouma and returned to Aidan’s arm as a tattoo. Aidan was stunned and shocked by the dragon’s actions. He then felt the fear within the dragon as it was now on his arm. He then looked at Ryouma in shock.

“Dragon Suppression!”

The room was stunned as they heard Aidan’s words. Suppression occured when a power or Bloodline held the advantage over another, bringing the weaker Element or creature into submission. Suppression ranged from Elemental Suppression, which involved a perfrct affinity and understanding of an Element, to specific species based Suppression, like what had just occured. Aidan’s dragon had been Suppressed by the Energy of a stronger, more dominant dragon.

The fear that was building within Aidan from the dragon was becoming overwhelming. Ryouma gathered flames on his fist as he took a step forward, towards Aidan.

“My turn.”

Aidan did his best to block, but without the aid of his dragon, he didn’t have enough time to cast a spell and had to take the attack on with just his body. He was sent flying backward in an explosion of flames. As he slammed into the wall behind him and landed on the ground, he coughed in pain. He looked up with a grim smile.

“Not bad kid. The room is yours.”

The students were all amazed at how quickly the tide had turned. After seeing and feeling Aidan’s immense power, witnessing Ryouma be engulfed in flames, they had all assumed that Aidan had won this. Yet Ryouma was able to Suppress Aidan’s Red Dragon and defeat him. The group of studemts were left wondering how he did it as none of them could sense a Dragon’s aura coming from Ryouma.

They let the thought go quickly as they all turned to Arata and Galen who were still standing still. They were both in stances yet neither of them had moved this entire time. Both patiently waiting for the other to move. Although some were confused by them not moving, a few understood what was going on. Akari being one of them. Oishi came over to check on Ryouma.

“You OK?”

Ryouma looked and breathed out calmly.

“Yeah, I’m OK. How’s Captain doing?”

Oishi looked over and grinned.

“Things are tense at the moment.”

As they went and stood beside, Ryouma looked confused for a moment.

“Why are they just standing there?”

Akari continued to stare intensely.

“They are both Counter experts. They are masters of responding to an attack, using it against their opponent. So the first one to attack will be the one that is countered.”

Oishi nodded.

“The first one to move has the higher chance of ending up on the floor.”