By the end of the first day, Bowyer and Pike were not first and second place, but they were in the top five, being placed third and fourth. In the last group, a team of six had annihilated the competition, claiming thirty five of the people pushed off stage and becoming the only ones left standing. They had not allowed any others to stand with them. As they also had two extra bodies during their group, they also could claim extra points over all. Two members within their team took the first and second spot.
But perhaps the scariest person to participate in the melee was in the third group. This group had the most survivors, so the least bonus points over all, but one youth, notable due to his blazing red hair and sharply set eyes removed fifteen people from the stage by himself. Pike told them that his name was Ari and he was currently first in the overall Standings. Although he had only claimed joint eighth, he would most definitely rise to be top three in Pike's opinion.
"Round one is a little luck as well as skill," Pike said truthfully. The next round would be a little of the same as well. In the second round, the two hundred and fifty two students of the inner school would be split into teams of six and again there would be a time limit. In this round, weapons were allowed, but again abilities were not. The teams would be random, made up of a top student, three mid rank students and two bottom ranked students and they would get little time to discuss tactics, before being placed against another team. All this was based on the previous years Standings. The team that won would receive ten points per member, the team that lost would receive nothing and each team gained three chances. This would naturally mean that there would be many, many matches and all had to be completed within the day. Therefore, the smaller battlegrounds would be opened for the matches, with Teachers spread thin to cast final judgements.
But that would begin tomorrow, Pike and Bowyer did not know which team they would be placed in, but it was impossible that they would be in the same team. They would find out in the morning. Jin Li, Sun and Leon ate a meal with them before retiring to the outer school dormitories.
Leon could not contain the yawns that spilled from his throat. The day had seemed quite long and too exciting for him, he did not even protest when Jin Li directed him to his bed. There were only two in the room, one was obviously Sun's, but it was not as if Leon and Jin Li had not shared a mattress before.
Leon's excuses regarding his name had been a bit thin, claiming it had been a spelling error on the paperwork for entry into the school and it was too difficult to explain and besides, he was used to it by now. The whole thing was shrugged away, it was not as if his explanation was impossible after all.
"I was wondering who that girl referred to when she spoke of a Leo," Jin Li had muttered to himself, causing Leon to ask;
"W-what g-g-girl?"
Jin Li had given him a cold glare then said no more, leaving both Sun and himself curious. Pike and Bowyer had looked at each other, coughed into their fists then changed the subject, deciding to praise the skills of the two women who were currently in the top ten. One of whom, Luna, was the only woman within the existing top ten of the Standings. Bowyer had wondered aloud whether she would maintain her place. She was currently eighth as of last year, having beaten Pike by just two points. She was skilled, but had a tendency to rely on others and a run of good luck had pushed her into a good position that she had not fallen from.
The other woman had been a first year last year, so this was her first time in the Standings. Pike and Bowyer did not know much about her at all as she had flown under their radar all of this time.
With Leon having fallen asleep almost the moment his head hit the pillow and Sun having slipped into dreamland not long after, Jin Li lie upon his side and stared at the youth beside him for a while. Without his thick glasses marring his face and his long hair spilling about his small frame, he definitely had a slightly more feminine look. His waist was still skinny and there was a complete lack of muscle upon his thin arms and he lacked presence over all. But he had been warm upon Jin Li's back and his pale face coloured really easily, which amused Jin Li for some reason. He also revealed his emotions far too easily through his lips, his eyes being too hidden usually.
But what bothered Jin Li the most, was why he was so interested in the reactions that followed the revelation that a man could be interested in a man. Leon had been embarrassed, but that was over the loudness of his voice when others had stopped to listen, and he had become almost sullen when Sun had questioned it. Yet he had not sounded disgusted at all that a man could love another man. Well, neither had Bowyer nor Pike.
Jin Li rolled into his back. As for himself, he had never thought about it before. He had lived his whole life upon his family estate and his focus had been his cultivation and training. His father had his mother as wife and his mother, being the strong martial artist she was, would never allow other women to warm his bed, so learning that his uncle had a wife and several concubines had been a revelation at that time. He had stated that he would marry a strong martial artist like his mother, but he never once thought beyond that. As for sharing said wife's bed.... he could not imagine it. Only Leon had dared crawl into his bed and he had cursed him for it at the time, but now... well the warmth he produced was convenient, he supposed.
And on that thought he rolled over once more and went to sleep.
The Food Hall at the outer martial arts school was filled with the chatter of excitable first years, who took to singing the praises of several who had performed well in the first day of the Standings. Those who they surrounded were insufferably smug for the most part, only a few of more experienced martial artists did not allow this to go to their heads. After all, there were still two days to go.
Leon would have felt more comfortable eating congee in a corner with Sun and Jin Li, but the three, while not arriving late to breakfast, did not arrive early. Sun was someone who liked to sleep in and Leon was someone who would have felt bad abandoning him, unlike Jin Li. So the three had found seats in the middle of the thrall, but were ignored by everyone surrounding them, as if they were an island in a ocean marred with jagged rocks, sharks and stormy waters.
This did not bother Jin Li, who was too busy consuming his savoury congee topped with chunks of salted meat and onions. Leon had opted for a more sweet breakfast, with honey, nuts and dried fruits. Sun looked as if he would prefer a sweeter breakfast as well, but in the end opted for the same as Jin Li, but also he had an egg a top of his.
The berserker, Bullen, entered the Food Hall at this time. Upon his nose was a sticky bandage, for battle scars were a berserker's pride... even though this scar was definitely not one earned honourably nor was worthy of a tale. Behind him, was a behemoth of a man, his face seven points similar to Bullen's. Bullen was a large youth, width, height and breadth he was an imposing individual for many, yet the man with him was taller by half a head and wider in the shoulder and biceps by a hand span. He quickly attracted the attention of several first years, who began to praise him for his scores the day before. This man had reached the top five of the outer school the day before and he was prideful of this.
Bullen muttered something to the larger man, his eyes settling upon the table where Leon's small island quietly lay. The man grunted then pushed past the first years and others he considered ants, not even being respectful to those who should be his peers. He came to a halt in front of the three youths and crossed his arms about his chest, letting loose his spiritual and natural aura's that could usually bring to heel even the most vicious mutts.
Many backed away and Leon's island suddenly grew. He glanced upward and noticed the man hovering across the table from them, his eyes grew wide from behind his glasses. Leon noted that Bullen was standing smugly at the large man's side and so was quick to deduce what was about to occur. This was Bullen's way of paying them back and this thick thigh he held certainly appeared capable. Leon hoped he carried enough improved blood pills, because this surely was going to hurt.
Sun was not far behind Leon in figuring out what was happening, but the boy trusted his own speed and felt that he should be able to escape injury... if not for the thick throng of people around them. Where were the Teachers when they were needed the most?
Jin Li either did not notice the man's presence or thought that his breakfast was more important, because he ignored him completely.
"My brother Bullen claims that you are responsible for his being punished by Teacher Vane," the large man, slapped his fist down upon the table, hard enough to rattle any bowls and cups upon it, but not enough to break it, though he was quite capable of doing so.
Jin Li placed his spoon beside his empty bowl and looked at Leon's unfinished meal thoughtfully. "It is no wonder you are so skinny," he complained, "unable to complete such a small meal. This Lord does not mind helping you out." Leon snapped out of his panic to clutch his bowl to him before Jin Li could snatch it. He was still hungry after all.
"Jin Li," Sun whispered to him, still keeping his attention upon Bullen and his brother.
"Ah, so you wish to share your meal with this Lord," Jin Li was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, but could not pry Sun's bowl from his grip. The smaller boy had learned a while ago to keep hold of his bowl and plate less it disappear before his chopsticks.
"J-Jin Li," Leon murmured and indicated the large brothers, who were now glowing red with visible pulses within their thick necks. Leon shrank beneath their intense stares, although did not forget to continue clutching his half-eaten breakfast to his chest.
"Tch," Jin Li complained and stood up to meet the gaze of the man some half-head taller than himself. "You are disturbing my breakfast," he told him. "Leave."
"Not before this score is settled!" The large man growled, slapping his hand down upon the table once more.
"What score?" Jin Li sneered. "You wish to fight as your brother was foolish enough to trip over my s.. alchemist's ankle and knock himself unconscious?"
The large man's eyes narrowed and he turned to look at the sheepish expression upon his brother's face. "They turned their backs upon me, too cowardly to face me," the boy issued his own version of the truth. "I wished to teach them a lesson, but I did not expect them to use such low and dirty tricks!"
Jin Li rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes," he shook his head and crossed his own arms. "My alchemist purposely had the muscular you trip over his flimsy ankle and used the floor to knock you out." Several within the gathering crowd chuckled behind their hands at his words. He then looked up and down the larger brother and a wicked smile appeared upon his handsome face. "You wish to fight? Then you can entertain me this evening in the arena after the day's battles are done." By this he meant the outer school arena as clearly the other could not enter the inner school without invite or enrolment.
The large man nodded his agreement, then turned to his little brother and followers. "Let's go."
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