Jake lowered the construction, making sure his finger was away from the gold wire.
Fortunately, the building was structurally sound, so even though the force had penetrated both of the other two levels' roofs as well, letting in sunlight, it didn't collapse, or even groan.
Jake nodded. He wasn't sure exactly what for, but it could be useful in the future, especially if they needed a display of massive power. What it would look like from afar was something that he didn't know, but he assumed that it was impressive.
After all, it had drained nearly a tenth of his reserves, and his ability was twelfth tier, so he had a massive bank of energy already, despite having been in control for hardly any time.
He wasn't even sure if he could pour anything more into it. He considered trying again, but quickly dismissed the idea. He wanted to see if it worked, but using it here would be a bad idea.
Jake walked back to the table, barely glancing at the girl sitting there. She was staring at him, but of course she was. Everyone was.
Jake wasn't Hashim, so he didn't hate the attention the same way that Hashim did. However, he could feel Hashim's anxiety, and it drove him to get back to his seat a bit quicker. He was barely able to stifle the emotion. They needed to appear in control at all times.
The next group to demonstrate what they had made was a pair of boys that Jake didn't know. Of course, the best they had managed was a soft glow. Throughout the rest of the class period, Jake watched for any construction even half as refined as Toon's, and found none. There were clearly students that Professor Inteugo favored, and Jake expected them to have better. However, while their structures were slightly more ingenious, they still didn't have enough power to make anything more than a light.
It was a sign of much promise if one could infuse crystals, especially at this age. Of course, naturally, Toon had been able to do it on his first try.
There was nothing interesting that happened until the very end of the class. It was something that Professor Inteugo said.
"Congratulations to Abigail and Hashim for creating the most... "
Here he looked up at the hole in the ceiling above him.
"...powerful construction."
Jake glanced at the girl next to him.
It can't be, right?
It was.
Abigail.
She gave a small wave, nervous.
"I've never seen that before," she whispered to him as the rest of the class rose. "What's his name?"
"Toon," Jake whispered back. "Are you doing anything after this week?"
She shook her head, an eager light flashing in her eyes, though she tried to hide her interest.
"Meet me at the main gate after school," he said, then stood and grabbed the metal construction, heading to the door.
"Hashim, perhaps wait a moment," Professor Inteugo called.
Jake ignored him.
It wasn't our fault he said perhaps. Toon broadcasted. Jake ignored him too. There would most likely still be repercussions.
Jake was playing perfectly into Regus's role. And he didn't think it was a good thing.
Regus certainly wouldn't respond to a teacher's summons unless he wanted to, and Jake needed to plan something.
He withdrew from control, and though Xavier pushed to take over, it was half-hearted at best.
Hashim took over. He was calm now. He was out of the spotlight.
Hashim deactivated his ability, and paused, now outside the door.
He moved slowly towards the right branch of the junction he was standing in.
With his ability inactive, he had more time to breathe. More time to think. More time to move.
But not more time to figure everything out. He was lost in a storm of expectation.
Regus's plan. Xavier's defiance. Regus's image. Toon's intelligence. Corpse's pessimism.
And now Abigail. What did Jake think he was doing?
They may not be perfect, but nothing was wrong with that.
Hashim demanded a response from Jake, but he got none. Jake was planning something. He was cutting himself off.
Straighten your posture, Anguis sent to Hashim.
Before thinking, he did. Solid footing, straight spine, arms folded behind his back. Like a bar of iron. He would not break.
Then he looked.
There were students walking past him. Most of them glared at him, but others seemed more scared than angry. They had badges. His seniors.
Hashim withered inside. What could he do? His body heated up, and he had no way to stop it.
Unless.
He activated his ability, then buried himself in the iron sensation.
His grip tightened on the metal construction in his hand, and he felt power flood him, strengthening his muscles into tightened cords.
He did not meet their eyes. Even like this, he might break if he did.
Hashim didn't know what was happening, but whatever it was, it was a lot better than him breaking down. He felt like he was iron. Like nothing could break him. He was invincible.
Then the moment passed. The other students passed him, some sending distrustful glances back at him, and then he allowed his breathing to resume a normal pace.
As he did, he involuntarily gasped.
That was stupid. He hadn't been breathing regularly while his ability was active. He could have suffocated himself like that, and he probably wouldn't have even felt it.
He knew better than anyone the problems with not feeling...
He paused.
Did he? And how?
He didn't remember. But unlike the others, that memory was not painful.
It would be a safer first option to explore, as long as Jake was making him remember.
He had to get to his next class.
But the entire way there, his minds whirled.
Hashim pulled at Jake, trying to get him to reveal what his plan was, Toon directed them, Xavier was a nuisance when they almost ran into a girl, which happened almost every other step, and Gensa, Regus, and Anguis were silent.
It was time for Inspired Logistics.
This time they stepped into the room just shy of being late, and Hashim stepped forward to the back of the group of students.
There were no desks, tables, or chairs here. Instead, there was a large box in the center of the room. It was the dark grey of alloyed metal, and had legs stretching out from the sides, with no apparent purpose other than support, despite the fact that the bottom of it was also resting on the ground.
A voice came from inside the box, though it traveled to the students as easily though there was nothing there.
"Please make groups of three and choose a side of the box," it said.
Hashim looked around. There were twelve students. Not a single one of them was a fellow first year.
The animosity felt a lot more prominent when there were fewer people.
Everyone other than the first years hated him or was terrified of him, and for good reason.
But for the same reasons, they wanted him on their team.
This was quickly becoming a test of stubbornness. The first one to break would have the most powerful ally, but might be targeted by other students for consorting with the enemy.
It might not be true, but at least in Hashim's mind, once someone had betrayed, there was nothing to stop them from doing it again and again, especially if there were no consequences.
This class was about making decisions based on reports for campaigning troops. Although a majority of the Mobile Defense Force stayed prepared near their stations, there were occasionally times when they ventured into either territory that was newly overrun or monster territory to destroy the beasts they found there.
There were certain areas that were considered monster territory, but humans still freely ventured in to hunt them for their resources, other areas that had to be regularly cleansed to prevent overflow, and everything in between.
Monsters were becoming more and more prevalent in everyday life. Artifacts or weapons made from monster material, if made correctly, could be even stronger than normal tools, and some even had magical properties, but it was far too difficult for many people to try it. There were maybe three artifacts made from monsters, at least as the information was available to the populace, and somewhere around ten basic weapons that were little more than more durable or sharper than a metal sword, spear, or axe.
The return just wasn't worth the years of exclusive study. Monsters were delicate, and each one was different. The artifacts that were made Toon suspects were mostly out of luck, just because that specific monster happened to line up with the artisan's creation process.
Of course, Toon had made decently extensive studies in the subject using some of the bodies of larger monsters killed near the town he was staying in, and some of the living smaller creatures that sometimes got into the house.
Hashim refocused as two people walked up to him.
They were both girls.
Although he had suspected it, being one of only two boys in the class, he was still annoyed.
Because now Xavier would take control here.