These days, when people heard it, they said it was lies and an attempt to besmirch the damsel's name, but when Naoi Feng had stepped into Wutang Academy, she had been the weakest not just of her class but of her entire batch.
Yes, of all the first-year students, after the several tests they had all been made to go through, she came out ranking last.
It was still a mystery how she had gotten into the combat class, and what was most shocking was that after graduating into her second and third years, she had somehow been able to defend her position.
Many hopefuls who got into the class with her had been challenged, their spots taken, but she—she was now looked up to by some of her mates and currently faced the most notorious student in their batch.
Outright strength had never been Naoi's forte; with her slender frame, plenty of second years might shockingly find themselves able to outmuscle her.
Once the fight started, along with her teacher who took some steps back, she hastily retreated.
After his offer, Roy stood in place watching her, this was a behaviour she very much expected, and the young girl did not waste this chance.
Opening a wide enough berth, the slender female, with her blue robes rustling in the wind, tightened her fist and, while staring at Roy intently, reached into the core of her being.
Continuous practice had made her familiar with the feeling of the energy, and within seconds, there was a burst of wind around her.
From the side, Naoi could hear the gasps, her frantic classmates muttering amongst themselves as she brought forth the one thing that decided the destiny of all in the world: Idor.
The energy started slow, rushing to the different sections of her being, and after several seconds, it brimmed through her body.
Currently, Naoi could never come forward to say she was stronger than Roy; she unfortunately wasn't among the few who could, but if given the time to prepare, she knew she could bury the arrogant boy's face in the dirt.
She raised her hands, all of her senses rapidly enhanced, she tightened her fist, looking at Roy and with his expression unchanging, he charged forward.
A few steps from her and Roy had already hit a speed Naoi knew she could not normally match.
He arrived before her and threw out a punch, and she, directing her energy, moved her left hand swiftly to parry his attack.
Just as her arm hit his wrist, a fact she had known, that she could not move the boy's arm out of the way was proven, and now what was meant to happen next was that she would be sent to the side.
It was the technique she practised, its first stage called "Gliding Swan."
Since she didn't have the strength to counter, then like a leaf she should have blown to the side, Roy's strength, rather than harming her, pushing her feather-light body to safety.
But Roy was in a whole different league.
Bam!!
Before the girl could float away, a fist collided with her side and immediately she shot through the air, her figure traversing a large amount of distance until it collided with the wall at the far end of the Arena.
Booom!!
"Is she okay!!"
"Damn Roy, he can't just let up for once."
"She shouldn't have fought him!!"
"But then we wouldn't have gotten to feel her Idor."
Laments and curses erupted from the stands. Naoi's display of Idor had felt like the arrival of divinity, but that could never change anyone's thoughts on the outcome of the battle.
It wasn't that they were weak-willed and without ambition they had all earned their current places in the combat class, but Roy was a beast.
While in his second year, he had fought and beaten a final-year student, not just defeated but beaten, how were they supposed to compete with that?
Back in the arena, the dust which had arisen from Naoi's collision with the wall settled. Considering the loud impact which had rung out, many were surprised to see her on her feet, but her slow steps and bloody lips told her true condition.
The divine aura the female had manifested was gone, no semblance of it remaining on her being.
She swayed as she moved, her eyes gleaming with determination, her fist tightened as her will remained strong.
As the seconds passed, her steps strengthened, and up in the stands, while none barked at her in respect for her determination, several of them had one thought:
"Give up, fool."
Not too long later, Roy showed why they were right to call her a fool.
To her heavy eyes, his form blitzed in front of her, and despite his opponent's condition, the boy held nothing back as he released a fist, driving her face to the ground.
Bam!!
The dust rose and settled quickly, and all sighed, carrying both mocking and pitiful expressions as they stared at Naoi's face, which had been half-buried in the ground.
"Roy wins," Bana said in a loud but bland tone.
She stayed put, waiting for her decimated student to be carried out of the ring, and then she turned to the boy who had moved not too far from her.
"You've already been declared the winner."
"I know. I'm waiting for the next match."
Bana had given no specific rules about leaving the ring after concluding a match, so she ignored the boy's presence and faced the stands.
"Sarah Bluejay and Hans Lenslive, come to the Arena."
Like the female before her, Sarah had on the academy's blue uniform, the lower end of her blue gown slit to reveal the blue trousers she wore beneath.
With the school crest of a diving eagle printed on the right of her dress, she stood at the center of the Arena, an exemplary student.
"Hans Lenslive!!"
"Does anyone know where Hans is!!"
The seconds passed, the students on the stands looking amongst themselves, wondering where their classmate was, unable to believe he was actually being late for the current exercise.
"Since Hans is absent, the next student closest in strength to Sarah will match her.
Roy, you look to be in good condition. Will you fight Sarah?"
"Yes."