How To Burn a Hellhound

How do you burn a hellhound? I found myself pondering this question as Rizor held a tight grip on my wrist, using his flame ability to scorch my hand. The simple answer is that you can't burn a hellhound. Compared to the flames of hell, whatever fire Rizor could create was minuscule. It was like trying to extinguish a fire by adding more fire; eventually, the larger flame would consume the smaller one.

"What's going on here?" a strong masculine voice called out.

Professor Yandri stood at the doorway, staring at us intently. His sudden appearance caused Rizor to release his grip. In less than a second, he had forgotten all about me, his attention now solely directed at the teacher.

"Nothing, just paying my friends in Class D a visit," Rizor replied, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"Doesn't seem that way."

"What are you doing, Professor? It's against the rules for teachers to interfere in conflicts between different classes."

"Know your place. It isn't against school rules to ask a question. I have private matters to discuss with my students, so I suggest you leave."

"Of course, sir, but before I go, I have an announcement."

"An announcement?"

Rizor stood in front of the teacher's podium as he addressed the class. "From this day on, Class D will be under my rule. By that, I mean all of you will be my servants. You'll do whatever I say, and I'll act as your leader from this day forward. In exchange, I'll protect you; no one will dare lay a finger on you if you're under my protection. If you refuse and choose to follow someone else from Class A or any other class, I'll show no mercy."

With that, Rizor left the classroom.

"Sin!" Professor Yandri called out to me. "How's your arm? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," I said, showing him my hand.

"That's good," Professor Yandri replied before leaving to check on Maeve and Jeffrey.

For the remainder of our lunch break, Professor Yandri stayed with us.

After Lunch was Combat training. My classmates and I made our way to the training hall. The training hall is a spacious room, the floor covered by a grey thick mat. The reinforced walls covered in scrapes and scorch marks. We quickly changed into the combat uniform the school had provided for us.

For the first two weeks, we would primarily focus on hand-to-hand combat. At the end of this period, we would have an interclass competition where we would compete against other classes in our grade level.

There were eight instructors in total, each specializing in a different martial art. We could choose from Boxing, Karate, Judo, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu, Kung Fu, and Wing Chun. After carefully weighing my options, I decided to go with the latter—Wing Chun—because it sounded cool.

Out of the 40 individuals in my class, only three others and I chose Wing Chun. It was an even split, with two girls and two boys, myself included. The majority had opted for Karate, Kung Fu, and Muay Thai. My instructor, a bald-headed old man named Feng Lui, began our training by explaining the basics of Wing Chun. Essentially, Wing Chun is a close-quarters combat style that focuses on high-speed attacks.

"In Wing Chun, there is something known as the Centerline Theory. It's an imaginary line that runs down the center of the body. By maintaining control of this line, you can effectively defend against attacks and launch your own," Sensei Feng Lui explained. "We will start by perfecting the Goat Stance. Make sure your feet are shoulder-width apart, with your knees slightly bent."

Following Sensei Feng Lui's instructions, we took the proper stance, ensuring our hips were tucked under to maintain a straight posture.

"Next, one of your hands should be in the Wu Sau position, while the other is in the Fook Sau position."

I made sure to follow the sensei's instructions carefully. He slowly walked around us, examining us meticulously. We then paired off into two groups. I was paired with a boy named Zane Greyrad, who was similar in height to me and well-built. Based on his conversations with the others, it seemed he was already familiar with Wing Chun.

"Next, we'll practice the Chung Choi!"

Chung Choi is a straight punch aimed directly at the opponent's centerline. The punch is executed with a relaxed fist and emphasizes speed and power. We spent about an hour practicing this before moving on to Lin Wan Kuen, a rapid series of straight punches delivered in quick succession. This technique overwhelms the opponent with speed and pressure.

Examining Zane's movements, I realized that his technique was far superior to my own. I was certain he had more than just a little experience in Wing Chun. I felt fortunate to be paired with him; I just needed to study him closely and absorb every piece of information I could to add to my arsenal.

Once combat training was over, I wasted no time and headed to the building where the first year dorms were located. I boarded the elevator and pressed the button for the third floor. Walking down the hall, I searched for my room and opened the door marked 307. Upon entering, I saw that my things had already arrived. The dorm room was moderately small, featuring two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

As I stepped into the room, I was surprised to find a single female visitor sprawled out on what was supposed to be my bed.

"Who are you?"

No, that question didn't come from me; it came from the intruder.

"I'm the owner of that bed you're so comfortably lying on."

"Oh... You must be my brother's roommate."

"Your brother?"

"You know... Jeffrey."

I sincerely hoped there was more than one Jeffrey. No way would the school be cruel enough to make that weirdo my roommate.

"Candle Slayer!!"

I turned to see the battered and bruised Jeffrey waving at me with a huge grin on his face.

"Who would've thought you'd be my roommate? I see you've met my sister, Amelia," he continued.

"Why was she in my bed?"

"Relax, I just came here to see my brother. I heard he got roughed up by Rizor," Amelia retorted.

"Why were YOU in MY bed?"

"Are you deaf or something? I said I came here to check on my brother! No wonder you're in Class D. A normal guy would be happy to see a beautiful woman lying in his bed."

"That's going too far, sis. You can't go around disrespecting my class just because you're in Class B."

"If you weren't in Class D, you wouldn't have been beaten up by Rizor. You didn't even get to attend your last class," Amelia shot back at Jeffrey. "Hey, Candle Slayer."

"My name is Sin Tenshi."

"Whatever. I'll trust you to look after my brother," Amelia said before leaving.

After that traumatic encounter, I entered my room and closed the door behind me.