Mana Arts

Cold sweat ran down Logan's back, the way she was looking at him made him cautious.

'I do not know why the academy has refused my requests to study you but I promise that I'll find out why you have no streaks.' Miss Beth thought with eyes squinted.

"Ha. I was wondering when someone would address the nature of the freak." A student brazenly laughed.

Miss Beth soon resumed her class giving explanations for various phenomena of magic and Logan paid apt attention.

"Don't worry, she can't do anything. The rules of the academy forbid it." Orion spoke calmly as he observed the scowl on Logan's face.

"I know, what I am thinking about is what offense I'd have to commit that'll give her the leeway to do something." Logan replied, eyes still on the movements made by Miss Beth.

"Why, may I ask?" Orion asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Sigh. Because I need to know what situations to avoid." Logan sighed as he rubbed his eyes.

"Do you actively plan to break the rules that you're thinking of which rules not to break?" Orion interrogated Logan, not paying attention to the lesson.

"No, of course not." Logan lies through his teeth.

He had indeed been searching for possible loopholes earlier to avoid trouble for breaking some of the rules but when called out, denied it with every fiber of his being.

"I'm prepping just in case the idea of framing me pops in her head." Logan, still refusing to look away from the woman, answered Orion.

Time slowly passed until a siren resounded through out the academy. The first class was over.

Logan quickly left the class to avoid the gaze of the woman that seemed to have no intention of ever letting his matter go.

Logan pulled out his tablet to check his next class.

'Mana arts. I can work with that' Logan sighed as he headed to the venue.

He found his way to the class and entered.

On the other side of the door was a fairly large dojo, it had numerous smaller sections that have enough space between themselves.

He entered and waited as students filled the class dojo.

A man entered through the door, he had on a simple white tunic that appeared to be made from silk.

He had fiery red hair with yellow streaks.

"I am Mr. Isaac, your mana arts teacher." He spoke as he approached the center of the gathering of students.

"I was shocked to discover that up to thirty of you first years decided to actively choose this class." He spoke with a strange charisma.

'Now that he mentioned it, Orion isn't in this class. He must be free right now." Logan contemplated Orion's possible situation.

"What are mana arts? You might ask." Mr. Isaac started his explaination.

"Mana arts are a full expression of one's elements." He gestured to his open palm.

He pointed at a student with orange streaks.

"Hit me with your strongest spell." He instructed with his open palm still outstretched.

The student placed his index fingers together as he muttered a spell.

Orange sparks accumulated on his finger tips, increasing in intensity with each passing second.

He pointed the fingers at Mr. Isaac's open palm.

"Thunder Bolt!" A large bolt of lightning struck his palm.

The students studied his hand to see the effect of the attack but there was nothing to study, the E-rank spell casted had no effect.

"I didn't cast a spell to weaken the attack or do anything of the sort." He closed his palm and placed it by his side.

"That was the effect of my mana art." He resumed his explanation.

"This class is something that can be completed in less than a year. What it requires you to do is let your mana flow within your body." He stated with a deadpan expression.

"Now mind you, it isn't half as easy as it sounds. Mana flows in our body naturally through what is known as a mana conduit." He drew lines running across his body.

"To use your mana art, you'll have to force mana to flow in different directions. Hence creating new conduits." He traced lines across a different part of his body this time.

"These new conduits will serve as the basis for your mana art. Now be careful…" He paused as his tone turned somber.

"If in the process of creating your conduit you accidentally make contact with your innate one or you make the path of the conduit too narrow or you even ignore the strain your body is undergoing. You'll… Let's just say you'll die the death of a bubble." He spoke while gesturing the popping of a bubble.

A resounding gasp echoed throughout the class as soon as students understood what he was saying.

"Now unto the benefits of learning a mana art." He smiled to the students present.

"Apart from having a stronger physique, you also get unique abilities that apply only to your element." He gestured at his muscular and toned body as he explained.

"Watch carefully." He spoke before jumping almost three meters high.

He landed with force but as his feet made contact with the ground, no sound was heard.

He quickly performs several kicks, flips and punches but none of them, not even his feet, made noise.

"The inherent ability of wind is silence and stealth but if you train hard enough…" He jumped again but this time and much to the amazement of the students stayed in the air.

"Levitation. No spell cast, the only mana being used is by my mana art." He landed softly on the ground.

"The ability of water is fluidity. You can make movements and manipulate your bodies in ways never seen before." Mr. Isaac pointed at those with blue streaks.

"Fire, yours is explosive power. You can improve one of your natural skills explosively." Just like before, he pointed at those with the corresponding streaks.

"Earth, you can release shockwaves from your attacks and movements." He said pointing at the people blessed with an affinity for earth.

"Lightning, unparalleled speed and agility." Those with orange streaks smiled.

"Light, self healing. Your injuries heal by themselves. Truly an annoying power to have as an adversary." He commented on the light element.

"And as for darkness. Well…" He paused.

"It's unknown." He concluded.