The Messenger of Death

'What the?' Naomi thought as her view changed from the annoying face of Xander to the sight of the blue sky, ridiculed with formless white clouds that were shielding her eyes from the light of the blazing sun.

At this moment, she was confused and not sure what had taken place, right until the pain from her ankle assaulted her brain.

"Ugh!" She grunted and rolled. Naomi stood up and looked at Xander who still had his eyes closed.

The audience was once again, stupefied by Xander. The way he had been moving, the way he had been dodging her attacks, and most of all, the way he just took her down, despite the terrifying attack that she was about to hit him with.

They couldn't cheer or make any sounds.

'Seems like he just learned the basics of foreshadowing, at this early stage. But his is kind of different, if he can use the basics of this martial skill, why isn't he dodging but parrying and blocking her attacks.' Tsukishima thought as he watched those little, soundless streaks of lightning flash around Xander.

'His lightning, I see. If one isn't paying much attention to the lightning that he had been emanating, they wouldn't be able to notice this. The little streaks of lightning were flashing repeatedly in strategic positions that people are likely to aim for when attacking.

So that's why he couldn't dodge her attacks like he had been doing with his eyes open, he wasn't actually foreshadowing, it was more like a territorial advantage that he was getting from his lightning element. To be able to make a little territory of his own with his element at this stage just shows how much affinity he has with the element.

This kid is full of surprises, which must be one of the reasons why Miss. Nana chose to take him in as her disciple.'

Tsukishima had hardly paid attention to any student since he started being an instructor in the academy.

He had seen a lot of talented individuals, and those that were considered talented here didn't pique his interest one bit because they could compete with those that were actually, outstanding. But for Alex, he started to develop an interest in, after he heard that Nana took him in as a disciple.

Tsukishima was one of the few in the academy that knew where Nana came from and who she actually is. And for her to take in a disciple after what happened to her first disciple, this was news that could steer up a lot of things in where she came from. But she was willing to take him in, despite all of that.

"Although you are talented, I still wonder, who was the person that trained you first?" Tsukishima mumbled under his breath.

"I want a refund, give me back my energy crystals!!" The plump guy immediately lost the confidence that he had in Naomi, Xander wasn't as weak as they thought he would be.

"Hey, fat boy, no refunds. We made that clear previously." Drake refused his demand.

If Xander could send someone who is 2 ranks above his, to the ground effortlessly and with his eyes closed, what's stopping him from opening his eyes to fight? And then what was going to happen then?

These questions shuttled through the minds of those that had placed a bet in favor of Naomi.

"You better beat that guy or you would be the cause of my misfortune." A girl from amid the crowd shouted at Naomi.

Previously, when they were placing their beats in her favor, she felt euphoric. Now that it looked like they were turning on her, Naomi felt like she had just been betrayed.

She was already angry at Xander, there was no other way to elevate that anger, and if she couldn't control her emotions, Naomi might end up vomiting blood and possibly hurting her cultivation.

"Fight me with yours eyes open, show me your strength!!" Naomi yelled at Xander. She knew that she might end up losing the battle, just the little joust that she had with Xander told her that she was not his match, despite the difference in the cultivation ranks.

Naomi knew this, but couldn't bring herself to admit or accept it. She didn't want to be humiliated any further by him, that's why she wants him to show her his strength – so that, at least, it wouldn't be said that she lost miserably to Xander but rather she lost to a very powerful attack from a lightning elemental user.

"Strength? Not everything in battle is about strength, in fact, strength can only determine 40% of what happens in battle. If your opponent is faster, smarter, or more equipped, that strength that you speak of will be useless." Since Alex switched with Xander, this was the most that he had spoken.

"Is he lecturing her?" An individual from amongst the audience questioned.

Some people there were actually taking note of what Xander was saying, after seeing the way he had been messing around with Naomi, they couldn't help but respect him.

Even his team members paid attention to what he was saying, they of all people, knew that Alex was more knowledgeable than he seems, or so they thought. They do not know of the existence of the skin crawler.

"If all you have is strength, how will you deal with an opponent that is faster than you? How do you hit something that can't catch and how do defend against something that you can't even see coming?" Xander paced around as he began lecturing her.

"In my opinion, speed is absolute, and the hardest to deal with. But speed without some factors is like a coach without a coachman. It will have no direction nor will there be a destination.

He stopped pacing and now his back was facing Naomi. "In our case, I am the absolute as I am faster than you. You just have to accept it and admit your defeat. In other words, you are useless." He added.

['You are doing that your big brother thing again.'] Al commented.

['I was only teaching her what she was oblivious of.'] Xander defended.

['Don't listen to Al, he has a problem with almost everything.'] Alex stood for Xander.

['Shut up you idiot.'] Al muttered.

['What? Say it louder and watch me make you regret it later on.'] Alex threatened.

"Over and over and over. You are bent on humiliating me and insulting me. Me, useless? Fine, since you don't have any intentions of showing your true strength, I will show you mine."

Naomi charged at Xander while his back was still facing hers.

Suddenly, Naomi flung her wrist and water the size of Xander's sheath, shaped like a crescent moon, materialized and flew quickly to where Xander was. This water was as sharp as a blade.

This was Naomi's elemental ability, she was a water Elementalist.

The water approached Xander quickly. To everyone that was there, it was like that was it for Xander. The attack that Naomi made was a very swift and fast one.

When the crescent-shaped water was just a few inches away from Xander, his body shifted. Now when he did this, there was only one person there that could tell that Xander had dodged it, and that person was Tsukishima.

Everyone there thought that her attack had hit Xander, when in truth, what the crescent moon water hit was just an afterimage that he left behind when he moved.

The crowd was expecting to see blood sprout out, however, contrary to their expectations that didn't happen.

When Naomi noticed that Xander had dodged her attack again, she was a bit relieved and still annoyed. Relieved because if the attack had hit him, he might have died and she would be punished by the school.

Annoyed because he still had that calm look on his face, like he didn't almost lose his head.

"Since you are getting serious, it would be disrespectful for me not to get serious too," Xander stated and let loose of the raging lightning that had been coursing through his body while he was suppressing it.

-Ttzzzaaa!!!

Like a bird that had just been freed from its cage, Xander's lightning burst out of him and began ravaging the surrounding with its domineering aura. Making those that had never faced his aura shiver in fear.

'This lightning is his really does make me feel uneasy.' Tsukishima frowned.

-Zzznn!!

"You should admit defeat will you still can, I don't think I will be merciful enough to let you do so once we start another joust," Xander warned.

"Shut up and do your worst!" She yelled at him and threw another crescent moon shaped water at him.

-Puffsstt!

Without having to do anything, Xander's lightning shot down her attack on its own, quickly evaporating the water.

"Then so shall it be,"

-Whoosh.

Xander uttered and disappeared from her view.

"Where is he!?" Naomi cried out crazily.

She turned around, looking and searching for Xander but her search was to no avail. All she was able to see were terrifying streaks of lightning dancing to the rhythm of their own sound.

"Behind you!!" The plump guy in the crowd warned Naomi…