[CENTER][hr][hr][color=ed145b][b][h2]UPDATE[/h2][/b][/color][hr][hr][/CENTER]
[@January][@GreenGoat][@Riffus Maximus][@RoflsMazoy][@Mercurial][@Masaki Haruna][@KOgaming][@banjoanjo][@Nanashi Ninanai][@hagroden][@hagroden][@Letter Bee][@BassDropp]

It had been a few minutes since the black fog had thickened and spread across the field, but the only things that Varus had noticed, aside from the fluctuating magical energies, were eerie glows scattered all over the area along with a significant amount of noise. Neither did anything to rid him of the boredom that had already came over him. 

Despite the sound of footsteps approaching him from various directions, Varus couldn't help but cover his mouth as he let out  a lengthy yawn. Most were at the peak of what could only described as a combination of anxiety coupled with feelings of excitement and thrill. The auburn-haired instructor on the other hand, had deemed the entire trial dull at this point.

With his vision still obscured, idle thoughts soon drifted  in his mind, his attention slowly heading off to elsewhere. 

[color=ed1c24]"I wonder what they made for breakfast."[/color] he wondered. A few hours had passed since he had gotten out of bed; it was about time he had something to eat.

Before Varus could decide what he was going to have or had made, his focus returned as the darkness that had enveloped them had reverted back to its previous color; he was a bit surprised with what he had seen. He was surrounded with blurry figures and silhouettes coupled with various lights; he knew that they were approaching him, but he didn't expect them to already been this close.

[color=ed1c24]"Damn, I guess I'm getting a bit rusty."[/color] Varus thought as he began counting exactly how many he had to deal with. A faint pulse of magic rippled from where he stood, and in an instant, he knew the location of those that near him.

[color=ed1c24]"Nah, false alarm."[/color] An arrogant smirk had suddenly appeared on his face.

Akasha sneaked around Varus until she reached his back, then roared a call at the top of her lungs soon before aiming for instructor's pants. She was hoping to pin him down, allowing Nihiri to strike. Unfortunately, her pounce met nothing but fog. She had realized where he had went after hearing a boom from right above her. Before she could even look up, Varus came crashing down on her. Gripping Akasha's neck, she was left helpless as she was pinned down to the ground by Varus. The amount of strength he was displaying was probably something the young amazon didn't expect.

"No wonder that beastly presence felt so familiar." he said with his grin still remaining.

A clawed hand clenched into a fist suddenly came crashing down behind Varus, but despite the force that was accompanied the blow, the red-haired man simply caught Nihiri by the forearm, immediately stopping his attack. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down, buddy."

Nihiri was caught off guard. He wasn't sure what was more surprising, Varus receiving his attack like it was nothing, or the fact that he couldn't break free from the man's grip. Either way, it was clear that he was definitely impressed. He was amazed at Varus's strength and proud that someone had easily overpowered him. 

Among the group, Varus came to the conclusion that, in terms of strength and speed, Akasha and Nihiri were a notch above the rest. As much as he wanted to idly chat with the two, someone had decided to make his presence known.

[i]"Hello, Mr. Instructor, Panther Girl, Darkness-Arm Boy! Sorry to interrupt, but I have a few questions to ask!"[/i]

The grin on Varus' face had vanished and was replaced by a look of genuine confusion. "Was this guy serious?"

[i]"How many of the people you trained ended up being mass murderers, thieves and other types of criminal?! How do we make sure that the same thing won't happen to us?! Does Four Winds really teach anything resembling responsibility?! It seems you're just toying with the student body!"[/i]

Despite Mikhail's ramblings, there was only a single thought that was in Varus' mind. [color=ed1c24]"Man, how can someone talk so fast? Magic?"[/color]

[i]"The fog is clearing! Rank upon rank of outraged students are organizing for their counterattack! Flames are spreading! Tell me, Mr. Varus, how can you manage this sort of chaos?! Sins hang over you like a veil! The people you've trained who ended up adbicating their responsibilities, you had your own part in shaping them! Judgement will come upon you!"[/i]

Varus was shocked; he couldn't believe what he was hearing. [color=ed1c24]"He's not stopping. And how'd he get even faster?!"[/color]

Stupefied and distracted, Varus had loosened his grip on both Nihiri and Akasha, allowing them to break free from his grasp. They had distanced themselves from their instructor as the fog slowly dissipated and thinly dispersed while a portal out of nowhere had appeared in front of them; coming through it was Alex clad in steel, charging at Varus at full speed. If things turned out the way he wanted, a simple sucker punch would secure him a spot at Four Winds.

The perplexed look on his face soon contorted into a massive smile. Instead of blocking Mikhail's fist, he simply wrapped him around his arms as he finally saw everything else that was going on around him. Embers everywhere, a scrawny young man flying at him, a few others a charging towards him, and one other student who running in circles; apparently he was set on fire.

That was it; Varus couldn't contain it anymore. He suddenly began laughing out loud. Overjoyed by how ridiculous this whole thing had turned out, Varus payed little attention to the sigil that appeared over his left hand. 

A crimson aura had suddenly covered Varus' entire body. This was a manifestation of the magic he utilized, Explosia. A straight-forward ability that allowed him to create explosions within whatever distance he's capable of controlling his magical energy. Usually, this was influenced by his emotions and when overwhelmed with anything that sets him in good spirits, causes his power to swell. It was unfortunate that he had heedlessly released it. 

A massive explosion much larger than the previous one appeared out of nowhere, scorching the earth and leaving a cloud of its wake. 

[color=ed1c24]"Oops."[/color] 

That was the only thing Varus could say as the dust, debris, and fog settled and fell to the ground. What caused him to lose what little focus he already had, was him getting forced to take a knee as a portal had manifested below him, consuming most of his right leg. The aftermath of Varus' little slip up revealed most of the students, who were relatively far from him, were rendered left lying flat on their bottoms. Those who were close enough received the brunt of the explosion. Alex was flung backwards, hitting both Akasha and Nihiri, forcing all three to the ground. The same thing happened to Nico as he was tossed back towards Donovan, causing the two to fall luckless Alice. Mikhail on the other hand, was still around Varus' embrace, unconscious and worse for wear.

Despite how grave the situation had looked, Varus couldn't help but feel satisfied with their morning activity. He got to know and messed with the students; for him, that was the best way to start the day.

Despite being roughed up, each one of them, at least those who were still awake, couldn't help but notice the thin layer of flickering translucent energy that lined their bodies. This was probably what had protected them from what had just happened. Despite the fatigue and aching that was slowly overwhelmed them, they were left without any visible wounds or injuries. 

It was difficult to actually comprehend the specifics of what just took place. It was messy, chaotic, and most of which happened in the "dark". However, one thing was clear;  It was probably Varus' win. He was the only one left standing. At least, that's what most had thought. Slowly creeping up from the ground, one student began dusting all the dirt off her body. Aside from looking worse for wear, she was definitely still in top condition. With everyone else practically out of commission, it was Valechka's turn to shine. With her paws drawn out, it was clear that she was ready to rumble.

With a raised eyebrow, a hint of awkwardness, and an unconscious Mikhail still in his arms, Varus just stared at the Russian girl. Varus just wanted to mess with the new students, not duke it out with someone who was still so inexperienced; that wouldn't be fun.

[color=ed1c24]"Hmmmm. I'm out."[/color] said Varus as he raised both his arms up in the air, causing Mikhail to just fall to the ground. He walked over the unconscious young man and moved forward towards Valechka. [color=ed1c24]"I'm kinda hungry, so I guess you could call this your win. You know, since you're the only one who's still kinda good."[/color]. He patted the bear girl's head thrice before heading back to the academy. With his back turned, he left the group of students with some parting words.

[color=ed1c24]"Good job, the lot of you. Nice hustle."[/color].