"Oh."
Mr. Gentus lets some clarity flow, realizing that if he indulges Mason much longer, it'll have drastic effects on the rest of the class too. Mr. Gentus loosens his grip on the pen-blade a touch.
"Come on!"
Mason, as if able to read Mr. Gentus' thoughts, fights to cut him off from being reasonable.
Mr. Gentus is still mid-rush of Mason, landing his blow onto Mason's sword, pushing just a little harder to force Mason into submission. Mr. Gentus' supposed strength should let him finish this fight in a matter of seconds.
"Hrngh!"
Mason struggles but successfully undercuts Mr. Gentus' strength, letting his blade fall horizontally into a position he can leverage. Mason shoves upward on Mr. Gentus' strike, successfully throwing his gathered weight over his shoulder. Mr. Gentus is flung into the ceiling.
"Hmph."
Mr. Gentus grunts, yet with little effort he skates across the top of the room, dancing lightly on his toes. Finding good footing in a split second, Mr. Gentus spins around, still carrying his weight around until he's firmly back to the ground, facing off with Mason again. Mr. Gentus smirks the smallest tinge.
"Damn it, Gentus!"
Mason spins his blade and tightens his hold on its hilt. He wears a ferocious expression. A small amount of spittle forms at the corners of his lips.
"Mas, stop this!"
Sam shouts from the walls of the room, he's holding up a bookcase from falling and toppling onto two female students. Papers flutter wildly around the room, thrown by the breezing powers.
"Mr. Gentus put a stop to this-"
WSHH
Sam shouts to their teacher, but is stopped by a whisking swipe of his pom-pom pen, waved quickly ahead of him.
Mr. Gentus stands upright, holding his glowing sword out to Mason. Turning it for effect, the blade shimmers and casts shafts of light to the room.
"I'm only going to say this once,"
He leans in closer to Mason, and the young man answers with a step forward himself.
FINGKRWRWrwrwrw
Gentus, in a blurring haze, slaps away Mason's katana, throwing the blade with his own off into the ceiling. The blade point is stuck halfway into the tiles and electrical wiring, slicing through the latter to cause the fickle strobing of the lights directly above them.
Mason huffs, loosening his tensed shoulders and freeing his mind for a moment. He can realize here that Mr. Gentus and he are far apart in their skill of blade and powers.
"Ugh."
Mason lets his shoulders fall, accepting his loss.
The class would be hard-pressed to learn that the mad scene before them lasted all of 15 seconds.
For Mason, the conquered, he will remember this fight with Mr. Gentus for a long time, as it's the first time he'd have to accept the distance between him and his goals.
"If I lasted this long with him… then surely I'm getting close to…"
A numbing hum drones out Mason's thoughts. Growing dizzier every moment, Mason starts to topple over, watching the world fall from upright to its side.
"Mason!"
Sam leaves the wall, making sure the bookshelf has stayed and his schoolmates are safe and rushes towards his friend.
Fumph
Landing softly and secured, Mason is laid down flat by Mr. Gentus.
"Hmm."
Mr. Gentus wears a soft and understanding expression.
"I thought he might've pushed his Cursed energy too far."
Mr. Gentus looks over his head and body quickly, scanning for any other injury. Mr. Gentus looks up to the first few students crowded around them.
"In trying to match my energy, he likely burned himself out. "
Mr. Gentus pushes the back of his palm to Mason's cheek, forehead, then other cheek respectively. The class watches on, hushing and murmuring about.
"Aw, Mason, you idiot."
Sam grips onto Mason's arm, kneeled beside him wearing a worried expression.
Mr. Gentus has his eyes closed and his breaths are slow and deep. In a voice softer than a whisper,
"Sacred Light."
He utters this spell, casting off a yellow and golden haze. Forming thick bands of tendrils, the spell wafts around Mason's body, Sam realizes he has to let go and back away a step, motioned by Mr. Gentus with a nod. The lights dance around Mason, and he's blinking in no time.
"Huh?"
Mason groans, looking up at everyone looking at him. The faces of his peers light up, not out of worry but in surprise at Mr. Gentus' beautiful magic.
"What happened?"
Mason slurs, rubbing his scruffy head in confusion.
"Wah!"
Mason falls back on his wrist, using the other hand to cover his face. Looking up to Mr. Gentus above him, he looks closer now to a horrid and slobbering blight, comparable to the one Mason and Melody met in the morning.
"I saved you with mouth-to-mouth!"
The creature that's replaced Mr. Gentus yells, wiping the drool from his mouth with his left sleeve.
'Blech!!"
Mason yells out in pure disgust, crawling backward and hitting the legs of two students.
Mr. Gentus chuckles and stands up,
"Haha, no, I healed you with my Blessed magic."
Mr. Gentus tilts his head, closing his eyes and smiling, he lets Mason feel a little grossed out for the laughter of the class.
"It's a spell, Sacred Light, it turns my Blessed energy into a mist that heals one's physical injuries, not so much for Cursed, but it still helps the process to move a little faster."
Mr. Gentus picks himself up, standing tall above his students. He explains his magic and starts to head over to the nearest desk.
Mason, still grossed out by Mr. Gentus, slowly gets up.
"Jeez. Dammit, Gentus! Just say that next time."
Mason picks himself up and dusts off his uniform, moving to stretch out his arms and legs as well.
Continued in PART EIGHTEEN…