30 minutes before the incident:
As I shook any unnecessary thoughts out of my head, I shifted my focus towards the smartwatch on my wrist. Of course, paying attention to the class was out of the question. I had a more important matter to attend to - getting back at that filthy animal Aric. There was no way I was going to let him get away with what he did.
Of course, I wasn't planning on doing anything similarly disgusting. Instead, I opted for a more imaginative approach, and an idea immediately came to mind. As I tapped away on my smartwatch, I marveled at the many innovations that earthlings had brought forth, including transportation modes such as trains, cars, and even portals. They also invented this magical thing called the internet, a technological marvel that had revolutionized the way humans connect and share information.
One of the weirdest parts of the internet is this thing called "media." It's like a virtual community where people can share and exchange user-generated content, like pictures of their food or videos of their pets doing ridiculous things. And then there's social media, which is both a blessing and a curse. It's great for keeping in touch with friends and family, but also for getting into arguments with strangers and posting embarrassing pictures of yourself.
But today, I was going to use social media for a very noble cause. I began typing furiously a bunch of informations: Brazilian dancer, dance performance , Tchek Tchek , G-string underwear. Yes, the internet is a weird place. But this video was a gem that I had stumbled upon and that was remembered for ages for humans.
The video featured a male dancer who was basically a walking, talking, hip-thrusting fantasy. He had muscles on top of muscles, and a gaze so seductive it could make a cactus sweat. He moved his hips like he was trying to start a fire, his dancing style involved a combination of hip thrusts, body rolls, and other suggestive, provocative movements.
He was wearing a stringed thong that highlighted his muscular legs. And among the male community he was regarded as an icon and a symbol of masculinity and sexual attraction.
I couldn't help but let out a smirk and say, "From today onward, your name will be Aric Ironheart."
As I quickly downloaded the video, my fingers moved in a blur as I searched the storage in my watch for the image of Aric. With a mischievous glint in my eye, I began to work my magic, using my skills to edit and manipulate the footage until it was practically unrecognizable.
I sliced and diced the footage, cutting and blending like a wizard. I deleted some parts entirely, and added in others that made it seem like Aric was doing all the movements. The music I chose was upbeat and catchy, giving the whole video a new energy.
As I put the finishing touches on my masterpiece, I couldn't help but mutter "Holy shit." My heart raced with excitement and a shiver ran down my spine as I watched the final product.
'this!'
'This is going to do more than just hurt his pride'
'This will haunt him for the rest of his life... and beyond.'
With a sly grin, I hit the final button, sending the video to the hologram projector that was set in the courtyard. As the video played out in front of me, I couldn't help but laugh like a maniac at the absurdity of it all.
I knew that what I was doing was pretty much a crime. But you know what they say, 'You gotta crack a few eggs to make an omelette, or in this case, crack a soul to go viral!'.
Suddenly, a sharp voice cut through my laughter. "Mr. Damian, are you paying attention to this class?"
I quickly hid my smartwatch and tried to compose myself as my angry teacher glared at me. "I apologize, sir," I muttered.
Mr. Connor eyed me suspiciously, clearly not convinced by obedient behavior, I covered my mouth with my hand and tried to stifle my laughter, but a snort escaped me resulting in me getting scolded again.
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As Damian continued to laugh, Anastasia's frown deepened. "Has he finally lost it?" she muttered under her breath.
Anastasia had never been quite sure what to make of Damian. At first, she had dismissed him as just another low-ranked student who had scraped by on the basis of some flimsy edge. But then he had surprised her by challenging the teacher and storming out of the class, seemingly just because he was bored. Anastasia had found that intriguing.
Later, they had ended up in the same club as Katherine, and Anastasia had invited Damian to join them on their trips to the edge classes. He hadn't seemed to care about their status differences, and Anastasia had begun to think that they could actually become friends.
But then Damian had started acting strange during the class. He had become obsessed with her edge, he told her to give up on the sword and become a mage instead. He had even brought up her late brother and compared her unfavorably to him. Anastasia had been hurt and confused by his behavior, and had begun to distance herself from him.
Despite her efforts to avoid him, they still met by chance in the hall. Anastasia quickened her pace to avoid him, but Damian stopped her with his voice and asked her to wait. As she turned to face him, he quickly averted his gaze and started scratching the back of his head awkwardly. He then uttered the words, "about last time, my bad," before leaving quickly.
Anastasia was left feeling confused by his supposed apology. His words sounded so empty and insincere which made her boil in rage. She wanted to do something about this and eventually decided to challenge him to a duel, just like Artorious had done to Henry.
However, she was taken aback by Damian's response. He turned down her challenge and made excuses, claiming that he didn't want to fight her because he will get executed if he beats her up, he refused even after she gave an oath that she wouldn't harm him. To make matters worse, he threw insults at both her and Aric, claiming that they keep interrupting him while he was playing a stupid game, it was the first time in her life she was treated this way.
Anastasia had decided to once again ignore Damian after he had rejected her duel. She knew that there was no point in arguing with him since he was not going to accept it. However, the same couldn't be said about Aric. There was no way he was going to let Damian get away with insulting him, and she knew that Aric was going to retaliate. Earlier that day, Aric had tampered with Damian's chair in the sword theory class which caused him to fall, but the latter showed a completely unexpected reaction. He acted completely different from the way he acted at the cafeteria as he kept grinning and smiling the entire session that made us all think he was having a mental breakdown.
And Aric must have picked at him when they went to the dressing room, something like stealing his training outfit. She noticed him laughing randomly during the class and she thought that his screws finally came loose after getting picked on.
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Anastasia was like everyone else shocked at the sight in front of her, the embarrassing sight of Aric's practically naked body dancing on a weird melody was displayed in front of hundreds of students. She couldn't believe what she was seeing and felt at a loss of words, but as the initial shock wore off, Anastasia started to notice something else. The look on Aric's face. It was that of horror, it was clear that he had no idea how this could have happened, and that he was embarrassed and humiliated as everyone else.
There were whispers and giggles erupting, then suddenly Aric screamed, "WHO DID THIS!"
The courtyard fell silent as Aric's aura exerted immense pressure. Anastasia felt the energy emanating from him and knew that he was furious. She had seen Aric angry before, but this was different. It was as if his entire being was consumed by his rage.
"SHOW YOURSELFS YOU COWARDS!" He added, screaming to the top of his lungs.
The silence was broken by the sound of someone clapping, and everyone turned to check the source of it. It was Damian with a smug look on his face, clearly amused by the situation.
"You know, Aric, I always knew you had some killer moves, but I didn't know you were into exotic dancing," Damian said, laughing at his own joke.
Aric, who was already at the edge, responded with even more anger. "Was it you who did this?" he demanded, increasing his pressure. Anastasia could see the veins in his neck bulging as he spoke.
"Did what exactly?" Damian responded tilting his head feigning ignorance, his smug expression still plastered on his face.
Aric's anger reached its boiling point and he summoned a massive sword from his space inventory wrist. Artorious immediately went alert mode as he noticed that his friend was about to do something reckless.
"Oi Aric stop, don't do something stupid.", Artorious spoke as he attempted to intervene , pleading with him to calm down. But the current version of Aric couldn't be reasoned with, and he easily shoved Artorious away.
Everyone in the courtyard was tensed up, as if they were witnessing a public execution.
Damian, however, just kept laughing. "Hahaha." he chortled, clearly enjoying Aric's rage. Anastasia was right that Damian went crazy, what sane person would ever laugh in a situation like this.
"I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Aric screamed, launching himself at Damian. But before he could reach his target, he was quickly stopped and put down on the ground by a red-haired woman with red fire like eyes. It was their edge teacher Elizabeth Harrison.
"Aric Ironheart, have you lost it? What were you trying to do?" Elizabeth exclaimed, clearly disapproving of his behavior.
Aric tried with all his might to break free but she didn't budge an inch. That's an S-ranked for you, she completely immobilized someone who's body was entirely covered with aura with one hand. She turned her gaze at Damian and said, "You, leave right now.".
"Hahahaha" Damian continued to laugh with tears in his eyes looking down at Aric pointing his finger at him. Her words went to deaf ears as he didn't stop laughing even as people tried to push him away.
"LET ME GO, I'M GOING TO KILL THAT SON OF A BITCH!" Aric yelled in fury.
Neither of them seemed to listen to words, so Elizabeth made up her mind. With a swift motion, she knocked Aric unconscious, then did the same to Damian before anyone could intervene. She hoisted their limp bodies up with both hands and announced, "I'm taking these two to my office. The rest of you can go back to your classes."
Every one was surprised by her sudden action, but also relieved that someone had finally taken control of the situation, but the sound of the video's music was still playing in the background: "Waka Waka Eh Eh." which caused some students to snicker and giggle.
"And for god's sake, someone shut that thing off!" Elizabeth added, pointing at the projector, which was still playing the holographic video of Aric's embarrassing dance.
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"Augh.." I grunted as I opened my eyes slowly, feeling a sharp pain in my neck. I rubbed it and groaned, trying to recall what happened. My memory was hazy, but I vaguely remembered laughing at Aric barking at me like a dog and then... nothing.
"You are finally awake," Elizabeth said, her tone serious.
I sat up and looked around the room. "Where am I?
"In my office. You and Aric had a bit of a... scuffle."
"A scuffle?" I repeated, still feeling confused.
"You don't remember?" Elizabeth asked, arching an eyebrow.
I shook my head, still feeling groggy.
"Well, let me refresh your memory." Elizabeth walked over to a computer and pulled up a video of Aric's embarrassing dance. "You were laughing at this, and Aric didn't take too kindly to it. He tried to attack you."
I watched the video, trying to stifle a laugh. "Yeah, I can see why Mr. Thong Man would be upset."
Elizabeth looked at me disapprovingly. "Now, now, let's not resort to name-calling. Aric is just a little... upset at the moment."
I nodded, trying to look contrite. But then I heard a heavy breathing sound coming from behind me. I turned to face the source of it and jumped out of surprise.
"Jesus Christ!" I exclaimed, seeing Aric glaring at me with bloodshot eyes, tied up and with a cloth in his mouth. As I kept looking at him I bursted out laughing again.
Elizabeth looked at me sternly. "This is no laughing matter, this could have ended up badly"
I tried to stifle a laugh, but it was no use. This whole situation was just too ridiculous. "I'm sorry, it's just... the way he's tied up like that."
"Well there are many things I would like to confirm, So I will be asking you two and the witnesses some questions" Elizabeth said.
"Witnesses?" I tilted my head in confusion, then I turned my back and was met with the sight of three figures: Anastasia, Artorious, and Professor Connor. They were watching us with a dumbfounded look.
'Why the hell are the people who are either on Aric' side or hate me are considered witnesses'.
I turned back to Elizabeth. "Oh, great. The whole gang's here." I said, unable to contain the sarcasm in my words.
Elizabeth shook her head, clearly unamused. "This is serious, Damian. I need to get to the bottom of what happened here."
I sobered up, realizing that I should stop messing around . "Of course, miss. I'm sorry, go ahead"
She then stood up and approached Aric who was breathing heavily, I tried my best to stop myself from letting out a laugh by covering my mouth, She looked like she was approaching a hungry animal.
"Aric, I know you are frustrated by the situation but I need you to calm down. If you make a ruckus I'm going to put the cloth back." Elizabeth said.
Hearing her remark, Aric's breathing became calmer, Elizabeth sighted in relief, then she removed the piece of cloth and then spoke up, " I know you suspect to Damian to be the one who was behind all th.."
Then Aric interrupted her with an agitated voice "I don't suspect, I'm certain he was the one who did it."
"Wow Aric, that hurts , I would never do that to my dear classmate." I said acting hurt.
"You bastar.."
"QUIET!" Elizabeth yelled, cutting him off. Her voice carried immense pressure, like a wave of intense heat that emanated from her being. The air around us seemed to thicken, and I felt like I was being crushed under the weight of her power. Even Professor Connor looked terrified, and his hand trembled slightly as he adjusted his glasses.
"No one is going to speak without me giving him permission.", she added with a stern voice.
"I'm going to start with you Damian, I will be straight forward. Did you do it?" She asked.
"No" I replied nonchalantly.
"Let me confirm for you that this incident is a serious matter, and if it turns out that you are the culprit you will be in a serious trouble. It's better to confess now and you will receive a lighter punishments." She added.
"Yeah I'm aware of that, but still no I didn't do it." I replied insisting on my denial.
At my answer, Aric gritted his teeth but he didn't make any noise, he wasn't dumb to the point of testing an S-rank individual patience.
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, she then spoke up again, "Very well, then I will go ask Artorious"
At her sudden call, Artorious tensed up and replied, "Yes ma'am."
"You are close friends with Aric right?"
"Yes ma'am" Artorious nodded.
"So I want you to confirm if he has any", Elizabeth seemed hesitated to speak then she continued, "Um, special hobbies."
"Huh.", Artorious responded.
"Pft." I couldn't help but let out a chuckle, her last remark felt like she was praising my editing skills, I couldn't blame her for thinking about the possibility that the video is real.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Aric glared at Elizabeth, clearly unhappy with the direction of the questioning.
"Ahem, my apologies, ignore my last question, then I will go for you professor Connor, you his teacher for the elemental class right?, was he present in your class."
Professor Connor nodded, "Yes miss Elizabeth, he was indeed present. But he didn't participate in the class because he didn't show up wearing his uniform, so I asked him to just sit and observe the class."
"There you have it, case closed, can I go now?" I said getting up from my seat preparing to leave.
Elizabeth shot me a glare, causing me to quickly retreat to my seat.
"Did he show any suspicious behavior during the session." Elizabeth asked.
"Other than arriving late and interrupting the class, he was looking at his smart watch quite often and he again interrupted the class laughing." Professor Connor responded.
This information caused her to narrow her eyes, she then turned towards me and said, " Why were looking at your watch?"
I held my hand to my chin and then began speaking, "Hmm, why do people look at their watches indeed?"
I hit my fist to the palm of my hand and I then leaned in and lowered my voice to a conspiratorial whisper, . "Between you and me, it's to tell time."
"Stop clowning around and give your watch." Elizabeth commanded.
I obediently gave her my smart watch, she then handed it to her assistant.
"Dave, check it and trace back his recent activities." Elizabeth commanded.
After a few minutes, Dave spoke up. "Ma'am, he is clear. His latest activities include watching cat and dog compilation videos."
Elizabeth's eyes widened in surprise. She had been sure that she had caught me red-handed and that she would find some incriminating evidence, but of course, she didn't, since I had already deleted any traces.
I raised my eyebrows and looked surprised. "Oh, you checked my watch? Sorry about that, I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I got bored because I didn't participate in the class so I wanted to kill the time by watching some videos. I promise I won't do it again."
Then Aric stutters, "H-he must have used some sort of trick."
But then I turned to Aric and said with a smirk, "Easy there, Sherlock Bones. Don't hurt yourself with all that deductive reasoning."
"Quiet, both of you," Elizabeth exclaimed. "Anastasia, you share most of your classes with him. Did you notice anything weird?"
"No, miss. Not much different from what Professor Connor said, other than him laughing randomly," Anastasia responded.
"Ah, don't worry about that. I have this thing called Pseudobulbar affect," I said, shrugging.
"Can you please stop and take this more seriously?," Elizabeth said, seeming to lose her patience.
But her words fell on deaf ears as I stood up from my seat. "I apologize, but I find this whole situation fucking ridiculous," I said, my frustration palpable. "On what basis am I exactly a suspect? Because I laughed at a video? Yeah, sorry, but that was hilarious, and I bet I wasn't the only one who laughed."
"Calm down, Damian. I need you to be patient and cooperate," Elizabeth tried to soothe me.
As my outburst echoed, everyone looked surprised, maybe that was because I didn't seem to take this seriously up until now. But I was getting tired so I continued to act like I was venting my anger, "I am cooperating, yet every argument you people bring is garbage," I kept going, my voice rising. "I'm supposed to be a suspect because I was looking at my watch? What kind of bullshit is that? You knock me out and bring me here without any evidence. How about you find some proof first, then suspect me?"
'Yes I was the culprit, but every argument they brought was so stupid.' I thought to myself.
As I continued my outburst, the room fell into an uncomfortable hush. Even Professor Connor, who was usually composed, looked taken aback by my sudden shift in behavior, but I wasn't finished yet. "There's nothing tying me to this incident, I repeat, nothing. Yes, I get that he is a victim, but that doesn't justify him trying to attack me," I said firmly. "Not only that, but he also insulted me by calling me a 'son of a bitch,'. Not a very nice thing to say to an orphan, huh?" I sneered, feeling a bit of satisfaction at their stunned silence.
Even Elizabeth, who had been trying to calm me down, appeared flustered and uncertain about how to proceed. Noticing their astonished reaction, I suppressed the urge to smile.
"Bingo." I thought to myself.