"Hey... isn’t that?"

"Why’s an elite class student here?"

"That’s the one that put two elite students out of commission isn’t he?"

"Do you think he’ll mind if I approach him?"

The commotion that had been sparked within the hall didn’t bother me in the least, because I had succeeded at last..

"Ahh.. finally! Some peace and quiet." I muttered under my breath as I took a seat at the furthest end of the hall..

I’d successfully escaped the entourage of beautiful women that had decided to tag along earlier, good thing they weren’t actually allowed into the classes and Cara seemed to have another class she’d prefer, so I was finally at peace...

"Hey... hey... hey... this place looks way less nicer than our class." Well almost at peace..

"Why are you here??" I couldn’t help asking in frustration as I turned to the new baggage I’d found on my way..

"Hey.. hey.. hey... friend, you sound upset to have me here.." Malachi pouted, an expression that almost made me gag..

"You’re right, I absolutely do not want you here, so please, leave..."

"Hey.. hey.. hey.. that’s not how friends behave, we’re meant to stick together at all times" the stubborn guy just shrugged off my irritation like he was bulletproof..

"Sigh... how’d you even find me?" I asked, curious.

I had bumped into the guy the moment I’d successfully escaped Melissa and the others, the timing felt too convenient to be a coincidence..

"Oh, that? I’d already noticed you earlier on my way to another class, but you were surrounded by your mates and since that scary woman was there, I decided to wait.. hehehehe..."

"So, you were waiting like a creepy stalker, for your fellow man?" I couldn’t help adjusting my seating position, giving the monkey some much needed distance..

"Hey... hey... hey.. this is slander I say, you’re slandering me, I was merely just curious about where you were headed, so I decided to follow you discreetly.." yea, that explanation only made me back up more.

"I think you should keep your distance from now on."

"Hey.. hey.. hey.. don’t be like that friend, I promise I have no such inclinations."

"Hey.. don’t you dare come closer... I swear I’ll hurt you!"

Before our fight could continue, the doors to the hall creaked open as our instructor finally arrived, yet when I looked up, I froze..

"Liz?"

"Heyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!" A speeding white blur manifested before me and Malachi.

Before I could even blink, the monkey had been sent flying into the wall with a loud crash..

"Ughh.. hey.. hey.. hey.. why do I always get to meet to violent mates?" The monkey’s depressed mutters didn’t even register as I stared up in dumbfounded surprise at the figure that had appeared before me..

Black hair, pure white eyes, an excited expression that seemed t lo light up the whole room and that body that seemed even more marvelous from up close..

"Dante~~~ we meet again..." Elizabeth cooed, a smile on her face..

"Hey there, Liz, I didn’t think we’d be meeting this early again, heh.. maybe this is fate giving me a chance to ask for that dinner date??" I laughed softly...

"Umm... ummm... heheheh...don’t say things like that... you’ll cause misunderstandings.... Hehehehe... so nice.. so nice..." she clasped both hands on her cheeks as she swooned, shaking her head frantically, muttering incoherent words..

"Heh.. cute."

If you ignored the obvious crazy in her behavior, then her actions were pretty adorable and cute..

"So, I didn’t know you were the one teaching about arts and stuff." My words finally pulled her out of her thoughts..

"Umm.. yea, I’ll be the one taking this class... hehehe.. I was surprised when I saw you in here, I didn’t think you’d be coming here, you know, being an elite class and all that." She smiled, finally regaining her composure..

"Well, I just got my hands on some pretty interesting stuff so I thought I’d get to know more about arts in general." I shrugged..

"Hmm.. hmm.. don’t worry, I’ll make sure to teach you to the best of my abilities." She nodded her head, a determined expression on her beautiful face..

"Here, you can have this back." She pulled out her instructor card, pressing it on mine..

Ding!

I checked my card, turns out she’d returned the points I paid for the classes in full..

"This? I don’t think this is right no?" I asked, already putting away my card, you don’t deny people’s good intentions...

"Hehehe... don’t worry, you won’t ever have to pay for any of my classes.." she laughed..

"You take more than one class?"

"Of course, so, expect to see me quite often from now on.."

"Well, it wouldn’t be so bad if most of my classes are from a beauty such as yourself, who knows, I might succeed in seducing you with my brilliance.."

"Fufufufu.... That would be nice, really nice... hehehe.. very nice... hehehe.. dinner... with Dante... so good... can’t wait...." Damn, I really should watch my words with this woman..

......

Liz walked away with a sexy sway of her hips not long after, finally deciding it was time to actually do some teaching...

The moment she arrived at the raised platform, the lecture hall gradually quieted as the students were starting to get over the shock of my conversation with her. Conversations dwindled to whispers, then to silence.

Her white eyes scanned the room, as she took in the faces of the students, needless to say, her gaze paused briefly on me, before she moved on, her professionality fully settling in..

Without bothering to introduce herself, She snapped her fingers and a projected screen materialized behind her, the words.

SKILL.

ART.

Written in bold lettering..

Her gaze sharpened as she addressed the class..

"Most of you," she began, her voice calm but carrying effortlessly through the hall, "have no idea what arts even are and for those who do, you believe these two terms are interchangeable."

She let her gaze drift over the students.

"They are not."

With a wave of her hand, the word Skill glowed faintly.

"Unlike the various abilities your talents and bloodlines bestow, skills are another form of expressing said power effectively."

"But a skill is a singular expression of power."

Beneath it, another word appeared.

Action..

"A fireball. A sword slash. A healing pulse. A gust of wind. Meanwhile..."

She turned toward the second word.

When the word Art illuminated, the atmosphere in the room seemed to sharpen.

"An Art is something far greater."

She let the classroom breathe as a second word appeared beneath it.

Framework..

"An Art is a structured system of understanding."

Her heels clicked softly as she paced around..

"A skill teaches you what to do."

She stopped and looked at the class.

"An Art teaches you why it works."

The hall grew completely silent.

"Consider two awakeners who possess flame attributed talents."

She raised her right hand, conjuring a small flame above her palm.

"The first learns to generate flames."

The fire flickered.

"He can attack. He can burn. He can destroy."

The flame vanished.

"But the second... The second inherits a true Fire Art."

A far larger blaze erupted behind him, taking the shape of a radiant crimson phoenix.

"This awakener does not merely produce fire."

The phoenix spread its wings.

"He understands how fire behaves."

Its feathers shifted from red to white-hot gold.

"He learns how to condense it, expand it, sustain it, refine it, and evolve it."

The phoenix dissolved into a ring of glowing embers.

"What one uses as a tool..."

The embers swirled around her.

"...the other commands as a system."

The embers disappeared.

She turned back to the projected screen

"Every Art is born from comprehension."

Words began appearing in luminous script.

Fire. Wind. Sword. Life. Death. Space. Time.

"These are not merely elements or concepts. They are laws that govern reality itself."

She waved her hand.

"When an individual studies one of these laws deeply enough, their understanding can be organized into a coherent path."

The word ART was underlined sharply.

"That path is called an Art."

She resumed pacing.

"A true Art typically contains several components."

A list appeared beneath the word Art.

* Foundation Principles

* Energy Circulation Methods

* Techniques

* Transformations

* Evolution Pathways

* Conceptual Insights

"The foundation teaches you how to train in said art."

"The circulation methods determine how the power flows."

"The techniques provide practical applications."

"The transformations alter your state of being."

"The evolution pathways allow the Art to grow alongside your understanding."

"The conceptual insights are the heart of the legacy."

She folded her arms.

"This is why Arts are so prized."

She raised a single, perfectly manicured finger.

"They increase efficiency."

A second finger.

"They amplify power."

A third.

"They improve control."

A fourth.

"They reveal hidden applications."

A fifth.

"They evolve."

Her hand lowered after that.

"Without an Art, your strength is raw ore."

She clenched a single fist.

"With an Art, that ore is refined into a blade."

Several students straightened in their seats.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Most awakeners spend their entire lives never even coming into contact with a single Art."

She paused.

"Some of the more lucky ones, might spends years trying to comprehend a single one."

"The privileged and talented few, those belonging to powers wielding a rich history and background, may possess two."

Her full lips pulled up into a faint smile.

"The truly monstrous geniuses,those with both the privilege, the talent and the background, may break the norm and not only acquire but also comprehend three, provided the principles do not conflict."

She swept her gaze across the room, her beautiful eyes landing once more on me as she held her stare..

"Beyond that, incompatibility becomes increasingly likely. Energy pathways clash. Concepts reject one another. In severe cases, the awakener may cripple themselves or perish outright."

The warning hung in the air like a suspended sword.

"Remember this."

She snapped her fingers, the word SKILL lighting up.

"Skills are techniques."

Her voice resonated clearly for all..

"Arts are legacies."

Another snap

"Skills are tools."

A final snap.

"Arts are philosophies made manifest."

The glowing words faded until only one sentence remained.

An Art is a structured framework born from the comprehension of a concept, designed to refine, amplify, and evolve the user’s power.

She finally moved her eyes away, turning to face the class.

"If you understand that sentence, you understand why the strongest beings on terra guard their Arts more fiercely than their lives."

She allowed the words to settle over the students.

"You’ve all already been taught about the levels beyond the SSS rank and the importance of your comprehension, bloodline/talent ranks."

"But an Art, depending on its grade, at full comprehension, can bridge that gap, sometimes going even further than the pathway that talent and bloodline have taken away."

"Because an Art is not merely power."

Her eyes gleamed with quiet intensity.

"It is understanding given form."

*************

A/N: a necessary info dump, fight me.

Sorry for the late Chapters..

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Thanks for reading..