the way challenges worked at the school was pretty simple you issue one, and the receiver chooses to accept or not. it wasn't strange for the student to make bets on the fights, doing the loser's homework, or something like that. despite his strength people usually accept his challenges, why he bet something everyone wanted. a putting with him, a chance to show that they were worthy of courting him.

"she said no!" it hadn't been to flower since he returned to the school and she rejected his challenge, maybe she was smarter than he was giving her credit for. but she probably wasn't still too smart he just had to tempt her more, "maybe that will work." adding to the betting part of the scroll he handed it to the teacher who took it to find. not even five petals later Ax charged into the room, "are you serious?"

Aero smiled at her knowing he had her, "yes I am serious win this fight and I will allow you to court me with no objections for one month." her face revealed her inner struggle Aero set back and waited for her to the cave so he could have what he wanted.

"fine we'll fight, but prepare to fall for me!" Aero scuffed as the teacher arrived and finalized their challenge telling them the time they could use the arena. it was soon enough that aero was glad that he didn't change his clothes, leaving he heads straight for the arena.

there was a fight going on in the area when he got there, it was wrapping up soon. "she tired herself out," the other would be the winner unless a sudden change occurred."clever," the change came in the form of a melody that allowed her burst of speed. she tackled her opponent out of the arena winning the match. "I don't know this girl," that meant he hadn't fought her before he may actually share some classes with her.

watching the arena get repaired he was glad that he never fought her before, the way she fought probably meant she would worry about hurting him to actually fight him. "that hammer of hers would totally hurt though," tightening his clothing Aero saw ax girl enter the arena. the moment the repairs were complete Aero jumped down from the spectator area just as their fight was being announced.

"where's your weapon?" aero knew something was missing he had left it drying in the workshop. sighing he looked at her bored," what makes you think I need it against you?" getting into a fighting stance he waited for the starting signal.

"on the name of the Zaltess of combat fight with honor!" Aero broke into a sprint when he got close to ax he tried to sweep her leg from under her. she jumped over it unclipped the blunt training ax she brought to this fight, she swung it down but her attack was stopped by aero smacking the side of the weapon making it a miss.

using the opening that followed the male lashed out with his leg nailing her gut sending her sliding across the arena. aero got to his feet first instead of attacking he started humming, hearing this ax cursed, and shot to her feet having no intention of letting him finish. weaving around the attacks continued his humming, the moment the melody was complete Ax went on guard. the fact he punched her with what looked like a normal fist was too shocking to block.

'my lord it worked, her pride has been damaged,' aero smirked. the melody took the energy generated from his pride using it to coat his body, which he could use to attack someone's pride. his attack on ax confirmed it,' how much do I have to hit her?' the helper told him however much he liked.

Aero charged meeting ax halfway going low he avoided her slash and passed through her legs, he followed by body-slammed her back knocking her onto her hands. he followed with a kick to the abdomen, she blocked it with her arms but it did knock her over allowing for a second kick she couldn't block. he felt her chest carapace take the blow which hurt against his heel but he pushed through it and jumped over the ax strick that would have broken his leg.

'that much strength laying on her side, definitely shouldn't let her hit me!' landing he quickly found himself in a bad position. Ax was using her weapons range to prevent him from getting within striking distance, as he weaved around the slashes aero figured an unpleasant way to take away that advantage.

seeing the next strick coming he braced himself before catching the ax by the pole, his leg sythed through the air into her elbow. her grip weakened by the attack aero was able to disarm her and slung the weapon onto the soil outside the arena. the moment before she could adjust to the loss of her weapon Aero stuck hard fast and repeatedly, it was almost a dozen blows before she recovered and hit him in the gut.

coughing Aero ducked under the second blow before trying an uppercut that got cut, he cursed right before getting socked across the face. his head spun when he hit the ground but he still had enough awareness to put some space between we'll be tired but Ax wasn't having that. "I knew she was persistent."

"AH!" aero smirked as his mule kick knocked her back giving him the chance to get his feet under him. on said feet, he made the choice that he should end things pretty soon.' I've done enough damage to her pride already anyway,' it had nothing to do with the fact he might lose if this kept up.

"oh no," a frequent arena watcher commented seeing how Aero changed his stance. saber who happen to be sitting near here asked what she meant," he about to go nuts." saber didn't get a chance to ask what that meant when aero charged at ax staying low to the ground. when he reached her it happened too fast to track but ax's face ended up slamming into the ground with a loud crack sounding out. but Aero didn't stop there grabbing both of her arms and instead of breaking them like saber expected he used them to repeat drive her face into the ground.

"vicious each time I see it, but dame you have to admit that's impressive," the watcher said looking over to saber. "every time? how often does he do that?"

"not as often as you would think or he would like from the way he just looks at some people but when he needs to put someone down and make sure they stay down." saber looked down at the arena to see aero walking away and ax not even twitching, "definitely does the job she commented. how many of his fights have you seen?"

"all sixty of them," she responded as watched Ax get carried away to the medic center," sixty times someone thought they could win and take him on a date, sixty times he showed that he was no ordinary guy." in the area ax was being carried off.

"you sound like you wish to cost him?" saber commented hearing the adoration filling her voice. the watcher laughed and asked who didn't. "not only is he beautiful, but he's also grateful he's strong he's determined to boot. but I've seen enough matches to know I have no chance," when saber asked why she answered," I can't give him what he craves most." she got and made to leave the arena knowing there wouldn't be another one for a while saber following.

"what is it he craves the most?" the watcher shrugged she didn't know but she could feel it in her gut that she didn't have it. saber didn't argue with her she didn't know what the girl was even talking about.

inside his room aero had changed back to his usual loose-fitting clothing and was treating the bruises on his knuckles. his muscles ached from the fight but he was feeling great letting out his anger on that girl,' my lord your pride has swelled from that fight.' he wasn't surprised the melody he developed himself worked, this was no small feat. "I could graduate right now couldn't I?"

getting into the school was hard leaving it was harder, to get in you have to prove a certain amount of skill. to leave you had to attain a definite amount of feats. most students did that by completing about a hundred or so missions, if you created a melody that was equal to about 25 missions more depending on what the melody could do.

'there's no reason to leave this school except that people won't stop looking down on me,' he would stay at the school for now. "when should I head out for my next mission?"

'my lord I don't you should for at least two weeks if you wish to train like usual,' of course the helper wasn't placing bets that their lord would listen to them

"two weeks seems long seeing as I suffered no real injury," Of course there had been close calls. 'i'm reading damage in your body you can check in your stats.' Aero opened them curious about what he would see cause he felt fine.

Abiathar aero

lord of pride

mind 2.5

body (2.9) 2.3

energy 0.5

lord level 1

[minor full-body skeletal damage deteckted]

"How did that happen?" how did he have that kind of damage everywhere. there was no way it was from the fight unless ax used some kind of melody on him to do that damage. 'i have a theory if you're interested my lord,' he was interested," going back on my observations of you I found when the damage started. it only appears or worsens when you use a melody, so I guessing that your entire body is some kind of instrument.'

"huh?" he didn't know if he was lost or just surprised.

"your entire body goes into making the sounds needed for your melodies even if it feels or sounds like your just using your mouth. and your bones despite the incredible durability they have can't take the force of the vibrations a-" Aero cut them off there and ask what he meant by vibrations, which the helper answer which a quick lecture on how sound was just vibrating air.

'i have more questions than before!" because if making sound meant making the air vibrate how did melodies work.' know what curse the zaltess and move on. what were you saying about my bones?"

'they can't handle the vibration, which is causing them to shake themselves apart.' Aero felt his jaw drop, his bones were being damaged by something he couldn't stop using. even if he went with the life most males of his race took they still used a few melodies a day. but it did totally shed so light on why everyone always complained about pain in their bones, it because their bond has apparently been taking small damage over the years and started showing its effects later in life.

"I am not looking forward to getting older!" he complained before decided he's had enough of today and took a nap. it was flower later that he woke up hungry, as he left his room he asked the helper if he had any idea how to prevent that bone damage.' actually you've already done it, your staff/flute works very well to prevent damage to your body,' "well would you look at that".

when he retrieved his weapon he looked over it, he designed this thing to prevent stress he had no idea how it was protecting his health. "good thing I take such good care of my weapon," leaving the workshop he heads to get some food. there was no one was there when he ate and he encountered no one on his way back to his room, since he wasn't tired he practiced with his staff making small melodies.

when he went to a class in the morning the helper was able to tell him just how much damage the flute staff prevented. this had Aero wondering should he reinforce the weapon or just make more of it." neither of these options are cheap, I could probably cut down on the cost if I change the kind of material I make the staff out of." this was something he would have to put a lot of thought into, his math skills was something to be a bit proud of but they could still be a lot better.

in-class Aero half paid attention trying to figure out the numbers right, around the second meal he thought he had it right unless he made a mistake. 'i'll do neither, continue the way I have before,' reinforcing the weapon would be the best. it would be safe, it would be a crutch, doing your best to prevent injury was one thing but fearing injury was another and with his pride Aero would never do the latter.' tell me more about staff-wielding," he commanded the helper who was more than pleased to do so.

when the class came to an end for the day he started putting the information into practice, he did so until the sun had long set and his muscles hurt. after having third meal he returned to the training field to peace his pride melody. it didn't do much on the tree he was practicing on but it was affecting the plant's pride." I didn't know plants had pride," Aero commented while taking a short break.

'all things that live have pride, you just have to look close enough.' opening his eyes to the pride he could see the pride of the plant. there was quite a bit of it actually even if he had removed small chunks of it. the grass had a lot more pride, and so did the few people still training at this time, "they'll make good people to knock down a peg or ten."

continued with his practice for another flower before retiring to his, on the way aero encountered saber. who informed him about the stat of Ax before leaving, 'she wasted her time coming to tell me that.' the helper said he was cold,' hey I have excellent control of my strength and I read several scrolls about injuries I knew she would be fine!' Aero said with an edge.

'of course my lord,' the helper said in a placating tone.