The sand around the mannequin in about a two metre radius started to glow slightly green and vibrate. The moment the mannequin tried to move, the sand in the mentioned radius jumped out at it.

The glowing sand, acting like it has a mind of its own jumped and jumped at the mannequin, wrapping around its left arm, both thighs, chest, and abdomen, restricting its movement.

Everyone was in shock and was wondering what happened as Jacquez's powers wasn't related to sand in any. Eyeball tried to grin, but all he ended up doing was a very creepy and toothy smile.

The mannequin continuously tried to forcefully move but all that managed to do was make the sand tighten its grip on the mannequin and pull it down, towards the ground forcefully.

Some parts around the sand started to glow more brightly, the glowing parts looked like numerous strange symbols at the start, but when they glowed brighter, everyone started to realise what had happened.

On the sand all around the mannequin in a circle were glowing green runes. Since the beginning of the spar, Jacquez had started to draw runes around the sand, all he had to do was wait for the mannequin to step willingly into the trap, saving the hassle.

Jacquez walked towards the mannequin who was bound tightly by the sand and had stopped struggling, he walked into the circle of runes fearlessly, the sand rose around his feet but didn't attempt to bind him.

He raised the pole in his right hand, the runes he had scratched on it earlier were glowing faintly in various colours. He wrapped his palm aroud the middle of the pole and pointed tip of the pole at the mannequin.

He drew his right hand back over his shoulder, stood like he was about to throw a javelin, enlarged his right arm a bit, then thrust forward, towards the mannequin's chest with all the strength in his right hand.

The pole struck the mannequin squarely, a loud boom followed the impact and resounded all over. The pole blasted through the mannequin's chest and was destroyed in the process. The moment the pole hit the mannequin, the sand binding wrapped more tightly around the mannequin and ripped it apart.

A minute later, the dust from the explosion settled and Jacquez was seen to have the mannequin's head in his hands. He grew to more than three metres in size, walked towards Eyeball, and when he was close enough he sandwiched the mannequin's head between his palm and rubbed them together.

The mannequin's head was crushed thoroughly, minuscule bits of it dropping to the floor in front of Eyeball. Jacquez shrunk and bowed towards Herman and his classmates like a performer bowing to the audience after a show. However, instead of leaving the stage to join the rest of his classmates, he cleared his throat and started.

"To those if you who are curious, what happened now was a demonstration of how runes are helpful in battle as well as other aspects in life. When I went to pick a weapon, I originally decided to go for a war hammer and inscribe some strengthening and enlarging runes in it, but luckily I found something with a pointed end.

"This made my plan easier and I inscribed some runes in it, including a basic strengthening rune, a very simplified version of the 'Mutual Bane' and what I could make do of the 'Immortal Casting' runes – the simplified version of 'mutual bane' ensured the delivery of three times the normal attack damage with the requisite that the object handing out the attack is destroyed in the process.

"With my feeble imitation of Immortal Casting, anything written with the pole I picked would be impossible to erase for thirty minutes – in large contrast to a well inscribed Immortal Casting which could make anything written or drawn by the object it was inscribed in last forever.

"With just thirty minutes of time to complete my plan, I made sure to gravely injure the mannequin and to make Eyeball feel it was helpless run to or away from me, and then I drew a minor version of the 'Desert's Snare' runic array around the mannequin, you guys know the rest.

"Originally, I wanted to spar with the mannequin using a rune strengthening hammer, as turning giant and just smashing the mannequin will provide nothing valuable to Sir Herman, but then I decided to use this avenue to show everyone how magnificent runes really are.

"This is just the true power of runes, and I hope those of you planning to drop Runes and Rune Technology next year - and I know a lot of you are - will reconsider. Thank you." Jacquez finished talking and made to join the crowd but was stopped by Herman.

"Did Yadok by any chance made you do this?" Herman asked.

Echoes of "Yeah." "That's probably what it is." "That old coger is trying to keep us in his class." Among others resounded.

"Very fishy, almost like he, the professor, and the system colluded." Xenon muttered to himself

"No! Professor Yadok Eareli by no means had any hand in this! I took it upon myself to show everyone as it would be too boring if I was the only one left in RRT by next year." Jacquez answered quickly before people misunderstood the situation.

But despite Jacquez's explanation, some people like Xenon still refused to believe he did it completely of his own volition.

"Which one of you will go next!?" Herman bellowed.

"I will." Jeage stood up from where he sat, raised his hand and announced his will to participate in the next round.

"Okay." Herman nodded and turned to Eyeball. "Eyeball, reconstruct your mannequin." Herman said to Eyeball whose pupils had widened when Jeage volunteered to go the next round.

Eyeball moved closer to Herman till he was banging against Herman's head. 'I have heard of the things that boy did. I swear if another one of your students destroy my puppet I'll bite their head off.' Eyeball said to Herman telepathically.

'You can't do that. Arkham will fry your brains from the insides out, and you know the proprietor can make sure you're never reborn!' Herman pushed the giant eyeball away from him while reminding him of how easily he could perish.

"Damn that old man! Why are these set of students freakishly strong for their age!" Eyeball forgot to communicate telepathically and vent out in frustration to the open.

Though he spoke too fast and too creakily for the students to clearly hear what he said. 'When I was their age, I was still a lowly lesser spirit.' Eyeball realised his mistake and spoke telepathically to Herman this time.

'Well, I guess that's why you guys have longer lifespans, almost four times an average human's. How old will you be this year? 843 or 834?' Herman answered.

'It's 844 for the hundredth time! I thought you had impeccable memory!' Eyeball hovered angrily away from Herman and began to make his fourth mannequin.

"Jeage." Xenon walked over to his cousin and called him.

"Yeah?"

"How do you plan to destroy the mannequin? You know using your fire powers alone might not be enough and you don't have anything to eat now." Xenon said.

"Don't worry cousin, I always come prepared." Jeage smiled and pulled out something bound in a piece of cloth from his pocket. "And, I have a plan."

"What's your plan?" Xenon asked curiously.

"I can tell you, that big eyeball could hear." Jeage replied.

"What's in the package then?"

"Oh this?" Jeage unwrapped the cloth to reveal a black spotted, green insect that looked very much like a mantis except for its fore limbs that were wrapped up in an almost completely transparent band of string.

"What's that?" Xenon asked as the insect very much looked like a mantis with its bladed limbs bandaged.

"This, is a Kamado Mantis," Jeage immediately ripped out the Kamado Mantis' fore limbs the moment he unwrapped it as it was still alive. "As for its abilities, you'll see it later on."

Jeage popped the Kamado Mantis' head, then threw its body into his mouth, followed by the fore limbs. He chewed on the insect thoroughly, then swallowed.

When Jeage proceeded to eat the insect, he was greeted by irritated looks and remarks from the students in his vicinity, even Xenon had to hold back vomiting.

"How do you cope with that?" Aoi who was close by came to stand beside the cousins and asked.

"Practice. I won't have time or leisure to choose what creature I use in a battlefield, and, I have something to wipe away the Kamado Mantis' awful taste." Jeage reached into his other pocket and retrieved a small round, purple fruit.

"Is that Sourlum? You're not going to eat that are you!?" Aoi said as he recognized the little fruit. It was one of the most sour fruits on the planet, it was also a very rare fruit too.

"Yes it is a sourlum, and I am going to eat it." Jeage tossed the fruit into his mouth and ate it.

"Are you okay!? How are you feeling?" Aoi asked in panic, sourlum was known to have many side effects ranging from dizziness to short term seizures, depending on how susceptible to it's sour properties a person is.

"He's fine." Xenon answered.

"I'm fine." Jeage added in confirmation.

"Jeage, we're ready for you!" Herman announced, Eyeball was done making the mannequin.

"Hey, Jeage, what's going on with your arm?" Xenon asked as Jeage started to walked towards the mannequin.

"You'll see." Jeage waved his paleing arms and continued towards the mannequin

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