EX-Grade Grass

Chapter 2

The auditorium was full. Almost two hundred students stood in lines, waiting for their turn at the big crystal in the middle of the stage. Teachers watched from the sides. The principal stood near the crystal with his arms crossed. The scar over his left eye made him look even stricter than usual.

Ren stayed at the very back of the last line. His cheek still hurt from Victor’s punch. The cut on his forehead had stopped bleeding, but it felt tight. He kept his hands in his pockets so no one would see them shake.

Victor and Leo stood near the front with the other noble kids. Every few seconds Victor looked back and smirked at Ren, like he already owned the trial.

One by one, names were called.

A girl with light blue hair stepped up first. When she touched the crystal it glowed bright white and blue.

“Frost talent. S-grade,” the instructor said.

Everyone clapped. Even the principal nodded once.

Next came Victor Kane.

The crystal turned red and orange.

“Fire talent. A-grade.”

Victor walked off the stage with his chin high. Leo got Wind talent, also A-grade. More students followed. Most got B-grade or C-grade. A few looked sad when their results were low. Some looked proud.

Ren’s turn came near the end.

“Ren.”

No last name. Just that.

Whispers started right away.

“That’s the cleaner.”

“The one who got beaten earlier.”

“I heard he attacked Victor with plants or something.”

Ren walked up the steps. The crystal floated above a black stone. It looked clear and cold. He placed his right hand on it.

Warmth rushed through his whole body, stronger than before. The same feeling from the hallway came back. The crystal lit up—not with one color, but with many. Green, then darker green, then a strange deep color that almost looked black for a second.

The instructor leaned closer and frowned.

Silence filled the hall.

“Grass talent… grade unknown,” the instructor finally said.

For one second nobody spoke.

Then the laughing started.

Victor laughed the loudest. “Grass? Are you kidding? He awakens grass!”

Leo held his stomach. “What is he going to do, make flower crowns?”

Other students joined in. Even some with low grades pointed and snickered. The principal’s mouth twitched, but he did not stop them right away.

Ren pulled his hand back. The strange warmth stayed in his chest. He already knew what the grass could do. He had felt it when it wrapped around Victor’s legs. But no one else knew yet.

The principal raised one hand. The noise died.

“Enough. The results are final. Everyone will sign the usual silence contract after this. No talking about other students’ talents outside the academy.”

He looked straight at Ren for a moment, then looked away.

When the ceremony ended, students filed out toward the training yard. That was where public trials always happened. Word had already spread. Almost half the academy followed to watch.

Victor stood in the middle of the yard with his arms crossed. Leo and a few other noble kids stood behind him. A teacher named Mr. Hale waited to watch the fight so no one died.

Victor pointed at Ren. “Rules are simple. We fight until one of us cannot stand or gives up. If you lose, you kneel right here, say you’re trash in front of everyone, and leave the academy today. No second chances.”

Ren nodded once. “I already accepted.”

Mr. Hale stepped between them. “No killing. No outside help. Begin when I say.”

Victor cracked his neck. Small flames appeared around his fists. “Ready when you are, grass boy.”

Ren did not answer. He just watched Victor’s feet.

“Begin!”

Victor rushed forward fast. Fire trailed from his hands. He swung a burning fist at Ren’s face.

Ren stepped to the side. The heat passed close enough to warm his cheek. At the same time he pushed the feeling in his chest outward.

Grass shot up from the dirt around Victor’s boots. It grew in less than a second and wrapped tight around both ankles.

Victor stumbled. “Again with this cheap trick?”

He burned the grass with a burst of fire, but more grew right away. Ren kept his hands down. He did not need to wave them around. The grass just listened.

Victor roared and sent a wave of flame across the ground. The grass blackened and died in a wide circle. For a moment the yard was clear.

Victor grinned. “Your little plants burn easy.”

He charged again.

Ren let him come close. At the last second he grew a thick wall of grass between them, hard and sharp at the edges. Victor’s fist hit it and bounced back. The fire on his hand went out.

Students gasped.

Victor’s eyes widened. He burned the wall, but Ren had already moved. New vines shot from the ground and grabbed Victor’s wrists, pulling his arms wide.

Victor struggled. Flames burst out and burned the vines, but they grew back faster than he could burn them. Sweat appeared on his forehead.

“You think this is enough?” Victor shouted. He forced more fire out and finally broke free. His breathing was heavier now.

Ren still had not moved much. He felt the mana inside him stay almost full. The grass cost almost nothing.

Victor’s face twisted. He raised both hands and formed a bigger ball of fire. “I’ll burn the whole yard if I have to!”

Mr. Hale looked ready to step in.

Before Victor could throw it, Ren made the grass under Victor’s feet grow in a sudden burst. Hard spikes shot upward and forced Victor to jump back. At the same time long vines whipped around his legs and arms again, tighter than before.

Victor fell to one knee.

The fire ball in his hands flickered and died.

Silence fell over the training yard.

Ren walked closer, still calm. He did not hit Victor. He just stood there while the grass held the noble boy in place.

Mr. Hale raised his hand. “That’s enough. Victor cannot continue cleanly. Ren wins.”

No one cheered. Most students just stared with open mouths.

Victor’s face was red with anger and shame. He burned the last of the vines and stood up shaking. “This isn’t over,” he said, voice low so only Ren could hear. “You think a dirty grass talent can protect you? My family will hear about this. You’ll regret making me look weak.”

Leo pulled Victor’s arm. “Come on. Not here.”

Victor shook him off and pointed at Ren one last time. “Enjoy your little win. It won’t last.”

He walked away with his friends. The crowd slowly broke apart, still whispering.

Mr. Hale looked at Ren for a long moment. “Go home for today. The principal will want to talk to you tomorrow.”

Ren nodded. He felt the grass fade back into the dirt until nothing was left.

He walked out of the academy gates alone. The silver coin from earlier was still in his pocket. His cheek hurt. His forehead stung. But something new and steady stayed warm in his chest.

He did not know yet that Victor’s father was already getting a message about the fight.

He only knew the trial was over… and the real trouble had just started.