14 A Teacher's Strength

"Why didn't you come to school today?" 

Sitting down with my plate I gazed at Masaki, he stopped eating freezing before slowly delivering his answer. 

"I didn't feel like going."

His hand shook a bit while he answered, ignoring it I decided to at least be a good role model for the kid in front of me. 

"Don't just skip class."

"Shut up old man."

My face scrunched up in anger before I let out a calm breath.

"Is it really smart to anger the one providing you homestead?"

"You'd kick me out to the rain outside. Your own student, you aren't a good teacher."

Masaki gave me a smug smile; a sigh escaped my lips before I rubbed my temples. 

"Just eat your food brat."

Going back to the meal I prepared, before I could even eat a bit a plat was pushed towards me. 

"Can I get seconds."

I looked at the smiling boy before getting up and filling his plate again with food. After handing him the plate I finally was able to eat and enjoy my food. 

"So, where am I going to sleep."

Putting his plat and mine into the sink I began washing them before responding to Masaki. 

"There's a guest room down the hall, there should be covers and stuff in the closet. Set your stuff in there and don't make a mess. Take a bath after you finish, you smell of rain."

Nodding his head Masaki walked to the room before closing the door. 

"Not even a thank you, you ungrateful brat."

After finishing the dishes, I sat on the couch before turning on the Tv. The long day of teaching, with the long night of searching, and then fighting that curse quickly had an effect on me. The soft couch cushion felt euphoric while my eyes felt like they were as heavy as rocks. Feeling my conscious fade, my eyes grew even more heavy before fully closing.

[Kota who had fallen asleep on the couch from his exhaustion chest moved up and down slowly. After half an hour light steps slowly crept towards him. Masaki stood in front of Kota looking at his exhausted teacher. After getting out the bath he had come to tell Kota he could take his own bath next. Reaching his hand out towards Kota to touch him, Masaki hand was suddenly tightly gripped.]

As, I sleep on the couch I woke feeling a person in front of me. My conciseness snapped forward as I quickly got defensive to the presence in front of me. My eyes shot open seeing a surprised Masaki standing in front of me. Tightly holding his hand, I let go looking up at him. 

'Shit, I forgot he was here.' 

"What do you need." 

Masaki stood their wide eye before answering to me. 

"I-I was just waking you up, you can get in the bath."

Getting up and stretching, I looked down at Masaki. 

"Okay."

Seeing a bruise form on Masaki's arm I quickly sighed. 

"Sit down I'll be right back."

I walked away grabbing some cream for the bruise before walking back and sitting back on the couch.

"Let me see your arm." 

"I-m fine Sensei."

"Just let me see."

Grabbing his arm, I rubbed some of the cream on it.

"There, it should return to normal. Put this on every day when you wake up until it goes away."

"Okay sensei."

I got off the couch before walking to the bath and washing up. After getting out I walked to my room on the way seeing Masaki's room light still on. 

'It's late.'

Heading towards my room I put on some clothes before walking back to his room. Knocking on it I heard steps come closer to the door. Masaki opened the door and peaked his head out of the door.

"What do you want?"

With a rude tone, Masaki had a impatient expression on his face.

"Go to sleep it's getting late, and I want to see you in class tomorrow morning. Even if I have to drag you their myself."

Masaki looked up at me before letting out a noise of rudeness, closing the door in my face. 

'Brat.'

Walking away I walked to my room before laying down. 

[Masaki sat in his room staring at the ceiling, rubbing his aching arm. How was his teacher so strong was an idle thought that keep him up the whole night before drifting to sleep.]

Waking up to the sun rising through my window, I rubbed my eye before preparing for the day. After getting dressed I walked to Masaki's room knocking on it. 

"Hey, I'm going to up to the school, make sure you eat some breakfast. Make sure you show up even if you're late. oh, and there's a key under the door mat. Use that to lock the door, keep it after I don't care."

Turning around I walked out the house locking the door behind me. After making it to the school I interacted with a few teachers and a few early students before walking to my classroom. Entering my room, I started preparing for the class before taking a seat at my desk.

After a while of waiting a bell went off and the classroom was steadily filled. Calling role out while looking around the classroom, my eyes landed on an empty seat.

'Seems Oe still gone.'

Looking to the seat right next to it sat a smiling boy who looked right at me waving a sign of hello. Nishimoto had a bright and happy smile on his face.

'I don't think I can take dealing with that kid today.'

Continuing my look around the classroom I find a similar blonde-haired kid. Masaki sat in his desk with his head resting on his palm. 

"Glad you could join us Masaki." 

Masaki looked up at me before responding with a nod and noise of endearment. I began giving my lesson before handing out some paper. 

"Now you guys can work together or solo. It's your decision just give me this paper completed before the end of class." 

I got a few noises of confirmation and yes sirs before sitting back down at my desk. 

'Now that Masaki is back that only leaves one more student to bring back to class. But Oe is definitely going to be an issue.'

Remembering last night, where Masaki had some cursed energy slowly leak out of him from his anger. I could only feel a bit of unease.

'But that isn't even the biggest, Masaki seems to be able to use his cursed energy to a certain extent.'

Sighing before rubbing my head, I could only continue to think of a solution to the dilemma I was in.

'Masaki could be a huge danger to others If I just leave him unchecked.'

Taking a glance at Masaki I noticed his crew surrounding and trying to talk with him while he ignored them. 

"Hey, Masaki why were you gone yesterday?"

"Stuff."

I could tell while watching Masaki that he was getting more and more annoyed at the constant pestering of the three.

"Hey, you know that quiet girl in the corner. The weirdly quiet one, I think here name is Oe. She missed today and yesterday. You think something happened to her."

"Can you shut up?"

Masaki said this with a commanding voice before looking at the fat boy who had said it annoyed. The whole class hearing this turned to face the boys. I could see an energy filled with Malice drift out of his body slowly. 

'He wouldn't.' 

The fat boy face grew nervous, a small bead of sweat falling from his face. He looked around a little bit before biting his lip. 

"Or what?"

With a false bravado the boy looked at Masaki as he clenched his fist. Masaki looked at the boy wide eye before getting out of his desk and looking down at the boy. 

'Don't pick today to become a man.'

A feeling of unease sneaked onto my body. Sitting at my desk I steadily got up hoping this situation wouldn't get worse. I didn't need a rampaging Masaki with cursed energy trying to tear the classroom up.

"I'm not scared of you."

The big boy got up and tried to push Masaki but to his surprise Masaki didn't move. 

[Masaki was a boy powered only by his pleasures and displeasures. From the boy's comment reminding him of the defeating night of two days ago and his recent building anger that led to an unknown energy constantly threating to leak out. Clenching his fist, he quickly prepared to throw it, feeling and unfamiliar force reinforcing his hand. As he prepared to throw it, he heard a loud voice behind him.]

"Stop."

Hitting the top of Masaki head with a book lightly I looked down at the surprised boy. I looked at both of the boys before trying to remember the fat boy's name. 

"Kitagawa you and your two buddies move up to front seats."

"B-but."

"No buts."

I turned to face specifically Masaki.

"Masaki, you'll be staying after class with me."

Masaki let out a small noise before seating down at his desk. I watched as the three boys walked to their new seats and sat back at my desk before the end of the day came.

As the students fanned out two students were left. Masaki and Nishimoto both with completely different facial expressions. 

"Nishimoto, if you want to talk wait outside. I want to discuss something with Masaki." 

Looking as Nishimoto's face changed from smiling to frowning, I watched as he walked out the classroom. I walked over to Masaki and looked down at him. Trying to avoid my gaze Masaki muttered out a few words. 

"What do you want?" 

"That punch, what did you plan to do with it?"

I looked around before grabbing a chair and sitting down next to Masaki. Letting out a sound of anger Masaki didn't respond. 

"Do you know what that punch could've done?"

"Hurt him of course."

Letting out a sly comment in an angered tone Masaki attempted to dismiss the danger of the situation. 

"When you tried to punch him your hand. Did it feel weird almost like something was causing it to feel different than normal. Like it was stronger, and your anger was feeding into this strength."

Masaki eyes darted open and he finally looked at my face. Grabbing a hair band out of my pocket I put my hair up showing off my full face. 

"Y-you're the guy."

Looking into my gazes I saw as Masaki face changed into one of fear.

"And you're the brat from the warehouse. Let me explain something to you Masaki. What you just used is a power that could easily kill a human. With that power people have ruled over countless of people."

Masaki struggled to talk only short words leaving his lips. 

"Nishimoto you can come in."

I said loudly before the door to my classroom opened and Nishimoto came in before looking at me with a huge grin. 

"I KNOW IT."

He said excited.

"Grab a desk and sit-down nest to Masaki."

Nishimoto happily shook his head yes while Masaki was still confused. I stood up from my chair and looked down at the both of them.

"That night two days ago you guys ran into what was called a curse spirit."

Nishimoto instantly shot his hand up. I rubbed my head before sighing.

"No questions right now Nishimoto, now back to what I was saying. You guys ran into a curse spirit, a being born of regret, fear, anger and a lot of different bad emotions and things. Cursed spirits can be very dangerous to others, some causing a catastrophic amount of damage and disaster. So, to fight against them people gained the ability to use an energy called cursed energy."

I looked around before grabbing a random desk before placing in front of me. Nishimoto and Masaki both watched with their breaths held.

"Masaki before you attacked Kitagawa you used this energy. Which reinforced you're punching power. Now if you didn't stop that attack the result would've been similar to this."

I raised my hand before bringing it down on the desk destroying it. Both of the boy's face were astonished. Masaki looked at the aftermath before looking down at the desk thinking. 

"This is energy isn't supposed to be used on normal humans. This energy is the driving force giving people the ability to fight strong curses. People who can manipulate and use this energy are called sorcerers. We use this force to exorcise and protect the non-sorcerers. Now you can ask questions."

Rising his hand quickly Nishimoto looked at me excitedly. 

"Sensei, can you use this cursed energy to fire of a Kamehameha or use a Rasengan? Oh, and is there like some super-secret organization that keeps these curses and sorcerers hidden? Is there some kind of ranking system or all curses just curses?"

Nishimoto quickly bombarded me with questions before looking up at me and smiling waiting for an answer. 

"With a cursed technique you could do things like that, but I'll have to explain more of that later. Yes, there is but it isn't as shadowy as you probably think it is Nishimoto. And for the last question yes there is. Both sorcerers and curses fall under these gradings Grade 4, Grade 3, Semi-Grade 2, Grade 2, Semi-Grade 1, Grade 1, Special Grade 1, and Special Grade. These rankings have been used for a very long time and being very accurate most of the time for who would win a fight. But when you get to Special Grade, the ranking isn't that efficient anymore. There are very few of them, but they all aren't just around the same level. If I were to simplify it think of special grade to contain people, whose strength can't be measured by conventional means. Now with that out the way anymore questions Nishimoto."

"Yeah, sensei one more question. You and that curse if you were to rank you two were would you be two be."

Masaki lifted his eyes from his desk this time gazing at me, Nishimoto had eyes full of wonder while waiting for my response. 

"That curse was strong; I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to, he could've killed you guys. but for some reason he decided against it. You guys got lucky with him, but if I was to rank him at most, he could've been a special grade 1. Realistically he was probably a grade 1."

Both boy's mouths opened wide in response. Nishimoto quickly held up his fingers counting something.

"If he was Grade 1 and you named out about 9 tiers of power. That means he was in like the 3rd strongest tier, but you easily beat him meaning."

"You're a special grade."

In complete sync both Nishimoto and Masaki said this coming to the same conclusion looking at me with the same gaze of amazement. 

"You're correct."

Both of them looked at me wide eye words not being able to come out of their mouth.

"Why are you telling us this."

Masaki barley chocked out these few words.

"Because I plan of taking you two as my students."

Nishimoto jumped out of he's seat excited before bouncing around excited.

"But why?"

Still seating Masaki looked up at me suspiciously.

"Well thanks to your little outburst earlier I've acknowledged that I can't just let you guys be left alone. You guys can't feel it but both of you have become stronger because of that Warehouse incident, but only you can use your cursed energy right now."

I pointed at Masaki.

"W-what." 

"Cursed energy is based on negativity. Bad emotions and feelings like anger and sadness. I'm guessing that your constant anger has probably causing you to subconsciously use it."

Nishimoto stopped bouncing around before looking at me.

"Sensei will I be able to do that?"

"Yes, with the right training you could. I'll be training you myself Nishimoto. But for you Masaki I'll have you do something for me before I train you." 

Masaki looked at me up at me with a confused expression.

"You'll have to bring Oe to me personally in a week. If you fail this task, then don't even think of becoming a student of mine."

"WHAT." 

Masaki slammed his desk while getting up. Grinding his teeth together with an angered look.

"Bring her to me in a week and we'll began your training but until then don't think of it. Nishimoto come on we'll start our first training session together."

I left the classroom with Nishimoto in tow. Leaving a fuming Masaki behind. 

'This is the best method to slowly break away that pride. Now Masaki what will you do?' 

[Masaki stood in the classroom clenching his hands. Thinking of Kota training Nishimoto made him remember when Nishimoto had carried him to escape the curse. That feeling of weakness and powerlessness made his stomach turn. An image of Nishimoto towering over him entered him mind, he couldn't allow that idiot to grow stronger than him.]

While walking I quickly thought of the broken desk.

'I hope that the janitor will clean that up.'