"Minako Rize has finally shown her face since the inner court exam! What sorry excuse for a master took you in? Maybe they pitied you like someone who sees an abandoned puppy would."

Rize paused midway eating one of her noodles and turned around to look at the scum who said that. Rize had little tolerance for people disrespecting those she cared for and her master did not judge her for her appearance and that in itself made her very special in her heart. She didn't entirely know why she was so upset, but her master took her in when people completely ignored her for years and whoever insulted her master would pay. Rize swung her legs around her stool to see possibly the worst person that she knew in this world.

"Masaru" she said enunciating each syllable "what are you doing here?" Rize said with as much contempt that she could muster into her voice.

Masaru was with three new members to his posse. When he was an outer court disciple his other members had not met with his expectations and he quickly found new of the bottom tier scum. Obviously his old cronies couldn't keep up with him so he dumped them in favor for new models. Rize stood up putting her payment of two copper onto the counter. The cook quickly swiping it away and stuffing it in his pocket.

"What do you want Masaru?" she said impatiently “I don’t have time to deal with your ridiculousness.”

"Me? I just want to say hi and congratulate you on getting into the inner court. I mean who would have thought you would have made it, but you did and I am sooo proud of you."

"Yeah well you said hi now leave me alone. I wish to enjoy my day in peace."

Rize started to walk by she knew it wasn't wise, but chose to try and walk as close to him as possible, but she didn't like him so she wanted to spite him. Just as she was about to pass his arm shot out almost hooking her neck. His eyes had narrowed into a nasty glare.

"Bitch" he growled "did I give you permission to walk away? Do you think you can walk pass your betters without bowing in respect?"

Rize laughed quietly to him "showing your true colors now aren't you Masaru? I don't have to listen to you and you don't scare me anymore Masaru so back off. I bow to those who deserve respect, not the likes of you."

Masaru moved in front of her and pushed her until her back was to the counter. Rize took a deep breath as she began to realize she may be disappointing her master tonight.

"I think you should learn your place. I mean you still haven’t learned that even as an inner court disciple you are dirt compared to anyone else here. You are a blue eyed cursed child who any self-respecting parent would have tossed out."

At this point a small crowd had gathered around pointing and jeering at Rize. She didn't mind though she was used to it her eyes always made her an outcast why would the inner court be any different. So foolish she had been, believing they would be any different than the outer court. Even with a benevolent deity and a understanding master. Closing her eyes she called forth her Ki letting is circulate in her veins. A feeling of sinister energy enveloped her entire body as she focused it into her hands.

Masaru sensed it and did the same snapping his fingers a flame burst between them disappearing quickly into a black smoke. A smug grin on his face as he looked at Rize who was in his mind pretty, but didn’t know her place. In reality if she submitted he would allow her to be his girl on the side even though no self-respecting noble would ever take her as a main wife she could be a nice release of pleasure in his mind.

It wasn’t uncommon for youth even at the young ages of 13 and 14 to get married or be betrothed.

"I was blessed by the fire god of the south Zhurong. You are going to regret having been born... Hell maybe the scars I leave on your face will distract people from your eyes and you maybe live as a washed up whore... just like your mother.”

Rize's eyes snapped open a spark ignited the rage that had been building up in her soul. Her pupils had changed to that of a viper and she ran high speed towards her target. Masaru had just touched on her taboo.

Masaru laughed as he had seen this from her before he raised his fists letting a thin coating of flames around them. Rize charged forward her mind and instincts being fueled by pure rage. Quickly charging at Masaru she saw him take a slight defensive posture, but not an effective one to say the least. At the last moment before she came into range of Masaru she planted her left foot into the ground sending her darting to the right causing Masaru to over swing and miss her completely stumbling forward. Turning around quickly he prepared himself for her attack raising his arm to block her palm strike to his chest.

As her palm made contact with his forearm he instantly felt the muscles constrict causing him immense pain.

"AHHHH! What the hell is this!" he yelled clutching his forearm.

Masaru recovered quicker than Rize thought and returned a strike to her abdomen causing her to burn slightly from the flames. The flames were painful and sharp, but did not light her body on fire as the nature of ki was not a true flame, but the manifestation of it only high ranking fire users could actually cause their ki to be be powerful enough to actually light her on fire. Rize jumped back to a safe distance a mouthful of blood boiled up from her stomach and she spit it out as it coated her lips into a dark red. If one were to describe her in this moment with the contrast of her midnight hair and blue eyes with the blood from her lips they would call her a demon from legends.

Masaru kept his constricting arm close to his chest so the muscles wouldn't rip from overuse and got into a defensive position again this time much more cautious.

His cronies in the background cheered him on.

"Quit playing Masaru!"

"Yeah! End her!"

"Show her she doesn't belong here!"

Rize still being fueled by the rage of her mother being called a whore charged again this time coating only one hand in venom pumping more potency into her one palm. This time Masaru watched carefully as she came near he sent a round house kick to her face. Rize slide onto her knees dodging the kick by a hair. She looked up seeing his exposed back and struck with her more potent venom onto his shoulder of the same side she had hit before. With a grin she quickly darted away from him.

The result was horrific she couldn't imagine the result would be like this snapping her out of her rage fueled hate. Even in such a state she couldn’t deny that what resulted was a bit extreme.

"AHHHHHH!" he scream caused the whole crowd to go quiet in shock of what they had just witnessed.

Masaru's shoulder muscle constricted forcing his bad arm to snap backwards much further than natural his forearm which couldn't handle the sudden constriction snapped unnaturally at a ninety degree angle his body was pulling itself in both directions causing him pain beyond what anyone could imagine. Several of the people in the crowd averted their eyes as they watched the proud Masaru writhe in pain.

Two of his cronies ran to get help from the medical wing of the academy without any hesitation. Inner court disciples despite their arrogance were quite sensible in this regards.

Slowly the crowd shifted their eyes from the kid writhing in pain on the floor to the girl who had caused it.

"Do you think she is really cursed?"

"What sort of dark deity does she serve?"

"I always knew she was no good."

Rize backed away slowly as she stood shocked at the pain she had caused him. She never truly desired to harm him this much, but she let her rage go out of control.

"Hey! You don't move! We are going to report this to the academy guards!"

Rize panicked and bolted out of the common grounds. She needed to see her master as soon as possible.

You messed up again Rize. Why can’t you just live a quiet life…why did you let these nobodies bother you?

In the end Minako Rize couldn't get a lucky break. Perhaps what everyone said about her eyes were true. Maybe they were indeed cursed.