Akira steeled his resolve and prepared his mind as much as he could for what he was about to do.

  There was no other way out without exposing his Trait. He would take one of Leo's blows and go down, playing the part of the defeated. It was the fastest way to escape this pointless sparring match and, more importantly, the only way to keep his Trait hidden.

  Leo’s fist moved through the air with terrifying strength and speed, ripping through the air with overbearing confidence.

  It’s lower this time, a body shot. A chance!

  “Here I come, partner!” The man excitedly exclaimed with that stupid grin stuck on his face.

  His instincts screamed at him to move, dodge this devastating blow, yet the boy planted his feet firmly into the ground. The dry dirt under his feet felt surprisingly soft, he tensed his body, putting his hands up against his torso in order to somewhat mitigate the damage from what he was about to experience.

  The impact was loud and brutal, the sound booming through the air.

  Leo’s fist crashed into Akira’s midsection like a sledgehammer, sending a shockwave through his entire body. His arms felt like two twigs about to break from the shear force and his ribs groaned under the pressure, his vision blurred for a split second, his breath felt as if it was torn from his lungs.

  The boy’s small body flung itself onto the ground letting out exaggerated groans in hopes of making it seem like it hurt more than it did, although Akira did not actually have to pretend much, as the man’s fist carried a might that went beyond normal humans.

  As he rolled on the ground Akira glanced at the other newly awakened hunters, those who were sparring paid no heed to his act, continuing with their own business, while to those that were taking sneaky glances. To them the results of the fight were pretty obvious from the start.

  After all, what can a scrawny, short, sickly pale kid do against such a stud of a man?

  Looks like this will do the trick, I doubt anybody else would approach weakling who got beat in only two hits.

  Then his gaze floated to Leo who was… just standing there, his eyes locked onto his own fist.

  Leo then looked at Akira, the light in his gaze lacking its usual excitement, instead it looked stale. His gaze sent a small shiver down Akira’s spine.

  He took a few big steps until Akira was basically at his feet.

  The boy’s black hair fell over his eyes as each breath came in shallow gasps, grasping his still aching ribs from the blow. He had to make it convincing. But then Leo's question hit him like another punch.

  “Akira… Why didn’t you dodge it?” His head tilting slightly to the side, his voice wasn’t laced with any undertones, it was simple and pure hearted curiosity.

  Akira’s body tensed even further at the question, his mind scrambling to find a suitable response. He quickly averted his eyes, trying to mask the discomfort with a forced chuckle “What do you mean why? You were too fast and strong for me to react, blocking it was all I could have done. I’m not nearly as athletic as you.”

  Just as Akira finished his sentence Leo immediately spoke. “No. I know that, but you dodged the first punch which had the same speed and I even lunged at you without a warning then. You could have dodged this one too, with time to spare.” The man’s expression didn’t change one bit, he looked like a child trying to solve a difficult puzzle. “I just don’t get it. Why do you make yourself look weak?”

  Akira knew that Leo wouldn’t stop until his curiosity was satisfied, so he had to feed it one way, and that way was by showing a bit of what kind of person he really was. He let out a small sigh before sitting up.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Then the boy’s eyes shot up to meet Leo’s. They weren’t soft and harmless anymore, instead they were sharper than any blade and much more ruthless, like two spheres of malevolent snow.

  “Leo, when you chose to be my friend you were already suspicious of me not being who I act to be, I have no doubts about it. But that doesn’t matter, you're the strong charismatic guy and I’m the weakling who hangs around you and depends on you because I’m weak. Whether that chemistry will change in the First Trial depends on the circumstances, for now let’s keep things as they are.” Akira said in a flat tone, barely loud enough for the two of them to hear it, before standing up and dusting himself off.

  Leo followed with silence, until suddenly he let out a hearty laugh and started roughly patting Akira on the shoulder. “I see! I see! Very well! Don’t worry buddy, I’ll protect you!”

  Well, he’s not an idiot, at least that much is clear to me now.

  Simply standing there, his hand pressed against his side as Leo continued his enthusiastic patting. The pain was still there, but it was secondary to the moment. He watched Leo's bright grin with a mix of frustration and relief. The man was simple in some ways, but there was a surprising depth to him when it mattered.

  Akira’s eyes became much softer and skittish again, going back to his weakling act.

  Leonidas’ laugh echoed before finally dying off. “Well, now I can’t help but feel excited for the First Trial. I can’t wait to see what kind of adventures we’ll get up to in there” He said with a wide smile.

  The boy simply nodded, his silver eyes pointing at the dirt. Adventures? What kind of adventures does this bastard plan on having in a Trial? Akira let out an internal sigh as he felt himself grow more and more stressed about his First Trial. Maybe the thing that would kill him wouldn’t be the weather or the monsters, but Leo’s ‘adventures’.

  “So, what will you do now Akira, want to try for round two?” The man said expectantly, but the answer was already pretty obvious for the both of them.

  “No, I’m going back to the barracks and relax for a while, I want to try experimenting a little more with my Heart Core. Plus, after taking that punch from you, I don’t think round two is an option.” He responded dryly.

  Leo tried his luck again. "Aw, come on, Akira! Just one more-"

  "No." Akira turned on his heel, not bothering to entertain the thought. His ribs still ached from Leo’s previous punch, though a fleeting question passed through his mind. If we fought to the death, would I even have a chance?

  “Fine, fine! But I’ll be making more friends for the both of us, so don’t worry!” The man said waving the boy goodbye, his tanned and muscular arm stood out like a beacon in the field of reckless teens and young adults testing out their newfound strengths.

  What a pain in the ass.

  …

  Akira stepped into the barracks, the air heavy with quiet murmurs and the occasional rustle of movement.

  A few boys were scattered around, some resting, others engaged in hushed conversation, but none spared him more than a fleeting glance before returning to their own worlds.

  Without hesitation, he made his way to his corner, where his thin straw mattress offered the only semblance of comfort. He lowered himself onto it without a word, turning his back to the room, his gaze fixed on the cold, unfeeling stone wall. Closing his eyes, he let the noise around him fade, shutting himself off from the world once more and getting some piece of mind.

  …

  Out of nowhere, Akira felt something. An irritating, persistent rocking that pulled him from the depths of sleep. His body swayed with the rough shaking, a grating sensation that refused to be ignored.

  "Akira, get up." The voice was distant, muffled, like the crackling static of an old, broken television. Familiar, yet blurred by lingering drowsiness.

  "Come onnn, we’ll be late! All the good food’s gonna be gone." The shaking grew more aggressive, punctuated by the soft thuds of restless feet against the floor.

  With a low grunt, Akira’s silver eyes flickered open, catching the dim glow of red light filtering through the high windows. A faint draft crept through the room, brushing against his skin, sending a small shiver down his spine.

  As his vision cleared, he made out the silhouette of a figure, broad-shouldered and impatient, bathed in the eerie crimson glow.

  Akira squinted, his vision sharpening as the figure before him came into focus. It was none other than Leonidas.

  “Hurry up! Everyone’s already leaving, I don’t want to miss out on the dried meat!” Leo’s voice was urgent, his mouth practically watering at the thought of food. His hunger was almost comical, but the seriousness in his tone made it clear, he wasn’t joking.

  The boy’s expression tightened, his eyes narrowed into slits. With an exasperated groan, he made no effort to hide his annoyance.