Chapter 12: Group Training (1)
Wait, did I hear it right? Gin is Headmaster's son?
"I know this is going to happen." Luna sighed beside me. We first waited until the two was far from us before we came out from hiding. She looked at me and seems puzzled by my reaction.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
I quickly nodded to hide how I was startled. I can't believe how stupid I was. I didn't even notice. Headmaster Grey and Gin Grey. Of course, they are related. But I didn't know that they were that close.
"Don't worry it happens every time," Luna said. "Headmaster Grey puts a lot of expectations to Gin. He is after all the Headmaster's son."
"Is that why he is the Team Captain?" I asked without thinking.
I don't know why but I suddenly feel guilty. He's a control freak. He wants everything under his control. He won't take me because I'm the one who's destroying his authority. But I guess he has all the rights to do so.
"No," she quickly answered.
"The Board has the authority to choose via majority decision based on the records and mastery of a student of his or her ability. We were chosen because we are either on top of our class or having the highest ranks during training and other essential activities." She smiled.
"Look at me. I didn't really have a plan to join the Cup but I am the top of our class in the healing class so I didn't have a choice when they chose me." We already entered the Breakfast Hall at the time. But it seems I lost my appetite to eat.
"Gin, on the other hand, is at the top ranking when it comes to training. He is the most valid candidate even if he still wasn't on the right age at that time to join. They are looking forward to him in his senior year to join the cup even though we are still a freshman at that time. Can you imagine?" We sit on a circular table. It's separated from the long table for each year level.
"We have our own table," Luna said when she noticed that I'm wondering. "Being in the group has its perks."
The table is close to the front. There is a platform where I think the teachers sit. When we sat down, a door suddenly opened on our left side. I never noticed that there was a door there. A woman who looks like a servant came out. She has the same uniform as the two women that served me early in the morning in Miss Aura's room. The only difference is the thick apron in her front.
"Good morning, Miss Luna," she greeted. She looked at me and didn't seem to know what to say. Who am I?
"Hello, Lisa. I'm sorry if I sneaked again. By the way, she is Shia, the new member of the group."
The servant’s eyes widened and she immediately bows. "Good Morning, Miss Shia," she greeted me.
"No need for formalities," I answered in a monotone voice.
Luna laughed when she saw me being shy. "Don't worry, Lisa. You don't have to worry about her. Can we have the usual, please?" She said referring to the food.
"Okay, Miss Luna," Lisa answered and went back to the room where she came from.
"Maybe you noticed that what we are doing is prohibited right?" She laughed. "We are supposed to be in our classrooms. But because I'm always late during breakfast and I sneak out of the class if I'm hungry, Lisa is already used to me."
I nodded. This woman is really weird.
"So, where are we?" She asked remembering what she last said.
"Oh, right!" She exclaimed brightly. "I don't think I need to inform you things like their abilities. Just a few hours and the training will start. You will see it before your eyes."
One thing came to my mind at that time. The group I am with, they are not just students. They are the chosen and the best. And me? I'm only a woman who happened to take the blame for a crime I didn't do. I have no formal training, I only top at being reckless, hard-headed and a jump-without-even-looking bitch. How ironic.
After we ate, we immediately went back to the training room. When we entered there's still no one there. I looked at the holographic image of a clock in the air. Almost twenty minutes left before ten.
Luna bid farewell, she said that she has something to get from her room. I'm left there dumbfounded and starts to feel bored. I moved from leaning on the wall to standing from the floor. I just found myself going to the row of weapons on a metal table. There's also some hanging on the wall like the katanas and swords.
[ED: I don't know what the author means over here but in Japanese, 'Katana' means sword as well, so just take it as the author referring to other kinds of swords.]
I looked at the objects. I took a dagger and observed the sharpness of its blade. The workmanship is very intricate. Some symbols were inscribed on the handle. Every detail was carved intricately. Out of nowhere I suddenly threw it. It cut through the air with a sharp sound before it hits the dummy on the other side of the room. This feels good.
I suddenly closed my eyes and took the other daggers on the table. While closed, I felt the positions of the dummies that were scattered around. I don't know how many they are. I just noticed that they are in the room when I hit one of them. But I know they are everywhere.
In the darkness, I can almost see the abstract position of everything inside the room. The tables, the weapons, the clock. I can clearly see the position of one dummy. It's hung in the corner. I tightened my grip on the daggers I held in my hands. The dummies in the surrounding are gradually increasing. Each of them starts to light up and they lit up the dark. Once I'm familiar with something, with the same content and form, I can easily trace it like this.
I quickly throw the daggers to the direction of the dummies. Two in front of me, one in the left, three at the back. I heard them stab in the cloth skin of the dummies. It created a sharp tearing sound that filled the room in ten seconds. But when I throw the last dagger I suddenly froze. I quickly opened my eyes and saw someone looking at me. OH SHIT.
I stepped in an attempt to stop it but I knew it's impossible. I almost swore when I saw him just standing in front of the open door and he seems to have no plan to avoid the dagger. What the fuck is wrong with him?!
He clapped slowly and smiled when he noticed the daggers embedded in the dummies inside the room. Is he blind? Does he not see that—! I was stunned to the next thing that happened. I didn't even notice because it was fast. One minute and I almost want to yell at his stupidity and the next thing I knew a metal shield appeared in his front to block the dagger that was an inch away from him.
Chapter 13: The Training (2)
The dagger hit the shield loudly with the tip first, before it fell on the floor with a clutter. The shield also fell on the floor and I saw Ethan's face. His expression still didn't change. He was still smiling and clapping in the middle as if nothing happened. What kind of people are they?
He just passed by the equipment scattered before him. "Sharp senses, I never knew it can do a lot of things."
I didn't answer. I still can't believe what he did earlier. Just a second difference at what he did and I would have pierced his face. He has the power of matter levitation. But he took it to a whole new level.
I remember I had a classmate in the town that is very similar to Ethan's ability. At first, I thought it's a useless ability. He can move things or can order things to come to him. But to what Ethan did, it made me realize that's it's really different if you master your ability. It's really different if you studied at Titan. It's too fast, too precise, and perfect timing. No wonder he is in the line of defense.
He whistled as he watched the dummies around. He took a dagger that was pierced in one of the dummies and made it float in the air until it reached the ceiling. Then it quickly fell downwards to the floor.
"I watched you earlier," he said as the dagger was about to pierce the floor. "Gin underestimated you."
I scoffed. "Right."
"You don't sound so happy," he commented while his hands in his pockets, watching me.
"Do I have to?" I asked in a matter of fact tone. "Can't you see it's beginner's luck?"
I turned away from him and started removing the daggers from each dummy. Why are they making such a big fuss about it? If they are just a second late in coming, I'll hear their sympathy, not their praises.
Few minutes passed and he didn't say anything anymore. In the corner of my eyes, I saw him sitting on the floor in the corner and leaning his head on the wall. He closed his eyes. It looks like he's thinking about something. I wonder what it is?
"What can you say about the group, Shia?"
I stopped arranging the weapons because of what he asked. Why is he suddenly asking question after he became quiet?
"A bunch of fucked up people," my short answer. Is my opinion important? The only important thing is for me to stay and be with them until the competition ends.
He suddenly laughed and opened his eyes. "I was expecting that this will be your answer."
My grip suddenly tightened on one of the knives. Is there something funny as to what I've said? Isn't it the truth? The attitude of each member is far from each other. There's always a mess as long as we are together. Ethan stands from sitting on the floor.
"They are here," he commented and looked at the door with his hands still in his pockets.
I know, I said silently. I felt their footsteps since earlier. They are heading down the stairs towards the training room. They are talking. There are Cain, Gin and Victoria and Luna that looks like she just joined them, there's also Teacher Apollo.
"Yo! So, you're already here!" Cain greeted enthusiastically upon seeing us.
He is the type of person that you will first hear his voice before you see him. Of all the people who entered the training room, my attention immediately went to Gin. His aura is still the same. Serious and you still can't find any expression on his face except his eyes. His eyes are so penetrating to the point that if you won't avoid your gaze you will feel like being sucked in and will fade suddenly. I looked at the side of his face. There's still a visible band-aid in the place where the dagger hit him.
Teacher Apollo removed his cigarette from his lips and cleared his throat when everyone entered the training room. The atmosphere suddenly became serious. Until now I'm still not used seeing them like this.
"Our day started badly," I was expecting him to look at me as he said that. But he just straightly looks at the group.
"We don't have time for games like what happened earlier," he completely dropped his cigarette and stepped on it.
"You know what the two people above can do."
It's not a question. It's a statement on its own. Cain laughs softly but he also instantly became serious.
"They can remove you in the game. So, unless you won't straighten yourselves, then go ahead!" He really speaks like a drunk. Is he even sober?
"We are all wasting our time here."
Cain frowned this time.
"This is a TEAM game," Teacher Apollo continued. "Always remember that. If you can't discipline yourself here. It's better if you back out. No one will return alive."
What kind of pep talk is this? He is supposed to be motivating us. This man is really weird. He went to a corner where the chair that he sat on was earlier. He took another cigarette from his pocket and lit it.
"You can start."
I almost didn't hear his last words because of the cigarette. The group gradually left their positions and went on their own. Is that it? Is it done? I heard Cain asking Victoria about what type of training it is today.
"Duel," was Victoria's short answer. Cain smile as though he heard good news.
Luna came to me. "Ready?" She asked smiling.
My brow knits. How can I be ready if I don't know what to do next? There's no orientation?
"Let me see your hand." She suddenly pulled my hand and looked at my wrist. Out of nowhere, a black ink is placed there. A name of a person is written in cursive letters.
"That person is the one you will fight for the training." I wonder and held my wrist as if it's a tattoo implanted there. I tried to erase it but I wasn’t able to. It wasn't here earlier.
"What about you?" I quickly asked Luna.
She shook her head lightly and laughed. "Healers don't do duels. My training will start if one of you is injured."
"But teacher Apollo said we all have to—"
"Of course, I still do training," she seems amused that I have no idea what's happening.
"We undergo different types of training depending on what they choose for the week. We have duel training, basic and advanced training, physical training, strategy and tactic and so on. But I don't do duels because I’m needed after this type of training. This is riskier compared to others."
I suddenly looked at my hands. So, this is the real deal.
"I'm sure you'll be okay." Luna offered. "We are not killing each other. Well, mostly we need to stop before it reaches up to that point."
Wow. Thanks for the motivation, Luna. I stared at the tattooed name on my pale wrist…
Victoria.