After the earlier commotion, Asahi muttered to himself, anxiety showing in his tense shoulders and darting eyes as he tried not to fidget.
"I still can't believe last night was the first challenge. I almost died, not to mention almost had my limbs cut off. I… I can't possibly imagine what the second one would be."
Conveniently, just after Asahi spoke, Toivo dragged him out of the room.
"Well, if you want to gather any attraction from a woman, especially one of your type, you have to do the hard work first," Toivo said as they moved towards the exit. "Nothing easy comes from working for something. So, I'm not setting you up for Slack now, you hear?"
Asahi nodded his head.
"Okay."
Toivo continued, ushering Asahi forward, "Good, then get your pansy butt down here and let's go outside! I have a plan for you."
Before Asahi could react, Toivo lost patience and yanked the young man down the stairs toward the front doors, leading him directly to the mansion's backyard.
It was raining like crazy outside.
Rain soaked his hair, and mud tickled his bare feet, sending a shiver up his spine. Uneasy, he regretted not expecting this weather after seeing calm skies before. The drizzle felt like an unending challenge, drumming reminders of his inadequacies and fears into his mind. Memories of past failures loomed over him like dark clouds, threatening to break his resolve.
The times when his parents saw him as nothing but a failure, trying their absolute best to change him. The times at Cleira Academy, where he was bullied so much of his powerlessness despite being an Owner.
Their disappearance haunted him, leaving a void filled with anger and resolution. The absence of their presence sharpened his desire to prove himself, fueling a relentless drive to succeed, not just for his own sake, but to honor their memory. This loss pushed him to harness his rage as motivation, becoming a beacon in his quest to overcome every challenge and defy the judgments of those who doubted him.
Deep inside, he believed that every stride forward could lead him to uncover the truth about their vanishing, which only intensified his determination to continue and prevail despite the odds.
He envisioned slipping in the mud, tripping on a branch, or getting dirty. With a sigh that was caught between dread and a flickering determination, he gripped the silver blade given by Toivo, seeking solace in its cool metallic promise.
"So… all I have to do is fight these training dummies in the rain? Sounds easy enough."
Toivo let out a chuckle at Asahi's comment.
"Ha, no one said it would be easy."
A silence fell. Asahi noticed five human-shaped, cotton dummies in a strange arrangement—one above a wooden box, another in a dirty ditch, and the last on a clean stone plate.
But despite that, Asahi felt a relatively calm feeling when he heard the harmony of the showers. As he clutched onto the hilt of the blade, he heard a loud holler echo from behind.
"You have five minutes! If you don't destroy them all, you will have to start over!"
Asahi's gray eyes shrank in horror.
"What?!"
"You heard me! Now, go! Or else, we will be standing here in the rain, all day long!"
When he took his first step, a wave of unease gripped him, but he pushed forward. Suddenly, the ground beneath him gave way, and he was hurled into a muddy pit. The fall was jarring, the impact sending a wave of pain shooting through his limbs as he collided with the hard earth. Instinctively, his hands shot out to break his fall, but the sharp thorns embedded in the dirt walls sliced into his skin, leaving his arms stinging and raw. Dazed, with the wind knocked out of him, Asahi lay there for a brief moment, confusion and panic swirling in his mind.
The rain continued to pour, mixing with the mud to create a slippery mess that now clung to him, chilling him to the bone. In those agonizing seconds, he felt utterly broken, both physically and mentally, the challenge looming over him like an insurmountable wall.
But as he lay there, a flicker of determination began to stir within him. Gritting his teeth, he fought against the exhaustion, slowly pushing himself up, each movement a battle against the weight of the world pressing down on him.
He knew he couldn't linger; time was against him. With a ragged breath, Asahi gathered his resolve and began the arduous task of clawing his way out of the damp pit, determined to face the next challenge that awaited him.
"Five minutes. I only have… five minutes." He took out his sword and pierced it straight through the cotton neck of the dummy, forcing it to topple down and shred.
"Yes."
(GROWL)
The more Asahi was active, the more he began to realize—each attack sapped his strength and willpower. Anxiety and self-doubt crept in, making his heart pound. There was one thing the barely defensive young man never thought of when he accepted this challenge.
That if he were to mess up, his energy would be wasted, and he would have to start over.
He even forgot he had not eaten today. Amid these harsh conditions, Asahi endured his growling stomach along with the pounding rain.
In all honesty, for Asahi, this challenge could be even worse than the first one.
. . .
His hair was drenched, his arms were bruised, and he panted heavily as he ran desperately and continued this cycle of jumping into the pit, destroying the dummy, and then trying to climb back up. Shame and frustration lined his face, knowing that each time he failed the climbing part, his confidence weakened. The echo of past failures gnawed at him; memories of previous challenges, where he had stumbled and fallen, seemed to mock him in the relentless rain.
Asahi imagined the disappointment that awaited him if he failed now, picturing the disdainful faces of those who doubted him. What if he couldn't make it? The thought spiraled in his mind, causing his heart to race with a mix of anxiety and reluctant determination. Yet, somewhere within him, a voice insisted he push forward, to not be weighed down by the failures of his past.
A desperate sweat blended in with the rain droplets that slid down his face as he vaulted over the dirt pit and dragged the silver sword across the damp ground. It had been two full minutes and all that he managed to get was only one of the three dummies.
Before he knew it, time was up.
Toivo hollered as Asahi practically dragged his entire body in exhaustion.
"Get up! It's been five minutes. You have been doing this exact same thing seven times, and you STILL failed."
"P… Please, just let me take a break."
As the rain droplets continued prodding on their heads, Toivo slapped the young man across the face, crossed his arms, and yelled seriously.
"No! I don't care if your body is tired or not. My past students who have endured this challenge know that this one is the one that TRULY sparks an emergence for their bravery. If you can't pass this and instead, give up… then you will be kicked out, and won't be fed."
A weak sound escaped the panting boy as he tried to get on his feet, his body shaking with fatigue and defeat.
"Oh come on! Weren't you friendly just a minute ago?"
At that moment, Toivo's demeanor shifted as he backed away, disappointment clear, but he responded just as Asahi kicked his legs upward.
Real men never give up, but endure. They endure their problems until they fix them at the expense of pain. Do you remember how you overcame that difficult time yesterday? What you dream of standing at the forefront to protect those you care about? The Sealed Beatific? If you want a beautiful woman to accompany you when you're in slumber, then you have to consider what I am saying. If you want to defend yourself and make your enemies aware of your position, then you must endure the pain. Isn't that the sole reason why you are here?!
Tovio shifted his angry glare to Asahi and approached him. Although he knew what the boy was capable of with the silver sword, instead of letting him keep it…
"Give me that!" Toivo demanded, snatching the blade from Asahi's grasp. He replaced it with a worn, dull, rusted-up sword. Asahi stared back, teeth bared and fists clenched in disbelief as Toivo tossed the silver blade into the air, watching it vanish into the distance.
"That never belonged to you. A pansy boy doesn't deserve power unless they earned it. Now, go and destroy those three dummies! I'll give you some leeway. I will increase the time limit by three minutes. Therefore, you will have eight minutes to do it. If you can't destroy all of those three before that time, you and your other "friend" will be kicked out of the house and banished from this place, never to see me again."
Asahi now realized his time had been extended, and the awareness pierced through his exhaustion.
When his eyes, filled with hopelessness, watched as the silver blade he had become so accustomed to flew and disappeared into the thick vegetation, it stirred a chaotic storm inside him. Conflicting emotions churned within, blending frustration with a sudden wave of vulnerability. The sword he considered an extension of himself, a symbol of his potential, was now gone, leaving him to question his own worth and strength. Memories of past failures resurfaced, whispering doubts, as if taunting him for relying too heavily on something external to drive his resolve. Yet, beneath the tempest, a flicker of determination fought to emerge, a reminder that his true power lay deep within, waiting to be rediscovered.
He growled at Toivo with a tone of hatred and pride.
"I'll show you, old man. I'll show you what this pathetic boy can DO!"
Driven by the challenging atmosphere, Asahi displayed his potential. He jumped into the pit and quickly destroyed the cotton dummy, tearing it apart.
Then, although it was a challenge for him… Asahi…
"I'LL PROOVE YOU!"
He immediately sprang up and grabbed onto the ledge, forcefully pulling his weight up and scrambling toward the next dummy. A complex smile of pride emerged from Toivo's face as he knew that his rudeness was what motivated the boy to persist and endure his problems.
"That's it… endure." But just before he had forgotten, Toivo stepped forward and hollered at the boy. "Do not let rage consume you! Be proud that you have come this far. Only one minute has passed since that action."
"ONE MINUTE?!" Asahi stammered with shock as he bolted and carried the tattered sword up a rock. "T… Then if that's the case…" Shrouded deep within his drenched but radiant face came a determined and wistful smile that was unlike anything he had ever felt before. A joy and urge that was so strong, that not even his doubts could have eclipsed him now. As he jolted across and spun the dull blade around, Asahi exclaimed with a hyperactive tone.
"Then I'll finish it!" All that the boy felt as he struck and spun his blade at each and every dummy was a weightless and flying feeling, as if he were atop the world.
One after another, although his blade was as dull and weak, he used the mixture of both his knuckles and feet to strike and destroy the remaining dummies.
(SHING)
(SHUNG)
Suddenly, before Toivo could see the boy, he saw both of the dummies collapse into piles of cotton and rubble, coupled by the streak of smoke that came with the unimaginable speed of Asahi's attacks.
He applauded and congratulated the boy as he dropped his dull sword and fell to his knees, embracing the moment.
"Very… very impressive. See, you don't need a sharp blade to strike. Even the finest sword plunged into the cleanest water will eventually rust. No matter what sword you use, it will always share the same fate."
The wise old man quickly took the dull blade away from Asahi's hands and threw it into the ground.
"Huh?!"
All of it shattered into fragments and disintegrated into dust.
(BREAK)
The rain washed it from the crevices of the cobblestone floor. Toivo took a deep sigh and looked over to the girl behind Asahi, then informed as he stomped on the dust.
"No matter how good or strong your weapon is, if you don't have a brain, you will not win anything other than that temporary moment of victory."
Asahi's eyes widened. He understood completely what Tovio said. As the rain continued to rain down, the same powder-blue-haired maid tapped Asahi's back and informed him of Toivo.
"Um, sir… we prepared a meal for you inside."
She glanced forward at Tovio with a look of confirmation. The man nodded with a confident smile as he escorted the two back inside the mansion.
"Thank you, that is very appreciative and considerate of you, Kendra. After what the young man did, I KNOW for a fact that he will be successful and strong in the future."
After Asahi was forced to devour a pleasant meal of sweet seasoned chicken, string beans, and several citrus fruits, he leaned back in his chair, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. The warmth of the meal began to chase away the residual chill of the rain, allowing him a moment to reflect on the grueling challenge he had just faced.
Despite the exhaustion still weighing on his muscles, there was an undeniable sense of pride in his heart. He had pushed through when it mattered most and proved to himself, and Toivo, that he had more strength than he realized. Yet, as the room gradually quieted and the flicker of the table candles cast shadows across the wall, a small seed of doubt lingered in his mind.
Did his triumph today mean he was truly ready for what lay ahead, or was it just a fleeting success in a long line of battles to come? Asahi wondered if he would confront the shadows of his past or face adversaries greater than those he had encountered so far. The whispers of unknown dangers and the promise of personal growth beckoned him forward. With these thoughts swirling, he knew there was much more to discover about himself in the trials to follow. Toivo would resume his training inside the mansion. Would this truly spark an awakening in Asahi? Who knows?
* * * * * * *