Days passed and training hardened, growing tougher with each session. Some students began to notice their strength increasing. After class, Takumi and Ryu still found time to scavenge. Most days turned up nothing worth keeping, but sometimes they got lucky. The money was split between them and spent on food, though both boys kept a small savings habit.
As they trained together, they noticed the changes in their bodies and never failed to compliment one another. Takumi sometimes bragged that he could take down Kei, Isamu, and Tatsuo all on his own. Ryu laughed.
"Well, now I have nothing to fear," Ryu said.
Takumi looked at him. "Don't you ever want to hit those bastards hard and break them?"
Ryu smiled faintly. "I don't truly believe anyone is just bad. It is their life, the way they have been pushed, that makes them who they are. Maybe that is the only way they know to show pain and anger. For me, I know who I am, and that is what matters to me."
Takumi laughed. "Woah, you sound like a real saint now. How long have you been practicing that line?"
He went on without letting Ryu reply. "So, are you saying you will never fight back?"
Ryu looked him in the eyes.
"There is a thin line between bad and evil. When someone crosses that line, I believe everyone must be ready to fight. But that does not mean those who do not cross it should be forced to stay insulted and suffer forever".
As they climbed the slope, Takumi asked, "Then how can one know when the line is crossed, and what will happen after?"
At the top, Ryu pointed toward the path stretching ahead. "The answer to both your questions lies in front of you."
Takumi's expression faded. Ryu's voice grew heavier. "We are the living proof of what happens. The sad thing is, we were not the only ones who paid the price. This land, once a paradise, has become a reflection of hell."
Takumi sat for a moment, watching the distant city hum. A plane cut through the air above. He saw a cargo ship marked with the symbol of Echelon.
"So are you saying that you will fight against three gods?" he asked.
Ryu's small smile returned. "Yes, my friend, when the time comes I will. Even gods must be reminded that they face consequences. Power left unchecked benefits no one."
Fear spread across Takumi's face even though he tried to hide it. Ryu noticed.
"Stand up and walk past him?" Takumi muttered as he rose.
"That is some death wish," Ryu said. "Maybe you need to stand up for yourself first."
"You can't even defend yourself in class," Takumi shot back. "You get beat up almost every day and now you say you're going to face them? You're delusional. If you are going to remind me that you were taught by that old man Kazuki, I will push you down myself."
Ryu laughed and moved to his side. "It's Kazumi, you idiot. Yes, he was my first teacher. Besides, the morons in class are no threat to me. That is why I didn't fight back."
"If that is the case, I want to see it myself. Why don't you take down Kei? If you do, I will believe you," Takumi said coldly.
He worried for his friend. If Ryu said something like this in public, he would be skinned alive.
"Bye," Takumi added and walked away before Ryu could reply. With a deep sigh, Ryu pulled his skateboard from his bag and rode off.
The next day, Takumi was silent. Ryu tried to talk to him, but Takumi ignored him.
As usual, Atlas called everyone to the hall. After warmups, sparring began. Kei dominated the ring. No one dared enter when he was in it. Atlas liked to push the students. "We only want the strong. The rest would do better dead. Such a waste of meat," he said.
Atlas looked at Takumi. "It is your turn, brat. Get in the ring."
Before Takumi could move, Ryu stepped forward. "This time I will go," he said.
Takumi froze. Ryu still wore a small smile. Lyra's eyes widened. Some students were already betting this was the end of Ryu's story.
Lyra stepped forward and took Ryu's hand. The hall went silent.
Ryu felt sweat bead on his forehead. His gaze locked on hers. He could barely look away. Kei's anger flared. Isamu and Tatsuo moved to the side.
"Looks like that douche will steal your girl before you even have a chance," one sneered.
Lyra whispered, "I know you can win this, Ryu," and let go of his hand.
Takumi stood frozen.
Ryu climbed into the ring, his head spinning. The class noise felt distant.
Atlas moved to the side. "There is no bell, you idiots. Fight."
Kei lunged, swinging a punch at Ryu's face. Ryu had no time to react. The blow knocked him down.
"Oh, I wish this fool dies in the ring," Takumi muttered, hands clasped as if praying. "Or the Lords' army will burn him and his mother alive. At least this way she might survive."
Ryu sprang to his feet. The beating had awakened him. Kei attacked again and again, but Ryu dodged with fluid motion.
"How can he move like that?" students murmured.
"Finish him!" Kei's friends shouted.
Ryu did not strike. He flowed around Kei, draining his energy. Kei's anger boiled. He lunged with reckless force and landed a punch. Blood ran from Ryu's nose, but a small smile appeared. Kei began to wonder if he had been playing with them all along.
Kei spat to taunt him. "I heard you have no father. No one knows if he is alive or dead. I can make sure that is not the case for your trash mother."
The words pierced Ryu's chest. His smile vanished.
In the next instant, Ryu's fist shot out. It came so fast and strong that Kei flew across the ring. Kei scrambled to rise but froze as Ryu advanced. Fear like never before washed over him.
Takumi's face said it all. "So all those training stories he told were true," he whispered.
Lyra's face shone. She had never spoken to Ryu, but she always noticed him. Now, something inside her brightened.
Kei rose, charging again. Ryu caught his wrist, pulled him in, and drove his right leg into Kei's chest. The hall went silent.
Isamu and Tatsuo leapt into the ring.
"It is against the rules, sir!" Takumi shouted.
"There are no real rules in the world," Atlas said.
Tatsuo tried to attack from behind. Ryu countered and threw him down. Isamu jumped from the stands. Ryu ran, grabbed him by the collar, flipped him through the air, and slammed him into the ground. The ring shook. A few students fainted.
What they had seen was not a slum boy. It was a beast awakening, ready to hunt.
"That is enough. Get back to class," Atlas commanded. "Take the injured to the medical examiner."
Students scrambled as the tension broke and the instructors moved in.
Ryu's eyes scanned the crowd. He saw Lyra smiling gently as she walked back to class.
He looked at Atlas, who was observing and writing something down.
Takumi rushed over and grabbed him. "Come on. We need to get to the locker room."
Ryu nodded and followed silently.