"Huh?" Faust is surprised by the results. The villagers starts to laugh but the people on the stage are even more surprised. A referee from the management goes on to check if the katana or the enhancer is malfunctioned.
He hands over another straight sword to Faust. Faust takes a deep breath before he wraps his fingers around the grip.
"Haha forget it, he has no talent for it."
"You guys shouldn't have bought him into this. He cannot do anything. 'Useless' is the only.word that suits him."
"Oh my God! Try holding it tightly and the counter might give you a good 10."
The villagers starts making fun of Faust while laughing and clapping their hands looking at Faust. The prestigious test have suddenly become a comedy show.
Faust looks at the counter to only see that it is still at zero. "Your time's up!" The referee grabs the sword off his hand and channeled his energy. The counter runs to a good 3000.
"There is nothing problem with the counter, I guess this is a rare moment to ever happen." The referee concludes, turning back and bowing his head to Yang and the rest who are sitting on their thrones.
Skiouros lets out a sigh and turns towards Yang as his lips part open -"I don't think he has a talent for this. I have never seen a person with no spiritual power manifestation." He turns his head towards Faust, who is by now has become the villagers' laughing stock.
He is still on the stage with a shocking expression on his face. Gus himself looks pretty shocked. "Honestly, I feel bad for him at this moment. I don't think he can even be a guard for your island. Let alone becoming a soldier in the mainland."
"I thought he would be special, since you yourself directly enrolled him to partake in this." Skiouros passes serious and insulting judgement towards Yang's decisions with a pitiful face towards Faust.
"Faust! Kid! You can leave the stage." The announcer tells him on mic. The loud voice from the mic helps him to snap out from the shock.
He lowers his head and quietly walks back to the main stage while the villagers mocks him with insults and laughter.
He stands with his head lowered until the end of the second phase test. In the meantime, the results came out. Many people including Barkha has been selected to study in the best schools of mainland and pursue the career of a soldier by staying in the 'House Of Asura's'.
After the announcements have been done with little appreciation of words from Yang, Skiouros and Clayton. The final candidates have been decided. Roy, Caitlyn, Tim, Nick, Barkha along with other kids, a total of 'Ten' were selected and all of them are sent to wait in the contestants room.
Meanwhile, a soldier comes to Skiouros with papers in his hands. "Captain, this is the report from the three days of meetings between captains and generals. It seems that they have found out about the doc-" before the soldier finishes. Skiouros realises it a confidential information and that it shouldn't be leaked in front of Yang.
"Ahh! Yes, keep it in my room, I will check it while we are on our way back." Skiouros orders his soldier, who just understood that he is saved by Skiouros, before the important information gets leaked from his mouth.
"Ohh and by the way who is going to be my companion this tim-" before Skiouros completes his sentence, someone has cut them in.
"Oh! If it isn't Skiouros." Gus came by walking towards the two. "I am here to know when I have to start soon. So I can do my arrangements?" Gus asks with a bright smile on his face as he squints his eyes.
"Gus, I'm sorry about your-."
"Ah by the way, let me first congratulate you on your grandson's achievement." Gus cuts in between Yang's words.
"Yes, he is the third strongest in the entire village, I'm so happy with his performance but fau-".
"Ah! No wonder, we never Thought Tim would achieve this feat. But Roy's performance is as we accepted." Gus intervenes again.
He does the same couple more times without letting Yang to bring up the name of Faust during their conversation.
Yang feels that Gus's pride was hurt and doesn't want to talk about Faust so he does not push him over the edge. But as Yang, Skiouros and Gus talks about their departure, something else goes inside the head of Gus.
*"Strongest? Third in the village? Heh! Faust is probably stronger than all the kids. I have witnessed his Spiritual power. He will be the person to surpass Ares. He will be the person to answer the questions of this insane world "* Gus is thinking about a whole new thing.
Gus witnessed Faust's blood filled eyes and his aura. He knows more than anyone of what Faust is capable of. But he wants to try to avoid taking the name of Faust in front of Skiouros.
"So you guys will be leaving in 2 days!" Yang shakes the hand of Gus, he grips it tight thinking that it is his responsibility to lift the fallen spirit of Gus.
"Definitely, I will meet you after 2 days Captain Skiouros, i'm going to go take care of my preparations." Gus nods while saying and bids his farewell for two days.
He comes out of the stadium to find Faust, who is standing with his head lowered and Bella beside him, barking and growling at the villagers that are mocking Faust. But everybody stops with the laughs and become silent as they see Gus approaching Faust.
"Let's go now." Gus pats the back of Faust as they both starts walking. Faust's head is lowered all the while until they reached home.
"Y-you did good Faust." Gus utters.
"Heh! I made myself a laughing stock in front of the whole village didn't i? I should have listened to you and forfeit. But I didn't even know why I wanted to go. But you and Bella are my only family grandpa. I was sad to see that you did not come to the stadium to watch me. I wanted to do what makes you happy. So I did that on purpose."
"But what is wrong with my spiritual power? It was zero."' Faust yells as his fists are clenched and his eyes are closed trying to stop and hide his grieve in his throat.
*"He is still a ten year old kid, not able to take the loss huh."* Gus thinks as he watches with a shocked expression. He gulps and takes a deep breath before saying "Uh, let me cook something delicious for you tonight. It will help you loosen up your mood " He replies to Faust trying to cheer him up.
Faust gets more frustrated with the words of Gus, he thinks as to how Gus can take this matter quite lightly when he is seriously asking him a question here. "Let it be, I'm going to sleep, I'm tired." Faust heads to upstairs saying that.
He sits in front of a window while staring at the evening skies and birds. He quickly realises he forgot something. He reaches out to his pockets to take a piece of paper folded horizontally.
*"I wonder why Caitlyn handed me the paper without anyone noticing her "* He unfolds the paper with a faint smile, curved his lips as he gets delighted wondering what was written inside.