---
Kane's palms were sweaty, his heart pounding in his chest as he stared at Sergeant Martial. The man's smirk carried a weight that unsettled him…a predator who already knew the outcome of the hunt. The flickering light of the office only deepened the shadows under Martial's sharp eyes, making him seem larger than life.
Kane activated his appraisal skill, hoping to glean something…anything…that could give them an edge.
[Name: Sergeant Martial O'Brian]
[Grade: ????]
[Abilities: ????]
Kane's eyes widened. It wasn't just blank—it was as if the system itself recoiled from revealing Martial's stats. This was new, and not in a good way. The system had always been his safety net, a source of clarity in chaotic situations. Now, it was like walking into a battle blindfolded.
"Guys," Kane whispered, his voice tight. "I can't read him."
"What?" Liam asked, clutching his books tighter.
Leo groaned softly, the panic already creeping into his voice. "Of course you can't. He's a freaking sergeant. What did you expect?"
Martial, noticing their hushed conversation, chuckled—a deep, gravelly sound that sent chills down their spines. "Oh, don't mind me. Take all the time you need. It won't help you, though."
Kane's mind raced. Could they run? Could they fight? Neither option seemed promising. He thought back to every rumor he'd ever heard about Martial. A man said to have fought entire platoons alone. A disciplinarian who never smiled—except when he was about to crush someone.
Kane's instincts screamed at him to run, but where? The door was blocked, the walls unyielding. Martial's confidence told him that escape was futile.
Martial's smirk widened, as if he could hear Kane's thoughts. "You kids are stubborn, I'll give you that. Breaking into my academy like common thieves. But I'm feeling generous today."
"Generous?" Kane repeated, his voice tinged with disbelief.
The sergeant gestured broadly. "Let's make this interesting. One hit." He held up a finger. "Land a single hit on me, and I'll let you go. No punishments, no questions asked."
Liam leaned in toward Kane, his voice barely above a whisper. "This is suicide. He's a sergeant. A real one. You've heard the stories."
Kane knew Liam was right. Martial wasn't just any soldier—he was the soldier. And yet, the way Martial looked at them, the mocking twinkle in his eyes, told him that they didn't have much of a choice.
He glanced at Leo, who was still fidgeting by the door, tugging uselessly at the handle. "It's no good," Leo hissed. "He slammed it so hard, the knob's caved in."
Martial laughed again, louder this time, the sound echoing ominously in the room. "Come now. If I really wanted to catch you, do you think you'd still be standing there? Take this as… an impromptu training session. A chance to learn something."
"Learn what? How to die?" Leo muttered under his breath.
The weight of their stares fell on Kane. It always did, somehow. Liam with his logical warnings, Leo with his nervous energy—they both looked to Kane for direction, even when he felt just as lost as they did.
His mind churned with possibilities. The system wasn't working. The sergeant's smirk told him escape wasn't an option. And yet, he couldn't shake the sense that Martial wasn't lying. If the man wanted to take them down, he would have done it already.
Kane exhaled sharply. "Fine. We'll do it."
"What?" Liam and Leo exclaimed in unison.
Kane's voice was steady, but inside he was a whirlwind of doubt and fear. "Think about it. If he wanted to hurt us, he'd have done it by now. He's testing us. If we're smart, we might get through this without getting expelled—or worse."
Martial clapped his hands together, the sound like a gunshot in the tense room. "Good choice, boy. I like someone who can think under pressure."
He stomped his boot on the ground, and the world tilted.
A sharp blue light erupted from beneath Martial's foot, spreading outward like a wave. The floor rippled and groaned, the air itself seeming to twist and warp. Kane barely had time to register the sudden shift before the light engulfed them all.
The boys' vision blurred as the world spun violently. Leo's voice broke through the chaos, shrill and panicked. "What the—?!"
Kane felt the ground vanish beneath him, his stomach lurching as if he were falling. When the spinning stopped, he found himself sprawled on cold, rocky ground.
The blue light faded, revealing a desolate landscape under a blackened sky. Massive stone pillars jutted out of the ground, their surfaces etched with strange, glowing runes. The air was thick and heavy, buzzing with an energy that made Kane's skin crawl.
"What… what just happened?" Liam stammered, clutching his books like a lifeline.
Martial's voice echoed through the strange arena. "Welcome to the training grounds. Let's see if you've got what it takes to land that hit."
Kane pushed himself to his feet, his mind reeling. He couldn't tell if the pounding in his chest was fear or adrenaline.
And then the realization hit him like a hammer: this was no ordinary spar. This was a turning point.
If they survived this, they wouldn't just walk away unscathed. They would walk away stronger.
And Kane would finally understand what it meant to lead.
—
---
The rocky terrain stretched endlessly under a dull, overcast sky, its jagged edges and uneven paths adding to the sense of desolation. Kane groaned, his muscles aching as he pushed himself up from the ground. His entire body felt like it had been trampled by a stampede, and his thoughts were still reeling.
"Was that… his ability?" he muttered to himself, glancing around. The memory of the sudden flash of light and the disorienting sensation of being pulled through space sent a shiver down his spine. "Mass teleportation? Just who is this guy?"
His eyes landed on Liam and Leo, sprawled several feet away, looking as battered as he felt. Both were slowly recovering, rubbing sore limbs and groaning in protest. Kane scrambled to his feet, his gaze scanning the horizon before calling out, "Hey! Get over here, now!"
They didn't hesitate. Within seconds, they huddled together, their eyes filled with unease.
"What the hell just happened?" Leo asked, dusting off his cloak.
Before anyone could answer, the air shifted. The oppressive tension deepened as Martial appeared, his entrance so silent and sudden that it made all three boys flinch. He stood tall, now clad in a simple leather singlet and black military pants. His presence alone was enough to make the air feel heavier.
Martial smirked, his voice dripping with amusement. "You didn't actually think I'd let you spar in that cramped little office, did you?" He gestured to the barren expanse around them. "This is much better. Room to breathe. Room to run. Room to fail."
The boys stiffened at his tone.
"To make things fair," Martial continued, his smirk widening, "I'll restrain myself. No abilities. And I'll go easy on you." He chuckled, a sound that sent a chill down their spines. "Of course, 'easy' is relative. Let's just say… I won't break any bones this time."
Kane's gut twisted. Something about Martial's words didn't sit right. His smile was too confident, his tone too amused.
"You have twenty minutes," Martial added. "Figure out how to land a single hit. Doesn't matter how big or small. Just one hit. Simple, right?" He laughed again, a deep, mocking laugh that made Kane's fists clench.
"What if we… don't?" Kane asked hesitantly.
Martial's smile turned devilish. "Then," he said slowly, "you'll belong to me. Slaves."
The word hung in the air like a thunderclap.
"I'll take you under my wing," Martial continued, his tone darkening. "And if you aren't expelled by the end of the month, I'll make sure you regret every moment of your humanity. I'll break you in ways you can't even imagine."
Liam and Leo exchanged panicked glances. Kane felt the weight of Martial's words settle on his shoulders like a crushing boulder.
Martial turned, casually sitting on a nearby rock, his smirk never leaving his face. "The clock starts now."
---
The three boys huddled tighter, whispering frantically.
"This is insane," Liam hissed. "There's no way we can do this. Even with the training from Master Hirata, we're just kids! He's a monster!"
Leo added, "He doesn't even know we can't use our abilities. How is this even fair?!"
Kane exhaled sharply, trying to calm his racing thoughts. "It's not about fair. It's about survival."
They fell silent as he continued, his voice firm. "There's a way out of this. Look." He gestured subtly toward the far end of the field. A single door was visible, almost camouflaged against the rocky backdrop.
"You think we can just run for it?" Leo asked skeptically.
"No," Kane said. "Not all of us. But if one of us can distract him long enough for the others to escape…" He let the sentence hang, his meaning clear.
"That's risky," Liam muttered, his brow furrowed.
"It's all we've got," Kane shot back. "He hasn't seen our faces. If we can make it through that door, there's a chance we'll never get caught."
The tension was palpable. But slowly, they nodded.
"Alright," Kane said, straightening. "Let's do this." He turned back toward Martial, his fists clenching. "Stay sharp. I'll make the first move."
He took a step forward, the familiar words of his training ringing in his mind.
[Martial Arts: Phase One Initiated.]
Martial's gaze locked onto him, his smile widening. "Oh? So you're ready now?" He rose from his perch, rolling his shoulders. With deliberate slowness, he slid into a stance, his movements fluid and precise. "Let's see what you've got."
Kane felt his heart race, but he didn't waver. "Liam, Leo," he said without turning. "Stick to the plan."
And with that, the fight was about to begin.
---
A/N: I just wanted to use this medium to appreciate all my consistent readers, I'm not sure if I should call out names but I'm gonna do it anyway.
Thank you Hobo solo and of course vastreader for giving me a reason to continue this novel. Special thanks to you two and the many others who also support.
Thanks again.