Team Irio High sat solemnly inside their infirmary. This loss meant that they would not advance to nationals. This was their third-year students last chance.
Leon, Shura, and Kang were all third-years.
The reality was harsh.
They had to train for three years non-stop to have one chance to qualify. They hadn't participated in nationals before, as they weren't strong enough to be part of the main team.
Except Kang.
Last year, he was one of the reserve fighters and had the honor to compete in nationals. However, he never entered the ring there. It had been his dream to fight there ever since.
'The atmosphere is suffocating.' Jonathan thought as he sat in the corner.
Leon and Shura sat on the bed together with their lips tightly shut—surprisingly, even the bubbly Shura didn't dare to speak.
Kang was lying on his hospital bed, a towel covering his face. It was still clear that he was awake, as he occasionally moved his hand to smash against the mattress.
At that moment, the door opened to reveal a cold-looking Bernard with Madigan. Madigan was acting very humbly, knowing that he had to make amends for their team's failure.
"Kang, sit up." Bernard said coldly.
Kang removed the towel and sat up. His expression had gone soft. The former arrogance and pride had vanished, replaced by a look of humility and contrition.
It was as if he were a completely different person.
His right eye was covered in a small, square-shaped patch. It was going to hurt for some time, but the doctor said that it wasn't going to be permanent damage.
"All of you…" Bernard looked at his students and scoffed. "Failed me."
Leon and Shura lowered their heads. It was true that they might've underestimated their opponents.
"You're all expelled." Bernard turned and headed towards the exit, leaving his students in a shock.
"W-what?!" Jonathan exclaimed. "Even me?"
"I don't need a bunch of weaklings in my school." Bernard said in a cold tone.
"W-wait, headmaster!" Madigan sweated heavily. "W-we need Jonathan for the next year. Otherwise, our line up is looking very grim!"
"That does not matter." Bernard turned to him with a sharp eye. "You're also fired, Madigan. I don't need any of you. Karuza High can have the next two years—I don't care. I care what happens after that!"
"H-headmaster!" Shura cried out. "I-if we don't graduate, our lives will be over!"
"I don't care." Bernard said. "You should've won. Blame yourselves."
Shura's beautiful face paled. It was over. Her family was extremely harsh, and if they heard about her expulsion, they would disown her.
"Bernard, you should have some compassion." A voice came from the doorway.
Bernard turned to the door with an angry frown. "Azer, what the hell do you want?"
"I heard shouting." Azer said with a smile on his face. "I was about to go congratulate my students. I then came to check on you all."
"Mind your own business." Bernard said and tried to slam the door shut, but Azer stopped him and stepped inside to see what was going on.
"These sour faces make me sad." Azer looked at the depressed-looking students. They just found out their lives were over. "Well, let's do this—why don't you all come to my school?"
"What?" Shura's and others's expressions brightened up.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Bernard grabbed Azer by his shoulder. "I told you to mind your own business."
"You have been poaching my students for years; why can't I do the same?" Azer turned to him with a look so cold that it could freeze rivers. "Take your hand off me."
"Ngh…" Bernard pulled his hand back. He just felt like he had taken a dip in a freezing river.
"Can we really join your school?" Shura asked. "But why? You don't owe us anything. We were your enemies only moments ago."
"Enemies? Hardly." Azer chuckled and shook his head. "Just because we are rival schools competing for the same thing doesn't mean we have to be enemies. In my opinion, we are just competitors.
"Also, letting so many talented individuals's lives get ruined because of a certain grumpy old man's tantrum is just plain wrong."
"I told you…" Bernard whispered in anger and hurled his fist at Azer. "To mind your own business!"
"Look out!"
Azer turned to the fist, stomped his leg over the fist, and pushed it down to the ground.
SWOOSH!
The wind blew as if a hurricane appeared right in the middle of the room. All the students covered their heads while all the beds and tables were knocked over and sent flying across the room.
"Argh!" Bernard furiously growled.
Azer looked at him in silence. The collision between their attacks was much stronger than anything these students had ever witnessed before.
'Bernard and Azer…' Madigan's lips turned dry as he never expected them to fight each other. 'They once stood near the pinnacle of New Rakuya's martial arts world.'
Azer Karuza, age 44, Middle Stage Martial Grandmaster.
Bernard, age 44, Low Stage Martial Grandmaster.
"If we fight here, we would put everyone in the stadium in danger." Azer said. "It is time for you to leave. You know that we aren't allowed to fight outside official matches."
Bernard trembled in anger. However, even he knew the consequences if they fought here.
He turned around and stormed out of the infirmary.
"Sigh…" Azer shook his head and patted his hands. "Sorry about that, kids. Bernard usually gets emotional when he loses to me in something. It has been like that since elementary school."
"You two have known each other since you were kids?" Shura asked curiously.
"Yes. We have been in the same elementary and junior high schools together. However, at the start of high school, we went in different ways.
"Bernard moved out of Irio. The next time we met was in the national finals. I happened to win, and since then, we have had this rivalry of ours."
"You won nationals?" Leon asked in surprise.
"Yeah." Azer said with a chuckle. "I brought Irio their first-ever national victory. It has also been their only win ever since."
"Whoah…" Shura whispered in amazement.
"Was what you said true?" Jonathan asked. "Can we all join your school?"
"Of course." Azer said with a smile and then saw Kang sitting silently; he hadn't spoken a word. "What about you, Kang? Are you in need of a school?"
"And what do you need from us?" Kang asked. "I am not naive. I came from the streets. What're you after?"
Shura, Leon, and Jonathan turned to Kang with curious looks.
"There's something I need." Azer said with a chuckle. "I'll need all of you to be training partners to help them prepare for the nationals."
"That's all?" Kang asked with a frown.
"That's all." Azer said with a laugh. "There's no better option for them than the three of you."
Kang rolled his eyes and nodded. "Fine, I guess. As long as I get to graduate, I don't care."
"That's good." Azer said with a smile.
"W-what about me, mister Azer?" Madigan asked with a humble look. "I am now jobless, so I don't care what I have to do. Even being a janitor is fine!"
"Hmm…" Azer scratched his chin and patted him on the shoulder. "You can be an assistant coach. You single-handedly turned Irio High from weak to formidable. I can't let someone like you be a mere janitor."
"Thank you, sire." Madigan replied with a relieved sigh.
Jonathan sat nervously in his chair. There was something that nagged him endlessly.
'I wonder how he will react…'