I followed Leon to the training hall, wearing a jet-black compression shirt and white joggers.
Leon couldn't keep still— he was literally squirming in excitement. I raised an eyebrow and asked
"Why are you so happy about the match?"
He turned around with the widest smile and put an arm around my shoulder, retorting.
"Because one, I know you'll win, two, you'll be putting an idiot in his place and three, you'll be giving me peace from some stubborn retards."
"Sure… sure…" I mumbled.
He was basically using me for his own benefit. I wasn't particularly insulted as I was only seeing this as extra training and I had nothing to lose.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited, it wasn't my first fight against an awakener— I've already killed 4 before. Yet from the way Leon spoke, I was against someone strong. Much stronger than the fuckers who tried to rob me at Point Zero. The excitement I felt was almost euphoric.
Corvus didn't care, he was just sitting on my head like the little couch potato he is. He also eats a lot of food— I mean Leon almost passed out when he saw how this tiny creature gorged on food. The little glutton was more than happy to spend 24/7 on top of my head and look at the world from a bird's eye view. Not that I was complaining.
I walked beside Leon as we closed in on the training hall— as we approached I performed some arm circles to warm up my shoulders. I walked through the sliding doors— my head slightly tilted to the side as I took in the man waiting for me.
It was a man with striking green hair and eyes wearing a red suit. On his breast pocket was a blood-red metallic badge of a flower. The man's expression was peeved; when he spotted me, he glared at me. I mumbled to Leon.
"Who the fuck is this guy?"
Leon shrugged and crassly remarked "Some dumbass from one of the four Great Clans wanting to test my disciple. They're just pissed I didn't take in their runt."
I nodded as my face hardened. I did not want to be involved with anyone for now— Leon was enough for me, I didn't want to be coerced into a Clan or anything. So right there and then I planned to keep my identity a secret from this man. I then walked towards the grumpy fuck and stood opposite him— my features maintaining an aloof expression.
"So you're the nameless Horton took in… You've got weird eyes." The man spat.
I nodded before replying impassively "Heterochromia."
The man looked at me for a moment before introducing himself.
"I am Geoffrey Hammond, representative of the Great Magnolias Clan, I will be evaluating your performance today and you are?"
"My name's not important, let's get on with it." I retorted, maintaining my impassive gaze.
Geoffrey's temple bulged with a vein at my crass reply, mumbling bitterly under his breath.
"Insolent just like his mentor."
He cleared his throat before speaking out loud "All right then, we'll be sparring one on one— to make things fair due to our IMMENSE gap in skill. If you land one hit on me… you win and we shall acknowledge your education under Horton."
My eyes widened incredulously as I raised an eyebrow.
'That's it… Leon was right, this was going to be easy.'
"Sure whatever you say Jeffrey, I don't think I need your clan's blessing to learn under Leon but why not." I answered bluntly as I took a fighting stance.
I swear I could see steam coming out of the man's ears, I think I made him a bit angry. Eh… who gives a shit, I certainly don't. Leon who stood between us acting as the ref giggled under his breath.
"Pfft— he said Jeffrey…"
"It's Geoffrey, insolent child, you dare sully me and the great Magnolias Clan. You will be sorry… very well let's begin." Geoffrey huffed barely holding in his anger.
We both got into our fighting stances, I started to take in deep breaths as I steeled my mind for the match. Geoffrey smirked relishing in the idea of maybe crippling me for life, whereas I thought about humiliating both him and the clan he kisses ass for.
Leon began the countdown for the match— in a deep emanating voice, echoing throughout the room. He took out his phone to record the match so that he can log it to tweak my training.
"3… 2… 1… FIGHT!"
"Hyperdrive…" I quietly mumbled.
A flash.
Mana crackled in the air, blue electricity warping around my right foot— my calves tensing impossibly, veins popping as I burst forward.
BRRZZZTTT!
Before Geoffrey couldn't move, he couldn't react. All he saw was a pair of heterochromatic eyes staring at him, overflowing with apathy. My body hurtled to him at immense speed. The man was too overconfident and got cocky. I focused the mana into my left arm before planting my foot into the ground in front of him.
BOOM!
My fist collided with his liver region with breath-taking force. Geoffrey's face contorted not with pain but with shock— the punch was far too weak to harm him yet he couldn't believe the nameless brat caught him off-guard. His red suit shredded into confetti where my fist had collided.
Only 2 seconds had passed and it was all over. Geoffrey lost.
I stared into his soul, my blank eyes mocking him.
"You lost, does your gracious clan acknowledge me now?" I snarkily commented as I turned around, walking towards the exit.
Leon walked with me, a smile curling up his lips as he relished in my victory. He was patting my back with unbridled joy. For him, he finally had peace from the nagging clans.
"Hey look no broken bones this time." He chirped.
I let out a soft chuckle as I nodded, I was finally able to withstand the force of [Hyperdrive] but only to the point where it didn't break my bones. It still rattled my bones to the point where it was hard for me to even hold things.
Corvus— somehow, I don't even know how, managed to stay on top of my head the entire time and didn't even care that he was moving at tremendously fast speeds. This guy was a different breed.
Geoffrey watched our backs with an incredulous gaze— he'd been humiliated to the highest degree. If the higher-ups were to hear of this, no… the patriarch. He was finished. He felt his wrath boiling from within his core, overflowing. The only thing he knew would help recover the humiliation faced to both him and the Magnolias Clan— was to either cripple or eliminate Leon Horton's disciple.
If he did that he could say that the child had insulted the clan's honour or some random bullshit excuse. Blinded by his rage— he used his fire affinity to manifest flames in his hands.
"INSOLENT CHILD YOU DARE SULLY THE MAGNOLIAS CLAN!" Geoffrey roared as he blasted himself forward, using his flames as rockets. Closing onto me at blinding speeds. I turned around confused, wondering what on earth that god-awful voice was. Only to be met with a fist engulfed in a roaring crimson flame, ripping through the air to my face.
"Fucking hell…" Leon huffed as he took a step back.
CRACK!
SNAP!
SQUELCH!
Leon didn't even do much— he didn't even look at Geoffrey. He just made Geoffrey's jaw meet his elbow within a second. With the speed Geoffrey was hurtling towards me and the force Leon put into his backwards elbow strike.
He smashed in Geoffrey's jaw— like it crumpled against Leon's elbow. His incisors being forcefully pushed back to the back of his throat. Geoffrey screamed in agony as he held his caved-in jaw with his hands. Blood spilling like a faucet from the exposed flesh— Geoffrey looked at Leon with fear.
His teeth fell like dominoes onto the concrete floor onto the pool of blood that was forming.
Leon's mana spilled to the environment around him— the air crackling with energy as an intense overbearing pressure befell the room. I couldn't breathe— I just saw my life flash in front of my eye, everything happened so fast I could barely process any of it. Leon's wrath-filled gaze bore into Geoffrey's soul. The pressure was so intense it woke up Corvus— who I could sense was scared and confused. Poor little guy.
Leon's voice became sinister and charged with mana as Geoffrey's body crumpled to the floor under the immense pressure. Geoffrey realised he fucked up big time— his emotions got the best of him.
"Geoffrey… go back to your clan just like that— fix yourself up and come clean with the shameful act you just did. Or else the next time I see you, I'll tear your fucking head off and mail it to your wife myself. You're lucky that my disciple's here or else I would've killed you by now."
Geoffrey nodded fearfully— gargling an incoherent response. Leon's mana subsided and the pressure dissipated. I took heaving breaths as Geoffrey stood, his legs trembling.
Leon then snapped his gaze to a security guard at the entrance of the training hall.
"Get him the fuck out… NOW!"
The security guard ran frantically to Geoffrey and escorted him out from the building with haste.
Once we were alone— I had to sit down. It was all too much for me to handle, I almost just fucking died. Corvus was shaking on my head, still terrified from the pressure that Leon bore on the entire hall.
Leon then looked at me with a sheepish smile.
"Sorry about that— you really saw a pathetic side of me."
I shook my head to say no before stammering.
"No no no… don't be sorry if it weren't for you I'd have a flaming fast right through my skull."
We both awkwardly laughed before an equally awkward silence fell. This was then broken when I quietly spoke.
"Thanks… thanks a lot. For everything— you've saved my life twice now. Point Zero and now— and for all the training. Thank you so very much. Ugh fuck… I'm not good with this sentimental shit but thanks.
By the time I finished thanking Leon, my head was buried in my knees as my face went red with embarrassment. Just to remind you, even though I talk casually. I am very… very socially inept. Leon's lips turned into a warm smile before he laughed his ass off.
"It's alright… pfft… You don't have to thank me… pfft…"
He was barely holding himself together whilst I went red to my ears. Even Corvus was mocking me now— he had calmed down and was mewling as he was hopping on my head like a pogo stick.
Just then Leon's phone rang, his ringtone unsurprisingly the mario kart theme song. He's obsessed with it and he's a beast at it himself. He annihilated me once when I challenged him to a race.
He took out his sleek cellular device and picked up the call with a smile and his voice considerably more high-pitched and lovey-dovey.
"Hey Mini!"
Me and Corvus simultaneously cringed at both the voice and his nickname for Minerva. I could feel Corvus cringing so hard that he buried his face in my hair.
"Oh yeah. Wait he did! Fuck yeah, I'll tell Kerry now. Buh bye babe!" Leon then cut the call.
'Kerry… Did he just call me Kerry?!'
The nickname felt heartwarming when I heard it from my mother back in the dreamscape… but when he said it I wanted to crawl into a hole and fucking die.
"Is that what you call me when I'm not there?" I stammered incredulously.
Leon just laughed again, the guy was wheezing like a kettle at this point. After wiping a tear that had formed, he gathered his breath before yelling out loud.
"KERRY GET READY WE'RE GOING TO NEW WASHINGTON AWAKENED ACADEMY! THE HEADMASTER FINALLY FUCKING AGREED TO SEE YOU!"
"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" I yelled back.
"Too late Kerry! HAHAHA!" He swiftly exited the training hall.
"Fucking bastard!" I ran off chasing him.