As the children were dismissed, Magnolia found himself walking alongside Emma, who was fidgeting with her fingers. He glanced at her, noticing her nervousness.
"Hey, Emma, are you okay?" Magnolia asked.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Emma replied, avoiding his gaze.
"You sure? You seem nervous."
Emma hesitated before speaking. "I-I'm just worried about the fight with Sofia."
Magnolia tilted his head. "Why? You're strong too."
Emma looked down at her hands. "I don't know if I can fight her. I don't want to hurt anyone."
Magnolia nodded, understanding her concern. "Well, you don't have to hurt her. Just do your best."
Emma smiled faintly. "Thanks, Magnolia."
As they continued walking, Poison approached them, grinning from ear to ear.
"Hey, Magnolia! Ready to get your butt kicked next week?"
Magnolia looked at him, confused. "Why are you so excited about fighting me?"
"Because I want to see what you can do! Plus, I'm going to win."
Magnolia scratched his head. "Okay…"
Poison laughed. "You're no fun, superstar."
Emma giggled quietly, and Poison looked at her.
"Hey, Emma, you should watch our fight. It'll be great!"
Emma nodded shyly. "I-I will."
Poison gave them a thumbs-up before running off toward the training grounds.
Magnolia watched him go, then looked at Emma.
"He's weird."
Emma giggled again. "A little."
…
The next morning, Magnolia woke up early and headed outside to train. He stood in the middle of the training grounds, looking at his hands.
"Fire burns everything…"
He remembered the words that had echoed through his mind when he had killed the soldiers. The thought made him uneasy, but he wanted to understand his power.
Magnolia raised his right hand, concentrating. A small orange flame appeared above his palm, flickering gently.
"Okay, now what?"
He tried making the flame larger, but it quickly grew too hot. He flinched and dropped his hand, causing the fire to disappear.
"Why is this so hard?"
Magnolia tried again, focusing on keeping the flame small. This time, he managed to maintain it for several seconds before it faded.
He sighed, sitting down on the sand.
"Father, I wish you were here…"
Magnolia lowered his head, feeling the weight of his father's absence. He clenched his fists, determined to become stronger so he could find him.
"I'm going to find you, Father. I promise."
He stood up and resumed training.
…
Elsewhere, Poison was training with a group of soldiers. He held his hands out, creating a green mist that spread across the ground.
"Keep your distance from the mist!" one of the soldiers shouted.
Poison grinned, manipulating the mist into a thick cloud before sending it toward a wooden target. The wood began to dissolve as the toxin ate through it.
"Not bad," the soldier said.
Poison wiped his forehead, breathing heavily. "That's what I'm talking about!"
He turned back toward the training grounds, eager to keep improving his abilities before his fight with Magnolia.
…
Valentina was training near a water source. She lifted both hands, causing the water to rise into the air. She shaped it into several small spheres, moving them around her body before combining them into one large ball.
"Come on, stay together…"
The water trembled, then splashed back into the pool.
Valentina groaned. "Seriously?"
She tried again, concentrating harder this time. The water rose once more, forming a stable sphere.
"Yes!"
She swung her arm, launching the water into a nearby target with enough force to knock it over.
Valentina smiled, satisfied with her progress.
…
Luna stood in a garden, focusing on a small plant in front of her. She raised her hand, and the plant slowly lifted out of the ground. Its roots dangled in the air as she moved it from side to side.
"Not enough…"
She looked around at the surrounding plants, then raised both hands. Several flowers and vines began to rise, twisting and turning as she controlled them.
Luna's expression remained calm, but sweat began to form on her forehead. She gradually lowered the plants back into place.
"Better."
She continued practicing, trying to increase the number of plants she could control without exhausting herself.
…
Matthew was practicing his barriers in an open area. He raised his hands, creating a blue barrier around himself. He pushed against it, testing its strength.
"Hold…"
The barrier flickered but remained intact.
Matthew lowered his hands, breathing heavily. He knew Abraham would try to find a weakness in his defense, so he needed to make sure his barriers were as strong as possible.
He raised his hands again, forming several smaller barriers around the first one.
"Let's see you break through this."
…
Abraham sat beneath a tree, studying notes about the other recruits' abilities. He adjusted his glasses and turned to a page filled with observations.
"Matthew's barriers have a weakness at the lower corners. Valentina requires a nearby water source for larger attacks. Poison's mist can spread over a wide area, but it may also affect allies if he isn't careful…"
He paused, tapping his pencil against the page.
"Magnolia's ability is the most difficult to understand. His flames appear to be connected to his emotions, but there isn't enough information to determine the exact limits."
Abraham closed his notebook and looked toward the training grounds.
"I need more information."
…
Sofia was practicing her ability near a row of training dummies. She raised one hand, causing a dummy to stop moving in the middle of its fall. She held it there for a moment before releasing it.
The dummy hit the ground.
Sofia sighed. "I need to hold it longer."
She repeated the process several times, stopping objects in motion and gradually increasing the duration.
…
Amelia stood near a low wall, staring at the ground below her feet. She took a deep breath and slowly lifted herself into the air.
Her feet left the ground.
"I'm doing it…"
Amelia hovered a few inches above the sand, her arms stretched out to maintain her balance. She rose a little higher, but her body began to wobble.
"Wait, wait, wait!"
She dropped back onto the ground, stumbling forward before catching herself.
Amelia looked around to make sure no one had seen her fall. She brushed the sand off her clothes and tried again.
…
Kibo stood alone in the training grounds, watching the other recruits from a distance. He stretched his arms and yawned, appearing uninterested in the commotion around him.
"Everyone's so loud…"
He raised a hand, and the sounds around him gradually faded. The soldiers shouting, the children training, and the wind blowing through the nearby trees all became silent.
Kibo smiled faintly.
"Much better."
He released his ability, allowing the sounds to return.
…
Ren sat alone beneath a tree, sharpening a blade with slow, deliberate movements. He ignored the sounds of the other recruits training and focused entirely on the weapon in his hands.
A soldier approached him.
"Why aren't you training with the others?"
Ren continued sharpening his blade. "I am training."
The soldier frowned. "You know what I mean. You need to practice your abilities if you want to survive out there."
Ren stopped sharpening and looked up.
"I didn't ask to be here."
The soldier sighed. "None of you did. But the world doesn't care about what you want. You need to become strong enough to protect yourself."
Ren looked back down at his blade.
"I don't want to become a weapon."
The soldier stared at him for a moment before walking away.
Ren continued sharpening the blade, his expression unchanged.
…
As the days passed, the recruits continued to train for their upcoming fights. Some improved quickly, while others struggled to control their abilities. Magnolia spent most of his time practicing his flames, determined to understand the power that had awakened inside him.
He could now create small flames without losing control, but whenever he tried to increase their size, the heat became difficult to manage.
"Come on…"
Magnolia held out both hands, attempting to create two flames at once. One appeared above each palm, but the flame on his left hand quickly grew larger than the other.
He struggled to stabilize them.
"Stop growing!"
The left flame flared violently, forcing Magnolia to pull his hand back. It disappeared, leaving him breathing heavily.
Magnolia stared at his hands, frustrated.
"Why can't I control you?"
A familiar voice interrupted him.
"Because you're trying to force it."
Magnolia turned around and saw the general standing behind him.
"What?"
The general crossed his arms. "Your power is connected to you. If you don't understand yourself, how do you expect to control it?"
Magnolia looked down at his hands.
"I just want to get stronger."
"Then learn to control what you already have. Power without control will only hurt you and the people around you."
Magnolia remained silent, thinking about what the general had said.
The general turned to leave but stopped after a few steps.
"And Magnolia?"
Magnolia looked up.
"Don't let your emotions control you. Learn to control them yourself."
With that, the general walked away, leaving Magnolia alone with his thoughts.
Magnolia looked at his hands once more before raising them.
"Okay… one more time."
A small flame appeared above his palm.
This time, he focused on keeping it steady.
…
As the week approached its end, the recruits gathered in the training grounds. The upcoming fights had become the main topic of conversation, and each child had their own expectations about who would win.
Poison stretched his arms, looking toward Magnolia.
"Hope you're ready, superstar."
Magnolia glanced at him. "I've been training."
Poison grinned. "Good. That'll make beating you even more fun."
Magnolia sighed.
"Why are you like this?"
"Because life's boring otherwise."
Emma stood nearby, listening to their conversation. She smiled slightly, glad to see Magnolia becoming more comfortable around the others.
However, as she looked toward the training arena, her smile faded.
Her fight with Sofia was approaching, and she still wasn't sure if she could bring herself to attack her friend.
She looked down at her hands, wondering if she could find the courage to fight.
…
Poison blinked, and Kibo was no longer in front of him. Poison looked around frantically, but as soon as he turned, Kibo struck him in the face. Poison stumbled back but quickly regained his balance.
"You were so silent; I couldn't hear you. Why is that? Is it something to do with your power?" Poison asked.
Kibo smiled. "Who knows? What are you even talking about?"
"Ha… You know why we're all here. Don't play dumb."
The pharaoh observed, saying, "That boy is quite knowledgeable, isn't he?"
"Indeed, my lord," the general responded.
Power? Does this mean they all possess a power like me? Magnolia thought as he looked around at the other children.
"Nevertheless, I guess it's my turn." Poison charged forward, mist slowly seeping from his body. He threw a punch, but Kibo blocked it. Poison followed with an uppercut, but Kibo caught it with his right hand and swung at Poison with his left. To Kibo's shock, Poison caught the punch with his mouth.
"What the hell?" Kibo exclaimed as
Poison's grip on his fist tightened. "Let go, weirdo!"
Kibo managed to pull his hand free, but not without a cost. Blood dripped from his hand as he clutched his wrist. Kibo fell to his knees, dizziness overwhelming him as he grabbed his head with his uninjured hand.
Poison licked his lips, tasting Kibo's blood, and grinned as he approached. "You lost the moment you inhaled my mist. The wound on your hand just confirmed it. Tell me, is this a part of your power?"
But Kibo passed out before he could respond.
"Who knows…" Poison muttered.
After Kibo was taken to the infirmary, Saijew spoke up. "Poison will be on Squad Two since he won, and Kibo will be on Squad One. You guys get the picture."
"So, the winners and losers are going on separate teams? I presume it's based on how we perform, isn't it?" Matthew said, rubbing his chin.
"That is correct. Those who lose will receive less attention and training than the winners."
Some of the children gasped in shock, while the more confident ones smirked.
"But that's not fair," Abraham protested.
The general turned towards him with a glare. "Fair? This isn't a daycare where one kid gets more toys than the others. This is the military-no hugs, no kisses, only death and fighting. Now silence."
Magnolia and Ren stepped up as Abraham shrank from the verbal lashing. Ren slid off the table he was sitting on, and Magnolia stood from his chair, the general's words sinking deep into his mind as he and Ren made their way to the center.
"Begin!" the general commanded.
Magnolia was still lost in thought when Ren's punch connected with his face, sending him flying. Magnolia struggled to his feet, his cheek bruised. "I wasn't ready!"
"The hell? On the battlefield, am I supposed to wait for my opponent to get ready?" Ren sneered, rushing Magnolia again.
He aimed a punch at Magnolia's stomach, landing it with a grunt of pain from Magnolia. Ren then sent another fist toward Magnolia's face, but by sheer luck, Magnolia dodged it, much to Ren's surprise. He was even more shocked when Magnolia grabbed and twisted the arm still pressed against his stomach, forcing Ren to the ground.
What the hell? How did I do that?!
Magnolia had no time to think as Ren wrenched his arm free and kicked him away. Ren got up, scowling. "That was luck. It won't happen again!"
Ren went on the offensive, faking a punch that Magnolia fell for. Ren then delivered a powerful kick to Magnolia's chest, sending him flying back. Fortunately, Magnolia managed to catch himself. His head hung low, but then his right arm began to smoke, turning a bright orange. When Magnolia looked up, his expression was unreadable.
For the first time, Ren smiled.
Now this fight is getting somewhere. Ren thought.
This time, Magnolia was the aggressor, closing the distance quickly. He unleashed a punch with his flaming arm, which Ren tried to block but burned him. Ren attempted to retaliate, but Magnolia's relentless assault with his burning arm left Ren reeling. It seemed the winner was decided. Magnolia couldn't help but think.
How am I this good at combat? Does Ren not possess a power like everyone else?
Ren fell to his knees, while Magnolia stood motionless. This slight hesitation gave Ren the opening he needed. In a flash Ren vanished and sent a kick to the side of Magnolia's head.
Magnolia collapsed, and Ren emerged victorious.
Suddenly, Magnolia's body glowed a bright orange before he passed out.
"Huh?"
The general observed. "Now look at that, the sun shines… well, partially."
The general suddenly grabbed Magnolia's body and vanished, reappearing beside the Pharaoh, laying Magnolia next to him.
The Pharaoh nodded approvingly before the general returned to the arena.