---
Under the starry night, a man was hitting a tree relentlessly. Each blow echoed in the silence, a sharp, brutal shock, followed by the cracking of the wood and the man's gasping breath. Again. And again. His fists, covered in blood, left dark marks on the wounded bark. The muscles in his arms contracted, trembled, almost refusing to obey, but he continued — stubborn, as if stopping meant dying.
Fatigue gnawed at his body. His knees bent under his own weight, his chest heaved violently with every stolen breath. Sweat mingled with blood, running down his forearms until dripping onto the damp ground. His ragged breath resonated in the cold air, breaking with each exhalation the heavy silence of the night.
He raised a last trembling fist, hesitating, and hit again — a desperate blow, void of strength but full of rage. The impact made a small shard of bark burst, which fell slowly, like ash.
???: — Fuck...
The word escaped in a hoarse whisper, barely audible, almost swallowed by the wind. His eyes, reddened from fatigue, got lost in the mist rising from the ground. His vision blurred, the stars above seemed to dance, blending into the void. His heart was pounding a thousand times a minute, hitting his ribcage like a war drum. His hands trembled, his legs wavered, his breath burned his lungs.
Everything, in his broken posture, in his hesitant movements, in his empty gaze, proved that he had reached the limit of his body and mind.
That Taeki… had reached his limit.
He tried to throw another punch, despite the crushing fatigue consuming every part of his being. His arms, numb, seemed to weigh tons. His short, jerky breath collided with his dry throat. Yet, he did not stop. His joints cracked, his fist sliced through the air… but even before the impact came, his body froze, abruptly.
A violent vertigo overwhelmed him, his vision blurred, and everything toppled. His legs gave way at once.
He would have hit the ground if a firm hand hadn't caught him. A hand he knew.
Nine.
The young man held him by the shoulders, pulling him slightly backward to prevent him from collapsing completely.
Nine: — Don't you think you should rest a bit?
His voice, usually calm, trembled slightly. He cast a quick glance around them: the clearing was silent, lit only by the moon and the faint silver reflections on the leaves. The wind lifted the dust and made the strands of sweat-stuck hair on Taeki's face flutter.
Nine continued, in a softer tone:
— We've been here for a week. You've made a lot of progress. It's obvious your numinous energy is starting to move, at least a little.
He spoke sincerely, but the fatigue in his own voice suggested he had spent these days watching him, worried, helpless.
Taeki remained silent. His gaze was lost, empty, as if fixed on something only he could see. His chest rose rapidly, seeking a breath that no longer came. Then, without warning, he pushed Nine away with an elbow, sharp, almost instinctive.
The contact made Nine stagger a step, surprised.
Taeki, also wavering, took a step forward. Then another. His fists trembled, but he clenched them, until his knuckles whitened.
— It's not enough… he murmured.
His voice was extinguished, almost broken.
He moved forward again toward the tree, eyes fixed on the red and dark marks left by his fists. The wood, cracked in places, bore the mark of his rage. He raised his guard, arms trembling, and hit. The sound echoed in the air like a painful echo. Then he hit again. And again. Each impact sent a wave of pain through his arms, shoulders, even into his chest.
Blood began to flow from his knuckles, mingling with the dust on the ground. His breathing became wheezy, his burning breath forced him to squint. Pain was no longer a barrier, only background noise.
Nine, his gaze tense, watched for a moment without saying anything. Then, seeing Taeki stagger while raising his arm again, he stepped forward quickly and grabbed him harshly by the collar.
Nine: — If you keep going like this, you'll regret it!
His tone cracked, full of concern and contained anger.
Taeki slowly raised his eyes to him. His pupils were dilated, almost insane. His jaw tensed, and his voice came out like a muffled roar:
Taeki: — So what?!
The silence that followed was heavy, almost suffocating. Only the irregular beating of their breaths could be heard, mingled with the rustling of the wind.
Nine frowned, his hand still gripping his friend's collar.
Nine: — What? You're going crazy, huh?
Taeki gave him a dark look, filled with demented determination.
Taeki: — I've never been this close to reaching the next level! And you, you want me to slow down?! When I can finally get closer to Kaiser's level?!
His voice rose, hoarse, broken. The veins on his neck stood out, his breathing trembled, each word seeming to come at the price of invisible pain.
Nine froze. For a moment, he no longer saw the friend he knew, but a man consumed by obsession.
Nine: — Wasn't it you who told me not to base your entire life on revenge? he said in a tense voice, brows furrowed, almost pleading.
Taeki averted his gaze, a shadow passing through his eyes.
Taeki: — But this… this is totally different… he whispered, before raising his head, voice stronger, trembling with emotion. I'm in full training, Nine. And if I want results… I have to give it my all!
His hands, though exhausted, rose once more.
He took a step toward the tree, faltering, shoulders low, breath trembling. The wind lifted a little dust around them. Nine remained still, hesitating to stop him by force or let him go all the way.
Taeki closed his eyes for a moment, and in that brief silence, his heart beat so hard it could have been believed about to explode.
???: — Hey, beauties, come here for two seconds…
The voice echoed in the forest, cutting the heavy silence of the night. Laughter followed, discordant, mocking. The leaves quivered under their steps, and soon, three figures emerged from the shadows.
Nine turned his head, eyes squinting, on the defensive.
Nine: — Do we know each other? he asked in a wary tone, already ready to act.
Bandit #1: — Not yet, but don't worry… we'll get to know each other.
A predatory smile appeared on his lips as he stepped forward.
Taeki, still out of breath, frowned.
Taeki: — Wait, Nine. I know all the thugs around here… it's impossible that they come from here.
His voice trembled slightly, torn between curiosity and suspicion.
Nine stepped forward, his gaze quickly scanning each face.
Nine: — So that means they come from the "Dragon Nest," huh? he murmured. They're probably here to reduce our numbers as much as possible before we move.
Bandit #3: — Exactly, red streak. You're smarter than you look.
Nine gave an ironic smile, but his gaze remained cold.
Nine: — Perfect. Then I'll deal with them, quickly. You, rest a bit.
Taeki: — No, wait! Let me handle it.
Nine: — Seriously? You can barely stand, Taeki. In your state, you couldn't even beat a ten-year-old.
Taeki stared straight into his eyes.
Taeki: — I know… but I feel it, Nine. I'm about to break through this wall. The one stopping me from going higher.
While speaking, he removed his sweat-soaked white shirt. His hair, stuck to his skin, slipped slightly as he lifted it slowly. The cool night air brushed against his burning skin.
Nine remained silent for a moment, hesitating. Then, seeing the burning determination in his friend's eyes, he slowly nodded.
It was the signal.
Taeki dashed. His body, still sore, tensed like a bow. He rushed toward the nearest bandit and raised his fist to strike.
But at the last moment —
Taeki: — Hk…!
A metallic glint cut through the air. Bandit #3 had drawn a long knife, swinging it at Taeki's face. The blade barely grazed his eye, leaving only a fine cut on his cheek.
Bandit #3: — So, less cocky now, huh?
Taeki tried to retaliate, but his body, exhausted, refused to obey. His muscles gave way. Before he could step back, two arms grabbed him from behind, holding him firmly.
Bandit #2: — Hahaha, so, hero, what now?
Nine: — TAEKI!
Bandit #1 raised his knife, pointing it at Taeki's stomach.
Bandit #1: — If you move, we'll stab him, red streak.
Nine's blood ran cold. He clenched his fists, eyes fixed on the blade. The next moment, the blows began.
Bandit #3 unleashed himself on Taeki, laughing between each strike. The blows rained down: fists, knees, kicks. Taeki's blood splattered on the ground.
Nine: — Stop it!
But the bandits did not listen. The first one's mocking laugh echoed, distorted by the violence of the scene.
… Then something changed.
The air, until then heavy and calm, began to vibrate. An invisible, dense, cold wave spread throughout the forest. The leaves shivered, the ground cracked slightly under their feet. Silence became total — even the insects seemed to stop.
Nine stepped back, breathless.
A shiver ran down his spine.
Bandit #1: — What…
A green light, at first timid, began to escape from Taeki's body. At first a barely perceptible glow, like a reflection on his skin. Then, suddenly, the light began to pulse, in rhythm with his heart.
Boump… Boump… Boump.
Each beat made the air tremble, lifting dust around him. His blood, still flowing from his wounds, began to glow green before slowly vaporizing. His veins outlined under his skin, radiating energy.
Taeki slowly raised his head. His gaze was no longer that of a man. His pupils had become incandescent green, his irises vibrating like two contained flames. The wind began to whirl around him, howling, whipping the ground.
Bandit #2: — Damn, what is… that?!
Taeki took a deep breath. A long, hoarse, almost animalistic exhale. His aura exploded at once, throwing the bandits backward. The ground cracked beneath his feet, as if his body was rejecting human limits.
Bandit #1: — ARKH—!!
Taeki freed himself with a sharp movement, breaking Bandit #2's grip as if it had never existed. Then, with a fluid step, he pivoted and delivered an inhumanly violent punch to the first bandit's jaw. The impact sent the body flying like a rag doll, hitting a tree with such force that the bark splintered.
Silence returned, crushing.
The wind stopped, suspended in the air. Even Nine, used to his friend's extreme training scenes, remained petrified. Before him, Taeki stood, head lowered, fists trembling. The green aura rose from his body like a living flame, oscillating between light and mist.
---
Human beings…
Fragile, weak, malleable creatures.
They are born without claws, without fangs, without a shell. Yet, they survive. Worse — they adapt.
What makes them unique is not their strength. It's not their intelligence. It's this primitive and divine mechanism inscribed deep within their cells: the instinct to survive.
When the body approaches death, when every fiber burns, when pain exceeds reason, then something triggers.
An ancient memory.
A pulse engraved in their flesh since the dawn of their existence.
And at that precise moment, the body changes.
It twists, rewrites itself, surpasses logic to no longer be a mere organism, but an entity ready to do anything to avoid disappearing.
Some call it instinct.
Others, evolution.
But in Taeki… it was something else.
His body had crossed a limit that few human beings could reach. His inner energy — forged by rage, suffering, and perseverance — had just united with something deeper: numinous energy.
His breath vibrated like a contained storm. Each inhalation made the air shiver, each heartbeat produced an echo resonating in the surrounding trees.
His muscles, exhausted minutes ago, were firming again, his gaze gaining clarity, and pain… no longer existed.
Nine, astonished, murmured in a breath:
— … He did it.
Taeki slowly raised his eyes to him. An almost imperceptible smile appeared on his face.
And, in the green light of his awakening, he spoke in a calm, grave, almost inhuman voice:
— I told you… I'm finally ready to surpass this wall.