High at its perch, the Sun blazed with scorching heat towards the land below. As it shined, its rays reflected off iron short swords that rang and clang in conflict. Dotted in the green pasture of the endless plains of a new world, a group of people circled around four figures. Three, acting in conjunction, struck fast and hard with their swords against a sole figure who simply stood defenseless. As the trio attacked though, the statuesque figure exploded with movement. For every strike backed by grunts and curses that the trio of men executed, the sole figure merely deflected or dodged with a comical ease. Bobbing and weaving through their formation, the lone man’s sword shot out like a barbed tongue, nicking and scratching each of the three men every time they bad a mistake. Most noteworthy of all though, were the faces that the four men expressed. The trio all struck with ferocious, yet already defeated expressions that left little hope of their victory. In turn, the lone figure merely furrowed his brow as a placid look of muted displeasure could be seen.

As the farce of battle continued for a little longer than a minute, the expression the lone man made only worsened. It wasn’t until one of the three fighters before him tripped up his own ally that Zero, the lone man, erupted with an explosion of speed that left the three fighters reeling. Their defense lasted for but a moment before they feel defeated to the ground.

In their defeat, silence and bitter shame touched their features. Surrounding them though, the remaining group of people that were apart of the training merely looked on in understanding. There was nothing to be ashamed of in their defeat. It was a fact that they would’ve told the trio. But, it was not their place.

“Mediocre,” Zero called to the trio of men. His cold voice, seemingly disinterested, broke the silence that surrounded the group as his eyes raked over the three collapsed figures. “Dan, your positioning is always one step behind the others. You need to act in conjunction with them. Miguel, you need to think about what you are doing. Charging in blindly and swinging your sword without a plan will get you killed. And as for you Weasel...er, I mean Ethan, you need to stop thinking. Fighting goes too fast for you to think about what your opponent will do, how to best act in response, and then carry out that action. I move, you move. It is a dance, one with blades and fists, but one that requires you to see and react in a split second.”

As he spoke, his eyes found others in the crowd of fighters that surrounding him. He needed them to know that his words were not only for the three before him. Everyone could benefit from the lessons learned by another. But...to suffer firsthand was truly an eye-opening experience. Especially for those unable to learn without their weaknesses and mediocrity being exposed.

“Xavier, Reggie, Veronica.”

Returning to the middle of the circle, Zero merely called out the next three opponents. The three, having trained in their pairing for the last day, stepped out as every other trio did. Paced together, weapons already at the ready, as their eyes focused solely on Zero. The only difference between them and the others, was the predatory smile that Xavier displayed as he more so sauntered forward then walked. Already, Zero wanted to wipe the boy’s grin from his face.

“Begin.”

Not a second after he spoke the word, the trio pounced forward in a rapid assault. Xavier in the lead, with Reggie and Veronica flanking him as they spread out to pincer Zero. Seeing their approach, Zero nodded in appreciation. They weren’t stupid enough to advance without each other or without a true plan. But in the face of true power, of an insurmountable might, plans equated to nothing. Afterall, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. How they responded afterwards was what mattered.

So, with eyes that hinted at their misfortune, Zero stepped forward. First, he would show them the futility of their ability. Thus, as the trio finally reached striking distance, Zero reacted. Feet twirling and tapping on the grass, he weaved through their sword strikes and slashes. Surrounded and trapped by the three, his body moved to openings that he saw coming a mile away. Eyes, hooded in the dark of his pupils, watched their over exaggerated swings and hasty charges. All the while, his hands remained at his side. Tapping the handle and hilt of his sheathed sword.

Then, as a minute passed and the fatigue of the disorganized assault set in, Zero’s fingers stopped tapping on the hilt. Immediately, a sense of fright appeared on the trio’s faces as they tried to withdraw. Zero only smirked to himself in his head. There would be no escape from his onslaught. Because now, he would expose their weaknesses.

With a hum, the short sword slide free and cleaved through the air. The speed at which it moved, the power that it contained, the control that he had in the sword. It was here, through those years of struggle, that his skills came to bare on these innocents that stood like lamb to the slaughter before him. The sword, light and deadly in his hands, danced and twirled in the air. Like a whirlwind, it whipped and crossed through the space between all three of his prey. Drawing blood and curses as the blade cut and nicked and pierced their skin. Each strike, faster than any of them could react, always cut just enough to draw blood before darting away to find a new target. As he assaulted them, playing with them and opening their eyes to true skill, Zero made his final move.

With a blistering speed backed by Runes of absolute power, Zero cleaved through their defenses with merely a single sword strike. In three slashes, the trio was on the ground and they were served the final lesson. The true distinction between them, and him. The difference, between a warrior, a killer, and them.

Then, just as soon as the assault started, it ended. The sword, wiped clean of any blood, hissed back into its sheath as Akuma turned his back on the trio and looked to those around him. “Reggie, while your effort was commendable, you rely too much on the Runes and less on true skill. As for you Veronica, the fact that you kept your calm throughout the fight and reacted to support your two partners showed skill. It also showed weakness. You are scared. You have the right to be scared, but it has no right to control you. And, as for you Mullet, I must -”

Before Zero could finish his sentence, a churning of power from behind him erupted forth with Mullet’s frustrated scream. “My name is not Mullet! It is Xavier you freak! Xavier! XAVIER!”

With a roar, guttural and deep in resentment, Zero watched from the corner of his vision as Xavier activated his ability, [Aegis], before springing forward with gold covered hands outstretched. Around him, the surrounding crowd reacted with most trying to step forward to end the dual. Before they could though, Zero struck. Turning on his heel, Zero lowered his center of gravity and sent his body rocketing into a spin. The next instant, a blur of a roundhouse kick connected with Xavier’s chest. As it connected, for a brief moment, the two remained in a deadlock of power. Then, a muffled explosion of air silenced the shocked crowd as Xavier was sent flying ass over end.

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Watching with ire as Xavier was surrounded by others in his crew, Zero’s harsh voice spoke to the gasping Xavier. “This...” he proclaimed while waving at Xavier, “is why you are weak. This, is why you must train.”

In response, the crowd looked around and everywhere else but Zero’s eyes. The weight of his words pressed down on them, but the anger in his voice sent chills through them. Even Xavier, hacking up his lungs, felt the burden of Zero’s words. He felt the anger in his eyes as Zero leveled his gaze at him. But as Zero did, he waited. It didn’t take long for the Xavier to speak.

“Why,” he said in between fits of coughing that raked his hyperventilating body. “Why are you doing this to us? Why are you torturing us?”

The accusation in Mulle-...Xavier’s voice was pitiful. It was like a child crying at why he was disciplined for pulling someone’s hair.

“Because it is my duty,” Zero hissed loudly in his chilling voice. His eyes, drilled into Xavier’s own before changing to glance at those around him. “Only you can choose what you want. Whether you are willing to struggle to achieve strength, or if you are okay with wallowing in suffering and weakness. I can’t make that choice for you. But,” he spoke sharply while tapping his sword handle in an offbeat rhythm, “if you choose strength, than it is my duty to train you. To prepare you. It is why I...why I am here.”

“THIS ISN’T TRAINING! This...this is torture.” Xavier’s wide eyes gleamed with a frustration that he was unable to express. It gave Zero some modercrom of satisfaction. Still, glancing at the surrounding fighters that nodded at Xavier’s words, Zero sighed internally before recalling the words Omar, his fellow Hero of Humanity, once told him. The words that sustained him as Omar pushed him in the 6th Zone to become as great as he was.

“Creation and destruction go hand in hand. To become great, to attain the strength that you want, requires that you kill off your weakness. That you cut away the excess, the fat, the emotions, the hesitancy, the mental barriers. But to fully transform requires more than just removing what you are. It requires that you become what you need, and what others need of you. That you find your strength, find your ability, how far you will go and how much you will suffer. I am not torturing you. I am training you in the way you need to be trained. Tell me, do you think this is a game? Do you think yourself strong? You are nothing. I am nothing.”

The passion of the speech, one that echoed for years in Zero’s mind, impacted the fighters around him.As Zero saw his words bury themselves into their beings, he nodded before finishing off the speech. These though, were his own words. Words that Omar could never find, because he only knew killing and not love.

“But, let me tell you something.” His words brought the heads of those around him back to focus on his own as he spoke in remembrance. “You, standing before me here and now, are already on the path to greatness. You can’t stop now. To tread down this path, this road, requires that you keep moving forward. So keep moving forward. For yourself, for your loved ones, for your ideals. Remember them, your drive that will push you when you can’t push yourself. But for now,,” he declared in a lighter tone as the dying sun’s rays gave his tone a honey’d warmth, “rest for the remainder of the day. Tonight is the last day here. Be prepared.”

As Zero’s words ended, many individuals had a new hope in their eyes. The fire that was there previously after a night of triumph, the fire that Zero crushed beneath his skill and power, kindled once more under his words. Still, not all cared. Xavier, and others in his group of misfits, snorted and rolled their eyes before moving back toward the campfire. Zero watched for an instant, eying their forms, but remaining quiet. He couldn’t change a person. He could only equip them with the ability to change themselves.

Xavier and his crew weren’t the only ones left unsatisfied by his words. While many of the group walked past with words of respect and thanks, a tattooed woman stood with transfixed as she looked at Zero. Seeing Rose, donned in clothes scavenged from the deceased in the group, Zero couldn’t shake the humor in her appearance. Tattoos that covered her arms and stomach gave the petite girl with short hair a badass appearance. Her shaking shoulders and the conflicting emotions in her eyes however spoke of an innocence that wouldn’t last long in this world.

Yet before he could pivot away from her or think of a reasonable excuse to extract himself from the others, a familiar voice that brought a sense of helpless towards Zero appeared.

“Zero!” A chirpy voice called out behind him. As soon as he heard it, an inner pleading to God at what sin he committed to deserve this treatment surfaced in his mind. God did not answer, but the same chirpy tone of Abigail's voice did. “Trying to run from me stranger? Come now sweetie. I won’t bite.”

Zero’s face went rigid as the sarcastic purr from Abigail reached his ears while her dainty fingers touched his forearm. With a flinch though, Zero backed away while keeping his eyes trained on Abigail. Head cocked to the side and with dimples from her grin showing, Abigail looked every bit as innocent as an Angel. Instead of lowering his guard, Zero only raised it. If the past days have taught him anything of the girl, it was that she was more than just an innocent teen. She might preach the lord’s work and teachings, but she was every bit a crusader like Joan of Arc.

“I wanted to thank you,” she began while fidgeting with something behind her back. “So, myself and a few others made something for you. It’s just a trinket, but I know you’ll enjoy it. So,” she uncovered the item with a feline grin, “here ya go.”

Watching with suspicion, Zero spotted a necklace with four large fangs on it. Fangs, dyed black and red, whose color and size told of where they came from.

“They’re from the Elite NightStalkers you put down. Think of it as a momento, from our group to you. A reminder, of your actions for us.”

“Uh...ya....”

Trying to find the appropriate words that he could use to turn down the gift and remove himself from the situation. However, as if seeing his thoughts, an all-knowing smile graced Abigail's cute features.

“Haha, I don’t think so.” Laughing at his pained expression, Zero watched as Abigail almost danced away while humming a simple tune. “Do enjoy the gift and wear it with pride. Oh,” she said with a small gasp while throwing a mischievous look over her shoulder, “be sure to slay more of those Elites. It would be so...plain to only have four fangs on the necklace.”

With a twirl of her skirt, she skipped and hopped back to the middle of the campsite under the scrutiny of countless gazes. If she cared about the looks though, it never showed. Instead, as the Sun set and the darkness of the final night fell like a curtain, her enthusiasm seemed to only to give the dreadful atmosphere a mysterious peace.

Yet as Zero looked up towards the rising moon that crested the plains, he couldn’t help but wonder how much longer peace would last...