For the next few days, Courage, like a lot of his classmates, went to the training hall after picking up his beast from the stables to train. Every time he trained, he used the many types of equipment provided in the training hall. For example, to train Spirit Sense, the academy provided a variety of spiritual materials for students to study and help them experience different kinds of properties. Spirit Sense is like any other sense; the way you hone it is by experiencing all sorts of things to improve your ability to distinguish them and build your knowledge about them, much like sounds ,smells or tastes.

As for Spirit Command, there were all sorts of training dummies, running tracks, and obstacle courses designed to help students train this essential skill.

Using all the tools available to him, as well as Dan's advice and guidance, Courage managed to make a good amount of progress. He quickly mastered the basic motor skills for his beast and even began training it in combat movements. For his beetle, these included charging and ramming, striking and jabbing with its horn, and punching with its limbs.

Courage also started teaching it to balance on its two hind legs, giving it the ability to use an additional set of limbs for attacking. At one point, he attempted to train it in flying, but he quickly realized that beetles weren't the most graceful fliers. Accepting this limitation, he decided to focus on refining its ground-based methods instead.

During one of his training sessions, Courage was focused on sharpening his Spirit Sense as usual, having just finished a set of exercises with his beast. Over the past few days, this routine had become a habit for him. However, this time, something unexpected happened—a classmate approached him and started a conversation.

The person was a rather short young man, even shorter than Courage, with a slightly round body shape and a full belly, though not quite fat.

"Excuse me," the young man asked politely.

"Mmm?" Courage responded, slightly surprised. He hadn’t expected anyone to initiate a conversation with him. Since the semester began, he’d barely interacted with anyone, being entirely focused on his studies and training.

"Oh, hello there," Courage added.

"Uh, Courage, right?"

"Yep, Courage. Courage Petacos. Can I help you?"

Courage wasn’t particularly shocked that this guy knew his name. Being the only student with inferior aptitude in the class, he had gained a strange kind of notoriety. And The incident during the Spirit Sense lesson, where Miss Everdine had praised him openly, only added to his unwanted popularity. He often caught whispers about him in class but largely chose to ignore them.

Now, returning to the conversation…

"Hello there, my name is Wally Rain," the young man said with a polite tone.

"Pleasure," Courage replied, giving him a slight nod.

"Likewise. See, I’ve been noticing you come to train every day, and I also noticed that you’re making a good amount of progress. I’ve been practicing just as much but with very little improvement. So, uh... I was wondering if you could, uh, give me some advice or pointers that might help?"

"Oh, uh..." Courage hesitated.

Though he knew he was ahead in his training, Courage had planned to use the extra time he gained to focus on refining his beast’s combat skills further. Wally's request felt inconvenient, as Courage believed every moment he had was crucial to getting ahead. Helping someone else pick up the pace seemed like a waste of that valuable time.

But Before Courage could voice his rejection, another voice interrupted from behind them.

"Ehh, what’s this I see? The class’s shittiest tamer and the class’s shittiest aptitude hanging out together!"

Wally turned around, muttering under his breath, "Jack..." His expression darkened.

"What’s up, loser?" Jack sneered, strutting toward them with a posse of boys trailing behind him.

The atmosphere in the training hall shifted instantly. Conversations quieted, and students avoided looking in Jack's direction. As you might have guessed, Jack was the class’s official jerk—the type every school story seems to have. He thrived on picking on those he deemed weaker, harassing others to get his way, and being an all-around menace.

Standing in front of Wally now, Jack spoke with his usual arrogant and bossy tone. "So, have you considered my proposal?"

"I... I did, but—"

"Oh, this again," Jack interrupted, rolling his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you? Just trade your beast with one of my guys, and I’ll let you join my gang."

"I hear you, but the beast you’re asking me to trade doesn’t work well with my totem ability," Wally explained nervously. "Its synergy is bad, and controlling it would be harder for me. I’d be at a total loss if I traded."

"And so what?" Jack retorted.

"Eh?" Wally flinched, his voice faltering.

Jack smirked mockingly. "So what if it doesn’t as if that would make a difference for you? Wally, we’ve all seen your performance these last few days, and let’s just say it’s been lackluster, to put it mildly."

"Pfft, he can’t even get his beast to turn a full circle correctly," one of Jack’s companions said with a snicker, prompting the rest to burst into mocking laughter.

Jack joined in with a derisive chuckle before continuing. "Let’s face it, Wally. Your aptitude might be average, but your skills? Trash. The only redeeming quality about you is the beast you somehow managed to get your hands on."

With a look of disdain, Jack leaned in closer. "Having a beast like that is a waste for someone like you. So just trade it with one of my guys, and I’ll let you latch onto my group. Who knows? Maybe you’ll actually succeed in life."

Wally, overwhelmed by the barrage of insults, lowered his head in shame.

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"I can’t do it," he muttered, his voice barely audible.

"Haaah?" Jack scoffed, his irritation boiling over.

"I can’t do it," Wally repeated, trembling. "I know I’m lacking in skill, but this beast is the only advantage I have. If I give it up, I’ll be giving up my only chance at succeeding this year. And if I fail, I won’t be able to continue learning at the academy or have any hope of becoming a professional tamer. Please, try to understand. I just... I can’t."

Jack listened, scratching the back of his head as if pondering Wally’s words. Then, with a heavy sigh, he leaned forward. Wally's brief glimmer of hope was extinguished as Jack’s fist drove into his stomach.

The impact sent Wally collapsing to the ground, gasping and clutching his stomach in pain.

"Professional tamer? Don’t make me laugh," Jack sneered, standing over Wally with a cruel grin. "You’re so useless at controlling your beast that you’re asking the inferior aptitude guy for help. Do you even realize how pathetic that is? Someone like you has no hope of becoming a professional tamer. You should be grateful that someone like me, with a high-grade aptitude, is even wasting my time on you. Now stop your whining and just do what I say."

Wally, tears of pain and humiliation streaking his face, shook his head weakly. Despite the fear gripping him, he refused.

"Still saying no?" Jack’s tone turned icy as he raised his fist again. "Fine. If you won’t listen to reason, let’s see how you argue with my fist."

As Jack’s fist came down, it suddenly stopped mid-air.

A hand had caught it.

Courage stood beside them, his expression cold and unyielding. His grip on Jack’s fist was firm, his eyes locked on the bully with a sharp intensity.

"That’s enough," Courage said, his voice steady but carrying an unmistakable edge.

His grip on Jack’s fist tightened, and Jack grimaced, yanking his hand free.

"What the hell do you think you’re doing, Petacos?" Jack growled, his voice loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the training hall.

Courage didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he stepped in front of Wally, shielding him from Jack’s towering form. His eyes met Jack’s with a quiet intensity that made the bully pause for a moment.

Jack’s gang, sensing the shift in the room, began to close in, surrounding Courage and Wally. One of them chuckled darkly. "Looks like the runt found himself a bodyguard."

Another sneered, "The lowest aptitude in class trying to play hero. This is gonna be fun."

Jack smirked, his confidence returning as his gang tightened the circle. "What’s the matter, Petacos? Don’t tell me you’re actually standing up for this loser. Actually You two make a great pair—‘The Weak and the Worthless.’ Maybe we should call you that from now on."

Courage didn’t flinch. His gaze remained steady, his silence speaking louder than words.

One of Jack’s lackeys leaned closer, sneering. "Hey, Courage, you sure you wanna do this? You don’t stand a chance, man. Better step aside before things get ugly."

Jack grinned, feeding off his crew’s energy. "Listen to them, Petacos. You don’t have the talent, the strength, or even the guts to take me on. So why don’t you do what you’re good at—stay quiet and stay out of my way."

Courage finally spoke, his voice calm but laced with steel. "Back off."

The simplicity of his words only made Jack laugh harder. "Back off? That’s it? That’s all you’ve got to say? What are you gonna do if I don’t? Cry about it? Maybe write in a little journal about how unfair life is?"

The gang laughed, their jeers echoing in the training hall.

"You think this is gonna end well for you?" Jack continued, stepping closer until he was face-to-face with Courage. "You’re nothing, Petacos. A no-aptitude nobody with delusions of being a real tamer. You should be down on your knees, thanking me for even acknowledging your existence."

Courage didn’t move. His expression remained unreadable, but his fists clenched tightly at his sides. The knuckles were white, and his breathing was controlled, but the tension in his frame was impossible to miss.

Another of Jack’s cronies leaned toward Wally, who was still clutching his stomach. "Look at your hero here, Wally. Think he’s gonna save you? All he’s doing is digging you both deeper."

Jack raised his fist again, a mocking grin plastered on his face. "You know what? Let’s see how tough you really are, Petacos. Or are you just gonna stand there like the pathetic loser you are?"

As the fist descended, Courage’s hand shot up, catching it mid-swing. The room went silent. The force of the impact made Jack stumble, his face twisting in a mix of anger and shock.

As Jack raised his fist, preparing to swing at Courage again, the air in the training hall grew tense. Everyone watched in hushed anticipation, unsure of what would happen next. Courage stood his ground, his silence a stark contrast to Jack’s jeering arrogance.

But just before Jack could throw the punch, a calm, authoritative voice cut through the tension.

"That’s enough, Jack."

The voice belonged to Kengi Darvaine, one of the three high-grade aptitude students in their class. He approached with an unhurried stride, his movements exuding a quiet confidence that immediately commanded attention. Kengi was tall and lean, with sharp features that gave him an air of refinement. His dark, shoulder-length hair was tied neatly back, and his uniform was pristine, almost as if he were above the rigors of training. A faint, almost imperceptible smile played on his lips, but his piercing eyes carried the weight of someone accustomed to authority.

Jack froze mid-motion, his fist still raised, before slowly lowering it and turning to face Kengi. "Kengi, this isn’t your business," he said, his tone tinged with frustration but also a hint of caution.

Kengi stopped a few paces away, his hands clasped behind his back. "It became my business the moment you decided to disrupt the training hall with your antics. You’re embarrassing yourself, Jack."

The gang members shifted uneasily, their earlier bravado dampened by Kengi’s presence. One of them muttered, "Man, why does he have to show up now?"

Jack scowled, his bravado faltering. "I’m just teaching these two a lesson. They need to know their place, especially him." He pointed at Courage, who remained silent, watching the exchange with an impassive expression.

Kengi’s faint smile disappeared, replaced by a calm but pointed gaze. "And what place would that be, Jack? Beneath you? Last I checked, we’re all here to train and improve, not to indulge in childish power plays."

Jack’s face twisted in anger, but he didn’t dare interrupt.

"You claim to have high aptitude," Kengi continued, his voice steady but carrying an undeniable authority. "Then act like it. Picking on others, especially those who are focused on their growth, only highlights your insecurity. Or is it that you’re afraid someone like Courage might surpass you someday?"

The remark hit its mark. Jack’s jaw clenched, and his fists tightened, but he said nothing. His gang shifted uncomfortably, exchanging nervous glances.

Kengi turned his attention briefly to Courage, giving him a slight nod, as if acknowledging his resolve. Then he returned his gaze to Jack. "This ends now. Leave them be and focus on your own training. You have a long way to go if you ever hope to reach your potential."

Jack glared at Kengi, his pride bruised, but he knew better than to push further. "Fine," he spat, turning on his heel. "Let’s go."

His gang trailed after him, their earlier mockery replaced by uneasy silence.

As they left, the tension in the hall began to dissipate. Kengi looked back at Courage and Wally, his expression softening slightly. "You handled yourself well, Petacos. Silence can speak louder than words when it’s paired with resolve."

Courage nodded, offering no reply. Wally, still shaken, managed a weak, "Thank you."

Kengi inclined his head slightly before turning and walking away, his noble air and composed demeanor leaving an impression on everyone in the room.

The training hall slowly returned to its usual rhythm, but the confrontation left a mark. Jack’s defeat, not by strength but by Kengi’s sheer presence, was something no one would forget anytime soon.

As The crowd had dispersed, leaving the training hall quiet. Courage bent down without a word, sliding an arm under Wally’s to help him to his feet. Wally winced, clutching his stomach, but didn’t resist as Courage guided him to a nearby bench.

Once seated, Wally leaned back, trying to catch his breath. Courage stood beside him, watching silently. After a moment, he broke the stillness.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice quiet but clear.

Wally nodded faintly, his face pale. "I… I’ll be fine," he muttered, though his voice sounded far from convincing. He looked down, his hands trembling as he spoke again, this time with a trembling voice filled with regret. "I’m sorry... I shouldn’t have approached you in the first place."

Courage tilted his head slightly but stayed silent, letting Wally continue.

"If I hadn’t asked for your help... none of this would’ve happened," Wally muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "Jack wouldn’t have noticed you, and you wouldn’t be dragged into this mess because of me hig hig." His hands clenched into fists, and his shoulders slumped. He choked up, his voice breaking as tears began to well in his eyes.

Courage’s gaze softened. He paused for a moment, then spoke, his tone as steady as ever. "You still want that advice?"

Wally blinked, stunned. He looked up, his eyes red and filled with disbelief. "What?"

Courage’s expression didn’t change, his calm demeanor reassuring. "You asked for my help. Do you still want it?"

Wally hesitated, then a small, hesitant smile broke through his tears. "Y-Yeah," he stammered, nodding quickly. "I do."

Wally looked down at his lap again, his voice faltering as he spoke. "But... I mean, with Jack after you now... I just can’t help but worry. He’s not going to leave you alone, you know."

Courage gave a small shrug, his gaze steady. "Let him come."

Wally's eyes widened, but he quickly looked away, feeling even more helpless. "You’re just... so brave, Courage. I’m not like you. If I wasn’t so pathetic, maybe I could’ve stood up for myself, maybe I could’ve... done something more..." His voice trailed off as he tried to wipe away the tears threatening to fall again.

Courage’s tone softened, though his voice remained firm. "No point trying to be like someone else cause in the end of the day you'll only ever be yourself so just focus on trying to become a better you instead ."

Wally shook his head. "But how can I? Every time I try, I just fall short. I can’t even control my own beast properly."

"Well Everyone gotta starts somewhere," Courage said quietly, a hint of encouragement in his voice.

Wally looked up, his face still damp with tears. "But... I don’t think I’ll ever be like you..."

Courage gave a small, understanding nod. "Once again You don’t have to be. Just keep trying, and you’ll find your own way."

Wally’s breath hitched, and his gaze flickered up to Courage’s steady eyes. Something in his expression shifted, a small spark of hope beginning to light up inside him.

"Thanks," Wally whispered, his voice trembling with a mix of gratitude and renewed resolve. "I’ll... try my best."

Courage nodded again, his expression unchanged but the quiet strength in his presence more comforting than words could convey.

And so, Courage spent the remaining days of the week training alongside Wally and mostly helping with the same advice and guidance Dan give him. The two worked together, silently but with growing determination. Neither of them fully realized it, but this was the beginning of a brand-new friendship. As they trained, the weight of their individual struggles seemed a little lighter when shared. Courage, focused on his own growth, didn't expect much from helping Wally, but the bond they were forming, however small it seemed, was becoming more evident each day.