They left the citadel and then moved further through the city. The only stop was when Jun decided to relieve himself of two bottles of alcohol.

By that time, Eiji had come to his senses enough to be able to walk on his own.

The city also ended at some point, giving the team a new batch of suspicions.

The sensei was leading them straight into the heart of lands filled with magical creatures. Knowing his nasty character, this couldn't end well.

Ordyntsev just hoped nothing would snap in his sensei's head, and he wouldn't decide to end them all out there. In that case, they wouldn't even be able to escape from him.

The supreme warmaster was on such a different level of strength that it wasn't even funny. Ordyntsev suspected that even if he stood still and did not react to their attacks, they would still inflict only scratches on him at best.

Their blades simply wouldn't penetrate the impregnable film of prana.

"Alright!" Jun's loud voice made them all flinch. "Here we will conduct our first damn introduction."

The warmaster dissolved into the air, and in the next second, his club impressively smashed into a tree trunk.

Ordyntsev instinctively covered his eyes when a wave of warm air mixed with tiny splinters hit his face. Even so, he saw that the club's strike could be compared to being hit with some kind of tank shell.

The tree's trunk creaked and loudly fell onto the grass. Jun, as if nothing had happened, grumpily sat down on the "bench" he created and stared at his students.

The sullen silence dragged on.

"No, this is simply impossible to accept," Jun pulled out a scroll and uncorked another bottle. The cork flew to the side. "I just can't stand looking at your mugs without booze."

Another drained bottle, and Jun looked at them a bit more favorably. Although the empty glassware still rested in his hand, a somewhat unsettling fact.

"Alright, you brats. I'm not the type to give speeches, so I'll say it as I can. You, warmaster larvae, are in deep shit. And I'm so kind that I'll even explain why."

Jun chuckled.

"To put it simply, so that even such blockheads as you could understand, I'm usually sent where they want everything to burn, warmasters running like scalded cats, and the enemy command having to pull more forces there, exposing other directions. But the problem is that if I need to, I can run away, tucking tail, or just kill everyone, and you're not capable of that."

The sensei shook his head.

"And even though I don't give a damn about the opinion of all those puffed-up freaks in their stone house, if you die too quickly, I will still find it somewhat irksome. Consider that I don't like to lose at the start. So, I'll apply the maximum of my interest, which, believe me, is little, to give you at least something. And by the way."

The master smiled unpleasantly.

"Don't fool yourselves that your lives are now worth anything. You, Mei, were clearly shoved here to weaken and strike a painful blow to the Eiko family, putting them in their place. I'm sure the Council made a good effort to arrange that. You, Eiji, for some reason, became of no use to anyone, and to not be in the way, you were dumped here."

Jun's indifferent eyes met Stas's.

"As for you, paleface, I can't say anything. But clearly, the Council doesn't like you either; otherwise, you wouldn't be here. Now, say a few words about yourselves. I don't care, but you still have to work together a lot. And without my help, you obviously couldn't even take a dump."

Ordyntsev decided to speak first, setting an example. And it was visible that his companions would hesitate, much to their sensei's annoyance.

"My name is Shiro," Stas noted Mei's disdainful grimace, who didn't hear the last name. "I used to belong to a small clan of wandering healers, not warmasters, although we had a little understanding of prana. My clan was destroyed, and I lost my memory. But I was lucky enough to join the great Sumada clan. Here, I expanded my knowledge of healing and plan to continue moving in that direction."

"As for luck, I would argue," chuckled Jun, who, despite his words, listened attentively. "The art of healing is a useful skill, true, but considering your prana reserves, it's more like a mockery of common sense."

Ordyntsev didn't try to persuade his mentor. Obviously, he was a man of action, which meant that he could only be convinced by deeds, not words.

"And you're not Kiatto by any chance? Although they're only after four-legged ones. What's with your snake?"

"No, sensei," Ordyntsev shook his head. "Leviathan, a magical snake I've raised since childhood. She's very smart and can kill if necessary."

"You're a risky larva," Jun approved. "What about everything else?"

"Close combat and spear-wielding at a very low level. Too small a reserve of prana for elemental techniques."

"As expected, terrible. Hey, who's next? Otherwise, we'll be chatting until evening."

"My name is Mei Sumada of the Eiko family. You've already heard a lot about me from the elder," she began coldly. "I will add that I've mastered the simplest earth techniques, a couple of basic ones and one advanced. I handle the sword and close combat at the level of an ordinary warmaster. Please take care of me, sensei."

Ordyntsev mentally cursed as he had forgotten about this traditional phrase for accepting a mentor.

"I'll take care of you alright," laughed the sensei, immediately showing his attitude towards traditions. "Only you're left, the dazed one. Come on, entertain us."

"My name is Eiji Sumada," the lad smiled nervously. "I... Well..." The student's eyes couldn't tear away from the bottle Jun was twirling in his hands.

"Are you a warmaster or a wench seeing a dick for the first time?" Jun growled irritably. Mei and Eiji involuntarily blushed. "Spit it out, come on!"

"My father taught me a couple of stolen water techniques, but they didn't teach me much of earth techniques," Eiji's eyes noticeably hardened, and the corners of his lips suddenly turned up. "I can fight and handle a naginata. My father taught me all of this... while he was still alive. Mother... She abandoned me, managing to escape. After that, my training was hit-or-miss. Close combat and weapon handling are just below the level of an ordinary warmaster."

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"Pick up your snot, lad. Do you really think we give a damn about your family issues?" Jun snorted mercilessly. "Hmm, how should I call you? Names for such natural mistakes are too much."

The sensei pondered.

"I'll call you 'Drooler'," he pointed at Eiji. He turned to Mei, who was tensing up, "And just by looking at you, it's clear that you're quite the arrogant little bitch. So you'll be called 'Bitch'."

"How dare you?! My father will have you for this..." the girl objected, but at that moment, she fell to her knees under the pressure of bloodlust.

Interestingly, a warmaster's bloodlust could be quite telling. If the pressure from the clan head felt like an icy titanic slab intending to grind you into dust, then Jun's bloodlust painted a picture of a bloody and maximally cruel execution.

Almost immediately, Eiji also collapsed. But Stas swayed, shook his head, yet still stood.

Ordyntsev managed to focus his gaze on the sensei, then released control over his body, allowing it to also lower. There was no point in showing off willpower in front of his companions.

And something told the earthling that Jun hadn't hit them with the maximum bloodlust. After all, he didn't need drooling madmen, did he?

"Take note, Bitch," Jun approached and squatted in front of the crumpled girl. "From this moment on, your only god and master is me. No one and nothing will save you from my will. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

The bloodlust disappeared as abruptly as it appeared, allowing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief. Such moments were painfully similar to when a roller coaster cart starts to spiral, and all your insides are squeezed and twisted.

"And you, weakling," the sensei, squinting, looked at Ordyntsev's face, then nodded to something. "Your mug and gaze are too unpleasant. You resemble your pet too much. You'll be 'Serpentface'."

Ordyntsev showed no reaction, which clearly spoiled Jun's mood a bit. However, the mentor didn't dwell on it.

"Listen to my first assignment, larvae. Since you're exceptionally weak and useless, and I don't intend to wipe your noses for you, this means that often you'll be left one-on-one with enemy warmasters who will be stronger than you. I'll be busy with someone even more dangerous, so I won't be able to help you."

Jun smiled nastily. Those smiles suited him particularly well. And at the same time, somewhere in the city, dogs began to bark desperately, straining against their chains.

"And since you're weak, your only way to win is to dishonorably pile on all at once and use your numerical advantage. And for this plan to succeed, you need to be able to work together. So, in my incredible kindness, I'm ready to help you with this difficult task. Because what, if not monstrous difficulties, help a team bond?"

The team in question exchanged tense glances.

"Fifty kilometers north through the forest from this place, I've placed an item dear to my heart. Of course, by some miracle, its location coincided with the den of some unpleasant creatures. The landmark, a huge burned tree, the den is northwest of it. But I'm sure such brave warmasters as you won't be stopped by that. You have two days. No excuses will be accepted. If you fail, you'll envy the dead; I promise you that. Now get lost - time is ticking!"

The students didn't need to be asked twice. The order was given, and they ran together in the indicated direction, activating prana.

Fifty kilometers in gear, with supplies through a deadly forest, and a fierce battle at the end in two days – this would sound like an impossible task even for experienced soldiers if they were all ordinary humans.

However, even for weak warmasters, this task transformed into just a difficult one.

Prana-enhanced legs pounded into the ground and branches, crushing fragile obstacles and propelling bodies forward. Lungs rhythmically processed the cool air and could do so for much longer.

Prana affected not only the warmasters' resistance to poisons but also their passive endurance.

Nevertheless, something had to be decided before entering the "lion's den."

Having run a couple of kilometers away from their mentor, the teammates began to slow down until they completely stopped.

Two lads and a girl looked at each other with not particularly friendly gazes.

"I think we should decide here and now who will be the lead among us," Mei immediately took the bull by the horns. "Since Master Jun isn't going to command us, one of us three has to do it."

"Not a bad thought," Eiji grinned broadly.

Stas just nodded ironically. If he understood correctly Eiji's personality, something was bound to happen now.

"Since I'm the most noble and strong among you, the role of leader should go to me." There wasn't a hint of doubt in the girl's voice. She spoke as if reciting a tedious speech she simply had to deliver. "So now we'll..."

"Hold on," Eiji, still smiling, shook his head. "I never said I agreed with your candidacy. I actually think that women are inherently worse warmasters who have no place on the battlefield."

'There it is, the 'abandoned by mother' complex,' Stas mentally whistled, 'Sexism among warmasters, as I understand it, exists but isn't particularly prevalent. It's hard to consider someone beneath you when prana often allows to drastically eliminate the physical gap. However, the larger musculature in men manifests here, too, since prana affects muscles. And if you take an average man and woman with the same amount of prana and skill in its use, the man will be stronger. On the other hand, the woman will be much more agile, which is sometimes even more important.'

While Stas pondered this interesting issue, the situation rapidly approached conflict.

"...Take back your lies, or I'll punch them down your throat!"

"Why are they lies?" Eiji readied his naginata more comfortably. "You women meddle in men's affairs, and when you suffer defeats, you can only cry and run! You have no place among us. Hey, Shiro, right? Vote for me, not for this bitch. I'm sure you don't want to be commanded by a girl either."

"You're dead." Mei gritted her teeth, and her hand moved to her sword's hilt.

"And what will you tell Master Jun when we fail because you fight here?" Ordyntsev's words froze the impending fight. "I doubt he'll be interested in our excuses."

"And what do you suggest, clanless?" Mei squeezed out the question through her teeth. She clearly resented having to deal with someone like Stas. "Who do you propose for the role of leader? Yourself?" She spat out the last word.

"I suggest no one," Ordyntsev cut off. It was clear that they would never accept his candidacy. In their eyes, he wasn't even Sumada. "In battle, we'll try not to interfere with each other and help if needed."

"And how will we know when it's needed?" the Mizuno half-blood clarified.

Ordyntsev gave him a grim look, paying particular attention to the lad's smile. It looked too unhealthy. Stanislav began to suspect that his companion's problems weren't limited to women-related complexes.

There was something tense about how his gaze rapidly shifted from him to the heiress of the noble family and back.

And too suicidal was the desire to clash with Mei, as she wasn't lying about being the strongest in their trio at the moment. The inability to stop in time was a bad trait for warmasters.

"If someone asks for help, then we'll help," Stas finished his thought.

"I await your cries for help," Eiji snickered.

"Only in your dreams," the girl grumbled. "I hope the creatures bite off your appendage."

"I would like to suggest the idea of sharing knowledge about each other's techniques," Ordyntsev interrupted another round of insults. "It's better to know what not to get hit by. And this is just a suggestion, not a demand," he added, cutting off the girl who was about to protest his command.

"My only long-range skills are poison-coated knives." Ordyntsev picked up the handle of one of the blades with his fingertips, showing it to the others. "So, I warn you, be careful with my blades. I have antidotes, but in the heat of battle, this could be a problem."

The lad and the girl froze in opposition, and when Stas almost admitted defeat, Mei spoke up.

"Of combat techniques, I have stone spikes and stone pillars. The first is a technique of the weak level, a minor variation of stone spears. It can injure the limbs of enemies who stand on the ground, but no more. Stone pillars grow fast and can powerfully push, knocking off feet. I also possess an advanced level technique – stone walls. With it, I can block even the blow of a strong enemy." Having said this, she proudly lifted her nose and turned away.

Eiji didn't delay and also spoke.

"Father managed to pass on to me a few water techniques that he stole or beat out of the Mizuno, and among them, there are no particularly strong ones. I know the technique of the water jet. It allows reducing visibility and distracting the enemy. I also know how to create a wave, but it will only slow down, not kill."

"Pff, useless."

"As if you have something lethal." Eiji didn't stay silent.

Stas tiredly closed his eyes. He wished he were somewhere else.

'I wonder, if my teammates suddenly die and their bodies are never found, will Jun teach me alone? And another important question, can Leviathan swallow and quickly and discreetly digest two human bodies of about average size?'