Marshmallow burst out laughing bitterly. "Your help? Is that some kind of sick joke?" He jumped to his feet, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "You're the last person I'd accept help from, seeing as you stabbed me in the back."
"I didn't stab you in the back," Raven countered calmly. "I just saw your true potential, beyond the arrogance and bravado you flaunt. I think you can make it, where I failed in my attempt against the Vesuvietna."
Marshmallow almost choked on his anger. His potential? Was he serious? After being sentenced to death by someone he thought was the most respectable person in the country? He shook his head, and a harsh laugh escaped his lips.
"If you really believed in my 'potential', you wouldn't have voted for this suicide mission!" he growled. "So don't feed me that crap."
Marshmallow's accusations didn't shake Raven. "I'm not trying to trick you. It's true, I voted to send you against the Vesuvietna, but not to sentence you to death."
He took a step forward, his gaze unwavering. "I did it because I see the potential in you to pull off this seemingly impossible feat. You're young and full of yourself, but under that shell is a core of steel that few others possess."
Marshmallow swallowed hard, struck by those words despite his resentment. A part of him just wanted to tell Raven and his training to go to hell. After such a betrayal, how could he trust again?
Yet, another part couldn't help but be flattered by those compliments. Did Raven really believe he could succeed where even the most powerful A Rank had failed? The chance to prove his worth was tempting.
"And what makes you think I want your help?" he barked again, though with less conviction than before.
Raven's expression grew more serious. "Because I know that deep inside, you're burning with a desire for redemption, for payback. You've got the hunger, Marshmallow. The hunger to reach the top. You want that chance you've never been given. You want to prove to everyone that you're worth much more than they think. This is your big shot."
Marshmallow looked away and clenched his jaw, trying to maintain his defiant facade. Deep down, he knew Raven was right. This really was his chance to redeem himself and show everyone what he was truly made of.
But could he really trust this man after such a betrayal? Marshmallow's fingers tapped anxiously on the bench as he mulled it over.
A thick silence fell between the two as Marshmallow mulled over Raven’s proposal. On one hand, the resentment for the betrayal he had suffered still burned like hot embers. On the other, he couldn’t deny that Raven had been right about his abilities. Beneath the arrogant and brash exterior, Marshmallow knew he had a steel resolve that allowed him to push beyond his limits. Maybe he really was the only one capable of pulling off this impossible feat.
“So?” Raven’s patient voice broke into his thoughts. “Will you accept my help or not? We don’t have time to waste.”
Marshmallow hesitated. Then, slowly, he shook his head. “No, I can’t accept. Not after what you’ve done to me.”
Raven nodded solemnly as if he expected that response. “I understand. In that case, I won’t hold you back any longer.” He turned to leave.
But as Marshmallow watched Raven’s back receding, a thought flashed through his mind. If he refused this training, was he giving up his big chance? Could he really afford to waste it just because of pride and resentment?
A clear image formed in his mind: he saw himself succeeding against the Vesuvietna, and his name, Marshmallow, becoming legendary. But to achieve that, he desperately needed all the help he could get. He couldn’t do it alone.
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“Wait!” The shout burst from his throat before he could stop it. Raven halted and turned around, raising an eyebrow.
Marshmallow swallowed dryly, then nodded with resolve. “I’ve changed my mind. I’ll accept your training.” He locked eyes with Raven. “But only because I’m determined to take down that damn BloodLust and shut up all my detractors, including you. And if you even think about betraying me again…”
“I won’t,” Raven interrupted firmly. “You have my word. This training is too important for both of us.”
Satisfied by Raven’s decisive response, Marshmallow nodded again. “Good, then there’s no time to waste. Let’s start this training right now.”
A small enigmatic smile lifted the corners of Raven’s mouth. “Let’s go then. We’ll start immediately.”
***
Marshmallow and Raven's steps echoed ominously as they approached a huge metal door, resembling the entrance to a submarine. A heavy, circular handle protruded in the middle, worn by time.
Raven stopped in front of the door, his hand reverently brushing the corroded surface. Then he turned to Marshmallow, his expression fierce, like that of a lion.
"We won’t be alone on this journey," he announced in a tone that held back more than it revealed. "Another person, another A Rank like me, is in here. This area is allowed only for us A Ranks, and now for you too, Marshmallow."
Marshmallow's curiosity flared immediately. "Who else will be with us?"
A slight smile lifted the corners of Raven's mouth as he left the question hanging for a moment. "Another A Rank, obviously, just like me," he replied. "You'll find out soon enough."
Marshmallow crossed his arms, unsatisfied with the evasive explanation. "And what about this heavy armor you mentioned? You're not seriously planning to make me train wearing this hunk of metal, are you?"
Raven turned back to the door, placing both hands on the handle.
"Beyond this door," he continued as he began to laboriously turn the heavy metal lever, "we'll find everything necessary to stay locked in here for the next seven days. There will be enough food, water, a comfortable bed, and of course," he concluded just after a 'click' and the door swung open, "suitable clothing."
A powerful metallic creak filled the air as the doors slowly opened, first revealing a glimmer of light beyond the threshold, then a vast room with a grim and austere appearance.
Raven stepped aside to let Marshmallow pass, and with a solemn sweep of his arm, he invited him to enter first. “Welcome to the Crypt of Valor,” he announced gravely. “Here, your true essence will be stripped bare like never before.”
Just beyond the doorway, the doors to a spacious and imposing reception hall opened. At the center, a series of suits suitable for training were displayed on mannequins: sleek, form-fitting technical suits made from a dark material laced with thin silver veins. Emblazoned on the chest, a stylized ‘W’ glowed faintly, symbolizing the power and prestige of the Wyolands.
Marshmallow, his limbs still heavy with recent tensions, couldn’t help but approach, touching the resilient and flexible material of the suits.
“These are awesome!” Marshmallow exclaimed. Touching them, it felt like he was handling a fabric he had never seen before as if it was made to be worn. It was like silk, yet as durable as nothing else in the world.
“These suits are more than awesome, they are designed to amplify your natural abilities,” a guy said, rising and approaching to join Marshmallow.
Marshmallow turned, surprised and a bit disconcerted. “Voltran? You here? But how…” his voice trailed off, still unsure how to react to the presence of another A Rank.
Voltran, already wearing one of the training suits, began with a friendly but elusive smile. “Finally made it, huh? I was starting to think Marshmallow wouldn’t accept,” he said, stretching nonchalantly.
Raven, entering the room after Marshmallow, replied with an unshakeably calm demeanor. “Voltran has skills that will be invaluable for your training. His mastery in controlling electric elements can teach you a lot about manipulating and converging energies. You control light, you have a Very Unique Skill very similar to his. For the next seven days, he will be one of your mentors, alongside me.”
Voltran nodded, stepping closer. “Yeah, and don’t worry, I’m not here just to watch. I, and Raven too, are here to push you beyond your limits. You have to give it your all, or it’s all pointless.” A flash of complicity crossed his look as he scrutinized Marshmallow, assessing his reaction.
Marshmallow, though still wary of the circumstances that had brought him there, couldn’t help but feel at least partially relieved to have a familiar face by his side. “Alright,” he said with enthusiasm. “Let’s make these seven days count.”
Raven moved toward the interior of the hall where another door, similar to that of a palace gate, awaited to be opened. “Then get changed. Beyond that door, the real work begins.”