Sensei sat cross-legged in a small, dimly lit room, the soft glow of countless candles flickering around him. The air was thick with the scent of white roses, their delicate petals pinned to the wall before him. With trembling hands, he reached into a basket beside him, pulling out fresh roses and carefully adding them to the arrangement.

“We do what we must to forge the strongest,” he whispered. “Walking a path we know leads only to death, pain, and suffering.” His eyes, tired, gazed at the wall of roses. “I am no father, Sakura. And no mere trainer either… So, what am I?”

One of the roses slipped from its place, falling to the floor. Sensei leaned forward, picking it up and returning it to the wall. A faint sigh escaped his lips. “I thought with time, I’d grow numb to this… yet my heart only softens.” A single tear traced the lines of his weathered face. “I can’t stop it. But perhaps I can delay it—just for a little while longer.”

A quiet knock sounded at the door.

“Enter”

Sakura stepped inside, his face as composed as ever, though the brim of his hat cast a shadow over his eyes. He removed the hat and placed it on the floor before kneeling in front of his master.

“The children have gathered,” he said. “They await your presence to begin, Sensei.”

Sensei nodded. With a quiet grunt of effort, Sakura moved to help him into his wheelchair.

As Sakura wheeled him toward the training grounds, the children’s footsteps and whispers reached Sensei’s ears.

To forge the greatest blade, one must obtain the finest steel and subject it to the most relentless fire. Life itself is no different. We must do what we must

*

Lily bit into her corn, savouring the sweet flavour. “They say corn tastes best in the mornings, and if you add a little soy sauce and butter. Grill it just right and voila! You’ve got yourself a toasty, smoky, top-notch breakfast. What do you think, Hades?”

Hades gripped his wooden sword, and stood back-to-back with her, focused. “Now isn’t exactly the best time for breakfast, Lily,” he whispered. They were surrounded—other trainees circled them, all grinning, ready to strike at any moment.

“Come on, are you really that worried about them?” Lily said, still nibbling on her corn. “Want a bite?”

Hades shot her a look but didn’t respond. Their training was set to begin today, but for unknown reasons, it has been postponed to an unspecified date. Hades was more than ready for today; he had been training every day in preparation for it.

However, plans changed. Instead of training, Sensei decided to make things official by determining which of his pupils was the strongest. What better way to do this than through an all-out battle.

What’s with her, anyway? How can she be so relaxed, just eating and all? Hades thought. The others had noticed it—how strong we both are. It’s no surprise they plan to come at us all at once.

“Why are you even with me?!” Hades yelled. “This is a free-for-all! We’re supposed to be enemies, not allies.”

Lily bit through her corn, leaving her teeth on it. Her wide eyes sparkled. “I just wanted to be by your side, that’s all,” she mumbled. “Anything wrong with that?”

Hades’ face, an angry red, transitioned to a blushing pink.

Lily’s eyes went serious, “Watch out”

Hades whirled around just in time to parry an incoming strike, blocking the sword aimed at him. He pushed the attacker back, heart racing.

Lily, having tossed her finished cob aside, drew her sword, a dangerous glint in her eyes. She lunged at the three trainees, her movements so swift that their eyes couldn’t keep up. She danced between them, striking at non-lethal spots with perfect precision. But to her, every spot could be lethal. It only depends on how much force the strike had.

Before the trio even hit the ground, more trainees charged at her. Lily saved them the trouble and met them head-on, smiling. “Let’s have some fun, shall we?”

On the far side of the battlefield, Hades stood his ground, surrounded by a growing number of trainees. Their energy had grown—stronger than it had been a month ago. They’ve been training, huh? He smirked to himself. Good, I’ll show them just how wide the gap still is.

One by one, they ran to him.

“You should’ve all attacked at once!” Hades swung, sending each one to the floor. Another boy darted in, nearly landing a hit, but he dodged and grabbed the boy’s head, slamming his knee into it.

The other was a girl. Hades bothered, dodged her sword and tapped her on the neck with just enough force to send her to the floor.

“Hades!” Lily yelled. “They’re too many!”

Hades’ eyes widened as he saw a horde of kids chasing after Lily, who dashed toward him at full speed.

“Hey, what are you doing? Don’t bring them here!”

Lily skidded to a stop behind him, leaning against his back, breathing heavily. “We’re surrounded”

Hades clenched his jaw, scanning the crowd encircling them. “Great. Now what do we do?”

Sensei and Sakura watched from their usual spot, watching the vast training grounds.

“Wasn’t this supposed to determine who’s the strongest?” Sakura asked, fanning himself.

Sensei stroked his beard. “Being a swordsman requires more than just strength. Speed, technique, strategy... and sometimes, teamwork. The others are clever—they know they can’t win against those two individually, so they’ve banded together. They plan to eliminate them first and then settle the score among themselves.”

Sakura tilted his head, eyes narrowing. “The strongest has already been decided then. Intriguing as it is, this fight is more a test of their ability to work together. But I see one left out of the equation.”

Sensei’s eyes gleamed, catching the sight of something in the distance. “I know he’s on his way. Be patient.”

“Looks like we’ll have to work together, huh, Hades?” Lily said, flicking a glance at the encircling trainees.

“Don’t need to,” Hades shot back. “I’ll beat your ass and theirs too.”

Lily pouted. “You’re so mean,” she said, voice dripping with fake hurt. “And it’s also pretty shameful, saying that to a girl.”

Hades smirked. “I keep forgetting you’re a girl, sorry”

Lily’s eyes narrowed. “Trust me, by the time we’re done here, you’ll be forgetting more than just my gender.”

A bead of sweat trickled down Hades’ forehead.

“Forty-three, join us!” one of the trainees called out. “Together, we can take him down!”

“Yeah, he’s no good! Team up with us!”

Lily sighed, her hand resting on her hip. “Sure I’ll help you guys beat Hades”

Hades’ jaw dropped. “Wait, what? You’re not serious, right?”

Lily burst into laughter, doubling over and clutching her stomach. “Your face! Oh, Hades, your face! Absolutely priceless!” she said, wiping away tears of laughter.

The other trainees shared smiles. “So... you’re with us?”

Lily straightened up, wiping her eyes one last time. “Come on, we can’t torture him that much, can we? Let’s make it a fair fight—much more exciting that way.”

The trainees frowned as they tightened their grips on their wooden weapons, charging at Hades and Lily.

“About time you pull out that magic trick of yours, Hades,” she said.

Hades closed his eyes, gathering his energy as it began swirling around him. “Burst,” he whispered, sending half the trainees crashing to the ground.

Releasing his life force would usually be enough to take down a few, but using his gift—channelling the primal energy of the beast within him—could drop many more. Ever since his skirmish with Lily, Hades had come to understand his gift better.

The beast’s power within him could be controlled, albeit in small measures. By releasing only a fraction of it, he could create powerful bursts, amplifying his own life force and taking down more opponents at once. Unleashing the beast’s full strength was still too risky—he couldn’t control that level of power yet. But for now, these smaller bursts were enough.

Smiling, Hades twirled his sword round his fingers. Sometimes it was more satisfying to finish things the old-fashioned way.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

The remaining trainees surged forward, undeterred.

“Ready, Hades?”

“Ready”

Together, they fought off the oncoming rush, moving in perfect sync. Each strike was precise, each movement swift. Trainees fell to the ground one after another, their weapons clattering as they were overpowered.

Sensei watched from a distance, nodding. Their teamwork was commendable. But how would they fare against a real challenge?

Hades and Lily stood among the fallen, their breaths heavy but they held on to their smiles. They had taken down half of the total contestants, but the fight wasn’t over.

“You get tired easily Hades,” Lily said, pulling herself up with his help.

“The fight’s not done yet,” Hades said, eyes forward. “He’s still standing”

From the opposite end of the yard, a blonde boy emerged, dragging his long blade across the dirt. His scarf fluttered behind him in the wind as he walked through a cloud of dust, revealing the other half of the trainees sprawled on the ground, groaning.

Hades got to his feet, stretching out his sword. Over the past month, he had noticed how hard thirty-five had been training. Like the other children, today was supposed to be the start of their training, and they all wanted to be in their best shape. However, thirty-five had exceeded Hades’s expectations in ways he hadn’t anticipated.

Lily collapsed to the ground. “I give up,” she said, raising her arms. “I’m exhausted. One more swing and I’ll be dead meat.”

Sakura’s eyes went dark. “Did she just... surrender?”

Sensei lowered his head. “It seems she’s chosen to follow her father’s teachings. To live is better than risking your life for a lost cause. A wounded lion will surrender to another even when it is their prey.”

“We need to change that,” Sakura whispered. “Change their value of life. They’re growing, Sensei”

Sensei’s heart ached as he nodded. “Yes, Sakura”

Hades gasped for breath, his energy nearly depleted. His chest heaved as he tried to steady himself. If he didn’t end this now, he’d collapse just like the others. Using his gift now was the only option. Three minutes. He only has three minutes to get it done with.

The skies went dark. Hades and thirty-five ran to the other, their swords clashing.

The sky darkened, an ominous shift in the atmosphere. Both Hades and Thirty-Five charged at each other, their swords clashing.

I can’t let him land a hit, Thirty-five thought, his mind racing. Hades’ gift doesn’t enhance his speed or strength, just the potency of his energy. His aura is different, but that doesn’t matter.

Over the past few days, I have been researching him. Whenever he uses his gift, his coating becomes unstable. He expends too much energy, which leads to distortions. If I can target the cracks in his coating, this match will be as good as over.

Hades’ sword aimed directly at Thirty-Five’s eyes, forcing him to roll away.

From above, a colossal beastly hand seemed to part the sky, staining the skies in red. Hades stood beneath it, his eyes glowing the same colour. Red sparks, like embers, flickered around him, his energy coating growing more vivid and intense.

“Damn... must you always be so terrifying?” Thirty-five said under his breath as he dodged Hades’ relentless strikes, looking for the distortions in his energy. He kept attacking, hoping to find a weak point.

Their battle raged on, each swing of their blades creating shockwaves. Thirty-five sought refuge behind pillars, but even they shattered under the weight of Hades’ energy.

I’m going to die if he lands a hit, Thirty-Five said, his heart pounding. He’s tapping into more of the beast’s energy than before.

Hades’ power swirled around the torches lining the battlefield, fueling the flames until they raged fiercely, casting an eerie glow over the scene. The once-fallen trainees began to rise, their eyes fixed on the battle.

Lily, however, still sat on the ground, swaying back and forth, enjoying the match.

The flames surrounded both boys, trapping them in a fiery ring. Thirty-five gritted his teeth. “Ok then Hades let’s end this”

“Gladly” Hades whispered.

Both boys rushed toward each other, their swords raised for the final strike. Thirty-five spotted the faintest crack in Hades’ coating. This is my chance.

His sword raced forward. Will I make it in time? No, I have to.

Hades’ energy distorted as they collided, their swords swinging in unison.

The sky cleared, and the battlefield remained ablaze, but both boys lay on the ground, breathing heavily.

“Who knew you’d run out of energy,” Thirty-Five said, catching his breath.

“I feel so pathetic right now,” Hades whispered, before breaking into laughter. Thirty-five joined in.

Thirty-five raised his fist. “That was a good fight.”

“Yeah... it was”

From the upper level, Sensei gazed at the flames. With a single burst of his energy, he commanded the flames to disperse.

Sakura eyed him in awe. **Yep, Sensei must have been terrifying in his prime.**

“That concludes the match,” Sensei said. “Return to your duties. If you’re injured, head to the nurse’s office.”

Sakura smiled, waving at the students. “Good job, everyone. Take a breather—you’ve earned it.” His gaze shifted to Lily. Then he turned to accompany Sensei back to his quarters.

The other trainees rose, disappointed in the outcome but having learned something valuable. They needed to train harder. This battle had shown them just how much further they had to go.

*

It didn’t take long before the moon came out, casting its gentle glow over the sanctuary. Inside the canteen, the place was alive with chatter, filled with younglings dashing about, their trays clattering as they laughed and shared stories of the day.

Lily stood surrounded by an eager crowd, all impressed by her fighting skills. Meanwhile, at the far corner, Hades and Thirty-Five sat together, their spot almost feeling like a quiet exile from the rest of the bustling room.

Hades sipped his soup. I’m used to this, but it brings some comfort knowing there is someone else who is also isolated. I feel a friendship building up.

“Hey,” a female voice said.

Hades frowned, turning to her. “What do you want? Can’t you see I’m eating?”

“Hey, Thirty-Five, you were amazing out there!” she said, grabbing his hand. “You’ve gotta teach me some of your moves sometime!”

Thirty-five chuckled, “Sure, anytime.”

Her face went red, but not only hers. Hades was brighter. He quickly looked away, gulping down the rest of his soup as fast as he could.** I’m so glad nobody saw that.

Lily smiled behind him, her presence like that of a wolf staring down at a puppy.

Hades sighed. “You saw right?”

She tapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry buddy the girl will come someday”

“Lily,“ he said, eyes gleaming.

She giggled. “Too bad that’s impossible for a devil such as yourself”

“Lily!” he shouted, bolting from his seat and chasing her around the canteen.

Lily grabbed a random girl passing by. “See for yourself!” she said, holding her as a shield. “You don’t believe me? Just ask her!”

The girl fidgeted, clearly confused and uncomfortable. “W-What’s going on?”

“Look, Forty-Six, what do you think about Hades? Is he, you know, dateable?”

Forty-Six’s face went pale. “Huh? I-I don’t know... uh, he’s kind of scary... His powers summon that giant beast in the sky and...” She bowed her head, shaking. “I’m sorry, but no, I... I can’t date him.”

Lily smirked at Hades. “See? Told you.”

Hades turned away. “Whatever,” he whispered.

Lily watched him about to leave the room. She ran and held his hand as he reached for the door.

“Come on now. Can’t you take a joke?”

Hades growled under his breath. “I never asked for a scary gift. It’s not my fault.”

Lily sighed, pulling him closer. “Do you really want to be that guy?”

“What guy?”

“You know, the guy who’s always down in the dumps,” she said, giving him a light punch. “Sure, your gift is terrifying as hell, but it’s also super cool!”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”

Lily chuckled nervously. “Maybe... but it’s still true!” She turned to Thirty-Five. “Back me up here. His powers are awesome, right?”

Thirty-five nodded, giving a thumbs up. “Totally. Super cool.”

Hades turned away, embarrassed. “When did you get here?”

Thirty-five pointed to himself. “Oh me. I saw you crying, so I was like, wow that’s great. I have to see this”

“I wasn’t crying!” Hades yelled, catching the attention of everyone at the canteen.

Thirty-five gave him a playful punch. “Yeah buddy”

Hades wiped his eyes, though there were no actual tears. “Well, I’ll promise you this...” He clenched his fist. “I will *never* cry again because I am... cool!”

Lily and Thirty-Five burst out laughing.

“That was so corny!” Lily teased, wiping a tear.

“When did we ask for you to promise us that?” Thirty-five said. “Take it easy Hades, it’s no big deal to cry every now and then”

Hades headed for the door. **Maybe leaving now is the best idea,** he thought.

Before he could step out, a group of trainees approached him. “Hey, Forty-Two! That was incredible, what you did back there!” one of them said. “Think you could teach us how to command elements like you?”

“Are... are you talking to me?” Hades asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah!”

Hades turned away, hiding his smile. “Oh, yeah, sure. Anything for my comrades”

The boy’s eyes widened.

Hades looked at them. “What’s wrong?”

“Well anytime we asked for your help you always shooed us away”

“Did I?”

“Yes, you did,” Thirty-five coughed. “You did the same to me Hades”

“Oh, I never noticed,” Hades bowed down shocking everyone. “I am sorry for my bad behaviour”

The boy waved his hands frantically. “No, no, it’s okay! Thanks for agreeing to help us!”

A girl approached them. “Hey, Forty-Three, I’ve noticed you and your friend call each other different names. Did sensei change them for you?”

Lily smirked, wrapping her arms across Hade’s shoulder. “Nope. We just got married, that’s all.”

The entire canteen erupted in chaos, and even the servers were stunned, dropping a child’s bowl of soup onto the floor.

“M-Marriage,” the girl said, falling on her feet.

Hades’ eyes went blank. When did he get married? He couldn’t remember when or how. Does that mean he may be a father someday? But he’s only fourteen—how is that possible?!

Thirty-five chuckled, hitting Lily’s head. “Relax, she’s joking. They just gave each other nicknames.” He turned away, wiping at the corner of his eyes, muttering to himself. “Goodness knows why I wasn’t given one”

“I’m so sorry it slipped my mind,” she said, shaking him back and forth so fast it felt like he was about to hurl. “Hey, Hades, how about we give Thirty-Five a name, too?”

Hades’ eyes were still blank. He gave no response.

Lily sighed, her face falling. **Was this really the same guy she just called her husband?**

“Oh well, let’s call you Jinn for now,” she said.

“You just picked a random name, didn’t you?”

“Yep,” she smiled at him.

More kids began to crowd around them.

“I want a name too!” one kid shouted.

“Me too!”

Lily found herself surrounded by eager faces, all clamouring for her attention. She held up her hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, but I can’t name you all on my own,” she said, having an idea. “How about this? Since my husband gave me my name, why don’t you all let your friends pick your names? It’ll be way faster that way.”

The children nodded enthusiastically and quickly scattered into their friend groups. Laughter and excited whispers filled the air as the kids exchanged names. Lily, always the social butterfly, wandered around and made sure the loners weren’t left out, giving them names of their own.

Hades watched, his mind finally catching up with reality. The sanctuary was alive with the sound of children happily announcing their new names. Jinn draped an arm around him, pulling him into the moment, while Lily stood proudly at his other side.

That night, the sanctuary was filled with joy, and every child—no matter who they were before—was given a name.

*

A woman sat in the shadows, her skin pale as snow, the only colour on her being the vibrant red of her lips, glowing faintly in the darkness. She was perched by the window, a smoking pipe resting between her fingers, yet she never took a single puff.

“Hey, old man, they gave each other names,” she said, flaunting her voluptuous chest in the moonlight. “Isn’t that a problem?”

“I never said they couldn’t,” Sensei replied, standing by her side. “This is the first group that’s even thought of such a thing.”

“So you have high hopes for them I presume”

“Emotions change with the passing of each day. Feelings shift like the seasons. It’s too early to say.”

She tossed the pipe aside, letting it clatter onto the rooftops. “In the end, they’re just nameless children. Born for the sword, destined to die by it.”

Without another word, she leapt from her spot by the window, landing on the roof, her movements as fluid as a breeze. “I won’t be coming back. There won’t be anything worth returning to, old man. But,” she said with a sly grin, “it was nice seeing you again.”

Sensei smiled, his old eyes softening. “Enjoy your wedding, dearie.”

The woman chuckled, snapping her fingers. In an instant, cherry blossoms bloomed around her, swirling like a storm. “No man is worthy of me, master. Surely you know that.”

As the blossoms danced around her, her form dissolved into the air, leaving nothing behind but the lingering scent of flowers. Sensei lowered himself into his seat, staring up at the tranquil moon. For the first time in a long while, there was a flicker of hope. A new generation of swordsmen, stronger than ever—both in skill and in companionship. A soft smile touched his lips as he basked in the moon’s gentle glow.

There was still a chance, after all.