Everyone at some point in their life discovers that the ear is not just a organ that allows to hear and listen. There is a more internal and hidden part to the naked eye that not only takes care of the function of hearing. The so-called inner ear is also responsible for maintaining the balance between the head and body of beings such as mammals.

Whether it is a strong hit from a ball to the head or dizziness due to the sudden movement of a means of transport such as a boat, the loss of balance causes the sensation of being on the verge of falling.

And this loss of balance had as one of its causes head injuries.

My eye is intact.

In Aaron's case, however, it was different.

After checking his face with his fingers, he was able to confirm that both his eyes and ears were intact and where they should be. Even his long beard hadn't been burned.

His relief, however, was short-lived.

Although the explosion of the grenade wasn't enough to make him feel dizzy, during the seconds following the attack, he had been momentarily unable to hear clearly.

Only one time he had felt that way when he was hit with a weapon very close to his ear or because the sound of a cannon firing had occurred centimeters away from his position.

The sense of hearing would return, but during those agonizing minutes, another sensation made the wait much worse.

Feeling disoriented.

It had happened before.

In this new stage of his adulthood, nearing the middle of his adult years, his lack of knowledge of the terrain and the intense fog had caused the first days he was exploring this path with his comrades to feel disoriented.

When they just started operating together. When their group was not yet known by a name.

But after so many months of doing the same activity over and over again without being captured by the Forces of Order, they had become the owners of the Oyogue Path.

"Aaron! ¿Are...-?"

"Can you...-?!"

... They are telling me something.

Aaron understood it immediately when he saw the extremely worried faces of those two people who with him formed the group known as the Dark Heralds.

This needed no further explanation.

It was again that fear of feeling disoriented.

It wasn't because his ear had been damaged. Nor was it because with the noise of the explosion there was a danger that the Forces of Order would suddenly appear.

It was because of his position as a leader.

His disorientation was due to the fact that his vulnerability was about to be exposed in front of his comrades if he did not react soon. In no way could it be revealed that his hearing had been affected more than he had expected.

"Enough."

"Huh?"

"But..."

Aaron didn't need to hear those words because the confusion and concern of the two young men reflected on their faces gave him an idea of what they were saying.

He couldn't allow himself to see that again. Not this same scene.

The fear reflected in others, of those who lose hope. As a leader of both young people, being disoriented about what to do would cause the same behavior in their comrades.

"Haven't I told you that you don't have to worry if a hit seems shocking? Such an attack won't do me any more harm. See? It's just a scratch. And much less will I allow myself to be injured by an object as obsolete as a hand grenade."

To change the flow of emotions, one had to be creative and take advantage of the skills one possesses.

For example, Aaron was aware that he couldn't read lips, a skill that would be useful for him to hear the words of his comrades and give them the peace of mind that any group engaged in dangerous activities must maintain.

In her late teens, however, he noticed that his voice had changed to one that required no effort to get the attention of others.

It wasn't the particularly deep or serious tone of voice that made it more likely that a person would want to hear it or wouldn't be encouraged to refute it.

It was because he was used to saying what he thought from the bottom of his soul that Aaron had become accustomed to not stuttering or hesitating in his words.

That was his skill. His powerful voice.

However, given the current situation with his ear, a powerful voice was not enough to put an end to the doubts. He was not accustomed to cheating or telling lies, limiting his only sin to stealing, so he felt that his voice could fail him if he spoke or answered without knowing what his comrades were saying.

Aaron looked around for something to help him get out of his predicament. However, with the exception of the young intruder who didn't dare to attack them either, probably due to his numerical superiority, everything was fog.

!

Fortunately, he quickly knew what to do when he saw the intruder.

Transform and redirect the strongest feeling to another person. From preoccupation to anger. In this case towards the enemy.

This tactic would allow to take attention away from him and focus it on someone else. At least until he could hear again.

"Unforgivable. You hurt the one who gave you the opportunity to leave without being hurt."

Don got in a position to be ready to fight. Despite being lower than the three, it was obvious that his robust physique helped him project an intimidating image.

"Are you going to fight him? I was hoping to be the one to fight first."

The tall young man known as Ryder addressed the other young man with a disapproving look.

"No way. I'll be the one to fight first,"Don replied, glancing back.

"Then we attack both at the same time... Although it doesn't seem fair to me."

"Does it matter if it's fair or not to attack both at once? By that thought there are afterwards lamentations about giving the final blow to an enemy before he does an evil... like making the Earth explode."

The two young men, who had come dangerously close to the enemy, were stopped by a youth disagreement : "Who was going to fight first?"

"But it is what they call the honor of a warrior... Do you want to decide it with a stone, paper or scissors? Or with fu-man-chu?"

"It's not necessary because you're not going to have the chance to fight... Besides,"said Don a little embarrassed to know this information. "Fu-man-chu is for when you have to decide between more than three people."

"If so ... this shouldn't be decided between the two of us."

Immediately, the two glances turned to who had the last decision.

What? What did they say?

Of course, this person was Aaron, who behind a serious expression hid that not a single word he had been able to hear from his comrades.

"Aaron, what is...-?"

"There will be no one who...-"

What?! Speak up, please!

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Naturally, those words didn't come out of his mouth.

But by the movements that reflected an aggressiveness against the intruding boy, Aaron understood in part what they were saying.

Being without listening is not pleasant, but... What difference does it make? Even if I can't hear them clearly, I'll make sure I keep this image of a strong leader they have of me.

Looking sternly at his two young comrades, Aaron had decided what to do to gain time.

"I've told you, Don and Ryder, several times that you must come closer if you want to say anything. Having so close to the person they want to talk to, they should at least stand in front of him."

"Did you tell us?"

"Of course he told us... Did you tell us, Aaron?"

Don and Ryder's question mark glances made Aaron to try his best efforts to give as natural an answer as possible.

"Y-Yes, of course I do. Whether you are young or old, if you want to talk to an acquaintance or friend, come closer. You may not notice it because you two are still young, but,"said Aaron clearing his throat. "It's those little details that keep you from distancing yourself from your relatives and friends."

"Ooohh. I hadn't thought of it that way."

... I'm really not good at this acting thing.

None of this would have happened if the boy hadn't appeared here on this path.

Blood no longer came from Aaron's eyebrow, but it was evident that the air had been charged with a murderous sensation towards the person who attacked him.

"Aaron, please. Let me face him first."

"No. Let me release my anger. This fight won't last long. I assure you, Aaron."

"No."

One word and no more words were heard.

"I have my own anger. I'll fight him."

Without waiting to hear any complaint -because it was evident that there were none- Aaron advanced sure of what he would say.

"I had not realized that this small round object was a supporting object for combat because it is handmade. It is unlike anything that was ever used in the Trench Warfare."

Preventive support items.

Any portable object that assists in the performance of a preventive action or task. For example, tear gas grenades used by the police to disperse protesters.

Aaron's anger was not against these objects. They were necessary objects to facilitate police work.

But among the great variety of supporting objects that existed, there was a group used specifically for war. And Aaron's anger was directed against them.

These were the supporting objects for combat.

Portable objects that provide utility in the battlefield as the situation requires it. For example, hand grenades or knives.

Thus, on the one hand, both preventive support objects and supportive objects for combat were personal and portable objects that aided in the performance of an action or task.

On the other hand, there seemed to be no major difference between the two, but the main difference between a preventive support object and a supporting object for combat was that the former was used by the police to deal with protests, riots or street fights while the latter was used by the military to deal specifically with wars.

However, apart from wars, this last group of objects could be used in fights or in a robbery situation or in another very violent situation if it weren’t for a problem.

They were obsolete.

The discovery of more powerful weapons, and the development of better armament technologies had undermined the use and development of supporting objects for combat. In conclusion, the time of use of these objects had passed many years ago.

A clear example of technology replacing another was support armament. Like light mortars to that had replaced horizontal cannons, or the anti-protesters heat rays that had replaced the tear gas grenades.

"I don't know why you carry a grenade in your backpack, but... Did you really want to attack me with that disused object, or was it a last-minute measure?"

"That was my initial idea. But you gave me the perfect setting to forget where I was. As you know, the best performance is the one that makes you doubt if what happens is real."

"Did you use these supporting objects for combat as part of your act? Or do you really use them to fight."

"I just told you. The best performance is the one that makes you doubt if what happens is real."

"... So that's how it is."

So it will be like this... After all, it had to be this way. So after many years I have to deal again with a young man who does not differentiate the great risk and little utility of using a supporting object used only by members of the police, and created specifically to disperse protestants or to control riots; from a summoned weapon which is obviously the first means available to each person to fight.

A hand grenade had wounded his eyebrow.

A supporting object specifically created and used for the above-mentioned situations had wounded his eyebrow.

I've been told not to be so condescending when dealing with young people. And now, because of this, I... I've being wounded by an object that is not even a real weapon! An object that is no longer useful for the fights or wars in these modern times!

Without turning to see his companions or the old man, Aaron faced the boy with a new determination flooding his body.

"You could have escaped, but you didn't. You decided to stay and fight a battle that you can't win and now I'll have to get violent. And it's because of this that I' holding in my hand that the supporting objects for combat since long age have lost their purpose."

With disdain, as if regretting that the young man hadn't taken the opportunity he had given him, an expression of discontent appeared on Aaron's face.

"Do you know, young man? Just because an object can be useful for fighting doesn't mean it should be used,"said the man with the sword, approaching Saulo. "If you use an object for what was not created, it is likely that one day you will end up hurting yourself or your loved ones. I have experienced it firsthand. But besides your safety matters to me absolutely nothing, my concern is for what you may cause."

Without waiting for an answer, he keeps talking.

"In this world where self-defense is very divided over whether or not to act with a summoned weapon in the face of a potential danger, the existence of these supporting objects what generates are more doubts about how I should act. Should I limit myself to defending myself until the Forces of Order arrive? Should I attack the legs to immobilize the aggressor? This dilemma that emotions and the interpretation of laws do not help to solve, would worsen if the common population normalizes the use of supporting objects is normalized."

Observing himself, Aaron sees himself with the eyes of one who has lost everything.

"And it's because of this that we all possess, this that is a trinity, that we will never know with total exactitude what may happen when we make an attack or when we try to defend ourselves. Those attributes of power that each person possesses are very difficult to distinguish with the naked eye."

The man known as Aaron Escalante can't help but smile seriously, while the words come from the bottom of his heart.

"Can you tell me if in a single attack of yours it would be enough to make this person lose consciousness? A young man like you."

The coarsely built young man known as Don stuck his chest out at the mention of his person. For a few moments, he was the center of attention.

"No. I couldn't say for sure."

"Because of his robust physique, you would think he is a person who has great defensive attributes. But no. Despite having shorter legs, he is faster than this other young man, from whom you probably thought of is faster because he is taller and slimmer."

The tall, slender young man known as Ryder said nothing when he was mentioned. He seemed a little uncomfortable being for a few brief seconds the center of attention.

"That's the doubt that's killed a lot of people about what to do against a danger. And in that confusion many lives of both aggressor and attacker have been lost or ended in jail. If a trinity already has that doubt, then imagine what would happen if more ordinary people used supporting objects or supporting objects for combat. If you're going to fight, fight! If you're not going to do anything, don't do anything! There's no room for intermediate positions or doubts!

The restrained emotions of the person who is the owner of the path came to the surface, causing the young man who listened to take a few steps back."

"I know."

"Hm?"

But in what appeared to be a prolonged silence in the face of his arguments, a quick response surprised him. This was a negative response to everything he had said.

And after a few brief seconds, the young man's voice again addressed the man.

"I believe that taking a life should not be taken so lightly... but I have also come to understand that sometimes there is no choice but to fight with a trinity. It’s precisely because we can all summon a weapon and use elemental skills that one never knows how strong the other person is until the damage is done. At first glance that's hard to say. And it's just as you say. I also don't know how strong a person's attributes are until you've already attacked... One's life is more important than thinking about all that stuff."

Giving himself some time to think, the young man answered with eyes that began to show a discernible emotion.

"However... that does not mean that we should kill in every dangerous situation. In occasions where a fight is imminent, I prefer to restrict the opponent first before the situation gets out of control and escalates to having to use a trinity. In a fit of rage you can kill one of your best friends, as it only takes a hands movement to summon a weapon or use elemental skills. Each person is a potential weapon if they don't have control of their strength or emotions. That's why there must first be degrees of violence. I'm not saying it's necessarily with this hand grenade, but if it's possible to avoid a fight with as little damage as possible, then I'll create the means for it to happen, even though the vast majority is against my vision."

Feeling the threatening gaze of three people, Saulo responds with the same decisive tone which this person had spoken to him.

"And until that day comes, I won't let you steal from this person either."

As the young man finished saying his intentions, a drop of blood ran down Aaron's eyebrow until it was lost sight of the floor.

"Boy. A theft is something that belongs to two parties... Now you've become that third party."

The fate of the young man is in himself and in the actions of this adult person.

In this new experience for a young Amish from a community with principles of nonviolence, this battle would be against the most dangerous person he could face.

A person with no doubts about what to do in the face of a potential threat.

A person with the decision to attack.

"This is the color to which we entrust ourselves."

A lead color appears in Aaron's left hand.

"This is the weapon with which we hit and cut the danger."

A sword appears in Aaron's right hand.

"And this is the element that connects us with the past, present and future of this world."

A set of lead waves appears covering the blade of the sword.

"This is the trinity of a user."

Aaron would show the young man the reason why the supporting objects for combat had remained in disuse.

"Even if it's by force, I'll make you understand your mistake."

The reason was because of what was in his hands.

A capacity of power that every being had the capacity to use.

A trinity.

A battle was about to begin.