Chapter 43– The Final Challenge #5

"Purpose is fragile as glass. One wrong move, and it breaks." – Senseless

Baru's breath came ragged and weary, but yet resolve hid behind his brown, hazel eyes as he forced himself off the ground. Although his body and lungs were fatigued, for some odd reason, he felt a new strength becoming accessible, almost as if he hadn't worn out his senses to begin with. He wasn't so sure what the source of this power was. Perhaps it was a mixture of stubbornness and unwillingness to give up, or it could stem from a more complex root cause.

Blood dripped from his chin, creating a small puddle of his own bodily fluids. Baru chuckled ironically. And this motherfucker is supposed to be a teacher? Talk about strict, he thought, giving a quick glance at Sen, who silently observed the fight with calm eyes. If Baru hadn't known better, he would have thought Sen was a robot, incapable of emotion, but he knew that wasn't true. His flat expression was still unnerving, though.

Why is he the only one who doesn't seem worried about me? Should I be offended or flattered? Baru had always felt strange about Sen since the moment he joined him. Not in a negative or bad way. It just almost felt like he had met him before. Of course, Baru knew that was impossible.

It doesn't matter. All I have to focus on is beating the crap out of Gyro in three minutes— Baru froze at that thought, looking at the techno screen displayed above.

"NO!" Baru cried, kneeling on the ground dramatically. "It's been four minutes already? I lost the bet!" He slapped himself across the face as punishment. "I've never lost a bet, man! I need a recount. This is definitely bullshit." He'd never trust a techno watch again.

Gyro blinked across from him, his exposed body revealing red gashes with gouged-out flesh as blood dripped from the wounds that Baru had inflicted. Utterly shocked, Gyro rasped out between huffs, "How are you still standing after all that?"

Baru paused his comedic episode and met eyes with the old man.

"Shit... I don't know?" Baru shrugged. It wasn't a lie, either. He couldn't explain how he was still standing.

"Ha..." Gyro, dumbfounded, let out a single chuckle. "Hahaha!" He covered his face and laughed like a maniac, as if he were going through a mental breakdown. "That doesn't even make sense! Do I need to kill you to finally end this battle?"

"Nah, I'm not really feeling like dying today, to be honest," Baru wiped his face of blood. "Besides, I doubt the academy would allow that. But I will take that key from you, though." Baru launched at the man, aiming for the key that hung around his neck.

Baru had almost forgotten that his objective was to steal the key from the old man. Whenever he fought, that was the only thing he could think about. Nothing else mattered to him. It was like a drug. When he started to fight, he couldn't escape his own impulses and desires. He was naive and dumb, but even so, during the whole fight, Gyro was either too far from him or too skilled at close combat to allow him to snatch the key. However, right now, Baru felt he had the advantage.

Thanks to Touch, his legs propelled him forward as he reached out. But just as his hand could grasp the necklace, Gyro swiftly moved away and got a hold of his arm. Right when he did, Baru knew he fucked up. As Gyro swung his body in circles, attempting to throw Baru like a rag doll, he released his grip. However, instead of being tossed away, the roles were suddenly reversed as Baru grabbed hold of Gyro's arm just before he could be chucked like a rock. Having a strong grip on the man, Gyro growled in frustration while attempting to shake him off.

"Just shake it off! Shake it off!" Baru hummed a tune while the barista struggled. Letting out a roar of irritation, the man threw Baru downward, hoping to finally free his grip. However, just before being thrown to the ground, Baru voluntarily released his hand, causing Gyro to flail his arms in confusion. Thrown off balance from the sudden weight disparity, Gyro tripped.

Now's my chance!

Baru reached his hand out as the big man fell and felt the ragged necklace chain, but before he could grab and yank it, Gyro drew his right arm backward to block Baru's grasp. Gyro tumbled to the ground and quickly recovered his footing with a front flip. Both of them stood a few feet away, facing each other with tired pants as they wiped sweat from their faces.

"You look tired," Baru puffed out. Apparently, Gyro wasn't in the mood for light-hearted jokes. He just stared at him coldly, his face tensing up, revealing layers of wrinkles. "What's wrong, big guy? Age finally caught up to you?" Baru taunted, straining his body, ready for a head-on collision.

However, Gyro never made his move; instead, he relaxed his body and released his Sense, the blue light flickering out of his eyes. What happened? Did he finally run out of energy? Baru froze. No, it almost looks like he did it on purpose. Is he giving up?

Baru released his own Sense out of obligation. If he isn't using his Sense, then I shouldn't waste mine either. There was no need to bully the old man if he was giving up. It was an unwritten rule.

Baru eyed him contentiously. "Hey, what gives? Why aren't you fighting—"

"Tell me, young one," Gyro started, his expression becoming unthreatening, "what does it mean to be a Knight?"

Baru recognized it was the same question he had asked Hana not so long ago. He stopped and thought for a moment, putting his index finger on his chin. "I don't know. Why is meaning so important?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"There is no meaning in doing anything," Baru's gaze turned shallow and flat, recalling a rain shower of painful and grueling memories. "Why should I respond to something that doesn't even have an answer? Meaning this, meaning that. Meaning is just a fucking word. Why do people sacrifice themselves in war? Did they want to die? Of course not, so why do they do it? Is there a meaning to sacrificing yourself for something that will eventually continue after you die?" Baru asked.

"Can't answer that question, huh? People get a job to get money. Why do they want money? To live and have a good life. So why do they want to have a good life? What's the meaning of having a good life if no matter what you do, you eventually die in the end. Meaning has no meaning. You can always contradict something by asking yourself whether it has meaning or not. But if someone has a reason for doing something that doesn't coincide with your own views, does that make it wrong? If Hana says that being a Knight means being strong and protecting those weaker, is she wrong? No. Everyone deserves the right to create their own meaning and pursue something. No one is wrong." Baru paused, "Well, I mean... except for pedophiles and murderers. They don't have a right to choose. Call me a hypocrite; I don't care."

… "Hahahaha!" Gyro burst out laughing.

"Huh?" Baru narrowed his eyes with a frown. "What's so funny?" He wasn't sure if Gyro was laughing at him or just laughing at the joke. After what felt like too much time, Gyro wiped off his tears of hilarity and looked at Baru, a warm smile beginning to form underneath his thick blonde mustache. Baru was very disturbed at the sight.

Eww, that face does not suit him. Seriously, why does he look like that one weird family uncle when he sees the kids? Shit's creepy.

"I see," Gyro heartfully mused. "To think there would be kids out there that are this mature."

"Whoa, whoa, bro," Baru sweated bullets, "What do you mean by that? I'm still a minor, plus I don't swing that way—"

"Open your Sense," Gyro demanded, brushing off his remarks. "Finish what you started."

Gyro's eyes closed, then reopened, flickering with a blue hue. Baru snorted with a wide grin. "Don't have to tell me twice, Uncle." Baru took a deep breath, flexed his muscles, and felt his nervous system switch on. It was time to get this over with. Baru swung himself at the old man with speed so quick it paled in comparison to anything he had displayed before.

Baru appeared before Gyro, striking his fist at his gut swiftly, only for the old man to dodge the attack and knee Baru in the face. The impact sent him to the ceiling before he felt himself fall from gravity. Gyro waited for Baru, his fist wound up for another attack as he fell.

But against all rational thought, Baru grinned. He had specifically taken a knee to the face to be at a high vantage point.

While Baru fell, he hurled a small brick piece that he had been hiding in the palm of his hand straight at Gyro, who was waiting for gravity to do its work. He didn't even have time to process the unexpected attack before the rubble piece dove into his forehead with a big thump.

"Gotcha now, BITCH!" Falling above the man, Baru stretched his hands toward the chained key with a smirk. This was it. He had won. There was no way Gyro could react to his movements after being practically shot in the forehead at point-blank range. But of course, Baru was an idiot.

Gyro's body dodged below him, causing Baru to awkwardly crash to the ground, agonizingly. His hands were right by the Key. He could have touched it!

"Alright seriously, what the fuck, man. HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT!" Baru groaned, bending his back as if he were an old man. Although Baru was unsatisfied with his plan, he quickly noticed Gyro's odd behavior.

The man was holding his palm against the wound with his eyes closed, as if he had been blinded. It was safe to assume that Baru may have accidentally found his weak point.

Man, I kinda feel sorry for him… Baru frowned. Okay, I'm done.

With a loud cackle, he took advantage of Gyro's blindness and reached for the necklace again. This time there was no way Gyro would be able to predict his movement—

Gyro dodged out of Baru's grasp.

He blinked, his hands grasping absolutely nothing. "Alright…" Baru had to make sure he was seeing things correctly. "Alright, you have your eyes closed, right, I don't have my eyes closed, okay, that makes sense. SO HOW THE HELL DID YOU KNOW WHERE I AM!"

Who was actually blind at the moment? Him or Gyro? At this point, he didn't even know what the hell to think. Let's try this again, Baru sighed, gritting his teeth. He slowly walked up to Gyro this time, as he stood like a statue, his eyes closed and his guard wide open. Baru narrowed his eyes, not doing anything for a moment, and quickly whipped his hand to grasp the necklace!

And he was gone. Gyro dodged out of the way, leaving Baru empty-handed yet again.

He breathed in. "Inner peace…" Baru told himself. "Inner peace… MAN, FUCK THIS!"

Baru lost his composure and resorted to plain attacks without even considering stealing the key anymore. He was just mad.

Facing Gyro with an irritated grimace, he jabbed with lightning speed—each of his punches being barely evaded by a couple of centimeters. But he didn't let up; he continued his assault with more right hooks and roundhouse kicks. But no matter how many times he performed his skillful maneuvers, each one ended up meeting empty, thin air.

Panting heavily as drops of sweat drenched his clothes and dripped from his face, he cursed under his breath.

How? How is he stronger than before? Then it finally dawned on him. Or is Gyro even trying to begin with? It suddenly made sense to Baru. This whole time, the barista had been playing with his emotions, giving him the upper hand and then smashing his pride. How could he have thought he could put up a good fight? Gyro must be at least a gold-ranked Knight—

"You want to know how I can dodge you with my eyes closed?" Gyro whispered close to his ear, directly behind his exhausted body. Twirling with panic, Baru faced the man and imprudently threw another punch at him. However, not to his surprise, Gyro dodged and gripped his lurching hand. Baru winced as he felt Gyro's grip on his wrist.

"Listen to me," Gyro said, his eyes remaining closed. "Our Senses are not just powers. They are a separate entity who watches us grow stronger."

Baru kicked at Gyro's abdomen without letting him finish his sentence. But Baru paled as his attack barely made an impact. Gyro stood there, completely unfazed.

"However," Gyro continued, brushing off his attack as if he were an ant, "these beings inside of us are not gifts from god. They are devils, laughing in amusement as we make them stronger." Baru froze, completely giving up his attacks, his eyes widening.

"I made a contract with the devil, Baru. That's why I'm so strong." Gyro slowly opened his eyes, revealing his cold, glaring eyes that made Baru's heart thud irrepressibly in his chest. "I threw away my humanity to get to this point. I became one with the devil inside of me, and it granted me its full power. Trust me, being strong comes at a big price. As you go down this path, the devil inside you will grow more and more. Is this truly what you want? Why do you want to be a Knight?"

Thud…

Thud…

Thud…

Why do I want to be a Knight? Baru asked himself, the sound around him growing dull and muffled, making the pounding in his heart grow louder and louder. Why do I want to? A wave of serenity washed over him, calming his heart and mind.

Agonizing screams of his family replaced the eerie silence in his ears, but he didn't wince or attempt to forget them. He opened his arms to embrace the memories, the pain he felt that day, and the voices of his family that had become muffled and unrecognizable.

I can't forget them… Baru calmly told himself. I need to—

"Don't hate anyone, not because they deserve your empathy, but because you deserve peace."

Baru flicked open his eyes upon hearing those words. His heart stopped, and tears started falling from his cheeks as his face remained stoic.

Father… Baru's heart ached. I remember now, I remember what you told me that day. I'm sorry… I'm sorry for forgetting.

Gyro looked at Baru, confused about why he was tearing up. Releasing his grip from Baru's wrist, Baru made no attempt to attack.

"So?" Gyro prodded again. "Why do you wish to be a Knight?"

Baru blinked, returning to reality, and gave Gyro an amused chuckle, putting his palm over his face, "I just want to be strong for the sake of others. I want to have a purpose, even if it means becoming the devil. At least then, I would be the devil who saves lives instead of an angel with no will to live."

… Gyro let out a small snort. "Give me your hand."

"For what?"

"Just do it."

Baru extended his palm, confused about what the old man intended. Maybe he wanted to sneak attack him and end the challenge. At this point, Baru would accept his fate—not because he was giving up, but simply because he couldn't fight back even if he tried. His Sense had given out a few moments ago from exhaustion, meaning there was zero chance of winning. It's over—

Baru felt a metallic chain and a small metal key being placed in his palm. Baru couldn't help but think he was in some dream.

How… is the key… in my palm? Why… why would he…

"Oh no!" Gyro gasped theatrically, "You got the key from me! Well played, indeed. It looks like you finally passed the challenge." He acted out, waving at Baru's teammates. "Hey, guys, he passed the challenge! Congratulate him!"

… "No way…" Hana blinked in shock, straining her eyes at the opposite side of the room. "How the hell did he get the Key? I couldn't even see him take it from here."

"I don't know," Hyo confessed, completely dumbfounded. "Gyro's pressure point paralysis is messing with my Sight, and I don't think I can use it at all right now."

"Same with me," Kaiyo added, while Hono nodded in agreement.

"Hmph," Sen murmured, almost as if he knew what was happening. "Good job, Baru!" he congratulated.

"WOO! Good job, Baru!" Hono cheered as the rest of the team started congratulating him.

"I don't know how you did it!" Hana exclaimed. "I'm sor—uh, I'm proud of you!" Hana stopped herself from apologizing for ever doubting Baru to begin with.

Baru gazed across the dimly lit room where his friends stood, frozen in time, congratulating him.

"What?" Baru blinked again, looking at his palm. "Why?" he asked Gyro.

"You got that key fair and square, right?" Gyro said, his body turning away from him and towards his teammates.

"No, but why—"

"Why this, why that? Who cares," Gyro mocked in Baru's own style of rhetoric, walking over to his friends and swiftly poking the back of their necks with his index finger, releasing them from his paralysis.

"OH GOD DAMMIT!" Hana groaned, stretching her body. "My body feels stiff as a log."

"And my eyes are blurry," Hyo complained, squinting as he cleaned his glasses.

"My hearing is also all over the place," Kaiyo said, with Hono nodding in agreement.

"Don't worry, that's just the lasting effects of my pressure point, you'll be fine in a few minutes," Gyro dismissed their concerns. "Now, there's no more time to waste; you have 4 minutes to unlock that door and pass the challenge."

"Shit, we can celebrate later! let's go!" Hana started jogging to the opposite side of the room, the rest of the team following suit. Baru hung back, staring at Gyro with starry eyes.

"Hmph? What are you looking at, kid? Just go pass the challenge already. Seriously, you look like one of my deranged nephews, staring at me like that," Gyro rolled his eyes, avoiding Baru's gaze.

Baru could only laugh. "Hahahaha!"

"Why are you laughing? It's annoying."

"Thank you," Baru genuinely said, bowing his head at the man. "I promise we'll fight some other time, and I'll be stronger then."

"Hey Baru, get your ass over here!" Hana yelled from across the room. "For the love of god, if all your hard work goes to waste, I'll kill you!"

"Looks like someone has a crush on you," Gyro snorted under his breath.

"What was that?" Baru asked, oblivious.

"Never mind, go on, before she hurts you more than I did."

Baru smiled, "Thanks, old man."

"I'm not that ol—" Too late, Baru was already dashing out of sight to be on time. "Tsk, kids these days…" Gyro grumbled, a hint of warmth in his tone.

As he reached the door, his team parted ways so he could have

the honor. He let out a rough sigh and inserted the key.

This is it… he thought. The moment I twist this key, it's finally over. Mom, Dad, Ami, I'll make you proud. I'll find my purpose and live a life I can be proud of.

He turned his gaze to his teammates one last time. I know it's going to be hard, probably even harder than before. But I had fun… I really did.

Baru twisted the key and opened the door. A bright light from outside blinded them momentarily before a loud robotic voice exclaimed,

"Congratulations, Team Sen. You passed the first challenge in 56 minutes and 45 seconds."