Reality Check

"YOU BASTARD! DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU? I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH IT THIS TIME! LAST TI-"

"Will you shut up?"

I interrupted Hannah, using my pinky to clear the ringing in my ears from her shouting. She subconsciously used mana to enhance her voice, and my ears were at risk of rupturing.

Hannah showed a look of incredulity, at my straightforward response.

I then used my foot, to roll one of the dead bodies over, so that Hannah could get a look.

At first she looked away in disgust, but after a second glance, she fully turned to look at the body. She saw the demonic tattoos, and understood the truth of the situation.

I looked at the body, and then at her, and I realized it was another student she knew from her hometown. After the attack on the Academy, I began to look into the backgrounds of all the freshmen, and after a double take on the other two demons I realized that they were all from the same town.

'It's too much of a coincidence. There is clearly a clue in that town, so I'll have to investigate it myself, or pass the info onto Ms. Redington.'

Hannah shut her mouth after seeing the bodies, and she simply stared at the floor in despair. I looked at her, and shook my head.

"You know Hannah."

She turned her empty eyes to look at me. Almost looking as though she was moving on impulse.

"You're really pathetic."

This sentence brought the focus back into her eyes. She looked offended, but didn't say anything. So I continued talking.

"All these people who are demons... They're all your friends. Also... You're late."

I turned and looked at a corpse further away. 

Titus also looked over with pain in his expression. While we had hurried, we failed to save the girl who had screamed. She.. Was brutally murdered, and the demons had even tore her clothes off, making her die in shame too.

I looked from the corpse back to Hannah, and saw her eyes had fallen upon the body.

"You have so much strength... But you don't know how to use it properly... You're only using the title of hero."

I motioned for Titus, and he walked over to me. I then turned and began to walk away.

"The world deserves better than this."

With that I left a defeated girl behind. The image of Hannah Stonewall, the future sword saint, was gone. 

I had said words, much harsher than I needed to, because I felt that they held some truth. The world did deserve better.

She needed to be better. This was a moment I wanted to see, where she was utterly defeated, and finally realized that she was not being her best. She was not ever going to be ready to defend the world, if she continued to be ignorant of the reality of dealing with Demons. 

Her 'friends' were not properly vetted. She didn't really know anything about them, and placed her trust in them just because they grew up in the same town.

She let herself get drowned in anger again, without looking at the situation carefully. 

I had influenced her before, but she had not grown enough. I was truly disappointed in her behavior during this test. I also realized... I needed to present more obstacles for her. I began to make some more future plans, and start my second plan. 

The demons had been handled. I knew this because the device I was given showed a message from someone unknown, that the demons were eliminated. I was free to do what I wanted, but I wasn't going to stop here.

I walked in silence with Titus to find the outcasts I had made contact with earlier. While we were walking, I decided to say something to Titus.

"We can't be everywhere."

I said. I wasn't looking at Titus, but I could tell his expression would only darken.

"I know... I just... Wish I had been faster to get there. Maybe she would have lived."

"Maybe isn't good enough."

I harshly cut his wallowing off. I stopped walking and turned to look at him.

"If you were to look someone's loved ones in the eyes, and say 'maybe' I can save them, would you feel like a hero?"

Titus thought for a moment, before his eyes fell to the floor, and he slammed his fist into a tree. The tree buckled, but it didn't break, even though it was a tree I knew he should have the strength to topple easily.

"So what is it all for?! The training we've done! WE FAILED TO SAVE EVEN ONE LIFE!"

I looked him in the eyes. They were red and he had tears streaming down his face, but I knew he wasn't mad at me. He was yelling at himself.

"Yes... We failed this time Titus... So we have to practice harder. We have to do more to prevent this from happening again. We need allies."

He stopped shouting, and looked at me. He grit his teeth, before roaring into the air as loud as he could. He couldn't utilize mana that well, but his voice was even louder than Hannah's earlier.

After a few moments of heavy breathing, he took a deep breath and composed himself.

"You're right... Let's go."

I looked at him once more, before turning and walking forward.

**** Hannah's POV ****

'I don't know when teachers had arrived next to me, but the last thing I remembered was Darius Crow talking to me.

"You're pathetic."

"The world deserves better."

The words still rung in my ears, and I didn't know if it was because I disliked Darius, but they hurt me so deeply inside.

Maybe it was because it was true.

I thought back to the way I spent the past few months. I was taking my training in strides, since Gram told me that if I followed his training schedule I would be a top 100 hero by the time I graduated...

But was that my best?

I never went to sleep exhausted. There were never days where I lost sleep. Never did I feel rushed...

'I've been slacking off... I've been taking it easy... Every since the beginning of the year, I have stayed as the second seat, but I haven't really improved... If Titus took his academic studies more seriously, I wouldn't even be second seat... And Darius... He climbed from the bottom of the rankings, to becoming the top freshman.'

'What am I doing?'

Hannah's vision seemed to regain it's focus, and she looked around her to see the bustling teachers. She was going to give a testimony, but a female teacher walked up to her.

"Well done Hannah. Darius Crow and Titus Freeman were the ones who called us, and they told us about how you bravely fought the demons. Of course we understand that they helped you, but the main credit still goes to y-"

"W-wait, teacher, did you say that they told you I defeated the demons? But I di-"

The air suddenly became extremely heavy, and the expression on the teacher's face changed into one that was deathly serious.

"Don't interrupt me while I am talking. Take the gift that Darius gave you."

With that the teacher turned, and I was able to see her badge briefly.

'Alice Redington... Who is she? Why does she seem to hate me?'

As she walked away, I was able to just barely catch her mumbling.

"I don't know what he even fucking sees in her... He should have just taken the credit himself..."

****

After the situation with the demons was resolved, and the teachers checked on the remaining students, the test was allowed to continue. I was making my way back to my camp where two of my friends were waiting for me. I had heard the screams earlier, and decided to investigate alone.

As I was coming back, I suddenly heard the sound of crunching and slurping. I listened closely, and approached the sound quietly. I then came upon a horrific sight. 

There was a lanky boy, hunched over the body of a giant bear, digging his hands into it's stomach before fishing out it's intestines and eating them raw. 

'I recognize this kid... He's one of the lowest ranked students, and he shouldn't have the strength to take down an animal like this bear alone'

 I was going to continue watching, when I accidentally took a step, and broke a twig.

It made a small sound, but in this silent forest it sounded like an explosion. I looked down at the twig out of reflex, but I slowly lifted my head to look back at the boy. 

But he wasn't there anymore.

I stood up from the bush I was hiding behind, and looked around. 

"Did he get scared off by the sound?"

I said, before shrugging my shoulders and turning to head to my camp.

When I turned around, a foot flew towards my stomach. I managed to block the kick with my arms, but I was sent flying away.

"UGH!"

My arms were deeply bruised, and there was a good chance that they were both fractured. I looked up, and saw the boy sprint at me.

I drew my sword and took a deep breath...

'Tonight has been a really long night.'

**** Darius' POV ****

I was currently watching a boy names Ryan Gerrling, fight with Hannah Stonewall. The fight was coming to an end, but it was still a good fight. I had given Ryan a powerful berserk potion. It completely made him lose his mind, but his physical powers would be boost by an entire grade. 

Hannah had been caught by a surprise attack, which made the fight incredibly one sided, but she used her superior sword skill to whittle Ryan down. Since he couldn't think straight, he was easy to toy with for someone as skilled as Hannah. She danced around him, and slowly disabled him with small cuts. 

The wounds were going to be easily healed, but he wouldn't be able to attack her again for a while. With a tired body, Hannah dragged herself back to her camp, and was going to have to spend the night recovering her strength.

I waited until she was completely gone, before I walked down from the ridge I was on, and approached a moaning Ryan.

He was bloodied, and bruised. He was writhing on the ground in pain, but he seemed to be lucid again. He heard my approaching footsteps, and unlike his reaction when I met him earlier, he now looked at me with reverence.

"D-Darius! I could really use one of those healing potions you gave me earlier... Also that berserk potion! WOW! I don't remember super clearly, but I was able to almost beat Hannah Stonewall!"

He was clearly unable to move, and he was bleeding profusely, yet here he was smiling clearly at me. I smiled as I approached him, but right as I was about to pour a healing potion into his mouth, I stopped.

"Ryan, I would love to help you, but I just can't bring myself to watch you hurt yourself like this. The berserk potion is a short term effect... Every use requires a healing potion after, and I can't afford to give you too many of these for free.."

"I-I'll do anything! W-What about Titus there? I remember how he was super scrawny, but then he began to hang out with you! You must have something else! Can I... Can I get what he is getting.. I would be willing to work for it, just tell me what I have to do!"

Titus was looking at him with unmoving eyes, as he knew this was exactly as I had said it would go, so he was not surprised.

I looked at Ryan, and pretended to think about it for a little while, before I pulled out another vial of grey liquid. It was a diluted version of the mixture I had for Titus. It wouldn't place as much burden on the muscles, which led to less effects, but it was safe for people without regenerative abilities to intake. 

Ryan's eyes were glued to the vial, and I spoke quietly to him. Titus silently pressed the jamming device, and cleared his throat to let me know we were hidden.

"This is a weaker version of what Titus takes, since he has regeneration, this one is meant for normal people."

"YES! YES I'LL TAKE IT!"

"I am only willing to give it to people who I can trust..."

Ryan stopped talking crazily, and his eyes seemed to sober up.

"What do you need me to do for you to trust me..."

I smiled, and I looked at him deep in the eyes.

"I want you to answer one question."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

I said. Maintaining strict eye contact with Ryan. His eyes shook a little, but he resolved himself to get the mixture of mine. He nodded, and I asked him my question.

"Do you like being looked down on?"

The question seemed like a punch in the gut, as Ryan's face immediately scrunched up into one of discomfort. He looked away in shame, and took a deep breath before answering.

"Of course not... I worked just as hard as anyone else... But look at me. I'm ranked 47th out of 48 freshmen..."

I saw tears coming out of his eyes, as he spoke. I leaned forward and slowly poured the healing potion into his mouth. He drank it quietly, and after a few minutes of silence, he was now sitting up against a tree. Still shedding tears.

"My mom worked so hard to make enough money to get me into the Academy... She said... I was her pride."

He cried even harder, burying his head into his arms.

"My dad died and now I'm the man of the house! I'm supposed to protect her! CARE FOR HER! PROVIDE FOR HER! AND HERE I AM, STRUGGLING TO EVEN MAKE HER PROUD! OF COURSE I AM NOT HAPPY! WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT BEING LOOKED DO-"

"I know what it's like."

My steady voice interrupted. He stopped rambling for a moment, and looked at me through blurry eyes. I put my hand on his shoulder, and looked him in the eyes again.

"I think you have a bigger purpose in life... But let me tell you this... You won't be able to tell anyone about what you're doing. You'll likely go down in history as a nobody..."

Ryan showed visible confusion, as it no longer sounded like he was being sold a con.

"But when you look your mom in the eyes... You can proudly tell her that you are saving lives."

With that, I silently put the vial of grey liquid into his hands. He stared at it silently, then looked up at me.

"Take it, only if you're willing to be looked down upon... And be happy about it. Find me when we get back to the Academy if you want."

Titus and I then left the clearing.

Ryan was left in the complete dark, and continued to cry. The sounds of quiet sobbing slowly faded away, and the only thing I wanted to do was lay down on my pillow.

"Do you know the name of the girl who died?"

Titus suddenly asked me.

Without looking at him I answered.

"Shannon Ashton."

It was quiet for a moment before he asked another question.

"Do you know her name because that's your job or-"

"She likes chocolates."

Titus stopped walking and was stunned.

"She was allergic to nuts, and likes playing tennis..."

I turned to look at Titus, and in that moment he could clearly see the pain hidden behind my expressionless eyes.

"Everyone is important."

Titus didn't say anything, but he had confirmed something in his heart.

'I will follow this man till the day I die.'

This was the silent vow Titus Freeman made on that night.