Autonomy

How can the bird that is born for joy

Sit in a cage and sing?

-William Blake (The School Boy)

***********************************

Silva: Hey, guys. I didn't get the chance to ask this yesterday, but why did you want to become Hunters?

There was a brief silence before Kazemaru spoke up.

Kazemaru: I want to become a Hunter so the world can be a peaceful place for my little brother to grow up.

Silva: I want to be a Hunter so I can earn enough money to send to my parents back in the countryside.

Tendo: My family already wrote me off as someone who can't amount to anything. I want to become a Hunter so I can go back and prove them wrong.

********************************************************

I come from a very wealthy family. Both of my parents were Lighters, but they chose not to become Hunters. Instead, they went into business and became well-known across the continent. Coming from such a prestigious family meant the expectations for their children were incredibly high.

I have three older brothers, all of whom had the talent to manage the family business with ease. But I couldn't grasp it. My parents set high expectations for me, just like they did for my brothers, but I failed to meet them. As a result, my family treated me like an outcast, and my brothers constantly reminded me that I didn't belong. Life at home became unbearable, and I felt this burning need to prove them wrong—to show them I could be good at something.

When my Lighter technique finally awakened, I was overjoyed. I thought that mastering the family technique would make them acknowledge me. So, I enrolled in the Hunter Force Academy, hoping that excelling here would force them to recognize me.

But their voices are still in my head…

********************************

The focus shifts to Group One, which includes Tendo and Silva. They're currently fighting Raila Stefer, a second-year student at the Hunter Force Academy.

Raila's Lighter technique is puppet manipulation. She controls wooden puppets, and at the start of the fight, she surrounds Tendo and Silva with numerous puppets, attacking them from all sides.

Tendo and Silva rush in, fighting off the puppets one by one. In the observation room, everyone is impressed by the first-year students' abilities. Tendo Koizumi's Lighter technique is Iron Manipulation—he can control iron ore to form weapons. Right now, he can only manage a giant mallet, which he uses to destroy the attacking puppets.

Silva Momo was born without a Lighter technique, so she learned the Body Reinforcement technique from her mother. The technique strengthens the body and its attacks. However, Silva struggled to master it due to her mother's poor teaching skills, so she was sent to the city to enroll in the Academy.

Lisa had taken it upon herself to help Silva master the technique, and it was clear her efforts paid off. Silva was now proficient in using the Body Reinforcement technique and was fighting effectively. Lisa smiled with pride as she watched from the observation room.

Despite Tendo and Silva's efforts, the puppets kept coming with no end in sight.

Tendo: Damn it, they just keep coming!

Silva: Yeah, we need to do something about her. (She points at Raila, who is keeping her distance.) I can use my technique to break through the puppets and attack her directly.

Tendo: Wait, I've got a better idea.

Silva: It better be good, because if we keep going like this, we're going to fail.

Tendo shifts his mallet into a boomerang shape and hurls it toward Raila through the swarm of puppets.

Raila controls her puppets through Lighter energy strings that come out of her hands. Tendo had already noticed this, so he aimed to sever the strings. The boomerang sailed through the air and sliced the strings, causing the puppets to fall motionless to the ground.

Ralia: (to herself) They stopped my puppets. Now what will they do next?

Tendo and Silva rushed toward her, but she immediately began running to maintain her distance.

Tendo: Huh? Why is she running away?

Silva: She's not a close-range fighter. She's trying to buy time until she can use her puppets again. We have to catch up and restrain her hands so she can't use her technique.

Tendo: So we need to create a distraction.

Silva: Exactly, and I have an idea. But this time, let me do the talking.

Tendo: (laughs) All right, all right.

Raila suddenly summoned a new wave of puppets and sent them charging at Tendo and Silva. However, she soon realized Tendo had disappeared from sight.

Ralia: (to herself) Where did the other one go?

She spotted Tendo emerging from the trees, closing in on her. Realizing they planned to use Silva as a distraction, Raila pulled out a puppet to defend herself. But Tendo quickly turned his iron ore into a giant mallet and smashed the puppet into pieces.

Silva: Nice one, Tendo! Keep going!

Tendo fought off the remaining puppets and transformed the mallet into a pair of iron handcuffs. Raila saw this and realized their plan: they wanted to restrain her hands to stop her from controlling the puppets.

Ralia: (to herself) This is it. They're trying to restrict my hands.

Silva lunged to grab Raila, holding her in place while Tendo approached to cuff her.

But in that moment, the voices of his family suddenly replayed again in his head:

"You're a disgrace to this family"

"I can't believe you're our brother"

"If you can't prove your value to this family then we have no use for you"

"Worthless child"

Raila, noticing Tendo was slower than before, deflected his hand and headbutted him in the face. She then summoned a puppet with her left hand to knock Silva off, breaking free from their grip.

Silva: Damn it. She was good at close combat.

Ralia: That wasn't it. The problem was him. (She points at Tendo.)

Silva: What? Why?

Ralia: Ever since we began this exam, His control over his Lighter energy has been sloppy and slow. If he were faster, he would've caught me by now.

Tendo: (sighs, knowing she's right)

Ralia: Your Lighter energy control becomes weak when your mind isn't fully concentrated. Something's bothering you, isn't it?

Silva: Wait… right now? What about the exam?

Ralia: Well if he keeps going like this, you'll both fail. So, it's better to deal with it now.

Tendo: (sits on the ground)

Ralia: What's on your mind, Junior?

Tendo: (images of his family treating him badly flash in his mind) My family never believed in me. They think I'm worthless because I can't handle the family business like my brothers. I joined the Academy hoping they'd finally acknowledge me, but their words still play in my head every day.

Ralia: (to herself) That's it huh?

Silva: You never told us how much it hurt. Why didn't you say anything?

Tendo: I didn't want you guys to pity me.

Silva: Oh, Tendo…

Ralia: You know, those thoughts are the cage that's holding you down. If you don't free yourself, you'll never reach your full potential. You need to let go of their words and stop letting them control you.

Tendo: Yeah, I know.

Ralia: So your family thinks you're a good for nothing son and you want to become a hunter to prove them wrong? What happens if you become a hunter and that doesn't change?

Tendo: You don't know that.

Ralia: Yeah you're right I don't. But dwelling on those things they said will only hold you back and if you continue like this, you might just end up being the good for nothing son they already think you are.

Silva: Hey!!! WHY would you say that?!!

Ralia: It's the truth ain't it? (to Tendo) Look kid, If you want to prove them wrong, you've got to stop letting their voices drag you down. Be autonomous. Don't be that bird stuck in a cage. You can be stronger if you break free from all of that. Got it? Now get up. DAMN IT, I feel like an old man giving advice to his kids!

Tendo reflected on his past and realized how deeply it had affected him. He took a deep breath, and for the first time in a while, his mind was quiet.

Tendo: (to Silva) I'm sorry I held us back, Silva. That won't happen again.

Silva: (playfully punches his arm) It better not.

Tendo: (laughs)

Ralia: (smirks) Looks like you're ready. Let's start round two, shall we?

Tendo: RIGHT!

Silva: (nods)

Ralia looked at Tendo and realized that his control over his lighter energy had improved greatly and seeing his growth, she summoned another round of puppets and charged it at Tendo and Silva who were already running towards her.

The focus then shifted to Group Two, but something was wrong. Everyone in the observation room turned their attention to Group Two and gasped at the sight before them.

Kazemaru was on the ground, clutching his bleeding left shoulder. The second-year student they were supposed to be fighting lay on the ground with a sword in his chest. Karla stood over Kazemaru, holding another bloody sword, poised to strike.

Kazemaru: (clutching his shoulder in pain) Hey, Karla! What are you doing? KARLA!?

But Karla didn't respond. Her eyes were dark and intense as she brought her sword down on Kazemaru, and—