"This guy is not normal! We can't go against him!"

Both of the boys are frightened. They can barely speak because of fear.

"Well, I'm not done with you two yet!" Says Akin with a smile.

"Aaaaaa!!"

"Run! Run!"

The boys try running as fast as they can away from Akin.

Akin stays still.

"I guess they are gone now. What a bunch of cowards."

Akin looks at the kid that is on the ground. The kid kept shut the entire fight. Akin walks close to the kid.

"Are you ok?"

"Huh? Y-yeah, I am. Thank you. Who are you?"

"My name is Akin, and you?"

"I'm Zack."

Zack is 12 years old. He has light-brown hair and blue eyes.

"Who were those guys?"

"They are in the last years of the knight academy. They bully first-year students like me."

"Wait, you passed the knight academy!?"

"Yeah. It's my first year."

"How cool! I could never join it."

"Huh???" Says the kid, surprised.

"How are you so powerful then?"

"What are you talking about? I'm not powerful. I got rejected by the academy for having a little amount of aura. Anyways, you don't need to worry about those guys anymore. I'm sure they will stop bullying you now!"

Akin starts walking away from the child.

"Wait! That can't be true! How did you defeat them if you're not powerful?!"

"I guess being weak makes me strong."

"Huh? That doesn't make any sense."

"Yeah, maybe it doesn't. I have to go now! Good luck on the knight academy!"

Akin keeps walking in the direction of the place where he was training before.

Tartus and Ian keep talking while slowly walking through the streets.

"I have to tell Akin he will be participating in the tournament. He's probably in the forest training right now.'

"I see. Changing the topic now, did you find anything about that threat?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about."

Tartus pauses for some seconds.

"You don't have to worry about it!"

"What, did you defeat him?"

"No, I still have no clue who he is. But I discovered that three conditions will have to be satisfied first for him to accomplish his goal and bring chaos."

"Three conditions?"

"Yeah, and trust me. These conditions are almost impossible to fulfill."

Ian thinks. Almost impossible to fulfill?

"What are..."

"Sorry I can't tell you." Says Tartus, interrupting Ian.

"But as I said, you don't have to worry about it. Honestly, I'm more interested in Akin now than this threat. Naturally, I will keep looking for the guy, but you know maybe Akin may be useful to find him."

"Akin? Does he know too? Why would he help you find the guy?"

"No, Akin has no clue about it. But I think... I mean, it's just a theory, but... You know, forget it! I will go now. I have to meet Akin."

"Sure..."

Ian thinks. What did he find out?

Tartus walks alone in the direction of the forest to meet Akin.

"Damm!! Again!"

Akin has been training his fireball since the end of the fight with the boys from the knight academy.

"Hi, Akin." Says Tartus after finding Akin in the forest.

"Any progress?"

"No, not yet."

"You better find a way to execute it quickly because you are participating in the tournament the day after tomorrow."

"I'm participating?! That's awesome!! I just have to win, and I will become a knight!" Says Akin excitedly.

"Didn't you pay attention to what I said? You have to be able to make this attack until the tournament. Otherwise, it will be difficult to win."

"No worries! I will make it until the tournament! And I'm finally going to become a knight!"

Tartus smiles.

He is really excited. Thinks Tartus.

After a couple of seconds, Tartus' smile suddenly vanishes.

"Who is there?" Says Tartus with a severe face.

"Huh? Where?" Asks Akin confused.

"Someone is spying on us. I'm telling you to get out of there!"

Someone starts to come out of the blushes.

"Hey, it's Zack!"

"Sorry. I didn't want to spy or anything." Says Zack, scared.

"Do you know him?"

"Kinda. What are you doing there, Zack?"

Zack gets closer to Akin.

"I was just curious. I was returning home, but then I saw you training here. I just wanted to see your training."

"Oh, that's it? Next time you don't have to hide. Well, I'm resuming the training now."

"I heard a bit of conversation." Says Zack while looking at the ground.

"Huh?"

"Akin, you can't do it! You can't join the tournament!"

"Hm? Why not?"

"Because you can't win! The students from the knight academy that are going to participate are far superior to those guys you fought. I'm telling you, they are powerful! The princess of the ice lands will also be in the tournament. She has received rigorous training since her childhood. I've heard rumors that someone from the Trovack family is also participating. I've seen your training, and... Akin, if you go, you're just going to humiliate yourself. You can't even make an aura attack!"

Akin makes a small smile.

"Akin, I'm serious!"

"I'm glad to hear it."

"Huh?"

"If the ones who will fight in the tournament were weak like those other boys, it would be really disappointing."

"What do you mean?"

"Zack, I have no desire to fight people weaker than me!"

Zack is perplexed.

"Akin, please you..."

"Just watch me!" Says Akin, interrupting Zack.

"Watch you?"

"Watch me win the tournament!"

After that, Zack went home. Some more hours pass and Akin keeps training.

"Ok, I'm going." Says Tartus.

"Going where?"

"I don't know. It's boring to see your training."

Akin makes an irritated face.

"Remember, 12:00 at the Great Stadium, the day after tomorrow! I will be waiting for you there."

Tartus starts walking away from Akin.

"And Akin, you better be able to execute this fireball by then." Says Tartus with a smile.

"I definitely will!"

Akin stayed training until night. Still, with no progress, he slept in the forest to resume his fireball practice the next day.

The next day comes. By early in the morning, Akin resumes his training. He practices the entire morning with no stopping until he feels hungry.

"I will keep training after eating something. There must be some fruits around here." Says Akin, after hearing his belly growl.

Akin walks around further in the forest, looking for something to eat. He gets further and further away from Erex when suddenly he meets someone.

"Hey, Zack! Were you looking at me training again?"

"No, I wasn't! Honestly, I still think you should not participate."

"I see. Then what are you doing here?"

"Looking for something to eat."

"Me too! Let's try to find something together!"

After some minutes, the two finally find some fig trees, a very caloric fruit. They sit close to the tree and start eating the figs. While eating, Akin starts talking.

"So, don't you have like food in the knight academy?"

"Today, the academy is closed. The only ones allowed to enter are the ones who have to train for the tournament."

"I see, so everyone is getting prepared for it."

"Akin, why do you want to get in the tournament so bad?"

"Oh, that's because I want to become the greatest knight Erex ever had!

"I guess I understand." Says Zack in a low tone looking at the ground.

After some seconds, Zack continues.

"But I don't see anything cool about knights."

"Huh? How come?"

"You know, my dad is a famous general. He has done much for the Kingdom, and the people love him. But..."

Zack pauses for a couple of seconds, then redirects his gaze to Akin.

"But he abandoned my mother and me! I was only 6 at the time. A week later, he was dating a younger lady. And you know, even though he has never visited us ever again and pretends that we don't exist, and even though my mom must work two jobs to sustain us, the people still love him!"

Zack continues.

"I wanted to become a knight, so my dad would notice my existence and realize that he had made a mistake. But in the knight academy, my grades are nothing compared to the others. There are many people better than me. I started being bullied because I'm too weak to defend myself. The teachers know it; they say that I was born with my mother's weakness and not with my dad's strength. Then, I realized that the weak will always be weak, and the strong will always be strong. There's nothing you can change about it. That's why Akin, I think you shouldn't enter the tournament."

Akin stays still for a couple of seconds, then redirects his gaze to the sky.

"You forgot one thing, though."

"What do you mean?"

"You forgot about the strength of the weak."

"Huh? The weak have no strength. What are you talking about?"

"Well, that is..."

Akin stops talking after noticing someone's presence in the forest.

With a severe expression, Akin gets up and closes his fists, preparing for a fight.

"Huh? What's happening?" Asks Zack, confused.

"Hey, hey! What are you kids doing here!?"

"Who are you?" Asks Zack scared.

"I'm a mercenary!" Says the person with a smile showing all of his teeth. The teeth were all yellow, with some even missing.

"What's a mercenary doing here?"

"It's none of your problems, but since I found you here. I might be able to get some money for your rescue! So kids, why don't you come closer!?"

The mercenary walks closer and closer to Akin and Zack.

"What, why are you so still? Are you scared?" Says the mercenary, still with a smile on his face.

"Get out of here!"

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Akin moves his body closer to the mercenary and strikes him with a punch on his face. The mercenary is sent flying and falls to the ground.

"You! How dare you hit me?"

"Hey, idiot. No one here is afraid of you!"

"You are going to pay for this!"

Akin runs towards the mercenary and strikes him again.

"Damm you!"

The mercenary tries to hit Akin, but his punch is blocked. Akin kicks the mercenary's face this time and sends him flying again.

"As I said, no one here is afraid!"

The mercenary makes a small smile.

"Ok, kid! Aren't you scared? Then I will make you be! I didn't want to use my aura to attack a child, but whatever. I'm killing you now!"

"Akin, be careful!" Screams Zack from behind.

"Don't worry! This guy is just bluffing!"

Akin runs again towards the mercenary to another strike.

"He, he. It won't work!"

The mercenary stretches his arms in the direction of Akin.

"Die!"

Numerous thorns start being thrown in Akin's direction.

"What?"

Akin tries to dodge the thorns. But they are too many and keep coming. Without being able to avoid it, Akin blocks the thorns with his arms so they wouldn't hit any vital points on his body.

"Damm it!"

Blood start dropping off Akin's arms. They were severely hurt.

"Haha! You're not so strong now, are you?"

The mercenary throws more thorns in Akin's direction. Akin's arms and legs are severely blooding, full of throws.

"What are gonna do now, huh? You can't even come closer to me! I will just keep throwing throws until you're dead!"

"Akin, run! If you run away, maybe we can escape! This guy is too strong for you!"

"The kid is right! On the way here, I even killed a knight! But unfortunately, you can't run away from me!"

Akin looks at the ground while his blood keeps dropping.

"What are you talking about, Zack?"

"Huh?"

"Were you telling me to run away?"

"Akin, you can't...."

"Didn't I tell you? I have no desire to fight with people weaker than me!"

"What?"

"Just watch me! There's no way I will lose to a loser like him!"

Akin redirects his gaze to the mercenary. And makes the number one with his hand.

"One more attack, and I will end this!"

"What? How are you gonna do it, kid? You can't even get close to me! And with your wounds, I doubt you can even run!"

Akin starts running towards the mercenary.

"So you can run? Well, doesn't matter!"

The mercenary throws thorns again. But this time, Akin does a huge jump.

"Huh? Nice jump, but what are you gonna do up there? Fly?"

Akin makes a smile, breathes deeply, and...

"Did he do it?" Zack was surprised.

"What is that?" Reacts the mercenary.

Akin throws a fireball.

The fireball goes in the direction of the mercenary, and before he can react, it strikes him.

"Aghhhhhhh"

The mercenary is on fire; he can't even move because of the pain.

"And now to end this!"

Akin gets back to the ground and punches the mercenary's face as hard as he can. The mercenary falls to the ground and passes out.

"Akin, you made it! You somehow executed the fireball!"

"Yeah, I guess I did! Well, we just have to call a knight to put this guy in jail or something and..."

"Akin, sorry!"

"What?"

"I was wrong. I get it now, the strength of the weak. It's the ability to get up as often as needed, isn't it?"

Akin gives a smile, and Zack continues.

"I will be strong, become a knight, and show my worth to my dad. I will get much stronger, and one day I will even be stronger than you!"

"That's the spirit! One day, when you get stronger, let's fight!"

"Yeah, let's do it. And by the way, I'm rooting for you! You better win the tournament!"

Akin finally could learn how to execute the fireball. The next day he will rest to prepare for the tournament, where his challenge will only get bigger.