The message

Ares decided that he would spend half a week more just recovering and doing light train every day. Now that he took out of his way all of those guys trying to mess with him, he had a better atmosphere at the dormitory.

The fact that everyone still looked at him like they wanted to kill him at any time didn't change at all. However, they didn't take the initiative at all. People were still frightened about him. He was the boy who could bear a fight against the three strongest among the trainees, after all.

The days went by quickly and people began to realize that their worry about Ares was but unfounded. As they began to analyze that battle again, it was clear that Ares didn't fight time enough to show whether he was strong or not. In truth, they lacked a lot of information about him.

Anyway, at that point, nobody was willing to fight against that boy. They were near the day of the exam, so they couldn't get harmed until that day. If something bad happened with their bodies, they wouldn't be able to recover in time and all that year of training would be a waste.

The last month before the exams was the most peaceful month among the trainees. It was filled with anxiety and tension, but that was all. There were some discussions and provocations here and there, but they knew that holding that grudge was more beneficial and their control would pay off at the end of the month.

With the day of the exams approaching, everyone's excitement rose to another level. Some of them couldn't even sleep anymore. There were those who couldn't stop training with their weapons or magic from time to time, even though they had a slight chance of getting injured by doing so. They couldn't rest until that day arrived.

The most controlled ones just stayed quiet and followed their routines normally, trying to distract themselves while talking with each other casually or just sleeping. After all, without their rigorous training routine, they had a lot of free time to spend resting and chitchatting around the dormitory. Some of them enjoyed that time to hang out with the girls and know more people.

During that half-week of preparing and recovering, Ares felt that his progression was going really fast.

The other trainees noticed that he was doing exercises to help in his recovery, so they judged that Ares was injured somehow. Unfortunately, they couldn't come up with something in time to get in his way.

After four days of light training and much rest, the boy was finally prepared to exercise properly. He was looking forward to it more than the exam itself.

...

Xavier was looking for Ares for a good time now. He wanted to talk to the boy about something important, but he couldn't find him no matter how much he searched for him.

'It's been a while that I am looking for him... Generally, he would jog or stretch around the dormitory, or inside it. Nevertheless, he is gone now. I can't see him around at all. Is something happening with him? Maybe the other boys took him, finally?'

Xavier was wary of his surroundings after the fight of Ares against the three strongest trainees. He felt that Ares' plan was very crazy and that soon or later it would just lead them to misfortune. After all, it was hard to deceive all those people together at the same time.

'I was sure that they would discover that he isn't so strong like he seemed to be before... That's his fault!' Xavier gritted his teeth.

In truth, the selfish Xavier wasn't worried about Ares just because he was a good friend or something. In truth, he was more concerned about his own self. After the plan of that short-tempered boy began to work perfectly, the bullying that Xavier received daily decreased by leaps and bounds.

Ares freed him from his life of suffering. People were afraid of even touching the friend of the red-eyed boy that carried a battle-axe around.

'I just hope that he isn't dead or something... Should I be worrying so much about it? I mean, Ares is strong, physically. It can help him, somehow...'

Xavier was walking this time at the training grounds of the trainees. It was near their dormitory, so it was easy to access.

Once he went further into the training grounds, he began to hear something different coming from somewhere.

"W-What's this sound? It seems like something is... is cutting the air... It's the sound of a sharp blade cutting the air. But, to be so loud, the person wielding it must be a master of some sort. It's something that the other trainees can't do without Mana, and I am not sensing any trace of Mana around here."

Once Xavier arrived at one of the training platforms of that place, he witnessed something eye-catching.

There were some people gathered around that platform looking with amazement towards the boy that was standing in the middle of it.

He wasn't doing something very outstanding or anything like that. Instead, he was just swinging his battle-axe, but with such precision, such delicacy and attention on his movements, yet so brute and strong, that nobody could look at it without feeling a bit of respect and admiration.

Most of the spectators were trainees, but others were Guardians already. Even so, the latter didn't leave that place unsatisfied at all. Even with their experience, those forms and swings were amazing.

"Hey, Ares!" Xavier boldly went up the training platform, waving at Ares.

The crimson-eyed boy left his serious countenance from before and looked back at Xavier.

"What's the matter?" Ares asked, panting. He was sweating all over and his shoulders and back were achy. In truth, his entire body was, but the shoulders and back were the worst ones.

Xavier was so amazed by his performance that he forgot for a moment the serious message that he had to deliver to Ares.

"Do you remember that purple-eyed beauty who fought against you?"

"Yes. I remember."

"She is calling you right now. She said that it was very important and that wouldn't accept a no as a response."