Strength

N and Hiro got to their feet and followed Lucas out of the breakfast hall and into a different floor, with long and winding corridors.

As they walked, the atmosphere shifted. The warm, welcoming vibe of the breakfast hall gave way to the more austere and rough feel.

The walls here were lined with portraits of various important people and displays showcasing the history of Orion.

The lighting was dimmer, casting long shadows that added to the sense of gravity in the air.

Hiro couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease.

After walking a little, they reach a big wooden door through which faint voices could be heard.

Lucas pushes the door open and the light from inside blinds Hiro and N for a moment.

As soon as the door is opened they are also bombarded with loud screams.

They see people sparring in groups of five all around the room, giving it their all as they tried to defeat the other group.

In the center of the room stood a tall, imposing figure. He was built like a tank, with broad shoulders and a muscular frame that spoke of years of intense physical training.

His face was stern, with sharp features and a pair of piercing eyes that seemed to see right through them.

N and Hiro immediately felt the weight of his presence.

Lucas stepped forward, gesturing to the man. "This is Thorne King," he said, his voice echoing slightly. "He is the person who trains everyone at Orion, you both are also going to learn form him."

Thorne turns towards N and Hiro but does not say anything.

He simply looks them up and down, assessing their worth.

Everyone in the room that was previously engrossed in sparring notices Thorne about to interact with two random people that were brought in by Lucas stops sparring and give their unwavering attention to the situation about to unfold.

With everyone in the room, including someone like Thorne who was purposefully trying to be as intimidating as possible, Lucas looks towards N and Hiro expecting them to fold under pressure.

He sees N as emotionless and unbothered as ever, not even acknowledging the gazes of everyone in the room.

To N's right he sees Hiro.

With all these exceptional fighters staring at him, every single person who is capable of putting up a good fight, Hiro lets out a devilish smile.

Out of the countless people in the room, only Thorne, N, and Lucas are able to pick up the faint bloodlust that Hiro unwillingly lets out as he gets excited about fighting.

Thorne scoffs at the brazenness of Hiro and N, as if they were mocking Orion's strength.

Thorne speaks up, his voice a low rumble that seemed to resonate in the very walls. "You there, I can see you're excited," he said, while pointing at Hiro, "How about me and you spar a bit."

With the opportunity to fight one of the strongest fighter in Orion, Hiro excitedly says "Yes. Let's start right now."

Both Hiro and Thorne slowly move towards each other, everyone else stepping backwards.

They all watch in anticipation for what was about to unfold.

As soon as they are within strike range of each other, Hiro is the first to pounce.

He throws a heavy right to Thorne, void of any proper technique, relying solely on might.

Wanting to demonstrate the difference in their levels, Thorne decided to block the punch, even though parrying or dodging would have been more sensible.

The moment Thorne touched Hiro's fist and applied force to stop it, Hiro smiled and said, "Gotcha!"

Hiro increased the power of his punch, and Thorne felt the pressure build. Realizing he couldn't stop the punch, Thorne quickly shifted to parry it.

"Tch," Thorne muttered in annoyance, thinking to himself, 'Okay, his strength is crazy. Let's see if he can handle my punches.'

As Thorne threw a punch aimed at Hiro's nose, Hiro was disappointed by its speed.

'Man, this is disappointing. Let's end it now, I guess,' Hiro thought to himself.

He allowed Thorne's punch to connect, taking a few steps back. Then, raising his hands in mock surrender, Hiro conceded, "I give, I give. Sir, you're too strong."

Lucas was surprised by Hiro's apparent lack of strength, considering the high praise he had heard from Vesalius and Sofia.

A subtle smile crossed Thorne's face as he realized Hiro's true intentions. "You have much to learn," Thorne said, "but you're both welcome to train here."

Thorne then commanded everyone in the room to resume their sparring, his voice booming with authority.

Turning his attention back to N and Hiro, Thorne told them, "Come back here in three hours for more sparring and training. In the meantime, return to your rooms and warm up. Lucas, take them back to their room. You're responsible for bringing them here."

Lucas was puzzled as to why he needed to continue guiding Hiro and N when they already knew the way back to their rooms and the training halls. Yet, he decided not to question Thorne's intentions and complied without hesitation.

He escorted Hiro and N to their rooms and said, "I'll be back in three hours. Make sure to warm up before then."

Hiro and N took their time, carefully going through their warm-up routines, with Hiro offering guidance on the best techniques.

Time flew by, and before they knew it, the doorbell rang. Hiro and N wrapped up their warm-ups and went to meet Lucas.

As soon as Lucas saw them, he noticed a clear change in their demeanor; they both looked prepared for whatever awaited them.

When they reentered the training hall, it was silent—completely different from before. The room was empty except for one figure standing in the center.

This time, Thorne approached Hiro and extended his hand. "Thank you for that," he said.

Lucas was bewildered by Thorne's gratitude and asked, "Forgive me if I'm overstepping, Sir, but why are you thanking Hiro? You defeated him."

Thorne chuckled, turning to Hiro. "You did a damn good job acting if you managed to fool this guy as well."

Lucas's confusion deepened, so Thorne elaborated, explaining the true reason for his gratitude.

"His eyes tracked my punch, and his expression showed nothing but boredom and disappointment. I wasn't holding back, but he tanked it like it was nothing. There was no way I could have won from the start," Thorne said, his voice tinged with a hint of frustration.

Lucas was left stunned. He had always viewed Thorne as the pinnacle of strength. For someone he respected so highly to admit such a stark difference in power so easily—it was something Lucas found hard to comprehend.

Hiro smiled at Thorne's unexpected humility. "That's a bit surprising. I would've thought someone in your position would be more arrogant and dismissive. Knowing your limits is a skill most people lack."

Thorne returned the smile. "But you're already extremely strong. Why do you need to train here?"

Hiro responded, "I'm confident I won't lose against unarmed opponents. But facing armed individuals, especially in groups, is uncharted territory. I want to see how I fare in that and hopefully improve."

Thorne instinctively understood that Hiro might be thinking about Nexus, given the recent incident at the hospital.

Lucas, still grappling with the situation, asked Hiro, "Then why pretend to lose against Sir Thorne earlier, especially in front of everyone?"

Hiro replied confidently, "Because there were other Orion members present. Their faith in Thorne would've been shaken if he lost to some unknown nobody. I thought it'd be better for them to maintain their confidence in both themselves and Orion as a powerful force."

Lucas reflected on Hiro's quick thinking during the brief encounter with Thorne, and his respect for Hiro grew immensely.

Thorne then turned to N and asked Hiro, "Is this one just as strong as you?"

Hiro replied, "No. But he has potential. He's kind of like my apprentice. He has a few unique qualities you'll discover when you train him."

A grin spread across Thorne's face. "Alright then. Starting today, at this exact time, the four of us, along with a few others I'll occasionally invite, will meet and spar. Let's make the most of this opportunity to get stronger."

He then reveals the plan for today, "For now, how about me and you have a serious go again. I'll be using a wooden knife since that is my specialty." As he looks at Hiro with eyes ablaze.

He then turns to Lucas and says, "While we do that, I want you both to observe and learn. After we're done, it'll be you and this N fellow will have a quick spar as well."

The room buzzed with anticipation at the prospect of gaining strength. Even N felt a flicker of excitement grow within him as a thought grew inside him, I can't wait to start.