Chapter 3-Secrets and Lies

 Now it was time for the main event! the institute of heroism is hosting this term's apprenticeship tournament. The reward for the top 10 placements in the tournament is the choice to have an apprenticeship in any of the 4 hero organizations, the choices being:

 1.) The Vanguard: The Vanguard is a global organization dedicated to protecting the innocent, fighting injustice, and standing up against corruption. Their mission statement is: "To be the shield that protects the weak, to be the sword that strikes down the lawless, to be the voice that speaks for those without one, and to be the light that shines against the darkness."

2.) The Guardians: The Guardians are a team of heroes dedicated to protecting the innocent, fighting injustice, and keeping peace in the world. Their mission statement is: "To protect the people and preserve fairness and order, to stand against the forces of evil, to be the light of hope in a dark world, and to always stand on the side of justice."

3.) The Administration: The Administration consists of a group of mystical warriors as well as people in power and government that are tasked with protecting the balance between the authority of Heroes and that of the government. Not much is known about them and the only way to find out their secrets is to join them.

4.) The Knights of the Roundtable: The Knights of the Roundtable are a group of heroic knights dedicated to protecting the innocent, fighting tyranny, and upholding the ideals of justice and chivalry. Their mission statement is: "To defend the weak and the downtrodden, to oppose oppression and injustice, to uphold the code of chivalry, and to fight for the honor and dignity of all."

The tournament is a momentous occasion, a chance for the students to showcase their skills and compete with one another in a classic tournament-style gauntlet. The top 10 places in the tournament are guaranteed a placement in their choice of the four hero organizations, while students outside the top 10 are only granted apprenticeships if they are chosen by one of the hero organizations. The tournament is structured in a classic bracket-style format, with students pitted against one another in 1v1 matches. The matches are judged objectively by a panel of judges based on a set of criteria, and points are awarded based on how the judges perceive the students' performance. Each match is a 1v1 battle between two contestants. The students compete with one another to showcase their various strengths and abilities, and the tournament provides them with an opportunity to test themselves against their peers and hone their skills in battle."

The tournament is meant to be a fun and engaging challenge for the students, allowing them to not only test their abilities but also form bonds with one another through friendly competition. It is also intended to help the students gain valuable real-world experience, giving them a taste of the sorts of tasks, challenges, and experiences, they could face as full-fledged heroes. Through the tournament, the students are able to show off their skills, learn from one another, and form alliances and friendships that could be valuable in their future heroic careers. The event also helps to foster a sense of camaraderie and teamwork among the students, as it forces them to work together and collaborate in order to come up with effective strategies and win their matches. Ultimately, the tournament is meant to be an enjoyable and informative experience for the students, providing them with a valuable glimpse into the world of heroism and giving them a chance to prove their mettle as they vie for the top 10 spots and a coveted apprenticeship.

And today marks the day before the start of the tournament, students excitedly wait in class and talk about what organizations they want to join. "I'm definitely going to try join them, their organization is so cool and secretive I'm going to find out all their secrets and once I'm a hero I will officially join them!", says a random student at the front, "while they are cool and all I'm going to try join the knights of the roundtable! I heard that all the heroes in it are handsome and strong!", says a shy girl at the back. "Hey Kiyoshi everyone seems to have an idea of who they want to join, what about you?", says Ren excitedly, "yea of course , do you not?, I'm going to join the Guardians, I've wanted to ever since I was a kid", "yea that's understandable I guess, I'll think of who I want to join while taking part in the tournament I guess". The day continues and students continue to count down the time until the tournament arrives. The day ends and Ren is alone in bed, still thinking about everything that has happened with him recently, especially "Midnight Blade" and the document she had with her when they met. As Ren falls asleep, he thinks to himself, "I wonder if I'll find out any information if I join one of the organizations after this tournament ends".

After what feels like forever, it's the first stage of the tournament, a match between Ren Kuzure and his opponent Kuan Shizen, in the first match the fight doesn't last long and Ren easily wins, this continues up till the round of 16 out of the 600 students actually in the institute of heroism, as the matches are becoming more difficult and fun to watch the venue has been changed from the school training arena, to bought out stadiums where anyone can buy a ticket with a maximum of 60,000 people in the audience, the first match in the round of 16 is Kiyoshi Akio's. "Hello, their, I'm Kiyoshi Akio and I have ice powers, and who may you be", "The name's Musashi, I have fire powers, it seems to me that I am guaranteed to win no? If you faced anyone else you might have won, now get ready to face the will of flames. "

The battle is long and arduous, Kiyoshi does what he can but his ice simply melts in the face of such firepower, so instead he takes a different approach, Kiyoshi freezes the entire floor making it hard to walk, however it is easily melted, but in doing so the ground is now wet and slippery for Musashi whereas Kiyoshi can just place ice under his feet and move freely, with the terrain advantage he releases a series of consecutive strikes with his ice sword, and slowly but surely overwhelm Musashi, on the other hand Musashi figures out his technique and decides to evaporate the battlefield which releases multitudes of carbon dioxide into the air making it harder to breathe for both contestants, but it does remove Kiyoshi's terrain advantage. As the battle continues Kiyoshi truly seems like he is going to lose but then, the bracelet he received from Ren starts glowing and vibrating, he darts his eyes towards the location the bracelet is attracted to and spots Ren, "hey dumbass just beat him already, the Finals were meant to be between me and you right? So, defeat this guy already, otherwise I'll be quite disappointed, if you lose then there's no take backs! I will officially be stronger than you alright!". Kiyoshi smiles and his body surges with newfound motivation, he shouts," I'll see you in the finals Ren!", Kiyoshi releases a destructive ice beam from his palms, the beam is so fast and powerful it is impossible to dodge, the temperature of the blast becomes sub-zero and while Musashi tries to melt it, he is incapable, he gets hit and is knocked unconscious. "The winner of this round is Kiyoshi Akio!", the crowd claps and screams at the beautiful sight of the icy battlefield.

The day ends and a new one begins, this time it's Ren's turn,

his match is easy for him since he is fighting a relatively weak opponent but that's not quite what shocks him, it's someone... Someone else... In the audience?... Out the corner of his eye Ren spots a woman, someone who seems familiar to say the least, slowly he connects the dots, the violet eyes, jet black hair, mask, and beauty, it's... Midnight Blade? As thoughts rush through

his mind he has all sorts of questions, but primarily it's why she is here, after he wins his match, he searches throughout the audience and arena in urgency, until finally, she is they're before him. "It's you...Midnight blade right?, what are you doing here", she ignores and gestures for him to follow her, knowing her strength Ren does as she says, they arrive at a small dark alleyway and in front of a door, when they enter Ren recognizes some of the most famous villains around, "hey their kid, welcome to the base of the rogue syndicate, I'm sure your familiar with us right?", he says in a calm and assertive tone.

"What the hell, why have you brought me here, you do realize I'm a hero in training right?". "This is for your own good mate, if our location is leaked then our boss wouldn't like it that's for sure", "and who may that be", Ren says in a calculative voice".

A hooded figure steps out the shadows, he looks powerful and menacing, but he seems familiar... yet not... Evil? he slowly pulls his hood down to reveal himself. "Hello, son, I'm sorry you found out this way...", "D-Dad?", Ren's expression is now one of shock and betrayal, "don't forget me either" says Toji, "What... You to?... But... I thought", Ren is speechless, and his knees grow weak, he falls and faints for what seems to be a few minutes. When he is awake he asks to be left alone, he tries to think of reasons why his idol being his dad, and his older brother are... Villains, but he simply can't, his father and brother enter the room with midnight blade, "Sir Ryuji would you like me to leave?", says midnight blade, "it's quite alright young Lisa you may stay", says Ren's father, midnight flinches slightly knowing that Ren now knows her name. "Son, I know you must have many questions, but we do not have time to answer them, yes, i am the leader of the rogue syndicate, and Toji is also a member, but our organisation is not evil, it is to early for you to know of the truth of this world however we do not have time which is why you must know now, are you ready son?".Ren stays quite for a bit and then quietly nods

"Ren, I know this may come as a shock to you, but it is important that you understand the truth about the world. The heroes, the ones in power, those in government and in positions of social standing, they are not what they seem. They are corrupt and greedy, using their abilities and influence on furthering their own interests at the expense of those they are meant to protect. They have lost their way, and they are in fact evil. They take advantage of the weak and the vulnerable, and this cannot be tolerated. I know it is difficult to accept this truth, but it is important that you understand it. As a hero, it is your duty to stand up for what is right and to fight against injustice and corruption in all forms. It is a difficult responsibility, but it is one that you must take up. Now, you must be strong enough to stand up to the powers that be and fight for justice, even if it means going up against those who once seemed like heroes but have in fact become villains. The world is far from perfect, but with your powers and determination, you can help to make it a better place. Never lose sight of your ideals and never let anyone tell you what is right or wrong. Stand up against evil and fight for what is just, and with your strength, we can make a difference in this world. Ren, look around you, the only way for us to defeat these evil "heroes" is to be like them. It hurts me to say this, but it is the truth. We cannot overcome this evil in power with justice and heroism alone, we must fight fire with fire. We must become the very thing we swore to destroy in order to save this world. It is not pleasant, but it is necessary."

"What you're saying doesn't make sense, father. The whole point of being a hero is to fight against evil, not to become it. How can we protect the weak and the vulnerable if we become villains like these others? We have to find a way to defeat these heroes without losing our humanity, without becoming like them. I refuse to believe that becoming evil is the only way to save the world...""Ren, please listen and understand. I know this is hard to accept, but it is the truth. The evil we face is too powerful to overcome with justice and heroism alone. We cannot change the world by playing the same game. In order to truly make a difference, we must be willing to do what others will not, sacrifice what others are not willing to sacrifice. It is difficult, I understand, but when the stakes are this high, we have no choice. Please understand and do what you must. "I... I don't know, father. I know that what you're saying makes sense, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I want to save the world, but I need to do it without sacrificing my values and principles. I want to be a hero, not a villain. There must be another way, a better way. I can't be evil, I just can't. I won't do it." "Ren, I know it's hard, but I'm telling you that this is the only way. If we don't fight fire with fire, if we don't become the very thing, we swore to destroy to save the world, everything we've fought for will be for nothing. You have to do what you have to do, for the sake of this world. Please understand this, Ren. Please. "I... I still don't know, father. I understand what you're saying, and I know I have to do something... but I'm not sure I can do this. I don't know if I can change who I am. I know I have to fight, but I can't stop being a hero. I won't give up my ideals, I just... I don't know. I don't know if I have the strength to do what you're telling me to do..."." Alright Ren, I understand, you just aren't ready, I'm disappointed, but you may leave, but if even one part of you decides to at least try, then win the tournament and join 'The Administration', during your time their try to find out as much as you can about their plans, goodbye now Ren, and I hope you change your mind".

Days pass and Ren continues to contemplate, he decides that he cannot bring himself to be evil, however he will try to find out what the administration is up to. The final day of the tournament arrives and it's a match between Ren and Kiyoshi as expected, the two exchange pleasantries but even Kiyoshi can tell that something is up with Ren, normally he has a bright and bubbly personality but right now it seems his mind is occupied, and he is in distress. The match begins, the only sense of normalcy in this situation for Ren is Kiyoshi, and he wonders whether he should tell him of the news he just received or not. Kiyoshi lands the first strike as Ren seems out of it, a blade of ice slashes at Ren's back and deals minimal damage, the match continues, and Ren has achieved nothing, even the crowd looks bored, finally, Kiyoshi has had enough, he walks up to Ren and punches him across the face, "What the hell is wrong with you? You've been acting weird ever since the round of 16,honestly, get a grip Ren, I SAID GET A GRIP", once again he punches Ren, with each punch Ren's eyes seem to become brighter and brighter until eventually he seems to be normal again, "bloody hell enough already", Ren throws him away and finally seems to be back to his normal self, he uses up some energy fully rejuvenating himself, "but thanks, I was just... going through something, but I'm back now alright!", this is when the real battle begins.

This time the battle is full of excitement and surprise, both contestants are giving it their all and it is unclear who is going to win. Ren makes the ground un even and shoots spikes from the ground, every time Kiyoshi try's to land an ice blast Ren lifts the ground to block it, the battle seems to be a stalemate, that is until Kiyoshi creates multiple ice swords and starts launching them at Ren, while also summoning a hailstorm to hinder Ren's vision, with this hail Ren's vines and other plant structures start to freeze and die off, making him unable to attack using his own magic, to counter this Ren uses his control over Nature to change the weather specifically around Kiyoshi to become a thunderstorm, striking him multiple times and leaving the first serious attack Ren has inflicted this whole match. Ren continues and starts to control the wind to become sharp and aim towards Kiyoshi, leaving him with small cuts and wounds all over his body, in exchange Kiyoshi shoots icicle structures towards ren and even traps him by creating a massive ice fist and clutching and squeezing Ren. The battle seems to be coming to an end, Ren escapes by making the weather a heatwave and melts all the ice, and then makes it rain, this was a terrible decision as Kiyoshi freezes all the water droplets making the arena a minefield of ice traps that could explode at Kiyoshi's will, but luckily, they are melted by a heatwave once again. At the end of the match both Ren and Kiyoshi decide to use up all their energy in a single attack, Ren uses nature to summon the power of nature's elements including fire, wind, grass, earth, lightning, and more, Kiyoshi on the other hand creates hundreds if not thousands of ice swords and then combines them into a massive one, as their attacks clash it seems that Ren has prevailed, one element just simply cannot defeated multiple combined. It seems Ren has won.

The top 10 placements are called up towards the podium and the principal awards them all with their choice, the lady two picks are Kiyoshi and Ren, Kiyoshi obviously picks the guardians. While it's Ren's turn out of the corner of his eye, he sees Lisa (midnight blade), "I would like to join the Administration for an apprenticeship", the tournament ends. As Ren sleeps he wonders about the events of the tournament which lasted a few weeks as well as the revelation from the rogue syndicate and his father, now, finally, the seeds of the future have been planted, and what Ren will discover at the Administration is something that will cause his descent into villainy, as well as the loss of his beloved family, now the present is in sight and the future leader of the rogue syndicate-Ren Kuzure has begun to walk the path of a villain that he will need in order to save the world and bring justice to those who have wronged him and his family.