Against The Odds
Hermes' eyes snapped open.
Still half-asleep, he lazily turned his head toward the clock.
His heart nearly stopped.
3:57 AM.
His breath caught in his throat.
"Sh*t... 3:57 already!?"
Panic shot through his body as he leaped out of bed, scrambling for his clothes. He didn't even bother fixing his hair—there was no time for that. Throwing on his shoes, he bolted out the door, sprinting toward the town plaza.
---
4:00 AM
As Hermes arrived, his lungs burned from the sudden sprint. His legs wobbled slightly, and he bent over, panting.
Then, he saw him.
Azrael stood under the dim glow of a streetlamp, arms crossed, leaning against the post. His expression was unreadable, but the moment his eyes met Hermes', a smirk formed on his lips.
"You're late."
Hermes swallowed hard.
Azrael pushed himself off the post and took a slow step forward.
"That means extra work, doesn't it?"
Hermes stiffened. "W-What?"
Azrael scoffed.
"In real combat, you won't have time to think. Hesitation will get you killed."
He turned, scanning the empty plaza.
"That's why today's training will focus on three things—speed, endurance, and instinct."
Then, with a smirk, he added, "And it has three phases."
Hermes blinked. "T-Three phases!?"
Azrael nodded. "Yes. But don't worry. They're easy."
For a moment, Hermes actually felt relieved—until Azrael continued.
"After all, this is the same training I used when I first started."
Hermes' face lit up. "R-Really!?"
Azrael's smirk widened. "Yeah."
Then his expression turned serious.
"Now listen up."
---
Azrael took a step closer, his voice turning firm.
"First phase—Body Strength & Stamina. If your body's weak, you'll collapse before the fight even begins."
He raised a hand and started counting with his fingers.
"One. Run around the entire plaza five times. If you slow down, I throw rocks at you."
Hermes' eye twitched. "What?"
Azrael ignored him.
"Two. 100 push-ups. If your form is wrong, you start over."
"Three. 50 jump squats. Strong legs mean strong movement."
"Four. Wall sit. Hold it as long as possible. If you drop too soon, you repeat."
He lowered his hand and smirked.
"Sounds easy, right?"
Hermes gulped. "I… guess?"
Azrael grinned. "Good. Start running."
---
Hours later, Hermes collapsed onto the cold ground, chest rising and falling rapidly.
He grinned weakly.
"I... I finally finished! Hahaha!"
Azrael loomed over him.
"Giving up already?"
Hermes' smile faded.
"W-What?"
Azrael cracked his neck.
"You're just getting started. Get up. Phase 2 begins now."
Hermes' eyes widened in horror.
"Goddamn it…"
---
Azrael gave him a sharp look. "Phase 2—Reaction and Speed. If you can't dodge fast enough, you're dead."
Hermes wiped the sweat off his forehead.
"Can't I rest for a bit—"
Azrael ignored him.
"One. Blind Dodge. You wear a blindfold. I throw things at you. Dodge purely on instinct."
Hermes' stomach dropped.
"Two. Chase Drill. I run, jump, climb—whatever. You follow. Fall behind, and you restart."
"Three. Surprise Attacks. You do push-ups. I randomly kick or push your limbs. If you drop, you restart."
Azrael smirked.
"Still think this is easy?"
Hermes groaned.
"This is fuc—this is insane…"
---
1:43 PM
Hermes was struggling to lift himself when—
THUD!
A hard kick sent his arm collapsing beneath him, and his face slammed into the ground. Dust coated his lips.
"Aghhh!!" he groaned.
Laughter rang out.
Azrael smirked. "Damn, you eat dirt pretty well."
Hermes groaned. "Screw… you…"
---
Azrael clapped his hands.
"Alright. Last phase—Combat Training. You'll learn to dodge, defend, and strike back."
Hermes barely stood up.
"Please… tell me this is actually the last phase."
Azrael grinned.
"Oh, it is. Unless you fail."
Hermes sighed. "Knew it."
Azrael continued.
"One. Dodge or Get Hit. I attack you, you dodge. No blocking allowed."
"Two. Punching & Kicking Practice. Five minutes non-stop. If you stop, I kick you."
Hermes glared.
"You enjoy this, don't you?"
Azrael smirked.
"Three. Land a Hit on Me. You get one chance. Miss? You repeat Phase 2."
Hermes froze. "WHAT!?"
Azrael shrugged. "Should've listened when I said don't miss."
Hermes groaned. "This is bullsh*t!"
Azrael chuckled.
"Less whining. More fighting."
---
5:21 PM
Hermes had tried over and over to land a hit. He failed every time.
Now, exhausted, he stood in front of Azrael once more.
"Sir… I can't… I can't keep going…"
Azrael remained silent, simply watching.
Then, suddenly—Hermes' legs buckled.
Azrael's eyes widened, immediately stepping forward to catch him—
But then—
Hermes' body shifted, stopping himself from falling. His eyes sharpened.
WHOOSH!
His fist shot forward like a bullet.
A single strand of Azrael's hair drifted in the air.
A stunned silence filled the plaza.
Hermes smirked weakly.
"Hah... Looks like I finally hit you, sir."
Azrael exhaled. Then, with a smirk, he muttered,
"Tsk… You got me."
Hermes' face brightened.
"So... we're done?"
Azrael's smirk widened.
"Not yet. Final test."
---
Azrael cracked his knuckles,
his cold eyes locked onto Hermes.
"Three minutes. You dodge, block, and counter. Fall three times, you fail."
Hermes wiped the blood from his lip, his body already exhausted.
"For f*ck's sake… this is insane."
Azrael's expression didn't change.
"You asked for this. Now show me what you're made of."
Hermes took a deep breath, steadying himself.
"I can't fail... I can't…"
Azrael struck first—a blur of motion. Hermes barely raised his arms in time, absorbing the impact. He staggered, his vision spinning.
Azrael scoffed. "Too slow, kid. This isn't a game. Move."
Fighting to stay upright, Hermes dodged the next attack, countering with a desperate punch. But Azrael was already gone.
"You're not keeping up," Azrael said, circling him.
Hermes' chest tightened. His body was screaming for rest, but he couldn't stop.
"I'm not done... I won't be."
---
Azrael's attacks were relentless, each blow pushing Hermes past his limits. He barely dodged one before another slammed into his ribs.
"F*ck!" Hermes gasped in pain.
"One down," Azrael noted, barely winded.
Hermes forced himself up.
"I'm not... done... not yet."
Sweat and blood dripped from his face. His mind screamed at him to keep fighting.
"Come on, Hermes!" Azrael taunted.
"Is this all you've got?"
Hermes gritted his teeth, dodging the next strike by instinct. His legs felt weak, but he refused to fall.
"I can do this... I have to."
---
Azrael moved faster. Hermes could barely react. He miscalculated a dodge—Azrael's fist crashed into him.
"Two down."
Hermes hit the ground hard. His head spun, but something inside him refused to quit.
"No... no way am I quitting now."
He forced himself up, his body shaking.
"One more. I can survive this... I can do it."
Azrael advanced, his strikes blurring. Hermes blocked one, dodged another. Then—
A punch flew toward him. Too fast. No time to react.
It connected. His world went dark for a moment. But instead of falling, Hermes caught himself, using his last ounce of strength to push back.
"I'm not done... I'm not done!"
With one final effort, he threw a punch. It landed.
Azrael blinked in surprise.
"What the hell?"
Hermes smirked through the pain.
"Gotcha."
Azrael's eyes gleamed with amusement.
Azrael studied him, then nodded.
"Not bad. Maybe you won't die so easily after all."
Hermes blinked, barely processing the words.
"I... I survived...?"
"You passed. Barely. Now go home and rest."
Azrael tossed him a water bottle.
"6:52PM. Training's done."
Hermes took it, his hands shaking as he drank.
"You... you're insane."
Azrael chuckled. "I know."
Hermes didn't respond. He was too exhausted. But as he limped home, a small smile tugged at his lips.