Damian dragged himself to his feet and slowly walked out to stand beside Deacon. He held onto his ear and tried to rub some sensation back into it. He was handed something by Deacon and he gratefully accepted his glasses.
"Watch carefully," Deacon said to Damian while putting his book under his arm and looking towards the two fighters in the ring, "You could learn a thing or two from them"
For once, Damian didn't think of arguing with the man. He turned towards the ring and saw both Persephone and Adrian looking each other down intensely. Deacon counted down.
"Three!"
Persephone was the first to move. As was expected. She approached Adrian in a burst of speed and lashed out with a kick to his midsection. Adrain weathered the kick like a rock and sent a punch out towards her head. She ducked under it and rolled away before his feet found the spot her head had just been. He rose his hand up just in time for her leg to smash into it and then tried to grab onto the leg.
Persephone quickly used the kick to launch herself back and landed in a crouch on the floor.
Damian's eyes were wide. Wide and completely shocked. What was that? He hadn't even caught a single moment of it - it was so fast.
"Persephone relies more on speed than strength," Deacon said while still watching the two in the ring, "She isn't as physically strong as most other hunters. And in a way, that is her strength. She possesses speed that most hunters wouldn't have even dreamt of at her age."
Persephone ducked to the right of a punch by Adrian and lashed out with her left foot, slamming it into his midsection. It caused Adrian to stumble to the right, but everyone could see it didn't do much damage.
"Adrian meanwhile relies on heavier hits. His arsenal is strength," Deacon continued, "Persephone is trying to use her speed to wear him down. This is the only way she can win,"
Adrian used his forearm to stop another kick from Persephone and then ducked under and follow-up roundhouse. He rolled to his feet and kicked down, catching the feet that would have slammed into his shin. Persephone frowned and jumped back. She ran forward and tilted her head to the side, avoiding the punch Adrian sent out at her head. She twisted into the air and then sent a foot siling for his head. He was in an off-balance position. There was no way he would be able to stop the hit. This was it. She wins.
'But can I ever do anything right? No, i-it could be a trap!'
Persephone stopped the kick and jumped back from Adrian, making him frown in confusion. He stood straight and sent a curious look at her. She could've won that.
"Persephone," Deacon called while moving towards her and looking down at her, "What was that?"
"I-I.. it could've been a trap"
"A trap?" Deacon said in shock, "How?"
"I-I…" Persephone looked down and took a step back from the disappointed gaze. 'It's just like brother's.'
Deacon's frown deepened and he turned away from her, "This conversation isn't over," he said while walking away, "Adrian wins"
Adrian walked out of the ring and Damian sent a nod to him, congratulating him on his win. Arian didn't nod back, he had a confused expression on his face as he watched Persephone walk out of the ring with her head down. He messed up in that fight. He knew he messed up, and he knew she knew he messed up. She could have won that fight very easily if she had taken that kick.
Why did she stop?
"Okay, we're going to be doing drills for the rest of the day," Deacon said as he finally shut his notebook, "Have a few minutes to rest, and then we'll begin."
-----
That night, Persephone found herself in front of her full body mirror once again. She was in her underwear, holding her hands around her...
'You obviously can't do anything right. But you had to go embarrass yourself in front of everyone like that'
She swallowed thickly.
'Brother would be so disappointed. He won't even look at me now.'
She brought her hand forward and placed it on her reflection in the mirror. She then clawed at the glass, making a screech resound across the room as she left four lines along her reflection.
'Such a disgrace'
-----
The next morning, Damian intercepted Persephone on her way to class, just as she was coming out of the elevator. He bowed at 90 degrees.
"I'm sorry!" He said. Persephone took a step back in shock.
"W-What for?"
"For asking a personal question the other day," Damian looked to the side shamefully, "I-I was out of line and I shouldn't have done that"
Persephone found herself lost for words.
'He's apologizing to me? But he didn't do anything wrong. I should be the one apologizing to him, shouldn't I? I was the one that walked out on him when he was just trying to be nice.'
Damian looked up, "Persephone?" he called.
Persephone jolted out of her thoughts, "Oh… Y-You don't have anything to be sorry for," she said in a rush, "I-It's fine"
"Really?"
"Yes," She said while looking down, "Y-You don't have to apologize to me at all,"
Damian smiled and finally stood back up, he was about to say something else but a voice suddenly spoke up from beside them.
"This is the second time I'm finding you outside, Persephone. Are the seats inside that uncomfortable?"
Persephone blushed bright red and ducked into the class quickly, leaving Damian alone with Helios. Damian turned towards Helios and glared.
"Sensei,"
"I've seen better glares on dead thanksgiving turkeys," Helios said with a deadpan. He took off his earbuds and put them in his pocket, "Get inside"
Damian flushed in anger and trudged into the classroom. Helios followed after him and moved towards the desk in front of the class. He dropped his file on it and took out a piece of paper. His eyebrow twitched and he sighed before turning to the class.
"Good morning everyone," he began with a smile. There was no answer except for a small 'hello' from Persephone. He shrugged, "So I have news for all of you. The principal - in his ever infinite wisdom," Helios rolled his eyes, "Decided that you will be having your first fieldwork sooner than expected,"
Adrian rose a brow, "When? Like next month?"
Helios laughed and squeezed the paper in his hand into a ball. He threw it to the side and it landed straight into a dustbin, "No," he said, "Like next week"
"What!?" Adrian shouted with wide eyes. Both Damian and Persephone turned to him and he blushed in embarrassment, "Sorry"
Helios continued, "Yes, next week. So prepare yourselves because I'm sure as hell not going to prepare you. There will be a transport vehicle waiting for you at launchpad 4 by 7 am. Don't be late."
"Wait. Wait," Damian said, "A transport?"
Helios looked towards him, "Yes, a transport. Did you think you would be doing fieldwork here? You're going down to land"
"Oh," Damian said, "O-Okay,"
He silently went back to listening, already thinking of the implications of what this could mean.
'I'm going back to land,' Damian thought, 'Back to the ground'
Helios peeked at Damian from the corner of his eyes. He shook his head and opened the folder, "Okay then, let's get down to business,"
"Uhm... S-Sensei," Persephone called, "You're teaching us today?"
Helios nodded and Adrian choked on his saliva, "I did say I was your homeroom teacher, didn't I? what sort of teacher would I be if I didn't actually teach you?"
"You don't even know how to teach!"
Helios scowled, "Who are you to say that? I can teach, you know. I'm a teacher after all"
"Being called a teacher doesn't mean you can teach!"
Helios hummed and ignored Adrian, "I know Ajax already took you all on Karma control and some of the things we can do with Karma. Today we're going to be looking a little deeper in." Helios ran his hand through his hair, dragging some of it away from his eyes, "I bet you're all familiar with the word 'resonance'," he said, "The ability of one thing to become so in tune with another one that they are almost identical in nature. It's a common term in physics, and engineering to a degree."
"What does that have to do with our class?" Adrian said
Helios smirked, "Because such a phenomenon isn't only common in science and technology. Not as far as we're concerned. Before the scientists and the engineers adopted the term, we had already been using it. We called it Karmic Resonance."
-----
The streets of Kyoto were packed and the muffled noises passing through the glass window of the car made Zina feel slightly irritated.
"How long till we get there?" he asked Vasilis who was driving.
"Five minutes," Vasilius answered while still keeping his eyes n the road. Zina turned away from the glass and took out a phone from his pocket. There was a message there, and as he read through it, a scowl began to form on his face.
"Vasilis," he called and Vasilis looked into the rearview mirror above him, "Where is your brother?"
"I don't know, sir," Vasilis answered.
"Find him," Zina ordered, "Find him and tell him to meet me in the next ten minutes. If he isn't there, then I'll kill him"
Vasilis nodded, "Yes, Zina."
-----
"Karmic… Resonance?" Damian muttered
"Yes," Helios said while folding his hands across his chest, "How should I explain this? Ah, Karma is the natural energy of the world, you already know. But have any of you wondered how we can use this Karma? How the natural organisms in the world can feel it? It's because in a way we all resonate with Karma. We are of the world, just like Karma, and so we are the same"
"So what is Karmic resonance?" Damian asked.
"It's when we become more in tune with the world's energy," Adrian said. Helios snapped his finger.
"Exactly like broody said…"
"Broody!?"
"Just like a martial artist can become better at using his muscles with practice, a hunter can become more in tune with the natural energy of the world… with practice. Karmic resonance as a term describes how in-tune you are with the energy of the world. As of now, there are five stages to it. Each one represents one of the classes of hunters we have. The first stage - your current stage - means you are a D-class hunter. The second qualifies you as a C class. The third, B class, the fourth, A-class, and the fifth one means you are capable of becoming an S class hunter."
Damian's face squeezed in confusion before he counted out something with his fingers, "Uh," he said and Helios looked at him questioningly, "There are six classes. What about the unclassified?"
Helios smiled, "Good question. The unclassified are not included because their power is not measurable"
"!" Damian's eyes widened.
"Not measurable?" Persephone asked in shock, "As in they won't allow you to measure it?"
"Oh no," Helios said with a wave, "They would be more than happy for us to measure it. But it simply isn't possible. They are on a different level entirely. If we were to give them a name other than the unclassified, it would be 'Gods in human flesh'"