An adult man had come up behind them and draped an arm around his shoulders.
"What do you want, Suegi?" Poison asked, clearly irritated.
Suegi smirked. He had light blue hair, black eyes, and an average face and build, though he was much taller than Magnolia. "Oh, lighten up. I'm just here to talk to the general's favorite. Our little superstar."
Abraham adjusted his glasses. "Your presence isn't wanted. Leave."
Suegi raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? What do you think, superstar? Am I not wanted?"
Magnolia said nothing.
Suegi's smile hardened. "So I'm not worth talking to, huh?"
Without warning, he grabbed Magnolia by the neck and hurled him across the room.
The room erupted into attention.
Poison took a step forward, but Sous moved in front of him.
"Relax," Sous said. "Don't you want to see what this Magnolia kid can do?"
Magnolia pushed himself back up, a little dazed.
Before he could fully recover, Suegi was already on him, punching him in the stomach and then bringing an axe kick down on the top of his head.
Magnolia fell hard, blood at his mouth.
"Is that all?" Suegi mocked, dragging him up by the neck and throwing him toward the center of the room.
"Guys," someone muttered nervously. "He's not fighting back."
Sous stared at Magnolia. "Hold on. I can feel something's about to happen."
Suegi strode toward him and noticed the necklace around Magnolia's neck. "What's this?"
"Don't touch that," Magnolia muttered weakly.
Suegi laughed. "What are you going to do about it?"
He ripped the necklace away.
Magnolia fell still.
Then he stood.
His hair shadowed his eyes, and smoke began to curl from his palms. He started walking toward Suegi in total silence.
The room went quiet.
Then Magnolia ran.
"Suegi, behind you!" someone shouted.
Too late.
"Why so angry, Magnolia?"
SLASH.
Suegi's hand was severed cleanly from his arm. It flew through the air and landed before the children. Suegi screamed, but the wound had already been cauterized, leaving no blood.
Magnolia bent down, picked up the severed hand, and took back the necklace. When he looked up, everyone in the room understood something important.
Magnolia was dangerous.
The Pharaoh watched with a smile.
"Atta boy."
"He did that without breaking a sweat?"
Magnolia's wounds began to heal as he opened his eyes once more and found himself in an empty void.
He was standing alone again, his injuries gone. Before him stood Ra, ragged and ancient, his hawk head framed by darkness.
A white light gathered around Magnolia, then shifted into a bright orange glow as Ra stepped closer.
Ra placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Do you want to become strong? Do you wish to hold the power of the Sun?"
A blue flame bloomed across Magnolia's hands.
"Now," Ra said, "what will you do? This power will reveal itself to the world."
Magnolia awoke beside the other recruits.
"When will he wake up?"
"Any time now. He must have been exhausted from the damage."
"I guess you're right, Matthew. He is stronger than expected."
Luna looked down at him. "Yeah. You're right about that."
Magnolia opened his eyes and looked around groggily. "What are you guys doing?"
"Making sure you're okay," Poison said.
Emma peeked in from the doorway, watching him shyly.
"What you did back there was awesome, kid. Seriously. We should spar sometime."
Emma stepped closer and spoke softly. "You… you did a great job, Magnolia."
"Thanks," Magnolia said. "Can you help me with my necklace?"
Emma nodded, a little flustered. "Y-yeah."
She fastened it back around his neck. "Thanks, Emma."
Emma looked away, blushing. "Now, sit down," the general ordered.
The children obeyed and sat in the sand while the general addressed them.
"Hello, children. This first test will assess your intelligence."
The test covered battle scenarios, agriculture, and resource management. After that, the Pharaoh had them demonstrate their abilities through their contracts.
"Now, you will brawl with my subordinates to show what you can do in combat."
He lifted a hand. "But first, I'd like to introduce someone."
The door opened, and a new boy entered. He had golden hair, red eyes, brown skin, and a slim but muscular build. His clothes were worn, and he looked like he had already seen more than his share of fights.
"This boy is Ren," the Pharaoh said. "Your newest comrade."
Then he turned to the group.
"Round one: Ren versus Kibo. Round two: Valentina versus Luna. Round three: Magnolia versus Poison. Round four: Matthew versus Abraham. Round five: Emma versus Sofia. Round six: Amelia versus Sous."
The children stared at him.
"You have one week to prepare. Train hard."
"Yes! I get to fight Magnolia just like I wanted!" Poison exclaimed.
Abraham muttered, "Abraham, huh…?"
"I-I have to fight Sofia?" someone said anxiously.
"This should be easy," another replied.
Then the Pharaoh dismissed them.
An adult man had come up behind them and draped an arm around his shoulders.
"What do you want, Suegi?" Poison asked, clearly irritated.
Suegi smirked. He had light blue hair, black eyes, and an average face and build, though he was much taller than Magnolia. "Oh, lighten up. I'm just here to talk to the general's favorite. Our little superstar."
Abraham adjusted his glasses. "Your presence isn't wanted. Leave."
Suegi raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? What do you think, superstar? Am I not wanted?"
Magnolia said nothing.
Suegi's smile hardened. "So I'm not worth talking to, huh?"
Without warning, he grabbed Magnolia by the neck and hurled him across the room.
The room erupted into attention.
Poison took a step forward, but Sous moved in front of him.
"Relax," Sous said. "Don't you want to see what this Magnolia kid can do?"
Magnolia pushed himself back up, a little dazed.
Before he could fully recover, Suegi was already on him, punching him in the stomach and then bringing an axe kick down on the top of his head.
Magnolia fell hard, blood at his mouth.
"Is that all?" Suegi mocked, dragging him up by the neck and throwing him toward the center of the room.
"Guys," someone muttered nervously. "He's not fighting back."
Sous stared at Magnolia. "Hold on. I can feel something's about to happen."
Suegi strode toward him and noticed the necklace around Magnolia's neck. "What's this?"
"Don't touch that," Magnolia muttered weakly.
Suegi laughed. "What are you going to do about it?"
He ripped the necklace away.
Magnolia fell still.
Then he stood.
His hair shadowed his eyes, and smoke began to curl from his palms. He started walking toward Suegi in total silence.
The room went quiet.
Then Magnolia ran.
"Suegi, behind you!" someone shouted.
Too late.
"Why so angry, Magnolia?"
SLASH.
Suegi's hand was severed cleanly from his arm. It flew through the air and landed before the children. Suegi screamed, but the wound had already been cauterized, leaving no blood.
Magnolia bent down, picked up the severed hand, and took back the necklace. When he looked up, everyone in the room understood something important.
Magnolia was dangerous.
The Pharaoh watched with a smile.
"Atta boy."
"He did that without breaking a sweat?"
Magnolia's wounds began to heal as he opened his eyes once more and found himself in an empty void.
He was standing alone again, his injuries gone. Before him stood Ra, ragged and ancient, his hawk head framed by darkness.
A white light gathered around Magnolia, then shifted into a bright orange glow as Ra stepped closer.
Ra placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Do you want to become strong? Do you wish to hold the power of the Sun?"
A blue flame bloomed across Magnolia's hands.
"Now," Ra said, "what will you do? This power will reveal itself to the world."
Magnolia awoke beside the other recruits.
"When will he wake up?"
"Any time now. He must have been exhausted from the damage."
"I guess you're right, Matthew. He is stronger than expected."
Luna looked down at him. "Yeah. You're right about that."
Magnolia opened his eyes and looked around groggily. "What are you guys doing?"
"Making sure you're okay," Poison said.
Emma peeked in from the doorway, watching him shyly.
"What you did back there was awesome, kid. Seriously. We should spar sometime."
Emma stepped closer and spoke softly. "You… you did a great job, Magnolia."
"Thanks," Magnolia said. "Can you help me with my necklace?"
Emma nodded, a little flustered. "Y-yeah."
She fastened it back around his neck. "Thanks, Emma."
Emma looked away, blushing. "Now, sit down," the general ordered.
The children obeyed and sat in the sand while the general addressed them.
"Hello, children. This first test will assess your intelligence."
The test covered battle scenarios, agriculture, and resource management. After that, the Pharaoh had them demonstrate their abilities through their contracts.
"Now, you will brawl with my subordinates to show what you can do in combat."
He lifted a hand. "But first, I'd like to introduce someone."
The door opened, and a new boy entered. He had golden hair, red eyes, brown skin, and a slim but muscular build. His clothes were worn, and he looked like he had already seen more than his share of fights.
"This boy is Ren," the Pharaoh said. "Your newest comrade."
Then he turned to the group.
"Round one: Ren versus Kibo. Round two: Valentina versus Luna. Round three: Magnolia versus Poison. Round four: Matthew versus Abraham. Round five: Emma versus Sofia. Round six: Amelia versus Sous."
The children stared at him.
"You have one week to prepare. Train hard."
"Yes! I get to fight Magnolia just like I wanted!" Poison exclaimed.
Abraham muttered, "Abraham, huh…?"
"I-I have to fight Sofia?" someone said anxiously.
"This should be easy," another replied.
Then the Pharaoh dismissed them.