Location: Kell Village
Time: 7 years after reincarnation, Midday
___
It was a warm summer day, birds chirping and the sun's rays beaming down on Kell Village.
Everyone in the village knew each other as it had a very small population.
Despite this everyone was happy with their current living situation, though it definitely could be improved.
The village is located near a river that wasn't to far from the village, perfect for collecting water and cooling down on hot days.
A considerable distance from the village was a large flat patch of field, perfect for training. It had a few trees nearby that had a few dents on their trunks, seemingly the result of people constantly being flung towards them.
Suddenly, an explosion appeared in the training ground, laughter and a loud groan could be heard coming from it.
Inside a small smoldering crater laid an ash brown haired 7 year old boy, audible groaning could be heard coming from him.
Standing near the creator was a blonde haired boy who was giggling at the current situation.
"WHAT THE FUCK BRO!?" Omari shouted out while still being in the crater, he clutched his left arm while groaning in pain.
"You good?" Jackson asked, a sly smirk forming on his face.
"Does it look like I'm good?! You threw a fucking cruise missile at me!" Omari screamed, anger plastered all over his face.
"It's a part of my power, what else do you want me to use?"
Omari looked away, frustration littered in his tone. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
"it's not my fault you've been slacking on your training."
Omari turned his head sharply at Jackson. "I've just hit a bump in the development of my power. You have to give me time to cook!"
A smirk appeared on Jackson's face. "All I hear are excuses."
"Shut the fuck up!" Omari shouted.
"I see you guys are still training." A boy with white hair was approaching the two.
"How's it going Savien, and where is Damian?" Jackson inquired.
The white haired boy walked towards his two friends. A light breeze brushes through his long hair, causing it to begin swaying lightly. "The elders of the village asked to speak with him about something, so he'll be busy for a while." Savien answered.
He looked down at Omari who was still in the crater, currently lost in thought. "Did he lose another sparring match with you?"
Jackson bent over, touching his feet as he began doing some stretches. "Yeah, but he seems to be lacking the motivation to improve his skills. I think it might stem from his previous life, though it's only a theory."
Savien placed a hand on his chin. "Well if that's the case then all we can do is wait until he gets a mentality switch and gains more motivation. We'll also have to support him during this process too."
"Well, his excuse was that he had hit a bump in the development of his power." Jackson said while stretching his arms to the side.
Jackson continued. "Even if we wanted to help him in that aspect, we couldn't. He's the only one who understands how his power actually works."
"Yeah, I've never seen anything like it. The way he talks is also strange, although, we are from different realities so it's to be expected." Savien added, his hand no longer on his chin.
Omari finally snapped out of his deep thought as he stood up, still inside the crater, and looked at both of his friends.
He then noticed the new arrival. "When did Savien get here?"
"Don't worry about that now, we still have to train some more." Jackson said. He began lowering his hips and raising his arms, getting into a fighting stance.
Omari jumped out of the crater and put his hands in front of himself and shook them frantically.
"Time out! I need a break!" Omari pleaded, but it was to late. Jackson lunged forward toward him and punched him.
"No time for breaks, we still have to help you get past that little bump you've hit." Jackson said as he threw another punch at Omari.
Savien decided to sit down nearby as he watched the two spar.
"I guess I can use this time to think of creative applications for my power." He said. He closed his eyes and became lost in thought.
___
Some village children were playing tag together, chasing each other around with smiles on their faces and not a care in the world.
Small house were littered throughout the village, some made from wood and others made partially from sketchy looking concrete.
A cool breeze began blowing through the village as leaves were gently blown away in the breeze, the breeze also slightly blowing against the black hair of a 7 year old boy as he was walking towards an old looking building made from withered wood.
A young boy was lagging behind his friends, he was sweating profusely. It seemed like he had neglected drinking water because of how much fun he had been having.
He suddenly felt the pressure of someone standing right behind him. It felt like he was being judged at that very moment, the stare of the person standing behind him seemingly piercing through his body, observing his soul.
"Are you okay? Do you need some water?" Damian asked, his tone carefully even. His lifeless eyes were fixed onto the boy, assessing him as if he were a threat.
Fear suddenly took control of the boy's body as he froze in place, he didn't know what to do.
" You should go drink some water, you look dehydrated." Damian said while pointing at the nearby well in the center of the village.
The boy slowly turned around and locked eyes with Damian. His aura was very intimidating for someone so young.
The boy began stumbling on his words for a bit before he spoke. "I-I'm fine, t-thank you." He answered.
"If you say so." Damian said as he began walking toward the old looking building made from wood.
After a small amount of distance had been created between the two, the boy let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in. "He's so scary!"
Damian was standing in front of an old wooden house that was situated near the center of the village.
It was called "The Elders Hut".
He walked up to the door and knocked on it two times.
"Come in." The voice of an older man could be heard coming from inside.
He began opening the door and walked inside the building.
"I wonder what they want from me?"
Inside the old house was a large table, there sat four old men who looked closer to death than anything else. Each of the four elderly men had a cup of tea in front of them, steam was slowly rising from each cup.
"Please take a seat." One of the old men said while gesturing at Damian to sit down on an open seat that was deliberately left for him.
He closed the door and began making his way toward the open seat, which was the closest to the door.
One of the elders placed their hands on the table and spoke. "Alright let's get down to business. We summoned you here because it's almost time for you and your friends to partake in the Kell Forest Trials."
"I already know this." Damian replied, his tone even.
"We know that, but it's tradition to inform you about the trial." The same elder replied.
He continued. "The trial involves you and your friends joining the hunting squad on an early morning hunt for food in the Kell Forest, which you will catch on your own. This is meant to help us see if you are developing well and aren't slacking on your training."
Another elder spoke up. "After the hunt, you will be allowed the option of either keeping your catch or giving it to the Hunting Squad to take back to the village. Regardless of your decision, the Hunting Squad will head back to the village and you will be left to fend for yourselves in the forest for two weeks. "
Damian raised an eyebrow. "So you're leaving children in a forest to fend for themselves for two weeks?"
"We wouldn't do it if we thought you weren't ready for it." The elder replied.
"Have our parents agreed to this?" Damian asked, his tone still even.
"Yes, all your parents have been informed about the trails. Some of them even took part in the trials themselves when they were younger." One of the elders said, his thoughts drifting back to the day Damian's mother came back to the village with four giant boars in her hands.
"Okay. I'll inform the others about the trials. Can I leave now?" Damian asked, his tone sounding more robotic than human.
"You may leave." An elder replied with a small smile, gesturing toward the door.
Damian stood up from his chair and began walking towards the door leading outside. His footsteps echoing through the room as he reaches the door and opens it.
"We have high hopes for you guys!" One of the elders shouted with enthusiasm.
Damian didn't reply as he walks out and closes the door behind him with a gentle click.
After a short silence, one of the elders spoke up. "Doesn't he remind you of his father?"
"Yep. He even has his father's cold personality." One elder replied.
"Did you see the look in his eyes? They were soulless, devoid of any human emotion." Another elder spoke.
The final elder placed his hand on his chin, pondering. "He has the look of someone who's experienced more trauma than anyone should. It could also just be something he inherited from his father."
The first elder spoke. "Well whatever it is, it better help him pass the trials."
___
Jackson threw a right jab at Omari which was deflected.
Omari used the opening to land a right hook on Jackson which caused him to stumble back slightly.
"It seems that you're finally getting your mojo back." Jackson said while wiping sweat off his forehead.
"As I said before, I hit a bump in the development of my power. That caused me to be in head more in order to find a way past it, that's why I've been losing sparring matches against you lately." Omari said, sweat running down the side of his head.
He curled his hand into a fist and bumped it on his chest. "You've enjoyed your win streak for far too long now. IT'S TIME TO FIX MY WIN TO LOSS RATIO!!!" Omari screamed. He lunged forward with a punch charging up.
Omari aimed his punch at Jackson's head but Jackson narrowly dodged the attack as he swayed slightly his left, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
Omari followed up with an elbow towards Jackson's head which connected. He then followed up with a left hook and a jab to his opponent's head and stomach.
Jackson slid back from the blows he just took, pain surging through his entire body.
He looked at Omari with a giant grin and manifested a grenade and threw it at him.
Omari easily dodged the grenade and launched himself forward, his arm pulled back, ready to strike.
The grenade detonated behind Omari as he was closing the distance between him and Jackson.
Jackson burst forward as well, hoping to meet his opponent half way as he prepared a high kick meant to make contact with the chest.
"No No Square!" An invisible cube suddenly surrounded Omari, which ended up blocking Jackson's high kick.
"What the—" Confusion plagued Jackson's mind as he was trying to figure out how his kick was blocked.
While Jackson was distracted, Omari used the opening to land a gut punch on Jackson.
Jackson staggered backwards, his breathing deep and labored.
Omari saw this and smirked, he proceeded to open up his palm and the letter "E" manifested in it.
"EEEEE!!!"
A beam of E's was launched toward Jackson while he was disoriented.
The attack landed, it's force sending Jackson flying. He landed on his side as he skidded on the ground, creating a small dust cloud.
"It seems like Omari won." Savien said as he stood up from where he was sitting.
"FUCK YEAH! I AM THE GOAT!!!" Omari screamed as he pumped both his fists in the air.
Jackson laid on the floor, bruises covered most of his body. A smirk began forming on his face. "I'm starting to enjoy this! "
Jackson stood up and patted off the dust that had gathered on him, his smirk still on his face. "Don't get too cocky now, Omari."
"Just stay down lil bro, you don't want the smoke." Omari stated, a small teasing smirk appearing on his face.
They both began staring each other down. Analyzing. Waiting for their opponents next move.
"Yo, how's it going guys?" A familiar emotionless voice spoke up through all the commotion.
"Oh, it's Damian." Savien said.
Damian walked toward Savien and stood next to him.
Jackson and Omari acknowledged Damian's arrival with a nod before going back to their stare down.
"So who's currently winning?" Damian asked.
"Omari is. It seems like he's gotten more confident in himself, maybe he's got some new move that we don't know about?" Savien answered, his eyes fixed onto the two fighters.
Savien then looked at Damian. "So what where the Elders talking to you about?"
"The Kell Forest Trials." Damian replied, his bored expression showed just how disinterested he was with what the Elders said.
"Don't we already know about the trials?"
"That's what I said."
BOOM
An explosion erupted in the battlefield as Omari slid back a considerable distance with his arms crossed.
Savien points at the two fighters. "So do we have to inform them about it or…?"
"I'll tell them later. They seem to be having fun and I don't want to ruin it." Damian replied.
"Biden blast!" Omari screamed as a bright blue light appeared in his palm and shot out toward Jackson.
Jackson manifested a tank and used it as a shield to protect himself from the beam.
The beam penetrated the tank's armor but it didn't enough power to go through it completely.
"Damn it, I thought I had you!" Omari exclaimed.
"You're going to have to try harder than that if you want to win this." Jackson replied.
The two continued to fight each other and exchanging blows, while Damian and Savien continued talking about the trials.