The Assassin's Seven Principles of Manipulation-Chapter 48 - 46 — A Week

"Ah... this week’s been hell. How are we supposed to keep this up?"

"Yeah... Instructor Garrick really lives up to the rumors."

"This isn’t training, it’s torture. How is this even allowed?"

"I swear he’s trying to kill us."

"...I actually miss Instructor Warren."

’Hmph.’

Kaiden shook his head. The trainees around him wore gloomy expressions as they made their way toward the Iron training grounds. But he knew better than anyone how wrong they were.

’It got better.’

To him, training under Instructor Warren had been too soft. Instructor Garrick was the best thing that could have happened to them.

He raised his arm and clenched his fist.

’I can feel it.’

He was improving far more than before.

A smirk appeared on his face as he stepped into the training grounds, but it faded the moment his gaze landed on the figure seated cross-legged in one corner.

"Look, he’s at it again. It’s already been a week."

"He’s just been sitting there while we train."

"Must be nice being from the primary line... no torture, no nothing."

The trainees stiffened at the sudden sound of teeth grinding. They turned, only to flinch at the fierce look on Kaiden’s face.

"Oh—i-it’s K-Kaiden."

"L-let’s go."

Kaiden didn’t spare them a glance. His intense gaze remained fixed on Zephyrion.

’Again.’

More than a week had passed, and while they had been pushing themselves to the brink, Zephyrion had done nothing but sit with his eyes closed.

’He’s a disgrace.’

Simply because he was born into the primary line, he was abusing special treatment to slack off.

Kaiden had heard the rumors about Calderalth’s so-called prodigy, but all he saw now was a disappointment.

At that moment, Zephyrion’s eyes opened, and Kaiden found himself staring into those still purple irises. A beat passed before he scoffed and turned away.

’Hmph.’

Prodigy his ass. Not even worth his attention.

...

’Haa.’

Zephyrion released a slow breath.

The boy’s fierce gaze, along with the constant whispers from the other trainees, had become a familiar occurrence over the past week.

With him remaining seated while they trained, resentment had been inevitable.

Still, none of it fazed him.

’It should be today.’

The moment he had been anticipating all week should arrive today.

A loud bang suddenly echoed as Garrick stepped in.

"Alright! Start running!"

The routine resumed as usual, the trainees running with heavy weights until late afternoon.

Soon after, it was time for the spar.

Zephyrion paid little attention as the battles unfolded. However, when the final pair was called, his gaze settled on the arena.

’It’s time.’

He had been observing all week, and had already discerned the pattern Garrick followed when selecting sparring pairs.

After a week, it was finally the match he had been waiting for.

"Kaiden! Fiona! Arena—now!"

At Garrick’s call, Kaiden and Fiona stepped onto the arena and faced each other.

"Kaiden? ...She’s unlucky."

"Yeah... this won’t end well."

"He’s going to crush her."

The trainees shook their heads, staring at Fiona with pity. Over the past week, in every spar she had fought, she had refused to strike her opponent.

Though she usually won, it had always come from her opponent’s weapon breaking, or their exhaustion.

"Form your weapons!"

Fiona formed her weapon, while as always, Kaiden stood relaxed, a confident look on his face, not bothering to form one.

"Begin!"

Kaiden vanished from his spot, sending tremors rippling through the arena. He appeared before Fiona, driving his fists forward without hesitation.

Fiona hastily raised her sword and met the strike.

"Ark—!"

The impact lifted her off the ground, sending her tumbling across the arena.

A moment later, she threw herself to the side, narrowly evading Kaiden’s stomp.

Rolling back to her feet, she gripped her blade with both hands, her arms trembling slightly.

But Kaiden surged forward again, unleashing a flurry of fierce punches at incredible speed. Fiona desperately parried each one aside, yet every impact sent a shudder through her arms.

"Oh—she’s actually holding him off."

"...It’s still going?"

As the trainees’ whispers spread, Kaiden’s eyes narrowed.

"Tch."

He abruptly halted. Lowering into a stance, his body tensed as he exhaled slowly. His eyes snapped open, and in the next instant, his fists shot forward like a released spring.

Just as the punch was about to land, Fiona’s body flowed to the side like water, narrowly slipping past the strike.

"What...?"

Kaiden’s eyes widened as the missed attack left his back exposed. However, Fiona didn’t follow through.

He pulled back sharply, his gaze locking onto her.

"You had the opening. Why didn’t you take it?"

Fiona tightened her grip on her weapon.

"I-I don’t want to hurt you."

"...You don’t want to hurt me?"

"Y-yes..."

Kaiden’s fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked.

"You think you can hurt me?"

Kaiden shot toward Fiona, his fist driving forward with force.

"Ark!"

Though she raised her blade to block, the impact lifted her off the ground and sent her flying.

Before she could recover, Kaiden was already in front of her, looking down with a fierce, unyielding gaze.

"You can’t hurt me."

Fiona shut her eyes as his fist came crashing down. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Whoosh!

The expected impact never came.

Kaiden’s brows furrowed as he slowly turned, only to meet a pair of still purple eyes staring back at him.

Zephyrion stood before him, his arm caught in an unyielding grip.

"You... what are you doing?"

Zephyrion’s gaze remained still.

"That’s enough."

"What? Wasn’t he over there?"

"How did he get here so fast?"

"He just stopped Kaiden’s strike..."

Whispers spread through the trainees as they stared at Zephyrion in shock.

Kaiden gritted his teeth.

"This is a spar. If you want it to stop, then fight!"

He tried to yank his arm free, but Zephyrion’s grip didn’t budge in the slightest.

"Hmph!"

Scoffing, he swung at Zephyrion with his other arm.

Whoosh!

His fist cut through empty air. In the next instant, his vision blurred, and his body was lifted and thrown over Zephyrion’s shoulder, slamming hard into the ground.

"Ark! You—!"

Before he could rise, a kick struck his chest, sending him crashing out of the arena.

A wave of gasp rippled from the trainees.