[129] "Talk"

[One hour later]

[In the Korean teachers' lounge]

The silence in the room was palpable, the faces of the teachers were ugly and with show of concern.

Inhyuk breaks the silence. "They are much stronger than I had thought."

Seongha nods and says. "Duke is on a level a little higher than our quartet, and he was completely crushed by that young man named James."

Chul, Suhan, MIyoung and Giwook their faces frown.

"His power must specialize in defense... and the level of the other two young men who fought is incredible and the young lady who didn't fight must have similar power" commented Miyoung after a moment of analyzing.

"Their levels must be similar..." said Suhan.

"The most surprising thing is the ease in which Samantha defeated Cain, it was with much bigger difference than Duke's defeat" said Miyoung.

Those present nods their heads in agreement.

"It will be a very difficult fight for our guys... I'm a little worried about them" commented Inhyuk with a worried tone of voice.

"They will suffer serious injuries... most likely" added Seongha.

....

Walking down the path, Subin and Jisuk look serious faces, while Jiwoo and Wooin move forward silently, watching them.

"Are you really going to face them?" inquires Jiwoo, breaking the prevailing silence.

Subin, Jisuk and Wooin stop and fix their gazes on Jiwoo. Then, after a moment of intense stares, their faces light up with warm smiles.

"You don't have to worry about us," Jisuk assures them.

"Yes, we're going to beat them," Subin adds, sketching a smile.

Jiwoo frowns and replies with some bitterness. "I'm sorry, but I don't think you can beat them."

Subin, Jisuk and Wooin's faces contract in shocked gestures.

Jisuk, in a serious voice, retorts. "You don't seem to trust us very much."

"I know the strength of both sides. You are in the normal range of the awakened of your age, but they... are several levels above," Jiwoo maintains earnestly.

"You are strong, but they are even stronger," Jiwoo adds, his expression laden with concern. "I'm worried they might get hurt."

Subin and Jisuk sigh simultaneously and each place a hand on Jiwoo's shoulder, sketching a reassuring smile.

"You don't need to be nervous. We'll show what we can do in the fight...we'll surprise you," Jisuk says.

Subin smiles and adds. "Exactly, we'll show you what we're capable of."

They both walk away, still smiling, but as soon as they turn around, their faces turn serious.

Wooin and Jiwoo watch silently as the two walk away.

Wooin looks at Jiwoo and poses. "Why are you so sure they're going to lose?"

Jiwoo also turns his gaze to Wooin and replies. "I trained with them and have felt their power...they are amazing. The difference that exists between James, Teresa and Emily might seem insignificant, and they might think they can level up with their experience in real fights, but..."

"They've had real confrontations, too. They went through an ordeal where they lived alone in unfamiliar, hostile territory for a month. They came back from the brink of death, with severe injuries," Jiwoo reveals.

Wooin is surprised, raises an eyebrow and continues to ask. "And Samantha?"

Jiwoo sighs and replies with an icy tone. "She can crush the other three."

Wooin is even more shocked, his brow furrows even more, stunned by what he has just heard from Jiwoo.

....

[In Han Seongik's Office]

[Pov Han Seongik]

With my hands folded behind my back, watched out the window at the beautiful sunset.

"Those young men are amazing...", I mutter to myself, impressed by the skills demonstrated in combat....

"Our boys are very expectant, waiting for the combat. Their attitude is exemplary. The teachers seem more worried than they are themselves," I quietly reflect.

"I know this test will do them a lot of good. By overcoming it, they will become much stronger," he stated with conviction, knowing that the challenges they face now will contribute to their growth and development.

A sigh escapes my lips as I let out a smile, filled with pride and hope for the future that awaits these young people.

....

[Elsewhere]

Garrith was in a room, occupying a chair that was placed in a corner. With one foot resting on the other, he interlocked his fingers and rested his hand on his chin, immersing himself in thought. 'This situation really affects the reputation of the academy,' he mused.

'That quartet from Korea turns out to be spectacular, and especially Kayden's new disciple.'

'But... that woman and her young people are truly amazing. How did they manage to go unnoticed according to the world?'

'Lisa Snyder... A while back, a news story shook the world. Kevin Ward, ranked eleventh in the world, passed away along with another awakened of the same rank. Rumor has it that the woman responsible had a youthful appearance, blonde hair and light blue eyes, a description identical to Lisa's.'

'Furthermore, it has been discovered that the Seo corporation belongs to Ares Seo...'

'This can't be mere coincidence, there must be a deep connection between them. Even that girl named Teresa radiates an aura similar to Edward's, and that individual James bears a striking resemblance to Harold, even though he doesn't have the same power as him.'

'The information I commissioned to investigate must be gathered as soon as possible.'

....

Jiwoo and Jiyoung walk in the middle of a beautiful sunset, observing the sky tinged with warm colors.

Jiyoung picks up on Jiwoo's mood and decides to ask. "What's happening to you, Jiwoo?"

Scratching his head, Jiwoo smiles and replies. "I'm worried about the upcoming confrontation."

Jiyoung nods, understanding Jiwoo's words, and adds. "They are nervous too, but facing new challenges is essential to get stronger. The four of them will only train in these few days leading up to the fight."

Jiwoo digests the idea and continues. "I understand, but..." He pauses and directs his gaze to the horizon. "I don't want anything bad to happen to them... they might get killed."

With a melancholy tone, Jiwoo adds. "And I feel like it's my fault."

Raising an eyebrow, Jiyoung replies, "It's not your fault.... such is the world of the awakened. In this world, the strongest sets the rules. We won't let anything bad happen to them."

Jiwoo sighs and replies. "I hope you won't interfere... None of you know your personalities as well as I do."

....

[Jiwoo's room]

[At night]

Jiwoo entered his room with obvious worry drawn on his face.

Upon entering, he found Kartein, Kayden and Ares sharing a meal. He approached them and said. "I'm back."

The three cats nodded, but Kayden, raising an eyebrow, pointed. "You're upset."

Jiwoo, scratching his head, replied. "Really?." He laughed sheepishly and continued, "Many have told me so. I'm worried about the fight that will pit the Korean quartet against the Illuminati."

"So they are going to fight," Kartein observed.

"Let's hope they don't defeat them completely," Ares commented.

Jiwoo's face became even more worried.

"Don't worry, they won't kill them," Ares added nonchalantly.

Kayden and Kartein nodded in agreement.

Jiwoo sketched a worried smile.

"This I was going to tell you later, but... you need to stop worrying so much about your friends," Ares pointed out.

"But... I can't," Jiwoo replied.

Kayden sighed and turned his gaze to Jiwoo. "Everyone knows you are my disciple. Many will want to come and challenge you. You will be in danger constantly."

Jiwoo, earnest and confident in his words, replied. "I am not afraid."

Kayden smiled and stated, "The ten strongest in the world have disciples, and they may well be interested in you, in addition to many young men from all over the world."

"But you don't have to worry about them. You have to watch out for enemies who might show up," Kayden added.

Frowning, Jiwoo stated confidently. "I'm not afraid of challenges. I will accept any challenge and defeat them..."

Kayden, Kartein and Ares smiled in satisfaction.

"Then it's time to train.... After your confrontation with Duke, you haven't trained with the same intensity and have lost your rhythm. You should get back into the training routine," Kayden suggested.

"Yes, sir!" replied Jiwoo enthusiastically.

After a few intense hours of training, Jiwoo fell asleep.

Kayden looked at Ares and asked. "Your strength hasn't increased much in the last few months. I know you're focused on developing that technique and your healing factor."

Kartein looked at Ares, waiting for his answer.

Ares smiled and replied. "Yes, that's true, but my healing factor has increased at an impressive rate." He clenched his fist tightly and let out a wide grin. "As long as I have time to heal, they won't be able to kill me. I'm sure I could even regenerate a limb, though it would require all my energy."

Kayden and Kartein were surprised by his words.

"You really are a maniac, just like your master, the only decent one is Jiwoo," Kartein growled, visibly annoyed.

Kayden smiled and said. "Your last technique is powerful, but it still needs a lot of development."

Ares nodded and added. "Yes, it definitely has a lot of room for improvement."

....

[3 days later]

[In the combat arena]

In the bleachers, a group of students crowded around, their eager gazes fixed on the center of the arena, anticipating the impending showdown with great anticipation.

In the right section of the bleachers, the figures of Duke, Cain and Arthur stood out, accompanied by the other three young men and the two teachers. In that same area, Garrith also stood, watching the scene intently.

At the other end of the bleachers, on the left side, Jiwoo and Jiyoung took their places, attentive to what was about to happen.

In another tier, away from the students, there was a second group consisting of Kayden, Kartein and Ares.

Finally, in the center of the arena, the spotlight fell on Lisa and her four young men.

Directly in front of them, the 6 KAA teachers and the rival quartet were lined up, creating a visual confrontation as tense as it was palpable in the atmosphere.

.....

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