The hallways were vacant, with the red-haired teacher's heavy footsteps being the sole noise that echoed throughout the corridors. "He is their mentor for the trials?" One teacher asked another. "That man is the strongest mentor throughout all of Toshi Academy." The other teacher whispered. Both teachers would huddle near the window of the door to a nearby classroom. They noticed their redheaded colleague out of the corner of the glass panel walking down the hall at a near-brisk pace, steadily approaching the classroom. "Rumors say no student has ever passed his trials." Soon, the red-haired teacher would appear in clear focus of the door's window. The two teachers frantically ducked below the door, hiding out of sight. As the red-haired teacher walked past the door, within the empty classroom, the two teachers quivered in both fear and anticipation, hoping he would not detect their presence. The two would cease their shuddering as they would pick up a certain scent that secreted through the door. The teachers picked up the allure of cigarettes and alcohol through the door, quickly identifying the source of the scent. The scent itself radiated petrification, causing the two teachers to cease any movement out of pure fear. Both of their hearts skipped a beat, and droplets of cold sweat dripped from their brows. To mask their presence, they covered their mouths to stop their heavy and scared breathing. But it seemed that the teacher paid their fearful quaking no mind, continuing to walk down the hall, toward Homeroom 106. By then, the near-overpowering aura would soon dissipate the more the teacher walked further down the hallway.
Meanwhile, in Homeroom 106, Hawk paced back and forth in a straight line, excited and anticipating the arrival of their mentor. He had his arms behind the back of his head, lackadaisical yet severely anxious. Amid the boy's restless walking, he was oblivious to Eeno, who had his arms folded and was leaning against the front of Mr. Bajie's desk, maintaining a sour stare toward Mikoto, who would retaliate with an irritated look of her own. "C'mon, when's this guy comin'?" Hawk asked himself in a low voice, almost sounding disgruntled. They had been waiting for two hours for their mentor to arrive. But Eeno and Mikoto remained stoic and unperturbed by the long wait time. Their respective stares did not break. Hawk would soon pick up on the flat silence within the homeroom and began to glance at Eeno and Mikoto, who had yet to notice the boy watching them, waiting for one of them to make a move or even speak up. "Here we both are, having to assist one another in the Initiation Trials." Eeno told Mikoto. "I wonder how long it will take before you start to turn this into a free-for-all." Mikoto responded. "My money's on ten minutes." Hawk muttered, though it was still audible for both of them to hear. "Not now." The Esper warned his friend. "Yeah, Hawk. Let the grown-ups hash it out." Mikoto taunted the boy. As soon as the kunoichi made the snide comment, Hawk's eyes bulged as he turned to look at her with a newfound, irritating feeling within his chest. "Say that again." Hawk persuaded her with intimidation in his voice. "Hawk, this is between Eeno and I." Mikoto insisted. "I don't want you to be dragged into something that's not worth it for you." Hawk marched up to Mikoto before slamming both fists on the desk where she sat, causing her to lean back in her seat. "I dare you to say what you said again!" Hawk said, this time with more force in his tone. Suddenly, for Hawk, Mikoto would meet this intimidation tactic with hostility: "Mind your own business! Can't you take a hint that this is between me and him?!" Mikoto sprung up from her seat, yelling mere centimeters away from Hawk's face. "A simple no would've been good." Hawk said. Mikoto threw herself back down onto her seat, rolling her eyes in the process at Hawk's quip. "Don't be like Eeno." She advised the boy. "Listen, I know you two don't get along." Hawk said to her. "But we gotta work through this, and then you two can get back to hatin' each other."
Outside, the teacher finally arrived at the homeroom, but the quarreling between Hawk, Eeno, and Mikoto were heard past the door that led into the classroom. Mikoto would then get up from her chair, having been fed up with the antics of Hawk and Eeno. "I will make sure the two of you are punished!" She said, approaching the door to Homeroom 106. But before she could make it, the door creaked open, prompting Mikoto to pause in her storming toward the entrance. The door slowly opened, revealing the red-haired teacher, who looked down at Mikoto. As the door opened, a scent of rancid smoke and cheap alcohol crept into the homeroom, stunning everybody in place. Even Hawk and Eeno were petrified, as they froze where they stood. The teacher would enter the room in full, closing the door behind him in the process. Suddenly, the scent would dissipate, almost as if it was never there. "All of you, have a seat." He instructed the three, who scattered to front-row desks without question. Hawk would sit in the middle of Eeno and Mikoto as the teacher made himself known in front of the blackboard. "The attentive bunch." The redhead said to all three students before he chuckled aloud. "My Guanghuan never fails." He crossed his arms and leaned back against Bajie's desk. "Before we begin the trials, I'd like to know the faces of those I'll pound into a pulp." Neither Hawk, Eeno, nor Mikoto responded. Instead, they appeared petrified, staring at the teacher and his subtle smile with disturbed eyes. "I'm just fuckin' around with you guys." He said, lightening the mood, much to the nervous laughter from Eeno and Mikoto, which quickly died down into silence. But Hawk's focus was still glued to the teacher, his eyes were still trained on the redhead with a smile of resolve. The teacher motioned his head in the direction of where Hawk sat.
"I'm Hawk Yuje, born and raised in Garden Street, Central Toshi City. and my goal is to be the best mixed martial artist in the world!" The boy's hand instantly shot upward upon the teacher requesting his name and ambitions. The teacher nodded firmly before motioning to Eeno. The Esper sighed with anxiety in his exhaled breath before revealing who he was to the teacher. "My name is Eeno Redstar. My goal is to surpass Poe. He is the sole reason why I chose the path I now walk. The only thing I fear is my hatred for Poe dissipating. Father or not, I will do whatever it takes to crush him." Upon finishing his introduction, the teacher raised an eyebrow of intrigue before holding back his smile. He then shifted his head toward Mikoto, boldly saying, "you," as he stared her down. "I am Mikoto, Mikoto Shinozaki. I am an up-and-coming ninja. I signed up for these trials as a means of traveling to the Yuguang Empire to ascend to the ranks as a true shinobi." The girl matter-of-factly introduced herself, almost as if she was trying to cover who she truly was. A usual trait belonging to ninjas, especially those who serve the Order of the Open Shadow. Everybody in the room accepted Mikoto's words, taking it on the chin. Even the teacher let out a brief hum of interest but did not display any outward emotion. "Interesting." He said in regards to everyone's introductions. "My name is Hakan Hibanya, and I will be your mentor for the Initiation Trials." He said to the three, his arms still crossed and a smirk having etched onto his face. "I may be cold and heavy-handed, but understand it's for the sake of improving upon your abilities. That goes for all of you." Eeno peered further into the recesses of Hakan's mind but was partially successful. The gruff aura that exuded from Hakan shielded him from any telepathic interference. However, the modicum of what Eeno had managed to gather was more than ambiguous and enigmatic at the same. The teacher was holding something back, although the Esper could not accurately pinpoint what it was. This unknown, restrained nature within Hakan was soon to take hold of Eeno's psyche.
Outside, Hawk, Eeno, and Mikoto stood in a single-file line before Hakan. All four of them stood on the grounds of the yard where the children play. However, it was temporarily closed off due to the Initiation Trials taking place. "We're going to do things a little different." Hakan announced to the three, with Hawk pumping his right fist with a smirk. "A little different." Hakan's head quickly snapped in the direction where Hawk stood, noticing the boy's jubilation. "The thing is, about the three of you... The reasons for chasing your goals are left much to be desired." As he said this, the mentor swiftly punched his left fist against the palm of his right hand, with sparks emerging upon impact. "Thankfully, I'm here to show you guys how to get shit done!" All three students noticed quick embers that raced to the top of Hakan's head. Somehow, the potency of his Fire Techniques is determined by his level of hyperactivity. Eeno was the first to notice, bearing a visible expression of worry. Perhaps that was the very essence the teacher was deliberately holding back within himself: A thirst for a fantastic battle. However, Eeno did not bring this revelation to the attention of his respective peers. Instead, he remained quiet while listening to Hakan's introduction to the very first trial of the Initiation. But Mikoto disrupted the teacher's speech with the raise of her left hand. "Mr. Hibanya, with all due respect, teachers aren't allowed to use profanity on school grounds." Hakan's right fist glowed with fire engulfing his entire forearm. "Listen, little ninja; I'm at the helm of these trials. I am the one driving this ship." He warned her as the heat from his hand could be felt from a distance. "Furthermore, I am the deadliest mentor across Toshi Academy grounds for a reason!" Mikoto leaned slightly backwards as droplets of sweat dripped from her forehead. The same went for Hawk and Eeno. They, too, took quiet steps backward, away from the ever-growing fire on Hakan's arm. "You'd do well to listen, children."
"Anyhow, for the very first Initiation Trial, we will be playing a game of tag." Suddenly, the fire upon Hakan's arm dissipated, fading into unnoticeable smoke as he lowered his right hand, unraveling it, as it steadily dropped to his side. He had unusually reverted from the sinister demeanor he had. He was now calm. "What?" Eeno said, utterly befuddled. "You heard me: You have about a good half hour to land a hit on me with your hands. If you are unable to do so within the time I've given you, the test will result in a fail." Hakan explained. "You have three attempts to pass all three trials. Should you relinquish all three attempts, you will fail the Initiation altogether." Suddenly, the pressure was on for Hawk, Eeno, and Mikoto, all three of whom assumed their respective fighting stances. Hakan would witness them readying themselves with a slight smirk. "Ready?" He asked, leading his students on. But he waited for a solid twenty seconds, letting the tension thicken.
"Go." Hakan said in a low tone, but it was audible enough for the three to hear. Hawk and Eeno charged after him while Mikoto leapt over the two, attempting to blindside the teacher. As Hawk, Eeno, and Mikoto threw punch after punch, kick after kick, none could ever land. Hakan's evasive movements against his students' unrelenting attacks were erratic at best. He leaned from one side to the other in milliseconds, even leaving sound behind in the wake of dodging attacks from all directions. As Mikoto threw a kick aimed at Hakan's temple, he managed to swerve underneath the attack just in the nick of time before backflipping away from the three. "Wait, Hawk!" Mikoto shouted at the boy, who was about to charge Hakan a second time. He managed to stop upon Mikoto's command but did not break eye contact with his mentor. "We need to think about this." She then told Hawk and Eeno, placing a hand on either shoulder of the two. "Fuck that." Hawk said, defiantly brushing off Mikoto's hand from his shoulder. "I'll go in and distract 'em!" He took four steps forward, ready to go forth with his plan. "Fine." Mikoto sighed. "I guess I'll have to be the brains of this bunch." Her eyes shifted to Eeno, who was partially aware of Mikoto's condescending tone. However, he paid it very little mind.
Hawk proceeded to throw a series of punches and kicks, all of which Hakan effortlessly dodged. Meanwhile, Eeno ran around Hakan, attempting to flank him from the side while Mikoto remained concealed within shrubbery, watching the two distract the teacher, waiting for the perfect time to strike. Eeno finally got up close to Hakan and tried to sweep him off his feet by sliding under him with a low kick. The boy hopped back, noticing Eeno closing in for his attack, allowing the Esper to strike. But, as soon as he tried to kick Hakan's ankles, the teacher leapt into the air, somersaulting behind Eeno. However, things were shaping up to be in favor of the three students as Mikoto zoomed forth, springing out of her hiding spot and reaching out to tag the mentor by his leg. This managed to surprise Hakan, but did not completely stun him in shock. He swung around to where his left leg would be out of reach for Mikoto to touch. The ninja would slide across the grass chest-first, and the mentor would have his back turned to the three. "When are you guys going to show your true strength?" Hakan asked, almost in a mocking tone. "When are you gonna stop dodgin' our attacks?" Hawk asked in retaliation. But Hakan did not answer the boy's question. Instead, he looked down at Hawk, dumbfounded as to why he would ask something outrageous, despite it being intended as facetious. "Are you throwing in the towel already? Just make things easier and give up." Hakan responded to Hawk's question. However, this caused the muscles on the boy's face to twitch angrily. He felt a white-hot intensity within his chest, veins appeared on his forehead, and he clenched his fist as hard as he could before charging at the teacher with a fist. Hakan stepped to the side but secretly left one foot out as Hawk tripped over and fell to the ground.
Hakan then exhaled a sigh of pure boredom. "Come on." He then urged Hawk, now with irritation in his voice. "Are you seriously this much of a weakling?" He mockingly asked Hawk. The teacher then slammed his foot down on Hawk's back, the same foot that had tripped him, pinning him to the ground, with no way of escaping. "Let him go!" Eeno ordered Hakan, whose eye contact did not break from looking down upon Hawk. "Now is your chance, both of you!" Hakan told Eeno and Mikoto, the former of whom was far too stunned to move. "If you don't seize this moment to strike, you can't progress on your path to success." But before Hakan could continue his speech to Eeno and Mikoto, suddenly, he felt his foot slowly being elevated. Hawk was using what remained of his stamina to lift himself off the ground, despite Hakan pushing his foot down in defiance, increasing the force in his foot. Then, Hawk sprang from his prone position, with Hakan nearly falling over. This gave Eeno the opportunity to lower Hakan's opposite foot to the ground, sinking it into the soil, and even allowed Mikoto to rush behind Hakan and strike his back with the palm of her hand. But Hawk leapt into the air and threw a punch across the mentor's face as he fell back onto the ground. The boy then pounced atop Hakan, punching him three times before being pushed off Hakan by Eeno's telekinetic force, causing Hawk to tumble across the ground.
Hawk got back up while Mikoto tried to assist Hakan off the ground. But as soon as he sat upward, he flicked Mikoto's hand off his shoulder and stood back on his feet. As Eeno rapidly approached the boy, Hakan brushed the side of his face with two fingers, the same side where he was struck by a furious Hawk. "A cheap shot, that's for sure." He mumbled, noticing the blood on his fingertips. Hawk then proceeded to charge at Hakan a second time, only to be held back by Eeno, who struggled to hold him in place with his telekinetic abilities. "The outcome for today will be determined by your performance during the third and final trial." Hakan informed Mikoto, Eeno, and Hawk, who was still enraged. But not for long. "Should you succeed, your score will be bumped up to a 90. Should you fail... You'll just have to wait a few more years, or go to a different school entirely." As Eeno's telekinetic abilities began to wear down, Hawk's rage did the same. The boy, being held in place by Eeno, would come to a complete halt upon the Esper collapsing to his knees and gripping his head in pain. He was experiencing a brief case of Overdriving, also known as Psychic Distress: An intense, sharp pain that Kaiguns feel when using their Psychic abilities at full power. The feeling is described as something along the lines of a tightening band around the head, which only lessens with either time or substances. Nevertheless, Hawk aided Eeno, helping him onto his feet while holding his shoulder to ensure he would not faint. As the Esper's Overloading completely wore off, Hakan turned around to walk back into the academy, leaving Hawk, Eeno, and Mikoto to their thoughts.
A few minutes to an hour had passed, and the three students had made it back to the vacant Homeroom 106. Hakan was not present. Wherever he was, Hawk, Eeno, and Mikoto were somewhat concerned by the teacher's prolonged absence, but decided to leave it in the back of their minds as they began to converse among each other. "Why the long faces?" Hawk asked, noticing Eeno and Mikoto's mixed emotions. Both the Esper and the girl spoke up at the same time, only for them to catch themselves simultaneously, before either of them could speak any further. Hawk covered his ears, plugging them with the palm of his hands while smiling, ready for the pending argument. "You know, for someone who's a talented Esper, you sure are a pick-me, emotionless douchebag!" Mikoto began to lash out at Eeno, who would quickly retort. "Is that so!? Too jealous of an Esper's abilities?!" To which Mikoto would yell, "Yeah! I love how they're so high off their own Psychic Techniques, that if you say a big word like 'extravagant', they wouldn't look down on you like they do everyone else!" Eeno then leaned forward, getting into Mikoto's face with a readied fist. "You're thinking of the Yinshen, you idiot!" Meanwhile, Hawk continued to have his ears covered, still smiling through Eeno and Mikoto's bickering.
The sounds of the argument transcended beyond the homeroom, echoing throughout the hallways. However, where Hakan and Principal Okono stood, it was greatly muffled, to the point where it could be brushed off as faint noises. "There have been several, recent reports of you going heavy-handed on your current pupils, per se... Perhaps a little too heavy-handed." Okono informed Hakan. "Their skills are borderline questionable, to be honest." Hakan said, much to the principal's silent sigh of distress. "Look, I know how much perfection means to you. But to express this kind of brutality upon them, verbal or otherwise, is unacceptable." Okono politely reprimanded him. "You've practiced such an action with past students before, even causing one to drop out entirely. This is not the way to go about educating the new generation anymore." He added. Okono then walked away from Hakan, down the direction where the back-and-forth arguing could be heard. But Hakan began to follow Okono down the corridor, but not before sighing with trepidation.
"Okono, you know these kids need to be disciplined, one way or another." Hakan told him. Before the principal could even begin to come up with a counter-argument, a loud thud could be heard from within Homeroom 106, startling Okono. "Just treat these kids with respect and they'll treat you all the same." He ordered Hakan, with a modicum of agitation carrying his words, before walking to the opposite direction of Homeroom 106. "After all, we lead by example. Don't fumble this." He nearly brushed shoulders with the teacher, if only lightly, leaving Hakan to continue looking forward with irritation in his eyes, looking ahead with indifference toward Okono's advice.