All eyes were on Leo. Hiro’s mouth opened wide; he didn’t know what to say. Maki lifted up her hand as high as she could and slammed the table. A thunderous clap echoed throughout the room.

“That’s a load of crap! I protest!” she yelled. “You didn’t make any other recruit fight, so why does he have to?”

Leo raised his eyebrow. “You’re more adamant against this than I expected. I thought you of all people would appreciate a fight break loose.”

“I want a good, fair fight! Not a bloodbath!”

“Relax, kid.” Yuusuke waved his hand at her. “I’ll go easy on him.”

“Not a kid! And no you won’t! That’s the problem!”

Shinji leaned over to Leo. “Are you sure about this? Yuu’s been complaining about having no one good to fight for a while now. I don’t think he has it in him to hold back.”

Leo nonchalantly lifted his mug for a sip. “We’ll see.”

“Um, question.” Hiro sheepishly raised his hand. “By ‘fight’, did you mean like a quick, friendly spar, or…?”

“Oh, feel free to go all out.” Leo gave him the okay sign. “I just want to see what you can do. We can’t have you participating in dangerous missions without us knowing the extent of your capabilities.”

“And what happens if I lose?”

“Ah, it’s fine. Whether you win or lose won’t affect my decision. Yuu’s a very capable fighter, so I don’t expect a new recruit to beat him at all.”

“But what if he’s too capable? If he’s not holding back, am I gonna be put out of commission before I even start?”

 “Don’t fret. I’ll make sure to stop the fight before any serious injuries happen.”

As much as Hiro disliked the thought of having to battle, he knew he had no other choice. Shinji made it clear that at any point, they could easily make him meet his end. Not only that, winning wasn’t even the requirement. All he had to do was take the pain and do his best. If he just ran around and tired him out, everything would turn out alright.

Hiro took a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

“WHAT?” Maki ran up to him. “You of all people are okay with this?! Is your brain okay?! I thought you were a wuss!”

“If I back down, I die anyway! Besides, your boss said I didn’t have to win. I think I can at least survive.”

“Haha! You heard him, kid!” Yuusuke stretched his arms and walked to the elevator. “Are we done, Leo? Can I get ready now?”

Leo chugged down the remainder of his mug. He wiped off the coffee dribbling down his lips. “Yes, I need a refill anyway. Is everyone ready? Shall we all head down together?”

“Hold it.” Maki blocked Hiro’s way with her arm. “I wanna give him some… pep talk first. You guys mind?”

“Of course not. Take your time,” Leo said.

Shinji walked over to Hiro and patted his shoulder. “You’re a real champ for taking that guy on, buddy. I’d never have the guts to do that. Good luck out there. And, well…” He leaned closer and cupped his hand over Hiro’s ear. “Try not to embarrass yourself. It turns him on.”

“Yo! Shinji!” Yuusuke yelled from inside the elevator. “Are you coming or nah?”

“Yes, yes. Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“And you!” Yuusuke pointed at Hiro. “You better not hold back on me. If you play lame in our fight, I’ll have you begging on your knees. You hear me?”

The elevator doors soon closed, leaving Hiro and Maki alone in the command center.

Hiro tucked his hands in his pockets and took a seat. It was far softer than his couch back home. “What was that about? You’re really against this fight, huh?”

“Of course I am.” She crossed her arms. “Yuu calls himself the strongest fighter in Lionheart. You ain’t standin’ a chance.”

“Aww. I didn’t know you cared so much about me. Thank you.”

“Shut up, hobo.”

He sighed. “Look, I don’t wanna do this either, but if I don’t get accepted here, won’t you guys kill me? Hell, Shinji almost did already.”

“Yeah.”

“So I gotta do what Leo says, right? He said he’ll stop the fight if it’s too much. I don’t have a choice but to trust him.”

She clicked her tongue. “I don’t give a damn if you end up fine or not by the end of it, but you fight like a sissy! They’re gonna laugh at me for recruitin’ a baby!”

“...Ooooof course. Of course, that’s what you’re worried about.”

 “Listen here, ya hobo. Since you already agreed to this fight, you better put up a good show. If they realize I brought in a wimp, I won’t be hearin’ the end of it! Capiche?”

He pinched his forehead. “Okay. Whatever. I’ll try, but no promises.”

“Hmph. Yuu can produce some really hot flames. You’re better off keepin’ distance anyway. Just try not to look uncool doin’ it.”

“Oh? Are you actually giving me advice? That’s so nice of you! I guess you really were worried after all!”

“Shut up!” She swiftly turned her head away. “You ain’t gettin’ more hints from me.”

A short chuckle escaped his lips. “Yes ma’am.”

Maki’s eyes narrowed in disdain. “There was nothin’ funny ‘bout what I said.”

“Of course, of course. I’ll do my best out there.”

“Grr!” She reached into her bag and tossed him a nanobarrier. “Take it. You’re gonna need some help if you’re gonna fight that monster, at least.”

Hiro exaggerated a gasp in a theatrical display of shock. “Oh my goodness, Maki! How very thoughtful of you!”

“Don’t push it.”

“You’re so nice to me! I didn’t know you cared so much!”

“You’re gettin’ on my nerves, hobo.”

“You put up such a front, but you’re actually really kind. How adorable!”

With a ferocious twist of her body, she drove her elbow into his shoulder. A searing jolt of pain coursed through him. He retracted his arm and whimpered.

“Does it hurt? Good. I hope Yuu beats the livin’ hell outta you!” She stormed to the elevator. Hiro forced himself up and followed her.

They came down to the third floor: the training grounds. The whole area was about two stories high with metal-plated walls and flooring. Two mezzanines were suspended on opposite ends of the room. Piles of damaged training dummies lay on one corner. Some were scratched, others chopped up, and a few charred.

“Hey! Over here!” Shinji waved at them from one of the mezzanines. “You guys took so long! Stop flirting over there!”

“Ew! Stop projectin’ on us, loner! It’s embarrassin’!” Maki shouted.

“Wh— That is rude, young lady! Don’t you know how to treat your elders with respect?”

“We’re the same age, dumbass.”

“I’m five months older. That’s a huge difference.”

“As huge as the list of people who rejected you?”

“Hey, too far!”

Hiro placed his hand on the wall. It felt like glass, smooth to the touch. It barely made any sound when he knocked on it.

Not long after, the elevator doors opened. Yuusuke swaggered out, now equipped with a large greatsword stored inside a black metal sheath on his back. Its length rivaled Maki’s height. Red scales decorated the handle.

Leo, with a freshly refilled mug of coffee, followed behind him and yawned. “Where is Hiro?”

“Over here.” Hiro kept his head low as he approached him.

“Ah, excellent. I assume you’re ready?”

Hiro clutched the nanobarrier. “I… guess so.”

Yuusuke shook his head. “What kind of answer is that? Not excited to face the strongest opponent you’ve ever met?”

“Not particularly, no.”

“I bet you’re just nervous.” He swung his blade around with a single hand. “Maybe you need a warm-up first?”

“I’m good. I just wanna get this over with.”

“Ohoho! Don’t rush it too much. We gotta enjoy it while it lasts.”

Leo snapped his fingers. “Alright, alright. Save your energy for the battlefield. You two, go to the center. Maki, head up with me.”

Maki responded with a spirited salute. “Aye aye, boss!”

Hiro and Yuusuke stood face to face at the center of the training grounds. As Hiro locked eyes with his opponent’s intimidating gaze, he couldn’t help but tremble. Yuusuke flourished his sword around before gripping it with both hands.

“Try not to piss your pants too much,” he scoffed.

“Y-You too,” Hiro said under his breath.

“Hm? What was that?”

“Nothing…”

“HIRO! KICK HIS ASS!” Maki flailed her fists in the air as she jumped up and down.

Leo leaned against the railing and raised his hand. “Gentlemen, let’s not waste any more time. Like I said earlier, feel free to go all out. No regrets. Ready…”

The short pause between Leo’s words felt endless. Hiro could hear his own heart pounding against his ears.

“Start!”

Yuusuke sprinted forward and swung his blade. Hiro’s eyes shimmered green; he leaped backward to evade. The greatsword crashed onto the floor with a deafening boom. Swing after swing pushed Hiro back. They slowly approached the wall. All the while, Maki’s shrill cries egged them on.

Hiro sidestepped to avoid getting trapped. Yuusuke followed him, but it was a feint. With a quick spin, Hiro pivoted to the other direction and distanced himself as far back as he could.

Yuusuke let out a hearty guffaw. He rested the tip of his sword against the floor and leaned on his blade. “What’s wrong? Too nervous to land a hit? You must be getting tired after all that running around.”

Hiro wiped off the sweat trickling down his cheek. “Are you sure about that? You’re the one who looks tired. Waving that big sword around must be exhausting.”

Yuusuke wasn’t out of breath at all.

“Look, I get it. You probably feel really intimidated right now.” Yuusuke spread his arms wide. “Want a free hit? On me.”

Hiro didn’t answer.

“Alright… Your loss.”

Suddenly a blinding flash of light erupted from the greatsword. Hiro shielded his face and squeezed his eyes shut. An intense wave of heat washed over him, and he staggered backward. When he opened his eyes, he saw the blade engulfed in fire. Yuusuke seemed unhurt as he lifted the burning sword. His cocky grin was as bright as the flame itself.

“Last caaaaall!” Yuusuke beckoned him to come over. “You sure you don’t want that free hit?”

No one in their right minds would approach that fire, Hiro thought.

“Really? Nothing? Wow! Feeling confident, are we? We’ll see how long you can keep standing!” Sparks flew as Yuusuke scraped his blade against the ground. He swung upward. A towering wall of flames erupted from the ground and rushed at his opponent.

Fiery red filled Hiro’s vision. His mind raced, but his feet refused to move. The increasingly hot air roasted him alive. He summoned the nanobarrier and braced for impact. Nothing but a translucent wall lay between him and the hurtling fire.