The wind was cold.
Sharp.
Unforgiving.
Kael stood in the middle of the open space outside the base, his body still bandaged, still aching… but standing.
Barely.
Across from him—
The blue-haired girl.
Sword in hand.
Eyes calm.
Too calm.
—
"…You're serious?" Kael muttered.
"…You want me to fight like this?"
—
"…No," she replied.
A pause.
—
"…I want to see how weak you are."
💀
—
Silence.
—
The young guy burst out laughing.
"…Damn, she didn't even try to be nice!"
—
"…Focus," the leader said calmly from behind.
—
Kael exhaled slowly.
His fingers cracked slightly.
—
"…Fine."
—
(Step.)
He moved first.
Fast.
Straight.
No plan.
Just instinct.
—
(SLASH.)
Her blade moved.
Simple.
Clean.
—
(STOP.)
Kael froze mid-step.
His breath caught.
—
The tip of her sword—
Right at his throat.
💀
—
Silence.
—
"…Dead," she said.
—
Kael stepped back instantly.
Annoyed.
—
"…I wasn't ready."
—
"…Excuses," she replied.
—
(Step.)
She moved this time.
Faster.
—
Kael raised his guard—
Too late.
(THUD.)
A hit to his stomach.
—
Air left his lungs instantly.
"…Ghh—!"
—
(SLASH.)
Her blade stopped right before his chest.
—
"…Dead again."
💀
—
The young guy whistled.
"…That was fast."
—
Kael gritted his teeth.
Anger rising.
—
"…Again," he said.
—
(Step.)
He rushed again.
—
Faster.
Stronger.
More desperate.
—
(CLASH.)
He blocked this time.
Barely.
—
(SLASH.)
Another attack—
He dodged.
—
(PUNCH.)
He countered—
She tilted her head slightly.
Dodged.
—
(THUD.)
Her knee hit his ribs.
—
(CRACK.)
Kael dropped to one knee.
Pain exploded.
—
"…Dead," she repeated calmly.
💀
—
Silence.
—
Kael didn't move.
—
His breathing was heavy now.
Unstable.
—
"…Again," he said.
—
The leader watched quietly.
—
"…He's forcing it," the young guy muttered.
—
"…Let him," the leader replied.
—
(Step.)
Kael stood up again.
—
Blood at the corner of his mouth.
—
Eyes sharper.
More focused.
—
"…Again."
—
(SLASH.)
She attacked.
—
Kael moved—
Better this time.
—
Dodged one.
Blocked another.
—
For a moment—
It looked like he was improving.
—
Then—
(THUD.)
A direct hit to his shoulder.
—
(SLASH.)
Another to his side.
—
(PUSH.)
He was thrown back.
—
(CRASH.)
His body hit the ground hard.
💀
—
Silence.
—
"…Why…?" Kael muttered.
"…Why can't I land a hit…?"
—
She stood there.
Unmoved.
—
"…Because you're not fighting."
💀
—
Kael frowned.
"…What?"
—
She stepped closer.
—
"…You're just reacting."
—
A pause.
—
"…A real fighter decides the fight."
💀
—
Silence.
—
Kael clenched his fist.
—
"…Then teach me."
—
The young guy blinked.
"…Oh?"
—
The leader's eyes narrowed slightly.
—
"…You're asking for help now?"
—
Kael didn't look at them.
—
"…I'm asking to stop being weak."
💀
—
Silence.
—
The wind blew again.
—
Then—
The blue-haired girl raised her sword.
—
"…Then stop standing."
—
Kael froze.
"…What?"
—
(SLASH.)
💀
—
The strike came instantly.
—
He didn't react.
Didn't block.
—
(CUT.)
A shallow wound opened across his chest.
—
Kael staggered back.
Shock in his eyes.
"…What the—?!"
—
"…Good."
—
She stepped forward again.
—
"…Now you're not pretending anymore."
💀
—
(SLASH. THUD. SLASH.)
—
She attacked.
Relentless.
—
Kael tried to block—
Failed.
—
Tried to dodge—
Too slow.
—
Every move—
Punished.
—
Every mistake—
Paid in blood.
💀
—
Minutes passed.
Or maybe seconds.
—
Kael fell again.
Harder this time.
—
His body refused to move.
—
"…Stay down," the young guy muttered.
—
"…No," the leader said quietly.
"…Watch."
—
Kael's fingers moved.
—
Slowly.
—
He pushed himself up again.
—
Breathing broken.
Eyes shaking.
Body destroyed.
—
But still—
Standing.
💀
—
"…Why…?" the young guy whispered.
—
Kael looked up.
—
"…Because…"
He coughed blood.
—
"…I'm done being the one who gets crushed."
💀
—
Silence.
—
The blue-haired girl watched him.
—
For the first time—
Something changed in her eyes.
—
"…Good," she said.
—
A pause.
—
"…Now we can start."
💀💀💀
—
Far away…
—
"…He's still alive?"
—
"…Yes."
—
"…Then break him again."
💀
---
End of Chapter 17
---
> Be honest… would YOU have stood up again after all that?
Or would you have stayed down?
And do you think Kael can really survive this kind of training?
Drop your thoughts below 👇 this is just the beginning of his transformation 😈🔥