Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Humans were such strange creatures.

They held stupid expectations regarding others without knowing that those expectations would end up hurting them.

'Why?'

A question echoed inside the young adolescent girl's heart. A question that made her heartthrob, a question that made her feel like needles were stabbing into her heart.

'Why am I feeling like this?'

It was a feeling that she was unable to identify. Why was she feeling it in such a way?

Why did it feel like she couldn't breathe? This was the first time such a thing had happened.

'Why am I letting those thoughts get over my head?'

She continuously questioned herself. The world looked blurry, different from how it was all the time. Somehow, she wasn't able to clearly sense as it had been.

Her developed senses were now betraying her, making her the part of the world she didn't want to be in right now.

At this moment, she wanted to shut herself down. Just like a computer whose electric supply was shut down, she wanted to turn herself off.

She just wanted to close her eyes, lean somewhere, and put an end to these thoughts.

'Really…..Why did I even listen to her suggestion back then…..'

Everything had started this morning.

-Hey….Fiery Demoness…

That annoying girl had approached her in the morning. There was a clear smirk on her face, a smirk that somehow irked her whenever she had seen it.

-Seraphine.

-Do you mind if I take him?

She somehow came to her side and then talked about 'him' out of nowhere. Even though there was no mention of his name, the moment Seraphina looked at her like that and spoke in such a manner, she knew who it was about from the start.

-What did you say?

-I said, what I said? Do you mind if I take him?

Her question was insolent, but there was a certain look in her eyes. A look that she knew very well.

Seraphina was looking for her weakness. She was looking for something that she could use in the future.

And Irina knew about that fact. She was very well aware of such acts since she had witnessed a lot of them and even saw her mother plotting.

She had a lot of demonstrations already, even though those acts made her want to puke. She hated the dishonesty of people and how they always wore masks.

-Do whatever you want.

Thus, she knew she needed to come out strong. She acted nonchalant, even though she had been bothered by it.

-That is good, then. I will talk to him now. Do you want to listen?

But somehow, Seraphina seemed to already have a plan. That made sense, as Irina knew that she wasn't someone to act without preparing thoroughly. In that aspect, she was familiar with him to a certain extent.

-Why would I listen to your talk?

-Aren't you curious? Don't you want to know who he is going to choose?

-I don't need an answer or anything.

-Oh? Are you scared?

-You! Who is scared of who? Come on then, let's see it!

She couldn't control her impulses. This was how it had been. But she was also curious, and she knew that Seraphina was giving her just the excuse to act. Though it looked like exactly what Seraphina had planned, Irina accepted it and played it into her hand.

And then, as Seraphina settled into the café just as she said, she couldn't help but perk her ears. Of course, at first, she was unable to listen since Seraphina was laying down her mana to cover the atmosphere.

It was a technique that was used by mages in general. She could also do it by precisely manipulating her mana, but she didn't have any reason to use that before. By laying the mana into the surroundings, one could block the senses of Awakened, turning them into normal humans.

-What do you think about Irina?

But then, she could finally start hearing the conversation. After meddling with 'his' senses, Seraphina slightly dispelled the curtain so that Irina could bypass her senses into the conversation and listen to it.

-Irina?

-Irina is... complicated. She's certainly talented; there's no denying that. But her attitude leaves much to be desired.

-Go on.

-She's reckless, impulsive, and often acts without considering the consequences. Her arrogance knows no bounds, and she's quick to dismiss others' opinions if they don't align with her own.

-She's driven by her own ambition, and she'll stop at nothing to achieve her goal. However, her lack of restraint and disregard for those around her sometimes make her a liability.

-And yet, you maintain a close relationship with her?

-Irina and I have a history, but that doesn't mean I condone her actions. Sometimes, it's easier to keep someone close to keep an eye on them rather than risk them causing trouble elsewhere.

As the conversation unfolded before her, Irina felt a pang of hurt deep within her chest. It was as if a sharp dagger had pierced through her defenses, exposing vulnerabilities she had buried deep inside.

She had always known that he was quite cunning and cold, always plotting and scheming, but hearing him speak so candidly about her like that cut deeper than she initially thought.

The words echoed in her mind, each one a painful reminder of her shortcomings.

Talented but reckless. Ambitious but arrogant. A liability to those around her.

The realization that someone she considered close could see her in such a light shook Irina to her core.

She had trusted him, confided in him, and believed that he understood her better than anyone else. Yet, behind her back, he had been discussing her flaws with another.

The sense of betrayal was overwhelming, crushing her spirit with its weight. It was a bitter pill to swallow, knowing that the person she had thought of as a friend could so easily disregard her feelings and expose her vulnerabilities.

-It is hard to clearly understand what makes you work with her. But, whatever it is, I am confident that I can give you better in every aspect.

-After all, I am way better than Irina, aren't I? Smarter, easier to talk to, better personality, more beautiful, and most importantly, stronger.

-You certainly are smarter, and you seem to have a better personality.

And these words hit the mark. After all, the connection was lost from that point, as she could no longer hear what they were even talking about.

But was there a reason for her to do so?

Did she really need to hear more? Wasn't everything clear?

'I am just a liability, after all. Isn't it normal for him to accept her conditions? She is smarter, stronger, and she has a better personality?'

There was an intrinsic anger soaring from deep inside her heart at that point. She punched one of the tables and left.

And then, I started wandering around the academy grounds. The weather was still cold, with it being in the later stages of winter.

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she struggled to process the flood of emotions raging within her.

Anger hurt, and a profound sense of loneliness washed over her like a tidal wave, threatening to engulf her completely.

'So, he thought me like that….'

At that moment, she felt more alone than ever before. The realization that even those closest to her could betray her trust left her feeling adrift, lost in a sea of uncertainty.

'This is not good….'

She knew she had entered a state where she constantly thought about the past and their actions together.

Somehow, all those things looked fake to her right now. Even though something inside her told her that, she was playing into the Seraphine's ploy and she needed to act with a lot more cool head, she couldn't do that.

Right now, she needed something to vent these feelings inside.

And she knew what it was.

'I need to burn something.'

Whenever her head got complicated, she would always do one thing after all.

Burning things until she burned her thoughts.

********

Seraphina, who saw Astron leaving, was satisfied.

'After all, I got what I wanted.'

From the start, her goal was never to recruit the enigma named Astron Natusalune. After all, she had observed him for a while and noticed that he was a cautious individual.

Therefore, it was impossible for him to be swayed by her in such a short time.

From the reports she got and the information she knew, Astron Natusalune was somehow close to Irina, and that made it even harder for her to get what she wanted.

Normally, even though she was unable to see Astron Natusalune's stats with her trait, she still didn't hold him in high regard. After all, Ethan Hartley, Victor Blackthorn, and many other talented people existed in the academy.

This was a place of monsters. Thus, she thought it was just a unique trait of him, just like hers.

But this evaluation changed when she got her mother's letter. And in there, it wrote, be aware of Astron Natusalune.

Knowing her mother's powers and the situation she was in, Seraphina knew her mother wouldn't joke about such matters.

That made her interested in this person known as Astron Natusalune, and she devised a plan for that. Her plan had to be meticulous, calculated, and, above all, subtle.

As she pondered her next move, Seraphina's mind raced with possibilities. She had to find a way to exploit Astron's connection to Irina without arousing suspicion. It was a delicate balancing act, one that required finesse and precision.

But Seraphina was not one to shy away from a challenge. She rather liked it.

With determination in her heart and a plan forming in her mind, she set out to unravel the mysteries surrounding Astron Natusalune, knowing that the key to her success lay in understanding what made him this important in her mother's eyes.

Her plan was in process.

She had created a rift between him and Irina. Now, it was time to see how he would react to this situation and analyze his psyche more.

Would he abandon Irina and no longer interact with her, or would he chase after her?

By understanding his character and his decisions, she would then evaluate him.

After all, if he was evil and he would pose a threat to her in the future…

The best decision would be to remove him from this world.