FLICK!

"it’s Master Dean for you brat. By the time you start holding a sword, this master already famous on the street," the man, Dean, snorted.

Kanae laughed. "You’re still the same as before, Brother Dean. How are you? It has been a long time since the last time we meet."

"Of course I’m fine. There’s no way this master can be down just because of a simple matter like that," Dean snorted. He looked towards Kanae up and down. "You’re no longer as weak as when we first meet."

"At that time, I’m just a newly leader who stumble into the great chance," Kanae nodded her head lightly. She was itching to take off her face mask, but worried about the other two knowing her real identity. "What are you doing here, Brother Dean?"

"Master Rudy asks me to assist in your training," Dean pointed to the old man behind him lazily.

"Master Rudy did?"

Hearing their conversation, Master Rudy laughed out loud. "I’m the one who arrange you two to meet in that tower, so you should be grateful to me, brats."

"Rei, can you stay for a few minutes, I need to teach this old man a lesson."

"Teach me a lesson, let see if you can do that, brat."

CLANG!

In a matter of second, the two of them were engaged in a close battle. Kanae and the young man looked towards their fight without any intention to help or interfere. There was no need to do it at all.

"Master Rudy is pretty wise," the young man commented.

"Why are you saying that?"

"Dean is far stronger than you. Even before you start learning how to fight, he’s already famous as the leader of Lore Group, which holds the title of the strongest group, for years. It’s only because of an upset that your group name spread wide and become famous."

The incident in that tower one and half a year ago was the one that changed everything. Kanae still recalled everything that happened back then very clearly. She was not Dean’s match at all, but she could gain the title simply because she persevered in that place until the end.

Well, the result was also hospital for a month, though.

"Since he’s going to battle with you for a lot of times, you can learn more about how to adapt against stronger person over and over again," the young man smiled. "By the time its finished, your battle efficacy will increase to the maximum."

Kanae’s current battle prowess and efficacy were already quite high. However, it was not deployed to the maximum yet because of her lack in experience. Although she has been filling it with numerous battles, they were all pure instincts. In Master Rudy’s eyes, they were still a lot of flaws, so this time, he was going to correct them all through Dean’s help.

Watching the two of them clashed, Kanae recalled Kevin and Master Rudy’s battle.

Soon

She would reach their level soon enough. At that time, she would be able to protect those who dear with her better. She didn’t want to lose.

...

Time passed swiftly. The school was still under repair because of the previous attack. Since the damages were rather severe, the school was closing down for a longer time. For lazy students, this was truly a blessing in disguise as they were happy that they didn’t have to go to school for a long time.

For a certain someone, this meant that he had lost a place to sleep during his resting time.

"Tom, will it kill you to not sleep at day time?" Shiro complained to the young boy sleeping on the patient’s bed in his clinic.

Tommy rolled his body over, with the blanket still covering his body partially. He yawned. "I train too much last night, so I become sleepy."

"Just sleep at home."

"And listen to those annoying sound all day? No way in hell," Tommy grumbled. He used his hand as pillow for his head as he yawned again. For the past few days, he spent his night practicing by going to challenge the gangs and some ruffians on the street.

Shiro sighed. He knew full well what Tommy meant by that. The condition in the boy’s home was far from peaceful, as he had seen for himself how that woman acted every day. It was truly a wonder how this boy managed to grow up pretty ’normal’ in this environment.

"Try not to overexert yourself too. You know very well that you will only hurt yourself if you try to become stronger forcefully," Shiro advised.

"Yeah, I know."

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

Tommy passed a glance as if he didn’t believe that Shiro would ask that kind of question. "Isn’t it obvious? All of you are going ahead of me very quick. That includes you, Shiro."

Hearing that accusation, Shiro merely smiled. He didn’t deny nor agree to it because he knew his own progress. It was not apparent as he only specialized in long range attack, but his accuracy has increased so much that it was scary.

"More importantly, I still need to catch up with Rei," Tommy muttered again. "I can’t believe that she surpasses me in mere months."

Shiro crossed his arm. "I thought it’s just around a month?"

"That’s because you meet us a few months after I meet with Rei!" Tommy rolled his eyes.

"I only remember meeting two nearly death children outside my clinic. One of them is bleeding profusely with bullet inside her stomach and the other one is beaten black and blue while crying," Shiro glanced at Tommy with a smirk. "Right, crybaby?"

"Shut up! Anyone would cry in that situation!"

As Tommy blushed in embarrassment at the memory, Shiro still has the same smirk on his face. However, his mind was actually reminiscing about that special memory of the time he first met with these two. There was no way he could forget that day, the day when he saw two children lying on their death’s door right outside his clinic.

He was still a medical student back then who was still in the middle of gaining experience. As he was tight in expense, he had no choice but to open a clinic illegally to earn some income to pay for his tuition. It was never his intention to make it last this long, though he had already registered his clinic right after he graduated.

The sight of Kanae’s stubborn disposition back then was printed in his mind. No matter how much Tommy cried, she stayed calm with eyes filled of determination. Her body was weak due to the blood loss, yet she still stood firm and tried to head over to the nearest hospital just in order to live.

historical

"Your first aid at that day is really bad, Tom," Shiro laughed, yet his eyes were solemn. "It’s really a wonder that her organ is still intact and manages to recover."

"Yeah, I’m grateful for that since it’s partially my fault that she’s wounded," Tommy spoke up. "It’s thanks to you too, though, that we manage to survive. I thought that you’re tight in expense, but you still help us. You’re not a bad guy."

"Everyone would help in that kind of situation."

"They won’t."

Shiro arched his eyebrows. "The ’everyone’ you mean in that sentence should be only referring to those who grow up in Black Street. I’m not included."

"What?"

"Do you really think I’m born and grow up in Black Street?" Shiro asked in amused tone.

"Of course, yes," Tommy nodded his head without hesitation. Realizing the odd ways Shiro used to look at him, he faltered. "Is that mean you aren’t?"

"No, I’m not. I’m different from you, Tom. I didn’t born and grow up in Black Street."