Eventually, Kade managed to open the door for Dawn, and she got her first sight of the giant, mythical-looking tiger, its piercing blue eyes staring into her. She had started to summon [Pretty Boys Pocket Pistol] but Kade managed to calm her down.
He explained that he had fought Nephis, the other sleeper with a true name, and managed to beat her end result unlocked his Aspect Legacy, the Legacy gifting the tiger named 'Byakko' as an echo.
'An Aspect Legacy and a True Name already? What next, is he suddenly going to reveal that he has a Divine Aspect?' It was merely a hypothetical, but she was still shocked by what the Street Brawler had accomplished, Dawn thought herself pretty highly for receiving a Supreme Aspect, but against Kade's achievements she found herself lacking.
Either way, she came here to talk to Kade about her deal with the government and also bring him along to the cafeteria. eating alone with new peers you had never met would always be awkward, so it's nice that she has at least one friend to sit with.
So, walking down the halls of the academy, the two had some time to catch up
"How did your interview go?" Dawn asked still somewhat curious about how he had dealt with the invasive questions.
"It went well; I just had to speak some half-true jargon to the interviewer, and she ate it up completely". Kade replied, giving a threatening look passerby who eyed Dawn a bit too much.
Dawn who was none the wiser nodded.
"Yes, seems like something you would do"
Kade shrugged with a smirk.
"It's how you go about things in the outskirts, I'm not there anymore of course, but a street kid telling the entire truth is unfeasible, better to ask a shark to run and a rat to fly"
Dawn tilted her head.
'He should know that several Nightmare Creatures resemble those and can do those exact things?' Kade was an enigma to her, she knew how he somewhat thought, talked, and acted like. But as to why? She was a little more than clueless.
"Good job; sadly, they had caught video of me using my aspect, you know from that one broadcaster Awakened. So, I wasn't able to weasel my way out or anything..."
Kade brought his hand to his chin, responding thoughtfully.
"So, did the government offer you a deal? If I were them, I'd do it 100%.
"Yes, they did..."
"So? What you get out of it"
Dawn surprised glanced at her companion.
"You think I would take it?"
"Let's be real here, you need all the strength you can get if Song still wants you dead" His tone dropping slightly "I can't always just be around the corner to do my thing, if I'm not there, or maybe dead...Then you'll need to be strong on your own".
Dawn took in his words silently, the sudden mention of Kade's potential future demise stunned her slightly, she expected him to make a joke or two out of it. Not this.
She bit her lip.
"You're not dead yet. Don't talk like you are."
Kade offered an awkward chuckle.
"I don't plan on dying anytime soon. And I will fight like hell to make sure that continues... I'm sure you're the same; you wouldn't have sold yourself for them if you weren't the same".
'That's right, I -
"Not to mention I've got Byakko now, and you'll be getting machine guns and rocket launchers. government-grade artillery for their favourite new asset."
...
"I can't tell when you want to be serious or not, it's really hard to decipher"
"It can be both. Talking about these things all tone dead and sad just makes them worse, If I get something good out of an interaction like that, then I ought to do so"
'...Thats kind of sweet'
Dawn hummed lightly, the weight on her shoulders feeling ever so slightly lighter.
"You're really something you know?"
Kade halted slightly, before continuing pace.
"Is that a compliment
Dawn laughed and took the lead.
He was the complete opposite of the figures she had grown up around. The uptight legacy and the dead serious workers who managed them. Where the entire world had grown sturdy and cold against the horrors of the world, he just let it roll off his shoulders, finding ways to bring himself up against a world bringing him down.
It was so, sorefreshing.
"Sort off, just keep being yourself"
Kade was left confused, quickly being left in the dust by his peer.
"Ok?..."
-------------------------------------------------------
Kade had soon caught up to Dawn to the cafeteria.
The cafeteria was filled with his fellow peers, the tables brimming with sleepers of all kinds discussing, chatting and laughing with each other. It was probably the most social event Kade had ever seen. Compared to the limited gathering off the outskirts, nobody looked like they wanted to stab each other.
Maybe all except for Nephis gave him a similar kind of look. Despite Dawn by his side trying to look for a seat, Kade departed for one of his favourite things in this world.
Confrontation.
He proudly strode up hands in leather coat and a shit eating grin, getting the keen attention of everyone nearby.
"Hey, Changing Star. Still bitter about the match? I thought it was a clean win… well, minus the cheap shot. Honestly, I should be the one pissed."
She stared at him diligently, her body language however so laid back still whispered aggression.
"I'm not mad"
Kade scoffed, she looked anything but angry.
"If you say so, just next time for the rematch to give it your all; the best training is upfront, brutal, and fun. It's the kind of stuff you need if you're a 'Target'.
Nephis perked up at the mention off 'Target'. Her gaze now accusatory with more seriousness.
'So, she does know that they want her head; that makes things easier'.
"Who are you?"
"What do you mean Mrs legacy? I'm Kade, a wondrous upstart from the outskirts."
"Thats not what I mean"
At this point He and Nephis had gathered quite the crowd around them, it was a confrontation between the distant changing star and the chaotic newcomer, both who draw envy, admiration and attention of the cohort of sleepers.
Well, Kade maybe lacked the admiration part; no one seemed too happy with his attitude. Shame, not everyone could be like Dawn.
About her, Dawn was struggling through the crowd, gritting her teeth as she shoved past the observers, eventually breaking through. With a frustrated expression, the newly formed crowd watched the girl in sleek black dress grab the anomaly by the wrist.
"We're getting food. Now. Before you make more enemies than you already have." Her tone somewhat harsh.
"Bu-"
"No."
Kade partially heartbroken allowed Dawn to drag him away from the conflict, the crowd watched in stunned silence as the unfamiliar girl in black casually dragged away the sleeper who had just flattened the academy's top student, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Nephis also watched, her alarmed posture easing slightly.
It was a silly sight to see.
Kade, though, left a parting shout as he was being dragged away.
"Hey Neph, if you want a rematch just ask, I'll be down to fight again, it was fun fighting someone who stood a chance!"
The sleepers watched him exit the scene. With them all having a somewhat similar thought.
'Cocky Bastard'
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Dawn eventually dragged him out of the mess of sleepers, the two grabbing a plateful of food before trying to find a table.
They were all completely full except for the one consisting of two contrasting characters.
One was a younger rather reserved blond girl with glossy blue eyes, staring into the unknown as she struggled to pick together the meal on her plate. It didn't take a particularly observant person to understand that she was blind.
'Getting hit with something like that after the first trial? Hell of a hand to be deal't.
Kade hadn't faced the consequences of his flaw, yet he had only two days from the first trial, and both of them gave him a fight to fulfil [Battle Lust]. The future would have to hold the secrets of what exactly happened to him if he didn't find conflict.
The other person, Kade could tell from the moment he looked, was an outskirts runt. With messy black hair, baggy eyes and a figure focused on the food but still alert for danger. His body language screamed that he was unfamiliar in this environment.
'Guess that's the sunny guy Jet briefly mentioned'
But what interested Kade most was the sensation that he had felt facing Nephis in the combat class. The feeling of a deep surge within his soul leaking out into his mortal muscles opened for power normally unavailable to him.
It was the [Unyielding Asura]; that could only mean one thing.
'This street urchin has divinity. Wouldn't expect him to share something like that with Nephis of all people.
Either way, Today was planning to be even more interesting.