Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest - C.381 88.4 - Final Exams

As the students filed out of the classroom, the atmosphere was a mix of relief and exhaustion. Their faces were filled with joy.

They had faced their final challenge of the week, and now all that was left was to await their results.

"Finally, freedom."

Julia mumbled, raising her arms to stretch her body. There was a wide smile on her face.

"We still have an oral exam, you know." Yet, Lucas didn't let her have her way, reminding her of what was to come.

"Tsk. Why did you have to interrupt my mood?"

"It is not like I said anything wrong."

"So what? You don't need to say the truth all the time."

"I can say whatever you want."

"Yeah? Then, should I beat you up, saying I can do whatever you want?"

"Why don't you try?"

"Come on then!"

These two had been fighting more frequently than before. Even though they were twins, Lucas had always played the role of neutralizer of Julia in the past. But that was no longer the case, as he seemed to not hold back either.

"Hey, calm down."

"Don't interfere."

"Indeed."

Ethan, who tried to interject, was refused helplessly. He could only look at the two with a sigh.

"Noisy."

At that moment, Lilia mumbled.

"What did you say?" Julia, who had been irritated by Lucas, narrowed her eyes.

"We just finished a long three-hour exam. Sorry, but I can't bear your voice right now."

What she said was indeed how she was feeling. Normally, she didn't mind Julia's antics and rather felt amused by them. But that wasn't the case right now. The reason for that was…

'I fucked up the last question.'

She realized that her answer to the sixth question was wrong, and that realization hit her at the exact last moment when Instructor Hartley was collecting the papers.

Julia's eyes flared with irritation as she glared at Lilia. "If you can't bear my voice, you're free to leave then," she snapped, her tone sharp and challenging.

Lilia met her gaze, unfazed. "I'll do exactly that," she replied coolly. Without another word, she stood up and began to gather her things.

The rest of the group watched in surprise as Lilia made her way to the door. The suddenness of her departure left a palpable tension in the air. Irina, who had been quietly observing, also stood up.

"Where are you going?" Ethan asked, concern evident in his voice.

Irina smiled at him, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "I need to take care of something," she said, her tone lighter than usual. With that, she followed Lilia out of the room.

'She really is in a good mood.'

Irina walked with a confident stride, a smirk playing on her lips. She was sure she had aced the exam. Her preparation had paid off, and she was eager to see where she stood among her peers.

Outside, the cold winter air felt refreshing after the stifling atmosphere of the exam room.

Irina scanned the crowd of students, her eyes landing on Astron, who was leaning casually against a tree.

He seemed as calm and composed as ever, his face betraying no signs of stress or exhaustion.

Irina approached him, her smirk widening. "So, how did it go?" she asked, her voice tinged with a hint of smugness.

Astron looked up, meeting her gaze with his usual calm demeanor. "It went well," he replied simply, his expression unreadable.

Irina tilted her head slightly, studying him. "Just well? Not nervous about the results?"

He shook his head. "No, I think I did what was needed."

This time, Irina wasn't to falter. After all, she was going to win and would make this serious face crumble.

For a moment, they stood in silence, the bustling sounds of other students fading into the background. It was a strange feeling but not an unwelcome one.

"I have to admit," Irina said, breaking the silence, "that last question was tough. But I think I nailed it."

"It was indeed harder. Question 6 and Question 4 are the ones that were harder than others."

"Question 4. I don't think it was hard."

"Hmm…." Astron's eyes were narrowed for a split second.

'Why?'

An uncomfortable feeling appeared inside Irina's mind.

"If that is how you think." Astron shrugged off,

Irina felt a twinge of doubt. Had she missed something in Question 4? But she quickly pushed the thought aside. No, she was confident in her answers. She had prepared thoroughly and executed her strategy well.

"Well," she said, leaning in slightly, "we'll see soon enough, won't we?"

Astron met her gaze, his calm demeanor unwavering. "Yes, we will."

There was a moment of silence again, filled with an unspoken challenge. Irina's competitive spirit flared, but she also felt a strange sense of camaraderie. Despite their rivalry, there was a respect that ran deeper than mere competition.

"You know," Irina said, breaking the silence once more, "I almost admire your calmness. Almost."

"And I almost admire your determination. Almost."

"Ahahaha…." Irina laughed, the sound light and genuine.

"What is so funny?"

"I don't know, I just feel like laughing."

'With him, it feels strangely fun.'

"I see…."

"Not everything needs to be able to be explained, you know." Irina smiled.

"Not everything needs to be able to be explained…." Astron repeated her words. "I guess that is one way to say it."

"One way to say what?"

"Surrender."

"I am not surrendering."

"You are giving up upon finding a reason. What else is it other than surrendering?"

"You and your sophistry. Though, I think sometimes surrendering is the better option." Saying those words, she looked into his purple eyes. "It is better than getting drowned in despair and struggling for something impossible."

As for why she was saying those words, she didn't know. Something, a slightly veiled memory, was urging her, it felt like.

For a split second, Astron's eyes widened. It was an insanely quick reaction, something that many students would miss. But Irina, being the high-ranking student she was and knowing him better than almost everyone else, caught his reaction.

Then, after that fleeting moment, Astron regained control of his expression, his face once again a mask of calm and composure.

Irina's heart raced slightly. She had seen it—a glimpse of something buried deep within him. Her words had struck a chord, however briefly.

"Interesting," Astron finally said, his voice as steady as ever. "I didn't expect you to be the type to consider surrender an option."

'I didn't expect myself to say such a thing either.'

Irina thought inwardly. But, while she was saying those things, she didn't feel any type of denial at all. As if someone, something, genuinely believed that.

"Sometimes it's not about surrendering," Irina replied, her tone softer. "It's about knowing when to change your approach. When to adapt. Isn't that right? Just like how people look different from the outside, the things we have experienced may make us drift farther away from the truth, making us disillusioned."

'You were the one who showed me how my own judgment can blind my own eyes. But you….'

At that moment, a voice echoed in her head.

–Even after trying to achieve my revenge in the pursuit of the very beings that made my life hell, I learned the enemy I deemed had never been the ones I sought." –It was then I realized it's not the weak's fault for being trampled, nor the strong's fault for using their power. It's this world's fault for giving power to the wrong people."

"Urghk-!"

Her temples ached, and her vision blurred for a split second.

Something….

She was seeing something.

It was a veiled vision, but there, she saw a spear piercing someone's chest: familiar black hair and pale skin.

–I am sorry…..for failing everything and seeing such a person turning in this way…."

Another familiar face with blue hair. Both of them were people she knew, the voices she knew.

-–May the Lord bless your soul….."

A question lingered deep in her consciousness as her vision gradually returned to normal.

'Why did you lose your own self….?'

Facing the same purple eyes….

She felt like there was a familiar shallowness inside.

But, compared to how she had seen previously…

'Previously? When?'

Now, they didn't look as shallow and dead. At least, there was a partial clarity in his eyes now.

"Are you okay?" 𝘧𝘳𝓮𝓮𝓌𝘦𝓫𝓷𝘰𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝓬ℴ𝘮

Astron's voice rang in her ears.

'Ah….'

She was still shaken, her head hurting. But his voice brought her to reality. She could see his eyes narrowed, and he was looking at her.

Irina knew what that gaze meant. He was analyzing her deeply like he did every time. Checking reactions, looking for things so that he could know.

"I am fine." She replied, yet even her voice felt like it didn't belong to her.

"...I see…" Astron didn't look convinced, but he also didn't overstep the boundaries. He simply nodded his head.

"Hey."

Astron stopped, his gaze flickering back to her.

"One day, when you finish what you are chasing, what are you going to do?" Irina asked, her voice laced with genuine curiosity. She needed to know the answer to that.

'So that you don't repeat the same ending.'

She needed to know if he needed to be saved. She needed to know if he would end up like the same.

Astron paused, his expression hardening. His eyes turned cold, a chill sweeping over his features.

"When that happens....."

And then a wave of sadness washed over his eyes…As well as guilt.

"It will be my time to serve my sentence," he said, his voice low.

Irina felt a shiver run down her spine at his words, the gravity of his statement sinking in. She had touched a nerve, but she couldn't bring herself to regret it.

This glimpse into his hidden depths only fueled her determination to understand him better.

'Your sentence….' Irina mumbled inwardly.

--–The enemy was never what you knew.

What if….She asked….

The memories were faint, and countless pieces spread into her consciousness. Yet, slowly but surely, she was awakening them.

And she knew….

'Once I remember everything….I will get the answers to my questions….'

Astron turned away, leaving Irina standing there, her mind a whirl of thoughts and unanswered questions.

As he walked away, she couldn't help but feel that she could no longer disperse their paths.

Whether or not she became entangled with him so much that…

'I will not give up on him.' She could get away no more.

And with that realization came a resolve to uncover the truth behind the enigmatic boy with the purple eyes.