Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

As the last of the students filtered out of the classroom, Astron stepped through the doorway, his sharp purple eyes scanning ahead as he walked with his usual composed pace. Irina, of course, fell into step beside him without hesitation, her fiery yellow eyes gleaming with curiosity as she glanced his way.

“So,” she started, her voice carrying a casual lilt, “when’s your first mentorship session?”

Astron raised an eyebrow slightly, his expression unreadable as he turned his gaze toward her. “Did you not see?” he asked evenly.

Irina huffed, brushing a strand of her fiery hair over her shoulder. “I didn’t pay attention.”

A faint glint of amusement flickered in Astron’s eyes before he responded, “It’s today. 4 P.M.”

“For two hours?” Irina asked, tilting her head slightly.

“Yes.”

Irina nodded, as if filing away the information. “I see.”

There was a pause before Astron glanced at her, his tone as calm as ever. “Yours is tomorrow at noon, correct?”

Irina’s eyes narrowed slightly at his wording, sensing something off. “When did you see it?” she asked, a hint of curiosity lacing her voice.

Astron didn’t hesitate. “When you were first checking it out.”

Irina blinked before smirking. “Hey… that’s an intrusion of privacy.”

Astron’s gaze remained steady, unreadable as he replied, “If you don’t want me to look, I won’t next time.”

Irina studied him for a second before letting out a soft chuckle, shaking her head. “Heh… Really? Be honest.”

Astron was quiet for a moment before exhaling slightly, his voice softer than before. “…I may not be able to control it.”

Irina stopped for a beat, then turned her head to look at him fully. There was something oddly genuine in that admission—not his usual detached logic, not some calculated response, just a simple truth.

Her smirk widened slightly, her expression shifting to something more mischievous. “It’s fine,” she said smoothly, waving it off. “I don’t mind.”

Astron’s sharp eyes flicked to her, as if assessing whether she truly meant it.

Then, Irina’s smirk turned sharper, and her next words carried a teasing edge. “As long as you talk about your interesting sessions with Eleanor.”

Astron’s lips barely parted before he let out a quiet sigh. “It may not be as interesting as you think.”

Irina hummed thoughtfully, her fiery yellow eyes gleaming with amusement. “We won’t know without seeing it.”

Astron glanced at her, his gaze carrying the faintest flicker of amusement, but he said nothing in response.

Irina grinned, fully satisfied with that reaction. ‘Let’s see how this mentorship plays out, Astron. You’re not the only one watching closely.’

Irina, never one to let an opportunity slip, tilted her head slightly, her fiery yellow eyes gleaming with mischief as she stepped a little closer to Astron. “So, we have a deal now, right?” she pressed, her tone light but insistent.

Astron glanced at her, his sharp purple eyes unreadable as he kept walking. He didn’t answer immediately, instead letting a brief silence settle between them.

Irina narrowed her eyes slightly. ‘Oh, he thinks he can just ignore this?’ Her smirk widened as she picked up her pace to match his stride. “You’re not going back on your word, are you?” she pestered, her voice lilting with playful accusation.

Astron exhaled through his nose, his steps never faltering. “I don’t recall making a deal.”

Irina gasped dramatically, placing a hand on her chest as if wounded. “Are you seriously denying it? You just agreed to talk about Eleanor’s mentorship sessions with me.”

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Astron stopped walking for just a moment before continuing, his voice carrying the slightest hint of exasperation. “I never said that.”

“You implied it,” Irina shot back, her smirk unwavering.

Astron turned his head toward her slightly, his gaze calm but subtly calculating, as if trying to determine just how stubborn she was willing to be. He should have known better—there was no escaping Irina Emberheart when she set her mind on something.

Another beat of silence stretched between them before Astron let out a small sigh of surrender. “Fine,” he relented, his voice still carrying its usual measured tone. “I’ll do whatever you want.”

Irina’s grin widened at his words, and with a satisfied hum, she tucked her hands behind herself, her fingers loosely intertwining. With a bounce in her step, she moved ahead of him slightly, puffing her chest out with a playful confidence. Then, with practiced ease, she swayed back slightly and put her face directly in front of his, her amber eyes glowing with smug amusement.

“You can’t refuse me, see?” she declared, her smile broad and teasing.

Astron halted mid-step, his sharp purple eyes meeting hers head-on, and for the first time, Irina saw it—he had hesitated. It was subtle, barely there, but the slight flicker in his expression, the almost imperceptible pause, told her everything she needed to know.

‘He got caught off guard.’

Irina’s grin widened, triumphant. ‘Hehehe…’ she thought, relishing the victory as she remained in his space just a moment longer than necessary.

Irina’s triumphant smirk was still plastered on her face when suddenly— whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, Astron moved.

Before she could even register it, he was right in front of her, his presence engulfing her space entirely.

“Huh?”

The scent of lavender drifted around her, subtle yet unmistakable, wrapping around her senses before she could react. His sharp purple eyes, usually so distant and unreadable, were impossibly close, watching her with an almost deliberate stillness.

Her breath hitched.

‘No way. No way, no way, no way—’

Her heart thudded against her ribs as her mind raced, her body frozen in place. ‘Is he— Is he about to kiss me?!’

Heat rose to her face in an instant.

But then—she felt it. A soft touch brushing against her left ear.

“W-what?” Irina barely managed to stammer, blinking rapidly as she felt the faintest graze of his fingertips.

And just as quickly as he had closed the distance, Astron pulled back, his movement fluid and effortless.

“Here.”

He held up his hand, waving something small before her eyes.

“This got caught in your hair.”

A single dried leaf rested between his fingers.

Irina stared at it, her mind taking a full three seconds to catch up.

‘Ahh… what was I thinking…’

Embarrassment washed over her in a hot wave. She had just— she had seriously thought— ‘Ugh!’

Her expression twisted, somewhere between frustration and mortification, as she reached up and aggressively ruffled her own hair, as if trying to erase the moment entirely. “Stupid wind,” she muttered, her voice a little too sharp, as if blaming the entire world for this predicament.

But then—she noticed it.

That little smile.

Barely there, just a faint upward curve of his lips, but unmistakable.

Irina froze.

Her fiery yellow eyes locked onto his expression, and realization dawned on her.

‘He did it intentionally!’

Her jaw clenched, and her fists tightened at her sides as she glared at him, the heat in her face refusing to fade. “You—” she began, but her words caught in her throat.

Astron, calm as ever, merely tucked his hands back into his pockets, his expression settling into its usual unreadable mask. “We should keep moving,” he said simply, as if nothing had happened at all.

Irina gritted her teeth. ‘This smug—!’

But instead of snapping at him, she exhaled sharply and regained her posture, her smirk returning—though this time, it carried a hint of irritation.

“Fine,” she said, her voice smooth, though her pride still stung. “But this isn’t over.”

Astron glanced at her, tilting his head slightly. “Hmm?”

Irina narrowed her eyes. ‘Act innocent all you want, Astron. I will get you back for this.’

And with that, she strode forward, forcing herself to keep her pace even—though her mind was still replaying that moment far more than she cared to admit.

Top of Form

*******

Ethan followed the navigation marker on his smartwatch, his steps quickening as he made his way through the academy’s sprawling grounds. The location Eleanor had designated wasn’t in any of the usual training halls or classrooms—no, this was somewhere different.

As he neared the waypoint, a quiet anticipation stirred in his chest. His thoughts were a mix of curiosity and excitement. What kind of training does Eleanor have planned? She had made it abundantly clear that their sessions wouldn’t be ordinary. They would be trained under the standards of real Hunters, not cadets.

And yet, Ethan couldn’t quite shake the feeling that whatever awaited him inside this building… it was something beyond his expectations.

Finally, he arrived.

The building was new—so new, in fact, that Ethan was certain he had never seen it before. Its exterior was sleek, a mixture of reinforced steel and advanced mana-treated materials, the kind used in high-tier combat facilities. It stood apart from the other academy structures, positioned slightly away from the more commonly used training areas.

Ethan stopped at the entrance, taking in the sight of it.

No sign, no label, nothing to indicate what this place even is… He glanced up at the towering structure. It looked both clinical and imposing, like a fortress designed to be efficient rather than welcoming.

So this is where she wants us to train?

Ethan exhaled, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. His heart pounded slightly, not from nervousness, but from pure curiosity. This was new. Exciting. He hadn’t felt this kind of anticipation in a while.

Without hesitation, he reached for the door’s biometric scanner, placing his hand against the panel. A faint glow activated beneath his palm as the system processed his identification.

ACCESS GRANTED.

With a soft click, the heavy door slid open, revealing the dimly lit interior.

Ethan stepped inside. The air was noticeably cooler, and the quiet hum of advanced mana circuits filled the space. His hazel eyes adjusted to the lighting, scanning his surroundings.

The first thing he noticed was the sheer size of the facility. It was massive—far bigger on the inside than it had seemed from the outside. The main area stretched far, with reinforced combat arenas, observation decks, and what appeared to be a high-grade simulation chamber in the back.

Ethan let out a low whistle. This isn’t just some training room… this is a full-blown Hunter facility.

His gaze flicked to the far end of the room, where a single figure stood waiting.

Eleanor.

She was standing near a console, adjusting something on a sleek control panel. As if sensing his arrival, she turned her sharp gaze toward him. “You’re early.”