CHAPTER 89: MUNDANE CAFETERIA

"You said your name is Blank? Like, a blank sheet? I don’t even understand.. Who the heck are you? And what does the captain see in a guy like.. you?"

The pest in front of me is Lanin. He’s the three dotted tattoo guy that’s been glaring at me since I joined this troop two days ago.

We’re in the cafeteria. The one where red troops eat. The tent is.. it’s like a large, white canopy, large enough to house up to five hundred people easily.

It’s morning, and I want to eat breakfast.

It’s been the same way for the past two days. I never thought that life in the Axis Battlefield would be so mundane. I wake up, eat, train til evening, try to fill up my circle with mana gathering and breathing. I also avoid other soldiers in the troop, those guys are too talkative.

The only people I interact with are Jeriq, Alberto and George, the captain. Although, I haven’t spoken with Alberto and George for the past two days now. Only Jeriq.

Speaking of Jeriq, he’s waiting for me at the last table on the rows of wooden tables and chairs in this.. cafeteria.

I’m standing with a tray of food on my arms, my black, blank mask scratching my cheeks, my red uniform on my body covered by my slick, red hooded robe. And I’m standing in front of the soldier sharing the food here in the cafeteria, that’s when this pest approached me.

"Maybe you should be asking the captain that and not me?" my voice’s calm, not reflecting the irritation that’s starting to flair within my stomach.

He scoffs, rubbing his temples, "You and your friend there.." he points at the distance, toward where Jeriq is eating. I turn, and I stare at Jeriq who’s waving at me with a small smile on his lips as he downs his food. "You guys haven’t passed through the ’initiation ritual.’," his voice is slightly high as his lips curl with a nasty grin.

Five..

I don’t reply. I just stare at him blankly, my eyes meeting his black pupils and locking gently with them. He shivers slightly, then looks around to see that all the soldiers, even the one serving food, have all paused to watch this confrontation. He gnashes his teeth, folds his left fist, and taps my chest with his right index finger.

"Every." He taps my chest again.

Four.

"Body." He does it again.

Three.

"Went." He does it again.

Two.

"Through."

One.

"It."

I bend down, dropping my tray of food quietly next to me, then I push the tray of food on the ground, and it slides far away from me.

All the eyes of the soldiers are on me. They’re all silent. Observing.

I stand up.

Lanin slightly shivers, "It’s just.. it’s just a mark. Nothing much, every one has it. But, your friend fought us off when we tried to force him It on him. And you.. no one ever sees you. You always lock your tent too. So, so.. um.. you know, it’s nothin.. it’s just, we leave the mark on.."

My gaze stays steady on him.

They tried to force Jeriq?

"You leave the mark where?"

My voice is low. Only loud enough for him to hear. I fold my fist tight.

"Em, on.. on the.. ass?"

I take a step closer toward him.

He shivers, trying to move back, but I take another step.

He moves back again.

I still take another step.

"You coward Lanin! Didn’t you say you were gonna kill him today, and that the captain was just going easy on him during their spar?!"

"Yeah! Lanin, you chicken!"

I take another step.

"Shut up you bastards!" He yells. His pupils are shaking, moving right and left frantically.

I’ve not even exposed my killing intent yet.

"Wait!" He outstretches his hands, waving it and begging me to stop as he continues moving forward.

I turn on my mana sight. And I see one core, the size of a ping pong ball revolving around him.

Mincemeat.

Wind step.

I immediately appear before him.

My fist flies first—heading toward his jaw.

Crack!

"Argh!"

He holds his chin with both hands as he drops down on his knees.

"Stand up." I whisper.

I held back. And my weight braces are still on me. So that attack was nothing. The fact he isn’t passed out yet speaks volumes.

"Wait! I– I’m sorry!"

His eyes flash with raw fear, his teeth still gnashing.

Nah. He isn’t sorry.

"What is it? Am I not just one puny guy? I should be pretty easy to defeat. The Captain went easy on me too. Come on, stand up now. Don’t waste my time."

My voice is stern, coming out in low breaths.

He’s still on his knees, begging.

I let out a sigh, then I grab his brown hair with my left hand, and I pull his hair up, dragging him to stand up. His hands are up, exposing his stomach as he begs, with tears running out of his eyes.

Crack!

I land another heavy blow at the side of his right ribs.

"Arrghgh!" He groans.

All the soldiers stare at me with squinted eyes. No one daring to speak.

I tighten my fist.

Crack!

I hit the same spot on his ribs that I hit before. I think it’s completely broken now.

Then I switch hands, holding his hair with my right hand, and I do the same to his left ribs, breaking them.

His eyes roll white as he passes out with drool dropping from his mouth. Unable to bear the pain.

Only then, when I’m sure that he’s passed out, I release him, and his limp body slumps on the ground.

I dust my hands, and I adjust my mask on my face as I turn to head to where my food is.

Everyone continues with their activities and acts like nothing ever happened.

I halt.

Wait. He did say he’d do something to our asses right? He said he wanted to leave a mark as ’initiation.’ Ah, let me do the same to him.

I turn back, and outstretch my right palm, fire immediately hovers on it, crackling and flickering as I walk toward him.

Then, a hand firmly grabs my right wrist. I turn right, and I see Jeriq.

He shakes his head.

Tch.

I withdraw my flames.

"Bring your food. Let’s eat. It’s enough." He speaks in a low, curt tone.

I turn to take my food, and head to our table to eat.