Closing the sliding doors of the gymnasium's storage room, Kiernan flicked the light switch on and then sat down on top of a stack of folded gym mats.
Neal, tight-lipped, stood silently with his head hanging low and kept scratching his arm in nervousness.
It was clear to him that this person was going to hurt him badly, as there was no other reason to go somewhere this private.
Since there was a festival going on, nobody would come to the gymnasium, and therefore no one would hear his screams.
"Your full name, what is it?"
Kiernan asked as he browsed through Neal's wallet, and it was empty except for some dirt and a crumpled picture of a stranger.
"Say it clearly and stop stuttering!"
With his shout, he added the power of his aura to the words, frightening the boy who hadn't even awakened his martial soul.
Neal shouted in fear.
"That's better. Here, catch."
Kiernan tossed him the wallet, which Neal caught awkwardly, nearly dropping it, but he made sure that the photograph was still inside and then pocketed it.
"Who is the person in that photograph? A father of yours?"
Neal straightened up and met his eyes, but he didn't dare to keep looking at him and lowered his gaze again.
"You're a rude one, aren't you? When you're talking to someone, look them in the eye."
Unwillingly, Neal lifted his gaze and met Kiernan's gray eyes.
He wanted to look away with all his being, but he didn't want to get hurt, so he kept looking.
"What is your father's occupation?"
Kiernan asked curiously while taking some mint candy from his pocket and tossing it into his mouth.
"Why does… that matter?"
Neal asked with a frown, not understanding why this person wanted to know so much about his family.
'Beat me already and get it over with… I just want to go home.'
"He is… a locksmith."
"Has he taught you martial arts?"
"No… what is the point? I'll probably just follow in his footsteps and become a locksmith as well."
"You don't want to get strong? I think you have a good motivation to get strong, as you are weak and bullied."
"How do you know that I am bullied?"
Neal asked with a frown.
Kiernan chuckled and looked at him playfully.
"Well, look at you. You have 'kick me' written all over your face, which is why you don't have any friends as far as I can see."
Neal turned silent, and with shaking eyes, looked at his hands and wondered whether it was that really easy tell.
"Your bully is that Travis fellow, isn't he? I heard him talk about how he beat someone up, and seeing that you're already roughed up, I guessed it was you."
Kiernan said with a chuckle.
"…Yeah. He's been picking on me for weeks now because I only happened to look at Katherina. It's such pointless violence that I just can't understand."
Neal clenched his hands into tight fists.
"He is bullying you because you're an easy target. You don't have friends to back you up, and you lack the guts to go speak to the teacher.
"Even if you go to the teacher, nothing will change, as there is no one who has witnessed your beating.
"Travis also seems to be close with the entire class, so they would rather take his side than yours. You're in a troublesome situation."
Kiernan hopped off the folded gym mats and stretched his arms above his head, popping his back in the process.
"I hate everyone here…"
Neal muttered under his breath.
"You have a habit of blaming everyone else except yourself. Do you not understand that strength rules this world? This world wasn't made for… locksmiths.
"Sure, you don't have to become a martial artist, but do you believe anything will change if you continue to be weak and rely on others for everything?
"Why don't you fight back?"
Neal let out a defeated chuckle and then said.
"Fight back? Travis is like two heads taller than me and has kickboxing experience. There's no way I could win in a fight against him."
Kiernan scratched the back of his head.
"Has Travis awakened his martial soul yet?"
"No… of course not. It takes till high school for most people to awaken their souls."
Neal said with a dejected tone.
'Well, of course. This is tier five country, the weakest in the world, and thus the talent that is born here is quite… mediocre.'
Kiernan thought to himself and then asked.
"You should attempt to fight Travis. If you fight back, he'll realize that you're not a pushover and might leave you alone.
"That is a big maybe. You know him better. What do you think he will do?"
Hearing Kiernan's words, Neal immediately shook his head, and with a dejected tone, he said.
"He would just hurt me more. He hates when people go against him, and even so, if I somehow manage to beat him, by some miracle, when we reach high school, he will make my life a living hell.
"I can't change schools, as Sirkus High School is the only high school here, and when Travis awakens his martial soul, he will beat me up daily."
"You're not confident in awakening your own soul?"
"No… Yoxall Family has a Weak Bloodline…"
"Weak Bloodline? That term doesn't sound familiar to me."
"Weak Bloodline is basically an insult—in other words, it means that family is not worth much and is a laughingstock."
"How does one family become Weak Bloodline?"
Kiernan asked with a frown.
"Weak Bloodline is not a real genetic disorder, as far as we know, but people call the families with generations of weak, sickly, or otherwise underwhelming members as that.
"The Yoxall Family has never had a Martial Fighter—that's why my father didn't even bother to teach me anything, because what is the point?
"At best, I will just reach Martial Soldier."