Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

"This was not the performance I expected."

The faint echo of her words hung in the silent chamber, drawing glances from the rest of the team. Jasmine frowned slightly, but she didn't say anything, her exhaustion outweighing her curiosity. Sylvie looked up, her green eyes flickering with a mix of concern and weariness. Layla was too drained to respond, still catching her breath where she had collapsed.

Astron remained silent, his sharp purple eyes observing Irina without a hint of judgment. His calm, composed demeanor contrasted with the tension still radiating from her.

Before anyone could say more, the mechanical hum of the dungeon's mana system faded entirely, and the chamber doors creaked open with a low rumble. A group of instructors, clad in dark uniforms bearing the academy's emblem, entered the room with measured steps. At their head was Professor Darius Kain, his tall frame and sharp gray eyes commanding immediate attention.

"Well done," Kain said, his deep voice resonating through the space as he approached the team. His gaze swept over them, lingering briefly on Layla, who was still kneeling on the ground, and Irina, whose fiery aura had dimmed but not disappeared. "Your performance was commendable."

Irina blinked, her fiery gaze snapping to him. "Commendable?" she repeated, her voice carrying an edge of disbelief. "Professor, with all due respect, this wasn't anywhere near what we're capable of. There were cracks in our formation, and—"

Kain shook his head, his sharp gray eyes narrowing slightly. He turned without another word, his dark uniform swaying as he strode toward the exit. The other instructors followed suit, leaving the team alone in the silent chamber, the heavy door closing behind them with a resounding thud.

The team exchanged uncertain glances, the weight of the professor's cryptic words lingering in the air. Layla sank back onto the ground, her shield resting beside her as she caught her breath. Jasmine leaned against a wall, her expression a mixture of confusion and exhaustion. Sylvie remained silent, her green eyes flickering with unspoken questions.

Irina's fiery gaze was fixed on the now-closed door, her lips pressed into a thin line. "What was that supposed to mean?" she muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

When no one responded, she turned her head toward Astron. Her fiery yellow eyes immediately caught the calm, composed expression on his face. He stood as still as ever, his sharp purple eyes observing the room with an unbothered air. It was as if Kain's words hadn't surprised him in the slightest.

"You…" Irina said, her voice trailing off before narrowing her eyes.

Astron tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. "I know what he meant. If you want to ask that."

Irina's gaze sharpened, her fiery hair swaying slightly as she crossed her arms. "And you didn't think to share that with the rest of us?"

"Why would I? You'll figure it out eventually."

"Eventually?" Irina's voice carried a note of irritation, though there was an underlying curiosity. She stepped closer, her fiery presence flaring ever so slightly. "Don't act like you're above explaining things, Astron. If you know something, just say it."

Astron raised an eyebrow, his calm demeanor unshaken. "It's not about being above anything, Irina. It's about letting the lesson settle. If Kain wanted to explain it to you, he would have. My saying it now won't make it click any faster."

"What is this logic? Professor Kain is someone who is outside of our group, while you are not. He might want to teach us, but-"

"What if I want the same thing?"

"What if I want the same thing?" Astron interrupted, his voice calm but carrying a weight that made Irina pause mid-sentence.

She blinked, her fiery yellow eyes narrowing as she processed his words. "You? Want to teach us something?" she scoffed, though the uncertainty in her tone betrayed her bravado. "You're not exactly the mentoring type, Astron."

Astron tilted his head slightly, his sharp purple eyes glinting with subtle amusement. "And you're not exactly the listening type, Irina. Yet here we are."

"What do you mean I'm not the listening type?" Irina snapped, her fiery yellow eyes narrowing. She crossed her arms and tilted her head defiantly. "Are you saying I can't just shut up when I need to? Do you think I'm someone who needs to… shut up?"

Astron shook his head slowly, his expression as calm as ever. "If I were looking for someone quiet, well…"

Irina arched an eyebrow, her fiery presence flaring slightly. "Good that I'm not quiet, then."

Astron's faint smirk returned, his sharp purple eyes glinting with amusement. "Good for you," he said evenly, "but not good for everyone else."

"Bastard," Irina muttered, her tone somewhere between exasperation and grudging amusement. "Shut up."

"You first."

From the side of the chamber, Jasmine leaned against the wall, her arms crossed and her lips curled into an entertained grin. "You were with them on your previous team, right? Was this how they were?"

Sylvie nodded at Jasmine's question, though there was a moment of hesitation in her response. "It was a little different," she said softly, her voice barely audible over the lingering hum of mana in the chamber.

Jasmine tilted her head, her sharp green eyes narrowing slightly as she caught the nuance in Sylvie's tone. "How different?" she pressed.

Sylvie fidgeted with the edge of her sleeve, her gaze dropping momentarily. "I don't know," she admitted, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "It's… hard to explain."

Jasmine's expression softened, her usual teasing demeanor giving way to something more thoughtful. She leaned closer to Sylvie, her voice dropping to a gentle murmur. "You know, we should probably ask," she said, her tone low but firm. "It's better than just staying in the dark like this."

Sylvie's breath caught at Jasmine's words, her chest tightening. She wanted to ask—to voice the questions that had been swirling in her mind since the dungeon began. But at the same time, the thought terrified her. What if the answers weren't what she wanted to hear? What if knowing the truth only made things harder?

Her green eyes flicked toward Astron and Irina, who were still caught in their back-and-forth exchange. Astron's calm, measured responses seemed to fuel Irina's fire, their dynamic as natural as it was tense. Watching them, Sylvie felt a pang of something she couldn't quite name—a mixture of longing, curiosity, and fear.

Jasmine nudged her lightly, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Sylvie."

"I will try."

The team left the training grounds in silence, their exhaustion palpable. The faint hum of mana and the fading warmth of the dungeon lingered in the air as they stepped into the open corridors leading to the academy's resting area. Around them, other teams and classes exited their respective training sessions, some chatting animatedly while others shuffled in silence, much like Astron's team.

Astron walked slightly ahead, his sharp purple eyes scanning the surroundings, though his expression remained unreadable. The girls trailed behind him, their footsteps echoing faintly against the stone floor.

As they reached the resting area, the group naturally began to split off toward their respective changing rooms. Astron nodded briefly to the group, his calm voice breaking the quiet. "Regroup in ten."

"Got it," Jasmine replied, giving him a quick thumbs-up.

Sylvie hesitated for a moment, her green eyes flicking toward Astron before she turned and followed the others. The girls entered their designated changing room, the heavy door swinging shut behind them with a soft creak.

Inside, the atmosphere shifted slightly. The faint buzz of the other teams outside faded, leaving only the sound of the girls settling into the space. Irina leaned against a locker, her fiery yellow eyes still glinting with the remnants of her earlier frustration. Layla sank onto a nearby bench, her shield finally unstrapped and set aside as she rubbed her sore arms. Sylvie sat quietly, fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve, while Jasmine leaned casually against the wall, her sharp green eyes flicking between her teammates.

The silence stretched, the weight of unspoken thoughts hanging heavy in the air. Finally, Jasmine cleared her throat, breaking the tension. "Irina."

Irina glanced up, her fiery gaze narrowing slightly. "What?"

Jasmine hesitated under Irina's fiery gaze, the sharp intensity in her amber eyes enough to make her pause. For someone who had no problem teasing others, Jasmine found herself strangely unsettled. Irina wasn't doing anything overt—she was just standing there, her stance casual, but her presence was so fierce it made Jasmine's usual confidence waver.

'This girl… Why is she so intense in moments like this?' Jasmine thought, her green eyes darting away briefly before flicking back. 'Is everyone like this, or is it just Irina? It's like she's ready to set the room on fire if I say the wrong thing.'

Jasmine cleared her throat again, trying to gather her thoughts. "Uh, so… earlier," she began, her tone unusually tentative. "You know, during the dungeon…"

Irina raised an eyebrow, her fiery gaze narrowing further. "What about it?" she asked, her voice sharp but not unkind.

Jasmine shifted on her feet, her usual playful demeanor cracking under the weight of Irina's scrutiny. "Well, it's just… you and Astron. You two—uh—seem to work well together."

"Is that so?" she said, her tone flat. "And?"

"And the pictures…"

Irina sighed, her fiery hair swaying as she leaned off the locker. "Jasmine," she said, her tone carrying a note of warning. "If you've got something to ask, just ask. Stop beating around the bush."

Jasmine winced at the directness but straightened her posture, forcing herself to meet Irina's gaze. "Fine," she said, exhaling sharply.

"Are you and Astron a couple?"