Rynn hastily walked through the streets of the Warrior’s District, his left hand held closely to his chest. A passing man smiled at him, and he nodded back, looking completely at ease in the flowing golen robes Mai had stolen for him.

Indeed, if it weren’t for his Sun mark, he would have been the spitting image of a young master with his spirit concealed. Handsome features adorned his face, and he was young enough that it would have been reasonable that he hadn’t gotten the red streaks characteristic to the nobles’ hair just yet. 

He knocked on Mai's door, his left hand still hidden from any passerby.

“Mai?”

Nothing. He knocked again, louder this time. She should have been ready by now. Perhaps she was planning to surprise him with something? He smiled at the thought.

"Wait, no! Don't!" 

Muffled screams came from inside the house, and he furiously pounded on the walls. That was Mai's voice. Had something happened to her?

"Mai! I'm here! Are you —"

The door opened, but it wasn’t Mai. A man nearly a head taller than him glared down, his aura spreading to press down on their surroundings. Grey hairs dotted his long mane of black and red, but his frame was still muscular enough to rip him limb from limb, even without mana."So you're the Sun that has been associating with my daughter."

Rynn bowed down low, struggling to keep his composure. "Yes, honored Warrior. I… I was not aware that you would be here."

The heavens wouldn’t have done this without a reason. Perhaps he had heard how Rynn had defended Mai from the Torch, and he wished to —

"I wouldn't have, if it weren't for the honorable Scout that just happened to see you with her.” The man's scowl deepened, and sparks popped into existence around them. “Now tell me: why do you believe that you have the right to even speak to Mai?"

"Father!" 

Mai stepped between them, putting a hand on Rynn’s chest. "I do not require your guidance about my love! We are already an established family! We could simply —"

A flaming palm struck her across the face, and she went flying across the road. She got back up without an issue, but even just seeing someone strike her crushed Rynn's heart. "Father! Please!"

A cloak of bright fire engulfed the Warrior, and he raised his fist once more. 

Rynn gritted his teeth, prostrating himself before the man. "I beseech you, honored Warrior, I do not need to remain a Sun. Mai will tell you, I have the skill to defeat a Torch, and —"

A fireball knocked him back into the road, and he screamed as his robes caught fire.

"It does not matter whether you are a Sun or a Scout! Anything less than Warrior is unacceptable!"

Mai cried out, but that didn't stop the second blast from searing his shoulder. "Father! Stop!"

Through his tears, he could see her conjure her flaming spear. 

"Why are you doing this?" She charged, but another strike swept her off her feet. She landed on the ground with a thump, clutching her leg as tears streamed down her scorched cheeks.

Rynn struggled to stand, screaming at the man. "I won't let you hurt her! You —"

Another fireball hit him, and his knees buckled.

The Warrior walked towards him as he writhed on the ground, a fourth technique growing in his palms. "Do you understand now, Sun? With just my aura, I can force you back to the dirt where you belong. You are weak. Weaker than me, weaker than Mai, and weaker than anyone else in the clan."

A boot came down on his outstretched fingers, and he heard the cracking of bone.

"You are too weak to even think about looking at a Warrior, much less courting one. Only strength is respected in this world, and you have no strength. All you are is a bumbling peasant, tending to your crops and hoping that everything will work out for you. Well, Sun, let this be the awakening that you need."

White flames licked at his skin, and his screams redoubled. 

"Ah, is it painful? Remember this pain, boy. Remember every moment of this day. Because until you are strong, this will be your life. But you will never be strong, because you are a talentless, useless, Sun."

Mai launched a gout of fire at her father, but he easily repelled it. "Mai, take this as a lesson. If you had been stronger, perhaps you could have stopped me. If you had trained harder, you could have stood between me and your little pet. But because of your laziness, because you have somehow not managed to advance past the trivial Fourth Purification despite my best efforts, you get to see your precious Sun burnt to a crisp."

The heat intensified, and the man laughed even as her shrieks permeated the air. "This will teach you to defy my orders!"

* * *

Rynn crawled through the forest, his teeth gritted as he forced himself to keep his mouth shut. All along his face and chest, Mai's father had meticulously traced charred lines into his skin, forever displaying to the clan that he was a disgraced Sun. Not even hiding his mark would help him now. 

But that was his own fault. He was weak. Too weak to even be acknowledged by the strong. From today on, though, he would no longer be weak. He would become strong, so strong that not even the matriarch would be able to oppose him. After all, what good was all the mortal power in the Hong Clan compared to the strength of a Saint? Power ruled above all else, and when he became the most powerful, nothing would stand in his way!

The world had presented thousands of opportunities to him before, but he had been too naive to take them. Too lazy, too complacent, too weak. Well, no longer. In order to protect Mai, he would need to become strong, and strength meant there was no room for such thought. Lethargy and fear ruled even the Warriors, and when he ripped those emotions from his mind with his bare fists, he would be the only one to truly reach the limit. 

He gritted his teeth, pushing himself up to a walk. How could he be strong if he couldn't even handle a bit of pain? His muscles spasmed, but this was nothing compared to the utter helplessness of being weak! He would not live in a world where his love could be ripped from his hands in a matter of minutes, and the only way to stop that was to become a paragon! To become so perfect, so powerful, that none would dare defy him! A scream escaped his lips, and he pushed himself to a run, crashing through the brush towards the silver tree. He would become strong!

* * *

Aer scratched her head, sending her mana sense out to feel the intruder that was barging their way through the forest. The air flowed around them in a familiar pattern, and as she focused on lightning’s connection with heat, she found him lacking in fire mana, even for a world such as this. 

A Sun, then, and one that seemed to be making a beeline for her. She focused her spirit further, and she gasped.

That was Rynn, the lovestruck Sun she had tried to recruit earlier. But he hadn’t come to their arranged meeting —

There was heat coming from him, far too much to be normal. In an instant, she appeared next to a downed Rynn, who had sustained severe burns to his chest and head. The man pushed himself off the ground, and she leveled a healing treasure, ready to soothe his burns.

"It’s okay, Rynn. You’re safe now. Who did this to you?"

The man coughed up a mouthful of blood, prostrating himself in front of her even as his charred skin scraped against the thorny brush. 

"Honored Saint, I beseech you, teach me how to grow strong."

Nameless32

Special shoutout to fruit! Fruit is great! If you're looking for a snack, maybe eat some fruit :)