After a moment of silence, their voices already faded to whispers by the end of their check, like i was floating, a huge surge of pain came directly into my head, quickly into my whole body. It jolted my entire body awake, wiping away the drowsiness.

I screamed and my body convulsed. All i could feel was the pain tearing me from inside out.

What the hell is this!!? It hurts!!

In that moment as the numbing pain wreaked havoc on my entire body it felt like i was seeing tunnel vision and yet i wasn't moving. Like i was smashing through glass yet there was a wall before me.

I could just barely hear the people around me.

"Heart rate within acceptable threshold" "Brain activity indicating above threshold of pain tolerance, within limit..."

"Maintain check. Report if any abnormality"

It hurts so bad!! Make it stop!

I felt everything and yet i felt nothing.

Kill me!! please!! I want to die...

Make it stop!

If i wasn't tied down or gagged i wasn't sure what would have happened.

"End time 1:28 AM."

What felt like an eternity stopped but a ringing in my ear took over bringing a new drowsiness.

The helmet came off me and i was greeted by the brightness of the room. It was all hazy. I saw the figure of a person stand before me, muffled voice in the back.

I thought I was going to die. I wanted to die just so the pain would stop.

"-ng he-ro, -an you - me..."

"-- hear me." Slowly his voice became clear and the ringing decreasing.

"Young hero, can you hear me?" My gaze focusing, i saw the head scientist--or whatever they are called--smiling down at me.

"It is done young hero. We are just left with the final tests and for you to get used to the current you."

I was still drowsy as he spoke and too weak to move.

"Transfer him to a pod and run the tests."

With that just like before the personnel surrounded me taking of the cuffs and straps.

Before i realized it i was already floating in the pod's transparent liquid, a breathing mask to my nose and mouth.

Though hazy i could see them moving about... but then one came to the head scientist who was standing before the pod observing, should him a small stack of papers and shook his head, both looking my way slightly solemn.

When i was out i was told the procedure ended up in a failure. I had not awakened any ability, all i got was a slight increase in strength.

They explain that though the organization can't really check people's ability until they manifest it, through the Forced Awakening, they had some leeway to do so. Something about a faint energy emitted from the awakened on their test and a slight change in aura when observed but a perceptive one, a mage or so on.

[So that was it?! I got nothing?]

I couldn't help being dejected. After all this i got nothing! Am i destined to not find my strength? To fight that monster? Could i not protect myself and family, help my teammates?...!!

But...

I don't believe it. I don't believe this will be the limit of my growth. Stuck here with this mediocre strength. I will push further. No i wont give up! Even if i have to go through hell.

No matter what---

...

"--I will break through the boundary of this limitation, and grow stronger." I turned my head to Shimura-san who had turned walking away and said.

Break through that limitation, get stronger to fight that ghoul. The stage just beyond this threshold will be the beginning.

"Don't think yourself someone special. In here you are no different than average normie, even less of that now. All those who though the same cannot help but wallow in their regret. And soon you too, will." She replied without looking back...

I could only turn back to look back at the arena, her words echoing through my head.

Then I firmed my gaze and took a step, jogging away to find my teammates.

...

[I will not be bound by that. I wouldn't stop until I break through that limitation.]

Listen, pay attention to your surroundings.

The girl was using the branches as leverage and perch releasing volleys and the boy using the trees as cover. The most difficult part is how the girl was silent in her movement and he the boy that didn't seem used to such movements, which was always made sound. It was just confusing as they that to their advantage, attacking at blind spots. Try to close in on them...

I am able to keep up. . though I don't have a feel on my current strength. I wonder how the me now'd fair against Yasagawa-san or Hoshi... Handling a sword is a real piece of work. And don't get me started on it... Even after all that I'd learned, the current strength it had did nothing to correct it. It felt like everything i was doing was wrong, clumsy even though i was fairing well...

After a while, even i a noob like me could feel the impatience from those two. So much that they decided to abandon their cover and come at me. Or maybe they were certain they could fair well in close combat...

When i clashed with her, i didn't feel much power behind her blows, but...

[What the hell is this bow made out of?]

The bow felt hard as steel. And though her blows were weak the succession and speed was difficult to handle, especially along with how she could switch to long range whiles at near point blank range. And not forgetting the other guy still throwing those small projectiles...

Overall I'm barely holding on. And how the hell I'm I to find a way to get closer to Hoshi. The way things look... we are going along with the pace of our opponents...

"He doesn't seem chatty as I've heard." The girl mocked.

Her voice, she is a girl!

"He doesn't seem to be in the mood." Followed the other. "So much for the promising new comer. Struggling even against the weakest of our squad. Looks like their captain is just over hyped."

I just had to give a come back from their taunt. Especially for talking down at Yasagawa-san.

"Maybe because I was just speechless. I though i saw a pretty boy but turned out he was a girl with chest as flat as a washboard. Even a loli's got bigger boobs than you."

Looks like I was right about her being a girl. And i regretted saying that right after.

"Pfft! Oooh~~" The guy stifled a smile.

The girl grimaced in rage.

"I'm still growing jackass!!" Yeah~ So she says but I'm not so sure about that.

She got even fierce swinging her bow and chaining her blows. It must have been a huge blow to her self esteem.

Going down from a high swing of her bow to avoid and block the projectile that came after then immediately thrusting upward at the girl.She pulled upper body back and leaped away, as d glance towards Hoshi.

Even he seems to be struggling handling the hulking teen.

...

At the same time, on the opposite side of the forest.

Ro and Shinosaki came face to face with their opponents.

Two boys, one atop a tree and the other, in mage robe, leaning to the trunk of the same tree. They gaze; looking down on the two.

"I can't believe they left the pipsqueaks to us."

"It feels like bullying when are opponents one a kid and the other a shortie, who's got nothing to show. How disappointing."

"At least they should give us a chance on their captain and vice, now they've got it good."

"I know right... What's a kid got to offer."

"... Maybe a few more years..."

Ro stood by Shinosaki panicking, seeing the dead look in her eyes, the bulging veins and clenched fists, trying to calm her down.

"H-h-hey. Sh-shinosaki-san. P-p-please c-ca-calm down. D-d-don't listening to what they are s-saying." His timid voice stuttered.

"First you look down on us, make fun of my height and stature, and my chest size!!?" Shinosaki raged.

Suddenly, like Sci-fi transitioning  a cannon taller than her appeared in her hand, supported over her shoulder. Immediately aimed and fired a blast at them, leaping back with Ro. The tree blew up in a small mushroom cloud, the shockwave blowing away the twigs and weeds on the ground and the leaves of the trees in the surrounding.

At that point Ro had been warned by the spirits he had prepared before had had just finish chanting stretch,

"... barrier!"

A transparent barrier appeared before him and Shinosaki. A second later the rain of Icicles which pierced through the smoke would have hit them.

"It's rude to attack someone, especially one older than yourself, when they are talking. Acting like the child you are."

The two boys walked out of the cloud of smoke, with solemn expressions.

"Look who's talking, thinking themselves superior and older just because of a little height difference. Speaks of your inferiority. How pitiful." Shinosaki gave a cam, hushed retort looking smug.

"You got a sharp tongue for a pipsqueak..."

"Doesn't she... In any case we'll just do what we came to do..."

The two boys rush towards Ro and Shiosaki. The other boy looked wild as he moved switching to all four, like a Berserker. A battle ensued.