Three days had passed, and Leonard had settled into a routine of rigorous training. Every morning, he sparred with Tyron and practiced his Nen control with Kade.
Tyron held back often, pulling his punches during their combat sessions, allowing Leonard to focus on improving his hand-to-hand skills.
Meanwhile, Kade never used his Hatsu during their training, which piqued Leonard's curiosity.
On the third day, they trained together in the courtyard behind the house.
Leonard, catching his breath after a sparring match, leaned against a tree, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
As Kade finished a series of movements, Leonard turned to him and asked, "What about Alie? I don't see her training much with us."
Kade paused, lowering his fists and taking a deep breath.
He seemed to consider Leonard's question for a moment before answering. "Alie..." He sighed and glanced up at the sky as if weighing his words.
"She's... well, she's not like the rest of us. I know a little about her past—she used to belong to an elite group back in the free world."
Leonard raised an eyebrow. "An elite group?"
Kade nodded. "Yeah, a powerful one. Lodi, the leader of the Five Lords, was part of that group too. But there's not much known about her.
She's kept a lot of her past hidden, even from the rest of us. I know that she was the main combatant and the strongest offensive force in her past group."
Leonard frowned but decided not to press further.
He had sensed from the beginning that Alie had layers to her, and her connection to Lodi made things more complicated. Instead, he shifted the conversation.
"What about you? Why don't you ever use your Hatsu when we train?"
Kade chuckled and glanced at Leonard with a knowing smile.
"If I were to use my ability, I'd be in a pretty bad position."
Leonard's curiosity deepened. "Why's that?"
Kade took a moment, as if carefully choosing his words.
"Let's just say my Hatsu is... situational. It's powerful, but not the kind of ability I can use freely without consequences."
His smile faded as he spoke, and Leonard could see that there was more to Kade's power than he was letting on. "Besides," Kade continued,
"I want you to focus on the basics right now. You've got a ton of potential, but we need to make sure your foundation is strong."
Leonard nodded, understanding the wisdom in Kade's words.
He was eager to learn more about the others' abilities, but he also knew that he had a long way to go before he could consider himself on their level.
For now, mastering the basics and building his strength was his priority.
Still, the mysteries surrounding Alie and Kade lingered in the back of his mind as they resumed their training.
After the day's training ended, Kade wiped the sweat from his forehead and leaned against a nearby tree.
He glanced over at Leonard, who was catching his breath, and started speaking in a more relaxed tone.
"You know, Alie, Tyron, and I are the combatants of the group,"
Kade said, gesturing to himself and Tyron, who was off to the side, finishing his own practice routine. "
The others, well, they've got more utility and special abilities.
They're not exactly the front-line fighters."
Leonard smiled to himself, nodding as he processed the information.
That makes sense now, he thought. Kade and Tyron are the ones training me because they're the fighters. The others probably aren't suited for hand-to-hand combat.
The structure of the group was beginning to make more sense.
After a moment of contemplation, Leonard glanced over at Kade.
"So, why doesn't Alie train with me?" He asked, genuinely curious. He'd noticed Alie often watching from a distance but never participating in his training.
Kade burst out laughing at the question, a deep, amused laugh that echoed through the courtyard.
His reaction surprised Leonard, but before he could ask further, Tyron joined them, walking over with a smirk on his face.
"Kade," Tyron began, still grinning, "what's so funny?"
Kade, still laughing, pointed at Leonard.
"He just asked why Alie doesn't train with him."
Tyron's grin widened as he looked at Leonard.
He chuckled and shook his head but said nothing, as if the answer was some sort of inside joke.
Leonard, a bit puzzled by their reaction, couldn't help but smile himself.
"What's so funny about that?"
Kade, wiping a tear from his eye, finally composed himself enough to respond.
"Trust me, Leonard, if Alie trained with you, you'd be on the floor within seconds. She's... let's just say she's not the type to go easy on anyone."
Tyron nodded in agreement, his arms crossed as he leaned against the tree.
"She's strong, really strong," he added, still smiling.
"Alie doesn't do half-measures when it comes to combat. If she trained with you, you wouldn't be standing after the first round. It is more than likely that you die..."
Leonard chuckled, realizing now why they found it amusing. He had underestimated Alie's strength, even though he knew she was capable.
"Well, maybe I'm not ready for that kind of training just yet," he joked, shaking his head.
Kade patted him on the shoulder.
"Give it time. When you're ready, you might get that chance."
The three of them shared a laugh, but Leonard couldn't help but wonder just how powerful Alie really was.
If even Tyron and Kade respected her strength, there was clearly much more to her than met the eye.