After packing his things Kaiser left, taking a familiar path through the city towards his destination. He hadn't taken this route in a while, after all he'd been too preoccupied working to go to school the last while. Today however he was taking it for a different reason, he wanted to say goodbye to Rin. Despite only being ten Rin was on his highschool's mock hunter team, and even though he couldn't take part in competitions with them he was very invested. That meant that Rin spent nearly every day training with the team.
Kaiser was happy that his brother was scouted early by the coach, even though he'd tried out for the same team and been rejected. It was warranted after all, Rin was amazing he was three grades ahead of his age in terms of academics and there was talks of him skipping those grades and starting in highschool next school year. Plus the whole reason he'd been scouted so early was because he'd already awakened as a hunter, a strong one at that. Comparing the two almost felt like bullying, Kaiser's grades weren't terrible, but his attendance was so bad he'd likely fail that year. Most disappointing of all at least to Kaiser is that, unlike his brother he hadn't awakened yet. Still Kaiser did his best to not let himself feel jealous of his brother. He loved him after all and was happy for his success even if it meant people would cast him aside for his brother.
The gym was quiet today, which was unusual because mock hunting was not a quiet sport. From the sound of fighting to shouting commands Kaiser could usually hear the training before he actually arrived at the massive building that served as the mock hunter team's training facility. Today was different and when he finally did look inside he saw why. Two kids were standing alone in the area that served as the field of play for the sport. One was a senior, one Kaiser had seen around, the kinda popular kid that always wore clothing that told everyone he was a part of their beloved mock hunter team. Kaiser thought his name might be Markus, but couldn't be sure. The other was Rin, he looked even more timid and smaller than usual standing alone against the towering captain of their team. His presence however was nothing, but timid, it reminded Kaiser of the hero's presence.
Markus moved first, he'd been chanting an incantation under his breath and as he finished his body was engulfed in flames, but instead of writhing in pain he dashed forward much faster than any human should usually be able to move. Rin on the other hand had neither moved nore started an incantation, instead he simply waved his hand. The reaction was immediate, while the weather wasn't exactly warm Kaiser was still shocked by the sudden drop in temperature as ice sprouted from the ground and formed a wall between Rin and his opponent. But Markus had the advantage, his speed was much greater than Rin's and his elemental powers would be able to melt through Rin's ice in seconds, but Rin didn't need seconds.
Rin's movement's had moved into high gear the moment he'd conjured the ice wall, his hand's dancing as if he was a conductor for some invisible orchestra. A sharp ice spike sprouted from the ground positioned right where Markus would exit the ice wall and in the same moment a wave of ice formed curving up and above Rin and Markus, multiple deadly looking icicles forming at its peak. Rin raised his hand as if to move into another set of commands, but before the boy could form anymore defenses though Markus had melted through his wall and now was speeding towards his opponent, easily avoiding the spike that'd been made to slow him down. Unperturbed by the failure of his trap Rin stood still for a moment longer, waiting for something, and then he brought his hand down. The icicle's he'd formed earlier fell threatening to impale Markus before he could reach Rin.
Markus wasn't captain for no reason, he wasn't the smartest kid, but Kaiser knew he paid attention to others, especially his team and so he knew what was happening from Rin's gestures. The flame covering Markus's body shifted and began to concentrate into his hand before he unleashed that power upwards instantly melting the ice raining down upon him, and then he let out a yelp. Not because he'd somehow missed a spike, but because his left shoulder was now encased in ice. Rin hadn't been setting up for a rain of ice, he'd set things up so he could get close. His speed was not nearly as good as Markus's, but by forming ice beneath his feet he could propel himself forward much quicker than you'd expect from someone with his stature. And he'd used that speed to get in close and land a hit on the flame user. Swapping his focus back to his opponent the older boy swung at Rin, fire barely missing the boy's head. Now low to the ground Rin kicked upward landing a glancing blow onto his opponent's leg, but a glancing blow would be enough for his purposes since even that would allow him to freeze wherever it landed.
Realizing what was happening finally Markus tried to create distance, flowing his remaining flames into his legs and retreating backwards. It wasn't enough though Rin caught up to him almost immediately, he was slower now from both the attacks that'd landed and because he'd used most of his fire earlier to defend. The two clashed head on for the first time then, Markus sent a jab at Rin's chin that was easily deflected, the older boy threw another jab, then a faint into a body shot, but each one was read and dismantled. In a different battle that would have just meant Markus was wasting energy, but against an ice user it meant that each deflection, block and counter left ice sapping away body heat and slowly weighing you down. Even with Markus's flame manipulation the spells he could cast while fighting only barely managed to refuel the heat that gave him strength before it was once again drained away by the ice.
As Kaiser watched the fight he realized something, his brother hadn't initiated a single attack since trapping Markus in hand to hand combat. He'd simply kept close, and allowed his opponent to attack him; what few blows he did land were either counters or deflections. By now Markus could barely keep his hands up, his attacks coming slower and slower, it was already over. Rin had stretched the fight out much longer than he needed to, and all that was left was to finish it. Moving with speed his opponent couldn't hope to match at this point Rin swept Markus's feet and followed him to the ground quickly flowing into a submission hold.
For the first time since the match started Rin spoke his gentle voice not matching the cold and clinical dissection he'd just enacted.
"Do you give?"
Markus grumbled something too quiet for Kaiser to hear, but clearly Rin had heard it, and had not liked what was said because he adjusted his hold.
"Ow! Yes I give!"
With that Rin let go and jumped to his feet beaming with excitement, before remembering to be sportsmanlike and offering Markus a hand up. The older boy waved his opponent off from pride or exhaustion he had decided to remain on the ground. The rest of the team, who'd mostly been silent throughout the match, seemed a bit split on their reactions, a little over half of them had begun cheering and taken the court to embrace their teammate in training while the rest of them remained sitting, a mixture of surprise and disappointment on their faces.
From what rin understood the team had been in conflict because their captain and newest member simply didn't get along. Markus was the current captain and beyond that the team's core and seeing someone so young being given his spot when he'd only gotten it in his final year was likely a stinging wound to his pride.
'I know how you feel man, but having beef with a ten year old is pathetic.'
Kaiser waved to Rin from the exit, but made sure not to step inside, he was well aware of the fact the coach of the team absolutely hated him after all he was a 'bad influence'. So he mostly tried to stay out of his sight when he could.
"Kai!" his brother shouted excitedly as he ran over to his brother, destroying any hope Kaiser had of not being noticed.
"Hey, Rin how's practice going?"
"Really good! Did you see my spar? I totally destroyed Mason, didn't I?"
'Oooh, his name is Mason'
"I did see that, when'd you learn how to do that last hold? I thought you were mostly focused on improving your ability right now?"
"Oh! Yeah, wasn't that cool? I saw it in a book so I thought I'd try it."
"It was very cool, I'm proud of you. Critics okay?"
"Yeah!" Smiled excitedly, Kaiser had made it a point to try not to offer unwanted criticism of his brother and because of that it seemed like Rin actually liked it when his brother gave him pointers.
"Your hand to hand combat was really good, but I think your ice attacks could use more work; they didn't really have the oomf I know you're capable of. And I know you love feints and traps, but you should try to make them more threatening. But your mobility has really improved. I can tell you've worked on it a lot."
"You could tell?" Rin lowered his voice noticeably at that, not in disappointment, but as one does when they're about to tell a secret. "I didn't want to win with a ranged attack so I didn't put all that much force into them, that's also why I didn't freeze him solid while he was defending against my Icicle Rain."
"W-Wait why?"
Rin seemed confused at that. "Cause, it wouldn't have meant as much if I beat him like that"
"That makes sense."
Is what Kaiser said, but what he was thinking was very different.
'Wait- did rin actually choose to prolong the fight so he could beat his opponent with their own strong suit? Was it for training? No, that's not like him.'
At this point Mason had been helped up by his friends on the team, but he still looked dejected, it seemed like they were trying to comfort him, but then he spoke. Kaiser couldn't hear what it was, but his friends all stopped for a moment as he spoke. Rin hadn't used his range to zone him out, he hadn't fought dirty, he'd outsmarted him and then dismantled his entire fighting style. There was no excuse to be made, or platitude to be offered, Rin was simply better, and he proved that unmistakably.
'Scary.'
Rin was always an odd kid, he was bright and loving and just generally a good kid. But sometimes there was a glimpse at a different side of him, he was very observant, and maybe because of that or simply because what they'd both gone through he seemed to know things that he shouldn't and beyond that he could read people much better than most people could. Or maybe that's just what it seemed like to Kaiser, who was observant, but often didn't quite understand people or what they were thinking.
"What happened between you and Uncle? Did you two fight again?"
"What- what makes you think that?"
"You're here before it's time for me to walk home and your backpack is full, which only happens when you're leaving for a while."
Kaiser let out a sigh that seemed heavy enough to crush him under its weight.
"Well you're not exactly wrong, I'm not going to be living with you two anymore."
Rin nodded, seemingly unsurprised by the information, adding yet another thing he understood in a way a kid like him shouldn't.
"I'll be okay though, I've got someone I can go live with and a job lined up."
Kaiser found himself looking away from his brother, not wanting to see his brother's expression of understanding in the face of his own lies.
"Please be safe, and come and see me too."
Kaiser embraced his brother tightly.
"I will, of course I will Rin. I love you."
His brother responded, his voice muffled by still having his face pressed against his brother's chest. "I love you too."
And with that, Kaiser left the life he had behind for yet another time.