Marin clapped once and pulled all attention towards him.

A warm smile stretched across his face, and he said, "Now now, you all didn't come here to stare at that forest, did you? Pick up the squad you want to be part of."

The trainees nodded, and one by one, they walked over to the squad leader they wanted to join.

At the end, only Rion, Kahrun and Yuura were the ones who hadn't picked up a squad.

Marin frowned and questioned them all, "Why are you three just standing there?"

"I'll be with Rion," Kahrun answered while staring at Rion.

A smirk appeared on Yuura's face, and he replied, "Same, I want to pay him back for helping me during the ritual of youth."

Marin nodded and asked, "What about you, Rion? Why are you standing there?"

Rion took a deep breath and cursed inwardly, 'Fuck it!'

He pointed a finger at Zukah and spat, "I want to challenge him to become a squad leader."

The cliff fell silent. Kahrun and Yuura turned their heads towards him and looked at him as if the Grim Reaper had already reaped their souls.

Zukah glanced at him and began to laugh at his ridiculous words, "M-hwahwahwa!" Tears welling up at the corners of his eyes.

Marin's warm smile crumbled, and he pressed his lips into a thin line.

Haria raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Zoka blinked a few times, and a look of respect creased his face.

Tarek smirked in stifled anger and stepped forward.

Seeing him step forward, Zukah stopped laughing and focused on the show that was about to begin.

"You do know what you are asking for, right?" He questioned and placed a hand on Rion's shoulder.

Rion nodded and answered, "I do—"

Just as he finished his words, a heavy pressure descended on him.

"Ugh?!" He let out a groan, and his knees buckled as Tarek pressed him down with his physical strength alone.

Crk-crk-crk!

Spider web-like cracks appeared beneath him. He gritted his teeth and spat while staring at him with a mountain of defiance in his eyes, "I... want to... challenge him!" He yelled, and — Fwoooosh! — Silver flames appeared around him, forcing Tarek back.

"Aura...?!" He muttered, stunned and turned his head to the others, only to find out that they too had the same surprised expression.

He stopped pressing him and asked, "You have already awakened your aura?"

"I have," Rion replied flatly.

Tarek's angry smirk turned into craftiness and Zukah didn't like that one bit. He didn't want to fight Rion because everyone knew how close he was to other God descendants.

Even the den lord, who barely met anyone except the ones that had been with him during the age of the Dark King, had met him multiple times.

Tarek turned his head towards Zukah and commanded, "Accept the challenge."

Zukah nodded reluctantly and stepped forward.

"Did fighting the other trainees with aura make you think that you can stand up against a squad leader?" Zukah sneered with a twisted smile.

Rion didn't reply; instead, he closed his eyes.

Zukah's smile turned cruel.

Whoosh!

He dashed towards Rion with his fist clad in a dark blue aura.

Rion dodged the fist with closed eyes, and just as Zukah blanketed his face from others' gazes. His eyes, which had turned red, snapped open.

He scanned Zukah and swiftly memorised all of his weak and critical points.

'Thirty weak points, five critical points.'

Zukah twisted his body and swung his fist at him. He ducked down and struck him to the right side, right at the critical point.

THWACK!

"AUGH!" Zukah let out a loud groan, his body trembling under the single hit of his fist that was clad in a silver aura.

'What's going on?' Zukah questioned inwardly and turned defensive.

Zukah covered his right side with his aura, and Rion shifted behind him.

Shff!

Rion pulled his fist back and gathered a heavy amount of aura around it before throwing a punch at the centre of his back.

BOOM!

The punch landed, and Zukah was sent flying into the trees, crashing into a few.

BAM! Crack—crash-crash-crash!

Zukah coughed a few times and thought in a daze, 'How does he know of my wounds?' A pained expression covered his face as he tried to stand up.

But before he could stand up, Rion's shadow dwarfed over him.

Fwoom—!

Rion lifted his right leg high and covered it with his aura before hammering it down on his right shoulder.

THUUUUD!

The ground beneath them cracked as Zukah forced all of his aura to his shoulder and defended against Rion's attack.

Zzzzzt! Crackle—crackle!

Hisses and Sparks flew out as the two auras clashed for authority.

However, the authority was not even a question because Rion was the descendant of the Monarch of The Crimson Throne and had a bloodline with the God King factor.

The clash went on for a few moments before Rion's aura pierced through his aura skin.

Crack!

Zukah groaned, blood slipped out from the corners of his lips, and his shoulder bone gave way.

The cracks beneath them widened as his whole body was slammed on the ground.

Rion lifted his leg once again, and it fell towards Zukah's head like thunder falling from the clouds.

But before his attack could land, Marin muttered coldly, "That's enough."

Rion, who appeared to be drowned in rage, stopped. He lowered his leg, and the aura around his leg disappeared.

Fsshhh...

He turned away and walked over to the other squad leaders.

Everyone looked at him with eyes that held varying emotions hidden beneath them.

Some held fear, a few held anger, but most admired because — In the Den, strength mattered the most.

Marin glared at Zukah's squad members and spat with an irritated look, "What are you all standing there for? Go help your leader!"

All of them nodded flusteredly and scrambled towards him.

He glanced at Rion and addressed him with a warm smile, "We'll talk about this later."

~~~~

A/N: Aura skin is the defensive layer of aura around the body.

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