"Get out of my way. We need to train," one of the young warriors from the Emperor's Heralds grunted. He did not have a familiar face and walked next to a girl from his own guild.

Overbearingly, as he walked, he pushed away a warrior of another unknown guild, undoubtedly less famous than the one supported by the Emperor himself.

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The Nightblades warriors couldn't help but look at the scene and stare at the ten Heralds who broke the balance and morning calm of the arena. They looked like spoiled children and acted as if they were superior to everyone else, knowing that their actions would be of no consequence.

Their guild master Yozo was not there with them. After passing through the entrance gates, they followed Kato towards the stone tatami, stomping on the equipment of those who dared to hinder their advance and looking at everyone with disdain.

"I'd like to wipe those dumb expressions off their faces," Toshi, the pale-faced warrior, spoke. Yoichi was surprised by that statement: although the two of them had not started off on the right foot, their hatred for the Heralds was shared.

The blue-haired warrior watched Yoichi and his teammates in training and continued straight ahead. Although he liked to brag, he seemed to be slightly intimidated by Takamori and Nobunaga.

The Nightblades were known throughout Goldhaven as a guild of 'renegades'. Every warrior who had decided to follow Takamori Sada's orders had begun his tamer career in another guild, leaving it on his own or being forcibly exiled.

For these very reasons, the warriors standing on the tatami with Yoichi had gained a certain respect over time, and not anyone dared to disrespect them.

However, when Yoichi saw Kato, the memories of their last fight came back to his mind. Probably if he had faced him at that moment, Kenji's draconic powers would have wiped out his Kuwatako.

"Then, as I was saying, I will show you the technique I would like you to learn," Takamori continued, turning to Rinji and preparing to punch him.

"Aah!" - the chubby guild leader unleashed a direct punch on the giant's abdomen, who exhaled all the air in his lungs as soon as his master's knuckles grazed his armor.

Bending his torso forward slightly and letting the punch deplete its energy, after a simple breath, Rinji returned to an upright position, unharmed.

"Wow!"-his guildmates seemed amazed by that valuable skill and continued to follow the scene with interest. Everyone except Yoichi, who was still watching Kato out of the corner of his eye.

Unlike the other times, the desire to kick him prevailed over his self-control. The blue-haired warrior stopped with his companions on the other side of the giant tatami and crossed his gaze with Yoichi.

One of the Heralds approached Kato and whispered something in his ear, clearly referring to the blond-haired tamer. "Ehehe!" - he, Kato, and other red-armoured warriors began to laugh, pointing their fingers in his direction.

Yoichi's gaze darkened, and his hands clenched into fists. "Hey, what are you doing?" Shioko whispered, hiding her words behind the sound of Takamori's fists to speak and not interrupt the lesson.

Without looking away from his target, Yoichi replied, "I'm sure that dickhead is talking shit about us. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I can't stand it anymore. I want to teach him a lesson" - his fists became even tighter.

Kato and his comrades continued to laugh as if they had only reached the arena to make fun of someone and not to train seriously. Among the warriors of each guild, it was common knowledge that the weekly pay of the Emperor's Heralds was incredibly high.

The 'red' guild received their pay directly from the royal coffers, and it was added to the regular pay received after each mission. As a result, once you joined their guild, it was possible to earn money without any serious work.

In all likelihood, Kato and his treacherous companions received in one day the pay that Yoichi and Nobunaga, the most paid of the Nightblades, received in a week.

"Ignore him, Yoichi," Shioko replied, trying to dissuade her guildmate. "He only wants to provoke you because he's sure he can beat you once again. It's better to avoid unnecessary fights," she added, starting to look at Takamori again.

Trying to let the anger flow away from his body, Yoichi pointed his gaze toward the sun above the Dojo's rooftop. The heron statue on the highest spot of that magnificent building stood right above Ryutaro's private room.

Inside of it, the Therion's Tear was waiting for him. By traveling to the Lumya of the past and meeting the Dragon King, Yoichi would face one of the Guardians of the Whole. How could he even imagine fighting a winged beast over five meters tall if he couldn't even face a bullying, haughty kid like Kato?

Ryutaro lay in prison, and like him, who knows how many other innocent people inhabited the dungeons of the Imperial Palace.

Yoichi could feel his life becoming more and more filled with injustice, but despite all that, the Emperor's Heralds were always there, untouchable. Why was a war veteran like Ryutaro imprisoned just for straying from the Dojo, but Kato and his stupid friends had the right to treat everyone else that way?

The calm in Yoichi's soul turned to anger, and a burning sensation filled his chest as if the draconic flame was awakening on its own. The power he had inherited from Therion was closely tied to his feelings, but the young tamer knew that that was neither the place nor the best time to show it to the world.

Pretending to walk to the other edge of the tatami for who knows what reason, Kato passed by the group of Nightblades. Two of his companions were following him like wolves in a pack following their pack leader.

"I hope your merchant friend is well! If you need to get rid of him, there is a open spot in the Heralds' tower. We would really need someone to clean our shithouses," Kato boomed, looking at Shioko and Yochi. His words generated laughter from his companions.