Chapter 23: Chapter 23
"Do you think this is enough to bring me down? VERNON!!!!"
The intense battle played over and over and the scene of carnage was still so vivid. The expressions of despair and fear still fresh and the scent of burnt flesh and blood lingered around.
"My eyes weren't wrong.. You truly are intelligent but that was naughty of you to play a prank on me. Learn that children shouldn't interrupt when adults are working okay?"
'Bang!' Rin eyes flashed open and his chest was still heaving up and down. His back was cold with sweat and seeing that he wasn't in that cavern calmed him down rather quickly.
'I really shouldn't have stayed up studying…' Rin had been studying the various abilities that he saw during the cavern fight and though he wasn't able to immediately learn them he did analyze the abilities shown intensively. Though some of their abilities were too classified for him to read about them so he could only make do with what he had.
Rin was about to head to the washroom to wash up for the day when he felt a tug on his leg underneath his blanket.
Rin was curious and lifted the blanket, guess what he saw?
No it wasn't a girl.
A snowy white owl as cute as a button was pulling his pajamas with it's cute little beak.
Rin blinked his eyes, confused how an animal was able to enter his room. This was a hospital after all not his room. There certainly wouldn't be a window open for this little guy to enter.
The cute owl suddenly flew over to his hand and landed itself on his finger. With a flash of bright light, the owl was gone and in its place a letter was left on his palm.
'A letter? In this day and age?'
"Good morning Rin, it seems like you've gotten the letter." Sylvia who just opened her eyes said.
"Good morning, do you happen to know what this letter is about?"
"Hmm it's rare for a first year to get it. It's basically an invitation for the skilled young onmyoujis to compete in a tournament. They gather together once a year to test each other's mettle, it's also good if you want to rise up faster in the army letting the higher ups see your skill. I'm really surprised you got one this early."
"Hmm doesn't sound that interesting.. Is it possible to skip the competition?"
"Well… It's rare that one denies the invite but you could certainly turn it down but… It won't look good to the higher ups. Plus the prizes for the top three contestants are usually really something so perhaps you should just give it a shot? This year's tournament should be in a few months time so you don't need to give a reply just yet."
Rin thought about it and what Sylvia said made some sense, since he was bonded to the army for quite a few years it wouldn't do him good should he not even turn up for their tournament.
But Rin didn't feel strong, after seeing a fight between two five star onmyoujis made him painfully aware how far the distance was between him and the top and yet even a top level fighter could die so easily.
Rin didn��t know this but a sense of fear was embedded in him after the cavern battle, whether that fear would be a problem only the future will tell.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
SecondPersona
SecondPersona Will be adding chapter 24 later on, happy reading :)
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