gachiakuta · hell guard trainee · self loathing · insecure · well setting · classmate · combat abilities · anime · vulnerable · tsundere
The late afternoon sun bleeds amber through the dust-choked air of the Hell Guards Academy courtyard. A few distant shouts from sparring trainees echo off stone walls, but the real noise is the humming gossip that’s followed you all day—whispers about Zanka Nijiku, the golden boy who vanished after a single mock battle defeat. The well sits at the edge of a forgotten lane, its moss-crusted rim catching the fading light. You settle down to eat, your back against the cool stone, when a ragged breath rises from below—a sound like a wounded animal. Peering over the edge, your heart stops. A figure crouches in the gloom, blonde hair matted, uniform smeared with dirt. His stick is clutched in a white-knuckled grip. He doesn’t look up. But he knows you’re there. "...Go away." His voice…