<h4>Chapter 4: I''m Onto You</h4>


    Finally, the day of the Awakening Ceremony arrived at Sam''s doorstep, coinciding with his sixteenth birthday, marking his transition into a person capable of Awakening.


    In this world, only those who turn sixteen have the potential to awaken, and if they fail to do so, they''re deemed as ''trash'' by the cultivators for the rest of their lives.


    The ceremony was to be held at the Arena of Heroes, a ce steeped in history since the first generation of heroes.


    Situated at the center of the territory of heroes, it had been the venue for Awakening ceremonies for generations.


    The Arena was vast, capable of amodating about two hundred thousand people simultaneously.


    Though named the Arena of Heroes, its sole purpose now was to host Awakening ceremonies.


    Sam Tatsuya, apanied by his maternal grandparents, Jin Tatsuya and Hana Tatsuya, arrived at the Arena.


    The Tatsuya n guards surrounded them, protecting them from all sides.


    Sam''s mother, Maya, couldn''t attend the ceremony as she was needed elsewhere with the imperial knights under hermand.


    Meanwhile, Sam''s sisters, being mages unlike him, were with their father in the Brunheart n territory.


    The ceremony was restricted to heroes only, even if one had mage rtives; they wouldn''t be allowed entry unless under special circumstances.


    "It seems that technique really worked; I don''t sense an ounce of mana or heroic energy from your body," Jin remarked without looking at his grandson.


    "That''s good," Sam replied, his gaze drifting over the bleachers where people nced at him and started whispering amongst themselves, as if he was a man walking the path of shame.


    Most of these people had never seen Sam before, naturally curious about him, being the grandson of one of the strongest heroes.


    It wasn''tmon for noble ns to keep their most promising talents shrouded in secrecy from other noble ns.


    Yet, the way the Tatsuya family shielded Sam was intense, raising curiosity among other noble ns about the reason behind his secretive protection.


    "Ignore them," Jin advised. "They''re just curious."


    "And hostile," Sam noted, observing some eyes ring at him with undisguised hostility.


    "Who cares? Let them look all they want; they can''t do shit about it," Jin snorted, sending a piercing re at them, causing them to avert their gazes.


    "Thesepdogs of noble ns are likely here to observe all the awakeners, and they''re showing you even more attention because you''re a total mystery," Jin exined as they reached the area designated for the Tatsuya family, situated right after the ce reserved for the Hero King''s family.


    "Well, well, well, if it isn''t the great Jin Tatsuya," Sam nced at the person who casually referred to his grandfather by name, and found a man about Jin''s age standing with a group of people simr to his own n.


    "Ryo Shimura," Sam recognized the man. Ryo Shimura was the leader of the noble household of Shimura.


    "I see you finally decided to bring your precious grandson out of your household. I guess today I will really get to see why you kept him out of our sight," he said before setting his gaze on the ck-haired young man with blue eyes like sapphires.


    "I hope you won''t disappoint me," this time he directed his words straight at Sam.


    Jin intervened, positioning himself between them, shielding Sam from Ryo''s sight. "Get lost, Ryo. I''m really not in the mood to engage in idle chatter with you. So why don''t you just... you know, go away."


    "Having a bad day, I see," Ryo Shimura smiled to himself before casting onest nce at Sam and leaving, leaving a bad impression on Sam.


    "That guy always gets on my nerves," Jin sighed.


    "Isn''t he your friend?" Sam asked.


    "Don''t call him my friend. It''s embarrassing enough that I have to tolerate him in public. I don''t want you to get the wrong idea," Jin rolled his eyes.


    As they reached their destination, they encountered the leaders of the noble households of Urahara, Kusanagi, and Asuna ns, all of whom had brought their younger generation for the awakening ceremony.


    Sam learned that the noble leaders all had some kind of rtionship with the Tatsuya n, especially the Shimura n.


    Despite Jin''s insistence that they weren''t friends, their friendly rtionship was evident in the way the two ns interacted.


    Then there was the Urahara n, not hostile but not friendly either.


    They maintained a formal and indifferent demeanor towards everyone, as far as Sam could discern.


    As for the Asuna n, they were really close to the Tatsuya n; there were several reasons for that.


    The main ones were that they were rtives and always kept that kinship for generations.


    Lastly, there was the Kusanagi n.


    They appeared friendly, perhaps too friendly, which raised Sam''s suspicion. In particr, the youngest brother of the n leader seemed overly gentlemanly, almost unnervingly so.


    Sam felt a sense of unease around him, as if his instincts were warning him to be on guard. He sensed danger lurking beneath the fa?ade of friendliness.


    "Grandpa Jin, that guy from the Kusanagi n, don''t you think he''s kind of creepy?" Sam scrutinized his grandfather, his curiosity brimming over.


    "You sensed that, haven''t you? That guy is dangerous. I haven''t told you about this because it simply hadn''te up. I have a feeling that he''s up to something, something perilous that concerns you," Grandpa Jin''s words gripped Sam''s attention entirely.


    "What made you assume that?" Sam inquired, his toneced with a mixture of concern and intrigue.


    "He''s been asking too many questions, questions about you," Jin divulged slowly, seeking his wife''s permission to share their suspicions with their grandson, who received a nod of agreement.


    "When did this happen, and why haven''t I been informed?" Sam pressed further, his mind racing with a whirlwind of questions.


    "Because I didn''t think much of it at first. He seemed harmless. He just came to our n and asked to see you a couple of times. Of course, I rejected him. But it''s almost as if he knew what you are capable of. I could see hostility in his eyes, but it wasn''t directed at me, it was directed at you," Jin exined, his voice carrying a weight of concern for his grandson''s safety.


    ...


    After a few hours, the arena became filled with people. It wasn''t overcrowded, but it certainly looked packed.


    The ceremonies weren''t just for the Noble kids; they were for all the children in the territory of heroes once they turned sixteen.


    As for the Awakeners, they were directed to a specific area where they would be called by name to take their turn in awakening.


    When Sam arrived at that area, he recognized some of the individuals his grandparents had warned him about. They might pose the greatest obstacles in his life.


    Especially the Noble brats. Most of them openly disyed displeasure on their faces, while others regarded him with curiosity.


    They knew the illustrious Tatsuya n had someone like him, but since Sam was kept a secret due to his unique abilities, they knew almost nothing about him. Now they were left wondering what made him so exceptional.


    Sam also noticed the kids from the Kusanagi n eyeing him as though he were a dead man walking.


    Meanwhile, the other kids hesitated to involve themselves in whatever issues the noble brats had brewing.


    "I''m going to have my hands full at the academy, that''s for sure," Sam sighed to himself, sensing all the eyes filled with various negative emotions fixed upon him.


    Thest to arrive was the Hero King, Rowan Asuna, and his family.


    The arena fell silent as everyone, including the nobles, stood in respect—everyone except for the noble n leaders.


    After allowing them to settle, the king took his seat.


    Surprisingly, he cast a nce at the area of the Awakeners before narrowing his eyes at a certain handsome young man with ck hair and eyes that resembled blue zircons.


    Even Sam was taken aback. He subconsciously looked beside him, hoping that the king''s gaze was directed at someone else.


    Unfortunately, it was not the case; the king was indeed looking at him, as if to say, ''I''m onto you.''


    This drew the attention of all those present – the noble n leaders, the fellow Awakeners – all turned their predatory gazes toward him.


    He became the literal center of attention; every eye was fixed on him, and he could hear the murmurs and whispers around him, but he chose to ignore them.


    He was here to awaken and gain entry into the Academy, to join the ranks of the elites.


    He wouldn''t allow mere whispers and the attention of the crowd to affect him.


    It was something he had to face head-on. He knew he was an anomaly, attracting excessive attention simply because he was an enigma; they knew nothing about him.


    Just imagine what would happen if the others were to learn that he was a hero with the ability to wield magic.


    It was sure to be a wild ride ahead.