Arene “Ren” Maxwell's POV

Kaladin strolled into the arena wearing nothing but his school uniform’s red pants, exposing his scarred chest and muscular body. He even had some kind of weird discoloration on his stomach…it looked gray for some reason.

His long black hair was tied behind his head, and his eyes scanned the stands. They stopped right on me, and my heart started racing.

He’s smiling at Mila…not me…gah…

“Wait, I thought they were dueling? What is he just…walking out there with nothing?” I asked.

Lauren shrugged. “Good question…”

Sylvia jolted up. “They are going to fight bare-handed…look, his hands are wrapped!”

Oh, that’s right, they were wrapped up. I was too distracted to notice that at first. But wait?!

“They are going to fight hand to hand?! Why would Lin do that?!” I blurted out.

There was no way Lin would agree to that! I’ve seen Kaladin fight with his hands…he didn’t just dismantle Parker. He was in an entirely different world! Never in my life had I seen someone fight with their hands like that! Even Dad can’t fight like Kaladin, and he only uses his hands!

Mila turned around and frowned at me, her little ears pressed down against her head. “Oh…I’m so sorry, Mila. I didn’t mean to shout…” I said while petting her ears.

Mila slowly turned away from me. “Are Aunt Linnetia and Daddy going to fight?”

Aunt Linnetia?!

“Aunt Linnetia?!” Lauren choked out.

I looked over to Sylvia for an explanation, but she watched the field in silent contempt, her ears pulled back into what I knew to be a smirk of superiority. Sylvia merely shrugged and waved for Mila to come over to her. Sylvia picked Mila up and sat her down on her lap.

“Don’t worry. It’s just a friendly match. Daddy and Aunt Linnetia aren’t going to hurt each other…really bad, that is. It’s nothing I can’t fix,” Sylvia said softly.

Mila didn’t look convinced as she looked back and up into Sylvia’s masked face. “But why? Why are they going to hurt each other?”

Sylvia sighed and seemed to gaze behind Mila as her shoulders stiffened. “Well…because your dad is just… like that…sometimes he just likes talking with his fists, and well…so does Aunt Linnetia…apparently,” Sylvia said weakly.

“Don’t worry, Mila. Linnetia and your dad are doing this to get stronger! Sometimes you have to fight each other to get stronger…” I added.

Sylvia looked over to me and nodded, and I watched the stress leave her body. “Strong…but Daddy is already strong, isn’t he?” Mila asked me.

“The strongest around,” Lauren chimed in. “Aunt Linnetia is also really strong, so they can make each other even stronger by doing this.”

Mila moved her lips around like she was trying to piece things together as she furrowed her brows. It was positively adorable watching her concentrate so hard. And it turns out explaining the finer details of a duel to a child without it sounding like senseless violence is… difficult.

Being a parent must be exhausting.

I looked back out to the field, and Linnetia had made her way towards the center. She was wearing our usual school workout attire, and her hands were also wrapped. The two of them exchanged some words that I couldn’t hear, and Kaladin just shrugged at whatever she said. And with that, the two of them began pacing away from each other.

“Wait, are they going to use magic and their firsts? Where are their Sparring Crystal vests?” Sylvia asked.

“I don’t think they are using anything other than their hands…Lin can’t use any magic as far as I know,” I told her.

“Is she dumb? Has she not seen what Vo—I mean what Kaladin is capable of?” Sylvia wondered aloud.

“Maybe that Dragon knocked some of her brains out…” Lauren mused while kicking one of her legs up. “Well…here they go anyway. I suppose we can just enjoy the show…even if it won’t last that long.”

Sylvia shrugged. “No kidding…what is she even thinking?”

“LET’S GO, MY WONDERFU—”

“SHUT UP!” Linnetia yelled, interrupting her brother’s words of encouragement.

Ouch…Lin seemed to be in a lousy mood. She has never yelled at Sylas like that…or was… was she …looking and acting differently? I’ve only seen her like this a few times, and it only lasts a few seconds…

What’s gotten into her?

A Fireball extended high into the air and exploded, a signal from the teacher to begin. Unfortunately, Professor Garrison was still out on business and wouldn’t return until today or tomorrow. But that wasn’t important right now…as Kaladin rushed Linnetia.

Kaladin’s fists were a blur as they were launched towards Linnetia. Even from here, I watched his shoulders bulge, and his muscles contort with power. Of course, he wasn’t holding back…but somehow…

Linnetia was keeping up…no, she was evenly matched? Huh, how is this possible?

Lin expertly weaved in between his punches and even managed to land a few of her own. But Kaladin wasn’t slacking either. Kaladin went high with a hook, and Lin brought up a single arm to block, only for Kaladin to kick forward suddenly.

Linnetia grunted, and spittle flew from her mouth as Kaladin’s foot pressed into her stomach. However, Lin didn’t take that lying down. Instead, she wrapped her arm around Kaladin’s leg and locked it in place, only to let her body fall to the ground.

Linnetia kicked Kaladin straight into the kneecap and sent his leg back at an awkward angle. He let out a muffled groan of pain as the two of them fell to the ground together in a pile of limbs. Lin took the opportunity to roll away, and she was already back up on her feet.

Kaladin was somewhat slow to get up and eventually fell back to the ground. He looked down at his knee with a blank expression, and I groaned at the sight. His kneecap had shifted to the side and looked horribly disfigured.

The man simply placed a hand underneath his thigh and gripped his leg, and quickly bent his leg. The popping noise and the sudden correction of his knee was horrendous. The sound was so bad it made Mila whimper, and her ears flattened down as she looked away.

Did…Lin just win? Did she really just best Kaladin in a fight? And why is she just letting him get up?

Linnetia was standing back with an emotionless expression as Kaladin stood up on a shaky leg. He shook his leg out, jumped up and down a few times, and rolled his shoulders and neck. Then he ran straight towards her.

What was that? Did they just have some kind of silent agreement? Did they say something I didn’t catch? What is going on right now?

I looked over to my sister and Sylvia, who seemed equally as confused as I watched the fight with wide eyes. Well…Sylvia only had one eye showing, but it was all the same. So naturally, my eyes could no longer be kept away from the fight as Lin and Kaladin exchanged blows.

Linnetia wasn’t sneaking in hits on Kaladin. She was legitimately holding her own and managing to land several well-placed strikes on his body, face, legs, and arms. But Kaladin seems to have picked up the pace slightly.

Lin blocked high, only for Kaladin to strike low with a punch to the side. Lin was able to take a step back, but Kaladin pressed his attack with a leg kick. His muscular leg moved quickly and connected with the side of Linnetia’s thigh with a meaty smack. Lin buckled for a moment from the force of the kick, and Kaladin took advantage.

He punched straight forward, aiming for Lin’s face, but she was able to push aside his punch by palming the back of his forearm away. However, unfortunately for Lin, she was unable to stop the blow completely.

Crunch.

Kaladin’s elbow connected squarely with Linnetia’s nose. Blood sprayed out like a fountain as Lin wobbled backward, trying to stem the flow of blood. But in the end, she only managed to smear her face with red. And unlike Linnetia, it seemed Kaladin had no intentions of allowing her to recover.

Kaladin moved forward with another straight punch, but Lin…she was faking it?

Linnetia seemed to have been dazed, but when Kaladin was about to punch her, she moved even quicker than before. I could see her forearms and legs bulge with power as Lin seemingly pushed her mana enhancement to another level. I had fought Lin before, and I knew she was strong. I mean, she was the number one student in our class for a reason. But I’d never seen her like this.

Was she holding back this entire time? Was Lin really not going all out for all these years? Who is this girl…do I even know her?

Lin went straight to the ground in an attempt to take down Kaladin. But he wouldn’t go down so quickly as Lin was rewarded with a knee that grazed her head. She wrapped her arms around Kaladin’s leg and drove forward, attempting to topple him over. Lin stepped over and over again, driving her body into him, but Kaladin bounced up and down with a single leg as if it were a simple matter of balancing himself in such a situation.

He struck Lin multiple times in the back of the head, but she wouldn’t let go. It seemed like her grip only increased with every successful blow. It was Kaladin that faltered first, and it wasn’t his fault. It looked as if his foot landed in an uneven part of the arena and caused him to collapse.

While Kaladin fell backward, he wrapped his arms around her waist and attempted to toss Linnetia over him, but that ended in failure. Lin held on, and as the two crashed towards the ground and began scuffling, she was able to wrap around and get ahold of his back.

Lin had attached herself to Kaladin and was repeatedly punching him in the back of the head. It was an all-out slugfest as Kaladin attempted to protect himself and even occasionally swing back and connect with an elbow or two.

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I stopped looking at the fight for a moment and looked at Kaladin’s face…I was expecting a grimace or a cold glare, but none of those appeared on his handsome features.

Instead…the man just smiled…fresh blood seeped from multiple wounds and rolled down his face. His smile made it seem that he was ecstatic to be getting punched and elbowed repeatedly.

And he wasn’t the only one smiling.

Every time Linnetia’s face was visible, either from a harsh blow or an attempted dodge, I saw her satisfied, sadistic grin. Blood caked the dirt and her face. The crimson liquid covered just about everything from the nose down, yet she seemed more alive than ever.

Lin was typically a laid-back, calm, and quiet kind of person. Prone to taking naps and petting her cat. She could be serious at times, but she was going to be the head of the Paine family, so it made sense for her to have that stoic and official side. But this…this was a completely different side of her…

“Hey? What is going on? What is happening right now?” Lauren asked aloud, but I sure didn’t have an answer.

We both turned to Sylvia, but she was just watching with one wide eye. She seemed almost afraid to get up, and Mila had stopped watching the fight at some point and just clung to Sylvia’s jacket.

Kaladin had enough as he began trying to headbutt Linnetia using the back of his skull. The first attempt was a miss as Lin dodged it barely, but the second was a direct hit. Perhaps if Lin’s nose weren’t already destroyed, it would have been more devastating, but it was enough to weaken her grip. Kaladin escaped her and quickly tried standing up, only for Lin to kick outward.

The sole of her shoe impacted Kaladin’s jaw hard and sent him stumbling back. He took one shaky step, then another, and on the third, managed to plant his feet onto the ground. Kaladin was covered in dirt and blood. Purple bruises were already starting to form across his swollen body, and anywhere that wasn’t bruised was bleeding from minor cuts. He turned his head and spat a glob of dark red blood onto the arena’s floor, and a speck of white floated around in the puddle.

“YOU GOT THIS! YOU CAN BEAT HIM!” Sylas shouted.

How can this man support this…what is wrong with him? And did she manage to kick one…no two of his teeth out?!

—

Kaladin Shadowheart’s POV.

I swished my broken teeth around my mouth and spat them onto the ground. My face hurt, and my body ached from Lin’s violent assault. I already felt welts rising on just about every square inch of me. And, of course, my damn knee hurt from having it viciously dislocated.

But this is fun for some reason. Never did I imagine Linnetia would have this kind of training.

To some, it may just seem like we are battling it out with random moves and such, but that’s not really the case. I can tell that Lin has actual combat training. Initially, I was going at about 90% of my total strength, and Lin had no problems matching me in every department. Even when she dislocated my knee, I went to around 95%, thinking that would have been enough to subdue her. Yet, she was still able to hold her own and even best me in some situations. At first, I had no intentions of actually hurting Linnetia seriously but now….

Everything about this was both exciting and worrisome. Because Lin’s skills aren’t something you just casually pick up or have someone in this world teach you. No, she was using various martial arts from my old life. Her stance and strikes are from Krav Magra, but she wasn’t using any of the lethal strikes or eye gouging.

Even her attempted single-leg takedown was a textbook example of wrestling. She put me in a Jiu-Jitsu back guard. Her knee kick was a stomp kick designed to break knees…something taught in most militaries. So…

Did someone train Lin, or is she from my world? I suppose I can find out.

I released about 15% of my bloodlust and directed it all at Lin. So far, if I had done this to anyone in this world, they would instantly be put on guard and would become afraid or even downright hostile to me. But not Lin…she’s just smiled even brighter.

She looked like a bloodied monster as the entirety of her lower face was smattered with blood and dirt. Even her teeth had blood spots on them, and her ear-to-ear smile was worrisome. I would have thought she was a psychopath if I didn't know better. Or maybe she is one…

I put mana into my Dragon eye, and sure enough, I double-confirmed what I already knew to be true. Tiny black tendrils of…void…or whatever this was were wrapped around her soul. It was faint…very faint, and I had to focus quite hard to notice them, but they were there. It was different from mine or even Sylvia’s…so I had to wonder what the connection really was…but that was for another time.

Lin was also exceptionally gifted; if I had to guess, her soul was nearly as bright as mine. She may not be able to use magic, but her mana-enhancement is on my level or just slightly below it. But that doesn’t matter.

She’s a reincarnated person, for sure.

And she is dangerous.

I’m not sure who she was in her previous life. I came from a time of intergalactic war…if somebody like me could be reborn, then it was reasonable to believe that anyone in my previous existence could be reborn in this world. Including the thousands of alien species I helped kill.

Come to think of it. Lin is probably the person feeding Bowen information…so perhaps she was a Human…could she be a Death Commando? She fights like us…wait…

Could it be?

Lin jolted forward, and the fight continued on. We traded blows, striking for weak points, and just generally boxing with each other. Lin was no longer holding back either. Her moves had a certain edge to them now that they lacked before. She was trying to kill me. The fight had entered the final stage.

I can’t hold back anymore.

The warm feeling of mana left my core, and I felt my body pulse with power. Guiding so much of my mana throughout me like this felt euphoric, and some of the pain I felt melted away. I blocked Lin’s punch and countered with a jab to her stomach.

Lin responded in kind by punching me right back, and she made some distance while kicking me in the leg. I gave chase, and she kept me at bay for a few moments by repeatedly kicking at me and keeping me away with more jabs.

But this was the difference between us. Lin was undoubtedly strong, fast, and highly skilled…but I was stronger, faster, and far more skilled in a match where we were both going at 100%. The smallest of margins mattered when we were both this trained.

She let out a small groan as I kicked her just above the hip. Lin recovered instantly and attempted a high kick aimed at my head, but it was just a setup. I caught her leg and watched as she tried to bounce up, most likely in an attempt to swing around me. Lin was much smaller than me, and with her speed, this was possible for her…if I wasn’t serious.

I overpowered Lin and forced more mana into my body. Then I slammed her to the ground. I heard the air leave her lungs and her ribs break as she impacted the earth. Small cracks spread out from the impact, and Lin’s consciousness looked to have wavered.

Unfortunately, Lin was a threat to my way of life. She fed Bowen information from our previous world, information that could be used against my family and me. That was something I couldn’t allow, no matter what.

Lin had to die. Even if everyone hated me, it would be worth it in the long run. Maybe I’ll just make it look like an accident…somehow. Perhaps I should let her live and then come and kill her at a later time? No…if I do that…she may go into hiding, considering she now most likely knows I’m a reincarnation as well.

While on the way down, Lin had regained her sense. Even though most people wouldn’t have been able even to throw a punch in this state, Lin was still fighting back as she kicked me from underneath my jaw on her way down. I saw stars for a moment, but I ignored the pain. I was used to it, after all.

I mounted on top of her, and my first blow connected with her sternum. She let out another pained groan and winced but still continued to retaliate as she attempted to punch back at me while defending her head. She clawed at my arms in desperation, trying to slow me any way she could. But unfortunately for her, I had already begun my onslaught.

Blow after blow rained down onto Lin. Most of the time, I was just connecting with her arms or hands, but I managed to land hits on her face. I felt her strength gradually weaken with every successful punch. Finally, she stopped fighting back and was put on a full defensive. It had gotten to a point where I just punched Lin’s hands into her face over and over again.

I ripped one of her hands free from her guard and was about to punch her again when I stopped. Lin’s teary and bloodied hazel eyes looked up at me…not in fear…pain…but in bliss. She was crying, and I listened as she swallowed a massive glob of her blood, most likely from all the cuts I had made in her mouth. A large smile slowly spread out from her puffy, swollen lips.

Am…I seeing things?

“I—I never stood a chance against you….did I…Commander?” she choked out, her mouth full of blood.

My heart sank, and my ears started ringing. Lin hadn’t spoken in Human, Elvish, Dwarven, or any language in this world…she had spoken in English…

And she called me Commander?

“Nyx? Is that you?”

—

Padraic Whitehelm’s POV

I shifted the fire with a big stick and sighed. Being on guard was always a drag…it was necessary, and I understood that…but it didn’t make it any less boring. It didn’t help that the person I was supposed to guard wasn’t even here.

I stopped myself from fidgeting around with my tag, a bad habit I’d developed over the last three years. I’m just not sure what was so soothing about it. Perhaps it was the metallic feel? That’s my guess…or the itch to work it under a forge and make it look better. I brought the Opal up and its multicolor metal reflected in the campfire. Honestly, I just wanted to smelt the whole thing down and start anew. I felt like if I added a bit—

Ah…never mind…I really need to forge something in the next town…I’m going through withdrawals.

I sighed again, kicked my legs onto the log, and gazed out into the night sky. This was another habit I had, but unlike the other one that formed naturally, this one was given to me by an old friend….my brother. I always wondered what he was looking for up there. He would always stare into the black sky, whether the stars were shining or not. It didn’t matter if the moons were visible either he was always looking up there…but for what? What was so interesting in that sky?

Maybe I’ll get to ask him soon. We’ve come so close…

I reached into my shirt and pulled out the parchment with his ugly mug on it. Whoever drew this thing should get a damn raise because they nailed him perfectly. They got everything from the angry scowl to the hateful eyes all in one beautiful package. I just couldn’t help but chuckle.

I mean, they even gave people a king’s ransom to find the damn fool…just what did he do? Surely this paper is just a big ol story. I mean, a Dark Elf assassin? Him? Honestly, if they even talked to him for thirty seconds, they would know that the only thing that gloomy bastard could assassinate was the mood.

I squeezed the paper tighter and shut my eyes. If we had only gone northwest instead of east, perhaps we would have found you sooner…I’m sorry…I—

My head snapped towards the bushes, and I shot up, hand on my hammer, ready to strike. I had no idea how someone or something managed to sneak by my traps, but they must be—

What the?

“Mr. Shadowheart? Is that you?” I said in utter disbelief. This man should be on an entirely different continent, not in Sandervile.

He gave me a tired smile, and I couldn’t help but feel a little sad. However, he hadn’t changed much since I last saw him…he looked…tired…like he was drained physically and mentally.

I guess that’s what happens when you spend six years alone…looking for your lost son.

“It’s been a while, Padraic. Your beard is filling in nicely,” he said warmly but couldn't hide the tiredness in his voice.

I stroked my beard and nodded. “Yeah…”

I didn’t know what else to say to him as he ignored my initial question, and I got a weird feeling that he didn’t want to talk much. That’s when I heard another rustle in the bushes, and a white blur moved out from the brush.

“Mrs…Shadowheart? Okay, what’s going on?” I asked, taking a step back.

I could understand Mr. Shadowheart, but she should definitely not be here. I heard she had left for Amoth almost a year ago as well…

She shushed me and narrowed her golden eyes at me. “Quiet now, Padraic…”

Oh…I forgot…

“Sorry,” I said in a hushed voice. She, too, gave me a tired and wry smile.

Mr. Shadowheart sighed, looked behind me, and raised his eyebrows at me. I merely shrugged, and he just nodded his head. “I see…well… we are leaving.”

“Leaving? To where? Why…”

Suddenly I felt as if my heart was about to leap out from my chest. I felt every hair on my body stand on end, and it was like I was being crushed to the floor by an invisible hammer.

“I am taking all of you to meet your brother,” an unfamiliar voice told me.

By my beard…what kind of monster is this?