A few minutes later, Jessica regained consciousness and slowly opened her eyes. The first sight that greeted her was the moon shining brightly amidst the stars, while the gentle touch of grass caressed her body.

She had lost.

Gathering her strength, she attempted to sit up, but her weary muscles protested, causing her discomfort.

Glancing down at the oversized shirt she wore, clearly not her own, she observed the outcome of the intense struggle. All her rage, frustration, and determination had amounted to nothing. She hadn't even come close to touching a hair on his head, not that he had any. It felt as if he had been toying with her like a child.

"Why are you crying?" Elea asked, taking a seat beside her.

Jessica rarely shed tears, especially not in front of others, but Elea was not one to tell silly lies. She reached up to touch her eyes and discovered they were indeed moist, tears welling up.

"I'm not." She denied it anyway.

To hide her tear-streaked face, she turned her head away from Elea, shifting her gaze toward the battleground where she had stood just moments ago. Kyle now occupied her place, preparing to face their teacher. The fight had yet to begin.

"Then why do you look so down?" Elea didn't let up.

"Can't you see my pride is hurt? Losing to that pathetic excuse for a teacher is the most shameful thing that has ever happened to me. How did I become so weak? When did he grow so strong?" Jessica grumbled in frustration.

Elea smiled upon hearing Jessica's rant.

"Technically, you won that fight."

Jessica had misjudged Elea; it seemed the girl could tell lies too. In the end, everyone sucked inside.

As if sensing her distrust, Elea continued to explain.

"You really did it! Even though you weren't able to put up a fight. Teacher declared you the winner because he had to take off his shirt."

So, she had won because she had forced him to remove his shirt? The reasoning seemed utterly absurd. At first, Jessica refused to believe it, but as she felt the fabric of the unfamiliar shirt against her body, she reconsidered. This bald man would certainly say something so brainless.

"How stupid."

"Well, at least you won. Isn't that what matters most?"

"Hmph."

Jessica's pride wouldn't allow her to accept such a pathetic victory, so she decided to beat him next time.

...

Within the illuminated circle of torches, Kyle faced his opponent, neither looking like they were taking the matter seriously.

"From the very start, you were the only one who never questioned me. Aren't you curious?" Jack inquired.

"You wouldn't have answered anyway, so why bother?"

Understanding Jack's personality well, Kyle knew that attempting to extract important information from him was akin to hitting a brick wall. It would be futile, much like Jessica, Silas, and the others had experienced. Not only would he receive no answers, but he would also be mocked and provoked. Kyle was not about to let Jack take advantage of him.

"But didn't Jessica just prove you wrong? Her strong feelings got through to me and gave you all a chance to get an explanation," Jack remarked.

"No... you decided to tell us from the beginning, or you wouldn't have let that count as a win," Kyle stated matter-of-factly.

Jack blinked a few times. "Oh ... Has your brain finally started functioning again?" he quipped. " But none of that matters now, the same rules apply to you – land a single hit, and you win."

"And if you want to use a weapon, feel free to choose," he added.

"I'll use a spear," Kyle decided.

He beckoned one of the children observing outside the ring to fetch a spear, and soon Kyle found himself equipped with the chosen weapon. After a few practice swings and thrusts, he assumed a stance, pointing the spear's tip towards Jack. The young man was prepared.

"Come at me whenever you want."

With these words, the fight began.

Kyle didn't immediately launch an attack, cautious after witnessing Jessica's struggle. He had never consciously considered Jack's strength, but spending some time amidst gangsters, criminals, and the underbelly of society had taught him how to discern the weak from the strong. It had become a necessary survival instinct.

Jack consistently wore clothes that were oversized for his stature, and he wasn't particularly tall for a man either, giving the impression of averageness. However, it was his robust forearms that had always caught Kyle's attention.

Now, with Jack standing shirtless, he appeared formidable. Muscles rippled across his torso, marked by a few discernible scars strewn across his chest and abdomen—remnants of stab wounds and claw marks.

Tightening his grip on the spear, the glaring contrast between the two combatants didn't discourage Kyle. On the contrary, it ignited his fighting spirit. A true warrior sought formidable opponents, and in this simulated battle, Kyle believed he would gain more than he would lose. A smile almost broke through, his excitement difficult to contain.

'I need to calm down. ' This was no time for unchecked emotions; he needed to maintain a rational mindset to stand a chance at landing a hit. Striking Jack once seemed as challenging as scaling a mountain without proper equipment—such was the strength Kyle attributed to his teacher as an adversary.

But in the face of such a formidable opponent, a fire burned within Kyle's body, consuming his thoughts. At that moment, nothing else mattered except the fight in front of him—it held the potential to bring him unparalleled satisfaction, as if it were the purpose of his existence.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Armed with a spear, Kyle circled his opponent, studying him as if he were prey ready to be devoured.

"You've spent so much time pondering and analyzing, only to try and make me dizzy?" Jack chuckled.

Kyle disregarded the taunting words, knowing better than to fall into Jack's rhythm. His breathing steadied as he ensured his body was in an optimal state. His objective was to catch Jack off guard without revealing his intentions, and now everything was in place.

Letting out a warrior's cry, Kyle lunged at Jack, thrusting his spear toward his head with rapid strikes. Jack's eyes remained fixated on the spear's tip, constantly evading the attacks by tilting his head.

Once, thrice, ten times, even after fifty thrusts, Kyle failed to make contact with Jack's body. It was clear he needed to intensify his efforts. Arching his arm, Kyle shifted from piercing attacks to sweeping strikes aimed at Jack's upper body, demanding a more active defense.

With a resounding thud, the spear shaft collided with an open palm, akin to striking an iron surface. Vibrations traveled from the spear's tip to Kyle's arms. He couldn't help but marvel at Jack's incredibly powerful physique, so robust that Kyle yearned to test its limits.

Undeterred, Kyle was certain that Jack must have sustained some damage by now. Over time, the accumulated impact would take its toll, especially considering Jack had just emerged from a previous bout.

The fight persisted, with Kyle alternating between jabs and sweeps, and Jack consistently blocking his assaults with his bare right palm, gradually retreating as Kyle pursued. They appeared to have found their rhythm.

Beads of sweat streamed down Kyle's forehead. Even he, with superior fighting skills compared to the others, began to feel the onset of fatigue. Meanwhile, Jack exhibited a toothy grin, as if relishing a leisurely stroll. Jessica must have found that grin infuriating, and Kyle understood her sentiment—he was annoyed as well.

Summoning his remaining strength, Kyle executed a powerful thrust, successfully pushing Jack back another step. In that moment, an unexpected opportunity unfolded. Jack, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings, stumbled into a hole, losing his balance and falling backward. Now at Kyle's mercy, he wasted no time and swiftly thrust his weapon toward his defenseless teacher. The onlookers rose in astonishment as it appeared that Kyle had indeed landed a successful strike.

Yet only Kyle understood the truth. Just as his spear aimed to pierce Jack's vulnerable skin, a hand moved with remarkable speed, surpassing the thrust of the weapon. Not only did it block Kyle's attack, but it also grasped the sharp tip of the spear. Astonishingly, not a single drop of blood adorned that hand, as if the spearhead was blunt. No matter how hard Kyle exerted himself to retrieve his weapon, it remained steadfast.

They reached a stalemate. He had lost—the opponent had seized his weapon, rendering it useless. There was no other term for it but a defeat.

However, Kyle couldn't surrender at this moment. He had to land at least one hit on Jack. Jessica had failed to do so, yet she emerged victorious. The boy knew that if the fight were to end now, Jack would find any excuse to declare him the winner. That would mean he was weaker than Jessica, who had managed to scorch his clothes; Kyle couldn't even achieve that.

Two reasons fueled Kyle's determination to prolong the battle. Firstly, he couldn't allow Jessica or anyone else to perceive him as weaker. Secondly, the vexing sensation of someone gripping his spear like a mere plaything unsettled him.

The feeling, previously encountered in the forest, resurfaced, firmly etching itself in his mind. It was a long-forgotten emotion, one that Kyle had not experienced since losing everything he held dear — fear. The fear of a being, so strange and devious, when faced with it, he believed he would never be able to return home.

The memories of his final moments in the forest seemed like a strange dream—undeniably real, yet distantly surreal. Since awakening, he sensed a change not only in Silas and Jessica but also within himself. Although subtle, it was undoubtedly present.

Typically, Kyle would have concluded the battle, even if it meant accepting defeat. However, the prospect of losing now was utterly chilling. For the resurrected Kyle, losing equated to dying, and he would use every means at his disposal to survive.

There was another subtle change, but he was not able to put a finger on it.

Within Kyle's line of sight, Jack's dark eyes calmly watched him, his mouth opened, presumably ready to declare the fight's end. But Kyle refused to let things end here.

"This is just the beginning!" he shouted, releasing his grip on the spear and directing a fist toward Jack's head.

The earth beneath his fist shattered, yet Jack adeptly rolled away, seizing the opportunity to rise to his feet. The spear, once relinquished by its owner, now rested in Jack's hands.

"A true warrior would recognize when they have lost the battle," Jack remarked as he toyed with the spear.

"A true warrior knows no defeat," Kyle retorted, preparing himself to continue the fight.

"I see. If you don't understand defeat, then I have no choice but to explain it to you." With these words, Jack threw the spear back to Kyle, who caught it.

Caught off guard, Kyle had not anticipated retrieving the spear, and that momentary lapse was sufficient for Jack to claim victory. With inhuman speed, he lunged in front of Kyle, his open palm soaring toward the boy's face. Kyle staggered backward, attempting to evade the advancing palm within his field of vision. Yet, it proved to be a feint, as Jack seized Kyle by the shirt and pulled him closer.

Kyle struggled to comprehend what was transpiring as a sharp pain struck his abdomen, causing him to immediately lose consciousness. Jack had successfully knocked him out with a powerful knee strike to the stomach.

The children, who had been eagerly anticipating the outcome, erupted into loud exclamations.

"Kyle!!!"

"Hey, you went too far!"

"Is Kyle okay?"

"Son of a bitch!!!"

"No need to worry, he was just tired and fell asleep, I barely touched him." Jack defended himself.

Promptly, Kyle was carried away and laid beside Jessica, who cried out.

"What the hell! Is this the losers gathering?"

Hearing this, Jack provided an explanation.

"But he won. Didn't you see him push me to the ground? A chill ran down my spine at that moment."

Jessica remained silent, choosing not to waste her breath on him. However, Elem spoke up.

"Didn't you say you wouldn't hit anyone?"

Under suspicion of cheating, Jack responded softly.

"Where did you see a hit? That was a kick, and a kick doesn't count as a hit."

This time, even Dustin was on the verge of complaining.

"If you consider a kick as hitting someone, you should have clarified that from the beginning. Don't complain now."

Dustin grumbled a few incomprehensible words but remained silent. The fight had already commenced with the establishment of rules, yet they had failed to realize it, resulting in their unwitting defeat. Elem comprehended this, and upon noticing the clenched fists of the others, he realized they too had grasped the situation.

Jack watched the unconscious boy lying beside Jessica. He acknowledged that Kyle possessed superior fighting intelligence compared to Jessica. While she attacked without a clear strategy, Kyle assessed their surroundings and leveraged them to his advantage. Jack pondered on Kyle's astute employment of the uneven ground from his previous clash with Jessica—it was an excellent plan.

However, what troubled Jack was the flicker of fear he glimpsed in Kyle's eyes when he grabbed his spear. It was a matter that needed to be addressed promptly, as allowing it to linger could become an obstacle in the future. Kyle, who had always been one of the strongest among his peers and even among grown men, had encountered something that shattered his perception of strength. That's why Jack couldn't afford to be lenient with the kids any longer; instead, he aimed to transform their fear into a yearning—for a strength that seemed unattainable.

Though he still didn't know the exact nature of their experience, the time for storytelling could wait. As one revived, the most crucial task was to assess the person's mental functionality—an aspect Jack understood all too well. And what better way to test it than through a battle?

Now, he would put to the test the one whose origins were causing him a headache.

"It's your turn," Jack declared. His eyes glimmered within the ring of fire as his gaze penetrated Silas.

Silas sensed an intense scrutiny directed toward him. It was subtle, yet he discerned it—a mix of curiosity, confusion, and, lurking behind it all, eagerness.

Were Jessica and Kyle being stared at like that too, or was it just him?

Carrying these unanswered questions, Silas stepped into the blazing circle.