Zane POV:

Sho walked forward first, stopping a few metres in front of me. He adjusted the mask covering his lower face and dipped his head.

“I am sorry it had to be this way.”

“Don’t be. It was your choice that led to this outcome. Now show me how much you’ve improved.”

I observed his eyes tremble before he gave me a firm nod; he had cast off the regret and hesitation that clung to him. Sho lowered his centre of gravity as the air began to stir. He flashed forward; his fist arrived beside my neck, followed by a cannon of wind that fissured the earth behind me.

But he had failed to grasp my movement.

“Sho.”

He opened his slit eyes, and his fists flickered. I stood still, dodging his barrage of strikes while directing them before my hand rested against his chest. I pushed him back, but wind explosions assaulted the vast desert canyon.

They cut through the dense rocks, eroding away the deeper layers. Sho wrapped the air around him to increase his speed as he dashed back in.

I watched him leap into the air and grab hold of the scabbard attached to his waist. Sho drew his sword in one fluid motion, releasing a burst of Sword Ki from the arc of his swing.

I stretched out my hand, blocking the attack. Dozens of smaller slashes tried to penetrate my dense Ki Armour to no avail.

“Foo...”

Sho landed nimbly on his toes, sliding back into a swordsman’s stance. His hand hovered over the hilt as he let out a small breath to refocus his mind. The thin blade glowed, leaving behind a trail of white light.

Several blade arcs flew toward me. Sho enhanced his attacks further by wrapping the wind around his sword, coating his Sword Ki to form this incomplete creation.

“You’ve broken through to the rank of a Sword Master, but you don’t fight like one. I told you this before: you can’t supplement your shortcomings in this area by using Elemental Ki; it will only have the opposite effect.”

I swatted away his onslaught and continued to observe his every move down to the finest of details. The wind blades lacerated the canyon with ease, but his Elemental Ki couldn’t merge with the Ki he was currently using. Its pseudo form created disharmony: an opening that one could easily exploit.

What Sho had chased after his whole life was something that not many could achieve. However, I believed he could do it.

The problem was time.

When an individual wants something bad enough, it creates desperation. That intense feeling of anxiousness often leads most to look for shortcuts: any method that would speed up the process, and that was dangerous. Especially if the subject matter at hand was Ki.

“You're wrong. I can feel the difference. I’m much better than before.”

Sho ignored my advice; he imbued more of his Elemental Ki into his attacks at an erratic pace. The wind blades sliced through several large boulders in the distance when he flashed forward.

“Zero Win—”

My hand rested against the hilt of his sword, stopping it from moving any further.

“Continue on like this, and you’ll destroy your Ki Channels. You already know this method is wrong. You’ve used your time incorrectly, Sho.”

He winced in pain as his Ki spiralled out of control. It deviated, threatening to implode his body from within. My fingers flickered across Sho’s body, pushing down on several pressure points now that he was in a defenceless state.

His gradual Ki Deviation came to an end as I sealed off the failed combination of Elemental Ki and Sword Ki.

“...Guh...! Stop...Interfering!!”

Mouthfuls of blood splattered against his mask, dying it a darker colour. I avoided his laboured sword strike and pushed him all the way back to Brand, who observed the battle from afar.

I watched him bend down and place his hand on Sho’s shoulder.

“Look, Sho. You were just about to achieve your dream, but once again, he denied it. He claims that you’re wrong. He mocks you by not fighting seriously. Is that what a true friend would do? He’s scared of your potential; that’s why he’s always put you down.”

Blood spurted out of Sho’s eye sockets, staining them a shade of red. His pupils locked onto me as his hand rose. He tore the mask off his face while Brand’s lips curved into a devilish smile.

“That’s it, Sho. Take a good look at the man who has always told you: No, you can’t do it.”

I narrowed my eyes and examined the severe burn marks on Sho’s neck. It extended to the lower half of his face; its pinkish complexion bubbled at different locations while light shades of red drew attention to the uneven surfaces of his aged skin that sagged.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Sho was a victim of physical abuse.

His parents regularly burned parts of his body as punishment for disobedience or not bringing home an adequate sum of money. One day, they set his neck on fire: an event that would scar Sho in multiple areas.

“Hilda, support Sho. There’s no need to hold back when our dear friend is spending his precious time with us.”

He mocked me while Hilda stood beside Sho. They both released the full extent of their Ki, causing the sky to rumble as the entire desert canyon shook. Violent gusts of wind swept over the area, and fissures tried to form beyond it.

“Come.”

I folded my arms as the two of them charged toward me.

***

Brand POV:

9 years ago.

“Spit it out, Brand! What was so important that you had to talk to me in private on such a special day?!”

A sigh escaped my mouth as Hilda puffed out her chest while folding her arms. Somehow, every time I saw her, she got cuter and cuter. I couldn’t hold it in any longer; it was time for us to be a couple.

“Alright, alright. I get it. Um... I just wanted to tell you that I really like you. Why don’t we go out with each other...”

Her gaze shifted to Zane, forcing my words to trail off. A large group of people surrounded him, cheering and celebrating the accomplishments he had achieved in Outer Astril. I stared at the content smile on his face, unmoved by the scene before me.

“Ugh, Brand, you’re killing me here. You already know I love Zane.”

She ran her hand through her curly hair. I balled my hands into fists, and my eyebrows furrowed. Despite my standing, it had taken a considerable amount of courage to confess my feelings, yet I had been treated as an afterthought? I hated it.

It was unacceptable.

“Heh. Don’t be silly, Hilda. He’s got a thing for that weirdo; he won’t look your way. Zane doesn’t appreciate your beauty or your personality, but I do. I know how hard you worked to transform the West into what it is now.”

Her eyebrows quivered, and she peeled her eyes away from him. My lips curved upwards as I pressed on.

“We're both young, but look at the Ki Stage we managed to reach. It’s clear that we have talent—we are special, and I want you to feel that way everyday.”

She pressed a finger to her temple while letting out a deep sigh. I narrowed my eyes, waiting for the only response I could receive: a positive one.

After all, how could I possibly let Hilda slip through my fingers? My eyes had been on her for a very long time, and I would get the result I wanted one way or another.

So stop stalling, Hilda.

Hurry up and accept my feelings!

“...It was mainly Zane that remade the West. I helped out as much as I could, but there’s just this air about him, you know? Whenever I’m with him, I can feel my heartbeat increase. I get butterflies in my stomach whenever he calls out my name. Brand, what should I do? I know he likes her, but my feelings for him only keep growing...”

‘...Zane Pantheon!!!’

My face contorted with disgust at her stupid ramblings about her love life. How dare she stand there and act all shy, blushing while talking about another man in front of me! Not only that, but she asks for advice to get with him??!!

“...Brand, I’m asking you as a friend for help.”

She grabbed my hand; her touch making my heart skip a beat. I clenched my teeth and ripped my hand out of her grip.

“Don’t patronize me, Hilda. If you want to be with him so bad, just kill that damn retar—”

*Slap*

My eyes shook. I, Brand, had just been slapped? Not even my own mother had dared to lay hands on the vessel of a King, yet Hilda didn’t hesitate to...

My thoughts came to a halt. Tears flowed down Hilda’s soft cheeks; they made my heart throb and my eyebrows quiver. Had I really said something so wrong?

“Brand... Don’t ever say something like that again.”

She wiped her beautiful eyes before heading back inside the room. I stood there for a few moments in silence, processing the strange scene that had just occurred. I placed a hand over my face, and a small chuckle left my mouth.

‘...I see how it is.’

My dear friend Zane had converted my Hilda into a little goody two shoes; that was the only way to explain her extreme reaction to my words. Even if she couldn’t bear to see Zane in pain, killing that retard would give her the opportunity to fill the void in his heart.

‘Your dumb ideals make you suffer.’

I glanced at her, laughing along with the others. Zane leaned forward and put the back of his hand against her forehead. Hilda’s cheeks flushed instantly while he asked if she was alright.

“Tch.”

I ripped my eyes away from the scene. Looking at the two of them interact so closely would only aggravate me more.

‘Ah right... Where is that retard, anyway?’

Everyone knew about their relationship, and Zane had no problem with showing moderate affection in public. I could only guess that she chose not to come till later. It would be funny if I killed her myself, then pinned it on Hilda.

That would turn Zane against her, meaning she’d have no option other than to confide in me. Zane would suffer a loss, while I would benefit; isn’t that the perfect outcome?

“Hm? You’re not going in, Brand?”

Sho put an end to my crazy thoughts with his irritating voice. I observed the bags of snacks he carried while his eyes curved into large ‘U’ shapes. That look meant he was happy he could celebrate with everyone else. To think he would find joy in this rather than sitting alone on his throne.

Pitiful.

“Sho, what do you think of Zane?”

“Hmm... Zane is... Mysterious, but I like him. He always takes time out of his day to listen to my problems. He teaches me and even... Helps heal the burns across my body. He isn’t disgusted by them.”

‘Tch. Dumb fool. He’s obviously taking advantage of your weaknesses to boost his own position.’

I scowled as my back hit against the wall. I wouldn’t fall for Zane’s schemes, and I would most certainly take back everything that he had taken from me.

“Zane thinks of you as a precious friend.”

“Don’t make me laugh. You think because I took his hand that day and we spent a lot of time together, all of a sudden we’re friends now?”

Sho scratched the back of his head, thinking about how he should reply to the facts I had just blessed his dumb ears with hearing.

“But you seemed genuinely happy, especially when the two of you spar. It’s like all of that weight you’re carrying vanishes or something like that? I’m not good at talking, anyway...”

“...”

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out, so I clicked my tongue instead. I could only manage to swallow my pride a handful of times to spar with him, and I only did that with the intention of downloading as much information as possible on his fighting style. Eventually, there would be an opening I could exploit.

That time would come one day.

“Good for you, your throats healed enough that you can spout the same nonsense as Hilda.”

His feet shuffled forward towards the door.

“Mm... You’re kinda mean, Brand. I liked you a lot more before.”

‘!’

A sudden thought flashed through my mind, and I instantly covered the wide smile spreading across my face.

“I’m sorry, Sho. Go and enjoy yourself. You worked hard.”

I watched his cheeks rise as an energetic voice escaped from his healed vocal cords.

“Thanks, Brand!”

He walked inside, holding up the bags of snacks while the celebration continued. I chuckled to myself as I went over the wonderful plan that Sho had just inspired me to make.

‘Time...’

I adjusted my facial expression and entered the room. No matter how much people may revere you, Zane. At the end of the day, you’re only human.