Serena wanted to go and talk to Fen, so she and Leah headed off, leaving Titan, me, Io, Rea, Jin, and Levy in the square.

I couldn't help but be curious about what Kron and the others were setting up near the square, so I decided to ask.

I mean, why not?

"What are you doing?" I asked as Kron instructed a group of ogres to carry a huge stone slab.

"Oh, kid. I'm setting up for the coming-of-age ceremony. Good thing you're here, go and fight inside once we're done. You and the other little kiddos will have your first battle against the older ogres!" Kron replied as he went ahead and helped the ogres, though he didn’t seem entirely satisfied.

Uh… I don’t want to. All I wanted was to be lazy in this life.

'But I could see why he said that.' I thought as I glanced at some of the ogre's who were wayyyyyyy too proud for their evolution and I've been noticing the unkind stares from the monsters around.

Ha… right. People here abide by the rule of survival of the fittest.

Although right now, their thoughts are only budding, but it’s only a matter of time.

You can’t expect people not to want to rise to higher places.

I sighed. Right. People are ambitious. I thought with them being monsters, it would be different, but I guess race doesn’t matter.

Though now, I'm curious about how Kron became the leader and who the previous one was before that. I should ask later.

As I was lost in thought, I felt a nudge at my side. Levy smirked. "Too scared to even do your tradition?"

... "Bring it on!" I said, my determination building up as I met her eyes. I wouldn’t let these hostile thoughts take root.

It didn't take long to set up the whole place, not with how eager the ogres were when they learned I was gonna have my coming of age.

I got on the arena, hoping for this to be over soon so that I can laze around again.

Also, I don't know when but, the ogres surrounding us stood besides the ring, eager to watch the challenge. Io and the others were on the side watching what was gonna happen in here. I could see Bjorn and the others on the other ring, planning to figh as well.

One of the ogres stepped forward, towering over me. He cracked his knuckles, clearly sizing me up. And then sneering after seeing how flimsy I was, my body was, after all human."Think you can beat me, little one?"

I smirked. I didn’t need magic for this. I had already been trained to survive the harshest environments by Uncle before, and my time in the underworld on Earth had taught me well. I didn’t need spells. I had my fists, my instincts, and a solid understanding of combat~

Without a word, I launched myself at the ogre, my speed catching him off guard. I closed the distance in a blur, delivering a swift jab to his gut that made him stumble back.

He snarled, swinging a massive arm at me, but I was already rolling under the blow, using my momentum to strike a sharp knee to his side.

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The ogre roared in pain, but before he could recover, I was already on top of him. My hand locked around his wrist as he tried to punch me, and with a twist, I flipped him over, slamming him onto the ground.

He groaned in disbelief, unable to comprehend what had just happened. I didn’t give him time to recover. I darted behind him, pulling him into a chokehold, cutting off his air supply. He struggled briefly before going limp.

I let go, tossing his unconscious form aside. "Next," I said, my voice calm seemingly not caring, though my heart raced with excitement.

It's been a while since I last fought with a sentient being!

I looked towards the other ring as I waited for them to move.

My siblings were already engaged in their own battles, and I couldn’t help but glance over at them.

Bjorn and Kiril were trading heavy punches with two of the older ogres, their fists slamming into their opponents’ sides with terrifying force.

Shir and Jil were faster, darting around their opponents with quick jabs and kicks, while Deil and Hiol were using their brute strength to overpower their opponents.

Nio and Wiv, though smaller, were using their agility to slip past their opponents and land precise blows.

Yeah, they're doing fine. Good.

I looked back towards the arena where I was.

The ogres I felt hostile towards me exchanged uncertain glances. Clearly, they hadn't expected such speed and precision from someone my size. One by one, they hesitated but soon that turned to excitement. I could tell that they liked the fact that I could make them hesitate.

They really do remind me of the group I tried to make before. Unfortunately their body couldn't handle my training. But these guys? With their overwhelming strength and stamina? I have a feeling they will be very fun to teach~

A punch to the jaw here, a kick to the ribs there, and I had taken them all down without breaking a sweat.

They were strong, their pure raw strength was good as expected. But their inexperience towards fighting someone who relies more on skills could be seen.

I have to teach them that later. I should bring back my training regime here too!

Kron stepped forward, a grin spreading across his face as he surveyed the defeated ogres. "Impressive, kid. Real impressive." He turned to the others, his voice loud. "These ogres like fighting strong opponents, and you’ve shown them what that means."

Then, his grin turned into a smirk as he cracked his knuckles. "Alright, let’s see if you can handle me."

I raised an eyebrow, but my body was already itching for a challenge. Kron, despite his usual gruffness, was a powerful opponent. He was the leader of this tribe of muscleheads for a reason.

"Let’s see what you’ve got, old man," I said with a wink.

He charged, swinging a mighty fist toward me, but I was already moving, dodging his punch with ease. His blows were powerful, but they were slower than the ogres'. I could see the openings, the gaps in his defense.

The fight quickly became a clash of raw strength and speed. Kron’s fists were like sledgehammers, each swing capable of sending anyone flying, but I was faster. I darted around him, ducking under his blows and landing quick strikes to his sides. My punches were precise, aiming for his ribs and pressure points, trying to wear him down.

Kron’s face twisted with frustration as I slipped past another of his wild swings and landed a solid kick to his stomach. He staggered back, his breath heavy, but his grin never faltered.

"Not bad, kid," he grunted, wiping blood from his lip. "But I’m just getting started!"

With a roar, he launched himself at me, swinging both fists down in a powerful arc. I dodged to the side, narrowly missing the crushing blow, and countered with a knee to his gut. The impact made him grunt and stumble backward, but he quickly regained his footing, his eyes locked on me.

The crowd of ogres watched intently, the tension palpable in the air. They were eager to see how long Kron could keep up with me. His strikes were relentless, but I was relentless, too. My movements were fluid, each step taken with careful precision, always a step ahead of him.

Kron tried to surprise me by feinting left and swinging a right hook. I saw it coming, ducking under his arm and landing an uppercut to his chin. The force of the hit snapped his head back, and for a moment, I thought I might have finally thrown him off balance. But with a roar, Kron straightened and charged again, his sheer power pushing him through any moment of weakness.

"Come on, kid!" Kron laughed, swinging wildly. "You’ve gotta do better than that if you wanna beat me!"

I grinned through the sweat, adrenaline pumping through me. The fight was fierce, but I could see it now—the openings in his defense were getting wider. Kron’s swings were slower, his breathing heavier. I wasn’t just faster than him; I was outlasting him.

I feinted a left jab, watching him swing his massive arm to block it. The moment his arm moved, I darted in with a right hook that landed flush on his ribs. The air left his lungs in a sharp gasp, and he stumbled back once more, holding his side.

The crowd of ogres erupted in cheers, and I took a step back, catching my breath. My body was sore, but the exhilaration of the fight kept me going. Kron, now panting heavily, was clearly surprised by my stamina. He was used to dominating fights with pure force, but I had endurance on my side.

With a final growl, Kron charged once more. This time, I was ready. As he swung both fists toward me in a devastating double punch, I slid under his guard, wrapping my legs around his waist. Using the momentum, I twisted, throwing him off balance, and then used my shoulder to shove him down to the ground.

Kron hit the dirt with a heavy thud, the air knocked from his lungs. For a long moment, there was only silence. Then, slowly, he pushed himself up, grinning like a madman.

"Alright, kid," he panted, giving me a nod of respect. "You’ve got it. You’re stronger than I thought." He clapped me on the back, causing me to stumble forward slightly. "Looks like I’ll have to train harder to keep up with you."

I grinned back, feeling the thrill of the fight coursing through me. "Maybe you should."

The crowd of ogres roared in approval, the atmosphere alive with excitement. I stood tall, chest heaving with exertion. Today, I had proven to myself—no magic needed. Just raw strength and skill. It seems I'm not rusty yet!

So with a grin on my face I motioned for the other ogres to bring it on!