Arthur and I arrive in front of the quaint house I call home. I push the door open and enter the familiar warmth that greets me.

"I'm home!"

My voice rings through the entryway, echoing the traditional greeting.

Celine emerges from the kitchen, her face lighting up at the sight of us.

"Welcome home, Dominic, and welcome, Arthur!"

"It's nice to see you again, Auntie," Arthur greets warmly, nodding respectfully.

Leaning toward Arthur, I inform my mother of our plans. "Mum, Arthur wants to hang out for a while."

Celine nods and smiles. "I see."

-Ding!

The sound of the oven timer interrupts our reunion.

"Oh, it seems my blueberry pie is done!"

Celine excuses herself and returns to the kitchen, leaving us in the entryway.

I turn to Arthur, motioning towards the interior. "Let's go in."

Arthur nods and follows me into the living room, where we both sit on the comfortable couch, sinking into its familiar softness.

In the quiet of my home, three significant thoughts occupy my mind:

• Lumi's unexpected attendance at my middle school

• Maurice's surprising role as a teacher before possibly moving on to Verdant Arcanum

• His unexpected offer of personal training

"Haah!"

A sigh escapes me, releasing the day's accumulated tensions and curiosities.

"Doms, you know that sighing makes you older, right?" Arthur offers unsolicited advice.

I shoot him a side glance, half-amused, half-exasperated.

"Those aren't real."

"Yeah, they are. That's why you look older."

His teasing sparks a hint of mock anger within me.

"Me? Old? Have you seen my pretty face?"

I counter, feigning offense while knowing Arthur is just joking around.

Despite only knowing Arthur today, I feel comfortable joking around with him.

"Yeah, you're pretty...for a gorilla." Arthur's response comes with a smirk.

Why this little—

-Creak!

The familiar sound of the front door opening halts our playful exchange. André steps into the room, his eyes lighting up with a warm smile as he spots me.

"Dominic! Welcome home!"

I smile. "Hey, Da—"

-Fwoosh!

A gust of wind sweeps through the room. Before I can comprehend what is happening, Arthur stands before André, brandishing a sword of pure yellow light.

With a swift motion, he aims a strike at André's neck, but André catches Arthur's wrist with ease, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.

What the hell just happened? It happens so fast that I have trouble comprehending it.

Why would Arthur attack André? And why is André's reaction one of amusement rather than alarm?

"Hello, uncle, I'm here for a rematch." Arthur's smirk mirrors André's.

"Really? Then let's start, shall we?"

Without warning, André flings Arthur towards the wall with a force that defies the casual atmosphere moments before.

-Crash!

Arthur is propelled outside the house, the impact sending shockwaves through the air. André wastes no time pursuing Arthur, their movements a blur to my untrained eyes.

This sudden shift from a peaceful homecoming to what appears to be a duel leaves me stunned.

"Oh, there they go again."

I turn around and see Celine holding a freshly baked pie.

She looks nonchalant. Does this often happen before my transmigration?

NEW QUEST! Quest: Help Arthur in the fight.

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Reward: 10 Stat Points and a Gun Arts Manual.

Once again, the red holographic screen appears before me.

Another quest, and this time, Stat Points. What is that?

Also, will I get a Gun Arts Manual? Is it like a martial arts manual but with guns? It seems cool.

However, accepting this quest brings its own set of dilemmas. If I participate in the fight, questions about my guns will arise, potentially revealing the lies I made about Arthur and my parents.

But since I will get a manual, I will do the quest.

I step through the hole in the wall, emerging outside the house to a scene of intense action.

"Haa!"

The sound of exertion fills the air as I catch sight of Arthur, his light sword in hand, launching a series of attacks toward André.

Despite the ferocity of his strikes, André seems to dodge the onslaught with ease, his movements fluid and precise. He flips, sidesteps, and slides right under the swing of Arthur's sword in a move that catches me off guard with its grace.

What a badass.

Regaining his footing, Arthur takes a deliberate step back, pointing his sword directly at André.

"Avalon Blast!"

-Bling!

At his command, three orbs of light materialize beside him, their glow intensifying before unleashing concentrated beams of light that streak toward André.

The attack is powerful and deliberate.

Yet, André's reaction is one of amusement rather than concern. With a confident smirk, he charges directly into the oncoming beams.

His audacity is astonishing. Instead of evading, André chooses to confront the attack head-on.

"Shield of the Abyss."

With André's command, a dark shield manifests in front of him.

-Clank! Clank!

The light beams clash with the dark shield, and André keeps running forward.

"Grasp of the Damned."

André's fists are then enveloped in a shadowy aura.

Arthur's eyes widen of the impending strike.

"Avalon's Radiant Aegis!"

In response, he conjures a shield of light, its form reminiscent of a blooming flower, poised to defend against André's attack.

-BOOM!

The moment André's shadow-covered fist collides with Arthur's radiant shield, a tremendous explosion ensues, sending debris flying in all directions.

I cover my eyes from the debris. It seems André possesses the Dark magic attribute, another rare magic attribute.

As the dust begins to settle, the aftermath of the clash becomes clear.

Arthur is found kneeling on the ground, his breaths coming in heavy pants from the exertion of the battle. In stark contrast, André stands tall and unphased, his gaze fixed upon Arthur with an air of calm superiority.

“Hah…wow Uncle André…hah…I can’t even make you sweat…”

"Stand proud, you are strong."

Observing their exchange, I realize they haven't noticed my presence—a perfect opportunity for action.

With a moment's hesitation, I reached into my pocket and pulled out one of the guns I had received.

Sorry, André.

The thought flashes through my mind as I aim at André's leg, a pang of guilt accompanying the decision.

-BANG!

The gun's recoil pushes me back slightly as I pull the trigger, releasing a red energy bullet that shoots toward André with astonishing velocity.

André seems to sense the incoming threat as he turns around and catches the bullet between two fingers, halting its deadly trajectory in its tracks.

I'm not surprised by this, as André dodged beams of light earlier.

"Who—"

André begins, turning to identify his assailant. His voice trails off as his gaze locks onto mine. The shock and disbelief that initially painted his features soon became a knowing smirk.

"Oh, looks like Dominic wants to join in."

André begins to walk toward me…menacingly.

I gulp, the realization dawning on me that this might have been a step too far—André is likely about to teach me a lesson I won't soon forget.

Instinctively, I raise the gun once more, aiming it directly at him in a desperate bid to halt his advance.

-Bang!

Yet, André's reaction is as swift as it is dismissive. With a mere flick of his wrist, he effortlessly deflects the bullet, continuing his stride toward me without missing a beat.

Oh, hell no, he's coming.

Desperately, I draw the other gun, wielding one in each hand to double my firepower.

-BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

The quick series of bullets boom through the air, and the recoil from handling both pistols at once jolts my arms with a force well beyond my previous experience.

My aim slips beneath the power, and just one of the flurries of bullets fired comes near to hitting André.

André's reaction is immediate and precise.

Effortlessly, he manifests a sword, shrouded in shadows, into existence and uses it to deflect the bullets easily.

Oh no.

My best attempts are little more than playthings to him.

Because of his battle abilities and his command of Dark magic, André is able to perform at a level that seems unattainable.

Not only is my strike nullified by his ability to create and handle a Dark blade so expertly, but it also highlights how far apart our skills are.

-Fwoosh!

In an instant, André vanishes from sight, leaving nothing but a swift gust of wind in his wake.

My heart races. Every story I've ever read, every battle I've witnessed in fiction, whispers a warning—disappearing usually means reappearing somewhere you least expected, often right behind you.

Shit!

I make no hesitation since I am guided by instinct. I execute a move I have only ever dreamed of: I roll to the right.

And my quick thinking turned out to be vital, precisely as I had anticipated. I see that André has moved to exactly where I had been standing just a second before.

"Looks like you have a talent for evading attacks, Dominic." André's voice, imbued with a mix of surprise and respect, reaches me as I regain my footing. "I didn't know you had that in you."

Gripping the guns tighter, I aim them at him again, determined to prove that my earlier success wasn't just a fluke.

Just as my finger tenses on the trigger, ready to test my aim against André's skill once more, a commanding voice cuts through the tension.

"All of you, that's enough!"

The urgency and authority in Celine's voice halt my actions instantly.

Lowering the gun, I turn to see Celine, her expression one of anger and concern intermingled, clearly not pleased with the spectacle before her.

Celine then walks over to André and pulls his ear.

"Ow! Ow! Why are you doing this?!"

"You tried to slice Dominic!"

The scene is almost comical—André, a formidable figure moments ago, is now reduced to wincing under Celine's firm grip.

QUEST COMPLETED! You have successfully helped Arthur!

-10 Stat Points have been added to you!

-Do you want to receive the Gun Arts Manual now?

[Yes/No]

Looking at the screen, I wish this holographic screen thing offered me the option earlier with the guns during school.

"Dominic, where did you get the guns?"

The question snaps me back to reality. I face Celine, whose expression is deep concern and hints of impending discipline.

Her sharp and penetrating gaze conveys more than words could. The intensity in her eyes sends an unmistakable message, and a chill runs down my spine in response.

Never underestimate the power of mothers. Their intuition and protective instincts can unravel the most carefully woven secrets, reminding us of their uncompromising love and concern for their children's safety and well-being.