Sero opened his eyes, gazing directly into Kit’s mismatched eyes.

"How’s my little bookworm?"

With a painful grunt, Sero blinked as he took in the now familiar and cozy white room of the arena infirmary. It was a lot quieter compared to the first time he was admitted here.

Kit was dressed in her usual attire instead of the tournament uniform, with dark blue jeans, a black crop top, and black boots.

"That was… easily the hardest fight so far." Sero rasped, slowly becoming aware of the aches within his body. His nerves felt fried, his mind a haze. A sharp, stinging pain pulsed across his chest, reminding Sero of Zioth’s final slash. "Wait… what happened after I passed out?"

A prideful grin bloomed across the Paradox’s face. "You won! Well, technically, Zioth managed to stay awake longer than you did, but he conceded before he passed out." Kit tapped his forehead with a finger. "There are some mixed reactions towards the ending of the match, though. Some people said it was a dirty move, luring Zioth into thinking it was a contest of swords before you pulled that stunt."

Sero chuckled, then regretted it as his body convulsed in pain.

"Take it easy. You put your body through hell." Kit pouted. "But, it was incredible to watch you continuously pull stuff out of nowhere."

"Thanks." Sero said weakly, feeling several Recovery spells actively working on him. "So, I guess that means that I’m moving on to the semi-finals?"

"Yup," Kit smirked. "Those complaining about your win couldn’t really do anything after Zioth firmly stuck by his choice of conceding the win to you. He said that you won fair and square, no matter how you did it."

Sero took a slow and painful breath, letting it out slowly as he processed her words. "Shit… so it’s me, Raul, Elena, and Liam."

Even though he won, Sero didn’t feel as if he truly deserved it. Knowing that Zioth was conscious after he passed out even for a short while made him feel as if he wasn’t strong enough to take on any of the S-ranks. Maybe there was a chance if he went up against Raul, but Elena’s dragon and Liam’s brutality was daunting to say the least.

"Hey, give yourself some credit," The Paradox purred reassuringly. "Who else could say that they rose up from F-rank to A-rank in a month? Not to mention get as far as the semi-finals in a tournament, all while getting used to life in a changed world?"

"R-right." Sero was glad that even though his friends were busy, Kit always seemed to be there when he needed someone.

"I’m thinking,... you might want your reward now?" Kit asked with a mischievous smile.

"Reward?" It slowly dawned on Sero, causing an ugly smile to contort his face. "You mean, your Cat Paradox skill?"

Kit giggled and nodded. "Here, I’ll do it on you."

"Wait, what–"

The Paradox placed a hand on his arm, gazing into his eyes. Her blue and green eyes glowed with a white outline.

"Hey, I think you’re in perfect condition, don’t you?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Go along with it, please?" Kit squeezed his arm gently. "I think you’re in perfect condition. You do too, right? Truly?"

"Well," Sero decided to trust Kit. "Yeah. Yeah, I’m in perfect condition."

Sero’s body buzzed with power as he watched the white light in Kit’s eyes glow brighter and then dimmed. ‘Cat Paradox’, the skill that enabled the user to force their will upon the world. Sero understood that there were limitations to the skill, but it essentially was a distant emulation of its predecessor. He learned that Kit’s teleportation relied on her believing either she was there, or she wasn’t.

"Holy… shit…" Sero whispered as he grasped the concepts behind her skill. "That’s… pretty broken."

The Paradox giggled again, removing her hand from his arm. "How do you feel?"

"I feel-" Sero blinked in surprise, feeling no trace of pain anywhere. Even the sharp stinging on his chest was gone. "I feel fine."

He whirled his gaze towards Kit, an evil glint in his eyes. "Does this mean I can do pretty much anything?"

Kit flicked his forehead playfully. "There are limits, my little bookworm. First, it has the most impact on yourself. To enforce it onto others is much more difficult, since they have to be willing. Not to mention, the most important aspect is belief. If you don’t believe in the will you’re trying to enact, it won’t happen no matter how many times you activate the skill itself."

"So, that’s how you’re able to also teleport me?" Sero asked with wonder.

Kit tilted her head. "Sort of. I’ve only directly teleported you once, right? When I took you back to your apartment. That was because you wanted to go home, so the Cat Paradox worked. When I teleported us to the restaurant that night, I only used it on Enzo’s car. Sentient beings are harder to use the skill on, but there are loopholes."

"Plus," Kit smiled sheepishly. "One of the reasons I can’t have you looking at me when I use the skill to teleport is because it’ll affect the laws of reality. If I believe I’m somewhere else, but you believe I’m there in the moment because you see me, it’ll cause a rift with varying consequences."

"Like what?" Sero felt nervous about the skill now.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Hmm, from the best case scenario to the worst case? The best I could hope for is a dimensional black hole rip in reality. The worst? Another me."

"Another you?" Sero blinked. Having two Kits would be interesting, not to mention the potential that came with two beautiful women.

The Paradox frowned, as if sensing Sero’s thoughts. "Hey, two of me doesn’t always mean we’re the same person. I’d also have to share you with my other."

"That doesn’t seem too bad–"

"You’d also cease to exist if one of me comes into physical contact with you."

"Ah. Yeah, that’s pretty bad." Sero shivered at the thought. "Anyway, I’m excited to try it out. Any tips?"

It was only for a brief moment, but Sero swore he saw a hint of guilt in her eyes. Kit smiled, leaning back and crossing her legs. "Let’s start with something simple. Try believing that you’ve got a can of soda in your hands."

Sero sat up and concentrated, imagining the coolness of the can in his palm. His body buzzed, casting Cat Paradox. Nothing happened.

"What the hell?" Sero murmured. "I can literally feel the can, so why isn’t this working? Am I not believing hard enough?"

"So, about that," Kit looked apologetic. "I have a passive called Lawbreak, which allows my paradox skills to work on reality, to an extent. Without it, it’s like a car that won’t start without gas."

"Oh." Sero felt an immeasurable sense of disappointment. He had been looking forward to copying Kit’s powerful Cat Paradox, but learning that it only worked with her passive was a let down, to put it simply.

"Sorry," The Paradox patted Sero’s cheek. "There was a part of me that hoped you’d be able to use it. If it makes you feel any better, the skill isn’t an end all, be all. If your belief waivers during the skill, it’ll wear off. So, keep believing that you’re fine, and you will be, otherwise, you’ll be feeling that pain coming back."

"All right," Sero sighed as he pulled his phone from his Shadow Shift. "At least I was able to copy it."

"What if your Influence could somehow make it work?"

"That did cross my mind, but I don’t even know how it works." Sero scowled. "I can supposedly copy passives for a brief period of time, but I don’t have any indicators of it activating."

Kit shrugged. "I’m sure you’ll figure it out."

Sero grunted in agreement, scrolling through his messages. His eyes widened in shock.

"Hey… my dad’s out of surgery. He’s stable."

"That’s great!" Kit grinned. "I’d offer to take you to him, but the semi-finals are about to start as soon as they fix the arena. How about you give him a call?"

Sero nodded, dialing Amaya’s number. A couple of rings later, the call connected, displaying a video of Amaya.

"Hey, Sero," Amaya grinned, Nala waving behind her. "Look who’s here."

She panned the phone around, showing Tiero resting comfortably on his bed. Though he was still sickly in appearance, it seemed as though he had a lot more energy than before.

"Dad," Sero croaked, feeling a lump in his throat. "How are you feeling?"

"Sero!" Tiero smiled weakly. "I’m feeling a little weak, but at least I’m not in too much pain."

Casey’s head popped into frame. "Mr. Sero, I was with him the entire time! Well, not in the surgery room, but I made sure he was ok after!" The boy’s eyes shone with pride as he gave a little salute. "I saw some of your match, too! You were awesome."

"Haha.. thanks, Casey."

The phone moved closer to Tiero, who took it and brought it up to his face. "Son, I’m sorry I missed your match. I heard you won, though."

Sero shook his head. "No, I should be apologizing. I wasn’t there for your surgery."

His father chuckled softly. "True, but we both somehow managed to pull through. You’ve got the semi-finals next, right?"

"Yeah," Sero felt his anxiety creeping up and pushed it away. "It’s going to be tough."

Tiero nodded. "Good luck, son. I know you’ll do well. I love you."

"Thanks, Dad," Sero swallowed. " Get some rest; I’ll see you soon."

He hung up, noticing the way Kit was staring at him curiously.

"What?"

"Nothing," she shook her head. "Ready to go back to the waiting room?"

"Don’t I have to wait for the doctor’s permission to be discharged?"

Kit stuck her tongue out playfully.

"Cat Paradox. Right."

----------------------------------------

It was late afternoon by the time Sero got ready to go back. Kit teleported them in front of the waiting area doors, where she turned to Sero with a semi-serious look.

"The matches you’ve fought so far won’t begin to compare to the next round. Be prepared, ok?"

"Yeah, I will." Sero was taken aback by Kit’s slight change in attitude. "Thanks."

The Paradox smiled warmly. "That’s my little bookworm."

Sero entered the door without looking back, allowing Kit to teleport if she wanted to unhindered. As he walked in, he noticed the lack of chairs, with Liam and Elena sitting next to each other while Raul sat a few seats away from them. Sero chose the seat next to the Rage Fist, feeling the tension in the air.

"Hey Sero," Raul nodded to him, then doubled back. "You seem pretty healthy for a guy who wrecked his body."

"I had some help from Kit," Sero replied as he sat down. At the mention of the Paradox, Liam turned his head slightly, giving Sero a side eye. He recalled Kit saying that they were both in the same guild.

"That doesn’t… explain anything, but ok." Raul crossed his arms. "If you’re feeling fine, then that’s all that matters."

"Attention, you four," The man with the scar approached them. "The semi-finals will begin soon. Please ensure that you have made the necessary preparations." He walked away, leaving them to their own devices.

Sero took a deep breath, making sure his body was in perfect condition. The competition was about to reach a whole different level, and Sero got the feeling he couldn’t afford to make any misjudgments. Even if he went up against Raul, Sero was fairly certain the Rage Fist would give it his all.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!” The announcer boomed out. "Before we begin the semi-finals, we have a quick update from the Ascendants Association! Due to technical and timing conflicts, the tournament will be extended one more day. The final match will occur tomorrow afternoon."

The crowd murmured but otherwise weren’t too bothered by the announcement. Raul turned to Sero with a questionable gaze.

"Huh, wonder why they decided to add another day…"

"Who knows?" Sero shrugged, keeping quiet about the conversation he had with the S-ranks prior.

After a couple of minutes, the announcer began to start, ratting off sponsors and advertisements. The man with the scar came up and stood in front of the four participants, clearing his throat.

"The semi-finals will now begin. The first match will be…Liam…"

Sero bounced his leg nervously.

"...And Raul Delgato. Please make your way to the arena."

Sero let out a silent sigh of relief. Though he was glad he wasn’t facing off against the Demonic Enforcer just yet, it was also unfortunate that he wasn’t going against Raul. He glanced at the Rage Fist, noticing the mixed expression of apprehension and anger.

"Raul…"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I know. Thanks, Sero."

As he watched the two men enter their respective doors, Sero felt a wave of dread wash over him. No matter how much he wanted Raul to win, Sero’s gut told him that the match would be over in an instant.