I’d won my second match against a swordsman. It was by no means easy to defeat a Swordsman, especially since I was an Assassin. Swordsman were always quick on their feet and their adroitness on their swords shouldn’t be underestimated. Still though, watching Merry fight monsters, I learned a thing or two about their weaknesses. You see, Swordsman liked being on the offensive. They felt the addicting thrill of sparks sizzling when two swords clash with each other, or when the tip of their swords touched the flesh. The point was, they focus too much on offensive that they lacked on defensive. Speed was their defense but sometimes, it wasn’t enough. Though, take my words with a grain of salt. It was what I’d observe with Merry and the other participants in the tournament.

I’d also come to learned the flying object earlier was like a drone with a camera on it. Well, more like an early version of the camera. It broadcasted the fight from the commoners near the gate, so they could also watch. The device came from a Borgos, as expected. Just how advance were they?

Anyway, since I won, I moved on the finals. Unsurprisingly, Galbero and Elis made it, too. Elis had an excellent control with her Prae, leaving their enemy on the mercy of nature. Well, her control of nature and her nature itself. Galbero, as expected, trampled his opponent with brute strength and an intimidating aura. He was robust, and looking at him could make one flinch instinctively. One could say he looked like a stereotypical bully in a high-school setting movie.

To my delight though, I’d been match with Galbero in the finals. Well, it was to be expected. I was a representative of the Borin family while Galbero, the Sangaa. The audience would be delighted to see the representatives of two prominent families fighting each other. Our fight would be the delicious snacks while Elis and her opponent would be the tea for the nobles. Hopefully, the nobles would like what I prepared.

Galbero and I stepped on the stage. As we walk, murmurs could be heard from the audiences, and there was a palpable change in the atmosphere. Their carefree faces earlier now turned into a sparkling curiosity. Pride was in the line here and we all knew how nobles loved pride as if it was a beautiful woman.

“Do you have any idea how much Lord William is underestimating me by putting you here?” His face scrunched up as he looked at me, disgust on his face. “I’ll make quick work of you and defeat Elis. She’d put more fight than you could ever do to me.”

I took a deep breath. At the moment, Galbero was watering my hate for him. The seeds he planted on me when his family ordered for my assassination grew in a couple of days, and he was still considerate enough to water it on the last moment.

“It would have sufficed if you’d been replaced by your big friend over there,” He took a glance at Takana. “I personally asked Lord William to change his representative with your big friend but sadly, not everything goes to plan.”

So, that’s what their goal was. Since William hadn’t accepted his whims, he planned to force his hand by eliminating me, or at least rendering me disabled but ultimately, it failed.

“This is my last offer. Walk out of the stage and switch with your friend. I’d even throw a bag full of gold coins as compensation. You don’t really want to embarrass Lord William, do you?”

I finally decided to speak. “No, you see, I’m not the weak one here...” I smirked to the fullest, my mouth sailed and reached uncharted territories of my face. It felt good to smile like that. “…You are.”

Galbero grinned to the fullest as he prepared his stance, using both of his hand to hold his claymore. “Now you’re talking big, huh? I’ll crush you in front of William just to see his face when he realizes his faith on you is embarrassingly misplaced! Prepare yourself, Terrin!”

As he shouted, I instinctively gulped. Watching him in the distance, you could already feel his intimidating aura but face-to-face, it was on a whole new level. It wasn’t on the same level as the fear from the Mother Slane but for a human, it impressed me how a noble like him could instill fear on me. I strongly bit my lips to stop it from shaking.

Standing on the stage, about a feet away from Galbero, I took a deep breath.

Let’s do this.

“Begin!” The referee announced. No clapping from the crowd could be heard as they watched intently.

With a burst, Galbero dashed with unprecedented speed. He closed the gap between us in mere seconds. He cleaved his claymore right in front of me. I managed to dodge it by quickly leaning to the right. I watched my hair being blown away by the air as Galbero cut a few of them.

If I was hit by that, I’m sure his claymore would be buried halfway across my body.

“Why are you running away, huh!?” As I try to get away from him, along with his claymore, he spun around. Not able to dodge it, I crossed my daggers and braced myself for the incoming attack. When the claymore made contact with my daggers, I immediately felt the blow of the attack as I flew away.

Damn, that hurts. I shook my arm as it went a bit numb. I had little time to recover as Galbero was already ready to pounce at me again. I regained control of my arm and rolled to the side as Galbero brought down his claymore to the spot I used to be.

“You think I’m done, huh!?” Basically what happened was I dodging a series of attacks from him. Some I completely dodge but most scraped me. I was now covered with little cuts from here and there. Needless to say, moving was excruciating.

He brought down his claymore down on me. I blocked it as I crossed both my daggers. I felt the heaviness of his claymore as it rested itself on my two daggers.

Side by side, he spoke quietly. “I told you to surrender but you let pride get in your head.” He then snorted mockingly. “Your little pride will be the death of you.”

I guess it’s time. Lend me your strength, Shakna.

*

We watched comfortably at the bottom of the seats.

The worried faces of my friends were evident as their faces were glued to watching the fight. Even Fuyuki was quiet, and that was extremely rare. Not only that, Takana was eating a biscuit and drinking tea. If these two were acting weird, something definitely worried them.

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Terrin was clearly losing. He was covered with scrapes and cuts here and there, and the fact that the match only begun five minutes ago, Galbero had a lot of energy to bring down on Terrin.

“You know, he’s going to lose, right?” Takana indifferently said. Although he looked like he didn’t care, his restless legs said otherwise.

“You dumb monkey!” Fuyuki shouted. “He’s gonna win!” She said with such confidence but one look from her face, you could tell it was wavering.

Same as Fuyuki, Risa and Kihana watched with worries in their eyes. As a good person and a priest, Kihana must have wanted to heal Terrin with his wounds. How did I know? That was just how Kihana was. Risa must have felt the same. In order to comfort her, I let her seat on my lap and carassed her hair. She often like sitting on my lap and carassing her hair eased her discomfort at times.

Although something happened and she immediately stood up. She went to the ledge and shouted, “Don’t!” I tilted my head at the sudden weird actions.

Looking back on the match, Terrin suddenly moved his daggers away, letting the claymore fall on him. Although he seemed like he had a plan as he rolled backwards before the claymore could hit him. As the claymore landed, he stepped in top of it and gave Galbero one good kick on the face.

“Nice, Terrin! Make that guy’s face uglier!” Takana passionately shouted.

Something’s...not right.

Galbero’s angry face could be seen from afar as he turned around to face Terrin. Terrin’s face was nothing like I’d seen before. He was smiling confidently, as if looking down on his opponent. Terrin couldn’t even smile properly, let alone confidently.

Galbero dashed towards Terrin, this time even faster than before. I was baffled on how he could move so fast even though he was a big person. He made the same move of jumping and bringing down his claymore on Terrin. With that speed, I didn’t think Terrin would be able to dodge it. Terrin was lucky to be able to land one kick but...

This might be it.

I tilted my head in absolute confusion. Terrin did...nothing. He just stood there, still smiling confidently as he went past to the point of no return. He could be killed if he didn’t do anything about what Galbero would bring down on him.

Though, the next sequence of actions in the span of a moment left me and the crowd speechless.

My eyes could barely follow what happened.

Terrin fluidly raised his left arm, and with a reversed grip, he completely managed to hold his ground against Galbero’s monstrous attack. Even in my beast form, I would have troubled holding my ground against such attack.

Terrin let out a mocking laugh. With his right hand free, he then steadily slit Galbero’s wrists, making him drop his claymore with a ringing clang. Terrin casually picked up the heavy claymore as if it was a pebble and threw it out of the stage, effectively making Galbero weaponless. Terrin boastfully laughed at him as he went closer while casually spinning one of his daggers on his hand.

The tide of the battle completely turned in Terrin’s favor. I still couldn’t get over Terrin’s face. I had looked at him more than I wanted to but he had never made that face, not even once. His eyes would often be casted downwards and his smile was always somewhat coarse yet showed kindness. This was not the Terrin I knew.

What did you do this time, Terrin?

*

“Hmmm? You seem to be quieter than usual. What happened?” I tilted my head to the side. “Where did your confidence go?”

To my delight, his face scrunched up. “You think I can’t fight you with my hands? You’re making me laugh.”

“Can you still fight, Galbero?” The referee asked in the distance.

“Didn’t you hear what I just said!?” he snapped at the referee. “I can still fight. I’m not gonna lose to a pathetic commoner like him.”

“Is that so? Well, I’ll take pity on you then.” I threw my dagger out of the stage.

“I don’t need your pity!” Galbero lurched at me. His move was sluggish. I could entirely see where his punch would land.

His right arm was aiming for my head. I blocked it with my left and then gave his stomach a good blow. With a thump, he staggered backwards. I didn’t give him a time to breath as I gave his face a good left and right. The agony in his face made me shiver in bliss. Every time my fist made contact with his face, the pounding sounds of flesh was like melody to my ears and the blood flying out from his face was the cherry on top.

It was addicting.

I didn’t want to stop.

After punching him, I gave him a good kick in the face as he dropped on the floor. He fell, but he was still conscious. Well, better for me.

“Hey, are you okay?” I placed my foot on his head. I didn’t know if he could talk but apparently, he could grimace. Seeing him like that…brought joy to me. “Hahaha, what am I saying? Of course you’re not okay. You got blood all over the stage, though, even in my shoes. That’s not very nice, you know?”

“Stop!” The referee shouted. “I-I declare the match —“

“If you…declare him…the winner without my approval…I’ll send you…to the gallows…myself…” Galbero glared at the referee.

“My apologies, Young Master Galbero but you’re no longer capable to fight in your state. You have essentially lose, and therefore, I declare —“

The referee was again interrupted, but this time, I interrupted him. Well, to be precise, I punched and threw him out of the stage.

“We’re not done yet. Don’t go ruining things for me.”

With my incredible strength, I picked up Galbero by the neck. I then spun around for the audience to completely see him in such a pathetic state. Their heads turn left and right as they whispered to each other.

This is what you get for endangering Risa’s life.

I mockingly laughed. “Take a long look and engraved this in your minds. One of your strongest is being trumped by what he thought was the weakest. What a pathetic noble.” I smilingly looked at Galbero’s father. “You better heal him later, Lord Romero.” I tried to look for William but he was nowhere to be seen. I was sure he’d be delighted to what I was doing. Oh well, his lost.

Later? I feel like I want to kill him now. I suddenly got the urge to kill him. The thought was all over my mind now, and my hands started to itch. It would only take a small amount of my strength to snap his neck and make him not exist in this world forever.

“Guards, stop him!” The referee shouted. Didn’t know he was still conscious.

Before I could futher entertain my thoughts, ten guards surrounded me and aimed their spears towards me.

“Surrender and let go of the Young Master.” One of the soldiers threatened.

I obliged, and casually threw Galbero away. But of course, my heart housed dissatisfaction. I wanted…to hurt someone more. My mind and heart found an accord and loved the idea of hurting someone.

So, hurt I did.

I fought with the guards with a maniacally smile. I punched and kicked each one of them while dodging their pointy spears. Guards like these were mostly drunkards who had nothing better to do in the day, so that made their actions sloppy and quite embarrassing to look at.

One by one they fell. I grabbed someone and the earlier thought of killing someone surfaced again. I really liked the idea, so I grabbed a spear.

I want to see blood. I want to hear screams. I want to know the feeling of killing someone. Well, not someone but a human.

As I was about to plunge the spear to guard’s chest, someone held back my arm. Assuming it was one of the guards, I turned my head around and spun the spear to point and impale the guard.

However, before my spear could land, I noticed the person who stopped me.

“Terrin…what are you doing?”

It was Merry.

She was in her beast form, using both of her hands to hold back my arm. I stopped myself before I could impale her.

“Let go of the spear,” Merry spoke softly. Her delicate voice felt like it was sucking all of the negative thoughts that made their selves home on my mind. Her hands on my arm felt so warm and fluffy, I now completely understood why Fuyuki was obsessed with cats. “It’s okay. I’m here, I will protect you.”

I slowly opened my hand and let go of the spear. My hand then went on my chest, specifically the heart. A second later, I collapsed to the ground, all of my strength leaving my body. But before I could fall to the ground, Merry caught me. Her feminine scent, her soft arms and her kind face .Merry sure knew how to make someone sleep peacefully…