Even More Reason to Train

Akiko stood in front of me, too close for comfort. Her expression was tight, nervous, but her feet didn’t budge. She hadn’t given up on me, not yet, at least. I should’ve admired that stubbornness, but instead it felt like a hand around my throat. Her fists were clenched so hard her knuckles turned white, like she was bracing for a blow that hadn’t come.

“W-what’s been going on with you?” she asked, her voice steady, but I caught the faint tremor underneath.

“Nothing much. Why do you ask?” I forced the words out, flat, like they meant nothing.

Her eyes narrowed. “Why do you insist on lying to me?”

The question hit harder than I wanted to admit. My jaw locked, teeth grinding. I couldn’t answer her, not honestly.

Why is she so persistent? Does she actually want to help me, or does she want to use me like everyone else?

She stepped forward, tilting her head just slightly, her gaze softening. “Well? Do you have something to say?”

The look she gave me was that of a child. There wasn’t anything evil behind it, there wasn’t anything cunning about it, but for some reason, the paranoia won me over. Throughout my past life, I’ve only been punished for trusting others. So I ended up deciding to be alone; if that worked out in my past life, then there's no need to stop doing that now.

“I’m alright… I promise. I think my nerves have calmed down a bit.”

“Are you—”

“Let’s get some training in after my match. I still need to learn how to split step, alright?”

Her lips parted, like she wanted to argue, but instead she lowered her gaze. “Yeah… okay. Good luck with your match.”

“Thanks.” I stepped past her, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach my face. “See you at our usual training area.”

“See you…” Her voice trailed after me, softer than before, like a thread that wanted to hold me back.

Even though I can’t trust her, I still need her around to get stronger. Yeah, that’s right, I’ll keep her around to get stronger.

By the time I reached the arena, the stands were already packed. A restless murmur rippled through the crowd, excitement thrumming in the air like the hum of an oncoming storm. So he had brought a crowd after all.

Not that it mattered. This fight wasn’t supposed to be important, just another stepping stone. Still, when I stepped into the arena and saw him, Nensho, waiting across from me, anger etched across his face, I felt the weight of all those eyes on us. Maybe I had taken too long with Akiko. Maybe I had dragged my feet getting here. Either way, he looked ready to tear me apart for it.

I let my gaze wander across the battleground. The arena floor was spotless, not a single crack in sight. Hard to believe this was the same place where Akiko and I had nearly torn each other apart. They’d repaired it so well that it was like that fight had never happened.

“Are you just going to stand there looking like an idiot!?” Nensho yelled out.

“Sorry, this is my first official magical duel. Is there something specific I have to do before we start?” I asked as I walked up to him.

“Yeah, a handshake,” he offered out his hand, “Don’t think I’m doing this because I like you, it’s just required.”

“You don’t have to be so mean, even if you do lose.”

“I can’t wait to beat you to a bloody pulp,” he said with an angry smirk. I felt him tightening his grip, but it didn’t hurt.

“Both of you, go to your side.” I looked up and noticed a man flying above us. He must be the referee. “Warrior Yakusei, are you ready?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“Warrior Nensho, are you ready?”

“Yes!”

“Let the magical duel commence!”

As soon as I heard those words, I released a significant amount of malif. It tore through my body like fire through dry grass. Every nerve lit up, every vein burned, my muscles screaming as they surged past their limits. That was the cost of starting in overdrive: pain first, power after. My legs felt like coiled springs about to snap.

The air cracked as I burst forward. One heartbeat, I was yards away, the next I was standing right in front of Nensho’s stunned face. His eyes widened, still trying to process how I’d closed the gap so fast. I didn’t give him a chance to think, let alone transform. I drove everything into my fist, malif, mana, every ounce of force my body could endure. The impact detonated like thunder. The shockwave rattled the stands. Nensho’s body folded around my knuckles before being flung backwards, crashing into the stone wall with a sickening crack.

Gasps erupted from the crowd, then silence. I straightened, chest heaving, the lingering burn of malif still gnawing at my muscles. One punch. That was all it took. I’d won.

I looked up at the referee, “Do I just walk out now?”

“U-uhm no. Not yet.”

The referee raised my hand high. His voice cracked, but it carried through the arena. “I declare Yakusei as the winner of this Magical Duel!”

The crowd erupted, cheers exploding like thunder. To them, it was a show, nothing more than a spectacle to gawk at. I could feel their excitement beating down on me, distant, unreal, like I wasn’t even part of it.

I turned to the referee and asked him, “So when would I get my credits?”

“They will be automatically transferred over to you, so don’t worry about a thing.”

“Alright, thank you.”

As I walked out, I felt a presence.

Vaeltharion…

The same oppressive shadow I had felt in my dream. The same man the deity had warned me of. Just seeing him dragged the vision back into my mind, unbidden. My chest tightened, rage and dread swirling together until I thought I might choke.

Anger swelled inside me, demanding release, but even through the heat of it, I knew the truth: I couldn’t touch him. I was nowhere near his level. Not here. Not now. And tot with this coliseum full of strangers who might all be his allies. Yet when his gaze fell on me, I couldn’t look away.

“Don’t leave so soon,” he said, his voice smooth, mocking. “Shouldn’t you bask in the glory of your victory?”

“There’s no need to do something so trivial after such an easy win.”

He smiled faintly, stepping closer. “A shame. But I would recommend enjoying moments like this while you still can. After all—” he leaned down, his breath brushing my ear, “your survival isn’t guaranteed.”

Something about the way he said that irked me. My body acted before my mind caught up. My blade flashed from its sheath, mana flooding into it, more than I had ever dared channel in one strike. If this blow had landed on Nensho, I would have split him in half. He blocked the blade with a single finger.

“Now, now,” he said, still smiling, his finger pressing against my weapon as if I’d handed him a child’s toy. “This isn’t the time for jokes.”

A joke? This attack was meant to kill him.

He stepped forward, forcing me back with nothing but the pressure of his presence. “Please, sheath your sword. I have an announcement for everyone.”

My hand trembled as I pulled the blade away. There was no winning here. Not now. I ground my teeth and slid it back into the sheath.

Vaeltharion rose into the air, a magic circle flaring before his mouth. His voice boomed across the coliseum.

“Heroes, hear me well. You were told that four years lay between us and the Demon King’s return. But fate has shifted its course. The seal weakens far swifter than we foresaw; he will rise in but a single year. I will not veil the truth: he is stronger than we dared imagine, a shadow that even now gnaws at the edges of our world. I regret that you were misled by old assurances, but we must face what stands before us, not what we once hoped for. So I call upon you, steel your hearts, hone your blades, and gather every drop of strength within you. One year remains. One year to stand ready when darkness descends. One year before we face the Demon King himself.”

What is he scheming? There’s no way we could defeat the Demon King within one year. And within that year, I have to find out a way to deal with him, too. This is impossible…

The crowd broke into chaos, some panicking, some screaming, others cheering. The coliseum had become a storm of voices, fear, and blind faith colliding in equal measure.

"I hear your fears, and I do not dismiss them. Yet mark my words, though the odds are grim, we will not falter. We will triumph. We will return to our homes, to our kin, and to the light of peace once more!"

My voice ripped free before I could stop it. “Didn’t you say that most of us won’t survive!?”

His eyes flicked down to me. “That, I did,” he smiled down at me. He then turned his attention back onto the crowd, "In eleven months, a grand tournament will determine our champions. The mightiest among you shall strike the Demon King last, but none who stand before him will fall in vain. Each warrior’s courage, each sacrifice, will weaken the darkness and light the way for the final blow. Together, we will carve a path to victory, even if it costs us dearly."

This guy is insane. A plan built on the sacrifice of the weak.

"So I urge you, grow stronger. For your families, for our nation, and for yourselves."

The crowd roared again, split between terror and hope.

But I wasn’t listening anymore. My legs were already moving, carrying me out of the coliseum. My chest felt tight, my mind racing with too many truths I couldn’t face. The Demon King. Vaeltharion. The tournament. I had to train. I had to get stronger. Akiko would be waiting.