"Kitsuna, you don't need to be so aggressive." Dad's calm voice cut through the room as he stepped inside.
Kitsuna stood tall again, her expression hard. "Yes, Father, but you're wrong if you think this is just me being harsh. There's no time to worry about her foolishness. I'll continue to invest in Zagan's training until the start of the second stage." She spoke like my efforts were meaningless, like I hadn't even tried.
"This is my last month with him."
"Why? He didn't even make it through to the next stage." My confusion overcame my shame, and I stared at her.
"Oh no, he'll go through."
"Why?"
"You'll find out when Mom comes back," she said simply, her words offering nothing but frustration. Before I could question her again, she added, "Zagan should be awake by now." Then she vanished, her tail flicking as if mocking me.
"She's getting further and further ahead," Dad murmured, his tone thoughtful. "It won't be long before she surpasses you completely."
I turned to him, desperate. "Is she really that much stronger than before her trip?"
Dad nodded. "She has a new disruptive class, and she's the Wrath holder. That alone makes her a powerhouse."
"She has so many OP skills," I muttered bitterly.
"That's how this world works," he said, his expression neutral. "What you do before you receive your class sets everything in motion."
"And her sin?"
"There are buffs. But don't consider it to be a gift. Even Stacy's Berserker comes with terrible downsides." His explanation made me frown, curiosity tugging at me.
"Even though it gives extra stats?"
"Of course. Equality must exist somehow. No class is free from balance."
I nodded slowly. "I understand, but..."
"Hm. Every so often, you'll face a trial that makes or breaks you. Everyone gets one. But the lower your stats are, the easier it is to endure."
I frowned, frustration bubbling. "That's even more of a riddle, Dad."
He sighed. "Maybe I don't know how to explain it properly."
"Then don't say it at all," I snapped, annoyance bleeding through.
"I apologize," he said, though his expression didn't change. His eyes flickered as if catching a message only he could hear. "An has sent me a message."
"Oh, already? Sorry, I let my temper get the better of me."
"I was debating whether to say anything, but... with those ice chains, it might not matter."
I glanced down at the frozen shackles binding me. The chill bit into my skin, even through my clothes. "It was really cold," I muttered pitifully, trying to win sympathy.
"I would think so. Even I felt the cold from here," Dad said with a small shiver.
"Well? Are you going to help me get rid of them?"
"Nope. Prove yourself capable." With that, he vaulted out the window as casually as leaving through a door.
I groaned, slumping. "Prove myself? Seriously? What is with this family?" My breath misted in the frigid air. "I can't squander mana on these chains... I have a battle royale tomorrow."
With a sigh, I gathered energy into my fingertips, focusing until sparks of light condensed into thin, cutting beams. Slowly, I chipped at the ice.
"This is going to take forever," I muttered, sweat dripping despite the cold.
[Next Day]
"Kitsuna has the most unique approach to training people," I grumbled, twirling a sparkling ball of mana in my hand. It was the ninth time today I'd formed it, and each one felt stronger than the last. To outsiders, it probably looked like a harmless light show. But I knew-it was the strongest spell I'd ever crafted.
All thanks to those damn ice chains. Breaking them down forced me to push past my limits and refine my control. I'd learned to make tiny lasers, then built them into this devastating sphere.
When I destroyed the last of her chains this morning, they hadn't shattered into shards-they'd disintegrated into dust. I hadn't even known ice could turn to dust. But Kitsuna always had a way of forcing impossible things to happen.
"Hey, Amari."
I turned, smiling when I saw the two tall dwarves approaching. "Hmm, oh, it's you two."
"Hey there," the sister said brightly. "We were wondering if we could team up with you."
I tilted my head, amused. "Hmm, no. The fight won't last long anyway. Just drop to the ground when the round starts, okay?"
They blinked, surprised. "Why?"
"Because I'm going to use my new spell." I let the sphere in my palm hum with power, its sparks casting a glow across their wide-eyed faces.
"Woah... pretty," the sister whispered, entranced.
"Yeah," I said with a grin. "Pretty dangerous."
"What?"
"I'm not going to explain how it works. Just listen to me and you'll pass." I waved them off, my confidence rising with the crackle of energy in my hand.
The two exchanged a look, then muttered in unison, "Kitsuna really is your sister, huh?"
"What?!" I shouted, louder than necessary, heat rushing to my cheeks.
"Sorry for bothering you!" They bolted before I could snap again.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, time for Group Number 3!!" The commentator's obnoxious voice boomed over the mic.
I huffed, stomping toward the arena. "I'll get those two later. I'm nothing like Kitsuna. She's rough, crude, and reckless. I'm a refined lady," I muttered, repeating it under my breath like a mantra.
Stepping into the arena, I moved to the center, ensuring my spell would reach everyone. The crowd roared, the air buzzing with anticipation.
"Oh, you want to take everyone on at once?" Someone sneered from beside me, grinning.
"Hm. I don't think this will even be a fight," I murmured softly, but his ears caught it. His grin twisted into a scowl.
"Hahaha, little noble lady, you'll be the first to die," he said, elbowing his friend with a conspiratorial smirk.
His friend frowned. "If you do that, the poor girl will suffer."
"So what? She deserves it."
"Sigh. How are we even friends?" The friend muttered, shaking his head.
I ignored them, focusing on the sphere glowing brighter in my hand. This isn't just training anymore. The sphere is proof. Proof I'm not just Kitsuna's shadow.
avataravatar
{Kitsu POV}
As I teleported away from Amari, I appeared in Zagan's room, landing on the ground and groaning in pain. My body felt heavy, drained from pushing too much mana through in one go, but I forced myself upright. Looking sideways, I gestured for the maids to leave us alone.
"Yes, ma'am," the last maid acknowledged with a quick bow as she closed the door behind her, leaving the room silent except for Zagan's unsteady breathing.
"You really are pathetic, Teach," I remarked, pulling a towel from my inventory and tossing it at him. He fumbled to catch it, almost falling again.
"Don't call me that, Shiro," Zagan muttered, his voice hoarse as he struggled to stand on shaky legs. His hair was a mess, sticking to his sweat-soaked forehead.
"You know I won't stop calling you that," I replied, giving him a deadpan look. My tone left no room for argument.
"Ugh, what happened to me?" Zagan groaned, collapsing back to the floor with a dull thud. His limbs twitched like his body wasn't quite remembering how to function.
"That's something I should be asking you," I responded, narrowing my eyes at him as he tried once more to push himself upright, his arms trembling violently under his own weight.
"What?" He blinked up at me with dazed confusion, clearly not catching on.
"Hmm, well, you got killed," I explained simply, watching closely to see how he would react.
"And Katie?" he asked immediately, worry evident in his voice. His eyes widened as though that single thought had been keeping him tethered to sanity.
"No, she abandoned you, so she passed," I said bluntly, dropping the words like knives.
Zagan sat back on the ground, staring at the floor blankly. The towel slipped from his hands, forgotten.
"You deserved it, to be honest. You were just sitting there, depressed," I pointed out, my voice hard. I wanted the sting to reach him, to burn through that thick skull of his. He couldn't afford to wallow.
"I see, so that's what happened," he muttered, nodding slowly like he was trying to convince himself of something.
"So, what exactly happened?" I pressed again, not willing to let him drift back into silence.
"How was the first time you killed someone?" he asked after a small pause, his tone quiet, almost pleading.
"Dumb question, Teach," I rebuked immediately, irritated by his stupidity. My voice came out sharper than I intended, but I didn't care.
'I'm the last person you should ask something like that, Teach,' I thought, trying to calm myself down before my annoyance tipped into outright rage.
"Right, you are a mass murderer after all," he added without thinking, bitterness twisting his voice.
"...sigh." I dragged a hand down my face.
'He needs a good lesson today,' I thought, glaring at the sack of depression in front of me.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that!" He quickly added, guilt flashing across his face. But the damage was already done.
"Well, you aren't wrong, but I had my reasons," I said, shrugging like it didn't matter.
"..." He didn't answer, just lowered his gaze again.
"Anyway, back to the topic: did you get depressed because you killed someone?" I asked again, pushing him to speak properly.
"I killed a kid, Shiro. A kid!" he shouted, his voice cracking. His hands shook as he clenched them into fists.
"You didn't, though. There's a barrier set up to reverse time after the fight," I explained flatly, reminding him of something he should already know.
"I know that, but still, I killed him." His voice cracked again, softer this time, raw with emotion.
"Hmm, so was this your first 'kill'?" I asked, trying to get to the root of the issue.
"Of course it was. I don't go out looking for trouble with other humans!" He snapped, glaring up at me, his face pale but his eyes burning.
"I don't either, but it just happens," I replied playfully, shrugging as if it were nothing.
"You aren't making it better, Shiro," he muttered, looking away like a sulking child.
"You know me, Teach. I'm not one for sentimentality." I said, grinning at him just to poke at his nerves further, which worked beautifully.
"Ugh, then let me talk to Amari," he grunted in frustration, his hands gripping the arms of the chair he'd finally managed to climb into.
"Denied," I responded immediately, shutting him down.
"What? Why?" His voice rose an octave, panicked.
"Because she's being punished at the moment. She also has a tournament fight tomorrow, and you'll only make her worry." I explained calmly, leaving no room for negotiation.
"Tsk, fine. Then what are you going to do to me?" Zagan asked, finally managing to sit up straighter, though he looked like he could keel over any second.
"Well, first, we need to get you over this issue with killing people," I explained bluntly.
"Hey, don't say it like that!" He yelled, his face draining of color, the panic crawling back up his throat.
"We won't be able to move to the next step if you can't get past this."
'Hmm, I can probably call her, right?' I thought, taking out my scroll and scrolling through for her details before making the call.
"Yo, I have a request," I said into the scroll when a bubbly girl answered on the other end.
[1 hour later]
"Where are we going?" Zagan asked, clinging to my clothes while I carried him in fox form. His fingers dug into my fur like he'd fall if he let go, which was both insulting and annoying.
"You've asked me that like 30 times, and I've given you the same answer each time. I don't know. I only got coordinates, and we're going to that place."
"But why? What are we going to do?" He asked again, voice high-pitched, making me growl in annoyance.
"Use your brain, Teach. You need to get over your killing issue, so what's the best way to do that?" I replied, glaring down at him.
"No!" He shook his head violently, nearly sliding off.
"When you see what's going on, you won't hesitate to kill them." I said as I jumped up a hill, landing smoothly before shifting back into my human form.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked, brushing dirt off his clothes nervously.
'Well, I asked her for a group known for raping and killing,' I thought, but I didn't want Zagan to know what they did just yet.
"Oh, we're here," I announced as we emerged from the bushes into a clearing.
"Hey, you, what are you doing here?" A guy asked, approaching Zagan and me with two of his buddies in tow. Their clothes were ragged, their weapons cheap but bloodstained.
"Oh, are you guys part of the dark guild group?" I asked casually, studying them. Their appearance screamed, 'We're dumb, broke, and desperate,' so it could be that they were part of it or just pathetic bottom-feeders.
"Huh? Who's asking?" the leader sneered.
"Someone who doesn't want innocents around here before things get messy." I said, shrugging as though this whole encounter bored me. I pulled Zagan closer, holding his collar tight.
"Who's this?"
"Product," I stated simply, making them look between the two of us with hungry smiles.
"Hehehe, he's a noble, isn't he?" The guy in front grinned, his yellowed teeth showing.
"Boss, wait, she might be trying to fool us," one of the lackeys muttered.
"Heh, as if. She's just some demihuman; they don't have any brains," the guy whispered, though I heard every word.
"Man, that's annoying," I muttered under my breath.
"What is it? That I'm telling the truth?" The guy said smugly, making me shake my head.
"Shiro?" Zagan whispered nervously.
"Shut up," I muttered, shaking him lightly.
"Ugh."
"Hey, don't damage the merchandise," the leader said, walking closer with greedy eyes, wanting to take Zagan from me.
"No, I caught him. I'm bringing him in," I responded, glaring back.
"Fine, follow us," the leader ordered, turning around and heading toward a hidden entrance.
"Teach, don't close your eyes, alright?" I whispered sharply, warning him as I followed them inside.
"That's a good hiding spot. Boss did tell me you guys had a good one, but that's an understatement, in my opinion," I said conversationally, feeding their ego.
"Haha, thank you. We actually found this place first."
"Oh, so you guys have been promoted as well?" I asked, tilting my head.
"You mean rewarded? Yes, we were rewarded." The guy corrected proudly.
"Of course," I said, nodding with fake sincerity.
"Now, let's show you where to put this merchandise." The leader gestured toward one of the doors.
