Larna clenched his teeth, trying to suppress the moisture in his humid eyes. I’m lame—That was all he could think of, and it has been the thing he had thought the most of since last week.

  He had never thought that before, because, until now, his life had been pretty monotonous and safe. But when Garuma started bullying him, when a portion of the cruelty of the world affected him, he instantly noticed. He noticed how weak he was.

  He couldn’t do anything to stop Garuma, and if he could, he wouldn’t dare to do it. All he could do was depress himself and cry.

  That’s why the Battle announcement took Larna’s attention so much. He saw all those people with amazing skills in fighting. Duelling each other with courage, aiming for the top. He wanted to see that in person, and maybe…

  “You really have low standards,” said someone with a bored voice, stopping Larna's mind. He and Garuma looked in the direction of the sound to find somebody was standing there.

  Garuma dropped Larna and faced the guy. He had long black hair and eyes, and was wearing a black kimono with a katana on his waist. He was taller than Larna but still lower than the bully.

  Garuma stepped in his direction and looked down at him. “Who the hell are you?"

  The guy stood firm in front of the giant. “I heard what you said before to that child," he said while heading to the wet-eyed Larna. He had called him a child even though they probably were of a similar age.

  The guy looked at Garuma directly in the eyes. "We'll battle. If you win, I’ll join your squad. If I win, nothing happens."

  Garuma looked at the guy for a few seconds, then started walking side to side with a hand on his chin. He muttered a burst of inaudible things, and his frown deepened with each second as he seemed to consider the challenge.

  Larna blinked at Garuma. Why does he think so much? He doesn't have anything to lose.

  The guy grimaced. "I don’t have time to waste," he said with a stressed and dark tone.

  Garuma started walking faster and rubbing his head. “Ah! I hate people like you!” He stepped with strength and faced the guy, “I already decided! I’ll crush you.”

  The guy’s eyes narrowed. “Whatever.”

  Suddenly, a ripple expanded through the world, changing it as it passed. Larna recoiled as he suddenly found himself in a black void. His heart raced, and he darted around. What happened to the world?

  In a blink, Larna found himself back in reality and immediately looked for a way out. Garuma's followers were still around him, all staring at the same spot. Larna followed their gazes to see two grey silhouettes, with the shapes of Garuma and the other guy.

  He clenched the bench tables. He knew he should take advantage and get away from Garuma, but his body didn’t move. His gaze got fixed on the two battlers about to start the duel.

  That brought Larna back to the void, and now he was capable of watching the colours of those two.

  The guy stood calmly and with bored eyes, and meters away from him, Garuma frowned, clenching his big battle axe strong enough to make his veins stand out on his skin.

  Larna understood Garuma's rage when he followed his sight. It was fixed in the guy's katana. The sword was still in its sheath, and its user didn’t seem to have the intention of pulling it out of it. He underestimated Garuma.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Garuma swung his axe, having surpassed the top of his self-control. “I thought you were in a hurry! C’mon, draw your weapon and come to your death!”

  The guy shrugged. “Unsheathe? You are not worth it.”

  Garuma’s eyes reddened and charged against his opponent. When his adversary was in range, Garuma's battle axe rocketed in his direction. It’s red metal drawing an arc in the air, but not finding anything on its path.

  The guy had stepped back even before Garuma started his swing.

  Garuma lost his balance because of the big force of the attack. Something that his opponent took advantage of instantaneously. He sprinted towards Garuma, katana still sheathed, but with his right hand now resting on its hilt.

  Quickly, he got Garuma in range. His right hand seemed tense and about to cut. But now that he had Garuma in range, the reverse was also true. The bully's muscles tensed, and he brought down the crimson battle axe, delivering a hangman-like attack.

  The battle axe descended as an enormous meteorite, ready to crush anything on its path. But again, there was just emptiness on its way. Garuma’s battle axe stomped against the black floor, creating a white impact hole on it.

  Now, the guy had a defenceless Garuma in front of him. In a unique motion, that Larna couldn’t even see, he unsheathed his katana and sliced Garuma through the chest, splitting his body into two pieces.

  He sheathed his katana, standing at Garuma’s back, while the giant glared in shock at an intense red line that marked where the katana had passed.

  Then the world changed again. The wave that expanded before did the opposite, contracting into a point and disappearing. When that happened, the two battlers stood as they were before the fight, and the black void had disappeared.

  It was as if that battle never happened. But it did. It happened.

  Garuma’s face was wrinkled as he realised the result of the encounter. The guy held Garuma’s glare, blinked, and his vision swept away from Garuma as he stepped past him.

  Garuma screamed with anger, picking up the battle axe from his back. He turned and used all his weight on swinging it towards the guy.

  Larna's heart stopped. He'll die! He opened his mouth to warn the careless guy. But he stopped when Garuma's axe startlingly trespassed the guy's body, as if they were in different realities.

  The black haired guy didn't even turn and kept walking away. Enraging Garuma even more. The loser's eyes were wide as he charged back a punch. But he stopped mid movement and tsked. "I'll kill you next time!"

  Forgetting about Larna, Garuma stomped away, his followers quickly running to keep up his agitated pace.

  Larna frowned at the scene. How can they be so loyal to him? Then he let out a sigh, his muscles relaxed, and his shoulders rounded.

  The man in the dark kimono from before was also walking away with silent steps. I should... Larna pressed his stomach to let out the words, but closed his mouth. He looked down and exhaled. Thanks to him, Garuma left. Larna clenched his fists and looked in his direction.

  "Thanks for—” He was cut out by the guy who raised his open arm, signalling Larna to stop. Startled, he just followed the guy with his sight.

  He walked in a straight posture and emanated an aura of confidence that made Larna shrink at his presence.

  Larna didn’t know anything about Battle, and the fighters and fighting styles that existed, but he was sure of something: that bastard was good. He faced Garuma with incredible calm, and even if the bully was physically stronger, he didn’t show any doubt.

  He just dodged Garuma’s attacks and defeated him in a single blow. Back, right, cut. That was all he did. He made it look easy, but Larna was sure it wasn’t. Even from his inexperience, he could feel that the guy had trained hard and had gained a lot of experience to reach that level.

  When the guy was too far, Larna's gaze shifted to the floor. How can he be like that? He was probably around Larna’s age, but he was so amazing.

  Larna could just pray, while that guy could face any situation. Larna's frown burrowed. He was paying the cost of isolating himself in his room.

  Larna brought his arm to his chest. It burns. His insides were overwhelmed with a sensation he had never felt before. I want to be like that.

  He wanted to be capable of overpowering Garuma and anyone on his path. He was going to face the thug the next time he menaced him, like that guy did. He was never going to be one of that bully’s minions.

  Larna was in the process of motivating himself when he was interrupted by a shining notification that popped on the corner of his view.

  [The Ascension Event is about to start]