(Kai POV – Path to Dorms)
The rest of the school day passes uneventfully.
Classes blur together… lectures, idle chatter, the occasional hateful glance thrown my way.
Everything was normal, and at some point, Tsukune just stopped appearing.
'He left already…' I lean back slightly in my chair, staring out of the window thoughtfully. 'I thought he'd at least wait until after school.'
We didn't even get the chance to say farewell, but…
'He didn't want us there anyway.'
So I let it go. Nothing to be done about it now.
By the time classes end, the sun still hangs high in the sky.
Moka and I walk side by side along the path leading back to the dorms.
She's talking, bright and animated.
"The teacher kept picking me to answer questions!" She says, giggling.
"You stood out quite a bit." I laugh.
"Eh?! I was being completely normal!" She insists, puffing her cheeks slightly.
"And you got every question right." I hum, unconvinced.
"That's because I was paying attention." She says seriously. "They explain everything nicely, so it's easy to follow."
And as she continues talking, my attention drifts.
It isn't because I'm bored, but…
'…It's still there.'
A sharp, persistent gaze that's been following me the entire day. I don't bother turning around.
'He's keeping his distance.'
He's not approaching since there are other students nearby. Which means he's planning to attack.
'So to lure him out… we need to isolate ourselves.' I exhale slowly.
"Moka." I say, cutting in gently. "Let's head over there."
I gesture off the main path, toward a quieter stretch of the grounds.
She blinks. Then smiles.
"Huh? Sure!" She says without a hint of suspicion or hesitation, her face brightening immediately.
"Oh! We haven't explored that area yet!" She says excitedly, grabbing my hand and tugging me along. "Let's go!"
I let myself be pulled, a small smile tugging at my lips.
This trust…
It's warm… but also heavy.
Because I know what I'm walking her into.
'If I had the choice… I wouldn't involve her.'
Even though Inner Moka is strong enough to beat Saizo without breaking a sweat…
'I don't want it to come to that.'
I don't want to rely on Moka to fight my battles. I want to protect her.
And more importantly—
'If I leave her alone, there's no guarantee he won't just go after her instead. I'm not his real target. Just an obstacle in the path.' I sigh.
So this is the best option.
This way, I control the situation, choose the battlefield, and can deal with him on my own terms.
We walk deeper into the cemetery, away from the main path.
The lively noise of students fades behind us, replaced by a quiet stillness.
Withered trees stretch overhead, their twisted branches clawing at the dimming sky. Gravestones litter the ground, half-sunken and crooked.
Eventually, we hear no more voices, and it's just us.
I stop.
Moka stumbles slightly from the sudden halt, turning to me in confusion. "Hmm? Why'd we stop?"
I don't answer immediately.
Instead, I slowly turn around, and pull her gently behind me.
Her hand tightens around my sleeve instinctively.
"…We're being followed." I say softly.
Her body stiffens.
She peeks out from behind my back, eyes scanning the area nervously.
There's nothing besides the trees and gravestones.
"You can come out now, Saizo." My voice cuts cleanly through the silence.
A few seconds pass without movement, but I don't doubt my senses.
Then—
A slow clap.
"Guess I wasn't as sneaky as I thought."
Saizo steps out from behind one of the larger trees, completely unbothered at being caught.
A lazy grin stretches across his face, eyes sharp with amusement, like he's been enjoying a show.
"You knew I was there… and still led me out here?" Be chuckles. "Man, you just made this easy for me."
He rolls his shoulders slightly as he approaches, completely relaxed, like a predator certain of victory.
Moka grips my shirt tighter.
"Why are you following us?" She asks, trying to sound firm, even as her voice carries a hint of unease.
Saizo's gaze shifts to her and lingers.
He licks his lips, a hunger in his eyes as his grin widens. "Well… isn't that obvious?"
He straightens slightly, puffing his chest with smug confidence.
"Moka." He says, almost possessively. "I want you to be my girl."
There's no hesitation or shame… just pure, entitled certainty.
His eyes flick toward me dismissively.
"Drop this guy." He jerks his chin. "And come with me." His tone softens slightly, but it only makes it worse. "I'll show you how to really have fun."
His gaze drags over her again, hungrily assessing what he considers his prize..
Moka flinches, and I move slightly, obscuring his view of her.
She relaxes slightly, but her grip on me tightens.
"I don't want to be with you." She says firmly. "So please… leave us alone."
Her voice isn't loud, but it's clear and final.
For a split second, there's silence.
Then Saizo's smile twitches. It doesn't disappear, but it's colder.
"…Heh."
'It's starting.'
"Moka." I say quietly, not taking my eyes off Saizo. "Stay behind me, and move further back. I don't want you getting hurt."
My voice is calm… but my body is already tense, ready to fight.
Behind me, I feel her hesitate.
"Kai…" She murmurs, worried, but after a quick reassurance, she listens, stepping back, fingers tightening in the fabric of my sleeve for just a second before letting go.
In front of me, Saizo exhales slowly, scowling in annoyance as he watched us.
Then he shrugs off his jacket, dropping it to the ground with a dull thud.
"I get it now…" He mutters, rolling his shoulders as a low, wet crack echoes from his frame. "Moka likes you."
Then, another crack… louder this time.
His neck jerks to the side unnaturally.
"If I get rid of you…" He continues, voice distorting slightly. "She'll be mine."
Crack. Snap. Tear.
His body swells… abnormally so.
His skin stretches tight over rapidly expanding muscle, veins bulging grotesquely as if something underneath is trying to claw its way out.
Then his shirt strains, before bursting apart, the fabric tearing as his torso thickens. His arms lengthen, muscles knotting and twisting until they resemble humanity only in shape.
Bone spikes punch through his elbows with a sickening wet pop, causing Moka to gasp behind me.
Saizo's legs distort next, his stance widening as his heels split and reform, jagged protrusions stabbing out like natural weapons.
His tongue slips from his mouth, much too long to be natural, before he drags it across his lips as his teeth sharpen into serrated points.
Then he lets out a sigh of relief.
"Ahhh…" He sighs, shoulders relaxing. "That's better."
"Feels good to be back in my own skin." He adds, rolling his neck lazily. "Even if it's against the school rules…" His grin widens. "Who's gonna report it after I'm done with you?"
It's a blatant threat, but I ignore it, taking a moment to analyse him.
"You're a monstrel, right?" I ask, tilting my head slightly, like I'm genuinely curious. "A hybrid between two monster species."
That gets his attention.
"Oh?" His brows lift. "You recognize it?"
Then he laughs, clearly pleased. "Of course you do. Makes sense you'd recognize greatness."
He steps forward. Each step is heavy, cracking faintly against the ground. "I'll give you a quicker death for that."
I nod slowly.
"Yeah… it's quite impressive." I say thoughtfully, then I sigh. "But it must be rough."
He pauses. "…What?"
"I mean, your mom must've been an orc." I continue casually, gesturing vaguely at him, "And your dad a goblin or something equally grotesque. Congrats, though… you somehow managed to inherit the ugliness from both."
I shake my head, clicking my tongue.
Behind me, I feel Moka gasps in shock, but when she looks at him, her gaze fills with pity instead of the original worry.
Saizo freezes in place, so I keep going.
"No wonder you have to force yourself on girls." I add in a mocking tone. "If I woke up looking like that everyday, I'd probably be a jerk too."
Silence.
Then—
"You…" His voice drops dangerously, his eyes starting to twitch. "You think this is funny?"
I shrug.
"Was I wrong?" I ask lightly. "Because if I am, feel free to correct me. I'd hate to mislabel whatever the hell I'm looking at."
That does it.
His face twists.
"You piece of shit—!" The ground cracks beneath his foot as he launches forward. "I'LL KILL YOU!"
He charges like a beast. Fast, heavy, and reckless.
Exactly what I wanted.
I grin.
"Ah. So I was right."
His roar shakes the air.
"And it stings, doesn't it?" I continue, stepping back slightly, my voice cutting through his rage. "All that insecurity bubbling up. Must be exhausting."
His eyes are bloodshot now.
"Are you projecting them onto me?" I go on, almost bored. "We all know you look like shit—hell, that's generous. No one screams when they see a turd, but one glance at your monstrel face and even the girls here want to puke."
I wave a hand lazily.
"There's a lady present, Saizo. Try to act civilized." I glance back briefly at Moka, throwing her a smirk, before facing him again. "Or is that too hard for a walking genetic dumpster fire?"
He snaps.
Whatever restraint he had left shatters completely.
A guttural roar tears out of his throat as he lunges toward me, and in that moment, everything sharpens as I activate Multitasking.
My mind splitting into four.
One tracks his movements, so I can dodge at a moment's notice.
One scans for openings and ways to attack.
The other keeps track of my surroundings, so I don't get caught off guard by anything.
And before I can think further—
He's on me.
Saizo's arm comes crashing down like a falling pillar, the air whistling from the force behind it.
My body moves instantly, twisting to the right as the strike grazes past my shoulder, close enough that I feel the wind of it… and my fist snaps forward.
CRACK.
My knuckles slam into his chin, and the impact jars my entire arm.
'Damn… that's hard.'
It's like hitting reinforced steel wrapped in flesh. Pain shoots through my hand, but I don't stop.
I dip under his body immediately, slipping past his centerline and stepping out behind him before he can react, and create some distance.
Saizo staggers.
For a split second, his massive frame wobbles, then he drops to one knee, head snapping slightly from the force.
He's dazed, but nowhere near unconscious like I'd planned.
'Of course monsters are more durable than people… I just didn't expect it to apply to their organs too..' I think, breathing steady despite the adrenaline roaring in my veins.
A low growl rumbles out of him.
I roll my shoulders, bouncing lightly on my feet, forcing my body to stay loose as my heart hammers against my ribs.
'I shouldn't get greedy.' I think. 'One hit from him means game over from me. I'll prioritise safety.'
But, while he's dazed and stationary…
'Sunlight Spear.' The command echoes silently in my mind.
The fourth segment of my thoughts, working silently until now, gathering energy, finally shapes it, and something forms in my hand.
'Huh?' I blink. 'This… isn't what I expected.'
It's not a spear… not exactly.
A jagged mass of golden-orange lightning coils in my palm, branching and twisting like roots, unstable, but buzzing with power. It crackles violently, arcs snapping between strands, illuminating everything in harsh, flickering light.
It looks dangerous, but not in the way I had hoped.
'Does this even pierce through things?'
Doubt creeps into my mind, but it's already formed, and I have no time to hesitate… so I throw it anyway.
The mass of lightning tears through the air, and slams straight into his abdomen.
"GRAAAAHHH—!!"
Saizo's scream rips through the clearing.
The lightning doesn't pierce through.
It burrows into his body, and spreads, branching across his torso.
It crawls across his body in blinding arcs, digging into muscle and nerve, cooking him from the inside out.
The smell of burnt flesh and ozone hits me a second later.
It's nauseating, but I grit my teeth and ignore it.
'That's… not what I pictured.'
I aimed for his stomach because I didn't want to traumatize Moka by killing in front of her… but it should've crippled him.
Instead, all I see is charred flesh, instead of a gaping, cauterized hole through him.
That… and a very angry monster.
His body jerks violently, twitching as the lightning slowly dissipates, but his head snaps up, eyes locked on me.
Wider, and crazier.
"YOU—!!"
The shock didn't weaken him. It brought him from his daze, and he lunges at me again. Much faster this time as fury fuels him.
His arms swing in wide, brutal arcs, each one capable of tearing though concrete if it lands… but I'm more than ready.
I slip the first swing, duck the second, and step into his guard on the third.
My fists then slams into his ribs, with dull, resounding thuds.
Pain spikes through my knuckles, but it fades almost instantly.
I pivot, driving another punch into his side, then another into his torso before sliding out of range again.
But, he's not as dumb as I'd hoped, and begins to adapt quickly.
His guard shifts, arms coming up higher now to protect his head and neck. He starts letting the body shots land instead, tanking them like they're nothing.
He swings high, and I duck under, driving a punch into his ribs.
He throws a straight—
I step closer, weaving past it, shoulder brushing his chest as I hammer blows into his abdomen.
Back and forth.
Strike. Slip. Counter.
Every attack of his is dodged, and returned with a counter.
Every opening is exploited.
The ground crunches beneath our feet, dirt kicking up with every step. The air fills with the sound of relentless impacts.
And still—
It's like hitting a wall… his skin is tougher than leather.
Each strike lands, but the damage is minimal. But after a few minutes… it starts adding up.
I see and feel it.
The slowing of his movement.
The way his breathing gets heavier.
The faint tremor in his stance.
'If it bleeds…' My lips curl slightly. 'Even a god can be killed.'
I don't slow down.
Fatigue was never an issue, my stamina refilling faster than I can spend it. My body constantly resetting and repairing itself as I push forward.
And slowly, his rhythm becomes easier to read. Or rather… my battle IQ improves.
I start by reading him, then predicting him.
And now… breaking him.
My strikes come faster, landing more precisely as I learn angles and techniques to inflict greater pain and damage.
I slip past a punch before it even fully forms, countering instantly.
Step inside his guard—
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Three clean hits to the torso, and he stumbles back half a step.
It's not much, but it's way more than before.
Something changes inside me.
The fear, tension… uncertainty.
It all twists together, mingling with adrenaline and excitement.
A grin tugs at my lips.
'Hey…' I duck another swing, weaving past it effortlessly now.
'This is actually…' My fist slams into his side again. 'Fun.'
Whether my enjoyment is from fighting, or beating up Saizo specifically… I don't question it, enjoying the moment.
After all, where else could I find such a clumsy, but durable punching bag?
********
A/N: Hello Everyone! How are you all? If you've enjoyed the chapter and book thus far, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or power stones. It really helps the book out.
So, the fight is finally here. And I must say, Kai is doing well, considering this is his first fight. That's why he created distance the first time. He's a noob, who'd die from one hit. Better be safe.
As for how well he's doing, it's kinda like watching people fight (through multitasking), and from his perspective, he just needs to focus on moving his body. How he should move and attack are determined by the other 2 minds he's split using the trait.
And as for sunlight spear... Actually, credit to Sunny where it's due. It is indeed from Dark Souls, so I went with it as such, and used that one🤣. I was also under the impression it'd be a spear initially.
As for him going battle crazy at the end, I only have one thing to say... Hanma. Yep. I blame that bloodline. And they get stronger the more they fight. That wasn't completely the reason he managed to push Saizo back half a step though, but it contributes. It's just that the bloodline boosts his combat talent, so he's actively, and rapidly getting better.
So, was the fight entertaining? I'm probably starting it out in Saizo's POV next chapter. Oh, and were the insults good? A Monstrel is a mix of 2 monsters, so...
And yeah, I know his mom appears in the anime (so it's a bit mean), but she's anime only. I'm following the manga, so no harm no foul, since she'll never be seen. I can diss her as much as I like, but specifically to hurt Saizo. Traits like Provocation work well if I put in the work to make creative insults😭. So hopefully it worked, and someone had a laugh 🫠.
But anyway, that's all from me. Adding Saizo's image so it's easier to visualise in case you haven't seen him or don't remember.
You can also read 2 chapters ahead and support me at [email protected]/AMV_WEAKLY
Regardless, I hope you enjoyed, and all have a wonderful rest of your day/night 😁