WIEDERGEBURT Chapter 32

I was really glad Erica found us when she did. It took 15 days in her carriage to reach Midgard, which meant it probably would have taken us around a month if not longer had we traveled there on foot. Actually, it probably would have taken longer because Kari would have dragged me off to explore any ruins we found along the way.

Kari was gawking as she looked out the window, and I didn’t think I was much better. The first thing we laid eyes on was a gigantic gate that towered over us like an S-rank Goliath Demon Beast. It was bigger even than the mountain that the Imperial Royal Castle of Nevaria had been located on top of.

The gate was currently open, but we had to stop at the front, where several guards were inspecting the various carriages, carts, and people attempting to enter the city. I looked at one of the guards as she walked up to our carriage. She wore a shining silver breastplate with a fierce looking beast etched onto the front. Polished shoulder pauldrons and gauntlets clicked together as she moved. A skirt swished beneath her breastplate, revealing powerful legs clad in metal plating. Her outfit was topped off with a gigantic claymore strapped across her back. It looked even taller than the woman carrying it.

“May I see your identification papers?” the guard asked the driver, a young woman who was quick to produce a sheet of parchment. The guard inspected the parchment, nodded, and then handed the papers back. “You may enter.”

“Who are those people?” asked Kari as the driver cracked on the reigns and got the carriage moving again.

“They are members of the Midgard Spiritual Knights,” Erica replied, gazing at the woman with a strange gleam in her eyes. I wasn’t sure what that look meant, but it gave me chills. “They belong to an elite group whose job is to protect the city.”

“They aren’t a sect?” I asked.

Erica shook her head. “The job of sects are to take jobs that happen outside of Midgard… usually. The job of the Midgard Spiritual Knights is to protect the peace in Midgard. Of course, this is a big city, and they cannot be everywhere at once. However, the Midgard Spiritual Knights are the most powerful and populous force within the city.” She paused. “Part of this is because a sect’s headquarters is not actually located within Midgard, but it is also true that this group has far more members than any one sect.”

“What do you mean by ‘a sect’s headquarters are not in Midgard’?” asked Kari, turning away from the window to look at Erica.

“The Northern Plains is a vast place,” Erica explained. “There are hundreds of cities located across these plains and even more villages and towns. Most sects are stationed inside of these cities, towns, and villages. However, there may be people from other cities, villages, and towns who wish to hire a specific sect. For example, say you have a Demon Beast rampaging in an area near your town. You wouldn’t want to hire the Alchemist Association for that. You’d want a fighting sect like the Battling Valkyries or Paladin Sect. Midgard, being the central hub of the Northern Plains, is a great place for people who wish to hire a sect but cannot afford to travel all the way to that specific sect’s headquarters. Every sect on the Northern Plains has a branch office here for that reason.”

“I see…” Kari mumbled, her eyes quite wide.

I listened to Erica explain things to Kari, but most of my attention was focused on the city outside of the carriage. Buildings that were easily three or four-stories high sat on either side of a street paved with stone. Like Vahn, the streets here had walkways on either side of the road for pedestrian traffic. Many of the buildings were made from brick and stucco. Quite a few had motifs and various designs etched along them and even more had signs that signified each building’s purpose. There were shops, sect branch offices, inns, and various other residences. Everything seemed incredibly orderly despite the amount of hustle and bustle surrounding the street.

Looking further down the road, my jaw dropped and my eyes felt like they would roll from their sockets.

Towering over everything from much further in were a number of massive towers. They stood over everything like silent sentinels. I had no idea what they were made from, but there were about seven in total, and each one looked like a stake jutting into the heavens. From this distance, I couldn’t tell how close together they were situated. The closer we got, the further apart they seemed to become, but I knew that was my perceptions playing tricks on me. The first six were surrounding the last one, which was larger than all the others.

“What are those towers?” I asked.

“Ah.” Erica made a sound in the back of her throat. “Those towers belong to the most powerful sects within Midgard. The first six belong to the Paladin Sect, the Maleficent Monster Sect, the Alchemy Association, the Poison Sect, the Merchants Union, and the Battling Valkyries. The last one in the center is the grand headquarters of the Midgard Spiritual Knights.”

“That means your sect is one of the most powerful sects in Midgard,” I muttered, staring at the woman sitting across from Kari and me in shock.

She smiled. “You are correct. Our sect is the most recent to occupy that tower. Our current leader is an incredibly powerful woman who is strong enough to defeat A-rank Demon Beasts single-handedly.”

Kari and I gawked at the woman, stunned into silence.

An A-rank Demon Beast was an incredibly ferocious monster that was capable of using Spiritual Attacks that were strong enough to annihilate whole swaths of Spiritualists. Kari and I had faced a number of Demon Beasts while journeying across the Endless Desert and the Northern Plains. However, even with the two of us combined, we could barely manage to defeat a B-rank Demon Beast, and that was considered an incredible accomplishment.

“That leader of yours must be a frightening individual,” Kari muttered.

Erica’s smile widened. “You would think so, but she is actually quite kind.”

I wasn’t sure I believed that, and I could tell from Kari’s expression that she didn’t either, but neither of us said anything.

“In either event, I will drop you two off at a good inn that you can stay at,” Erica continued despite our expressions. I had a feeling she was amused by us. “It’s called the Antiquity Inn. Aside from being one of the oldest and most well-established inns, it is also one with the greatest amenities at the most affordable price.”

“Thank you,” I said. “We really appreciate what you’ve done for us.”

“Pay it no mind.” The woman waved her hand as if it wasn’t a problem. “I learned a lot from our conversations these past few days, and I rather like you two.”

“I hate to ask for more when you’ve already helped us so much, but do you have any advice on how the two of us can find work?” asked Kari. “Should we join a sect, or…”

“That is a very good question.” Erica nodded and crossed her arms. She uncrossed her legs, setting her left leg on the ground and raising her right leg to cross them again. “You can, of course, join a sect. However, you do have to be careful. There are many sects within Midgard, and not all of them are good. If you wish to gain steady employ and income, I’d personally recommend joining the Midgard Spiritual Knights, but that would mean staying in Midgard, which I don’t think either of you want.”

Kari and I shook our heads. While I personally didn’t care too much, I knew that Kari wanted to go exploring. She wanted to travel the world, visit ruins, and go on adventures. For me, as long as I was with her, nothing else mattered.

“In that case, I would recommend joining the Explorers Guild,” Erica informed them. “They do a lot of traveling and excavations of ancient ruins and a variety of unique sites with great historical significance. Because of the dangers that are inherent with exploring newly discovered ruins, they are always looking for strong people who have a good head on their shoulders.”

“We’ll be sure to look them up.” Kari gave the woman her brightest smile. “Thank you!”

That strange look appeared in the woman’s eyes as she stared at Kari, the same look she gave that female Midgard Spiritual Knight. It made me shudder. That expression made it seem like she wanted to devour Kari… and I didn’t mean that in a literal way.

Erica dropped us off in front of a large building that was at least five-stories. I was judging it from the number of windows. It looked a lot like an ancient structure that had been refurbished, with large columns spaced evenly around it and several statues of various mystical creatures near the entrance.

The inside was every bit as impressive as the outside, though I was speaking mostly in terms of size. Kari and I walked into a lobby that was incredibly spacious. A number of columns support the ribbed ceiling. They were thick enough that it would take three of me to wrap my arms around them.

Quite a few people were in this lobby. Now that I was paying more attention, I realized this city had more than just humans. There were a group of Lamia to my left. Fortunately, these Lamia actually wore clothes. On my right were a group of catlike people. Their bodies were covered in fur, a tail jutted from their tailbones, and they had ears on their heads. I had seen a few of these races before after we entered the Northern Plain, but seeing so many in the same place was shocking.

“Let’s get a room,” Kari said, seemingly taking all these different races much better than I was.

She led me to the inn’s front desk, where a young woman in a tailored suit stood. The sharp accents of her clothes gave her a professional appearance, and her smile, clearly one meant to make people feel at ease, added to her visual appeal.

“Welcome to the Antiquity Inn,” she greeted us. “I assume you wish to book a room with us?”

“Yes,” Kari said.

“For how long?” asked the woman.

Kari went silent as she realized she didn’t know how long we should stay. I stepped forward and took over the negotiations for her.

“How much does a single night with a one-bed room cost?”

“For night in a room with one bed, it will cost 150 valis,” she answered immediately. “For every night after that, it will cost an extra 70 valis.”

Nodding at her information, I quickly calculated how much money we could afford to spend on housing. We currently had 14,600 valis on us, which we had earned from doing odd jobs while traveling. I wasn’t sure how much food cost in Midgard, but if we went by the standard price of goods in the cities we visited, it would probably cost around 4,700 to 6,000 valis for a single month. I used the higher cost as our estimate.

“We would like to book a room with one-bed for 15 nights,” Kari answered before I could.

“Very well.” The woman grabbed a quill, a jar of ink, and a sheet of parchment, all of which she set on the counter. “Could I ask that you both sign your names right here please?”

Kari grabbed the quill first and signed her name. She handed it off to me, and I signed next. Once our signatures were filled out, we were asked to exchange the valis for all 15 nights in advance. Apparently, if we wished to cancel at any point in time, we would receive a return for the nights we had not paid for, except they would take a 50 valis fee. After she explained this, the woman handed us a key and had a porter direct us to our room.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from such a fancy-looking inn, but the room we were led to was quaint but nice. It didn’t have any embellishments. It was just a decently-sized room with a single bed, a nightstand, a dresser, and a room off to the side, which we learned from the porter was actually a personal toilet.

“This place is really impressive,” Kari muttered as she stared at the toilet. “Even the toilets in the Imperial Royal Palace were not this nice. It actually has running water!”

“I didn’t realize there was such a unique use for Runes,” I added. The toilet apparently used Runes to create water, which flushed the waste through a set of pipes.

“Me neither.”

After locking the door, Kari and I walked further into the room. She set her ranseur in a corner and stretched her arms. This seemingly innocent action caused her long, luxurious hair to shift and shimmer.

“We’ve finally made it to Midgard,” Kari said. “What should we do now?”

“Well, we could rest,” I began, “Or…”

Kari smiled as she stared at me. “Or?”

I walked up to her until there was barely a centimeter of space separating us. I placed a hand on her cheek and slowly caressed her fair skin, causing Kari to close her eyes and lean into my palm.

“Or you and I can enjoy our first time alone together in 15 days,” I said in a heavy voice.

“Mmm… I like your second idea better,” Kari admitted before leaning up on her toes.

Our kiss did not start off slow. I don’t think either of us was in the mood for slow and soft just then. Fueled by the burning desires we had suppressed during our time with Erica, the two of us attacked each others’ mouth with passionate zeal. Our tongues became almost warlike as they collided and danced.

Nasally gasped soon echoed around the room as I pushed Kari against the wall. She didn’t resist. Raising her left leg, she hooked it around my hips and ground her pelvis against my crotch, instantly bringing my erection to full stiffness. In response to her actions, I stopped kissing her mouth to attack her neck. Kari released a loud, lyrical moan from her already open mouth as her hands came up and grabbed the back of my head as if to pull me in.

“It has been far too long since we’ve done this,” I muttered.

“Hmmm…” Kari seemed to agree, but she wasn’t speaking.

I reached underneath her shirt and pressed my hands against her warm stomach. Her flat, soft belly twitched underneath my fingers as I moved them up. I was soon cupping her chest, massaging them and causing Kari’s breathing to grow heavier.

I worked my mouth along her collarbone, neck, and jawline, but I soon began traveling further down, kissing the small bit of cleavage visible between the gap in her shirt. Wanting more, I pushed her shirt up. Kari raised her hands, allowing me to remove the offending article of clothing. Now with her torso revealed, I was able to admire her large, round breasts, which looked quite heavy as they rested against her chest.

“It isn’t fair if I’m the only one half-naked,” Kari said, leaning back and breathing heavily through her nose. Her cheeks were flushed.

“You’re right.” I reached down and removed my leather tunic and shirt, which I tossed aside. “It isn’t.”

We began kissing each other again, our bodies pushed together so her breasts were squashed against my chest. I could feel her nipples rub against me. They had grown hard at some point, creating an electric feeling like lightning traveling along my skin.

When I removed my mouth from hers, Kari complained for but a moment before I kissed my way between the valley of her breasts. At the same time, I reached out and to pinch and tug on her nipples. Kari squealed as her already hard nipples became engorged with arousal. While allowing my hands to toy with her chest, I knelt down and kissed and licked her stomach, enjoying the slightly salty taste of her sweat, before I reached her pants.

They were simple pants. A pair of buttons kept them from sliding down her hips and a belt was cinched around her waist. I sighed and stopped playing with her breasts to remove the belt, but when it came time to remove the buttons, I leaned over and undid them with my teeth.

“I love it when you do that,” Kari muttered as she stared down at me. I could only see her eyes because her breasts were in the way.

“I know.” I grinned up at her. “That’s why I practiced my unbuttoning skills every night.”

Kari giggled as her pants became loose after undoing the buttons, and I slid them down her hips, revealing centimeter after centimeter of her tantalizing skin. Kari’s smooth pussy soon became visible. Her lips were not puffy yet, still just a small slit, but glistening liquid coated the outside. When her pants were pooled around her calves, she raised her right leg, placing her thigh on my shoulder.

“I’ve missed this scent,” I admitted as I looked up at her and smiled.

Kari’s cheeks blushed, but she was also smiling. “You’ve become a pervert.”

“You made me a pervert.”

“Is that how it iiiIIIISSSS?! OH!”

While she was talking, I leaned over and pressed my mouth against her dripping wet pussy in a kiss. I pushed my tongue into her folds and lapped up at the juices already staining her entrance. After which, I removed my tongue so I could insert a finger inside of her. Kari was always really tight, so I couldn’t just stick myself into her. It was important to loosen her up first.

Kari was no longer talking as I inserted a finger and began pumping it inside of her. Her loud moans rang throughout the room as she pawed at her own tits, pinching, squeezing, and rolling her nipples between her fingers. I watched her for a moment, staring at the look of ecstasy on her face with a smile, before turning my attention back to my own activities. Her lips were sucking my finger in and keeping it there like a vice. I’d pull it out, causing her lips to part and become more engorged after scraping the tip of my finger along her G-spot, and then I inserted a second finger.

The pitch of Kari’s moans changed after my second finger was pushed inside of her. Louder and more frantic, the sweet noises she released was music to my ears.

Wanting to hear more of those sounds, I worked out her clit from underneath her hood, and then leaned forward and began licking it. The walls of her pussy quickly clamped around my fingers as her wailing moans increased in volume. This lasted for some time before she let out a very sharp, very loud scream as her walls became so tight I couldn’t move my fingers, and then released her love nectar, which splashed against my face and dripped down her legs.

I did my best not to let a single drop spill, but it was honestly difficult. Kari released a lot of fluids when she orgasmed. I was pretty sure most of it splashed onto my chest and legs.

The moment her orgasm ended, Kari became boneless, tilting to the side as she almost fell. I caught her in my arms. Lifting her into a bridal carry, I moved to the bed and set her down so her feet were dangling over the edge. I spread her legs apart, the pulsating lips of her vagina still glistening with her juices and my saliva.

“Eryk…” Kari moaned as her glazed over eyes came to.

I leaned over and kissed her. She didn’t mind the taste of herself on my mouth as she kissed me back. While I gently probed the inside of her mouth with my tongue, I reached out and clasped our hands together, our fingers laced.

“I love you,” I whispered as our lips parted. My voice was filled with heat, the same fire that was burning me inside.

“I love you too.” Kari gave me a tender smile before her face scrunched up as I slid my dick inside of her. “Hrnnn!!”

I took things slowly, rocking my hips back and forth, building up a slow intensity. I wanted this moment to last. I’d pull my dick out until just the head was inside, and then pushed it back inside of her, spreading her pussy lips wide as I penetrated the deepest parts of her vagina.

Our breathing was heavy as we made love. Loud, intoxicated gasps mixed with low moans and soft grunts as our mouths hampered the other person’s. The muscles in my back and butt flexed as I increased the speed of my thrusts, until a loud slapping sound mixed into the music we were making like a beating drum.

At some point, Kari locked her legs around my hips. I could feel her heels digging into my backside as she urged me to move faster. Our hands remained tightly clasped as my increased speed caused her face to clench and her nose to scrunch up as her kisses became more frantic. The sound of her moans, muffled by my mouth, reverberated inside of me. 

A bright light flashed in my eyes. I thought for a moment that I’d had a mindblowing orgasm, but I hadn’t cum yet, and I was still thrusting my hips in time to Kari’s movements. I looked down. Kari’s body was covered in sweat, her breasts were jiggling and bouncing, and there was a strange symbol glowing on her left breast directly where her heart would be.

I barely had a moment to ponder that strange symbol. My end came all too soon. I felt my balls tighten seconds before I released my load inside of her. Kari screamed and bit down on my shoulder. Her hips shook as her legs tightened around me. I groaned as my cock released the last few spurts they had. I imagined her insides had been completely painted white.

The two of us took several deep breaths as we came down from our high. I raised my body a little so I could look down at this goddess who had saved my life. Her body was covered in sweat, both her own and mine. It caused her skin to glisten and shine. I wanted to lick the sweat off her body, but more than that, I wanted to lean down and kiss those slightly bruised lips some more.

My dick grew hard while still inside of Kari.

It really had been too long since we’d made love like this. That was the problem with traveling alongside someone else. Erica had been a big help, but her presence meant Kari and I had been unable to really spend any time together like this.

“Shall we go another round?” I asked.

Coming down from her post-orgasm high, Kari looked at my face, and then looked down at our conjoined hips. My dick was still buried up to the hilt inside of her, which meant all I could see was the engorged lips of her pussy and slightly twitching clit. She looked back at my face and gave me an amused smile.

“I can certainly go for another round,” she agreed before rocking her hips against mine.

We ended up spending several more hours of love making before falling to exhaustion. The mark on her chest would disappear the next day, and I forgot all about it.

***

Five days had passed since Eryk and Albert had agreed to have an Honor Duel to settle their dispute. During that time, word had spread like wildfire, which explained why the seats of the Colosseum were currently filled with people. All of them were nobles, of course. This affair was one in which a peasant had offended a noble. None of the noble families wanted the common folks to witness this Honor Duel, which was most unorthodox due to who was fighting.

Kari glanced at all the people as she sat in the viewing boot reserved for the Astralia Royal Family. While the lower seating reserved for commoners didn’t have anyone, all of the middle and penthouse seats reserved for the nobility had been filled. She recognized many of the families in attendance. Even though she didn’t enjoy it, Kari had been forced to attend many functions with her mother, brothers, and fathers, and so she had met a good portion of the nobles present.

“So many noble families have come to witness this Honor Duel.” Kari could feel the way gravity dragged her lips down. “I’ve witnessed several Honor Duels in the past, but none of them have ever had so many nobles show up.”

“That is because this Honor Duel holds more significance to them.” Her mother also observed the many people present, but unlike Kari, she looked unfazed. “This is an Honor Duel between a noble and a peasant. Such a thing has never happened before, so they are naturally invested in this fight, which could potentially change the political climate between them.” She paused and tilted her head. “I also believe some of them just want to see your friend get humiliated.”

Kari clenched her hands, hidden within the sleeves of her robes. “Eryk won’t lose.”

“You have so much confidence in that young man.” Her mother turned just her head and looked into her eyes, a half-smile crossing her face. “I wonder what this young man has done to earn such confidence from you.”

Kari could feel the way her cheeks burned as she turned her head.

The booth meant for the Royal Family was a balcony located higher up than even the seating meant for nobles. It gave them a clear view of the arena and the crowd. The height was also to protect the Royal Family in case someone tried to attack. There were very few Spiritual Techniques that had the range necessary to reach them. The balustrade was also designed with a material that could absorb Spiritual Power to some extent.

With Kari and her mother were her three brothers and two of her mother’s husbands, Rainer and Valence—her birth father. Her fathers sat behind her and her mother while her three brothers sat in the last row up. Each row was elevated so their view wouldn’t be obstructed by the people in front.

“Oh, man,” Geirolf said with a grin. “I can’t believe a peasant has actually challenged a noble to an Honor Duel. Is that even allowed?”

“It’s not against the rules,” Earland said quietly, his face stoney. “The reason it has never been done before is because most commoners are afraid of the noble family’s retribution. Even though there are many strong individuals amongst the commoner class, the strength of the individual is nothing when compared to the strength of a noble family.”

“I guess.” Geirolf leaned back in his chair, a grin still plastered on his face.

“I’m more shocked that the commoner who is taking part in this Honor Duel knows Kari,” Mikkel said as he rubbed his chin. Kari had noticed that he was getting a little bit of stubble. He needed to shave.

“I’m also pretty curious about this young man who knows you,” Valence said in response to Mikkel’s comment. He was looking at Kari with the same stern frown he always wore. “I heard that this duel happened while the two of you were traipsing through Nevaria together. The rumor being spread around is that the two of you were holding hands. Are you and he really so close?”

“F-Father!” Kari shrieked as her face began to burn. She wished she could hide her head inside of her tunic.

“I guess that answers your question,” Rainer said with a gentle smile.

“Hmph!”

As her father turned his head with a soft huff, Kari tried to forget this entire conversation happened. She looked at the arena floor, where three people were standing.

***

I had dressed myself in something different today. The durable linen undershirt was an off-white color that had long sleeves, but the sleeves were hidden by the leather vambraces that wrapped around my forearms. I wore no armor. Instead, I was just wearing a plain leather tunic that was a dark brown, the same as my boots and pants. While the boots were also made of a durable leather, the pants were simple wool. Cinched around my pants was a leather belt.

Albert stood several meters away, decked to the nines in glistening silver armor. The chestplate, shoulder pauldrons, gauntlets, and greaves made him look much more like a warrior than I did. He also carried a weapon, unlike myself. A sword was strapped to his hip. It was just a standard broadsword, nothing to special, but it did have an enameled pommel.

A stern frown was plastered on Albert’s face. “Do you not have a weapon?”

“I don’t need one.” I shrugged. The frown Albert wore grew larger.

“You’re an interesting kid, you know that?” said the other person standing in the arena.

The man who stood between myself and Albert was a few centimeters taller than me, had silvery hair that didn’t seem to come from age, and a young-looking face that possessed a boyish sort of charm. It was hard to tell how old he was. However, this man was also one of Empress Hilda’s husbands, so I believed he was at least somewhere in his 30s. He wore red pants, a black shirt, and a red trench coat that went down to his boots.

“You think so?” I glanced at the man.

He nodded. “I know so. Not only are you somehow friends with our little Kari, but you’ve earned the ire of the Himmel Family, and you don’t plan on using a weapon to fight. That puts you at a severe disadvantage, but you don’t even seem to care.”

I shrugged. “That’s because I don’t care. In any case, my current weapon of choice isn’t ready yet, so I couldn’t use one even if I wanted to.”

That was not strictly true. I could use regular swords, but I had grown so used to wielding the Dragon Tail Ruler that no other weapon felt right anymore.

“Whatever you say, kid.” Wearing a somewhat lazy grin, Kari’s father—half-father, I guess—sucked in a deep breath and spoke in a loud, booming voice that echoed across the Colosseum. “Okay, everyone! It’s time to settle down!”

The gathered nobles sitting in the middle and upper seating of the Colosseum settled down. I glanced around at the many nobles present. I didn’t recognize any of them. In fact, aside from the Valstine Family, who I spotted sitting in the seats on my left, the nearly one-thousand people gathered were all faces I had never seen before. That just went to show me how little I actually knew about my home.

“So… it seems there has been some contention between Eryk over here and the Himmel Family,” said Empress Hilda’s second husband, his voice loud and booming. I think his name was Dante. “Apparently, Alf and Arvid Himmel were found injured by their friend, who witnessed Eryk beating them to a bloody pulp. Alf and Arvid don’t remember this happening. However, it has caused the Himmel Family a good deal of grief. To settle this dispute, Eryk is facing off with Albert Himmel in an Honor Duel to prove his innocence.”

I tried to feign patience as I listened to the man explain what this duel was all about, but I honestly just wanted to get this fight started. That said, I understood that he was explaining all this for a reason, so I held my tongue.

“I’m not going to bore you with the details about this duel,” Dante continued speaking to the crowd. “The winner will be decided by knockout or forfeit. Killing is not allowed. If either of you kills the other, I will not hesitate to kill you in return.” A brief burst of Spiritual Pressure pushed down on me as Dante’s eyes flashed. “Is that understood?”

“Perfectly,” I said.

Albert nodded. “I understand.”

“I’m glad you both understand.” Dante’s smile contained a strange pressure. I think it was because his smiles up to this point seemed so lackadaisical. His smile right now was not. “You should also both understand this. Regardless of the outcome for this Honor Duel, the dispute between the two of you will be over once the dust settles. The loser will be punished according to the law, while the winner will no longer bother the loser.”

While he didn’t say, “Is that understood?” the implied question rang clearly in his voice. Me and Albert nodded to signify that we understood, causing his smile to once more become lazy. He walked backward for several meters, turned around, and raised his hand.

“In that case, I now consider this fight officially underway.” Dante swung his hand down as though attempting to cut thin air. “You may begin now!”