Relaxation

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Garrett Newbrough; Eli Makaafi; rangerbookwyrm;

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The walk back to the manor was tense. The unspoken discussion taking place was one of concern. A demon, so deep in the heart of Eilon? A group that supposedly worshiped them, this close to the royal manor? The ramifications that implied were not pretty. Mother and father were thinking hard as they walked, glancing at each other every so often with knowing expressions.

I carried the unconscious Ravelus in my arms as we walked, having insisted upon doing so until the adults relented. He had saved me twice, in that chapel. I still felt like I had been utterly useless, down there. <Gamer's Mind> had lured me into a false sense of security, and I had fallen into a trap because of it. I had thought it was an infallible power - that nothing could overcome it - and I was wrong.

' What happened, back there? ' I asked, partly afraid of what the answer would be.

[The demon's soul greatly overpowered yours, bypassing the skill <Gamer's Mind>!]

' How did that happen? I have the soul of a demigod, I thought? '

[Correction, you have the soul rank of a demigod. Your soul is still that of a cat Beastkin; just given the strength of that of a demigod. Mortal souls do not compare to immortal souls - which only grow stronger as they age.]

' Oh, ' I sighed. ' Is there a way for me to upgrade my soul? '

[Of course there is. You always forget about upgrade tickets.]

' Right, ' I nodded. I opened my inventory and summoned one of my gacha tokens in my mouth, biting it even as I carried my elder brother.

[Rolling 76x Gacha Token…]

[Rolling…]

[Entry 5, 41, 15, 237, 185, 191, 177, 210, 251, 51, 49, 80, 255, 212, 64, 144, 197, 67, 141, 59, 184, 236, 6, 7, 23, 24, 87, 30, 65, 248, 86, 194, 195, 32, 183, 73, 162, 216, 42, 57, 67, 98, 245, 215, 20, 79, 180, 114, 3, 239, 20, 35, 208, 57, 129, 141, 184, 9, 24, 217, 234, 127, 47, 7, 6, 181, 225, 182, 100, 76, 113, 13, 214, 78, 152, and 177 Rolled…]

[<1d6 CON Fruit>, <Sapphire Skeleton Key>, <Gold Upgrade Ticket>, <Caryll Rune: Arcane Lake>, <Chloranthy Ring>, <Ring of Favor and Protection>, Skill Book: <Legilimency >, <Copy Crystal>, <Dungeon Card: Pokemon>, <Hoard Map>, <Mystical Beast Egg>, <Grin Button>, <Crystal Flask> x500, <All Might's Hair>, <Attribute Crystal: Adam>, <Plantera's Bulb>, <Spirit Rite>, <Quest Contract> x5, <Mechanical Worm>, Skill Book: <Temporal Sense>, <Life Ring>, <Caryll Rune: Anti-Clockwise Metamorphosis>, <1d6 END Fruit>, <1d6 INT Fruit>, <Old Dragon Soul Fragment>, <Ancient Dragon Soul Fragment>, <Large Bicep Button>, <Effigy of Rebirth>, <Yamato >, <Boon Flaw Pill>, <Button Button>, <1d4 LVL Fruit>, <Repair Powder>, <Dusk Crown Ring>, <Bloodline Purification Potion>, <Homeward Bone>, <Multiversal Data Chip>, <Jar of Frostflame>, <Gambler's Coin>, <Ruby Skeleton Key>, <Mind-Refining Essence>, <Quest Contract> x5, <1d12 STR Fruit>, <Caryll Rune: Moon>, <Nokia 3310>, Skill Book: <Photographic Memory>, <Book Button>, <Divine Blessing>, <Ancient Phoenix Feather>, <1d6 STR Fruit>, <Caryll Rune: Clawmark>, <Slime Crown>, <System Upgrade Voucher>, <Ice King's Crown>, <Mind-Refining Incense>, <Trickster's Garb>, <Mechanical Worm>, <Life Ring>, <1d6 CHA Fruit>, <Ancient Dragon Soul Fragment>, <Awesome Stick>, <Spectral Steed Whistle>, <Deer Thing>, <Onyx Skeleton Key>, <1d6 INT Fruit>, <1d6 END Fruit>, <Purging Stone>, <Sliver of the Mind Stone>, <Lloyd Talisman>, <1d12 DEX Fruit>, <Heart Button>, <Old Phoenix Feather>, <Iron Upgrade Ticket>, <Totem of Undying>, <Bulb Button>, <Solar Tablet>, and <Copy Crystal> Added to {Inventory}!]

<+1d6 CON Fruit>

A fruit that will raise the consumer's constitution by 1d6 points. Tastes like grape.

<Sapphire Skeleton Key>

A sapphire key that can be used on sapphire locks. Contains the element of water.

<Gold Upgrade Ticket>

A thin gold ticket that can be applied to anything for a chance to upgrade it.

2% Mythic

29% Legendary

69% Epic

<Caryll Rune: Arcane Lake>

+5% Magic Damage Negation. Up to three Caryll Runes can be equipped at once. Caryll Runes can be stacked for greater effects.

<Chloranthy Ring>

Increases the wearer's stamina regeneration by 12.5%.

<Ring of Favor and Protection>

Wearer's maximum HP and Stamina increased by 20%. Breaks when removed.

Skill Book: <Legilimency >

A magical method of piercing through a target's mental defenses, navigating their mind and understanding what is seen.

<Copy Crystal>

A crystal that can be used to make a perfect copy of anything.

<Big Shield Potion> |AnxietySlime|

A potion that grants the consumer 50% of their max HP in shield, acting as an additional health bar that cannot be regenerated or affected by skills. This item will grant no more than 100% shield.

<Dungeon Card: Pokemon> |AnxietySlime|

A card that grants access to the Pokemon dungeon, which is a diverse land with ever biome possible, home to all pokemon up until the ninth generation.

<Hoard Map>

A map leading to a dragon's hoard. Dragon included.

<Magical Beast Egg>

A softball-sized egg containing a random magical beast. The type of beast within is determined upon hatching, depending on luck and environmental stimuli. Must be incubated.

<Grin Button>

A small button displaying a wide grin. +5% CHA (+5%/).

<Crystal Flask> x500

Potion flasks made of crystal to better contain the effects of their contents.

<All Might's Hair> |AnxietySlime|

A strand of the almighty hero All Might's hair. It will grant the consumer the skill <One For All>, which is a permanent physical modifier that can be trained to further heights. Subsidiary quirks not included.

<Attribute Crystal: Adam>

A crystal containing an attribute of Adam. Crush it to activate, but be wary of unintended side-effects.

Perfect Body200% Stat Gain<Eyes of the Lord> Skill<High Human> Rank<Progenitor of Man> Title

<Plantera's Bulb>

A large flower bulb, which can be used to summon Plantera.

Recommended Level: 250

<Spirit Rite>

Face the rite of passage.

<Quest Contract> x5

A scroll containing information on menial work that needs to be done by someone within two hours' walking distance. Completion guarantees rewards from both quest giver and system.

<Mechanical Worm>

A large mechanical worm, which can be used to summon The Destroyer.

Recommended Level: 300

Skill Book: <Temporal Sense>

Grants the reader innate knowledge on the space-time status of the area around them. Relative date and time.

<Life Ring>

Increases the wearer's maximum HP by 7%.

<Caryll Rune: Anti-Clockwise Metamorphosis>

+10% Stamina. Up to three Caryll Runes can be equipped at once. Caryll Runes can be stacked for greater effects.

<+1d6 END Fruit>

A fruit that will raise the consumer's endurance by 1d6 points. Tastes like kiwi.

<+1d6 INT Fruit>

A fruit that will raise the consumer's intelligence by 1d6 points. Tastes like blueberry.

<Old Dragon Soul Fragment>

A physical fragment of an old dragon's soul.

<Ancient Dragon Soul Fragment>

A physical fragment of an ancient dragon's soul.

<Large Bicep Button>

A large button displaying a tensed bicep. +10% STR (+10%/).

<Effigy of Rebirth>

Can be keyed to a person's blood only once. When that person dies, the effigy combusts harmlessly, pulling their soul back into their body. +500% stats for 200 seconds, followed by 50% stats for 30,000 seconds.

<Yamato >

A katana created by the legendary traitor-devil Sparda, when he split his power into three pieces. The Yamato has the power to split anything, be it space and time or the DNA of a living being. It carries tremendous demonic power.

<Boon Flaw Pill>

A pill that will grant you one positive boon in addition to a negative flaw.

<Button Button>

A button that can store other buttons, retaining their effects.

<Repair Powder>

Repairs anything it touches.

<Dusk Crown Ring>

+25% max MP; -15% max HP.

<Bloodline Purification Potion>

Allows the imbibed to give one of their bloodlines absolute purity, erasing all others. Tastes like pure lactic acid.

<Homeward Bone>

Teleports those who crush it to either their home, or to the last place they considered safe.

<Multiversal Data Chip>

When attached to any mobile device, it allows for communication across dimensions and throughout the multiverse. Provides high-speed data upload and download no matter where you are by transmitting the information across a higher dimension. Automatically connects affected phones to a chat network.

<Jar of Frostflame>

A small jar containing a piece of blue frostflame.

<Gambler's Coin> |AnxietySlime|

A golden coin that can be flipped to give a random stat between -999 and +999 points for the next five minutes.

<Ruby Skeleton Key>

A ruby key that can be used on ruby locks. Contains the element of fire. 

<Mind-Refining Incense>

A stick of incense that, when inhaled by up to three people, purges impurities and raises INT, WIS, CHA, and LCK by 5d4 each. Takes three hours to burn, and smells of chamomile.

<Quest Contract> x5

A scroll containing information on menial work that needs to be done by someone within two hours' walking distance. Completion guarantees rewards from both quest giver and system.

<1d12 STR Fruit>

A fruit that will raise the consumer's strength by 1d12 points. Tastes like perfect strawberry.

<Caryll Rune: Moon>

+10% SC and EXP from defeated/slain enemies. Up to three Caryll Runes can be equipped at once. Caryll Runes can be stacked for greater effects.

<Nokia 3310> |AnxietySlime|

A discontinued mobile phone that is said to be indestructible.

Skill Book: <Photographic Memory>

Grants the reader a photographic memory, allowing them to recall exact details on anything they see, feel, hear, taste, and smell from then on.

<Book Button>

A small button displaying an open book. +5% WIS (+5%/).

<Divine Blessing>

Heals consumer to max HP and cures all ailments except curses.

<Ancient Phoenix Feather>

An ancient phoenix's feather.

<+1d6 STR Fruit>

A fruit that will raise the consumer's strength by 1d6 points. Tastes like strawberry.

<Caryll Rune: Clawmark>

+10% Critical Attack Damage. Up to three Caryll Runes can be equipped at once. Caryll Runes can be stacked for greater effects.

<Slime Crown>

A crown sitting atop a ball of slime, which can be used to summon the King Slime.

Recommended Level: 20

<System Upgrade Voucher>

A metaphysical voucher capable of upgrading a system function.

<Ice King's Crown> |AnxietySlime|

A simple, yet ornate golden crown emblazoned with three red gems. Grants the wearer absolute manipulation of ice, but slowly drains their sanity.

<Mind-Refining Incense>

A stick of incense that, when inhaled by up to three people, purges impurities and raises INT, WIS, CHA, and LCK by 5d4 each. Takes three hours to burn, and smells of chamomile.

<Trickster's Garb> - A cloak that can change shape into any form of clothing, also changing the appearance of the wearer to whatever they imagine. A smily face will appear somewhere on the exterior of the garb.

<Mechanical Worm>

A large mechanical worm, which can be used to summon The Destroyer.

Recommended Level: 300

<Life Ring>

Increases the wearer's maximum HP by 7%.

<+1d6 CHA Fruit>

A fruit that will raise the consumer's charisma by 1d6 points. Tastes like cherry.

<Ancient Dragon Soul Fragment>

A physical fragment of an ancient dragon's soul.

<Awesome Stick> |AnxietySlime|

An awesome stick. Perfect, in fact. So absolutely godly that it grants you +1 CHA simply by holding it.

<Spectral Steed Whistle>

A ring that acts as a whistle, summoning the horned spectral steed called Torrent. He is capable of jumping off of the open air using his spirit, and can be summoned again after dying via the application of healing to the ring.

<Deer Thing>

An amalgam of flinx fur shaped like the head of a one-eyed deer, which can be used to summon Deerclops.

Recommended Level: 120

<Onyx Skeleton Key>

An onyx key that can be used on onyx locks. Contains the element of null.

<+1d6 INT Fruit>

A fruit that will raise the consumer's intelligence by 1d6 points. Tastes like blueberry.

<+1d6 END Fruit>

A fruit that will raise the consumer's endurance by 1d6 points. Tastes like kiwi.

<Purging Stone>

Can be used to break all curses on a target item or person.

<Sliver of the Mind Stone> |AnxietySlime|

A sliver of a palm-sized yellow gem, which contains a fragment of infinite power. Grants greater manipulation of the mind, but takes 1000HP every second held, if that person is of a weaker race.

<Lloyd Talisman> x3

Burst into smoke in a one meter radius that disables regeneration for thirty seconds when inhaled.

<1d12 DEX Fruit>

A fruit that will raise the consumer's dexterity by 1d12 points. Tastes like perfect kiwi

<Heart Button>

A small button displaying a beating heart. +5% CON (+5%/).

<Old Phoenix Feather>

An old phoenix's feather.

<Iron Upgrade Ticket>

A thin iron ticket that can be applied to anything for a chance to upgrade it.

2% Epic

29% Rare

69% Uncommon

<Totem of Undying> |AnxietySlime|

A big-nosed golden totem that will explode into life energy upon the death of the person holding it, resulting in their being immediately redirected with 33% of their maximum HP restored.

<Bulb Button>

A small button displaying a lit lightbulb. +5% INT (+5%/).

<Solar Tablet>

A stone tablet, with words written in fire, which can be used to activate a Solar Eclipse event.

Recommended Level: 80

<Copy Crystal>

A crystal that can be used to make a perfect copy of anything.

' Jeez, that's a lot of stuff... ' I thought. I opened up and went through my inventory, sorting things into folders such as 'Consumables,' 'Summons,' and 'Buttons.' I now had three revival items - two Totems of Undying and one Effigy of Rebirth. The former two had to be carried by the person when they died in order to be used, while the latter had to be keyed to them via blood, but could be left anywhere. I'd probably turn the totems into necklaces and give them to my parents, and key the effigy to my brother. If I got another effigy, I would key it to myself, but until then I'd just have to not die.

The rest of the walk back to the manor was consumed by planning. I never felt fatigue at carrying my brother's form - larger than me - thanks to my stats. We eventually arrived, and were met by an entourage of soldiers and mages. I finally allowed Ravelus to be taken from me as he was put on a stretcher and carried into the manor, while the rest of us were escorted, as we were awake and capable of walking. To my surprise, I was taken to a room that wasn't my parents', with a full bed and everything. Was this a sign of me getting my own room back at the castle, sometime soon? Or was it for the sake of convenience?

"Do you feel any pain anywhere, Prince Alistair?" One of the healing mages asked, pressing her fingers into various spots around my body and extruding healing magic into my flesh to sense for any issues.

"Nothing," I confirmed. My HP was at maximum, and the pain I'd felt from when the demon tried to abduct me was gone. I still felt nervous, like something was wrong, but that was just my self image. I had failed my family, and nothing anyone had said back there made me feel any different. Logically, I understood. Emotionally, I disagreed. "I'm fine, miss."

The mage finished her examination and left to assist elsewhere, leaving me alone for the first time in a long time. Of course, there was probably a Hek'Netir watching me, as there had been for my entire life - bathroom breaks and trip into the underground excluded - but I was used to that.

I pulled out a Button Button and looked at it. It was small, about two centimeters in diameter, with three holes in the center. I started taking off my clothes - intending to use my being drenched in a cold sweat as an excuse - and held the button button up to one of the buttons of my undergarments. It vibrated in my hand before snapping onto the attached button, replacing it. It changed color to match the other buttons, and it was as if nothing had changed. Humming in thought, I started taking out the other buttons I'd gotten and applying them to the Button Button, then used <Observe > on it.

[Button Button]

A button that can store other buttons.

Stored Buttons:

ButtonGrin Button x2 (+10% CHA)Bicep Button x2 (+10% STR)Book Button x2 (+10% WIS)Heart Button (+5% CON)Bulb Button (+5% INT)Large Hand Button (+20% DEX)Large Heart Button (+10% CON)Large Book Button (+10% WIS)Large Grin Button (+10% CHA)Large Bicep Button (+10% STR)Large Coin Button (+10% LCK)

I checked my new stats and... wow.

[Status]

-Identity-

Name: Alistair Eil

Race: Human; Beastfolk (Cat);

Age: 0 (17)

Class: Duelist (51/100)

Dual Class: Anti-Mage (48/100)

Rank: Demigod (2x)

Titles: Blessed;

Alignment: Lawful Good

Level: 151 (2900/7050)

-Stats-

Health Status: 14007/14007 |13340+5%|(+2.22%/s)

Mana Status: 53875/53875 |43100+25%| (+4%/s) 

Anti-Mana Status: 4310/4310 (+24%/m)

Stamina Status: 14400/14400 |12000+20%| (+2%/s)

STR: 1200(500) (+4*2/3)

CON: 1334(580) (+4*2/3)

DEX: 2400(1000) (+8*2/3)

END: 1200(600) (+6*2/3)

INT: 4310(2053) (+8*2/3)

WIS: 2400(1000) (+6*2/3)

CHA: 1440(600) (+4*2/3)

LCK: 1540(700) (+4*2/3)

Points: 0 (+20/3)

' Fifty-three-thousand mana...? ' I questioned. I would be ready for my ninth awakening, soon enough. ' If only that actually meant anything... ' I thought bitterly. Even if I had more mana than my mother, it was unrefined as crude oil, compared to her pure petrol. I could technically achieve the same effect as what she did, but my magic would be more of a saw than a scalpel, if you get what I mean. I needed to refine my mana core if I wanted to get anything huge done, which required meditation. ' If only I had a metric for how pure my mana was... '

[Skill <Mana Purity> Learned!]

<Mana Purity> (1/100)

The purity of your mana, allowing for greater feats with fewer MP. Increased via intense meditation.

' Still level one, with how much I've meditated?' I gaped. 'How much to academy students meditate? '

[The location in which one meditates effect how much your mana is purified. As magnificent as it is, Endrillion is filled with people who absorb all of the magic from the atmosphere, reducing the effectiveness of mana purification. Places like the academy, where students exude mana, are much more effective for purification.]

' Ah, that makes sense ,' I nodded. ' So, I have to wait ten years to do any really huge magic. '

[You can compensate for purity with sheer quantity, as you know.]

' I suppose, ' I thought bitterly. ' Whatever, I'll figure it out. ' I took out three of my skill books - <Mentorship >, <Temporal Sense>, and <Photographic Memory> - and read them.

[Skills <Mentorship >, <Temporal Sense>, and <Photographic Memory> Learned!]

<Mentorship > (1/100)

You can select a target, and grant them one skill from your repertoire. The target can then level up that skill, like you can, gaining all of the innate knowledge involved without any of the system prompts. You can see the target's progress with their mentored skill(s). Only one target can be selected at once.

-100mp

<Temporal Sense>

You have an innate knowledge on the space-time status of the area around you. Relative date and time.

<Photographic Memory>

You have a photographic memory, allowing you to recall exact details on anything they see, feel, hear, taste, and smell.

"It's a shame I can't learn special skills from other people," I mumbled. Then, I contemplated seriously about some stuff, and came to a conclusion. "For now, I'll focus on my own strength, but I have to cultivate the people around me to become stronger, too. We only took down that demon because of Ravelus's... whatever that was. Four level 300+ people. I couldn't do anything. I was useless. I won't be useless again."

I stood and walked over to the mirror in the room. "No more holding back."

*****

I was at Ravelus's side when he woke up, sitting on mother's lap. She gently ran her fingers through my tail, a brush in her other hand as she groomed it. I continued to sort my inventory, eyes flicking back and forth as I enjoyed the feeling. I would have to learn to groom my own tail, eventually, but for now, it was nice to have mother do it. Of course, she had experience, but she was also very gentle and tender in her motions, never grabbing too tightly or squeezing too hard. I appreciated it all the more because of my aunt's rougher treatment.

"Mother," I said, pulling an item from my inventory. "I have something for you." I held up the second Dusk Crown Ring I'd gotten.

"Oh? Is my son proposing to me? How scandalous!" Mother teased, taking the ring and looking at it.

I knew she was only joking, but blushed anyways. "I-it'll increase your mana capacity by one-fourth."

"One-fourth?" Rel was shocked. She quickly slipped it onto one of her fingers, and her eyes widened as soon as she felt the change within her.

[Rel Eil]

Race: Beastfolk (Cat)

Titles: Mage Queen of Eilon; Second Princess of Rhana'Vi; Flowerbed Maker; Nature Maiden;

Age: 31

Class: Archmage

Rank: Beast Spirit Avatar (1.8x)

Alignment: Lawful Good

Level: 341

Health Status: 8133/9338 |8120-15%|

Mana Status: 11670/62300 |49840+25%|

Stamina Status: 9930/9930

STR: 490

CON: 812

END: 993

DEX: 1608

INT: 4984

WIS: 1850

LCK: 80

Status:

Thoughts on You:

Condition: Cursed Wound (Forearms); Mana Exhaustion;

'Did her stats change?' I questioned, eyebrows raised.

[System Update. Incorrect information, prior.]

' What do you mean 'Incorrect Information'? ' I demanded.

[I was new. Bad at math :(]

' Quit it with the emoticons! '

[No :)]

"Are you okay, Alistair? You got tense," mother asked, patting my head in a comforting manner.

"I'm fine, just... arguing with an extra-dimensional machine about text quirks."

Rel looked at me inquisitively before deciding not to touch on that matter. She wasn't afraid of addressing a different matter, though. "How are you doing?" She asked.

"In what regard?" I asked back.

"I mean, in terms of your self-doubt, and the stress you're under. I know that fight with the demon couldn't have helped that."

I didn't respond for a moment, looking at Ravelus. "I'm not ready to talk about it, yet."

Rel sighed, but only patted my head and ruffled my ears gently. "I'm here, whenever you're ready to-" An explosion rocked the ground, alerting the both of us. Rel set me down and rushed to the window, which had cracked after the tremor. Outside the manor, the invisible shield surrounding the place had fallen. Broken by something. "What in the... I didn't detect any magic! How could the barrier have fallen? At this size, it should be...." She trailed off, laying eyes on a lone figure walking towards the manor through the gardens.

I went to the next window beside her's and looked out, using my <Eyes of the Lord> to zoom in on the figure. I immediately blanched, then understanding what 'Curse Free Assassin' meant. Toji Fushiguro, the Sorcerer Killer of the Jujutsu Kaisen universe. One of the strongest humans in that verse, even without any sorcery to his name. "Shit," I muttered, earning a look from my mother. "I know of him - he's from a work of fiction from my universe. He has no magic, but is extremely powerful because of it. He has a weapon that can negate exotic energies like mana."

"Negate mana?!" Mother was shocked. She grit her teeth and waved a hand, blowing the window out of the wall. "Stay here," she commanded, jumping through the hole and landing in front of the manor. Soon enough, father joined her, sword extended in Toji's direction. All of the manor's guards came out through the front door, lining up behind the King and Queen with their spears, halberds, swords, and axes drawn. The mages had their varying catalysts out, and were already cultivating their respective elements. The average level among them was 210, making them all formidable opponents, but compared to Toji's 538. He was only one-fourth of the demon, so mother and father should be fine... right?

"So, you're the Knight King and Mage Queen, huh?" Toji called out in a laid-back manner as he approached, twirling the Inverted Spear of Heaven between his fingers in a lackadaisical fashion.

"Who are you?" Father demanded, summoning a fire around his sword so hot that the air itself started to catch flame.

"A freelancer," Toji smiled. "I'm here for your son. Get out of my way, or die."

"We won't let you have him!" Mother shouted, sending a hail of mana bolts in Toji's direction. Only, they were much slower and less powerful than those she had used against the demon.

' Mana exhaustion, ' I realized, remembering the condition as it appeared on her status. ' She doesn't have much mana left, and it's as unrefined as mine currently is! She can't possibly beat him! '

Sure enough, Toji was able to dodge the bolts with ease, occasionally swatting one out of the air with his knife. It cut through the mana, destroying it with little resistance, exactly as I had said it could.

"If you want to die that badly..." Toji said offhandedly, kicking off of the ground. "I can oblige!"

He appeared in front of mother, knife moving for her neck. Once again, I felt powerless, only able to see what was happening because of my <Eyes of the Lord>. Father, however, wasn't powerless. His sword came up and struck the Inverted Spear of Heaven, knocking it up with considerable strength, just enough for it to slide past mother's cheek instead of through her throat. The fire magic around the sword had been destroyed, however, and the backlash generated a shockwave that threw both of my parents a short distance away.

"Capture him! I want to know who would dare send an assassin after my family!" Father screamed, retrieving his sword and sinking into a stance. The ground started shaking softly, but only under Toji It did throw him off slightly, but he just jumped out of the zone and towards the Knight King, who raised his sword and expertly parried the attack. The two devolved into a flurry of blows, almost too fast for me to catch. But father was losing ground before Toji's immense might, and his defensive and offensive magic were useless against the Inverted Spear of Heaven. It was a match of skill, and father was holding his own.

All of the spellcasters started launching a mixture of elements and mana bolts in calculated positions to destabilize Toji's footing while avoiding father's person. It did make a difference, allowing the battle to continue for minutes, but fathers SP was dwindling from how intense his motions were.

"I have to do something..." I moved to the hole in the wall, glancing back at Ravelus before gritting my teeth and making my preparations. A few moments later, I leapt out of the window and sent a ranged slash at Toji's neck, which he ducked under before punching father in the face, sending him flying into the garden and discarding his sword. "Toji Fushiguro!" I called out, gathering the attention of everyone in the yard. "You're here for me, are you? Leave everyone else out of this!"

"They're the ones who attacked me," Toji laughed. "I admire your tenacity, coming out to face me yourself despite being so terribly weak. Or have you changed since this morning? That 'demon,' or whatever you call it certainly proved you are nothing more than a coward."

"You're right, I was useless against that demon, but I won't be against you! I know everything about you, and your tricks!" I shouted. "Even if I'm pathetic, I'll prove you to be even more so by killing you, here and now! Nobody touches my family!"

"Admirable balls, for an infant," Toji smiled. "Let's see you back those words up!"

I barely raised the <Yamato > in time to block an attack from my left, which sent me stumbling to my right. He was there, too, aiming a slash for my neck, but I was able to duck and bring the <Yamato > up at him. He was so, so much faster than me, though, and moved behind me. I felt a pain in my side, then another before I realized he had stabbed me. Seven times, in the right side of my torso. Each cut was only a few centimeters deep, but it tattered my muscles and inhibited my movement. Not to mention the pain.

"Alistair!" mother cried out, though she fell to the ground and started coughing. Her mana was dry, and she was suffering from double-mana exhaustion. Anything more, and she would pass out, unable to wake for days. The same boat Ravelus was in. She could only watch as I continued to barely dodge and block Toji's relentless strikes. I could tell he wasn't even going all out - he was testing me. Toying with me before he killed me.

I couldn't allow that. I had so much to do - so much to protect. Who knew what his employer would have him do after I was gone? Kill my parents - hand the throne to some power-hungry noble so the country could fall into ruin? Take my brother? I couldn't let anyone get hurt just because I'd gotten a bad draw in my gacha. It was my responsibility to keep everyone here safe - well and truly.

I let out a guttural cry, pushing myself up to my eighth awakening on the spot. The wind that was kicked up from the action forced Toji to stop for a moment, just long enough for me to get an attack in. The <Yamato > sunk into his thigh, its infinitely-sharp edge slicing through his durable flesh like a hot knife through butter. He grunted, leaping back and looking down at the wound, which would prevent him from using so much speed.

"Impressive," he said, sounding true to his words. "That sword of yours... I think I'll take it off your corpse. It'll be useful for my future targets in this new world."

I didn't say anything, glaring at him as the wounds on my side slowly healed. For the first time, I activated the <Eyes of the Lord>, and time seemed to slow down. I could see clearly as Toji rushed towards me, Inverted Spear of Heaven poised to gut me like a fish, but it seemed almost too easy to raise the <Yamato > to parry the attack. Confusion flashed across his face for a fraction of a second - which felt like an eternity - before he attacked again. And again. And again. Each time, I was able to dodge or parry the attack with such accuracy and ease that it looked like I was playing with a child.

' Is this what Adam sees when he uses his eyes? ' I questioned, ducking under another slash and swiping for Toji's stomach with my sword. He dodged backwards before launching at me again, aiming for my head this time. I was about to duck when I felt a sudden pain in my eyes, and my vision was tainted red. The blood vessels in my eyes had exploded under the stress of the <Eyes of the Lord>, and they disabled, so I was unable to do anything as the Inverted Spear of Heaven plunged into the side of my head and into my brain. Intense pain, unlike anything I had ever felt before, consumed me for a moment before clarity washed over me.

The golden statue in my pocket burst into yellow and green light, and my eyes focused back in to see Toji's wide eyes. In an instant, I had thrust the <Yamato > forward, plunging it into the center of his chest up the the hilt even as the Inverted Spear of Heaven was expelled from my head, leaving only a shallow gash in place of a deep hole.

Toji coughed, blood escaping from his mouth as he looked at me with absolute shock before falling to his knees. "Damn," he mumbled, his weapon disappearing. "Beaten by a kid."

I wasn't able to say anything as I fell onto my back in pain, now at only 33% HP thanks to the totem - but I was alive. I had won.

"You'd better hope you don't draw that event a second time, kid," Toji said as he started to fade out of existence. "I won't fall for the same trick, twice, and I'll pull out all the stops to get you back for this disgrace."

"I'll... be ready for you, next time," I grumbled. "No tricks."

Toji laughed before disappearing fully.

With that, I passed out due to a mixture of mana exhaustion and pain.