As I looked at the arena, I sighed loudly, leaning my chin against my hand, feeling that creeping annoyance settle in.
As we expected, the angels were doing all the work. Their formation was too polished, too clean. While they were mostly defending, wings overlapping to form radiant barriers of shimmering light, they counterattacked in coordinated bursts. Each swing of their swords was timed with spells, each thrust reinforced by buffs I could feel but not pin down. Slowly but surely, they were taking down opponents in the arena, one by one.
It was almost laughable how quickly the whole match shifted. What was supposed to be a chaotic free-for-all turned into a 32 vs. the rest. Every other participant, regardless of their faction or kingdom, instinctively joined forces to deal with the angels. Even enemies who would have slit each other's throats in another life were now shoulder-to-shoulder, throwing everything they had at the winged bastards. And it worked—for a time. A wave of steel, fire, and raw desperation pressed into the angels. But the teamwork on the angel's side was simply superior. Layers of glowing shields, timed heals, and devastating counters made them an unbreakable wall.
I sighed again.
"What's wrong?" Mom asked, her voice carrying that sarcastic lilt she always used when she knew the answer but wanted to poke fun.
"We won't be able to see what he is up to," Samantha muttered, crossing her arms, her lips pressing into a thin line. I could tell she was just as annoyed as I was, though she masked it better.
"Yeah, with his little followers around him like that, he won't have to lift a finger at all," I added, shaking my head. My eyes flicked back to the boy in the middle, surrounded by his angelic shield wall, and I had to bite back my irritation. He hadn't moved since the start. He was just standing there like a figurehead, with his hands folded behind his back, while everyone else fought for him.
"Hmm, we should really bring in rules about teaming," Samantha said, her suggestion sharp, though the annoyance in her voice was aimed more at herself than anyone else.
Both Mom and I immediately shook our heads in agreement.
"Yeah, then our little useless nobles can't team up as well," the silent man next to me finally spoke, his voice deep and gruff, carrying an edge of disdain.
"Hmm, I disagree. If some of our nobles don't team up, none will get through to the next round," Mom said, her reasoning crisp. She wasn't wrong, and the man gave her a small grunt of acknowledgment.
"Hmm, they should just be stronger," I said with a shrug, not really caring about the politics of it. My eyes narrowed as I tried once more to analyze him—the quiet boy at the center of all this—and my brow furrowed deeper when the same message blinked across my sight.
'I mean, I know you get blockers and all, but how does it say it's not available at all or has no target to analyze?' My teeth clenched in annoyance. Not a block, not resistance—just nothing. It was as if he didn't exist in the system at all.
"Now that I think about it," I said aloud, "if it's true that he is level 800, why hide your class name or rarity?" My words were pointed, aimed directly at the silent man beside me.
"Like you said, Kitsu, they're planning something. What will it help to show you his class now?" Samantha countered, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"Well, that's true," I admitted reluctantly.
"Anyways, it seems this will be a waste of time; I am leaving," the quiet man said, rising to his feet without another word. His presence seemed to vanish the second he moved away. Samantha and the hairy brute followed him without hesitation.
"Well, what are your honest thoughts about what's going on?" I asked, now that it was only Mom and me in the room.
"We're going to have many unnecessary deaths," Mom said, her voice calm but her eyes sharper than blades.
That tilted my head. "No war can be won without death," I hummed, shaking my head.
"This isn't war, Kitsu. It's just one battle," Mom countered, her gaze holding mine firmly.
"It only takes one battle to start a war," I added, nodding, letting the thought linger.
"That is not the case in this country," Mom said firmly. "It takes way more than that to make us start a full-on war."
"Hmm." I leaned back, my tail twitching behind me.
"Well, anyways, I am pretty sure this guy doesn't have an offensive class," Mom said suddenly, her tone thoughtful.
"Why are you saying that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, the angels are fighting with higher stats than what they should have," Mom explained, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied their movements.
I attempted to analyze the angels myself, but just like with him, no results. I clicked my tongue. "So he enhanced their abilities," I muttered, realizing what it might mean.
"Seems so."
"Hmm, then he will be fragile in the final stage," I said, though I didn't believe my words fully.
"I doubt they would have brought him in without knowing that. He is most likely quite a smart reincarnation. It might be that friend of the princess and prince," I added, my expression tightening as I thought it through.
"What makes you so sure?" Mom asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Buff classes are indeed quite beneficial. You can enhance your abilities, strengthen your muscles, or engage in similar actions. While I am not entirely certain of the mechanics, I believe it is possible to apply multiple buffs to a single individual. Stack them until someone breaks limits." I recalled Kayda's old lessons about buff mechanics.
"That might actually be true. "I haven't considered buff classes in that way before," Mom admitted, sounding genuinely surprised.
"Of course I am intelligent myself, Mom," I said boastfully, puffing out my chest.
"You may be smart in some areas, but socially you struggle," Mom said, shaking her head, dismissing me with a grin.
"That hurts," I muttered, exaggerating a wince.
"So why are you saying he might be one of the royal's previous friends?" Mom asked, changing the subject.
"If I recall correctly, he was the supporter of the group, always in the background but crucial to the final ideas those three came up with. There was a reason he always got credit with them, even though he was the quietest one," I explained, remembering the quiet boy who'd hovered behind his stronger friends.
"So he was the brains of the three?"
"No, he just knew what to say, when, and where. He knew how to help people when needed. Haha, I remember this one time he tried to cheer me up as if I wasn't already happily content with my life back then," I chuckled.
"Hmm, do you think we can recruit him?" Mom asked, though her voice carried little hope.
"No idea. It's been sixteen years in a new life; a lot can change in that time," I shrugged, watching with mild satisfaction as two angels finally fell, their glowing bodies hitting the arena floor.
"Well, we can still try," Mom said, shrugging her shoulders.
"True, but how can we speak to him with all the angels surrounding him?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, the final stage is a 1v1 matchup, so you will just talk to him there," Mom said.
I looked at her with a smile. "What, are you guys going to put him against me in the first round?" I shook my head.
"Yeah."
"Ugh, why me?"
"Because you are the strongest," Mom said, her grin never fading.
"Touché."
"Wait, why send me in immediately? What if they are a complete counter to me?" I protested.
"Hmm, you have a point. But who else will stand against him?"
"Just send Zagan in to test him. After exposing the ages of some people, he advanced to the second round," I said, attempting to shift the blame elsewhere.
"I will think about it," Mom said thoughtfully.
"Yeah, then put me against a paladin. I want to see how strong that class is," I said happily, my tail flicking in excitement.
"They can't do anything special. They just use holy magic," Mom said, shrugging.
"Yeah, no shit, but what can that magic do to me, a demon fox?" I grinned, baring my teeth.
"Well…"
"I don't want an explanation; I want to feel it myself. Thank you."
"Masochist?"
"You wish, Mom."
"Touché."
"So how is it going with you and Kayda's relationship?" Mom asked abruptly.
"Man, our vacation together was great, but since we got back we haven't had much time for each other," I said, my ears drooping a little.
"What about at night? I hear you joined Kayda in her room," Mom teased, grinning.
"Yeah, sleeping in the same bed for a few months does get you used to it."
"Even though you're back to your tree?"
"Yeah, I was surprised about that as well," I admitted. I really did love that tree. Curling up in my fox form under its branches gave me a kind of peace no bed could match.
"Well, I understand. I don't like sleeping without Dean next to me after all these years," Mom chuckled.
"Hmm," I hummed, nodding as the battle royale below drew toward its conclusion. The angels remained dominant. I stood.
"Where are you going?"
"I think I will have to start preparing for him," I said, nodding at the boy in the center of it all.
"Hmm, I am sure your stats will be higher than his, though."
"Yes, but the federation will have something planned. I want them to underestimate me. In other words, I want them to believe that my stats are lower than they actually are. They shouldn't know I have wrath, right? So my stats are already way higher than what they are thinking," I said thoughtfully.
"It's important to ensure they remain uninformed," Mom said with a raised brow.
"Yeah."
"So how are you going to do it?" she pressed.
"Heh," I chuckled, ignoring her as I walked out of the room.
'It will be easier not to tell anyone,' I thought.
[Amari's POV]
"So how are you?" I asked softly, standing next to Zagan outside in Mom's garden. The wind brushed past us, carrying the faint smell of flowers, but it didn't ease the heavy atmosphere.
"I don't know," Zagan replied, his voice flat, his shoulders slumped. As depressed as always.
"Hmm," I hummed, remembering the promise I'd forced out of him a year ago. With a fragile smile, I reached out and gently took his hand, squeezing it with hope.
"Sorry, Amari." He pulled away almost instantly, letting go of my hand as he turned and walked off.
Tears blurred my vision as I watched him leave. 'I should probably abolish that promise,' I thought bitterly, wiping at my cheeks.
"It might be for the best," a sudden voice said behind me, startling me.
I turned quickly, meeting Apricot's colorful eyes. They were filled with pity, her expression softer than I had ever seen.
"Ahah, right, I will be fine on my own," I said quickly, forcing a smile, trying to seem strong.
Without a word, Apricot stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.
"Amari, it's okay. He may return to you, or not. But he's currently broken. Don't place too much blame on him," Apricot said softly, her voice warm.
"I am not blaming him," I cried, clutching her tightly.
"Hmm."
"I know it's not his fault."
"Then let it out."
"I know all this, but how can he… How can someone be that pathetic after not even killing someone? I killed seventy-eight kids! I took their lives away!" My voice cracked as I shouted, sobbing harder.
"You didn't know, Amari. It was all an accident," Apricot soothed, her hand rubbing my back.
"Murder is still murder," I countered, choking on the words.
"Anything in life is debatable, Amari," she said calmly.
Her words made me freeze, remembering what Kitsuna once said. Her tone was infuriating, suggesting that everything could be reasoned into gray.
"Murder isn't," I tried, though deep down I already knew her answer.
"It is. If you kill someone to save someone, you can never call that outright murder," Apricot said firmly, her voice almost echoing Kitsuna's infamous logic.
"Apricot, why are you even here?" I asked, desperate to change the subject.
"Heh, I don't know. Mom told me to come here," she said with a shrug.
"Kitsuna? Why?"
"She probably saw you guys. And we both know how bad she is at showing family love," Apricot said, smiling faintly.
"Right," I chuckled weakly.
"Are you good?"
"No. Can we stay like this for a while?" I asked, hugging her tighter.
"Sure."
"… Apricot, do you hate the federation?"
"Absolutely," she said instantly, venom dripping from her tone.
"Do you want to destroy them?"
"Of course."
"Haha, dumb question," I said, chuckling through my tears.