"Damn it, you cheater!" Renard complained as he propped himself up from the ground after getting hit by Alex's Shield Bash at point-blank range.
"Is that loser talk I hear?" Alex asked in a teasing tone. "Are you a chicken? Cluck! Cluck! Cluck!"
Alex even imitated a chicken flapping its wings to further anger his opponent, who was looking at him with bloodshot eyes.
While the two were having a battle of words, Vaan observed them from the side, watching Alex with a solemn gaze.
'He's grown stronger again,' Vaan thought. 'Alex is always improving, while I still haven't reached my goal.'
It was not only Vaan who was paying close attention to this battle. Charles did the same.
He not only looked up to Alex because the other was his benefactor, but also because he was a kind, dependable person.
