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Clang! Clang! Clang!
The loud sounds of steel clashing echoed on the training grounds.
Surrounded by curious onlookers were Sieg and William, glaring at each other as if the other party owed them something.
William was gnashing his teeth as he struggled against the war ax of his opponent. The impact of their clash travelled from his spear to his body, making him feel just how hard they're trying to hit each other.
This much pain wasn't really anything to William, especially after the TLC he received from his dear father. It would take more than this to make him drop his spear.
What irks him, though, is this big oaf being just as strong as he is.
He could accept it if it was that other commoner, TJ, who's doing this. Yet this other nobody, the big lug who usually tails TJ and acts like a damn fool around the pink-haired bimbo, is also being strong enough to push back? This was just unacceptable!
These commoners should learn their place. They don't deserve to have this kind of strength; it's useless on them!
The worst part is that, in William's eyes, both he and Sieg were evenly matched, but he damn well knew that this big guy only got lucky with his physique to get to this level this quick and easy.
William had to endure the cruel training of his father just to improve this much, yet this guy progressed this fast through sheer dumb luck.
That's just unfair.
This, plus whatever it is that's affecting his mind, made him feel even more hatred in his heart.
"Sieg, come on, stop this. It's fine, really; you don't have to do this!" Lily felt distressed as she called out for Sieg to stop.
But Sieg, in a rare act of defiance towards Lily, refused to listen. His eyes were frigid as he stared at William. He obviously heard Lily's plea, but he could only apologize for not listening because William was simply too much.
How did things end up here?
Well, you see...Sieg went with Lily for an errand. She originally planned on going alone, but Sieg bravely and quite foolishly decided to escort her, with her permission, of course. Lily found it hard to decline, especially since she could feel Sieg's clean and innocent intentions; therefore, she allowed him to come with her.
To Sieg, this was the best day ever, even though he only accompanied her on a short walk for an errand. As a bonus, he even made her laugh with his silly jokes, one that he had been preparing for months now. It made him feel great that his research and efforts during these past few months weren't for naught.
Alas, William just had to appear and ruin the atmosphere.
He walked up to Sieg and demanded to know where TJ was. Sieg originally wanted to ignore him, but then he saw Lily's spooked reaction towards William.
Sieg stood before her, protecting her from whatever it was that made her so frightened about William, and initially, William didn't care. But when Sieg refused to tell him where TJ was, he turned his attention to Lily and began interrogating her instead.
When he couldn't get anything from Lily, William began talking trash. He straight up insulted Sieg's entire bloodline and told Lily that she wasn't special just because she was the daughter of the Medical Saint.
He even began discrediting everything that her father achieved right before her. Sieg tried to stop this, and it worked. William's attention returned to him, and he continued insulting every single person alive in Sieg's bloodline. Sieg, as difficult as it was, decided to ignore this.
His plan was to wait it out. Thinking that maybe, William will get tired and eventually leave them alone.
But then, he said something that instantly evaporated what remained of Sieg's patience.
He called Lily a bitch and a whore for playing with two guys at once at her tender age.
Sieg promptly lost it. And if William didn't react quickly, his head would've been rolled off his shoulders with how angry Sieg was.
That's how they ended up here. And it's also the reason why Sieg couldn't stop. Because what he called her wasn't nice nor right. He must apologize. Preferably, in a groveling manner.
"What's going on here?"
TJ's voice stood out amongst the whispers. Lily immediately turned to him and said,
"TJ, please...wait, no! You shouldn't be here!"
Lily looked distressed and triggered TJ's protective instinct. This wasn't her normal distress, like when she doesn't know which shade of pink she should wear for the day or what flavor of ice cream she wants from the many options there are.
She was scared and torn.
Looking at the situation, he could tell that Lily must've wanted him to stop Sieg from fighting. But considering who he's fighting, Lily also knows that TJ was William's target. She didn't want to escalate the situation even more; that's why she told him that he shouldn't be here.
Lily cares more about Sieg and TJ's well-beingthan her own. And she's torn because both of them had been dragged into this mess, and she's probably thinking that it's her fault for doing so.
"You!!!"
The loud and almost animalistic snarl coming from William briefly surprised TJ. He then saw him drawing back his spear before rushing to him.
"Fight me!!!"
William's vision tunneled as soon as he saw TJ. The hatred that's brewing in his heart was completely exposed. He completely forgot about Sieg's existence and rushed TJ immediately to force him into a fight.
He was fast. Anyone could tell that he has improved since the last time he sparred with TJ. One could even say that the difference between William then and William now was night and day.
Alas...
Swoosh!
"Urk!"
Moving much faster than him, TJ surprised William by firmly planting his foot on his guts before his spear could even touch the hem of TJ's clothes. The strength of TJ's kick knocked the wind from his lungs, causing him to collapse on the ground, clutching his stomach.
"What's the big deal with him?" TJ barely spared William his attention and instead asked his friend a question.
Sieg then told TJ what happened as briefly as he could, just in time for William to stand back up, still hatefully glaring at TJ.
Lily saw how TJ's eyes darkened. She also felt TJ's anger simmering to the surface.
Not wanting to escalate this even further, she grabbed his arm and pleaded, "Don't. It's not worth it, please. I'm fine, really. It's just words; it doesn't hurt at all."
"Stay out of this, you wannabewhore!!!" William snarled at Lily, causing her to flinch.
Then, his eyes locked on TJ, and he said, "Fight me, you vulgar commoner! I will regain my honor and reputation by defeating you, right here and now! You're not allowed to refuse! I forbid you from doing so, you hear me! Fight me!"
TJ's ears were ringing. Not because William was loud, but because of the words he said towards Lily.
"TJ..."
Lily knew it was too late. TJ was angry. But even so, she still called out to him, wanting to calm him down.
"Lily." Sieg placed a hand on her shoulders.
His resolve almost melted when he saw her doe eyes pleading with him to stop, TJ, but he held on and remained firm.
"That guy is practically begging for this. Don't worry, TJ is going to be just fine. You and I know how strong he is more than anyone else."
His words didn't do anything to comfort Lily at all.
It's not that Lily doubted TJ's skills, nor was she really fine with being insulted.
Sieg couldn't have possibly known that to Lily something far darker and more sinister brewed within TJ, one that is much darker than William emanates.
The reason why Lily was spooked by William was because she could tell that something's not right with him. She felt incredible amounts of hatred brewing from within him. It's too much and surprising for an empath like her.
Lily could even sense that William's hatred was polluting the atmosphere because of how much of it he was keeping.
This wasn't the first time she felt something like it. But it doesn't make it any less shocking.
But the real reason why she didn't want TJ to be exposed to this was because that sinister thing within TJ will react to this.
Lily could already feel it rearing its ugly head, and it's just as unpleasant as the first time she sensed it from him.
'It's coming out in response to TJ's negative emotions, fed even more with William's energy.'
'This is bad...'
'TJ, please be okay.'
"RAAAGGH!!!" William's war cry startled her, causing her to flinch once again.
She then saw how William raised his spear and rushed towards TJ, all with the intent to maim and/or kill.
However, TJ was even faster. He practically turned into a blur of motion. Before William knew it, TJ had already breached his personal space and landed a firm and solid punch on his face, causing William to cry out in pain.