Chapter 4: Breakthrough
Kai disappeared.
BOOM!
Vee barely had time to raise his arms.
A fist slammed into his guard.
The impact launched him backward like a rag doll.
CRASH!
He smashed through a young tree before rolling across the ground.
"...Ow."
Kai casually walked toward him, dusting off his sleeve.
"I barely used any strength."
Vee groaned as he stood.
"...You know, saying that out loud is considered bullying."
Kai grinned.
"I'm aware."
He vanished again.
A kick came from Vee's blind spot.
BANG!
Vee blocked...
Too late.
The force sent him spinning across the clearing.
Kai didn't chase immediately.
He simply watched.
"Your instincts are excellent."
Vee spat out a mouthful of blood.
"But?"
Kai smiled.
"Your body can't keep up."
"...Yeah."
Vee stretched his aching shoulder.
"I noticed."
Kai tilted his head.
"You know what your biggest weakness is?"
"My personality?"
"No."
"My face?"
"No."
"My incredible luck?"
Kai sighed.
"You waste movement."
His body blurred.
Another punch.
Another kick.
Another elbow.
Vee couldn't even see the attacks anymore.
Each hit landed before he could react.
Minutes passed.
Bruises covered his body.
His breathing became ragged.
His vision blurred.
Kai finally stopped.
"I think we're done."
Vee forced himself upright.
"...Done?"
"You've reached your limit."
Vee laughed weakly.
"...That's rude."
"You'll die if we continue."
Vee looked at his trembling hands.
"...I've heard that before."
Kai frowned.
"What?"
Nothing.
Just memories.
Dying to the Nightmaw.
Failing.
Standing up again.
Ashbourne's words echoed in his mind.
"You're adapting faster than anything I've ever seen."
The System suddenly appeared before his eyes.
«Combat Analysis Complete...»
«Continuous life-and-death combat detected.»
«Body Synchronization: 93%...95%...98%...»
Kai's eyes narrowed.
"...What's wrong?"
Vee wasn't listening.
His heartbeat grew louder.
Every wound.
Every death.
Every mistake...
His body remembered them all.
The pressure around him began to change.
Leaves rose from the ground.
The wind circled him.
Kai's playful smile slowly disappeared.
"...Interesting."
The System flashed again.
«Requirement fulfilled.»
«Breaking physical limiter...»
«Rank Advancement Initiated.»
Vee suddenly felt as though every muscle in his body had caught fire.
He screamed.
Not in pain...
But in release.
The bottleneck that had restrained him shattered.
BOOM!!
A wave of energy burst outward.
The nearby trees bent violently.
Dust exploded into the air.
Kai planted his feet to avoid being pushed back.
"...He ranked up?"
His eyes widened for the first time.
The pressure pouring from Vee climbed higher...
And higher...
Until—
Everything became still.
Vee slowly opened his eyes.
They were clearer.
Sharper.
He clenched his fist.
Strength flooded through every part of his body.
The System spoke one final time.
«Congratulations.»
«Rank Increased.»
«Current Rank: D+»
A grin spread across Vee's face.
"...Oh."
He looked at his own hands.
"So this..."
He squeezed his fist.
"...is what being alive is supposed to feel like."
Kai laughed.
Not mockingly.
Genuinely.
His excitement was obvious.
"So that's why she was interested."
He rolled his shoulders.
"Now..."
A grin spread across his face.
"Now this is a fight."
Vee smiled back.
"Careful."
Kai raised an eyebrow.
"I've only been getting beaten up because I was being polite."
Kai burst into laughter.
"Confident already?"
"No."
Vee lowered himself into a fighting stance.
"I'm just finally fast enough..."
"...to hit you."
For the first time since they met—
Kai felt excitement.
Not because he was facing another strong opponent.
But because, standing before him...
Was someone who had grown an entire rank during a single spar.
Someone impossible.
Someone who might one day surpass everyone.
Kai's grin widened.
"Come on then, Vee."
"Show me why the forest refused to kill you."
The earth cracked beneath both of them—
And they vanished at the same time.
The moment Vee's aura exploded, the air itself seemed to tremble.
Blue energy burst from his body like a raging storm, forcing dust and broken stones into the sky.
D+ Rank.
Kai's eyes widened.
"...You ranked up?"
For the first time since the fight began, genuine surprise crossed his face.
Vee slowly stood.
Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, but his violet eyes burned brighter than ever.
"I told you..." Vee said between heavy breaths. "I'm not done."
He gripped his sword.
The blue blade roared with power.
With a shout, Vee dashed forward, his speed far greater than before.
Clang!
Their weapons collided.
Shockwaves ripped across the battlefield.
Vee attacked relentlessly, forcing Kai back a few steps.
One strike.
Two.
Five.
Ten.
Each swing grew sharper than the last.
Kai smiled.
"So this is the power of your breakthrough..."
He parried another slash with ease.
"...Interesting."
Then...
His smile disappeared.
"You've become stronger."
A terrifying pressure erupted from Kai.
"But you're still inexperienced."
Before Vee could react—
BAM!
Kai's elbow crashed into Vee's ribs.
A sickening crack echoed through the air.
Vee coughed blood.
His footing faltered.
Kai didn't give him time to recover.
A spinning kick slammed into Vee's chest, launching him through three shattered trees.
The forest shook.
Vee struggled to rise.
Every muscle screamed in pain.
His new power had increased his strength...
But it hadn't erased the gap in skill.
Kai walked toward him, calm as ever.
"You've got talent."
He stopped a few steps away.
"In fact..."
"...you're the most interesting opponent I've met in years."
Vee tightened his grip on his sword.
His arms trembled.
Kai looked at him for a long moment before turning away.
"If we fought again today..."
"...I'd kill you."
He rested his weapon on his shoulder.
"So live."
"Grow stronger."
"And the next time we meet..."
Kai glanced back with a faint grin.
"...don't disappoint me."
Without another word, he disappeared into the forest.
Silence returned.
Vee collapsed onto one knee.
His breakthrough hadn't won him the battle.
But for the first time...
Someone as strong as Kai had acknowledged his potential.
Vee looked at the sky and clenched his fist.
"...Next time..."
"I'll be the one walking away."
The walk home was painfully quiet.
Every step sent a sharp ache through Vee's battered body.
His clothes were torn.
Blood had dried on his sleeves.
His sword rested across his shoulder, heavier than it had ever felt.
"...I lost."
The words echoed in his mind.
He had reached D+ Rank.
He had grown stronger.
Yet Kai had defeated him without using everything he had.
Vee clenched his jaw.
"Next time..."
"I'll win."
---
As the familiar wooden house came into view, the tension in his shoulders eased.
For the first time that day...
He was home.
The front door creaked open before he could knock.
His father stood there.
He looked at Vee's bruises, the torn clothes, and the blood.
Not a word was spoken.
The two simply stared at one another.
Then...
"You lost."
Vee sighed.
"...Yeah."
His father stepped aside.
"Come in."
No lecture.
No disappointment.
Just understanding.
Before Vee could take another step—
"VEE!"
His mother rushed out of the kitchen.
The moment she saw him, tears filled her eyes.
"Oh, my baby..."
She threw her arms around him.
The tight embrace sent pain shooting through every bruise in his body.
"A-Ah..."
His face twisted.
His mother pulled back immediately.
"Oh no! Did I hurt you?"
Vee forced a grin.
"...No."
He paused dramatically.
"I just discovered something."
His parents looked at him.
"My greatest enemy isn't Kai..."
He rubbed his sore ribs.
"...it's your hugs, Mom."
Silence.
Then—
His mother covered her mouth before bursting into laughter.
"You silly boy!"
Even his father let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head.
"Only you would make jokes after getting beaten half to death."
Vee shrugged.
"If I stop joking..."
"...then Kai really wins."
The room fell quiet again.
His father's smile faded into something softer.
"You've grown."
Vee blinked.
His father walked over and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"You lost today."
"But you came home."
"...That's enough for now."
For the first time since the battle...
The weight on Vee's chest became lighter.
This house...
These people...
This was the reason he refused to stay down.
No matter how many times life knocked him down...
He would always stand back up.
Because someone was waiting for him to come home.
T.B.C