Milo hit the ground with a heavy thud, his wooden sword bouncing out of his grip and rolling away. His entire body throbbed, his ribs ached, and his wrist felt like it had been rattled loose from his arm. He groaned, shutting his eyes as the reality of his defeat settled in.

  A slow clap echoed through the desert. “Well, well, well,” Regulus drawled, sauntering up with the biggest, most insufferable grin. “Didn’t someone say he was gonna put Kaiser in his place? What happened to all that bravado, Milo? I could’ve sworn you were about to teach him a lesson.”

  Milo cracked one eye open, too tired to argue, too pissed to let it slide. “Regulus, shut up and get me some Aragalia Oil.”

  Regulus snorted. “Oh? Got your ass kicked so bad you need me to rub it on for you too?”

  Milo glared at him, pushing himself up with a wince. “Yeah, actually. My back’s wrecked too. Hope you’ve got soft hands, Reg.”

  Regulus barked out a laugh. “You’re lucky I’m a good guy.” He turned on his heel, still chuckling to himself as he went to fetch the medicine.

  Meanwhile, Aria and Ivan rushed over to Kaiser, grinning like excited kids. “That was incredible!” Aria said, practically bouncing. “I’ve never seen someone fight like that before!”

  Ivan nodded. “You fight like a goddamn dancer. What even was that?”

  Kaiser laughed, rubbing the back of his head. “Lots of practice kids. But Milo was way stronger than I expected too. That was the hardest I’ve had to work in a while.”

  Meanwhile Mia stood frozen, her hands trembling at her sides. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. It was as if the sheer weight of her disappointment had stolen the air from her lungs.

  Her entire world shattered in real-time. She had placed all her faith, all her hopes, all her prayers into Milo’s victory—only to watch them be mercilessly cut down before her eyes. And then… then Kaiser had the audacity to whisper those two cursed words.

  ‘Paper training.’

  The light in her eyes flickered. Then died. Her knees buckled slightly. Her breath hitched. For a moment, she just stood there, motionless, staring at the ground like she had just been told that her childhood dog had just died.

  Aria gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “Mia…?”

  “I’m fine.” Her voice was hollow. Empty. “I just need to… rethink my life.” She turned away, walking in slow, defeated steps as if she were a soldier returning from a lost war.

  Kaiser, still laughing to himself, made his way over to Milo, plopping down in front of him. For a few moments, neither of them spoke. They just stared at each other—Milo, still breathing heavily from the fight, and Kaiser, grinning like a fox that had just raided a henhouse. The tension in the air was thick, a silent exchange of unspoken words.

  Then, Kaiser smirked. “I really underestimated you.”

  Milo let out a small, tired chuckle. “Yeah? Goes both ways. Haven’t had my ass kicked like that in a straight-up sword fight in a while.”

  “Not surprising,” Kaiser said, stretching. “You’re one hell of a fighter.”

  Regulus suddenly inserted himself into the conversation, clapping Milo on the shoulder—right on his already bruised back, forcing Milo to let out a strangled grunt of pain.

  “Seriously, though,” Regulus grinned, “Milo’s not just some random guy swinging a sword around. He’s a respected Liberator. Beating him is a huge feat!”

  Milo sighed, shifting uncomfortably. “Regulus, stop—”

  Regulus ignored him, cracking his knuckles and applying a generous amount of Aragalia Oil to his hands. “Alright, big guy, let’s get you patched up.”

  Milo barely had time to process the words before Regulus slammed both of his oiled-up palms against his back.

  Milo screamed.

  The sharp sting of the oil seeped into his battered skin, and he jerked forward, his entire body tensing. “WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!”

  Regulus, completely unfazed, wiped his hands off on his pants. “Relax, you big baby. It’s for your own good.”

  Kaiser blinked. “I’m not even gonna question what you’re doing now.”

  Milo groaned, rubbing his temples. “Please don’t.”

  Kaiser smirked. “Anyway, fun aside, there’s still the matter of my reward.”

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Milo exhaled sharply. “I already paid for all that candy yesterday. That should be enough.”

  Kaiser paused, his expression twitching as the memory hit him like a soldier recalling a past battlefield: the candy store, the money, the horrors of unchecked sugar consumption. All those thoughts sent a visible shiver down his spine.

  Milo caught it and smirked. “You know… I do have a connection to a candy store in the capital. If you let this slide, I’ll put in a good word for you. Might even get you a nice little discount.”

  Kaiser turned his head toward Aria, who was listening curiously. The sweet girl tilted her head, completely oblivious to the dangerous fiend she became when candy was involved.

  Kaiser exhaled. “I still have no idea where all that sugar even goes.”

  Milo chuckled. “Neither do I.”

  Regulus, taking this as the perfect moment, slapped Milo’s already bruised back again.

  Milo let out another strangled yelp, glaring daggers at him. “I swear to god—”

  Regulus just grinned. “Gotta make sure the oil soaks in properly.”

  Kaiser shook his head, laughing. “Fine, fine. Deal. Milo, you might have just saved me a mine full of gold.”

  Regulus clapped his hands together. “Well, all is good between friends.”

  Kaiser, still shaking off the lingering trauma of his past candy-related financial ruin, turned to Milo and narrowed his eyes. “Okay, but what is up with him today?” He jabbed a thumb toward Regulus. “He seems... different. Way too cheery. Almost like a completely different person.”

  Milo exhaled, rolling his shoulders as if that might ease the burning pain on his back. “Yeah… you’re right. He’s acting weird.” He shot a glance at Regulus, who was grinning like he just won a lifetime supply of wine.

  Regulus, hearing them, simply chuckled. “I learned something extremely good this morning. Two things, in fact. And, of course, I got to see a damn good duel.”

  Kaiser arched a brow. “You really like sword fighting that much?”

  Regulus turned to him like he had just asked if air was important for breathing. “Absolutely.” His voice carried the weight of unwavering conviction. “Ever since I was a kid, I had a thing for swords. Watching a great fight, seeing two skilled warriors clash—it’s the same for me as, I dunno, drinking a glass of the finest aged wine.” He paused and smirked. “Or eating a perfectly cooked steak after a long day. Or—”

  “Okay, okay, I get it,” Kaiser laughed.

  Milo, on the other hand, just stared at him like he had grown another head. “You’re not normal Reg.”

  Regulus shrugged. “You’ve known me for years Milo, don’t act like you didn’t know that already.”

  “And yet I still have no idea why you’re like this.” Milo turned to Kaiser with a tired expression. “Forgive him. He’s been this way since his mother dropped him on his head.”

  But Kaiser wasn’t even listening anymore. His focus was entirely locked onto Regulus, his eyes lighting up. “You know what? I completely get it.”

  Regulus turned, intrigued. “Oh?”

  Kaiser nodded. “Since I was a kid, I’ve been learning how to maximize my fighting prowess and my military strategies. People underestimate how much goes into perfecting combat—not just the techniques, but the psychology, the deception, the control of movement and terrain. It’s like an art. The best fights aren’t just about strength. They’re a dance, a battle of minds as much as blades.”

  Regulus grinned like he had just found a lost brother. “Exactly! A fight isn’t just about who hits harder. It’s about flow, precision, adaptation! It’s like an orchestra! And the best fighters? They’re the conductors.”

  “Yes!” Kaiser pointed at him. “You get it!”

  “I do get it!” Regulus pointed back, matching his enthusiasm.

  They stood there for a moment, nodding in silent understanding, an unspoken bond of absolute camaraderie forming between them in real time. The two of them shared a look of pure, unspoken understanding. Regulus smirked and Kaiser smirked back.

  Milo slowly looked between them, his brows furrowing as a deep sense of dread settled in. “…Oh no.”

  Regulus and Kaiser turned toward him in eerie synchronization, the same knowing glint in their eyes.

  Milo took a step back. “Oh no.”

  The grins spread wider.

  “Oh hell no.”

  Milo threw his hands up. “There’s two of them now! I can’t deal with one of you freaks, and now I’ve got a matching set?!”

  Regulus patted Kaiser on the shoulder, nodding approvingly. “I like this guy.” He then suddenly clamped his heavy, metal-gloved hand onto Kaiser’s shoulder, his grip solid, like they’d been friends for years.

  "Alright, let’s go.”

  Kaiser blinked. “Wait, go where—?”

  A bright, intricate magic circle flared to life beneath Regulus’ feet, glowing with swirling runes and shifting geometric patterns. The air around them crackled as energy built up, casting an eerie shimmer over the sand.

  Before Kaiser could react, Regulus’ heavy, metal-gloved hand clamped down on his shoulder with an almost brotherly familiarity. "Alright, let’s go," Regulus said casually, as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

  Kaiser barely had time to blink. “Wait, go wh—?”

  In an instant, the magic circle erupted with light, swallowing them whole. The air snapped back into place, the shimmering energy dissipating as quickly as it had appeared. Regulus' voice lingered in the air, echoing faintly. “We’ll be back in a few minutes!”

  And then nothing. No trace of them remained.

  Milo sat there, unmoving, staring at the now-empty space where they had been. His jaw tightened, his expression darkening like a storm rolling in.

  A vein twitched in his forehead.

  “…HEY! MY RIBS STILL HURT, DAMN IT! YOU DIDN’T PUT THE OIL ON THEM YET, YOU BASTARD!”

  The only response was the whispering wind. He grumbled, rubbing his temples in frustration just as Aria walked up to him, tilting her head. “What was that about?”

  Milo sighed, exasperated. “I have absolutely no idea.”

  Ivan came up behind Aria, his arms crossed, a wide smirk on his face. “You sure you’re okay, old man?”

  Milo shot him a tired glare. “Don’t start.”

  But Ivan wasn’t about to let this golden opportunity slip. He leaned in, grinning. “You were talking big before the fight, y’know. Something about ‘putting Kaiser in his place’?”

  Aria gasped, covering her mouth. “Oh yeah! I remember that! You were really confident, Milo.”

  Milo groaned. “Alright, alright, I deserve this.” He waved a hand dismissively, still feeling the deep ache in his ribs. “I lost.”

  Ivan chuckled. “Damn right you did.”

  Silence settled between them for a few moments, the teasing fading away. Then, Milo exhaled and turned to Ivan. “Listen… learn whatever you can from Kaiser.”

  Ivan’s amusement wavered slightly, his brow furrowing. “Didn’t you say before that Kaiser had nothing to teach me?”

  Milo let out a short laugh and turned slightly, pointing at the massive bruises on his chest and back. “Yeah… I was dead wrong.”

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