I said all of that, but uh-

  What do I actually do?

  Just as Malo and I were about to collide with our fists, I tilted slightly to the left, turning what looked like a right straight into a sharp hook with my left. But Malo, the genius MMA master-well, “brawling” master, ended up anticipating it. He tucked his elbow tight and my hook landed against solid muscle instead of his jaw.

  He immediately answered, his left arm dropping into a quick body shot aimed straight for my ribs. I retreated a step, just far enough for the punch to cut through empty air.

  Using the momentum from taking a step back, I twisted my right arm into another straight, but Malo managed to deflect it with a swing from his right.

  After that deflection, Malo tried to strike my defenseless forearm with his left, but I twisted that forearm into an elbow strike to easily let his attack slide off, before responding with a left arm strike.

  We then followed that exchange with similar moves, attacking, deflecting and countering, but they all typically ended up with me getting a free hit in.

  It was working.

  I could see his movements now, much clearer than before. And I could move at a pace close enough to match.

  As long as I kept reinforcing myself with body-strengthening magic, I could keep up.

  The problem was that even if our speed was similar, the impact wasn’t. Without magic, my fists would never measure up. Every attempt in every possible angle would fall short. That was the difference between us, his talent.

  But still, who am I to dwell on such things in the middle of a fight?

  I forced the thought aside.

  Right now, I can only fight with full trust in my effort.

  And if my effort alone isn’t enough, then what about ours?

  “Buy me some time, Sprite.”

  “I’ll try."

  With a flutter of wings, Sprite shot forward, scattering a swirl of petals in her wake. Mana rippled through the air, bending the growing wind into a sudden current that carried the petals upward. They spun together, weaving into a small, tornado-like vortex.

  Malo squinted at the sight. The petals brushed against his skin like blades of paper, stinging his body. Still, he only huffed, raising his arms to shield his face. With his guard tucked tightly, he began to press forward step by step, the sight reminding me of a movie involving a robot hitman.

  That’s just creepy.

  Even with a personal system, I’m still failing to be ahead.

  Though, that’s mainly due to it being a bootleg version.

  Hey!

  But, he’s still mine. And, even if it’s “cheating” to use one, let alone have one, so what?

  What’s wrong with using what I have?

  While Malo inched his way forward through Sprite’s swirling mini tornado, I broke into a sprint toward the fallen sticks. If I could enhance them with magic, even just a little, it might turn everything around.

  I scooped them up quickly, ready to pour mana into them, but the moment I got a good look, my stomach sank. The sticks were splintered, jagged, and cracked clean through.

  They weren’t usable.

  Sys drifted down to my shoulder.

  Ah shucks.

  Just my luck, the sticks were unusable.

  What are you going to do then?

  I threw the sticks down.

  I’m only good with a weapon in hand. Without one, I’m far too weak.

  But that just means my effort weren't wasted.

  My eyes swept across the Arena, scanning for a possible weapon. If the sticks were useless and I needed a weapon to counter Malo, then the answer was simple. I just had to find another.

  “See anything, Sys?”

  Uh, aside from a few stray rocks, those broken sticks, and the fallen leaves from Sprite, nada.

  …….…Damn.

  I was kind of hoping there’d at least be something.

  I glanced over at Malo and Sprite, my chest tightening when I realized the tornado hadn’t slowed him down at all. Malo stepped out of the swirling petals with only a few scratches. He swiped at Sprite, hand snapping forward to grab—

  I blinked, and suddenly his body was right in front of me, his knee already driving upward.

  He had used my own distraction against me.

  I dropped low, ducking under his strike. My palm smacked against the ground for balance, and I swung my right leg backward in a sharp counter. The kick connected, not with much damage, but with the burst of force I needed.

  Malo’s body jolted back, sent flying several feet before he skidded to a stop.

  I regrouped with Sprite, who was already breathing hard.

  “Already tired, huh?” I smirked.

  “Oh, pipe down,” Sprite shot back. She glanced toward Malo, who was straightening his posture in the distance, already marching back toward us.

  “So, what’s the plan?” she asked warily.

  “Just wait.”

  “Huh?”

  Malo’s heavy steps drew closer.

  Not yet.

  I watched his body, his legs tensing as he prepared to dash again.

  Almost.

  Then, in a literal blink, Malo dashed forward.

  There.

  “Peekaboo!”

  Malo staggered back in shock as Rogue suddenly appeared out of nowhere, leaping straight onto his face.

  For a moment, the giant froze, his massive frame thrown off by the sudden weight and chaos of a rat flying onto his face. Rogue clambered over him in a very agile manner, darting and prancing across Malo’s shoulders and chest as though his body was nothing more than a stage.

  “The Boss finally let me out,” Rogue cackled, claws flashing as he danced from limb to limb, “so I’m going to enjoy this to the fullest!”

  His movements were erratic, almost playful, but each swipe left behind sharp, stinging traces that tore into Malo’s skin. He scampered around with wild glee, clinging and bounding while Malo could only swipe at the air.

  Wooooo, nice moves, Rogue!

  Sys wasn’t the only spectator entertained by the sudden turn of events.

  “Is that……a rat?” Merilda asked, her expression twisted with disgust.

  “Ha!” Alric let out a booming laugh. “We’ve reached the final stretch now.”

  “It appeared from nowhere.” Cedric muttered. “Is that rat a summon?”

  “Soul-bonded, to be precise,” Alric corrected with a hint of pride.

  Cedric’s eyes narrowed. “Soul-bonding magic?” He let out a quiet chuckle, running a hand down his face. “So, he still has more tricks hidden up his sleeve.”

  Meanwhile, Volk had just taken another swig of his drink, only to spit it out violently at the sight in the arena, once again drenching the poor soul seated in front of him.

  “Th-that’s—a Soul Summon!” he sputtered, wiping his chin.

  Liora gave a nonchalant shrug. “It seems so.”

  Volk scrambled to clean himself up, muttering rapidly. “So, he’s elvish, then? Is that why he’s so skilled with weapons? But elves are usually archers and long-ranged fighters, so why is he—”

  Elder Liora ignored his rambling. Her eyes stayed fixed on the fight.

  As Beric’s teacher in swordsmanship, the sight of his broken sticks weighed heavily on her. To her, it was proof that her lessons hadn’t been enough, and that he still had far to go before becoming the warrior she knew he could be.

  But this wasn’t the time for regret.

  Beric was still fighting.

  At the edge of the stands, Elder Walden quietly closed his book, his attention shifting fully to the arena.

  Arthur was the first to cheer, his voice booming over the noise of the crowd. “Yeah, Rogue, you got it!”

  Lucian and Merrol quickly joined in, their shouts echoing his excitement, while Elaine simply raised a quiet fist in support.

  The family had always carried a complicated history with rats, but Rogue’s appearance slowly shifted that sentiment. His antics, his bond with Beric, were all enough to make them warm not only to him, but to Beric’s summons as a whole.

  In the special viewing area, Selene squealed while clapping her hands. “Go, Rogue!”

  Roland couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. Rogue had always been her favorite.

  As for Jain, he laughed under his breath. Even now, Beric found ways to surprise him. Mastering every weapon he touched wasn’t enough, but now he revealed body strengthening magic, and even Soul-Bonding? Just how many layers was this boy hiding?

  But the thought nagged at him. Why only reveal it now? Was Beric unable to wield Soul-Bonding as well as he wanted, or was there another reason entirely?

  Whatever the answer, one truth was unavoidable.

  Malo had been holding back. He was testing Beric, entertaining the crowd, dragging out the battle for spectacle. But Beric, he had been holding back too.

  Malo himself had reached the same conclusion. And he was dumbfounded.

  On him?

  Malo—the Battle Devil? The warrior countless fighters had thrown themselves against, only to be crushed beneath his strength.

  The idea seemed absurd. And yet, that was exactly what was happening.

  Intrigue sparked in his chest, hotter than the irritation of Rogue’s claws.

  Beric hadn’t crumbled when Malo showed his true power. Instead, he had answered with his own true strength.

  It was different.

  And Malo wanted more.

  Giving up on trying to catch Rogue, Malo finally stood still, relying on something more than sight.

  Thanks to his body-strengthening magic, his senses were sharper than normal. Hearing, in particular, had become unnervingly precise.

  He tuned out Rogue’s constant scratching, focusing instead on the subtle rhythms around him: breath, heartbeat………there it was.

  Beric, just a few meters to his right.

  Trusting nothing but instinct, Malo propelled himself in that direction, dashing instantly to it.

  “UH OH, BOSS!” Rogue’s yell echoed in my ears.

  I dropped low instinctively, allowing me to avoid the lightning-fast attack.

  “Hey, Sprite. I’m going to have to cut you off for just a bit.” I called out after standing back up.

  “Go ahead,” she replied, her glow fading as she returned to my soul.

  I can’t win on my own.

  It’s hard to admit, but sometimes even your best isn’t enough. Even the gifted can falter against someone blessed with more.

  That’s why I’m done trying to do everything alone.

  Go, my friends.

  With a howl, Shade leapt onto Malo.

  “A new friend!” Shade yelled, tail wagging wildly as if this were all just a game.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Malo shouldn’t have been slowed by just Shade, but sneaky Luci was already on the ground, grimacing in pain while doing her part to trip him up.

  “Ssso ssstrong,” she muttered under her breath.

  Rogue and Shade worked in tandem, roughhousing with Malo. Shade thought it was all play, while Rogue weaved expertly in and out of Malo’s massive grasp, distracting him further.

  “Hey, furbrain!” Rogue shouted as Shade accidentally kicked him.

  “Oh, sorry, little guy,” Shade replied innocently.

  “Little guy?!” Rogue screeched.

  A sharp caw cut through the chaos. Both Malo and the crowd’s attention shot skyward as a hawk descended onto the field.

  “What’s got you all angry, little guy?” Nightclaw asked, talons flexing midair.

  “Shut up, bird brain!” Rogue yelled back.

  Is brain all he’s got?

  “I don’t know.”

  Nightclaw then dove straight at Malo. He rose and dove repeatedly, adding to the distractions.

  “Hey, idiot! Your talons are scratching me, not him!” Rogue complained.

  “Oh, really?” Nightclaw replied sarcastically before deliberately slashing at Rogue again.

  “THAT’S IT!” Rogue yelled, leaping off Malo to latch onto Nightclaw’s wings.

  “CHILL—!” Nightclaw flapped wildly, attempting to shake him off, spiraling through the air while Rogue clung on fiercely.

  You two had one job.

  Shade let out a quiet yelp as Malo finally flung him aside.

  The giant then started striding toward me, bruises and cuts beginning to mar his massive frame.

  Such amazing strength, and yet so predictable.

  Malo froze as his foot suddenly sank into a deep hole in the ground.

  How had a hole formed?

  Underground, Melvin and Drill high-fived each other, their tiny forms glowing faintly in the darkness.

  I had already studied the arena layout earlier and knew about its hidden underground section. As long as I deployed my mining summons below the surface, even with the arena’s enchantments, their natural digging strength combined with my mana could pierce through the ground. If Malo’s punches could affect it, then it was possible.

  And now, it was time to take full advantage.

  “Honey, Maple, and Willie.”

  A swirl of smoke heralded their arrival.

  My bear summon, Honey, yawned lazily. “What is it?”

  I’d absorbed her from a brown bear I stumbled across once while exploring—a terrifying beast, larger and meaner than any kodiak, scars crisscrossing her massive body. That battle had been brutal, and even King had struggled to take her down.

  Yet if you looked at Honey now, lying on the ground and rubbing her stomach, you wouldn’t believe she had such an origin.

  Maple stood over Honey. “What do you require?”

  Maple was my moose summon, towering with antlers that spread wide like the wings of a vulture.

  “Who’s the enemy?” Willie asked, spinning aggressively on his hooves.

  Have you ever heard of Hogzilla? That enormous boar, over 800 lbs and seven feet long (363 kg and 2.1 meters)? That’s basically Willie. King hadn’t struggled much to defeat it, but trying to catch it when it bolted had been a nightmare. You wouldn’t expect a massive boar to accelerate like that.

  The Big Three.

  “Guys, I want you to go after that huge guy over there,” I said, nodding toward Malo, “and just smother him. Squish him, cover him, whatever you can to keep him under.”

  “Ehhhhh,” Honey muttered.

  Maple nudged her with one massive antler, rolling her onto her side. “I got her,” Maple said firmly.

  Willie didn’t hesitate. With a powerful leap, he charged forward, leaving the other two behind in a cloud of dust.

  If you couldn’t tell, I named him after Wilbur from that book……....augh, what was it? Something web?

  Anyway, I still need more help.

  “ATTENTION!” Pickle bellowed as he saluted me.

  “Why do you have to be so loud?” Courage, my kobold summon, muttered while plugging his ears.

  “You two.”

  “Yes, General.”

  I pointed at Malo, mostly hidden behind the Big Three, still flailing as Shade returned to pester him. Rogue and Nightclaw had finally coordinated, and Luci was coiling relentlessly around Malo’s arms, joining the fray.

  “Go help them.”

  “You got it, General.”

  Courage looked terrified. “You want us to go deal with that giant?”

  I nodded firmly.

  Slowly, he started backing away. “You know, actually, if we look closely, I think the others—”

  Pickle slammed a hand over Courage’s mouth and dragged him forward, striding determinedly toward the battlefield.

  Courage flailed wildly, eyes practically screaming at me, as he was dragged along.

  Eh, he’ll be fine.

  Now that Malo is distracted-

  Malo thought about his situation.

  On his face, a rat scratched relentlessly, claws finding marks wherever it could. Above him, a hawk dove again and again, striking with beak and talons. From the front, a massive wolf wrestled with him. Around him, a snake coiled tightly around his arms, constricting every movement.

  He could barely see anything since the bear, moose, and boar pressed against him from all sides, their immense bodies forming a living wall. And now, a goblin and a kobold jabbed and kicked at him relentlessly.

  But it still wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough.

  Didn’t Beric know that?

  Taking a deep breath, Malo channeled every ounce of his body-strengthening magic into his core.

  Then, with a violent heave, he exploded out of the hole, shoving every summon off him with sheer force. The creatures flew in all directions, scattering in chaos.

  Malo brushed himself off, glancing toward Beric and froze.

  Wait.

  What’s that?

  “Oh, guardian!”

  Pebbles the golem stood next to my side, though, if he wasn’t so damn small, it’d be much cooler.

  Your dumb reference isn't making it any better.

  “That’s a…….golem?” Gabno asked out loud. He side-eyed Jain. “What is that?”

  Jain looked puzzled as well. “No, you’re right. That is a golem.”

  Pebbles was still just as small as when he was alive.

  But it doesn’t matter about the size.

  Pause.

  It matters about the fight within it.

  “Go, Pebbles!”

  Pebble then went to fight Malo………..slowly.

  Both Malo and I watched as Pebbles stumbled over to him like a small toddler.

  When Pebbles finally reached him, Malo promptly stepped on him and crushed him to……....well……...pebbles.

  Malo began striding toward me again, but he froze when a massive hand shot out and grabbed his ankle.

  He looked down and saw Pebbles, or what was left of him, forming a giant hand that held him fast.

  His eyes narrowed as he struggled, swinging his leg and trying to pry it free, but Pebbles’ grip was unyielding.

  “Hey, Malo?” I called.

  He glanced up at me.

  “Are you sure you have time to do that?”

  “What?”

  “My friends are still here.”

  His gaze darted to the side, and his eyes widened as my summons came charging back for round two.

  Sys flew out of their way, though there was really no need for that.

  MONSTER STAMPEDE!.........though there’s like three creatures that are classified as monsters here-

  What was the point of pouring mana into body-strengthening magic if I couldn’t do anything with it?

  Besides, Malo, I still have plenty more friends I want you to meet.

  “Jittear.”

  “Yeah, Doc?”

  “Nuts?”

  “WhatdoyouneedMaster?”

  “Tank?”

  “YyyeeesssMMMaaassstttt—”

  “Geek?”

  “Ugh, sure.”

  I summoned a few extra wolves and hawks.

  “All of you, join the rest.”

  In an instant, Malo was smothered, completely engulfed by the full force of my summons.

  “WHAT ARE WE WITNESSING? IS THIS A MONSTER OUTBREAK?” Gabno roared. “Beric has surprised us yet once more with his summons, all of which are now barraging Malo with an unavoidable storm of relentless attacks!”

  Adam didn’t dare move.

  Like hell he would endanger his life when he was working with no pay and no benefits.

  As for Malo, he kept a straight face as he tanked the entirety of Beric’s small army attacks.

  It wasn’t that it hurt, but the sheer number of them made it hard to break free.

  Strange.

  These “ordinary” creatures were putting up such a coordinated fight. Did Soul Bonding really enhance summons to this degree?

  Still, Malo remained confused. Why go through all this? He could easily escape once the right moment came. All this effort seemed only to deplete Beric’s mana. He had seen Beric turn off his body strengthening magic just to ensure the summons would be present. And with his weapon broken, he wasn’t in any position to land a serious attack.

  So, why? Was this just stalling?

  For what?

  Before Malo could figure it out, he saw a window of opportunity. The rat slipped and tumbled onto the wolf, sparking a small scuffle. That tiny domino effect caused the other summons to falter, opening a crack in their formation.

  Malo channeled all his body-strengthening magic into his core, ready to burst free.

  But then he froze. All the summons vanished, gone in an instant.

  Where did they go?

  And then he heard it.

  The faintest footsteps rushing to his blind spot.

  He spun around, and there I was. My fist glowed with mana as I launched a perfectly aimed straight right for his face.

  How are you here? Malo thought to himself.

  With all of my strength, I slammed my fist into his jaw, making a sickening noise that made Malo fall back in pain.

  I stepped back, breathing heavily as I watched him.

  It worked.

  Nicely done, Gooner!

  Sys flew around in a circle, blowing confetti that landed on my head.

  It went just as you planned.

  The plan that relied on Malo’s talent……..wait what’d you call-

  The thing about body-strengthening magic is that it doesn’t just enhance the body’s durability, but it also strengthens the muscles themselves. In contrast, body enhancement magic, which only boosts the body, serves purely as a durability increase. Body-strengthening magic, by reinforcing muscles, can actually amplify the damage behind your attacks.

  It’s an incredibly difficult skill, requiring not only a well-trained, honed body but also precise control of the mana needed to avoid overloading and bursting the muscles. Because of this control, a practitioner can direct the mana to specific muscle groups, choosing which parts of the body to empower.

  That’s why Malo was able to channel all of his energy into his core earlier. The rest of his body remained largely unaffected, but the sheer force concentrated in his core was enough to literally propel him out of the hole.

  That’s exactly why I wanted him to do it again.

  By recreating the same situation, making him believe I was merely hiding behind my summons, I forced him to act. He felt compelled to channel everything into his core once more, leaving the rest of his body exposed.

  He had no idea that I could simply recall all of my summons and use body-strengthening magic again, specifically to the extent of focusing it into a single attack.

  “Malo,” I said, stepping forward, “it’s not wrong of you to think that.”

  He shot me a pained, incredulous look.

  “Without my summons, you’re right. There’s no way I could stand a chance. So it makes sense that you’d assume I’d hide behind them, to let them do all the work.”

  I grinned.

  “But that’s wrong. I do need them, but I’m not hiding behind them. I fight with them. It doesn’t matter if it’s dangerous, if it’s reckless, or even if it’s underhanded. We’ll fight any opponent together, no matter their size and strengths. That’s how I fight-no..........It’s how we fight.”

  It’s how we beat that orc.

  And it’s how we’ll beat you.

  I can’t win alone. I’ve said that so many times. And, I hate it every single time.

  But, if it’s with my summons, then, it’s not so bad.

  “I don’t believe it! Malo has fallen again! Is this finally the end?!” Gabno bellowed.

  The crowd erupted in cheers again.

  Malo, however, remained perfectly still, staring at the ground in silence.

  “……...No. You’re wrong,” he muttered.

  “What?”

  “You are strong. Truly my strongest opponent yet, and that’s why—”

  Before I could process his words, he was already in front of me, a punch aimed straight at my face. Not even the blink of an eye had passed.

  “I can’t let it end yet.”

  How is he still this fast? No. He’s faster.

  Is he one of those fighters who get stronger when they’re about to lose? Ugh, just what can’t you do?

  Time seemed to slow as his fist bore down toward me.

  I can feel it.

  He’s going to appear again.

  Do it.

  Summon him. You know you have to.

  Summon the orc.

  That’s the only way you can win this.

  No, you’re wrong.

  What?

  As the punch barreled toward my face, only one thought raced through my mind.

  Do I really need a weapon to do anything?

  It was fast, but I was used to seeing it by now.

  It stung a little, honestly, because I could literally see every detail of the attack. If I had my sticks, this is how it would go: the moment his punch neared, I’d lean to the right to avoid it, simultaneously raising my left arm to redirect it farther away. I’d use my foot to lock his foot in place, stopping any switch-ups, and then land my own counter with my right.

  That’s what I would do.

  …….Wait.

  I blinked. Something was off.

  Malo was hunched over, grimacing from a counterattack.

  What happened?

  BERIC!

  “Sys?”

  How did you just do that?!

  “Do what?”

  He pointed crazily at Malo.

  “You just did the Waterfall Counter with your own bare hands!”

  ……...I did?

  I stared at my hands.

  They weren’t that much different aside from a glow.

  In the crowd, everyone roared in surprise and excitement.

  The elders, however, were silent.

  They hadn’t expected this. How could they? They had never taught Beric this.

  Only Elder Walden could speak, standing up to get a better look.

  “The path of effort,” he whispered.

  Elsewhere in the stands, a lone woman in a striking red outfit rose. She had been quiet all this time, but seeing Beric reminded her of something a teacher had once told her.

  It was during a time when she had felt defeated, outshone by peers whose talent made hours of effort seem pointless. She had doubted whether continuing her path was worthwhile.

  She then sought out her teacher one day and told him of her troubles.

  This is how he had responded:

  "Life is a path we all walk. It branches many ways, yet every path ends at the same destination: death. Before that end stand countless walls, walls that decide how far one may go. Because of this, no two people walk the path the same. Some move far ahead, while others trail behind and be nowhere near. This is shaped by many factors, one of them being talent."

  "Talent is not shared equally. Though we walk the same path, we are not given the same advantages. Some reach what you desire with ease, while others must struggle just to approach it. But talent is only a head start."

  "You cannot choose what you are born with, but you can choose how you use it. Ignore those far ahead and those too distant to see. Focus on yourself—your strengths, your weaknesses, your abilities. They may be stronger, faster, or smarter, but what do you have?"

  "Talent can ease the path, but it can also limit it. In this path, progress is shaped by birth. Those with less talent begin with a blank slate. Their path is a blank slate, and it's slower, harsher, and filled with obstacles. However, it is paved differently. Keep moving forward, no matter the distance or suffering, and you will find that even this path reaches the same destination as the talented."

  “That is effort.”

  The lady shivered as she remembered it all.

  Elder Walden shook as he spoke silently to himself.

  “Everyone usually starts at the same place. But there are those talented enough, the ones who develop faster, and sometimes those are also those who are truly gifted, who start well into a path. For one like you, it's true that you aren't as strong as him. You aren't as gifted as him, and you can't catch up to him in that path.”

  “So, accept it. Accept that you can't catch up on his path. Remember, just because his path is a bright one, it doesn't mean you have to follow him. You have your own gifts. You have your own path that you have been steadily moving on.”

  "That's your talent."

  Your path.

  That's your effort.”