* * *
The moment Eryk walked off with Fay in his arms, Kari rushed out of the balcony and into the hallway. She ran down the stairs. There were several doors on the first floor, and each one led to a different room. Kari checked each one she came across before she found the one with Eryk and Fay.
She stopped by the door and peered inside. Fay had been laid down on a bed made of straw and sheets. Eryk was leaning over her, one of his hands resting on her head and the other just below her chest. While the position looked intimate, Kari could see the waves of Spiritual Power flowing from his hands into Fay’s body. It looked like water emerging from his palms.
He was healing her.
As Kari debated with herself, wondering if she should enter the room, the wounds on Fay’s body slowly healed. Her cracked skin was reknit, the blistering scars vanished, the black scorch marks from electric damage became perfectly healthy flesh, and her labored breathing became lighter again. Kari had to marvel at Eryk’s ability to heal people. Even Instructor Brynhild was not that talented.
“Ngg…” A low moan arose from Fay as her eyes slowly fluttered open. Kari hid herself out of fear, pressing her back into the wall.
“Fay,” Eryk said, the relief in his voice more than evident. “Are you okay? How do you feel?”
“Eryk? What happened? Why are you…” Fay suddenly trailed off. Kari heard some rustling noises before… “I lost, didn’t I?”
A loud noise emerged through the open doorway like someone was expelling a large breath. The male tone let Kari know it was Eryk who released that heavy sigh.
“You did. You managed to win the preliminaries and your first match due to your raw talent, but Catalyna has much more experience than you do. I’m sorry. This was my fault. I had been so focused on strengthening your body and Spiritual Powers that I neglected to teach you how to properly fight.” Eryk paused for a moment. “After this tournament is over, I’d like to help you gain some experience. We’ll add sparring to our training so you can get a handle on how to fight someone.”
“…” a strange sound that Kari couldn’t hear made her perk up.
“What was that?” asked Eryk.
“Why are you… even bothering with me?” asked Fay. “You don’t even like me, right? The one you love is Kari, so why are you bothering to train me? Why are you being so kind to me?”
“Why? Isn’t that obviously because I want to help you?” The confusion in Eryk’s voice was more than evident.
“Well, I wish you would stop,” Fay snapped suddenly. “You keep… treating me so nicely that it hurts. I don’t think you even realize how much it hurts to have someone you love treat you with such kindness when you know they don’t love you back. Every sweet gesture you make, every kind word you say… they’re like a lance being driven into my heart, because I know that deep down you aren’t doing this out of romantic feelings for me. It’s just who you are.”
Kari clutched her chest, her fingers wrapping around the fabric of her dress. Fay was crying. They weren’t wracking and loud sobs that echoed down the hall, but it was easy to hear the tears in her voice.
“I didn’t realize that was how you felt,” Eryk said at last, his voice soft.
“Well, now you do, so I would appreciate it if you stopped displaying so much kindness toward me. Every time you do, it makes me get my hopes up, makes me think there might be some chance that you’ll fall in love with me. And every time that happens, I find myself becoming disappointed and heartbroken when I’m forced to confront the truth.”
There was a moment of silence. Kari’s heart thundered in her chest.
“That wasn’t my intention.”
“I know it wasn’t, but that’s what makes it hurt so much.” Fay paused. “If I told you to stop spending time with Kari, to stop looking at Kari, and to only look at me instead… would you? If I said to love me instead of her, would you do that?”
Kari felt like her heart was going to stop as she continued to listen in. She felt bad. Listening to a private conversation like this was terrible of her, but for as much as she wanted to move, it seemed her heart was unwilling to listen. She needed to know what Eryk would say, how he would answer.
“No,” Eryk said at last, “I wouldn’t be able to stop loving Kari.”
Rubbing her chest, Kari wondered how it was possible to feel this happy and guilty at the same time. It was like her heart was soaring through the clouds, but at the same time, it felt like something had clutched it in an iron grip and was slowly squeezing it into a fine paste. She felt both pain and happiness in equal measure.
“So there you have it,” Fay said, pausing for just a moment. “Please leave. I’d like to be alone.”
“I… I understand. I’ll leave you alone. I’m sorry.”
The sound of footsteps caused Kari to feel panic. As she was wondering what to do, Eryk emerged from the doorway, pausing when he saw her. He opened his mouth, presumably to say her name. Kari placed a finger against her lips. He closed his mouth. Almost sighing in relief, Kari gestured toward the staircase. Eryk nodded and followed her as she led him up the stairs.
“I’m assuming you heard most if not all of that conversation,” Eryk said after they’d gone a certain distance from the room.
“I’m sorry,” Kari apologized. “I wanted to make sure Fay was okay. I didn’t intend to eavesdrop.”
“It’s fine.” Eryk reached up and tugged on his bangs. “I mean, it’s not good to eavesdrop on someone else’s conversation, but, well, these things happen sometimes.”
An awkward silence passed between them, which felt odd to Kari because they almost always had something to talk about. Part of what she loved about Eryk was how she never felt awkward. However, this time, the topic of their conversation was heavy. Kari didn’t even know if bringing it up was appropriate.
“Do you mind if I ask… what you think about Fay?” Kari finally asked.
“What I think about Fay…” Eryk looked at the ceiling, and then sighed. “She’s an incredibly strong and determined young woman. She has a lot of talent, and she’s willing to work her butt off to get what she wants… but she’s also fragile in some ways. I don’t know why, but sometimes I feel like there are moments or issues that she doesn’t know how to deal with, and that causes her to overreact. She also has a lot of confidence issues. I get the feeling that she is hiding a major inferiority complex behind that strong facade she puts up.”
Kari nodded as she listened to Eryk speak. She wondered if he realized how his face looked as he spoke about Fay, if he knew how gentle and soft his expression was. The conclusion she drew up was that he probably didn’t.
“Fay grew up without a mother,” Kari said after composing herself for a second. “Her mother died giving birth to her, and so her father had to raise her by himself, but there are a lot of things a father can’t teach his daughter. I think not having a mom to look up to and learn from is why Fay isn’t able to deal with situations like this.” She paused, closed her eyes, and released a shuddering breath. “It doesn’t help that Fay has always… compared herself to me, even though she is so strong and shouldn’t need to compare herself to anyone.”
“I see.” Eryk pressed a hand against his face. Pain flashed across his eyes as he closed them. “It’s no wonder my words hurt her so much. Maybe if she had a mom, there would be someone who could help her deal with this sort of relationship drama, but with just her dad… well, even I know that men aren’t always the best people to seek relationship advice from.”
Kari thought back to everything she knew about Fay as she glanced down the stairs. From there, she could still see the doorway leading into Fay’s room. At that moment, a large man with a bulky frame walked in. She just barely recognized Stelys Valstine. There was a woman with him who she didn’t recognize, though. It was an older woman in her early 30s or so with red hair that had an orange tint.
“You seem to know a lot about Fay,” Eryk said after a moment.
&
nbsp; “That is because Fay and I used to be best friends.” Turning her attention back to him, Kari told Eryk about her past friendship with Fay. “We were very close a long time ago. She and I had similar adventurous spirits. We loved to go wandering around. One day, we left the city and traveled into the surrounding forest, but… we were attacked by a group of Demon Beasts.”
Eryk’s eyes widened as his face turned a startling shade of white. Kari quickly did her best to reassure him.
“Th-they were only D-Rank Demon Beasts that had managed to come down from the surrounding mountains, so they weren’t very strong. However, to a couple of children like Fay and I… well, they were far too much for us to handle. I ended up being seriously injured trying to protect Fay. I think I was comatose for around a month or so.” Kari bit her lip because it was the only way to stop herself from crying as she thought about what happened. “It wasn’t until after I woke up that I learned my mother had blamed Fay for what happened to me and forced her family to pay reparations. After that, Fay refused to talk to me. Our friendship was ruined, and I’ve… never been able to get it back.”
Kari looked down as she felt moisture sting her eyes. She did not have many friends. In fact, Fay had been her only friend, so when they stopped spending time together, Kari had been bereft of any form of friendship.
She probably should have expected Eryk’s hug the moment he placed his hands on her shoulders. Even so, his actions as he pulled her into his chest still surprised her, though those feelings didn’t last long. As his comforting warmth engulfed her body, she hugged him back, tightly wrapping her arms around his waist as she pressed her face against his chest. His masculine scent comforted her in ways she didn’t think were possible.
“I had no idea,” he said in a voice so soft Kari wouldn’t have heard it if he wasn’t hugging her. “You never told me about that.”
Something about the way he spoke made Kari think he was referring to something else, but she couldn’t figure out what.
“Only my family knows what happened,” Kari admitted. “I’ve never told this to anyone before.”
“Is this also the reason you’re not allowed outside of the city?”
“I think so.”
“I see.”
She and Eryk and she remained like that for a long time, and while Kari felt horrible for leaning on him like this after the conversation she’d overheard between him and Fay, she also needed this. It had been so long since she’d had someone to rely on. Her parents were always busy, her brothers never spent any time with her, and she didn’t have any friends. Eryk’s sudden appearance in her life was the biggest blessing she’d ever received. He would never understand how grateful she was that he’d come into her life.
“Eryk?” she said suddenly.
“Yes?”
Kari tilted her head up, resting her chin on his chest as she looked into his eyes. “If you could make both Fay and me happy, would you?”
“Without hesitation,” Eryk said.
While Kari didn’t let the relief she felt at those words show on her face, she did hug him tighter for a moment, before letting go. She took a step back and wiped her eyes. Then she smiled at him, though it was just a small smile.
“In that case, I have something I would like to talk to you about after the tournament ends,” she said. “Now probably isn’t the best place or the right time to discuss this, so we’ll do it later.”
Eryk seemed a little confused, but he nodded anyway. “Okay. If I can do something to help you and Fay, let me know what it is.”
“Thank you. I’ll be counting on your help when the time comes.”
“Just leave it to me.”
* * *
Stelys entered the room where his daughter was resting. He had expected to see Eryk there as well, seeing how that boy had been the one who carried her out of the arena, but instead it was just his daughter. She sat on the bed. Her hands were tightly clasped together as they rested on her lap. He couldn’t see her face because her head was tilted down, causing her long strands of red hair to block it.
However, he could see the small teardrops that leaked down her cheeks. Each drop looked like a small crystal as it made a trail down her face, dripped off her chin, and splashed against her hands.
Feeling awkward but knowing he needed to do something, Stelys sat down on the seat next to her bed.
“Are you okay, Fay? Did something happen?” asked Stelys.
He didn’t know if Fay was surprised to see him, but his breath caught in his throat when his daughter looked up, tears streaming down her pale face. It was a mess. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her nose had become runny.
“Father…”
Shock coursed through him when Fay collapsed into his chest. She reached up and clutched his shirt as she released several loud wails. Her sobs echoed around the room, causing him both incredible confusion and heartache.
Unsure of what to do, he glanced at Feinrea, but she just smiled and motioned at Fay.
He understood. At least, he thought he understood. There was only one thing a parent could do in a situation like this.
Stelys wrapped his arms around Fay and let her cry.
* * *
I walked into the waiting room, where Dante greeted me with an odd smile.
“I think I might have underestimated you,” he said.
I gave him a weird look. “Excuse me?”
“It’s nothing. Just talking to myself.” Dante shook his head.
“Whatever.”
I decided to ignore him and walked up to the window. A battle was currently taking place, but I frowned when I realized the two battling were Torgny Leucht and Astrid Kriger.
Astrid was a leggy woman who didn’t wear any armor, and instead opted for wearing entirely black clothing that wrapped around her and revealed every curve of her body. That said, while her legs were outstanding, she was rather flat chested. Her eyes and forehead were visible, but her mouth wasn’t, covered as it was in a black scarf that trailed behind her. Unlike her sister, Catalyna, Astrid wielded a pair of daggers, which she seemed incredibly well versed with.
“You missed the previous battle,” Dante informed me.
“Who won?” I asked.
“Kell Kriger.”
Although I didn’t know who Kell Kriger was, I did know that the Kriger Family was the most martial-oriented of the Three Heavenly Families. All of their members were trained in combat from a young age. A family like that would only allow the strongest members of their family to take part in this competition.
The battle between Astrid and Torgny seemed to be at a stalemate. Astrid was covered in a light green aura, a wind-natured Spiritual Aura, but none of her attacks were getting past her opponent’s powerful Spiritual Aura. She sent numerous crescent-shaped blades of wind at her foe. Each one exploded harmlessly against Torgny’s Spiritual Aura and was forcefully dispersed.
Of course, it wasn’t like Torgny was doing much better, since it seemed he couldn’t hit her no matter how hard he tried. He swung his battle axe like a maniac. However, Astrid was doing an admirable job of keeping away. She ducked, sidestepped, leapt into acrobatic flips, and rolled across the ground, always keeping herself just a little ahead of his attacks.
Their battle was mostly close range. The two of them were trading attacks at a blistering pace that most people wouldn’t have been able to keep up with. I think what surprised me was how, even though Astrid was launching her wind blades at point-blank range, none of them could penetrate the fiery Spiritual Aura surrounding Torgny.
Torgny screamed as he swung his axe several times, fire streaming around it, and slammed it on the ground. Several flame pythons leapt from his axe and tried to attack Astrid, but she nimbly leapt away. She didn’t attack them. Her Spiritual Wind Techniques wouldn’t work since wind was weak against fire. She merely danced around Torgny, waiting for the pythons to lose their energy and disperse.
“It was a bad matchup,” Dante sai
d. I wondered why he was being so talkative now, but I didn’t let that bother me.
“Astrid is going to lose.” I nodded. “She has more talent than Torgny, but wind is weak against fire. What’s more, he has a lot more Spiritual Power than she does.”
As if my words were somehow prophetic, Astrid suddenly stumbled as her Spiritual Aura flickered. It was only for a moment. However, in that moment, Torgny swung his axe, which slammed into her so hard I could hear the loud smacking sound from here. Astrid’s Spiritual Aura shattered as she struck the ground, skidded across it, and stopped after several meters.
“The winner of this match has been decided!” Rainer raised a hand as two medics came out with a stretcher. “Torgny Leucht is the winner!”
“That was about what I expected to happen,” Dante said with a nod.
I didn’t say anything. I stared at Torgny, who I knew would be my greatest opponent in this tournament.
Chapter 10
The Last Battles
My opponent for the semifinals was Catalyna Kriger, the woman who had defeated Fay. She and I stood with a ten-meter distance separating us. Rainer stood between us but several meters away so he wouldn’t get caught up in our attacks if we started using Spiritual Techniques right off the bat. I stared at the woman. My frown must have sparked her interest.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, smiling.
My frown grew. “You said something to Fay, didn’t you?”
“What makes you say that?” She feigned innocence.
“Call it a hunch.”
Fay’s words after she woke up echoed inside of my mind. While nothing she said had been false, her words weren’t something I could imagine her saying either. This was the girl who told me that she wasn’t going to give up on me despite already knowing I loved Kari. Even if she had some confidence issues, a girl who could declare she wouldn’t quit trying to make me fall in love with her would not give up so easily. Something had to have happened that made her confidence shatter, that ripped away her facade, and I was positive that something was staring me right in the face.
WIEDERGEBURT: Legend of the Reincarnated Warrior: Volume 4 Page 16
