Volume 01, Chapter 08

  Unexpected Spar

  Arthur and I arrive in front of the house I now call "home." I open the door and step inside.

  "I'm home!" I call out, my voice echoing through the hallway.

  Celine comes out of the kitchen, her face lighting up when she sees us.

  "Welcome home, Dominic. And welcome, Arthur!" she says with a warm smile.

  "It's nice to see you again, Auntie," Arthur replies, nodding politely.

  I lean toward her and explain, "Mum, Arthur wants to hang out for a while."

  She nods with a smile. "I see."

  -Ding!

  The oven timer goes off, cutting into our moment.

  "Oh, my blueberry pie must be ready!" Celine says before heading back into the kitchen, leaving us at the entrance.

  I turn to Arthur and gesture further inside. "Let's go in."

  He nods and follows me into the living room. We both sink into the comfy couch.

  As things quiet down, three big thoughts fill my mind:

  ? Lumi suddenly showing up at my middle school

  ? Maurice being a teacher before maybe joining Verdant Arcanum

  ? And his strange offer to train me personally

  "Haah." I let out a sigh, trying to shake off the weirdness of the day.

  "Doms, you know sighing makes you age faster, right?" Arthur says out of nowhere.

  I glance at him, part annoyed, part amused. "That's not real," I say.

  "It is. That's why you look older already."

  His teasing makes me roll my eyes. For some reason, bickering with Arthur felt natural.

  "Me? Old? Look at this face—perfection," I say, acting offended, though I know he's joking.

  Honestly? Dominic’s pretty handsome—striking, even. I wasn’t trying to myself or anything. I was just stating the obvious.

  "Yeah, you're pretty... for a gorilla," he smirks.

  Why this little—

  -Creak!

  The familiar sound of the front door opening stops our playful moment. André walks in, his eyes lighting up with a warm smile when he sees me.

  "I'm home!" André says.

  I smile. "Hey, Da—"

  -Fwoosh!

  A sudden gust of wind rushes through the room. Before I can react, Arthur appears in front of André, holding a sword made of glowing yellow light.

  In one quick move, he swings at André’s neck—but André grabs Arthur’s wrist easily, a knowing smile on his face.

  What just happened? It’s so fast I can barely keep up.

  Why would Arthur attack André? And why does André look amused instead of scared?

  "Hello, uncle, I'm here for a rematch," Arthur says, grinning just like André.

  "Really? Then let's start, shall we?"

  Without warning, André throws Arthur into the wall with a force that completely breaks the calm mood from a moment ago.

  -Crash!

  Arthur is propelled outside the house, the impact sending shockwaves through the air. André wastes no time pursuing Arthur, their movements a blur to my untrained eyes.

  This sudden shift from a peaceful homecoming to what appears to be a duel leaves me stunned.

  "Oh, there they go again."

  I turn around and see Celine holding a freshly baked pie.

  She looks nonchalant. Does this often happen before my transmigration?

  Once again, the red holographic screen appears before me.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Another quest, and this time, Stat Points. What is that?

  Also, will I get a Gun Arts Manual? Is it like a martial arts manual but with guns? It seems cool.

  However, accepting this quest brings its own set of dilemmas. If I participate in the fight, questions about my guns will arise, potentially revealing the lies I made about Arthur and my parents.

  However, seeing how strong they are, I don’t want to face them. Can I skip quests?

  Ah, it seems I can’t. I may not know what Stat Points are- I have a feeling it would be bad.

  With no other option, I step through the hole in the wall and come out of the house into a scene of intense action.

  "Haa!" I see Arthur yell.

  The sound of exertion fills the air as I catch sight of Arthur, his light sword in hand, launching a series of attacks toward André.

  Despite the ferocity of his strikes, André seems to dodge the onslaught with ease, his movements fluid and precise. He flips, sidesteps, and slides right under the swing of Arthur's sword, catching me off guard with its grace.

  What a badass.

  Regaining his footing, Arthur takes a deliberate step back, pointing his sword directly at André. "Avalon Blast!" he exclaims.

  -Bling!

  At his command, three orbs of light materialize beside him, their glow intensifying before unleashing concentrated beams of light that streak toward André.

  The attack is powerful and deliberate.

  Yet, André's reaction is one of amusement rather than concern. With a confident smirk, he charges directly into the oncoming beams.

  His audacity is astonishing. Instead of evading, André chooses to confront the attack head-on.

  "Shield of the Abyss." André mutters.

  With André's command, a dark shield manifests in front of him.

  -Clank! Clank!

  The light beams clash with the dark shield, and André keeps running forward.

  "Grasp of the Damned," André says, his fists enveloped in a shadowy aura.

  Arthur's eyes widen at the impending strike. "Avalon's Radiant Aegis!" he exclaims.

  Arthur responds by conjuring a shield of light, its form reminiscent of a blooming flower, poised to defend against André's attack.

  -BOOM!

  The moment André's shadow-covered fist collides with Arthur's radiant shield, a tremendous explosion ensues, sending debris flying in all directions.

  I cover my eyes from the debris. It seems André possesses the Dark magic attribute, another rare magic attribute.

  As the dust begins to settle, the aftermath of the clash becomes clear.

  Arthur is found kneeling on the ground, his breaths coming in heavy pants from the exertion of the battle. In stark contrast, André stands tall and unphased, his gaze fixed upon Arthur with an air of calm superiority.

  “Hah…wow Uncle André…hah…I can’t even make you sweat…”

  "Stand proud, you are strong."

  Observing their exchange, I realize they haven't noticed my presence—a perfect opportunity for action.

  With hesitation, I reached into my pocket and pulled out one of the received guns.

  “Sorry, André,” I mutter as I aim at André's right leg.

  Even though I feel bad for shooting André, I have no choice but to follow the System.

  -BANG!

  The gun's recoil pushes me back slightly as I pull the trigger, releasing a red energy bullet that shoots toward André with astonishing velocity.

  André seems to sense the incoming threat as he turns around and catches the bullet between two fingers, halting its deadly trajectory in its tracks.

  I'm not surprised by this, as André dodged beams of light earlier.

  "Who…" André begins, turning to identify his assailant. His voice trails off as his gaze locks onto mine. The shock and disbelief that initially painted his features soon became a knowing smirk.

  "Oh, looks like Dominic wants to join in," André says with a grin and begins to walk toward me…menacingly.

  I gulp, the realization dawning on me that this might have been a step too far—André is likely about to teach me a lesson I won't soon forget.

  Instinctively, I raise the gun once more, aiming it directly at him in a desperate bid to halt his advance.

  -Bang!

  Yet, André's reaction is as swift as it is dismissive. With a mere flick of his wrist, he effortlessly deflects the bullet, continuing his stride toward me without missing a beat.

  Oh, hell no, he's coming.

  Desperately, I draw the other gun, wielding one in each hand to double my firepower.

  -BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

  The quick series of bullets boom through the air, and the recoil from handling both pistols at once jolts my arms with a force well beyond my previous experience.

  My aim slips beneath the power, and just one of the flurries of bullets fired comes near to hitting André.

  André's reaction is immediate and precise.

  Effortlessly, he manifests a sword, shrouded in shadows, into existence and uses it to deflect the bullets easily.

  Oh no. My best attempts are little more than playthings to him.

  Because of his battle abilities and command of Dark magic, André can perform at an unattainable level. Not only is my strike nullified by his ability to create and handle a Dark blade so expertly, but it also highlights how far apart our skills are.

  -Fwoosh!

  In an instant, André vanishes from sight, leaving nothing but a swift gust of wind in his wake.

  My heart races. Every story I've ever read, every battle I've witnessed in fiction, whispers a warning—disappearing usually means reappearing somewhere you least expected, often right behind you.

  Shit!

  I make no hesitation since I am guided by instinct. I execute a move I have only ever dreamed of: I roll to the right.

  And my quick thinking turned out to be vital, precisely as I had anticipated. I see that André has moved to exactly where I had been standing just a second before.

  "Looks like you have a talent for evading attacks, Dominic." André's voice, imbued with a mix of surprise and respect, reaches me as I regain my footing. "I didn't know you had that in you."

  Gripping the guns tighter, I aim them at him again, determined to prove that my earlier success wasn't just a fluke.

  Just as my finger tenses on the trigger, ready to test my aim against André's skill once more, a commanding voice cuts through the tension.

  "All of you, that's enough!"

  The urgency and authority in Celine's voice halt my actions instantly.

  Lowering the gun, I turn to see Celine, her expression intermingled with anger and concern. She is not pleased with the spectacle before her.

  Celine then walks over to André and pulls his ear.

  "Ow! Ow! Why are you doing this?!"

  "You tried to slice Dominic!"

  The scene is almost comical—André, a formidable figure moments ago, is now reduced to wincing under Celine's firm grip.

  Looking at the screen, I wish this holographic screen thing offered me the option earlier with the guns during school.

  "Dominic, where did you get the guns?" Celine asks.

  The question snaps me back to reality. I turn to Celine, who looks deeply concerned with a hint of coming discipline.

  Her sharp and penetrating gaze conveys more than words could. The intensity in her eyes sends an unmistakable message, and a chill runs down my spine in response.

  Never underestimate the power of mothers. Their instincts and intuition can uncover even the deepest secrets, showing just how strong their love and care for their children truly are.