Charles was still trapped in the ring, Kaira perched on his stomach, Lira's icy stare drilling into him from the edge of the padded area.
Kaira, however, seed unfazed. Still on top of him, she turned her head to Lira with a carefree smile.
"Go ahead, Lira, speak," she said, shrugging. "No need to wait."
Charles felt heat flood his face.
Lira's gaze was like a laser, and his position—Kaira literally crushing him—didn't help one bit.
He gestured nervously at Kaira, looking at Lira with desperation.
"Hey, Lira," he said, his voice as firm as he could fake. "Tell her to get off , please."
Lira let out a long sigh, crossing her arms. Her blue eyes narrowed, but instead of addressing his plea...
"Rian," she said, her tone serious. "Are you recovered yet?"
Charles blinked, stunned.
'Seriously?' he thought, frustration surging. 'She completely ignored !'
Before he could respond, Kaira leaned slightly toward Lira, still sitting on him. As she spoke, her body swayed side to side, constantly shifting her weight on his stomach.
"Rian's in recovery mode," she said with a giggle. "That's why I'm looking after him!"
'Damn it, Kaira!' Charles thought, gritting his teeth. 'Stop moving!'
Every shift was torture. Not just because it made breathing hard, but because his "friend" kept betraying him, and he feared any mont Kaira—or worse, soone else—might notice.
He tried to play it cool, slightly raising a leg to adjust his position and ensure nothing was visible. He kept a serious gaze on Lira, pretending everything was under control, though inside he was screaming.
Lira, ignoring the spectacle, pressed on.
"Listen, Rian," she said, her voice steady. "Next week, you'll have a fight. But this ti, it's against one person. If you win, you'll fight once a week; that'll repeat every week until you reach Grandmaster level. And once you get there..."
She paused, locking eyes with him.
"You'll face Kain Cole in a duel."
Kain's na hit Charles like a punch.
mories of his humiliating defeat at Kain's hands—the pain, the helplessness, the feeling of being crushed effortlessly—flooded back.
Charles frowned, feeling static build in his fingers.
"Kain?" he said, a hint of disbelief in his voice. "Why do I have to fight so many tis just to get to him? That's nonsense."
Now that Charles knew Lira's words could spur him to fight seriously, he wanted his rematch with Kain now.
"It's about rank differences," Lira explained. "Internal fights are allowed, but in the arena, both fighters must be the sa rank, especially if they carry the Cole na. It's a clan rule."
Charles grunted, recalling the beating Kain gave him without hesitation.
"Rank?" he said, sarcasm dripping. "Kain didn't seem worried about that when he kicked my ass yesterday. And no one said a word."
Lira sighed, adjusting her tunic.
"That... was a different situation," she said. "Kain thought you were just a servant. Besides, he couldn't have killed you in that context either."
Before Charles could reply, Kaira leaned toward him, her face so close their noses nearly touched.
Her red eyes glead with surprise.
"Wait..." she exclaid. "You already fought Kain Cole? For real?"
Charles, pinned under her weight, nodded with a grimace.
"Yeah," he said, trying to stay calm despite her closeness. "It was... yesterday."
Kaira's eyes widened, her mouth forming a small "O" of shock.
"Yesterday...!" she repeated, sitting up slightly. "So you had two fights yesterday, and you fought Kain? That's insane!"
Charles let out a dry laugh, though Kaira's movent was making him increasingly nervous.
"Yeah, insane," he muttered. "Not exactly my best day."
But then, without warning, Kaira shifted back, her weight landing directly on his "friend."
Charles coughed hard, eyes going wide.
"Cough cough!" he grunted, heat rushing to his face.
'Damn it, Kaira!' he thought, praying she didn't notice. 'Be careful!'
Lira, watching the scene with confusion, shook her head.
'What are these idiots doing...?' she thought.
"I can't believe it," Kaira said, incredulous. "Three fights in one day. Two against Master-level opponents, and one against Kain, who's Grandmaster level..."
"Actually... four. He also beat a ntor," Lira added.
Kaira whipped her head toward Lira, clearly impressed.
"A ntor!" she exclaid, giving a little hop that made Charles grunt again. "Wait, I could probably take one down easily with my strength now."
Lira raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
"Really?" she said, her tone challenging. "Maybe you could, Kaira. But would you have the stamina to face three more fights in the sa day?"
Kaira fell silent, frowning as she thought. Her hands still rested on Charles's chest, and her butt... well, it was still exactly where it shouldn't be.
Charles clenched his teeth, keeping his expression as relaxed as possible while internally pleading:
'Please don't notice. Please.'
After a mont, Kaira looked at Rian with a mix of admiration and surprise.
"Seriously, Rian..." she said, her voice softer. "You're... incredible."
Charles forced a smile, though inside he was screaming:
'Incredible's not the word I'd use right now!'
Before he could respond, Lira climbed into the ring with a graceful move and sat near Rian, legs crossed.
Her presence was intimidating, and Charles felt a knot in his stomach.
She locked eyes with him, her voice dropping to a grave tone.
"Rian," she said. "Do you really understand what you did yesterday? Taking on all those people... it's not sothing just anyone can do."
Charles frowned, confused.
"What?" he said, shrugging as best he could under Kaira's weight. "Co on, they're the ones who picked fights with . And the others were matches I couldn't dodge. If I didn't fight, they'd have made their servant."
Kaira blinked, clearly shocked.
"Wait!" she exclaid, leaning toward him again. "A servant? You were a servant before?"
Lira sighed, adjusting her tunic as she glanced at Kaira.
"Yes," she said, sounding weary. "Rian was a servant, but that changed after yesterday."
Kaira opened her mouth, clearly brimming with questions, but Lira raised a hand to stop her.
"Listen, Rian," Lira continued, focusing on him. "That's exactly why there's sothing else you need to know. Tomorrow, before your Monday fight, you'll have to attend a trial."
Charles blinked, a knot tightening in his chest.
"A trial?" he repeated, his voice thick with disbelief. "What the hell? Why?"
"There's suspicion you used magic in your fights yesterday," Lira explained. "And the clan doesn't take those accusations lightly."
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