"I once had a pair of children—a son and a daughter. If fate had been kinder, they would be about your age now. But because of me, they left this world far too soon."
"It's all my fault."
"They must hate me."
"I was a terrible father."
"I killed them."
"I'm sorry."
As the disheveled man spoke, his voice trembled with guilt. His eyes, which had once held vitality, were now reddened, tears streaking his weathered face. Memories of the past surfaced, consuming him in a wave of grief.
"If they were alive, they'd be as beautiful and full of life as you two are now," he said, looking at Wendy and Kaizen.
He held out a piece of paper with an address written on it and handed it to Dominica.
"I want to ask you a favor," he continued, his voice hoarse. "When I die, cremate my body. Scatter my ashes at their graves. Plant a cherry blossom tree in front of their resting place and bury me beneath it. Please, carve a statue—a sculpture of apology—and place it there too. I need them to know... I'm sorry. Even if it takes an eternity."
Dominica silently accepted the paper, her face somber.
"Understood," she replied.
The man forced a weak smile and stepped forward, facing the opponent in the arena.
On the opposite side, Ito Xius's lips curled into a sneer.
"This guy volunteered to fight me?" Ito scoffed, narrowing his eyes. "Does he even understand his own strength—or lack thereof? A pitiful D-level aura user daring to challenge me? Absurd."
To Ito, this fight was nothing more than a waste of time, a meaningless display.
Kaizen, watching from the sidelines, frowned. He had seen the man's demeanor—his hollow eyes, his resigned posture. This was someone who had long given up on life, a man who had become a shadow of himself.
But now, perhaps driven by the sight of others suffering or by an odd sense of kinship with Kaizen and Wendy, the man had decided to make his death meaningful.
Kaizen guessed the mention of his children was key. Maybe, in Wendy and himself, the man saw echoes of the children he had lost.
...
The Match Begins
Two beams of light descended, one enveloping Ito Xius, the other the disheveled man. Both figures materialized on the ring.
"The invisible hand!"
Ito Xius's attack was swift. The man barely had time to react before he was sent flying across the arena.
"Boom!"
He landed hard on the ground, coughing up blood.
The audience looked on in silence. No one had expected the disheveled man to win, but the swiftness of his defeat shocked even the most cynical viewers. His lack of combat experience was evident. He was utterly outclassed.
Ito Xius sneered. "That's it? Pathetic."
As the man's body twitched on the ground, Ito approached, his aura brimming with lethal intent.
Dominica sighed, closing her eyes. "At least thirty more minutes," she muttered, focusing on recovering her strength.
Ito Xius raised his hand, preparing to deliver the final blow. His hand plunged into the man's chest.
A spray of blood erupted.
The man's breathing grew shallow, his life force fading. Ito turned, confident the match was over.
But the teleportation effect didn't activate.
"What's going on?" Ito frowned, turning back to the fallen man.
An Unseen Force Awakens
Dark energy began swirling around the man's body. His form, broken and bloodied moments ago, now radiated with an ominous aura.
Two figures materialized beside him—a boy and a girl, their ethereal forms glowing faintly.
The boy grasped the man's left hand, while the girl held his right. Both looked at him with warmth and determination.
"Eugene? Tracy?" the man murmured, his voice trembling. His eyes widened as he looked from one child to the other.
The boy smiled at him, and the girl gently squeezed his hand. Then, their gazes shifted to Ito Xius.
Their expressions hardened.
"Don't bully our father!" they shouted in unison.
A wave of pressure swept through the arena, forcing Ito Xius to take a step back. His face twisted in disbelief.
"You made me retreat?" he growled, anger boiling within him. "Me? Retreating against a D-level aura user? Impossible!"
Ito's pride was wounded, but he steeled himself. "It's just the remnants of their will. Nothing I can't handle."
Dominica's eyes opened, her expression grim.
"This isn't just any lingering will," she said, turning to Kaizen and Wendy. "It's a death-born aura infused with the power of protection."
Kaizen nodded, his brows furrowing. "Their connection must have been incredibly strong for their thoughts to linger like this."
Dominica added, "And they've grown stronger over time, feeding on the man's grief and love. These aren't ordinary manifestations."
In the ring, the two spectral children moved, their combined aura striking fear into Ito Xius.
"You dare hurt our father?" Eugene's voice boomed.
"Anyone who bullies him deserves to die!" Tracy added, her eyes blazing with determination.
The siblings attacked, their strikes swift and coordinated.
Ito Xius found himself struggling to keep up.
"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath. "How am I being pushed back by a mere D-level opponent?"
The match, which had seemed like a foregone conclusion, had turned into a desperate battle.
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