“HAP!”

“EYAAA~!”

Once again we were trapped in the underground training hall, fighting against the immortal wooden legion.

Unlike last time though they no longer took an interest in how we were swinging our weapons, just so long as we were swinging it. Looking around I could see that most of the other children were still performing the same swings we had been forced into during the first two weeks we’d started our time here.

It had now been another week; yesterday the snow had started falling again. Thankfully they took us back inside.

It seems this round up of halfers and other mutts was an occurrence that happened every five years or so. The city would

be swept for us mixed breeds as well as the surrounding area. The soldiers would only pull the kids over five years old, the others would obviously be too small. What they’d be too small for is obvious; they planned to use us as gladiatorial slaves.

Looking at it from a horrible viewpoint, it’s a good and productive way to clean up the…… ‘refuse’ of society. Not only that, but it seems it would be profitable………..knowing how depraved the humans of this city are.

I also came to learn that the Arena was particularly popular with the affluent of the nation and that gladiator battles were deeply ingrained in their culture. It seemed that to even gain the right to inherit the wealth of their parents, lordlings had to prove themselves by combat in the arena.

Or at least that is what it sounded like when they were talking about how it would probably be someone from our

‘generation’ that would have to face against the young second prince of the kingdom. But I guess that is several years off.

For now all I need to do is focus on the stick in my hands and the mannequin in front of me.

*THWACK!*

*FWISH*

Now that there was some small ‘freedom’, I was focusing on remembered techniques. Countless fight scenes zipped through my head; the battle of Pelenor, the battle between Inigo Montoya and Wesley, Jackie Chan…….being Jackie Chan.

While they may be movies, the actions performed are those that a human body can make. Furthermore, when you have a perfect memory, they serve as useful reference material for what I’m trying to achieve now.

……..Which is making myself as deadly as possible.

*THUMP!*

*TWACK*

I released a flurry of strikes at the dummy in the way a fencer might. Each attack was a light thrust that was quickly retracted. I was trying to understand how best to optimize damage with speed. While ‘Grand Archive’ was useful, even a little bit like a miracle for me, I had been capable of analyzing problems and generating solutions to those problems before it. With a perfect recollection of my past life, that makes this much easier.

*FWISSH*

Jackie Chan, Jet Li, the movie Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon or the IP Man movies; the Chinese martial arts films were some of the most helpful. While the movies were choreographed, the moves were based on actual martial arts and on top of that they had many duel scenes in these films. While the Lord of the Rings or something similar may provide me with good reference material as well, it was focused more so on warfare. Which, to the best of my knowledge, is a completely different beast and so the knowledge wouldn’t be as useful.

Ugh, if only I could move like one of the people in those Chinese films. They fly through the air and perform such crazy tricks with throwing daggers; it’d definitely be a huge advantage.

*FWAHP*

I continued to move through the various forms that floated through my head, trying to figure out the purpose behind each strike and each block. I can feel an understanding coming from it all; I’m beginning to see the patterns.

“Alright you louts! Return to your cell!”

*CLATTER!*

Tens of wooden swords and staffs dropped as the exhausted children heard the call for an end to the day. I held onto my wooden sword for a bit longer, still trying to understand the moves. I dropped it after a few seconds and followed the others as we filed out of the room.

We were silent as we returned to our cell; the only thing to be heard was the soft tapping of the guards’ boots and the labored breathing of us kids. The corridor was cold but, thankfully, we were all so hot from the hours spent in the training hall that it was more so refreshing than chilling.

After the short walk through the dark stone corridors we reached our smelly cesspool of a cell. The one corner had become a bio hazard area from the defecation of all of us in the cell.

After the tasteless gruel had been passed out and eaten I walked over to where Alephi and Marin stayed. Over the past few days since that first night, I had come over to help Marin with her legs and now her arms. Her body was so small and weak that if I didn’t she would probably damage something permanently with the training we’ve been forced to undergo.

“Alright then Marin, turn onto your stomach and I’ll start.”

“Ok!”

Her mood had improved greatly over the past few days, I guess the massaging must have some effect.

“Ow!”

“Hey what’d you do to Marin!”

“Calm down, I’m just trying to get the knots out of her back. The combat training today gave her some.”

This was a typical exchange between the three of us, if Marin showed any signs of discomfort Alephi would get riled up and lash out at me and then it’d take a few seconds of explaining as to why it hurt Marin and why it was okay. Honestly it

was quite the exhausting exchange but it was necessary.

I don’t want to give in, and helping these two out was my way of fighting against this situation. The others while certainly

not fine weren’t as bad off as Marin and Alephi were. I had already seen several times that Alephi gave Marin an extra portion from her bowl at every meal, she was weakening. Marin’s weak body didn’t help much either.

As I thought about the difficulties of the two sisters, I finished up with massaging Marin.

“Alright, you can move now.”

“Yay! Thanks Kitling!”

“Are you okay Marin? He didn’t do anything weird right?”

Tsch, girl still suspects me.

“No sis. It felt really good.”

Daawwee! You don’t have to look so cute when you say that Marin now I’m embarrassed!

“Really?”

“Yeah! Try it!”

“But……”

“Kitling do it to Sis!”

“Um…..but.”

“Please.”

Don’t give me those eyes! They’re my weakness!

“Well if she’s okay with it.”

I look over at Alephi, her face showed that she wasn’t willing but that she felt she should do it for her sister. It was odd to

see such a complex expression on a ten year old, what had forced her to grow up?

“Are you?”

“Ummmmm.”

Her head hangs in defeat!

“If you try anything……..I’ll kill you!”

Never mind, she is still dangerous! Well, I guess I’ll get it over with to make Marin happy.

Actually, Alephi’s probably thinking the exact same thing!

As I pause to consider this, Alephi already rolled onto her stomach.

“Well?”

“It doesn’t work if you’re stiff as a board.”

“HMPH!”

“………”

This damn girl! If you’re gonna be like this, then I’m gonna do this!

I reached down and lightly stroked along her spine.

“Hyahn!”

Her entire body stiffened and her black tipped fox ears stiffened, I could even see some of the hair on them prickling at the unexpected sensation. The reaction was oddly over exaggerated……..was this maybe her ‘weak’ spot?

“You bastard!”

“Easy, easy. Hahahaha, calm down…ppfffftt hahah, I wasn’t expecting that exaggerated of a reaction!”

I couldn’t contain my laughter as Alephi’s young face flushed. For a ten year old she had remarkable depth, or maybe I just wasn’t looking hard enough at the little kids I knew back on earth.

“Kh, I’m only doing this for Marin so just hurry up.”

Unexpectedly it seems she was interested in the massaging as well. Despite her depth of personality, she was still a child

that was easily read.

“Very well.”

I could only slightly sigh as I reached down and began to warm up the muscles. I had gained confidence over the past few days that I had been doing this to Marin so my hands lacked the un-assured jerkiness that the first two days had suffered.

My hands firmly rubbed her muscles so that they were in a relaxed state and ready for me to begin dispelling knots.

After I had judged that her muscles had been properly warmed up I began to focus on detecting each and every knot present along her back and down through her thighs and calves.

I didn’t even go near her butt.

I value my life after all.

After locating the sources of annoyance I began to steadily knead the ones in her legs. I figured it was safe place to start since it was well away from her ‘weak’ spot.

“Hnnmmpphhh.”

…..This girl is ten right?

“UnnnmmppphhH!”

Those are groans of pain right!? RIGHT!?

“NNnnmmmmha.”

The six year old in me is seeing something he shouldn’t see yet! Give him back his innocence!

“Haaummphhh.”

I could feel steam rising from my frazzled brain. To the me from earth this much shouldn’t have an effect…….however, to the six year old it’s like his world is violently expanding.

More importantly……….. a kid shouldn’t be making sounds like this!

*THWACK*

“Ouch.”

I flicked myself on the side of the head to regain concentration, this was a good opportunity to pull Alephi out of her shell and help her. She had already stretched herself so thin helping her sister.

I glanced over at Marin.

“Hm?”

Her ears tilted in confusion as she gave me the vacant look of a child.

I could only shake my head and looked back down at the task at hand.

“Hnnnn.”

…………this is going to be difficult.

__________________________________________________________________________________

“Aaahhh my hips hurt.”

I stretched all the tense muscles in my lower back as I looked down at my handy work. Alephi had fully relaxed a few minutes in and it had made the job amazingly easy.

The only thing left were the glutes………..ugh this is a quandary.

On the one hand I should be thorough………………on the other……..well I think it’s fine to leave it as is.

“Alright Alephi, you can get up now.”

“………..”

“Alephi?”

“Big Sis?”

Marin and I looked curiously down at Alephi’s face.

“tssuu.”

It was completely loosened her cheeks still slightly red and even a tiny bit of drool dropping out. Her ears twitched cutely every once in a while.

She was the epitome of relaxation………in short………..she had fallen asleep in the middle of the massage.

I glanced towards Marin.

“Well, I should leave you two to sleep.”

I got up to move back to my usual spot when Marin suddenly grabbed my arm.

“Wait! Kitling shouldn’t be alone….it’s lonely!”

“Uhhmmm, but, well, what?”

“Sleep heerrree!”

“I don’t think—“

“It’s ok!”

Marin was oddly firm with that statement. Well whatever, I guess if it makes her happy its ok to go along. I settled down beside Marin across from the oblivious Alephi; though as soon as I did I could feel something warm and bony press into my back.

“……..Marin?”

“Yes?”

The bony object shifted as she popped her head over her side and looked down at me.

“What are you doing?”

“Cold!”

“Ah…ok.”

My best response was a wry smile as I settled back down to sleep, mine and Marin’s tiny bodies providing each other some small warmth on the cold stones of the cell.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“Hyah! What are you doing here!”

Naturally this next morning, Alephi woke and noticed the extra in her sleeping area.

“Muuu…… Big Sis what’s going on?”

She also naturally woke Marin who was sleeping between the two of us.

“Why is he here?!”

Alephi’s face was tinged with red, though the exact emotion that was causing this was unknown.

‘Grand Archive’ would’ve been useful for this kind of thing……

I rolled over completely so I was facing Alephi rather than just having my head turned. I grunted in pain slightly, the cold stone of the cell was not the best surface to sleep on. I lazily propped up my upper body with an elbow and looked at the two.

Crap I feel tired, last night was …………draining.

Someone over here likes to kick!

“Because! Kitling shouldn’t be alone!”

“Tha-that’s…….”

“Please?”

“But he’s---“

“Muuu..”

Marin started to become teary eyed……is she………..is she manipulating Alephi?!

“F-fine then.”

Uh oh she’s looking this way, and that is not a nice look.

“If you try anything…….I’ll kill you.”

“I-I won’t.”

Damn, this ten year old is terrifying. Ah if only she be as cute as Julie.

…………

I just remembered something unpleasant.

I could feel my mouth frowning at the unpleasant memory and so tried to quickly correct it. A frowning face wouldn’t help

me right now.

“Yay! Kitling can stay with us.”

…………………………………….

“Alright you little curs! Get up! Breakfast then Training!!!”

And so our day began.

Like every day it began with that rude awakening.

Then the sloppy gruel served in dirty, cracked bowls.

After a few minutes they would then come in and force us out, regardless of whether we had finished our food or not.

After leading us through the dark corridors of the Arena they’d leave us in the room with the mannequins.

Once in there……our day was spent attacking a human-like wooden object with a wooden sword.

I’m not sure if the others knew, but I was sure of it.

At some point that wood would become steel, flesh, and bone. Instead of the sharp clack of wood on wood we’d be

hearing the dying screams of our enemies.

………………….at least for me I understood this eventuality and tried to prepare myself.

I’d like to make it to old age this time!

I reviewed what I had been working on yesterday. It had felt like I was finally going to reach a breakthrough on how a

martial art worked. There were always specific steps, stances, and motions in each one. On earth they had just been as much a mystery to me as the language the people who created them spoke.

The worst part was that swords had not been often used in the memories I had of martial arts. As such I’ve tried to figure out ways to add in punches and kicks into the style I’m trying to create.

……though I say that, I’m still using a six year old body. It’s short……VERY short.

So most of my kicks are awkward since much of my body is still my torso rather than legs; my arms are also short.

In short…….it’s very difficult.

I continued attacking the dummy, sometimes imagining that it was the one attacking and trying to envision defensive postures that would work for someone of my sized.

The midday feeding came and went. The flavorless gruel simply squelching down my throat as I was lost in thought.

I need to get better.

As I was preparing to begin again I felt someone poke my side.

“Uwwaa!”

Like any normal person my sides are sensitive! Who is this insensitive person! I turned to look and found myself face to face with Alephi.

She was slightly red in the face.

“Help.”

“Huh?”

“Teach me!”

“Teach you?”

“Yes!”

“Why?”

“Because!”

I gave her a flat look. She in turn squirmed under my gaze as if embarrassed? I’m not sure, she’s a little young for her to be feeling that. That usually doesn’t come till puberty…………..

FOCUS!

“Because you look like you know something!”

Ah so that’s the reason.

“Well, I don’t….er not very well at least. I guess just follow what I’m doing.”

“Ok…”

She seemed a bit put out but was still compliant for some reason.

After lunch she and Marin took up positions of the dummies to the right of me, the previous owners moving off to

different ones after sharp glares from Alephi.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Alephi awkwardly mimicking my moves.

With my understanding of physics and having the good fortune of swinging a bat in my previous life, coming to a

conclusion on how to best hold the sword…….Alephi…… on the other hand………

Well, she’ll figure it out.

I’d try to help but I believe that the guards would yell at us, possibly beat us even. The best I can do is hope that she pays attention to my movements. I can talk to her later about it in the cell anyways.

*Thwack*

*Tat*

*POW*

It wasn’t until I executed a kick that something interesting happened.

Alephi had mimicked it. But being a girl and slightly older, her body was much larger than mine.

Meaning…….. her legs were at the right length!

Unlike my body with still has quite stubby legs, hers had already grown quite long…..actually very long for her age.

Hmmmm, I wonder how well she’ll do with punches?

*paf*

*PAPT*

Her arms are longer too; she’s doing much better at the martial arts forms since her limbs are at a better proportion to her torso than mine.

………..

After the realization that Alephi might be better off learning martial arts moves I began to incorporate more of them into my movements; if she could gain an understanding of how to fight with kicks and punches it may be better for her in the long run.

Furthermore, it seems that she’s a natural with fighting this way, her body moves unnaturally gracefully for someone still growing.

“HAP!”

*CRRAACCKK*

…….yes, her body is more than a lethal enough weapon.

SHE’S TEN RIGHT?! RIGHT!?

*SRCICK!*

…….I guess I can’t say much either.

I look at the now useless wooden sword, the fracture lines tracing a web like pattern from the midpoint of the blade and radiating outward.

In the end all I could do was sigh and walk over to the guards by the doorway. They gave me a curious glare….. if that’s even possible. Thankfully they didn’t yell at me and kick me like they had done in the first few weeks.

“It’s broken.”

I held up the wooden sword as proof. I could only hope that this was a regular occurrence. I mean, they were training people with beast race blood in them how to fight. Even as someone with………diluted blood……..I was still stronger than I had ever been in my previous life.

The guardsman then reached out. I unconsciously flinched expecting a fist.

Instead I got……..a pat on the head!?

“Good job! You’re the second one! Here’s another sword.”

He pulled another one from a box I hadn’t noticed behind him and handed it to me.

……….what’s with this sudden pleasantness?

“This one too.”

Suddenly a soft and slightly husky feminine voice sounded from behind me.

“Ah! This is the third one! My you’re doing a good job!”

As he bent to grab another sword, I turned to see who had also broken their sword.

Much to my surprise…. Or maybe my lack of it, it was the lupine girl. As the only person with a full beast-race bloodline it would make sense that she would have more strength than even these guards.

I wonder if she ever thought of trying to escape.

Unlikely, after all they were everywhere.

“Hmph.”

My glance received a cold snort from the girl.

I wonder what’s got her riled up.

“Here you go! Better watch out or this cat will catch up!”

The guardsman handed the girl a new sword. Upon hearing his words she looked at me a glowered before her eyes shifted briefly to the guardsman’s hand and then just as quickly looked back to me. Her expression darkened further and I

thought I heard a low growl before she padded away to her spot and began to furiously whack at the mannequin.

……aaahhhh I see.

So that’s how they’re playing it. These bastards are actually just a bit clever.

I shrugged and went back to training. There wasn’t much else to do.

____________________________________________________________________________________

The next week continued like this: eating, training, eating, training, eating, massaging, sleeping.

My skill as a masseuse has been increasing if I do say so myself and Alephi has slowly begun to accept me.

It’s nice seeing smiles on her and Marin’s faces. Also Marin has been doing better so Alephi now has managed to start eating her full portion at meal times. Because of this she seems to have even more energy.

The lupine girl and I now seem to be enemies; We both continuously break our wooden swords now. She seems to resent the fact that I can do it and that I’m getting her ‘doggy treats’, i.e. head pats.

With the end of this week though there was a change……..

“Alright next week is the last week of training! You lot are going to have practice spars!”

I could almost feel the fiery stare from the lupine girl from where I stood beside Alephi with Marin in between us.

….Fuck.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

So screw me right! I haven't been on here in so long. and I apologize. I finished up my internship and then moved back to my parent's house for the summer and so its been all hectic. but in the end that's just an excuse I am very sorry for makin ya'll wait and hope you enjoyed to latest chapter!