.

The brunette that had been watching from their box paled as Cecil said something that was near insane. “Rion, I don’t want my hand to be regenerated.”

“Do you want me to reconnect your old one then? You do know that you’re right handed.”

“Trained ambidextrous actually, I was actually left handed. Although I am curious about…” Cecil watched as a cat with six tails appeared on his left hand, migrating due to the fact that it sensed that the hand would be missing for a while.

“When did you get a tattoo?” The brunette asked with a tone that made Rion’s back sweat.

“It’s an emergency lifeline. I won’t go into it much.”

The white-haired man sighed. “Wouldn’t a prosthetic left hand fit your ideals better?”

“When I was thirteen? Yeah, it would have been awesome. Now? I can do more with a prosthetic hand, than an organic one. I’m just imagining the upgrades. Happy accidents and all that?”

“Cecil, it has occured to me that you’re a few baskets short of a harvest. Aren’t you supposed to be the reasonable one in our dynamic?” Rion sighed.

“You’d be surprised where my hang ups tend to be. Now heal it as a stump please.” Cecil sighed

“Aren’t you demanding?” Kyrion sighed and did so. If Cecil changed his mind one day, then Kyrion would gladly grow him a new hand.

“Gotta be, this hurts quite a bit.”

“Fair enough.” Rion covered the wound in a healing flame. In moments, the skin had grown over the damage. It then extended and adapted. From there, he altered the nerves a bit, allowing them to heal without causing pain.

“Huh, the phantom pains are gone. Curious.”

“If you intend to replace it with a prosthetic, then I made some changes to better adapt. Any new hand would feel like an extension of your body.”

“Is that so?” Cecil sighed as he got to his feet. “Ok, I’m going to be in one of the special rooms working on a new hand. Meaning I won’t be able to participate in the first few matches.”

“Why did you give him that breathing item? Had you continued it’s likely you would have won.” Hel asked.

“I’m a man, Hel. Had I won with such an advantage, it wouldn’t have felt like I earned it.”

“Strange hangups.” Sighed the team’s tactician.

“We do have two days to rest before the matches begin. Let’s get to work. WIth a match like that, it’s likely that we’ll be the second seed. Have you all eaten your coins?”

Everyone save Bastion and Eden nodded, as the children shouldn’t use that power yet. “Then most of you should have been able to sense the gap between Damian and yourselves. As we are now, only Ander and I could put up much of a fight and the only way for us to win would be if it was both of us fighting him at once.”

“You underestimate my power.” Ander pouted.

“He’s going to evolve his spirits. So no, I have no idea how strong he’ll be if he makes it to the finals. Luckily the rest is a team event, so we don’t have to worry much.”

“You’d think he was some hero of legend or something with how fast that he’s gaining in power.”

“Maybe he is.” Rion sighed.

“That would make sense. He’s growing stronger at an astonishing pace.” Cecil sighed.

“Now it’s time for my third breakfast. See you all later.” Rion pulled a tray of breakfast sandwiches and ate them with gusto.

“Anyone else hungry?”

Bastion was the only one who decided to take some of the plate. He took two sandwiches.

Then, a stomach growled outside the door to their room.

Brion opened the door and scowled as he was face to face with a small white-haired child.

“Do you have cookies?” White Fox asked.

“What’s a cookies?” Brion asked.

“Cake? My blood sugar is so low right now. I need sweets.” White Fox blinked slowly and looked as though he were going to faint.

“I have breakfast sandwiches.”

“Do they have vegetables in them?” White Fox eyed them suspiciously.

“Is cheese a vegetable?” Bastion asked.

“No…I probably should eat something healthy.” Kyrion pulled out a carrot and ate it comically fast.

“I’ll take one. Guess they will have to do.” White Fox took a sandwich before walking away.

“You know… That’s kind of how I expect a son of Kyrion would be. Summoned by the prospect of food, before leaving with said food. Only he’d take way more than one sandwich.”

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“Obviously he needed it to tide him over while his meal was being prepared. Like a pre-third breakfast snack.” Bastion said knowingly.

Lin looked at Bastion for a long moment. “Friend of yours?”

Bastion looked to the left. “I’ve never seen that kid before in my life.”

Lin saw through the blatant lie. “You do know, lying children don’t get dessert. I’ll be sure to eat yours for you at dinner.”

“It’s complicated. Think we met in a dream.”

“A dream?”

“Yeah, it was weird. Like the same day was repeating over and over again.”

Siegfried, who had faded into the background, appeared to give Bastion his full attention.

Rion raised an eyebrow before finishing the remainder of the sandwiches. “Why is everyone still here? Get on, we have work to do.”

The others shot up and decided to go do their training. The only people staying behind were Bastion, Lin, and Rion.

Lin eyed Bastion for a long moment.” What are you?”

“Huh?” Bastion seemed shocked by the question.

“You aren’t a regular human child. What are you?”

“You’d know more than me. First thing I remember was when the people taking care of me died and I was sent into slavery. Mr.Kyrion saved me and I decided to follow him.” Bastion said, looking down at his feet.

“The people taking care of you. Were they your parents?” Lin looked into the green eyes, seeing past them.

“I don’t believe so. But they are the first people I remember.”

“Uh huh. What’s wrong with your eyes?”

“Hmmm?” Bastion didn’t know how to answer that.

“Heterochromia is rare, but he may have been born with two eye colors. When he received his powers, I believe they were covered by an illusion that makes them match.”

“Do you know who your parents are?”

“Uhh…” Bastion looked at Rion with worry.

“He’s younger than he looks, and acts. I believe he’s five at best, four when we met.”

“Oh.” Lin seemed surprised. She then shot Rion a look. “Quite tall for that age then. Kind of how I expect one of your kids to be.”

“Wait. Why do I feel like I’m the one being interrogated?”

“For an adoptive father, you sure do share quite a few features.”

“My hair is naturally red, we look nothing alike.”

“I mean. If you were thirteen, it’s possible.”

“Nope. He can not be my son. Not by blood, anyway. If anything he has your nose and eyebrows. Are you trying to trick me?”

Bastion looked down, clenched his fists, and left the room.

“Look. you made him run, you insensitive fool.”

“You’re the one asking him personal questions. What did you expect?”

“So it’s my fault?” Lin shot Kyrion a look.

Rion had heard that tone before. It usually meant he was in hot water. “No… But why are you asking?”

Lin’s face reddened. “If uh…”

“If what?”

“I umm…” Lin seemed to stumble on her words.

Rion sighed. “You wanted to know if I was a playboy running around and fathering children with just anyone? You noticed some similarities between Bastion and I and were worried I was the type to abandon family.”

“More or less.”

“Well, as far as I know, I shouldn’t have kids running about. Bastion could be my nephew, or a distant cousin. Considering that he is the only one I know able to keep track of me when I erase my presence.”

“I just don’t want you keeping secrets. If you are serious about your intentions.”

“I should tell you everything and shouldn’t hide things from you. As far as I know I am yet to have kids. Any woman I intend to marry should know that the concentration of mana in my genes are powerful and unless they were an equal in power, whoever I married may not last through childbirth so kids aren’t likely to begin with. Which is why I tend to act aloof in that regard with most people.”

“Nicole isn’t strong enough? Would you have chosen her?”

“Oh that? No. Nicole is a liar, obsessive, and dangerous. When we met, she went by the name Nico. At that time, my friend appeared to be more of a scholar and not nobility. While a little weird, he wasn’t out of place. Then after I invited him to join our team I sensed something was off. They seemed to constantly keep an eye on me. I later found that they had stolen some of my hair. I suspecy Nico and Nicole are two shards of the same person, and when I discovered that shards can be different genders the last thing fell into place. Nico and Nicole had been working together, where one preferred studying and scholarly pursuits, the other was a pyromaniac stalker. What makes Nicole dangerous is her link to one of my shards. I’m certain that Nicole has made a deal with him. Given that she has already absorbed multiple shards. Suffice it to say I don’t trust their intentions.”

“You’re a perceptive one.”

“As a healer. It is a necessity. I get that you talk to her every now and then. But there are reasons why I’d choose you over her any day of the week. Not even a competition.”

“Aren’t you just as obsessive?”

“I haven’t stolen your hair. Although, no one else has made my heart ache like you. So I’m more than a bit curious.” Kyrion added.

“Fine. If you want to continue this then we’ll need to formalize things. My people don’t date, it’s marriage or nothing. Do you understand?”

“Why are you bringing this up now?”

“Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“I’m bringing it up because you need someone to keep you grounded, and I don’t want you throwing yourself into death’s embrace every chance you get.”

“After the tournament then?” Kyrion added.

“That would be wise.”

“Now that we agreed, why did you really bring this up?”

“I had dreams about the future. One that was lost due to circumstances. I won’t bother going over the details today. I do believe you were there as well. Bastion’s dream kind of made me remember it.” Lin moved to open the door.

As the door opened, two small figures ran around the corner, one with black hair and another with white.

Lin scowled before exiting the room. She took a few steps away and let out an odd, choked laugh that seemed more hurt. “He really doesn’t remember and he hasn’t fully returned. He’s clearly still hidding something.”

Kyrion began to go to his dungeon for training when a pulse radiated through his soul. Aside from his nosebleed and rigid movements. Rion appeared fine, if not slightly shaken. Eventually, he thought a great deal of information entered his brain. “Ah. That’s why I don’t remember much. Yet my head feels quite clear… Which means that I’m the missing piece as per our agreement. Must have been a size thing. An empty mind is easier to absorb.”

Kyrion poked his temples with both hands and sent mana into his brain to destroy an area that had been sealed. The seal stayed strong regardless, and Kyrion sighed. “Next time then.”