The edge of his blade grazed the back of my neck. I ducked and jumped forward, feeling the icy air of the metal as it cut a few strands of hair that floated like severed feathers.
I switched the blade to my right hand and spun into a quick slash—but only cut through empty air. My father was no longer there.
I took a step back… and my shoulders hit something solid. Before I could react, another slash came down. This time, I managed to raise my weapon in time. The impact reverberated through my bones as I blocked the strike, but his strength was monstrous—stopping it felt like trying to hold back a landslide with bare hands.
"For what purpose does The Fénix family carry out assassinations?" he asked.
I gritted my teeth.
"We eliminate those who pose a threat to our lands. We dispose of those with ill intentions before they cause irreparable harm."
I recited the principles of The Fénix family without hesitation, words my father had repeated to me countless times.
He thinks I am a moldable child, a reflection of his will. But he is wrong. Because I know that this world is not so different from my life on Earth. I know what we do is wrong... but that's human nature: monstrous.
We exist to preserve those who benefit our country and eliminate those who endanger it. Our family brings prosperity through control over life and death. In the end, this world and Earth aren't so different. A monster is still a monster.
My father leaped back, releasing the pressure. With barely a flick of his wrist, he adjusted his grip on the blade and began moving again—short steps, tight circles. I mirrored him. We circled each other, studying, waiting.
The silence became absolute. My pulse thundered in my ears. I inhaled deeply.
Then—my father vanished.
I pivoted on my heels. Looked left, then right. Nothing.
So, it had to be from the top.
It was coming in like a swooping hawk, its blade shining like the sun.
I reacted on instinct. I stepped back, tightened my grip on my weapon until I felt the hilt dig into my palm, and—
Clang!
The clash of metal vibrated in my teeth. In the distance, Alisa's scream pierced the air like an arrow.
"Seik, how are martial artists like doctors?" my father asked.
Throughout this entire training session, not a single drop of sweat had touched his brow.
"Hmm... They both work with surgical precision. To improve efficiently in combat, you need to understand the human body," I replied, never breaking eye contact.
I deflected his blade to the left and, putting my full body weight into it, managed to redirect his attack.
My father spun midair and landed as effortlessly as breathing.
In my past life, I had trained in karate to escape monotony. Martial artists understood anatomy well—that knowledge gave them precise control over their movements and the ability to target weak points to quickly subdue an opponent.
"Not bad," he nodded. "But in my view, martial artists don't possess a deep enough understanding of the human body. The Fénix are different. No one knows how to end a life more efficiently than a doctor."
Erick, my father, was a frightening man. There was no doubt he was methodical—he didn't even blink as he said it.
"We use living people as test subjects. Our studies are unmatched by anyone in this world... at least as far as I know," he said, slowly advancing toward me.
I glanced at Alisa. Her eyes shone with silent terror; her breathing was erratic.
"You don't seem the least bit disturbed. When I was brought here at your age, I was terrified... just like Alisa. I even cursed my own father's name," he continued, studying me before shifting his gaze to her.
But I felt nothing. Maybe because I had no emotions. And in a world full of monsters, that was an advantage.
"From my perspective, it's logical," I answered.
He quickened his pace.
I braced myself—one foot back, the other forward, blade raised.
I'm ready...
Damn it.
He vanished again. And now where?
Nothing to the left. Nothing to the right.
It's straight ahead.
The blades were coming toward me, cutting the air in their path. There were at least five of them.
What the...?
I sped forward and slid under them. I felt the biting wind as the blades passed over me. As soon as I sat up, my father was already on top of me.
He threw a kick. I blocked it with my arm and responded with a hook, but he dodged it easily.
He put one foot behind me and pushed me. I fell into a sitting position.
He pulled out a blade and aimed it straight at my face, but I clenched my fist and hit his wrist. The weapon slid away. I caught it in midair and, without hesitation, launched a clean cut to his chest.
But he was no longer there.
I'm not going to fall for that again, Father.
I jumped up, looking for his silhouette in the gloom of the facility, but the darkness clouded my vision. Then, I heard the faint sound of his wrist as he threw the blades.
I turned back. There he was, sliding to the right.
He threw the blade. I turned my wrist and aimed the weapon in the air.
Clang!
The clang of metal emitted a sharp sound, so piercing that I felt my ears were going to bleed. In the distance, Alisa's scream spread like an echo.
I landed, but he was already on top of me.
A blow to the stomach. Then another to the back of my head.
I fell to my knees.
He attacked me in the weak points of the human body.
Tsk...
It hurts.
I opened my eyes slowly. The first thing I saw were his black shoes, his silhouette wrapped in those clothes that made him look like a shadow.
Then, he spoke.