'This again?'
Saul looked at his own hands. They were small, much smaller than they should have been. For a few seconds, he simply stared at those fingers, immediately recognizing the child's body that had been appearing in his dreams with increasing frequency. When he raised his eyes, he found a car stopped in front of him. Sighing, he opened the door and got inside.
In the front seat was a man wearing an elegant suit. He tried to maintain a calm expression, but Saul could perceive the anxiety hidden in his movements.
He had known him for two years and had learned to recognize those signs. Whenever that man became nervous like that, it meant he had put a lot of money into something that could go wrong.
"I hope you win today as well. I bet a lot."
"All right, Mr. Gabriel."
Saul rested his head against the seat and looked out the window as the car began moving. The streets passed before his eyes, but he did not pay much attention to them. That familiar feeling had already made it clear what was happening. It was another memory, or rather, a part of his past that his mind insisted on bringing back.
'I'm really having these dreams every day...'
He did not like it. That period of his life had been left behind a long time ago, and Saul had no intention of thinking about it again. He had abandoned that existence and moved on, but his own subconscious seemed to disagree. After some time, the car finally stopped.
"Let's go."
Mr. Gabriel got out first, and Saul followed him. The two passed through a discreet entrance and went down through an underground passage. As they advanced, the sound of screams and impacts became louder and louder. Saul already knew that sound, and when they reached the main hall, he found exactly what he expected.
Men were fighting in an improvised arena, some using only their fists while others carried knives. Blood had already stained the floor, and no one seemed particularly concerned about it. To the people sitting in the stands, it was nothing more than entertainment. Five men were still fighting, and Saul silently watched the battle until one of them struck his opponent with a knife, making him stagger before falling to the ground.
The man tried to get up but could not. Shortly afterward, someone entered the arena, quickly checked his body, and dragged him away. No doctor appeared, no one showed concern, and the fight simply continued.
"I bet a lot on you and you still lost?"
The complaint came from one of the stands. Saul turned his gaze toward the people watching the fight. They all wore masks, hiding their faces, but from their clothes, jewelry, and the way they treated the spectacle, it was easy to tell that they were wealthy people. He knew that kind of person well. To them, those fights were simply a way to escape the monotony of their own lives, paying a lot of money to watch other people bleed while finding some kind of entertainment.
'I think I was twelve years old at this time.'
An iron door opened, and the sound of chains caught his attention. Saul walked toward the cage that had just been opened and entered without showing fear. There was no reason for it. He already knew that place. When he looked to the other side, he found his next opponent: a child one year older than him.
Saul spent a few seconds analyzing the boy. He knew that face very well. In that place full of people willing to betray one another, the two had managed to form a friendship. It was not a perfect friendship, but to Saul at that time, it meant something. At least until that boy decided that he could get more by betraying him.
'I had even forgotten what your face looked like...'
The memory returned accompanied by an unpleasant feeling. Saul did not feel enough hatred to wish for that boy's death. In that environment, there were snakes everywhere, people who would do anything for money, food, influence, or simply the chance to climb one more step. Saul's mistake had been different: he had trusted someone and believed that boy really was his friend in a place like this.
The bell rang.
The fight began.
Saul took a step forward, and the next instant, the memory seemed to lose parts of itself. When he blinked again, the boy was lying on the ground, clutching his own stomach. There was blood on his face, while Saul's hands were completely covered in red.
For a few seconds, he simply looked at them. There was no need to ask who had won. He already knew.
The cage door was opened, and Saul walked out. On the other side, his employer watched everything with a satisfied smile.
'Field number three of the Four Knights.'
The memory of that place remained clear.
'It was one of the gangs in my country. This was the place where they organized all-out fights between adults and children.'
That place was not simply hidden somewhere in a corner of the city. It was protected by people who possessed enough power and influence to keep everything secret.
Some of them had control over police officers, politicians, and other important people. Because of that, no one from outside knew what really happened there, and those who did know had no reason to speak.
Saul walked through the corridor while the applause of the masked people echoed behind him. The satisfied smiles of those spectators were almost as unpleasant as the smell of blood that still remained in the air. He left the place and got back into the car, waiting while his employer approached carrying an envelope.
"As always, here are your fifteen percent. You made a nice amount of money today. I'll take you to where the boss is. Maybe he'll let you not go to work today."
Saul took the envelope. His fingers trembled slightly when he felt the weight of the money, so he squeezed it in his hand and looked out the window again. That money did not make him happy and did not mean freedom. It was simply a reward for surviving another night. And there was still the other job, the one he truly hated.
'I would rather stay fighting than go back there.'
Saul closed his eyes, and the sound of the car began to disappear. The image before him became increasingly dark until, when he opened his eyes again, he was looking at a familiar ceiling.
Enrico remained still for a few seconds, trying to get used to reality. He had returned. His body was still tired because of the battle against Danyana, but that was not the first thing that caught his attention.
He looked over his own body and had that strange feeling again. He was becoming accustomed to that body more than he should have. It had been some time since he had felt that way, as if his current body was beginning to stop feeling like something that belonged to someone else. His movements, his strength, and even his breathing seemed increasingly natural.
'I've had this feeling ever since I came here.'
Enrico tried to get up, but immediately noticed that there was a weight on his chest. Looking down, he saw Yumeha sleeping on top of him. For a few seconds, he simply looked at her before stroking her head and carefully placing her beside the bed so he could get up without waking her. Then, he entered the bathroom to begin getting ready.
Some time later, Yumeha moved when she realized that her master was no longer there. She slowly opened her eyes, still sleepy, and took a few seconds to remember where she was. The massage from the previous night had required more effort than she had imagined, but she did not regret it.
'It doesn't matter. If it's to keep my master healthy, I'll do it again.'
She remained sitting on the bed until she heard the bathroom door open. Then she quickly stood up and remained beside the bed. Enrico came out already dressed, making Yumeha blush slightly. To her, her master had always been handsome, but at that moment there was something different. It was something too small to attract anyone's attention, but Yumeha noticed it immediately.
"Master, don't your eyes look more golden?"
"Are my eyes more golden?"
"Yes, Master."
Enrico frowned and walked to the mirror to look at his own eyes. There really was a difference, although it was too small to be easily noticed. Even so, Yumeha had noticed it before him.
'System, is it something you did?'
[I didn't do anything! And why are you asking me?]
'I don't know. It could be one of your tricks.'
[Why does everything that happens to you have to be my fault?]
'Because you're suspicious.'
[I give up trying to talk to you.]
Enrico almost smiled at the response, but returned to observing his reflection. Besides his eyes, he felt that there was something different about his body. He could not explain exactly what, he simply had the impression that he was better, more comfortable, and more adjusted.
Perhaps it was a consequence of Yumeha's massage, perhaps it was related to his recovery after the battle, or perhaps there was some other reason that neither of them had discovered yet. Enrico even asked the system if it could perform a complete analysis of his body, but received a negative answer. Unable to discover anything, he decided not to waste any more time.
After leaving the room accompanied by Yumeha, some students passing through the corridor immediately looked at the two. The surprise was evident, and some even asked Angela if that was really allowed.
"Enrico is strong and is now ranked as Rank 7. So he can."
The boys were incredulous. Some put their hands on their heads, while others simply called Enrico a bastard. He, however, paid little attention to the comments and continued walking beside Yumeha.
After some time, they reached the corridor leading to Class S. Since it was the first time she would officially enter that room, Yumeha walked in silence, clearly nervous. Class S brought together some of the strongest students in the academy, and now she would be part of that group.
'I never thought I would make it this far... and all because...'
She looked at Enrico. His presence beside her was enough to restore some of her confidence. Enrico opened the door, and Yumeha entered with him.
Several faces immediately turned in their direction. Among them were some students Yumeha recognized, including the former Rank 10, who had been defeated by Rina during the battle between classes. Since he had already reached the Second Circle, he had quickly risen in the ranking and now seemed to occupy Rank 12.
"Enrico, over here!"
Kai called from his own desk. Some girls sitting in the front also looked at Enrico, clearly expecting him to sit near them, while the other Class S students simply watched him with a heavy atmosphere. Enrico had just entered that class and had already obtained Rank 7. To some, he was no longer just the boy who had started in Class D, but someone who needed to be watched.
"You guys seem excited."
"Of course! We received a message today when we arrived at class. Five students will be chosen to participate in a test mission."
Enrico stopped for a moment.
'Five?'
Before he could ask anything, Danyana appeared beside him and placed an arm over his shoulder. The girls immediately cast murderous looks at her, while Kai, for some reason, held the hilt of his sword upon noticing the change in the atmosphere.
Enrico ignored that for a moment. The word Kai had used continued to echo in his mind.
'Five? Don't tell me...'
[Yes. For a few reasons, an arc from this world has been brought forward.]
'Bunch of wretches'