"We are making changes to your team." Thus spoke Central Cities General No. 1260, Feihan Ren, who also happened to be Noelle's father.
Feihan was a tough, no nonsense man. He followed a strict philosophy in life - do your job and do it well.
At the very least, that was what he wanted others to think.
And today, his job was to take Cane from the Border Control's main team.
Allegedly.
"We've received your frontline reports. I understand that this... Cane fellow isn't documented? Must be some orphaned slum kid." The General continued. "Supporter Rank? It seems, however..."
General Ren leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. "You haven't reported what skill he has. The Central Cities demands it - replication is something we've never seen before."
Another thing about General Feihan Ren? He was a terribly neglectful and demanding father.
Perhaps something had gone wrong with his life. Perhaps it was because of her late mother's passing, but Noelle had never been treated well by her father. Her mother died early on - Noelle could hardly remember anything. Just a warm hug, wrapping around her and comforting her during a moment of panic.
Unlike Noelle, her father must've known her for longer. Perhaps it changed him? The strict man demanded her to maintain a stoic attitude, forced her to always address him as "General Ren", even when they were alone, and had a strict regiment for her to follow. Wake at 6, sleep at 9, alongside other things. No excuses, no exceptions. Despite this, Noelle knew he was a hypocrite.
His real motto was far from what he'd say, that stupid "Do your job and do it well.". Instead, a more fitting motto would've been rules for thee, and not for me.
Other than orders, Feihan, or General Ren, had little else for her. He would always hide within the walls of his room whenever home, leaving empty rooms. Empty tombs.
They might've lived within a mansion, but with minimal maids and servants, and of course - no family to speak of - Noelle had long moved out to live with her team at the Border.
Of course, she rebelled. Whenever her father wasn't around - which was quite often, truth be told - she would sleep whenever. She joked with her fellow teammates, made faces, etc.
But General Ren was back, and he was here to take Cane.
Feihan Ren stared at his daughter.
Insolent. Disobeying orders, MY orders, leaving that Supporter Rank's skill unreported...
He gnashed his teeth quietly, though his face showed no change. Feihan had lied.
He wasn't on any government orders at all. In fact, the Central Cities government didn't even know about Cane's existence - or his replication skill. The General had intercepted all the information, creating false reports not dissimilar to his daughter's own false reports.
The General could not care less about the government. He always said - do your job and do it well. But the General never followed through on his own words.
Truly, in life there are some people so despicable and hypocritical it brings doubt of their existence. At that time, upon finding out the depths of depravity of them, it is always best to stay away.
The real reason for taking Cane must've become obvious too...
I've got to get my hands on that boy. Thought General Ren, narrowing his eyes like some devious plotter. Once I get him... I can take him apart and explore that replication skill of his.
"And what will happen to Cane once he gets taken by you and your men?" Came Noelle's voice, clearing away General Ren's scheming thoughts.
"Cough! Well, of course, we'll have him sent to the Capital, far away from these dangerous Borders. At that point, I'm not too sure - though I believe he will undergo special training." General Ren cleared his throat before continuing. "That's not what's important. What's important is that you bring him over. Do your job, and do it well."
Noelle was silent. Feihan, General Ren, might've thought he'd hid his emotions behind a blank mask, but she knew. Something wasn't right.
"... I... don't trust you." Noelle stood up from her desk, now facing down at the General. "I'd like to see the order. You know, to be safe."
General Ren immediately grew outraged at her words. "YOU dare talk to your very own father that way? I don't need to show you anything, and you just need to do your job." He stood up as well.
I knew it.
Noelle directly materialised a knife and thrust it at her father. "What you're doing isn't right. I... never thought it'd be you to break the law." Her voice stayed calm. Despite her words, she wasn't too surprised.
Everyone else saw a stoic, respectable man who was a stickler for the rules. But Noelle knew differently. Even now, staring at his face, she could see the sin hidden deep within his facade of righteousness.
"Hmph. It's just rules for thee, not for me." General Ren dodged the thrust and held out his hand.
"Binding Words!" Suddenly, all of the words he spoke during their conversation materialised and became restraints, barely holding back Noelle's Apprentice Warrior strength.
Noelle dispelled her knife and materialised spikes growing out of her body instead. With a furious roar, she twisted, causing the blades to grind and slash against each other. The General's words were nothing but empty words, after all.
"Give up the fight! It's not like in the past. I am stronger than you." Noelle shouted at him. "Look at you! Your hypocrisy runs so deep - no matter how many times you use Binding Words, you won't become an Apprentice Warrior."
General Ren dug his feet in, before jumping forward to attack. At that moment, Noelle doubled his strength briefly, causing him to careen off balance. Taking the chance, she moved to grab and hug him - spikes ready to impale him.
General Ren saw the situation before him and speak gibberish whilst using Binding Words - layering the materialised words in front of him to protect him.
Binding Words worked by turning the all the words spoken between yourself and the other party into glowing runes, which could then be controlled for a multitude of things. The stronger, more meaningful or impactful the words, the more powerful the materialisation would be.
"Break the law this, break the law that, HA!" In a fit of rage, General Ren unsheathed the blade at his hip and charged forward. "You're just like your foolish mother - that damned woman."
"...What."
For the first time since their conversation, Noelle was deeply surprised. And for good reason, too!
Throughout her life, she'd pinned all of her father's actions down as the result of a grieving man. But this? It didn't sound like grieving in the slightest. It sounded like...
"You've never loved her at all." Noelle stopped in place, letting the blade hit her. It didn't matter anyway - as an Apprentice Warrior, only someone with equal physical power could hurt her that way. General Ren's Combatant strength could only fail.
Seeing this, the man before her stopped too.
"Yes. No. I... don't know. She was a pest. An arranged marriage, by my failure of a father." He turned away and looked at the ceiling. At some point, holes had torn in the roof, letting sunlight hit his face.
"Always talking about the rules. Those damned rules. Never helped her, never helped anyone." He moved his face into the shadows. "Didn't help her when she died. You know, she was called to fight at the Empty Districts. Because of her Master Rank."
Noelle Ren was now confused. As expected. My father has always been a deeply contradictory, hypocritical man. I don't even know his true self - even now.
"I thought, since she stuck to the rules so much. That I should do the same." He continued in a bitter voice. "I was never as strong as her. My title as a General wasn't even earned - it got passed down by my father."
Then, the General used Binding Words, allowing it to wrap around his blade. "But I couldn't. I can't. I will always be selfish, I will always be a hypocrite. I'll tell you the truth - now."
He charged at Noelle.
"I want that kid's replication skill. With it..." General Ren's eyes gleamed with a fervent light. "I will breakthrough to Apprentice Warrior. I already have a good status - I just need strength."
"SO DO YOU GET IT?" With a yell, the man swung his blade at full force - aiming for Noelle's neck. "JUST LET ME! JUST... let me have the boy."
Noelle tilted and dodged the blade with ease, her feet staying in the same spot. As the General's body continued to travel through the air, she caught him in a tight hug. The multitude of spikes on her body pierced every part of the man.
As he lay impaled, he continued to speak. "She never liked me, your mother. We didn't talk much... but. I think - I think I wanted to be like her - more than I ever hated her. She was an impressive woman."
Noelle Ren removed Feihan Ren from the spikes. He lay on the ground, without regret in his eyes. He was disgusting to the core, disgusting to the end. Not once did he, or would he, ever display remorse for his actions.
And, even though he was a terrible father, and a terrible person. Even though he always ordered others, always acted for his own gain, always broke laws to benefit himself.
Noelle felt a strange sense of melancholy. Perhaps, it was the regret she held - that she was never able to fix him. Regret that she'd never see him redeemed. Things like this happen in life.
Not every terrible person would get redeemed. Not everyone could have some magical character development arc.
As Noelle was mulling over the repercussions she might face for killing - and for killing a general, no less, an alarm rang.
A level 4 alarm.