The third morning after the fight, Shadow finally left the infirmary. His body still ached with every step, but he forced himself to walk through the quiet streets instead of lying still like an invalid. The city felt louder, brighter—his name whispered here and there, merchants and passersby murmuring "That masked fighter… the one who stood against Rena."
Shadow ignored it, though the weight of their gazes clung to his back. He hated attention. Yet at the same time, something inside him stirred. So this is the price of being noticed.
He returned to his usual inn, ate a modest meal, then retreated to his room. The gauntlets sat on the table, cracks still running through their surface despite the patchwork repairs he'd attempted. They almost looked… weary, as if they too had fought that battle.
A knock at the door broke his thoughts. Sharp, confident, not the hesitant tap of his trio of allies.
When he opened it, Rena stood there.
Her presence filled the narrow hallway—tall, proud, her violet hair tied back, eyes sharp as blades. She wore a casual tunic instead of battle gear, but nothing about her felt casual.
"Shadow," she said simply.
For a heartbeat, silence stretched between them. He hadn't expected her to seek him out—not after crushing him so thoroughly.
"…Rena." His tone was neutral, but his hand hovered near the gauntlets instinctively.
Her lips curved slightly, not into a smile but into something sharper. "Relax. If I wanted to fight again, you wouldn't have had time to answer the door."
Shadow let the tension slip away, though only slightly. "Then why are you here?"
Rena stepped inside without asking permission. She looked around the modest room before turning back to him. "Because I was curious. About you."
"Curious?"
"You shouldn't have lasted more than two minutes against me," she said flatly. "Your level, your stats… you're nowhere near me. And yet, you endured. You even pushed me hard enough that I had to stop holding back."
Shadow stayed silent. He remembered every blow, every desperate dodge. His chest still carried the echo of her strikes.
Rena studied him for a long moment, then crossed her arms. "You're reckless, stubborn, and clearly hiding something. But…" Her gaze softened, just a fraction. "…you're also interesting."
That word hung in the air.
Shadow tilted his head. "Interesting enough to visit a stranger?"
"Interesting enough," she replied, "that I want to see how far you can climb. Whether you'll crumble after that loss… or rise from it."
Her tone carried no mockery, no arrogance. Only a challenge.
Shadow let out a quiet breath. "And if I rise?"
Rena smirked faintly, her eyes glinting. "Then maybe next time, our fight won't end so quickly." She turned, heading for the door. "Recover fast. I don't like waiting."
With that, she left, her footsteps fading down the hall.
Shadow stood there, silent. His gauntlets pulsed faintly on the table, as if echoing his thoughts.
"…Rise, huh?" he murmured. His lips curved beneath the mask, not into a smile, but into something sharper. Determination.
The path forward was clear. He had to grow stronger. Strong enough that even someone like Rena would acknowledge him—not as a curiosity, but as an equal.