A smirk doesn’t leave my face as I hack and slash at the large ants screeching at me.

Honestly, I would’ve preferred something more human but in a world where everyone is hyper focused on dating or climbing the social ladder this is a great change of pace. 

A line is painted across the air in my mind’s eye and I see it. I see what to do. 

“GRIII”

The ant leaps at me and its mandibles try taking a bite out of my flesh so I leap back accordingly. 

Marcus, unfortunately, was more of a schemer than a fighter so his body was lacking. 

Tsk, this idiot. 

He thought he could solve everything by thinking his way out of it only to end up in shit’s creek without a paddle. 

Evidently he wasn’t that smart. 

I reflexively kick with my school shoe and hit the creature’s chin before screaming out in pain. 

“SHIT!”

Evidently I’m not smart either. 

The soft leather shoe failed to crack the creature’s carapace armour. It charges at me again and I swing my blade down embedding my rented weapon into its head.

Green blood sprays across my uniform and I kick the thing off my body as its corpse finally goes limp. My hands sting from scraping against the carapace as well as my knuckles, 

“B-BROTHER~”

My little brother comes running up to me crying and uselessly holding his weapon. Neither of us had any armour but we had gotten him a leather helmet just in case. 

“A-are you okay??”

“ARGH FUCKING SHIT, IT HURTS!”

I groan as I feel the throbbing pain permeate throughout my feet. 

“Hah~? Why’s it so loud?”

The both of us turn to find a woman looking at us. Her curly hair was tied up into a ponytail while parts were left to hang in front of her right eye. 

Ah, it was the Villainess.

She looked more mature and domineering than usual; wearing a formal jacket and cravat she had a sword hanging from her waist and long boots to increase her agility. Interesting, was it personal preference or ‘God’s Will’ that she ended up looking like how my friend designed her battle gear?

She scoffed as her eyes focused on us, 

“Oh, it’s just you two. Here to make enough money for dinner? I can give you some if you get out of my way now.”

She had an annoyed expression on her face as she spoke. 

Her mythril sword was shining bright in the well lit cave. Her red earring was also glowing. 

Right, the Villainess did say she hunted monsters as stress relief… at some point in the game. That wasn’t the truth though, she just wanted to get stronger. 

Strength was everything to this little girl. 

“D-Duchess Beauregard.”

My brother besides me spoke nervously, probably not wanting to upset the Duchess’s daughter. 

”Don’t stutter when you speak my title, you snivelling brat.”

Ah right that was her last name. 

Her first was… 

“Violet..”

The words leave my mouth and the Villainess turns her attention to me, glaring at my casual addressal.

“Address me as Duchess, Trash.”

“I’ll address you how I want, Bitch.”

“…?”

“Brother??”

Yes, yes I know. I’m the adult here and I should be mature.

 I hold back the words in my head…..

For as long as I can.

“Don’t insult my brother, you damn bitchy blueberry.”

Eyes that matched her hair bore into mine and she gripped her blade.  

Topi was looking back and forth trying to calm the two of us down but I moved him out of the way. 

Violet was an alright girl considering what she went through but I didn’t like how my brother looked after she insulted him. 

Besides, it’s not like I was totally overtaken with anger.

I want to be an equal in her eyes and this was the easiest method. 

Putting pressure on my still aching right foot, I down the free health elixir I had been given and grip my shitty rented blade. 

It had green blood dripping off it, and I felt my hands ache from where the ant had scratched skin off. 

I stamp down on the floor to rid my right foot of pain, even if only mentally. It didn’t work.

Violet got into her own stance and scoffed, a wicked smile across her face. 

“Oh? I didn’t know the trash house was given sword training.”

I also had a smile across mine. 

“Don’t insult me, I’m self-taught.”

The Villainess’s smile only got wider, 

“You better not be lying, trash.”

“I’m not, bitch.”

I was in fact lying. 

I was fighting using attacks from video games, martial arts and movies. Both in our respective stances, silence permeates throughout the air and my brother opens his mouth. 

Duel etiquette states, both have to get into a stance and wait for a signal to start. 

“Don’t fight!”

We take it as a signal. 

The Villainess leaps forward, using her enchanted clothes to let her practically fly. Blade raised above her head and her ponytail fluttering about, she struck down. 

And missed. 

Maintaining a proper stance with my blade in front of me, I jump backwards and let my feet skid across the dirt floor as I dodge a follow up thrust from her. 

The enchanted blade nipped the left of my cheek. I wince a little at the pain and feel warm blood flow down my face, licking the blood I allow myself to focus a little more on the fight.

I use her momentum to my advantage and kick forwards with my knee, making her wince as she’s forced backwards at the price of my leg being numb with pain. 

I’d say her frown was worth it. 

“Tch.”

Stamping the ground with the leg I had just used, I continue attacking by slashing down and thrusting as she backs away. My blade keeps close to her at all times. 

Her stance is unbalanced as I continue following up my strikes, using my body and momentum to not give her a chance to back away to a safe distance.

She swings at me from an unstable position and I don’t block, barely moving my head backwards leading to my tie getting cut.

The Villainess slices the skin above my left eyebrow and I grimace a little as the vision in my left eye goes red. 

With her stance so unbalanced, she couldn’t safely utilise her agility and as a result, I was able to land easy shots on her. 

My blade slammed against her armour, across her thighs, chest and head.

I avoided hitting her sword as I kept one thing in mind while fighting: ‘This fight is unfair as hell’.

We might both be swordsmen but the difference in our equipment was staggering. 

She looked away for a moment, trying to figure out if she jumped if she’d run into a wall. Noticing that, I don’t let it go unpunished. 

Using my beaten up and bloody left arm, I grab her by the collar and grit my teeth.

“GUH!”

“AH!”

The sound of bone smashing into bone rings out as I slam my head into hers and she falls backwards. 

My knee hits her armour hard and I follow it up with a body slam. 

While shoulder barging her, I spin my blade into a reverse grip and grin as I slam the tip into the barrier she had around her face. 

Her red earring on her right ear was glowing a strong blood red, since it was like that from the start: it had been charged with mana and therefore was working. 

There’s a grimace on her face as I increase the pressure, her sword arm was pinned down by my left foot, her left arm was getting crushed by my right knee. 

Ignoring the fact my muscles wanted to give up at any moment, I had won. 

The Villainess had a few scratches and a bruise from my headbutt which didn’t do enough damage to activate the barrier currently around her head.

Overall, she was fine. 

I, on the other hand, felt like absolute dog shit. Everything stung, my arms were heavy and bleeding. My legs felt nonexistent. I had definitely shattered something.  

But still despite all that, 

I was smiling.

Goddammit, I love fighting. It was at this moment, in a world I had barely known and surrounded by people I barely knew, I could genuinely say I’m happy. 

I was truly built for combat. 

“..what are you smiling about, Trash?”

“I…hah.. could say the same..hah.. thing to you, Queen Bitch.”

“Brother.”

“I just wasn’t expecting to find someone who actually knew how to fight humans.”

I chuckle at the Villainess’s words and half heartedly shrug as I increase the pressure on her barrier to the horror of my bleeding arms. They respond by bleeding a little more. 

Thankfully, I had at least somewhat caught my breath. 

“..Well, I am a genius after all.”

“Sure, don't act like one.”

“And you’re acting quite snarky for someone with a blade a few inches from their face.”

“Brother!”

“Hah! As if you’d ruin this beautiful face of mine.”

“Heh, willing to bet?”

I press harder making the barrier bend a little more but she still just smirks. Christ is she really not that injured?

No wait, there’s blood on her face.

…scratch that I’m having a nosebleed. 

Seemingly unconcerned even as fresh blood drips onto her face, she grins. Hell even speaks. 

“..You didn’t deny I’m pretty.”

I snort, she decided to say that?

“I make it a habit to not tell petty lies.”

“BROTHER!! YOU’RE BLEEDING!!”

I turn to find my younger brother looking at me annoyed. I finally get off her and the red barrier dissipates no longer needed. 

I go to pick up the sheathe from a frowning Topi and I speak,  

“Where’d you learn to fight anyway?”

“I’m self taught too.”

Christ, that was self taught? 

I look at the floor in thought and she clears her throat before speaking. 

“…let's spar sometime. Trash.”

“Only if you pay me. Bitch.”

I see her face go puzzled for a moment and then she smirks, 

“Sure, Trash… You’re adequate enough for that.”

“And you’re about average for someone who had to teach themself. Cya Bitch.”

=====================================================

I scoff with a smile at the limping back of the ‘trash’ I had just fought. He had adapted accordingly to my moves and even stopped himself from blocking my blade. 

That would’ve led to the metal snapping. 

Did he know and fight with that in mind? Did he knee me knowing I’d drop my weapon?

Strange. 

I didn’t think the older of the Glennden twins would be so intelligent. 

My head was still throbbing from that headbutt and my heart was still beating from how close to ‘death’ I was. 

Did he know I had a barrier? Did he attack without realising it? Why did he knee me twice when he knew it would hurt?

My cheeks hurt from how hard I’m smiling, I speak subconsciously to the cave walls that had seen the fight.

“Interesting…”

I wonder how much I’d have to pay to have him tutor me. 

=====================================================

“Why didn’t you grab the corpse??”

“You started fighting the Duchess! WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?”

“ARGHH fucking shit~.”

I groan and my brother looks at the floor guilty. “...sorry.”

I stare at the kid supposed to be my brother and let out a deep sigh. I had gotten too caught up in things.

I’m not an older brother. I’m not a good guy. I’m just stuck inside a shitty game. 

“…whatever, it’s not like I’m actually your brother. I won’t scold you like I am.”

“W-what?! Bastard!!” Said my non- brother. He grits his teeth and his helmet falls onto the floor as he grabs a tight hold of my collar.  

His sword even clangs to the ground but he doesn’t flinch, “D-DON’T SAY THAT. NO MATTER WHAT WE ARE FAMILY. GOT IT?!?”

Shit I spoke without thinking. I was just trying to distance ‘myself’ from the ‘me’ I am now. 

“…okay. Sorry. I didn’t mean it.” I immediately begin appeasing him and he lets go of my collar. “We are brothers. ‘Course we are. It’s just my foot is fuckin’ killing me.”

Forcibly calming himself, the Shota speaks trying to smile, “Well, it’s your own fuckin’ fault.”

“True.” I smirk back. “At least I had a good fight.”

“Hah~” Topi sighed, and already looked much better. “When did you become such a fight nut brother?”

“I was always like this, you just never noticed.”

The bell rings and it’s time for anyone who stayed after school to leave. As we walk down the hallway ignoring the looks we receive as we return our equipment, I glance over at a mirror to see ‘my’ face. 

Marcus’s usually stoic but handsome face was contorted into a huge grin, his left eye was red from blood and he still had a nosebleed I hadn’t stopped. 

Christ, I need to start taking care of this body.