Reincarnated in the Astral World

"So you've finally shown up..." Marcus's voice is calm, almost cheerful, surprising most of his men hidden in the shadows.

"Who is he?" Marcus's soldiers wonder as half remain alert against the mysterious opponent, while the other half tries to help the men Arthur attacked. But that is impossible, as all of his targets were killed on the spot.

Preston and Tobias surround Eliza, weapons drawn towards Arthur and Marcus, who exchange thoughtful glances.

'He's an experienced assassin...' Arthur mentally speaks to Nyx, noticing how calm Marcus remains despite someone having just killed several of his men so easily in the shadows.

'I can't hold this lizard much longer!!' Nyx responds in a strained voice, reflecting her effort to enchant Marcus's Astral Beast.

'Relax, honey, he seems to want to talk.' Arthur says, and Nyx stops focusing her energy on the green lizard, who turns his confused gaze back to his master.

Marcus also looks at his green lizard with a curious expression, and with a slight nod from the creature, he understands that everything is fine again.

"Nice trick, Arthur," Marcus compliments him with a fake friendly expression but a genuinely impressed gaze. "I didn't know you could pull off something like that… perhaps this is the power of your Astral Beast? Where is it?" Marcus glances around, curious. "I felt something move from the shadows and pass really close..."

'Damn it!' Arthur curses mentally with Nyx. 'I thought I could keep you a secret a bit longer...'

'Using my energy like that, it's impossible to hide my presence from others with Nexus,' she explains while hiding above the trees. 'Eliza and her brothers must feel my presence too.'

Arthur, still thinking like Liam, believes that not letting his enemies know important things about him is crucial for maintaining an advantage. Yet, as he contemplates the idea of others seeing Nyx, especially lustful men, Arthur realizes he can be quite jealous too.

He ignores Marcus's question about his Astral Beast and tries to change the subject. "You know my name, hmm... makes sense that you'd be well-informed. So... what else do you know about me?" Arthur asks, casually spinning his sword in his hand.

Marcus's eyes wander over Arthur's body, attentive to all his movements, knowing that even the flick of a single blond hair on his arm could be a sign that he's about to strike.

The tension grows within Marcus, but instead of making him nervous, it excites him, curving his lips into a sly grin. "I know almost nothing about you, hahahahah!!"

"Heh..." Arthur smiles, too, but his expression is half cold, half grim. "No need for modesty; after all, one of us won't leave this forest alive."

"Ohh?" Marcus purposely frowns, feigning disappointment. "It doesn't have to end badly for you, my dear Arthur."

Hearing Marcus being so friendly with Arthur only makes Preston more furious. His eyes burn with rage as he glares at Arthur from behind.

Tobias is just confused, while Eliza also gazes at Arthur, but her eyes are filled only with worry and affection.

"You think we're friends?" Arthur asks, clear mockery in his tone. "Even after I killed several of your men and sided with your enemies?"

Those words don't stop Preston from seeing Arthur in a bad light, but Tobias calms down while Eliza feels her heart fill with warmth.

Marcus, on the other hand, maintains his friendly expression towards Arthur, with a confident look. "Are they your friends? Hahahaha!!" Marcus points to the trio of siblings. "The Whittlees? The ones who came here specifically to kill you??"

"..." Marcus's words intensify the tension between the groups, stirring different emotions within the three Whittlee siblings.

Arthur's silence and the siblings' piercing gazes only make Marcus more confident. "Look, I can't say I know much about you and your family, but one thing is clear to everyone here, you—"

"Shut up!!" Eliza yells, firing an ice shard straight at Marcus.

Without a proper chant or enough preparation, the ice shard lacks power, and Marcus's lizard easily shatters it in mid-air with a green blob. *Smash*

Eliza prepares to cast more spells, while the archers, still hiding in the trees, aim their arrows at her.

"Hold!" Marcus raises his fist, halting his soldiers' attack.

Arthur also lifts his hand, his voice commanding, "Let him speak."

Though visibly unhappy with it, Eliza restrains her magic, her face painted with conflicting emotions and deep anxiety.

Her brothers show as much frustration as anger, but Marcus nods at Arthur with a grateful smile.

"I know what you're doing, Arthur," Marcus comments casually as he signals one of his men to bring him another crossbow, just as impressive as the last one. "I mean, buying time for your mother to kill my mages around the Whittlee mansion..."

Arthur doesn't try to hide it, even nodding in agreement. "Yet, here you are, chatting casually... You might underestimate me; after all, I'm just a Mystic Fighter, but is it wise to underestimate my mother?"

"Oh, absolutely not!" Marcus quickly responds, a touch of fear and even respect flickering in his eyes. "I don't know how powerful she is, but just that fact alone makes it clear that her power is beyond any reasonable assumption, right?"

"..." Arthur remains silent, because even he doesn't know the true extent of his mother's power. But in his mind, he argues with Nyx. 'If he thinks my mother is so powerful, why did he still choose to attack the Whittlees?'

Before Nyx can respond, Arthur arrives at a conclusion on his own. 'Because he doesn't fear her at all!'

'He thinks she won't attack him? Why?' Nyx is puzzled.

'Because he's sure Emilio's death is connected to us, and the Whittlees know it, making us their enemies…' Arthur wonders. 'And also because of our alliance with a branch of the Drummond family, putting us even more on the opposite side of Eliza and her family.'

'This still doesn't make sense to me,' Nyx comments, confused. 'I mean, they don't know how powerful your mother is. She could wipe them out with the snap of her fingers… I don't understand why she hasn't done that yet.'

'She's probably testing me,' Arthur remarks casually. 'She seemed so calm when talking about the enemy mages... I wouldn't be surprised if she's already killed them all and is watching me from afar.'

'Oh!' Nyx immediately agrees with Arthur's assumption. 'So what's your plan?'

'Give her a good show!' he replies swiftly, still keeping his eyes on Marcus.

Marcus waits a few seconds, observing Arthur's thoughtful expression. "You seem like a smart guy, so you must have figured it all out by now, right?"

Arthur maintains a calm expression, his confident smile growing darker. "We're not on the same side."

"Ooooohh, come on!" Marcus shakes his head, disappointed. "We all know you and your mother are tied to the death of the Whittlee bastard, and these siblings came here to kill you guys."

"You bet so!!" Preston points his sword at Arthur and then at Marcus. "I might die here today, but my family will make you regret crossing our path a thousand times over!"

"Shut up!" Arthur, Marcus, and even Eliza shout in unison, leaving Preston frustrated, humiliated, and even more furious.

Reaching his limit and hoping to use surprise to his advantage, Preston dashes toward Marcus, swinging his sword with all his might.

*Whoosh* *Shooosh!*

Preston's move is swift, catching Marcus off guard, but both are even more shocked by Arthur's reaction. Arthur steps in front of the young Whittlee with even greater speed, placing his sharp blade against his throat.

"Brother!!!" Tobias exclaims as Arthur halts Preston, immobilizing him. Tobias starts to react, but Eliza grabs his arm, her hand glowing white with the chill of her ice magic. "Wait!" she whispers.

While Preston glares at Arthur with pure hatred, Arthur's expression remains neutral as he moves around his target, the cold blade resting lightly on Preston's neck, slicing into the Champion's skin with just the faintest touch.

"I came here to save one person, and only one," Arthur says coldly, his piercing and grim gaze sending shivers through Preston's heart. "I can let you live too, but only if you stay out of my way."

Eliza struggles to suppress a smile in such a tense moment, while Marcus frowns. "Really, Arthur? You're going to side with your enemies against your future allies?"

Arthur slowly pushes Preston back, never underestimating the strength of a Champion. Only when Preston retreats and lowers his sword does Arthur turn his attention to Marcus.

"I don't care about politics or alliances between noble families," he says casually, though his gaze sharpens and his expression becomes vengeful. "But you made a mistake—a serious one..."

"What mistake?" Marcus looks confused, his confidence quickly fading. "I didn't insult you or your family. I'm just here to give these spoiled, arrogant Whittlees what they deserve, and you should be on my side!"

"What mistake, you ask?" Arthur replies, instinctively glancing at Eliza. His movement is quick, but everyone notices it, of course. Despite the tense expressions, she smiles at him.

"No way..." Marcus laughs in disbelief. "You can't be serious, right?" He huffs in frustration, but Arthur continues to glare at him with that vengeful look.

"Alright, alright!!" Marcus shakes his head. "I admit Eliza has her charm, but for real? Even with such a beautiful wife by your side, you're going to throw yourself at your enemy for a pretty face? Damn! She wants to kill you, you fool!!"

"Bullshit!!" Eliza quickly shouts.

Arthur looks back at Eliza and smiles. "Well, maybe she will try to kill me before the night's over..." he says, turning his gaze back to Marcus. "But you won't be alive to see how it ends."

Marcus grows impatient and loads a black bolt into his new crossbow. "Ahhh, if you want to play lapdog to a foolish noblewoman, then I'll have to knock some sense into your head, and your mother will thank me for it!"

"Let's do this," Arthur says, shifting into a fighting stance, gripping his sword tightly. He knows Marcus is a more powerful and dangerous Champion than Preston, so he'll have to use every bit of his combat ability to have a chance.

"Yeah! Come on!!!" Marcus yells, aiming the black bolt at Arthur's stomach.

"Right now!!" Arthur stomps the ground hard, launching himself forward with all his strength, sending gusts of wind trailing behind him.

*WHOOOOSH*

He dashes ahead, pushing his body to its maximum speed, sharpening his senses to their limit.

'Let's fucking do it!' Nyx exclaims in his mind, ready to fight by his side from above the trees.

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