"So let me get this straight, Dad... Kaito quit school and his job and is now training in the backyard every day with my swords. Is that it?"

Eleanora had finally returned from the raid into the Tower and carried with her several bags of licorice and coconut candy to cheer up her brother, but the answer she received from her father left her static.

"A whole week in hard, intense training, I would say. The boy came home from work so thirsty for training that he held his mother's hands with all his might and asked to be trained. I’ve never seen Cassia this happy, not even in our marriage..." Miguel said, reading a science book while relaxing in his armchair.

Eleanora clenched her fists tightly and walked to the garden still holding the bags. When she arrived she heard the clang of steel clashing, and as she opened the door she saw Kaito advancing on his mother with ferocity and being repelled by her without any effort.

At the first moment she wanted to say something, but she couldn’t. Her eyes were fixed on her brother's hair and eyes. Fair hair, very light skin and gray eyes. She couldn't believe it, and her chest tightened deeply. Eleanora crossed the lawn and walked towards Kaito in steady steps. The boy lowered his weapon and made the mention of waving to his sister, but before he could raise his hand Eleanora hugged him tightly against her armor, making him complain in pain.

"Ouch... Easy, Nora... What is it?! Did something happen?" asked Kaito in distress.

His sister squeezed him even tighter and said close to his ear in a low voice.

"Forgive me Kaito... I wasn't here for you..."

Kaito pulled her away calmly and saw that her eyes were filled with tears. With a smile he stroked her hair lightly.

"You haven't done anything wrong, Nora. And I'm fine, aren't I, Mom?"

"Fine? He's way better than before!" said Cassia stepping closer and giving her son a scorching slap on the back "With this training and my help he can do anything he wants."

Eleanora stared at the two of them for a moment and then gave a heavy sigh.

"Kaito, I know you're scared. And I'd give you reason to be afraid if it was any other Bloodl... I mean, F rank. But you don't have to do any of that, understand? I've got your back!”

Those words, though sweet, offended Kaito.

"And what am I trying to do, Nora? Explain it to me so I can understand.”

"Kaito, I won't let you try to become a guild member or join an academy! It would kill you! And you, Mom, you shouldn't let him do that either!" scolded Eleanora.

"Look, dear, if my son wants to go on adventures and participate in competitions, then he will go on adventures and participate in competitions!" replied Cassia.

Kaito approached Eleanora and stared at her closely.

"You need to see more than appearance, Nora. This whole guild manager thing has got you too cocky."

"Then why don't we settle everything with a bet?"

The voice was Kaito's father, who appeared on the balcony closing the book at once.

"I'm also not in favor of Kaito being a guild member or entering any academy. I simply don't want to see my son get hurt."

"And I don't want to see my brother killed!" amended Eleanora.

"He won't be killed or hurt if he's trained by me!" thundered Cassia.

"Why don't you stop limiting me? I'm not a child anymore!" complained Kaito.

Miguel snapped his fingers and a brief energy burst between them, making a clatter like a small thunderclap and silencing everyone.

"I propose a test. Kaito will face Elanora here and now. If he can react to her, avoid her attacks, and show that he can fight back, I will approve and we won't have this discussion anymore. But if otherwise-"

"Let's do it!” Kaito cut off, stepping back and holding his sword with both hands "If it's just taking Eleanora down, I can do it!"

His sister stared at him for a moment and the parents walked away.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing, Miguel!" said Cassia.

Miguel just shrugged and watched as Eleanora walked away and stood facing his brother. She walked over to a small tree and picked up one of its thin branches and held it up with just one hand.

"Are you really going to try to take me on with just that?" said Kaito with a nervous smile.

"I think even that is too much, little brother. But if it's going to make you understand reality, then so be it."

As he faced his sister something had become clear to Kaito. It was impossible to win. Eleanora was very powerful, perhaps even more so than his parents. But what about him? Even though he had been training since he was seven, he was only a Bloodless. But for some reason this made him hold the hilt of his sword tighter. He was strangely excited. His body seemed to ask for battle, for knowledge, for experience. His mind wanted to see the power up close and know how to defeat it. And it was this cheerfulness that made him advance first.

Kaito had always been fast, and in a moment he was already on top of his sister, striking from top to bottom with all his strength, but Eleanora dodged. He struck from the sides, tried feints, but nothing worked against his sister, who watched him from above, like an adult playing with a foolish child. Tired of that, Eleanora saw that it was time to finish. Her warrior's blood moved with force, her muscles jumped, and with one step forward she brought the branch down in one swift and decisive blow. But, to her surprise, she missed.

Kaito knew this blow would come. Watching his mother he had seen how much she liked to use all her strength to strike from top to bottom, something warriors did to use all their strength and weight. A standard move, repeated to exhaustion, that he could use to his advantage.

Kaito took a diagonal step forward, letting the branch pass by his side and lift the grass around them with the power of the attack. Using his sister's movement, he brought the hilt of the sword against her chin with all his strength, hitting her full and flawlessly. Cassia raised her arms excitedly and Miguel noded impressed, but something seemed off.

"Is this how you want to take on the world, Kaito?!" the voice of Eleanora came out as a threat and her eyes glowed red showing the immense power of her blood.

In one motion she grabbed Kaito by the shirt and threw him across the area, making him roll and get dirt. Kaito stood up as best he could, still feeling the pain coursing through his body, but Eleanora was already in front of him, kicking his ribs hard and throwing him into the fence, which broke with the impact. He felt the blood wet his tongue and fell to his knees breathless.

"The world is too big, Kaito!" said Eleanora already beside him raising her drawn sword "And no one can fight it..."

The sword came down with speed and weight, but had been blocked by Cassia's blade, which was enchanted with an ice, something Miguel conjured up at that moment. The impact with the enchanted weapon made Eleanora recoil and get a little off balance.

"You want to kill your brother?! Is that it, Eleanora?" protested her mother.

Eleanora seemed to wake up at that moment, as if in a heavy trance. She looked at her mother, who was staring at her in fright and irritation, at her father, who looked disappointed, and finally at Kaito, who was wounded and on his knees.

"I... I was going to stop! I would never hurt my brother like that!" protested Eleanora.

"And what did you want to do by acting like that? Did you feel humiliated by any chance? Did his attack hurt your ego?" said Cassia approaching Eleanor at once.

"Cassia... don't talk to her like that," said Miguel.

"She needs to listen, Miguel! Look what she did to Kai-"

"AND LOOK WHAT THIS STUPID IDEA WILL DO TO HIM!"

Eleanora's scream overlapped everyone's voice. She compressed her lips and let the tears run down her face.

"Do you know how many I've seen die? How many death certificates I have to sign everyday? Do you have any idea? I don't want to see one of the people I love most go through this! I don't want my little brother to go through what Valen went through!"

Without giving any chance for answers, Eleanora ran into the house. Miguel stared at his wife and she replied somewhat guiltily.

"Don't give me that look, Miguel. You know she overreacted!"

"Did she really go too far, Cassia? For I think the challenges an adventurer receives are much heavier than that."

Cassia didn't want to admit it, but she knew he was right. She had fought too much and been in too many risky situations to know that. With a heavy sigh, she walked over to Kaito, who was still on his knees and head down.

"Come, Kaito. I'm going to ask the neighbor to heal you."

She helped Kaito, but when on his feet he did not accept her help to walk, going to his father at once.

"Kaito? Is everything okay, my son?" asked Miguel somewhat startled.

What Miguel had seen had amazed him. Kaito was smiling. Not an insane or confused smile, but that of one who knew exactly what he wanted to do.

"Dad, I proved to you that I can dodge her, didn't I?"

"Well... you did indeed, but that didn't change the results, my son."

"But I proved that I can strike back, didn't I?"

"Yes, Kaito, but if you do no damage..."

And it was at that moment that Miguel and Cassia noticed. Kaito, who was supposed to be badly hurt, was fine. He was bruised, but he didn't look as injured as he should have been.

"I'm not asking you to give me the victory. I just want one more chance!" said Kaito with his gray eyes shining with encouragement.

"And what chance do you want, Kaito?" asked the father, unable to understand his son.

Kaito closed his fists excitedly and felt a confidence he had never felt in his life.

"Give me one week! In one week I will face Eleanora again, and if I prove myself capable, you will let me into the Phoenix Academy!"