Jack pushed back for a moment, his stern expression perplexed at the sudden intruder. 

"Yes!"

From her voice, Jack had deducted the woman in front of him wasn't a threat, but he couldn't shake the sense of unease. 

"In what sense?" 

He stopped moving, standing straight before her. 

"In the sense of pulling you back into field."

She closed in on him, poking a finger against his chest through the soft fabric of his shirt. 

Jack's eyebrows slightly twitched at her words. 

"Please stop. I understand what you need, but I am not longer the person I used to be..."

The trailing off voice trembled towards the end. 

He definitely did not feel the need to ellaborate the prickly memories, and wounds that never healed with time. 

"Ha! No longer the person you used to be? What a load of bullcrap, you were never anything!"

The voice came in harsh and strong. 

"Thomas."

Shia turned her head sideways to notice his annoyed expression, as he did so little to hide it. 

Jack however did not feel anger, but made eye contact with the strong looking man. 

"If this is all he's worth," he looked away, "I don't think you need to go with this, Shia."

"Hmm."

Jack made a grunt aimed at Thomas, however he kept his eye elsewhere. 

'This idiot... there I was trying to learn something about him.'

The tension prompted Shia to step forward. 

"My name is Han Shia." 

She held her hand forward, with open palms waiting for a handshake. 

"Isn't it quite late for introductions?" 

He shot a smug look at the duo, clearly dissatisfied with their treatment. 

"It's never too late for anything, isn't that how life is, Mister..."

She left her words incomplete, waiting for him to say it himself. 

"Jonathan Thorne."

He placed his hand on hers, clasping it in a firm shake. 

Shia felt the firm shake, and the multiple callouses that plagued his hand come in contact with her soft palm. 

'A strong hardworking man indeed! I do love someone who does physical work, his physique does look quite great...'

Her thoughts picked up elsewhere, left in daze. 

"Ahem... Hello?" 

Jack waved at her while her pupil dilated as a result, but it constricted back, pulling herself together. 

"So, with that, I have a proposal for you." 

"Grr." 

The sound came from he tall man beside Shia, slightly annoyed. 

Paying no heed to his grumbles, Shia stepped forward, but Jack's eyes naturally went over to the man. 

Shia noticed how his eyes had been on him, scanning him head to toe, but it wasn't filled with anger or contempt despite his treatment. 

"The proposal—"

Grasping his clean shaven chin with her two fingers, she turned his face over to hers. 

"—is for you to become a professor at Nexarion, without any formal methods, just a simple task." 

"And that is?" 

He asked, her face coming into vision as he brought his eye over to her. 

"A practical, I'd like to see how well you'd fare against me in a duel." 

—Cough

Jack made an abrupt cough, breaking off her grip. 

"That's not funny, Miss Shia." 

Rubbing against his forearms, he took another half step back, while his bright hazel pupil darted around without remaining fixed anywhere. 

His eyes seemed to hold a certain type of reaction, almost like submitting to someone stronger. 

"And the reason?" 

But she was not ready to back down. 

She could feel the potential flowing from the man in front of her, although she was curious about the strange emotion he had showcased. 

Respect? Admiration? Fear perhaps...?

She couldn't tell, which made her even more curious. 

"I cannot possibly go—o against a Seven-star!" 

The words lacked any real energy, while stuttering. 

'Afraid? No... it's almost like a natural reaction to it.' 

Shia couldn't explain his unnatural reaction, but decided to move forward with another plan. 

"If that's a problem, how about you duke it out with this guy?" 

Curling up her hand and leaving the thumb pointing upwards, her hand gestured at Thomas.  

"Him?!"

This time his reaction was even more puzzlement. 

—Shia! 

A familiar and deep voice echoed deep inside Shia's head. 

—What is it, Thomas? 

She replied internally, without making any outward signs. 

How were they talking? 

Mind transmission, a specific technique where thoughts or messages are transferred from one person to another without actually making any sort of noise. 

—He is not that worth it! 

—How would you know? In my eyes, he's asking good as you, maybe even better.

—You! You know this nobody is not stronger than m—

"Hey, Mister Jonathan." 

Stepping forward once again, her face stood inches away from Jack's. 

"That guy over there, he's pretty sure he's stronger than you, how about you prove him wrong?" 

"Tch!" 

The loud sound of his tongue clicking echoed within the room. 

Jack's eyes once again fell on him, however his  brows remained low, relaxed. 

"I think I'm going to have to—"

The man stepped forward, completing the words before Jack. 

"Reject? Are you going to run with your tails between your legs, 'again', huh?"

The words were clear and open provocation aimed at Jack, drawing from his past history. 

"Yes, I am going to run, maybe, what are you going to do about it?" 

Feeling the surge of adrenaline, both Jack and the man stepped forward at the same time, squeezing Shia inbetween the two. 

"Well, I have just the medicine for scaredy cats, would you like some too?" 

"I've got the perfect medicine for arrogant assholes like you." 

Despite the steady voice, the air around the room thickened.

The two men stared down at each other, each emanating an aura trying to suppress one another. 

"Could you two let me out of here?" 

Shia stuck between the two tried to squish out, but the two had no intention of moving. 

'What have I gotten myself into, maybe I shouldn't have provoked Thomas.'

Feeling her hand between the two firm chests, Shia pushed the two back. 

"Aggh!" 

Both Jack and Thomas where pushed back by a few feet, but they never broke eye contact. 

"Save the testosterone!"

Tapping alongside the edges of her clothes, she spoke out. 

"You! I need him, stop taunting him!"

She pointed at Thomas, making the brash comment, but he showed no reaction. 

Flicking back her auburn hair, she turned to Jack. 

The smirk she had always worn disappeared, but she never lost her grace. 

"Think about it, Mister Jonathan. This is a chance many aim to get, while you're just throwing it away, why don't you reconsider?" 

"Ha! He'd rather hide than face me like a warrior!" 

Once again Thomas spoke despite Shia's warning. 

"You—"

"Fine! Let's take this outside." 

Jack spoke, his voice was serene and calming, like a storm waiting to break out. 

"Outside it is." 

Turning back with a grin, Thomas made his exit. 

Without a single word, Jack followed behind, leaving Shia behind. 

Just as the two had left, her cheeks spread out revealing a smile. 

"Huhu..."

"That was all part of your plan, wasn't it, Miss Shia?" 

The young crisp voice came in, reeling her eyes over to black haired youth who had been there from the beginning. 

"Quite the observation, what made you think so?"

"For one, you taunted both sides, but you mostly made use of the General's pride." 

The youth spoke with firmness, something she hadn't seen on children his age, surprising her. 

"I see, but how did you know he how was the General?" 

"Ack!"

He flinched at her words, because he was only aware of the fact since he had recieved memories of his past. 

'What do I say now? Wait, did she not praise me for my observation?'

Quickly think of a believable excuse, he said, "The insignia of the star on his left shoulder, and the silver hair that is said to rival the steel edges of even the sharpest of swords? I think I've explained enough, Miss Shia." 

"Oh ho!" 

She laughed at the boy's words, clearly intruiged. 

"And thanks."

He got up, heading outside. 

"Why?" 

She asked, knowing. 

"You already know it, after all you did save me from 'that'." 

Finn was referring to the pressure the two men had released earlier. 

It was strong enough to make anyone faint, yet Finn was alright? How?

Shia had used her powers to protect the boy from the aura, sparing him from a day of heavy concussion and nausea.  

...

'Is that him?' 

Daniela watched the two men stand on opposite sides of the ground. 

'I am guessing things went terribly wrong, seeing how they're preparing to kill each other.' 

She could feel the faint thread of strong energy linger around them. 

"Gentlemen, please wait." 

—Clap clap

Shai came out clapping her hands, calling for their attention. 

Jack turned to face her, only to be left with the sight of her smiling visage. 

"I shall act as the judge, under the watchful eyes of Odin, All father of battle."

Shia announced once again. 

"This duel has been consecrated by the acceptance of both parties."

This was done when both parties had agreed to duel while placing certain terms and conditions. 

"Are you prepared to prove yourselves before the gods?" 

Han Shia declared.

The two locked eyes once again, replying in unison. 

"Yes!"

Thomas's hand rested on the sword handle on his waist, assuming a more relaxed stance compared to Jack. 

Jack on the other hand stood bare, but not for long. 

Noticing the slight twitch in Thomas's expression, he extended his hand outwards. 

—Thwap!

One of the axe that had been resting alongside the chopped logs came flying into his hands. 

The veins on his hands flexed slightly as he caught the speeding axe by its handle, holding it up. 

"Begin!"

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