I must admit that the Church in this world is something worthy of admiration. Not because everyone follows the same god, but because of the illusion of security it provides. Regardless of circumstances, the sense of protection it offers is absolute—unshakable.
Isolde and I no longer know Paradox merely as the author of the guide we use for combat and magic training. He is the absolute god. Of all that exists and all that doesn't. Of what is seen and what remains hidden. Of the tangible and the unreachable. Even of what is perceived and what eludes perception.
Yet mortals know him as the Void. A paradoxical title, I admit. Is he truly so powerful as to be the Void? He is also called the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega… which, in essence, explains nothing.
"Are you done?" Isolde asked, kneeling with her elbows resting on the church pew.
We had grown accustomed to prayer—a habit picked up from Mother after accompanying her to church. There was tranquility in it. In my past life, prayer also demanded absolute silence. Some customs remain unchanged across worlds.
My prayers had been simple: another day of life, a regained sense of wholeness, shedding the remnants of my past existence. But above all, the absence of any carnal desires still unsettled me.
"Yeah," I replied. "Shall we head to the park? We could get some training in."
"Sure. Don't forget your offering."
"Right. Thanks for reminding me."
I stood and walked toward the statue. Isolde had already left hers when we arrived. The "offering" was little more than a formality—an act of gratitude to Paradox for the life and the indirect, distant protection he supposedly provided.
I stopped before his sculpted likeness. It was beautiful. Long, exquisite hair carved with precision that betrayed its creator's skill. The statue was colossal. With the sun hitting it at just the right angle, its divinity intensified. Its pose was celestial—gaze lifted, hands outstretched in a gesture that could be interpreted as either a blessing… or an assertion of absolute dominion.
But above all, it was imposing. Its mere marble existence was enough to compel the urge to kneel, to surrender to its presence as if it truly were the origin and end of all things.
I left my offering: a deep red rose. Syrix floated around it, ensuring it wouldn't wilt. I gave a slight bow and stepped away.
"All set, let's go," I said, taking Isolde's hand as we left the cathedral.
Yes, the cathedral. The same one that once filled me with anxiety. Now, at the same time, it stood as a majestic temple. Its ceiling was absurdly high—enough to easily house a twenty-story building.
And I'm not exaggerating.
The thing I'd seen from the window—a bloodstained cross—was still there. According to The Holy Scriptures of Paradox, that cross had been used to crucify him. An event similar to Christ's in my previous world, though, if the writings were to be believed, for reasons even more absurd.
But let's set theology aside.
The cathedral's interior carried an oppressive air—not unpleasant, but overwhelming. It was a melancholic yet illuminated space. At all times, it felt as though Paradox were present, watching, lurking.
The sensation sent chills down my spine.
Strangely enough… it was comforting.
We walked through the kingdom's streets until we reached the central park. Everything was normal—until we saw her.
At first, we didn't recognize her.
Her hair, once pink, was now completely dark. Her eyes, previously a soft rose hue, had turned a deep crimson. She even seemed taller.
"Look, Lucy, it's that ugly girl from last time," Isolde remarked with feigned indifference, pointing at the unfamiliar figure.
Two years ago, out of sheer curiosity, I'd gone to see the cathedral and accidentally bumped into a girl along the way. Isolde remembered her because of that incident.
Calling her ugly right now isn't the politest move, Issy.
Oh, shit. She's coming toward us.
I watched as the girl strode over with purpose.
"You shouldn't have pointed at her like that, Issy," I muttered under my breath.
"Haha…" She laughed, but her tone lacked confidence.
The girl stopped in front of us and, without warning, jabbed a finger in our direction.
"You never let me make up for my rudeness last time!"
Seriously? It's been two years. Get over it, sweetheart.
"But no matter. I think I should properly introduce myself now. Last time, I couldn't because you two ran away from me."
We didn't run. We just had better things to do than waste our time on you.
"My name is Alicia. It's a pleasure to meet you."
She curtsied, lifting the hem of her skirt slightly and bowing her head with rehearsed precision. The gesture reminded me too much of the princesses from novels in my past world.
"I'm Lucius," I replied flatly.
"And I'm Isolde!" my companion shouted enthusiastically. Weird. I thought she didn't like her. Guess I was wrong.
"So? Do you need something?" I asked bluntly. Not that I wanted to get rid of her, but time spent talking was time not spent training.
"You're so cold…" Alicia smirked, teasing. Thanks. "But yes, I want to train with you."
"No."
Without waiting for a response, I grabbed Isolde's hand and turned to leave. Let's go. I know this type of girl. Eventually, she's going to get on my nerves, and I'd rather skip the drama.
"I'm in favor of letting her train with us," Isolde whispered in my ear.
That stopped me.
Fine. On second thought, maybe we can get along after all.
I sighed. There was no avoiding it.
"Didn't you dislike her until a minute ago?" I asked quietly.
I glanced back at Alicia. She tilted her head, confused by my stare.
"Come on, Lucy. I think this is a great chance to prove we're not just a pair of eight-year-olds. We've been training for years… it's the perfect opportunity to humiliate the pretty girl."
"Good point."
No, it's not.
I had a sinking feeling this wouldn't end the way we hoped. Not just because the aggressive aura radiating from Alicia was unsettling, but because, at this point, we were still far too weak.
"Isolde, dodge! Miss Alicia is coming in with a strike—Oh! Isolde goes flying into the bushes! She scrambled up instantly and charged again, but her attacks were sloppy, too easy to evade. Alicia grabbed her arm and—damn, that gut punch had to hurt. Isolde staggered but refused to go down. Seizing the moment, she unleashed a gust of wind. Alicia was pushed back, though… Gods, the girl barely flinched before retaliating with a water orb that smashed straight into Isolde's face."
"Gah—!
!Isolde tried blinking through the impact, but—hells, that had to sting.!
"Would you shut up and HELP ME?!"
"Sorry."
Two against one. Not the scenario I'd expected, yet here we were. Alicia was far stronger than we'd imagined. Damn it all. Suddenly, all our training felt like child's play.
The martial arts from my old world gave us an edge, but it didn't change the fact that Alicia was faster, stronger, and—to make it worse—wielding a wooden staff. We'd stuck to Paradox's manual techniques, but they weren't enough.
"AGH—!"
A strike slammed into my stomach, sending me skidding across the dirt with brutal force. I dragged myself up, wheezing.
"Oh, come on! I didn't hit you that hard," Alicia complained.
Easy for her to say. Shit, that hurts.
Gritting my teeth, I lunged. With Syrix's aid, I hurled a fireball that grazed her cheek. Isolde seized the opening—"HYAH!"—her fist cracking into Alicia's jaw, sending her reeling.
I didn't waste the chance. Darting behind her, I aimed to drive her into the ground—
"You're decent at combo attacks!" Alicia laughed, "But not good enough!"
"Wha—?!"
THUD.
My body hit the dirt like a sack of bricks. The gravity around me had tripled without warning.
"That's CHEATING!"
"Hahaha! Relax, it's just— OOF!"
Isolde's kick to her ribs sent her sprawling.
To any adult watching, this probably looked like a chaotic, clumsy brawl between kids. But for us? It was a wake-up call.
"Hah… Hah…" I forced myself up, ribs burning.
"Ugh… Huff…" Isolde wasn't faring much better.
"Let's… call it today," I panted.
"Yeah. I'm… kinda tired too."
Liar. She wasn't even sweating. Not a trace of exhaustion on her.
Two hours. We'd fought for two hours, moving more intensely than in any training session. And Alicia had dismantled us. The gap was painfully clear.
I steadied my breath. "We should head home, Issy."
"Mm…" She took my hand.
"Leaving already?" Alicia arched a brow.
"Yeah. It's getting late."
"Fine. So… tomorrow?"
"Uh… Sure."
Actually, no clue. We'd promised Reginald we'd study at his workshop.
"Wait, can we even come?" Isolde whispered. "Reginald's expecting us."
"Dunno. If we don't show, she'll leave eventually."
"Okay."
"What's all the whispering?"
Alicia materialized behind us. Goddammit.
"Could you not sneak up on us?!"
"Pfft—Sorry!" She grinned. "But you two keep excluding me."
I exhaled. "Never mind. We're going."
"Yep! See you tomorrow!" Isolde chirped.
I nodded, and we walked off—bruised, humbled, and painfully aware of how much we still had to learn.