"Who do you think will win, Brother?"
Lucas turned his head.
Dorothea was looking up at him with sapphire-blue eyes filled with innocent curiosity.
"Win?"
"Yes. Between Sister Charlotte and Brother Ian... who will win?"
It was such a simple question.
Yet precisely because it came from the pure innocence of a child, it became remarkably difficult to answer.
A faint smile touched Lucas's lips.
Deep down, he was certain Dorothea wished for Charlotte to emerge victorious.
Not because she believed Charlotte was unquestionably stronger.
But because of the bond they shared.
To Dorothea, Charlotte was far more than a cousin.
She was the elder sister who was always by her side.
The one she leaned on.
The one who gave her courage whenever her confidence faltered.
Lucas understood those feelings all too well.
Even so...
If he were to answer honestly, he could not offer any certainty.
He had experienced the strength of both his cousins firsthand.
Although he had spent far more time training under Ian, Charlotte had also instructed him on several occasions.
And because he had learned from both of them, Lucas understood better than anyone how vastly different their methods truly were.
Charlotte...
Was relentless.
The moment training began, mercy simply ceased to exist.
There was something she had once told him that remained etched into his memory even now.
"Only by enduring my punches and kicks over and over again will your body grow stronger."
Those words were true.
No one could deny the results they produced.
But...
For him, the method was simply too brutal.
Charlotte forced a person's body to evolve beneath relentless pressure, allowing neither comfort nor hesitation.
Ian, on the other hand...
Took a completely different approach.
He always balanced theory with practice.
He explained the purpose behind every movement.
Pointed out every mistake.
Then patiently gave his students the chance to correct it themselves.
He also understood the limits of both body and mind.
He would push his students relentlessly.
But never so far that he shattered them.
That was precisely why Lucas found it far easier to train under Ian.
It was not because he underestimated Charlotte.
Not in the slightest.
In fact, he deeply respected Charlotte's ability as an instructor.
Their methods were simply different.
And for someone like him...
Ian's approach suited him far better.
More importantly, Ian was always willing to listen to his thoughts and opinions.
Something Charlotte almost never did once training had begun.
Lucas shifted his gaze once more.
Ahead of him, Ian and Charlotte now stood facing one another.
The atmosphere within the training hall gradually fell silent.
Neither of them had moved.
Yet the pressure radiating from the two of them alone was enough to make the surrounding air feel noticeably heavier.
Earlier, Lucas had already reminded them to restrain themselves.
No high-level Ninjutsu.
Otherwise...
Even the reinforced concrete walls surrounding the arena would likely fail to withstand the battle.
It was true that those walls had been strengthened using a special cement created by the Alchemists' Guild.
Even so...
Every defense had its limits.
A direct clash between two high-level Ninjutsu could bring the entire structure crashing down in an instant.
Without realizing it, Lucas raised a hand.
He gently patted Dorothea's head, just as he always did.
"It's difficult to say who will win."
Dorothea immediately looked up at him.
Her innocent eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Why, Brother? Isn't Sister Charlotte stronger? Didn't you tell me that before?"
Lucas fell silent for a moment.
He had indeed said those words.
Charlotte was stronger.
While Ian...
Was smarter.
The memory of those words echoed quietly through his mind once again.
After thinking for several moments, Lucas slowly shook his head.
"Remember this, Dottie. Strength alone doesn't always decide the victor."
Dorothea listened with complete attention.
"Sometimes... the person who can remain calmer, think more clearly, and find the most efficient way to defeat an opponent without wasting unnecessary strength can overcome someone far stronger than themselves."
Dorothea's eyes shone even brighter.
"Really, Brother?"
Lucas nodded.
"Of course."
Without the slightest hesitation, Dorothea asked again.
"Then... who will win?"
Lucas became silent once more.
For a brief moment...
He truly had no answer.
For some reason, Dorothea's innocent question felt like a trap with no correct response.
The long explanation he had just given had done nothing to satisfy her curiosity.
Dorothea did not want theories.
She did not care about tactics or intelligence.
She wanted only one simple answer.
Who would be the winner?
Within Dorothea's heart...
The answer was probably already decided.
Charlotte.
But to Lucas...
The battle was far more complicated than simply deciding who could strike the hardest.
Ian fought with strategy.
He observed.
He calculated.
Then he exploited even the smallest opening without wasting a single opportunity.
Charlotte was the complete opposite.
She possessed overwhelming raw power.
The pressure she exerted alone was enough to force opponents into making mistakes simply because they lost their nerve.
Two completely different styles of combat.
Yet both equally lethal.
Lucas quietly watched the two of them continue standing face to face.
Then he let out a slow breath.
Deep within his heart, only one thought remained.
I honestly have no idea...
What answer I'm supposed to give Dorothea.
Perhaps it's better if I simply tell her the truth.
The longer I tried to explain, the more tangled everything would become inside Dorothea's mind.
She was still too young to understand that victory in battle was not always decided by the one who possessed the greatest strength.
After giving it some thought, Lucas decided to offer the simplest answer he could.
"A draw. Neither of them will win."
Dorothea blinked softly.
Uncertainty still lingered across her delicate face.
"But... shouldn't Sister Charlotte be the one who wins?"
"???"
He neither argued nor attempted to explain himself again.
The more he tried to convince Dorothea, the more the conversation would wander in endless circles.
It was better to let the little girl hold on to what she believed.
Besides...
Dorothea didn't seem interested in turning it into an argument either.
Lucas slowly shifted his gaze.
Dorothea's attention returned to the training arena.
So did his.
At that very moment...
Ian and Charlotte finally moved.
In the blink of an eye, both figures vanished from where they had been standing.
Lucas strained his eyes to follow them.
Yet all he could perceive were fleeting afterimages that appeared for a fraction of a second before disappearing once more.
Charlotte's and Ian's Shunshin no Jutsu had reached a level that was difficult even for him to comprehend.
So swift.
So seamless.
It was as though the space between them had ceased to exist.
Without realizing it, Lucas clenched his fist.
Admiration and astonishment welled within his chest.
At that moment, he understood one undeniable truth.
He...
Was still far too slow.
Clang!
The first clash finally rang out.
The collision of two katana echoed throughout the training hall, the deafening impact sending brilliant sparks dancing through the air before both figures disappeared once again.
A faint smile appeared on Lucas's face.
He then turned toward Dorothea.
"Let's enjoy their battle, Dorothea."
Dorothea hesitated for a moment.
Truthfully...
She couldn't follow either Charlotte's or Ian's movements at all.
Their speed had already surpassed the limits of her vision.
Even so...
Her curiosity outweighed her confusion.
At the very least...
She could still watch Sister Charlotte fight.
That alone was enough to make her happy.
Dorothea gave a small nod.
"Yes, Brother."
***
Clang!
Two very different katana met once again.
A traditional katana against a straight-bladed katana.
The violent collision of steel echoed across the training hall.
Neither Charlotte nor Ian yielded an inch.
Neither was willing to be driven back even a single step.
Their blades ground fiercely against one another.
Each sought to break the other's balance.
Their faces were now separated by only a few inches.
Their eyes remained locked together.
Charlotte curved her lips into a faint smile.
Confidence blazed within her crimson eyes.
"You'll have to be more serious than this. Otherwise... someone like me, who hasn't properly practiced Father's swordsmanship in ages, is going to defeat you. That would be quite the disgrace for a sword fanatic like you, little brother."
Ian's expression didn't change in the slightest.
Instead, he calmly returned his sister's smile.
"I wouldn't mind. If you truly win, then it simply means your swordsmanship has improved."
Charlotte's smile immediately vanished.
A slight frown appeared upon her brow.
"You're as irritating as ever."
Ian understood Charlotte's personality better than anyone.
She had always been like this ever since they were children.
Arguing with Charlotte almost never ended if he chose to answer every remark she threw at him.
Because of that...
He had discovered a far simpler solution long ago.
Yield.
Not because he lacked the ability to argue back.
But because it was the quickest way to bring any debate with his older sister to an end.
And strangely enough...
It never failed.
Charlotte would inevitably run out of words with which to continue provoking him.
Yet, of course, not every conflict could be resolved simply by yielding.
There were moments when Ian had to stand his ground and defend something he believed in.
Not for the sake of winning an argument.
But to remind Charlotte of the convictions she had once embraced, whether they belonged to the past or remained within her heart even now.
Like the Shinobi's Code she had nearly forgotten during their battle against the bandits.
Ian remembered it vividly.
Charlotte had once told him that she wanted to become a hero.
A hero loved by countless people.
A hero whose arrival would always bring hope wherever darkness lingered.
That was why Ian never stopped reminding his older sister of that dream.
Even if one day she chose to cast those principles aside.
Even if she came to believe they no longer had a place in the world.
To Ian...
A principle was still a principle.
Something that should never be abandoned simply because circumstances had changed.
For without unwavering conviction, the meaning of a hero could never rival the magnificent tales recorded within the ancient chronicles of legendary champions who had stood against the invasions of the Demon race in ages long past.
A true hero was never measured by strength alone.
A hero was measured by the convictions they refused to abandon, even when the world demanded they walk the darkest of paths.
Charlotte was different.
She dreamed of becoming a hero.
Ian never had.
From the moment he learned of his sister's dream, he gradually discovered the purpose that belonged to him alone.
He did not wish to become the light.
He wished to become the shadow.
He wanted Charlotte to stand at the forefront.
To become a hero in the truest sense of the word.
Someone who carried hope.
Someone who brought light wherever she walked.
Someone loved and admired by the people.
As for himself...
It was enough to remain behind her.
Unseen.
Unknown.
If Charlotte's dream could one day become reality, then nothing more was needed.
To Ian, a hero should always be a light that illuminated the hearts of others.
Never someone remembered only through fear born from overwhelming strength or the darkness of deeds they had been forced to commit.
That was why...
He chose a different path.
He wished to become a shield.
A shield that would forever stand before Charlotte whenever darkness sought to steal away her light.
He would accept the mud that stained his hands.
He would carry burdens that no true hero should ever be forced to bear.
He would do every task Charlotte never should.
So long as his sister's light continued to shine.
So long as her smile never faded.
Then every sacrifice would be worthwhile.
Charlotte deserved to remain beneath the light.
As for himself...
He would walk within the darkness.
That was where a shadow belonged.
A shadow standing beneath the light would always be seen.
Too conspicuous.
Too capable of diminishing the beauty of the light itself.
But within darkness...
A shadow became one with the night.
Invisible.
Forgotten.
And that was exactly what Ian desired.
To become the shadow standing faithfully behind his older sister.
Ian himself had never truly understood why he had been born.
Even though Father had told him countless times that he had come into this world through love.
That he was deeply loved.
That his existence had brought happiness to their family.
As someone who relied upon reason far more than emotion, Ian had pondered those words longer than most people ever would.
Why had he been born?
What purpose did his life truly serve?
The answer came to him only little by little as the years passed.
Ever since childhood, he had always remained beside Charlotte.
Following after his older sister wherever she went.
Watching her laugh without restraint.
Sometimes seeing her cry without trying to hide her tears.
Watching her become angry without pretending otherwise.
Charlotte lived with complete honesty toward her own heart.
Ian...
Was the exact opposite.
He buried nearly everything deep within himself.
Yet perhaps because he had always remained by her side...
He eventually came to understand something.
Perhaps...
The reason he had been born was simply to remain beside Charlotte.
To protect her.
To guide her whenever she began to lose her way.
To become the part of the darkness that must never be allowed to stain his sister's light.
Let that light continue to shine.
Let the world forever see Charlotte as the hero they admired.
As for himself...
He would remain the shadow that silently guarded that light, ensuring it would never be extinguished.
Ian had never imagined a glorious future for himself.
He sought neither fame nor recognition.
He had no desire for praise.
Nor had he ever dreamed of living a life adorned with honor and glory.
For him...
His family was already more than enough.
Charlotte.
Father.
Mother.
Ryan.
Karina.
And every precious person he held dear.
They were the reason he continued walking forward.
Because he had been born from their love.
And protecting that love, preserving their happiness, and helping their dreams become reality had taken root so deeply within his heart that it had become inseparable from who he was.
Not as a burden.
Nor as a sacrifice.
But as a duty he had willingly chosen to carry for the rest of his life.