I cracked open my eyes and glanced at the rising sun. Almost time. The gatekeeper demon would be here any moment.

  "You ready, Zirgul?" I stroked the sword's pommel on my back and felt the blade vibrate in response. "Yeah. I'll be putting you to work soon."

  I checked the rope at my waist, dropped down, and hung from a branch. The cave was too cramped for a fight with a gatekeeper, so I hadn't even tried to hide this time. I'd set up the battle right in the forest — but as far from my lair as possible, obviously. If they found it, I'd have a real problem.

  I felt the demon approaching before I saw it. The moment the rift opened below me and the hands started reaching up, I did the same thing as last time: swung on the rope. Zirgul slid from its scabbard and severed the line with a clean cut. I landed on my feet at the exact edge of the construct and completed the seal with a flick of my finger.

  The runes blazed to life, and the demon was expelled from subspace into our reality.

  "Well, you're a fat one," I laughed.

  This demon was about half again bigger than the last. Even better for me — meant its soul stone held more energy. The thing thrashed wildly, snapping trees, but then something I hadn't expected happened. It stopped flailing, opened its enormous maw, and vomited out a large mass of flesh. Then another one.

  I frowned, not understanding what was going on, and backed away just in case. Both masses bubbled, then burst, releasing two broad-shouldered, dark-skinned figures with a single horn sprouting from each forehead. Fehamers? That species of demon lived on the thirteenth ring, not the twelfth, where I was supposed to be dragged. What was going on?

  Fehamers resemble humans in build and height. The champion of the thirteenth ring that I'd killed had been one — and Ramuil had given me Zirgul as a reward for that fight. These two were slowly getting to their feet, shedding the remains of their membrane.

  The question: had the gatekeeper brought them as backup, or was it just transporting them? Good question. Very good question. But it made no difference to me, and before the demons fully came to their senses, I launched Zirgul.

  The sword buried itself in the first one's chest, punching clean through. He howled in pain and grabbed the blade, trying to pull it out — a fatal mistake.

  Spin.

  A simple command, and the blade whirled like a massive drill, grinding up his insides and fingers. The second one, meanwhile, charged at me with a furious scream. I tried to recall Zirgul with a gesture, but the half-dead demon — even gutted and missing his fingers — managed to throw his whole body onto the weapon and pin it down.

  "You bastard..." I muttered.

  One step back. Another. And another.

  The demon's foot caught a trip wire, and a spiked trap swung into him. He was skewered, but Fehamers are resilient creatures, and even riddled with holes, he was trying to wrench himself free.

  He would have managed it, too — if not for Zirgul. I'd freed the sword, and it drove into the demon's skull from behind, exiting through his mouth.

  "You didn't think I was going to fight fair, did you?" I asked the dying demon with a smile. He burbled something back and finally gave up the ghost.

  I freed Zirgul and headed for the suspiciously quiet gatekeeper. Looked like it was trying to tunnel into subspace, but only succeeding in uselessly tearing up the earth. Still, it could damage the construct's integrity, so I needed to finish this fast.

  Zirgul hovered behind me for a heartbeat, then plunged into the massive body. The gatekeeper squealed in agony.

  Spin.

  The weapon bored into its flesh like a drill bit, grinding through everything it touched. The Fehamers had been far tougher-skinned, so the sword carved through the gatekeeper effortlessly — punched a hole straight through, looped around, and started another pass.

  I just watched, feeling a strange pang of frustration. I was used to fighting enemies myself — face to face, crushing them with my own power. But right now I had nothing to match them with, so tricks like this were all I had.

  The demon couldn't do a thing against the sword. Zirgul drilled hole after hole while the gatekeeper thrashed side to side, even crushing one of the Fehamer corpses under its bulk. I winced at that. Hopefully the soul stone was intact. Honestly, having three demons instead of one actually worked in my favor for exactly this reason.

  Finally, the gatekeeper's strength gave out. It simply collapsed, twitching. I strolled up close with a mocking grin and peered into its single eye — the one above its maw. The hands inside made a feeble reach for me, but they were painfully slow.

  I held out my hand, and Zirgul's hilt settled into my palm. One swing — three demonic limbs hit the ground. The bleeding demon couldn't even scream, just produced a barely audible wheeze.

  "Next time, send someone bigger," I said, and drove the blade into its eye. The demon shuddered. Ten heartbeats later, it went still. For good.

  I surveyed the battlefield and nodded with satisfaction. Aside from the two bonus demons, everything had gone pretty much as planned. Easy and clean. And good thing I hadn't tried staging the fight in my lair. This carcass would've filled most of the cave, and even if I'd managed to kill it in there, how would I have hauled the guts out? Let the forest animals deal with it. Or the order's men. But first — I needed to extract the soul stones.

  Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and they were good, quiet days. As planned, I wasn't practicing martial arts for now. Just basic meditation. But I hadn't given up trying to create a new focus without resorting to the demonic path.

  After all, my body was very young, flexible, and still developing. The chance that a new focus might grow where the old one had been wasn't zero. Chloe was making progress too. Occasionally I'd watch her meditate, observe how the streams of energy swirled around her and were drawn into her stomach. She'd form a focus eventually. I had no doubt about that.

  Mornings and evenings I trained my body so it would be ready when the time came. Days were spent reading books and studying medicine. Every now and then I'd help Chloe practice with a sword — well, a wooden stick, but the principle was the same.

  I'd never taught anyone before. That had been Mirion's domain. Back then I hadn't fully understood his reasons. I was grateful, but I couldn't put myself in his shoes. Now, helping Chloe, I think I was getting closer to understanding. I enjoyed watching her push through her limits, watching her improve.

  I felt pride in my student.

  More good news: Mia had finished her training at Crimson Retribution and was set to take the entrance exams for the Order of the Infinite Blade. My parents were thrilled when they heard, and I approved of the choice too. It was a fairly large order, even if it wasn't based in the capital. The only downside was that it was located way out west.

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  "Once I'm settled, I'll definitely move you all there," Mia promised.

  "Mia, we can't," Mom fretted. "Daiward is our home. We can't just leave everything. What about your father's job?"

  "It's fine, I'll be able to support us. And when Nate's older, there'll be work for him there too. I've seen his talent — even without a focus, with the right training, he could become a very skilled warrior."

  "Oh, I don't know... We don't want to be a burden."

  "Maybe it would be better?" Dad chimed in. "I'm not afraid of hard work, and even if it doesn't pay as well as what I have now, at least we'd be together."

  "Now that's the right decision!" Mia beamed. "Just give me a little time."

  For me, this news was extremely unwelcome. First, I'd have to abandon my lair and set up a new one. Whether I could find a spot half as good was anyone's guess. Second, I'd have to leave Chloe behind and hope she could find her own way. I wouldn't be able to mentor her anymore.

  I was mulling this over while the family discussed future plans, and nearly missed another piece of news that turned our lives upside down.

  "I think it's time to share the happy news with you two: you're going to have a little brother or sister."

  "Mom! Really?!" Mia lit up.

  They chattered excitedly, making plans, while I sat there frozen, staring at my family in utter surprise. A brother or sister?! What?! When did this happen?! I really hadn't expected such a perfectly ordinary, mundane piece of news to knock me this far off balance.

  "He's cute," Chloe said with a smile, leaning over me. "So how does it feel being a big brother?"

  Over the past year, she'd shot up — nearly two heads taller than me now.

  "No idea," I frowned, studying the baby sleeping in the cradle. "Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever actually seen an infant before."

  "Seriously?" She didn't believe me.

  "Yep," I confirmed.

  "What'd they name him?"

  "Rendal."

  "Rendal? Like the Lord of the Northern Winds?"

  "Yep."

  "I like it. Beautiful name. According to legend, the Lord of the Northern Winds protected the weak and fell in battle against the demon Gardir when he invaded the outer rings. You don't know that story?"

  "Not a clue," I said, just as flatly.

  "You don't seem happy about him being born," Chloe pouted.

  "No, I... I don't know. He's so innocent. Brought into a world full of pain and suffering. I was the same once, and this world turned me into what I am now..." I trailed off, then shook my head. "Forget it. His birth is giving me strange thoughts. Let's go."

  We went outside as usual and walked to the park near the house.

  "Meditation again?" Chloe sighed.

  "Would you rather go babysit?"

  "Obviously."

  "Then go ahead."

  The girl actually stumbled, not believing what she'd heard.

  "No way. I'm not going to turn into one of those moms wiping drool off kids' faces! I'm going to be a warrior, like you! If it's meditation, then it's meditation! I'm so close — I'm about to break through! I'll create my focus!"

  And I agreed with her completely. It was actually strange she hadn't done it yet, like something was holding her back. Chloe gathered energy effortlessly, and sometimes I could sense faint fluctuations of power inside her. It felt like the focus was right on the verge of forming, and then it would fall apart. The issue wasn't physical. The block was in her head. Something about forming the focus scared her. Maybe the thought of telling her father?

  I didn't interfere in her family. She didn't ask me to.

  "Listen, Chloe. I've got a proposal for you."

  "Hm?"

  "I mentioned that my family's planning to move to Tenris soon, right?"

  "Yeah, you said." Her voice wavered immediately, and I knew exactly why.

  "Unfortunately, no news," I said — and that did worry me slightly. After joining the Order, Mia had written constantly, nearly every week. Then the letters had tapered off, and the last one had come over a month ago. "But I'm sure she's fine. Maybe the Order sent her on a mission."

  "Yeah, could be," Chloe smiled sadly.

  "I could take you with us."

  "Huh?"

  "You and your brother, obviously. I'd talk to Mia, to Mom and Dad. We all know how he treats you. If I have to, I'll accelerate my Ascension. Create a demonic focus and grow new meridians. Then I could enroll at Crimson Retribution, and you could too. You're almost there. My parents would look after Yuhan, and we'd help with money."

  "Father won't let us go..."

  "We won't ask. I don't care what he thinks."

  "You want us to run away?"

  "If you don't want to run, I can make him disappear. Say the word, Chloe, and he's gone."

  The girl went pale, staring at me.

  "No, Nate. No. That's too far. He's only like that when he's drinking. Afterward he begs forgiveness. He's just lonely, and we remind him too much of Mom..."

  "Right," I sighed. This was exactly why I'd stayed out of her family's business. "Still — think about my offer. You're my friend. You keep my secrets. That's not nothing to me. If you ever ask for help, I'll help."

  "Thank you. I know I can count on you," she nodded, blinking back tears, and kissed me on the cheek. "Now let's meditate. I have to break through. I have to—"

  "Hey, lovebirds!"

  We were interrupted by a group of kids marching toward us with purpose. I got a mild sense of déjà vu — except last time, Chloe had been with them.

  "What do you want, Happong?" Chloe snapped.

  "I'm sick of looking at you two, that's what!" he laughed, and something about it struck me as odd. After I'd knocked his teeth out, he hadn't been such a cocky prick. "So, runt — ready to say goodbye to your life? I've put up with you long enough. Now it's time to pay! I'm going to destroy you."

  "Yeah, he's going to destroy you!" the brother-lackeys chirped in agreement.

  I shook my head, brushed off my pants, and straightened up, hands clasped behind my back.

  "See this, shrimp?! SEE THIS?!" Happong jabbed a finger at his own eyes. They were light now. "I'm a warrior! I'm a master of martial arts! Already pissing your pants?! Huh?!"

  "You broke through. Congratulations. And?" I asked.

  "What do you mean 'and'?" My indifference clearly stung. He'd been expecting fear and got mockery instead. "I'm going to beat the living crap out of you, that's what! And this time no rocks are going to save you!"

  Chloe burst out laughing at that, which only made Happong angrier.

  "I'm giving you one chance to turn around and walk away."

  "Fat chance!"

  "Suit yourself. You asked for this. Don't come crying later!" He wound up and swung at me, and I slipped into combat meditation. Unfortunately, it was the most basic version — no internal energy, built solely on five senses. But for someone like Happong, it was more than enough.

  I sidestepped easily, then hopped back. The kid spun and tried to grab me, but his fingers closed on air.

  "Stop jumping around!" he growled.

  Funny — he actually had decent form. Had his father, a former Crimson Retribution student, been training him? Probably. I could see echoes of some half-learned hand-to-hand combat technique in certain strikes, but the kid was too dumb to apply what he'd been taught intelligently. His attacks were too straightforward, too predictable. While dodging them, I was mentally sketching out how they could actually be used properly.

  Two centuries of nonstop combat will do that.

  "What are you two standing there for?!" he barked at his lackeys. They exchanged glances and rushed me, but instead of retreating I charged straight at them. They hadn't expected that, so I blew right past — caught one with a kick behind the knee, the other with a boot to the backside. Both went sprawling, and I landed on my feet, turned to Happong with a smile.

  "Where's all that warrior strength?"

  "Grrrr!" He roared and charged, but I was done playing. Enough games. And I wasn't about to smash his face in and stick my parents with the bill again.

  I dodged his straight punch to the head and simultaneously struck with my middle finger's knuckle just below his ribs — right where the Mountain Stream meridian sits. Far more effective than a blow to the solar plexus. The kid dropped onto the grass, screaming in pain. His left arm seized up and twisted at an unnatural angle in a violent spasm.

  "Ow-ow-ow... What's the matter, Happong?" I asked, looking down at him. "The mighty warrior lost? And I specifically asked if you were sure about this. Next time you work up the courage, do yourself a favor — at least strengthen your meridians first."

  I stepped away and turned to the brothers, who were picking themselves up.

  "You two want some?"

  "N-no..."

  "No..."

  "Sure about that? Maybe I should break your legs?" I grinned coldly. "You're not the butcher's sons. If I cripple you, who's going to stick up for you?"

  I took one step, and they bolted — abandoning their leader, who was still writhing on the grass, groaning in indescribable pain.

  "Let's go, Chloe."

  "What did you do to him?" she asked carefully, once we were far enough away.

  "Nothing special. Pinched the Mountain Stream meridian."

  "And... you did that without internal energy?"

  "Yeah. It's one of the most vulnerable meridians. Not hard to reach it even with a fist. The trick is hitting between the fifth and sixth ribs."

  "Will he be okay?"

  "Physically — yes," I said with a nasty smile. "The spasm will pass in a couple of minutes. But it might affect his Ascension. The meridian is damaged. Not badly, but without skilled practice or a good healer, there'll be a small scar that could impact the meridian's conductivity down the line."

  "And Happong probably won't figure that out..."

  "Probably not. Once he gets control of his arm back, he'll think nothing happened."

  "You're devious."

  "Consider it a lesson for you. Don't neglect your spiritual and breathing exercises for cleansing and strengthening meridians. They're like a river — keep it clean, and there'll be plenty of fish."

  "That's... quite the metaphor."

  "Not mine. My teacher's."