Kaito felt something different about the fight against his sister. It was as if all the study and training he had had with his mother were coming to fruition, and seeing something he had planned to work out that way was pleasing in a way he couldn't explain. Amara was right, there was a way for him to fight, and if it works he could make it to the Phoenix Academy, proving to everyone that he was an equal. And if he was at the Phoenix Academy, he could grow even more.
The same night of the fight with Eleanora, Kaito pored over his notebooks full of scribbles and Internet videos of other warriors' fights. The way they moved, the armor and weapons they used, he understood little by little how to face one of them. Kaito scribbled down directions, possibilities, and counterstrikes he could use against that class, digging deeper into their abilities.
"Skin Hardening... Impact... Regeneration... Strength Increase... Sharp Senses..."
It was a huge list of something no one had ever catalogued, not in the way they were supposed to. The books talked about how warriors and the other classes fought, but in a superficial and exalted way, as if everything was the result of talent and only that, but Kaito was beginning to realize that maybe that was wrong. What if these moves and techniques were just passed on for generations without question? What if this was treated as talent? And the main thing, how could he take advantage of it?
"Son, I wanted to talk to you, but seeing you studying even more makes me want to let it remain as it is."
It was his father speaking behind him holding the door half-open. Kaito stopped what he was doing and turned to him with a smile on his face.
"Hi, Dad! You can come in! I really needed to talk to you."
"And I believe we don't want to talk about the same topic, do we?" he came in, closed the door and sat down on his son's messy bed "and so I wanted to ask you to talk first. Could I, Kaito?".
Kaito saw a regret in his father's blue eyes, turning his chair toward him and paying attention.
"It's about this academy thing and Eleanora, isn't it?"
"I think that's it too, son, but there's more I want to discuss with you."
Miguel propped himself up better on the bed, as if somehow that might lessen his discomfort. After sighing and relaxing his shoulders, he spoke with all the calm he could muster.
"My son, I know that all of this has been a blow to you. To be found as an F rank, to be mistreated by a society that doesn't understand how the world should work, and to have your dreams taken away is something that would depress anyone. But you came back stronger, Kaito," he looked admiringly into his son's eyes and gave an honest smile, "You stood up and now you want to fight this world. I admire that. I swear it. And it's hard for me to deny something to a son who never asked for anything and who always acted as if he owed something to his adoptive family. It's painful, to tell you the truth. But the point is, Kaito, that I wanted you to stop all this."
Those last words seemed to resonate inside the boy who felt a deep pain.
"Stop it all? All of what, Dad? I don't understand..."
"You are studying how to defeat a warrior. I find it amazing, to tell you the truth. While everyone else accepts an immutable fate, you are studying how to become more than your blood. But answer me, Kaito, how will you defeat a warrior who is even stronger? Or one that breaks the mold? What about the other classes? And the variations of each? And the beasts in the Tower? There are so many variables that there is no way you can win, Kaito. There will come a time when your adventure will be lethal and.... I fear that very much."
Kaito closed his fist over his leg and felt his lips compress in anger. He wanted to turn his back on the father he loved so much, but he wouldn't. He had promised to be a great son, so he would be until the end.
"Dad, I'm following what you told me," Kaito said, facing Miguel "You always told me that sweat was worth more than blood, and I'm following that! Now that I really need to prove my strength, is that no longer true?"
"I understand what you mean, son, but at that moment the situation was different..."
"No matter the situation, Dad! I'll make what you said count!" Kaitou bent forward and his words came out louder than he planned "There's no guarantee that people like me can't get stronger! You don't have any studies or anything about that, Dad! Don't you think that's strange? Everyone like me has given up without doing anything. I probably have a Bloodless mother or father like me, but they gave up too!"
The words echoed around the room for a while, but the weight of them seemed to live on the shoulders of the two who stood there. Kaito took a deep breath, picked up his notebooks and showed them to his father.
"Look here, Dad! Look what I'm doing! I'm sure I can handle it! I know it will work! So I ask you to at least honor what I asked you to do this afternoon. Let me try one more time! Once and I swear, I'll never fill you up with anything like this again!"
Miguel examined the notebooks for a moment, seeing in them doodles, theories, anything his son thought might work. His urge was to help him, to hint, to tell him that some of the information was mistaken, but he wouldn't do that. He wanted Kaito to give up, but he knew that would not happen. Returning the notebooks to the table and getting up, the mage went to the door and opened it, saying before leaving.
"Kaito, I have never been proven wrong. That has never occurred. But for the first time I want to be wrong. I'm looking forward to the weekend."
Kaito felt a tremendous excitement in his chest, barely containing his excitement.
"Ah, that's right. Kaito, remember to talk to your sister and brother properly. They are both going through new things too, and some of them pretty bad. I know this new world is fun and all, but never stop taking care of your foundation, understood?"
Miguel closed the door and left his son alone with his books and theories. But Kaito could leave his studies until tomorrow afternoon. Family came first, and he should take care of his siblings first thing in the morning. Who knows, maybe they might join his training.
* * *
Kaito had already been standing in front of Eleanora's door for five minutes. Somehow the fight from the day before weighed heavily on him. He had never fought like that with Eleanora, and now it was strange to confront his sister. If Elynor had not left so soon, he would have asked his brother for help. Elynor always knew how to act at times like this.
Without wasting any more time, Kaito took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and knocked five times on his sister's door, but she didn't answer. He could only do what he always did, open the door uninvited, argue with her, sit down at her bed and only then talk. This always worked out well, except for the times when they fought more intensely and he left with a few bruises.
Kaito opened the door carefully and saw that Eleanora wasn't in her bed. She was actually in front of her laptop watching something with her headphones on. Kaito sat on the bed right behind her and watched a little bit too, seeing that it was Ties in the Wind, a bad soap opera that she loved to watch.
"You don't have to force yourself to watch it here with me. I know it's really bad."
Her voice was heavy and a little hoarse, as if she had just cried. He could see that she was not well. Eleanora was in her pajamas, hugging a pillow, and her puffy eyes were illuminated only by the little light leaking through the computer screen. Still she was not ignoring her brother.
"Are you really going to fight me again? Do we need to do that?" asked Eleanora without looking at him.
"I saw something, Nora. I saw a way to fight and make it work. Trust me."
"I trust you."
"Wait...you trust me? Then why did you do all that?
She paused the soap opera and turned in her swivel chair to her brother. At that moment Kaito realized how careful she was. Even hurt, Eleanora was smiling and stroking her brother's white hair.
"If you say that you found a way, it's because you really did it, Kai. You are that kind of person. But I'm afraid you're ignoring everything else..." Eleanora lowered her hand and her gaze was lost for a moment "All this prejudice and hatred of theirs goes a long way. There's no continent, country or state in Aliran that isn't like that."
Kaito felt a sorrow at those words, and soon something came to his mind. He knew why his sister was like this, and maybe it was time to talk about it.
"Nora... does this have to do with Valen?" he asked somewhat unsure "I mean... if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine."
"Yes it is about Valen, but it has more than that too..."
Eleanora stood up and went to her dresser drawer, pulling out a photo album and sitting down next to her brother.
"Valen and I met at the Lion's Roar guild. He was hired as a scout, which was the job left for those with low ranks. My Valen was shy, but smart and brave. Even though he was D rank he would beat the C and B ranks in the guild just with his effort. It was amazing..."
Kaito saw the rogue in the pictures and remembered him a little better. Braided green hair, a few earrings in his ears and a lively gaze of one who saw the world beyond what others saw.
"We dated for three years. I was very proud to be with him, but he wanted to hide it. He said that people wouldn't understand an A rank next to a D rank. It was like that for two years, until I couldn't take it anymore and revealed everything. I really hoped that everyone would accept it and that everything would be all right..." Elanora's gaze hardened all at once and hatred clothed her words "But everyone repudiated us. They wanted me away from him and hurt him whenever they could. Valen was already hated for fighting the rank system, but after that everything got much worse....
Eleanora placed her hand over Valen's picture and allowed herself a moment of silence before continuing
"After a year of a hellish life, they set up an impossible challenge for Valen. A fight against an A rank named Argos Lynx Eyes, a single class ranger... I wanted revenge and I tried my best, and it still wasn't enough. Argos is protected by someone powerful..."
Eleanora held her hands out from Kaito and stared him down with her face taken by fear.
"It will be worse with you! It won't just be the fights, Kaito! They won't want to accept you! They'll throw everything they can at you! That's what's in store for you if you keep going!"
Kaito felt his sister's pain and guilty from the look in her eyes. Even today she blamed herself for what happened to Valen. But he didn't back down, clasping her hands more firmly and responding with confidence.
"Then let them come with everything, Nora! I'll take whatever comes my way! I'm going to win! They've never seen someone like me fight, and I'm going to prove that an F rank can go further than any other rank will!"
That were strong, confident and precise words that made Eleanora smile. That was the way Valen spoke, and Kaito seemed to be as stubborn as her beloved was.
"I can't convince you, can I?"
"Not at all!"
She pondered for a moment, took a deep breath, affirmed to herself, and stood up.
"Then if I can't stop you..." she went to her closet and picked up a long sword "I can only assure you that you will be strong. But I'll tell you right now that I won't ease up just because you're my brother!"
With a confident smile, Kaito stood up excited to feel something in him getting stronger.
"You'd better not make it easy! Because if you do, with the power I think I have, you'll lose."