Therefore, to defeat Paul fairly, speed was key.
Rudy's figure turned into a blur as he vanished from his spot.
At the door, both Zenith and Lilia watched in astonishment.
Compared to Rudy's morning swordsmanship practice, his current movements were like night and day.
Zenith suddenly realized something and couldn't stop the tears that welled up in her eyes. She covered her mouth, trying to suppress any sound.
If Rudy had been holding back during practice, then now, in his anger, he was giving it his all—fighting Paul for her sake, not hesitating to teach his father a lesson.
This child... he never says anything. No matter how hurt his mother is, he silently endures it all.
"Wait... Rudy!" Paul cried, throwing aside the broken wooden sword hilt and rolling to the side, dodging frantically. He had a gut feeling that the attack just now wasn't one a wooden sword could withstand.
His eyes darted to the greatsword lying nearby—the birthday gift he had given his son.
Why was it here?
But Paul had no time to dwell on it. He quickly grabbed the sword, turning around just in time to block the next strike.
Clang!
The blue light of Rudy's wooden sword collided with the metal of Paul's greatsword, producing a sharp sound.
Paul was horrified. This wasn't the basic swordsman's strength he had evaluated Rudy on this morning.
This was advanced!
And what was with these strange movements?
Before Paul could process everything, Rudy's next attacks came like a storm.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Paul's mind was in disarray, his thoughts split between several concerns: his worry for Zenith, thoughts about the family's future, and the shock at Rudy's sudden display of power.
As for Rudy, he had lived through countless battles in the ninja world. From the age of three, he had begun training. By the age of five, he had already taken a life to harden his resolve.
The Root organization under Danzo, the demons of the Land of Waves, the snow ninjas from the Land of Snow... the Akatsuki, the intelligence factions, the Prajna group... Uchiha Madara, and even Kaguya Ōtsutsuki—Rudy had faced them all.
His combat experience was leagues beyond that of an adventurer like Paul.
He had walked through fields of corpses and seas of blood, where a single mistake meant death.
However, speed came with a cost. Rudy's body was still that of a six-year-old. Pushing himself too hard could lead to irreversible damage.
As he moved, Rudy silently counted the time. In five seconds, his magic and chakra would be depleted. But Paul could last for at least a minute, probably longer.
Rudy had purposely placed the greatsword where Paul could reach it, but now, it was a hindrance.
He had no choice but to use a bit of his ocular power, hoping the first use wouldn't have too severe side effects.
As Rudy channeled his ocular power, an intense pain throbbed in his eyes.
"Argh!"
The cry of pain brought Zenith out of her daze, and even Paul froze in shock.
"Stop... Rudy!" Zenith cried out in distress.
Paul found himself immobilized by Rudy's ocular power, completely unable to move. He watched in horror as blood and tears streamed from Rudy's right eye.
Rudy's wooden sword slid past the defense of the greatsword, and as it reached Paul's neck, the blue light that had enveloped it suddenly faded.
For a brief moment, Paul thought he was about to die.
But Rudy only smiled knowingly before his body went pale, and he collapsed straight onto Paul.
"Rudy!"
Zenith rushed forward in a panic, while Lilia stood frozen, unsure of what to do.
Slap!
A sharp slap from Zenith left a red, leaf-shaped mark on Paul's face, snapping him back to reality.
He hurriedly carried Rudy into the house, and Zenith began releasing healing magic over and over, not stopping until Rudy's complexion looked better.
At the dining table in the living room, Lilia timidly expressed her desire to leave.
"I want to resign after helping Mistress with the childbirth and leave this house."
"No!" Zenith, her eyes still swollen from crying, refused flatly.
"Rudy attacked his father not just for me, but for this family." She stared coldly at Paul as she continued, "This was Paul's mistake, and Rudy ended up paying the price."
Lilia, usually expressionless, now had tears flowing down her face.
"Master Rudy... he did it for me..."
"That's why you're already part of this family, and I will not allow you to leave."
Words, in this case, were insignificant compared to Rudy's actions.
His 'anger' had erupted, revealing his vulnerable side to his family for the first time. If he didn't care about this family, why would the always-sensible Rudy have attacked Paul with such intensity?
Zenith, as a result, found herself much less bitter about the betrayal.
Her heart had once been divided between Paul and Rudy, but now Rudy's weight in her heart had grown significantly, leaving Paul's much diminished.
Rudy lay bedridden for over seven months.
He had underestimated the toll that his ocular power had taken on his body, as well as the strain from overusing his magic.
Thanks to Zenith's continuous healing magic during the early stages, Rudy's physical condition had mostly recovered.
What remained was an excess of ocular power and a soul too unstable to properly synchronize with his body.
He was essentially in a state of consciousness similar to a vegetative coma.
Every day, Sylphy would sit by his bed for hours, holding his hand and softly weeping. Zenith's healing magic, three times a day, was sometimes even performed by Sylphy due to her motherly responsibilities.
As for Paul, his status in the family had plummeted. He lived each day hoping for Rudy's recovery so that he could apologize.
Even someone as thick-headed as Paul had realized why Rudy had attacked him that day. It wasn't just a warning; it was Rudy's way of redirecting the family's tension.
The incident was never brought up again. Not even Zenith, though she remained cold toward Paul, talked about it.
And until Rudy woke up, Paul was exiled to sleep on the floor indefinitely.
Thankfully, Rudy did wake up one morning.
He immediately checked himself, noticing that his ocular power had grown stronger, with about three tomoe visible in his Sharingan. "Is this because of the body?" he wondered silently.
Then, he glanced at Sylphy, who was crying tears of joy beside him.
"You're awake... thank goodness, Rudy..." Sylphy sobbed, throwing herself onto him, trembling with relief.
Her warmth, softness, and the faint scent of her hair filled Rudy with comfort.
"I'm fine," Rudy reassured her as he sat up in bed. Paul, hearing Sylphy's cries, rushed into the room but hesitated at the doorway.
"I'm sorry, Rudy." His voice was somber, reflecting his broken pride as a father.
Rudy, however, was calm. "I'm fine."
He stood up, and though he had been bedridden for seven months, his muscles had not atrophied, thanks to the healing magic.
Still, Sylphy supported him as if afraid he might fall.
"How long have I been out?"
"Over seven months," Sylphy replied.
"That long?" Rudy was surprised. "Is everything alright at home?"
"Everything's fine. Your mother's about to—"
Before Paul could finish, Zenith's exclamation from downstairs cut him off.
It seemed that after seven months, the time had finally come.
Paul rushed downstairs, panicked. Lilia was also in labor, and the village midwife was called.
After examining Zenith, the midwife grimly shook her head. "It's a difficult birth. There's nothing more I can do."
With Lilia's cooperation and the use of healing magic from both Rudy and Sylphy, Zenith eventually gave birth successfully to a healthy baby girl.