Chapter 46
"I was aware from the moment you held me. I was conscious, although I couldn't move or do anything aside from enhancing your magic. However, I was able to communicate with you," Rachel admitted. Gray pondered for a moment as Rachel continued, "I have never, nor will I ever, have any intention of harming you." Her words softened Gray's gaze as he sighed. "Well, this means that you know a lot about me, huh?" Rachel sighed as well and replied, "You're weird, Gray. Most people say they don't have a test in music, but in reality, they're just afraid of being judged. But you? There's no reason why 'A Man Without' and heavy metal music should be in the same playlist." Offended, Gray retorted, "My taste in music is great. You just don't understand," causing Rachel to look at him, equally offended.
"It's literally impossible for me to not understand. I am an empath," Rachel said as Gray groaned. "Yeah, that is going to be annoying," he muttered before starting to remove his shirt. Halfway through, he paused and turned to Rachel. "Since you've been with me since the end of my first year, does that mean you've seen me naked?" Rachel didn't reply but transformed back into her cane form, muttering, "Hmph, pervert." Gray chuckled as he removed his shirt, revealing a large scar on his chest in the shape of his entire vascular system. "Oh, this can't be good," Gray muttered, inspecting the scar. "Of course, it's not good," Rachel said, returning to her human form. "You overloaded your body with so much magic your mana vessels ruptured. I'm surprised they're still intact. Even your blood contained so much magic that it restored some of my powers."
As she examined his body, Gray sighed, checking his new scar. "But given your physiology, it will regenerate soon, so you should be able to use magic again. In the meantime, no magic for you." Gray chuckled and asked, "Does this mean you'll protect little old weak me?" Rachel looked at him oddly and replied, "No, you'll probably go a week without sleep to create a potion recipe to enhance your magic vessels." Smiling, Gray said, "You really know me, huh?" before reflecting on the fight he had just endured. "But I lost today," he said out of habit. Rachel interjected, "They were trained. These Merlin fanatics are organized and well-trained. Plus, they're superhuman, and they know magic. It's not surprising you lost. You have no formal training in CQC." Suddenly, an idea struck Gray. Rachel, skeptical, asked, "Oh, I know that look. What are you going to do now?" Transforming back into her cane form, she continued, "And where are you going to learn how to fight?"
Gray grabbed Rachel in cane form and started walking, saying, "Since the reason I lost was my lack of technique, I'm going to learn how to fight properly." Rachel immediately asked, "And where are you going to learn how to fight?" Gray, now out of the alleyway and onto the main road, replied, "There are a lot of ways to do so, but…" He paused, looking around at the buildings, cars, and people passing by, clearly shocked. "Rachel, what world did you take us into?" he asked, completely taken aback. Rachel replied, "I don't know. It's a rift in time and space. I don't know what's behind it, but welcome to the modern world." A woman passing by gave Gray a dirty look, which he ignored as he picked up a newspaper which was about a government denying some sort of a demonic figure they called hellboy. Seeing the year printed—2004—he muttered, "This is 10 years into the future," before Rachel added, "Well, that's still in the past." Gray, shocked, asked, "What year did you come from? Wait, are you not from my world?"
Rachel, unfazed, replied, "No. My family problems and I were sucked into a rift. I was turned into a cane before I could find another rift and escape." Gray pondered for a moment before asking, "So, how are we going back to my world? Remember, I have a magical school to attend, and I need to collect my money from these shops." Rachel, unimpressed, said, "You're just concerned about the money, aren't you?" Gray didn't reply, prompting Rachel to sigh. "I left a little mark in your world before I left, so hopefully, we find a rift before that mark dissipates." Gray sighed in relief and began exploring this new future.
[ some time later ]
Deep beneath the city, the underground train station had long since been abandoned by commuters and repurposed into a seedy fighting arena. The air was damp, thick with the smell of sweat, blood, and the faint metallic tang of rusted steel. A makeshift cage stood in the center, illuminated by flickering fluorescent lights that cast eerie shadows on the cracked tile walls. Around it, a motley crowd of bettors and spectators hollered and jeered, their faces alight with a mix of excitement and malice. Coins clinked, cash exchanged hands, and the chant of "Go, Punching Bag!" echoed through the station, aimed at one of the two fighters.
Inside the cage stood Gray, stripped to nothing but a pair of black boxers, his lean, athletic frame covered in faint bruises and sweat. Across from him was his opponent, a grizzled man in his late forties with the unmistakable bearing of a veteran soldier. The military man was taller, his muscular build hardened by years of discipline and combat experience. He sneered at Gray, fists raised, his stance firm and deliberate. The bell rang, and the fight began. Gray didn't flinch as the older man launched forward, delivering a sharp jab to his ribs, followed by a right hook to his jaw. The crowd roared as Gray stumbled but remained on his feet, his eyes unwavering as he studied the man's movements.
Every blow landed with precision, the soldier's fists slamming into Gray's midsection and face like hammer strikes. A jab snapped Gray's head back, and a brutal uppercut sent him crashing to the mat. Yet, each time, Gray sprang back up, wiping blood from his lip and returning to his stance. He didn't fight back; instead, he watched, analyzing every strike, every shift in weight, every subtle telegraph in his opponent's movements. The crowd screamed, "Go, Punching Bag!" laughing as Gray absorbed the punishment with an almost unnatural resilience. They had seen him endure for five days straight, each fight more brutal than the last.
The military man, sensing victory, grew bolder. He unleashed a flurry of strikes—crosses, hooks, and even a swift kick to Gray's side. Still, Gray stood, his breathing controlled, his eyes never leaving the man. Then it happened. A small tell: the soldier's left shoulder dipped ever so slightly before each jab. Gray smirked. The crowd didn't notice, but he did. He waited for the next punch, sidestepped it with lightning precision, and before anyone could react, he moved. In a blur, Gray closed the distance, delivering a bone-crushing elbow to the soldier's temple. The man crumpled to the mat, unconscious, before the cheers turned into a chorus of groans and boos. Gray stood over him, victorious but calm, brushing off the jeers as he exited the cage.
Gray walked down a narrow hallway that led to a dimly lit office. The room was cramped and smelled of stale cigars. A man sat behind a desk cluttered with papers, coins, and a half-empty bottle of whiskey. He was middle-aged, his greasy hair slicked back, and his round face glistened under the yellow light of a desk lamp. He wore a cheap suit that barely fit, the buttons straining against his bloated frame. His beady eyes scanned Gray as he entered, a mix of amusement and suspicion crossing his face.
Reaching into a drawer, the administrator pulled out a wad of cash and tossed it onto the desk. "You're really something, you know that?" he said, his voice nasal and grating. "Are you here just to get beaten?" He leaned forward, giving Gray a once-over with a raised brow. "I don't have anything against any kink, but—" he paused, letting the implication hang in the air, his lips curling into a sly grin. Before he could finish, Gray pocketed the cash without a word and turned on his heel, leaving the room and the man's laughter behind.