Reborn with a Necromancer System-Chapter 185: The Semi-Finals: Kai vs Redford - Part One

Kai gently closed the door behind him, careful not to wake Vepice. The early morning light crept in through the curtains, casting a soft golden hue across the room. She had kicked off most of the blankets during the night, and her nightgown, thin, lavender, and dangerously short, left little to the imagination. One of her legs was exposed, bare to the hip, and her arm flopped lazily across the bed. One side of her chest was dangerously close to spilling out.

He stood in the doorway for a moment, just watching her breathe, that brief moment of calm anchoring him.

’I guess she’s sleeping in today,’ he thought, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

As he stepped out into the street, the city was already alive with motion.

It was louder than ever.

Vendors were hollering over each other, children with painted faces sprinted past his legs, and musicians competed on opposite corners of the same street with dueling flutes and drums. Flags in crimson and gold fluttered from balconies above, while banners announcing the Semifinals of the Arena of Kings waved with every breeze. Even the cobbled streets seemed to hum with anticipation.

Kai found himself squeezing through bodies just to move forward, slipping between clusters of spectators and dodging carts stacked high with festival goods. The scent of spiced meats, roasted fruit, and warm bread filled the air, and for a fleeting second, he wanted to turn around. Return to the inn. Pull the covers over Vepice and lie beside her, just for a while.

But instead, he pushed forward.

The coliseum towered ahead, casting long shadows against the cityscape. When he finally made it through the thick crowd and stepped into the fighters’ lobby, a silence of a different kind welcomed him. A tension that clung to the air like smoke.

Only four remained now.

Kai.

Quinn.

Grim.

And Redford.

The waiting room that once overflowed with competitors now felt cavernous, every footstep echoing off stone walls. A clerk in tournament robes handed out the matchup list, his expression unreadable.

Kai took the parchment and unfolded it. He already had a feeling, but reading it made it real.

~~~

Alex vs Redford

Grim vs Quinn

~~~

"Of course," Kai muttered, folding the paper neatly. "I’m against Redford."

He looked up just in time to meet Redford’s eyes. The older man was leaning against a pillar, twin swords strapped to his back, one arm resting casually over his chest. His expression was calm, composed, and yet, there was a subtle sharpness in his gaze. As though he were already in the fight.

Redford gave a slight smile. "Good luck."

Kai gave him a polite nod. "You too. Let’s have a good fight."

They said nothing more. No taunts. No boasts. Only a quiet agreement between two warriors who understood the stakes.

Together, yet separately, they stepped into the corridors that led to the arena floor.

As they emerged into the blinding light of the morning sun, the crowd erupted. The stands were packed, a sea of faces all leaning forward with anticipation. Streamers flew from overhead, magical illusions projected bursts of light into the sky above the stadium, and somewhere off to the side, a group of children held up a hand-painted banner that simply read: "TRUNSDALE!"

’That’s cute.’

The announcer’s voice echoed through the coliseum, magically amplified.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! Back again for the semifinals, it’s the man of mystery, the dark horse, the one who’s stolen the crowd’s hearts and proved himself time and time again! The descendant of Angelica Trunsdale... ALEX TRUNSDALE!"

"Yes, we all know already. You’re just repeating the same shit again and again." Kai said, under a smile while looking at the crowd.

Kai stepped out under the sun, his cloak swirling behind him, his arms at his sides. The cheers were deafening. Some shouted his name, well, Alex’s name. For once, he didn’t shrink from the noise.

He accepted it.

He wanted it.

"And now, his opponent! He’s defeated friend and foe alike with grace, speed, and a storm of blades! He’s the dual-sword spinning top of death, the high-ranking League fighter you all know and love, REDFORD!"

Redford stepped out with his usual calm demeanor, giving the crowd a nod and a small wave. The announcer’s words caused the faintest of sighs to escape his lips, though Kai noticed the corner of his mouth twitch in amusement.

As they took their places in the center of the arena, the tension grew thick.

The tiles beneath their feet still held faint scorch marks from the previous battles. The sun above bore down, and even the air seemed to vibrate with pressure.

Redford rolled his shoulders and drew both of his blades in a fluid, almost meditative motion.

Kai placed one hand on his shadow space, ready to summon his weapon.

"Whenever you’re ready," Redford said, eyes focused.

Kai nodded once.

"I won’t go easy."

"Wouldn’t want you to," Redford replied.

Above them, the announcer shouted with gleeful anticipation:

"BEGIN!"

The instant the announcer’s voice rang out, Kai moved.

There was no warning. No hesitation. No pause to read his opponent.

His entire body surged with raw energy as he activated strengthening magic, not just to his limbs, but to his core, his tendons, his very bones. It was an all-encompassing enhancement, refined through countless battles and painful lessons.

His clothes were lighter than usual, designed for speed and breathability. No cloak, no armor, nothing that would drag him down. This fight wasn’t going to be a drawn-out exchange of blows.

He’d end it now.

The world around him blurred as he closed the gap in a blink, every muscle pushing to its limit, his fists clenched with reinforced power.

Crack.

His first strike drove straight into Redford’s ribs, a deep, resounding impact that forced the older man’s body to twist slightly from the force. Kai could feel something give, a sharp pressure as bone met bone, but it wasn’t the clean break he was hoping for.

Redford staggered, the wind knocked clean out of him. His jaw clenched. But his eyes didn’t flinch.

Kai didn’t give him the chance to breathe.

In the same movement, Kai spun and brought his heel crashing toward Redford’s knee, aiming to dislocate it with precision and brute force.

But it didn’t budge.

His leg rebounded like it struck solid steel.

Kai’s eyes widened mid-spin. The resistance wasn’t natural.

Magic.

’He’s using strengthening magic too. Of course. Rael did say it’s a basic requirement for fighters at this level.’

Redford shifted his weight, recovering fluidly, and brought up one of his twin blades just in time to deflect Kai’s follow-up elbow. Kai launched himself backward, sliding across the tiles on the balls of his feet.

Redford exhaled, controlled and calm. There had to be pain and brushing forming along his ribs, but there was no visible weakness in his stance.

"Not bad," he said, loosening his shoulders. "If I hadn’t hardened my ribs, that would’ve broken something."

He held his swords low and steady, the wind brushing his dark-blond hair as he tilted his head toward Kai.

"But that’s not enough to pass you for the League. Show me what you’ve really got."

Kai narrowed his eyes.

’So that was just a warmup to him...?’

He could feel the sweat starting to bead along the back of his neck. The strengthening magic was demanding, sustaining it at this level would burn through his stamina faster than a series of spells.

He didn’t have time to play games.

"Fine," Kai said under his breath.

He flexed his hands, let his knees bend slightly, and steadied his breathing.

He wouldn’t resort to necromancy.

He wouldn’t even resort to shadow magic unless he absolutely had to.

Not yet.

This was going to be strength against strength. Reflexes against precision.

He remembered the lessons he’d learned from his battles with Fenric and Tarnil.

Observation.

Breathing.

Control.

He dashed forward again, not in a straight line this time, but in a weaving zigzag pattern, making his movement unpredictable.

"Is that the drunken fist style those in the west are known to use?" The announcer called out.

It was nothing of the sort. Kai read a comic in his past life where it worked to disorient the main character’s opponent.

Redford reacted quickly once Kai reached him, crossing both blades in a downward X-like block as Kai came in for a high strike, but Kai ducked at the last moment, sliding under the block and launching a rising uppercut toward Redford’s gut.

It connected, but Redford pivoted with the blow, absorbing the impact while spinning on his heel. One of his short swords came down like a guillotine toward Kai’s exposed shoulder.

Kai twisted as well, narrowly dodging it, but the edge clipped his shirt and sliced a clean line down his arm, a thin red trail of blood immediately welling to the surface.

The crowd gasped.

Kai skidded back and winced, but he couldn’t stop.

He roared forward again, fists swinging in a flurry of strikes, aiming for ribs, joints, temples. Each strike met with the ringing clash of steel or a glancing dodge, Redford matching his tempo with frightening speed.

It was a brutal, precise dance.

Each exchange brought them millimeters from serious injury.

One received more bruises and broken bones, while the other was cut to ribbons.

Then Redford’s tone changed.

"You’re holding back," he said suddenly, parrying a punch with the flat of his blade. "Why?"

Kai grit his teeth.

"Because I need to prove I can win without it."

Without shadows.

Without tricks.

Without the darkness he’d relied on his entire life.

He’d do his best to fulfil his promise to Joran.

Redford smiled. "Then I’ll fight you with everything. Just like you want. But if you hold back, you’ll lose."