The Monster Monarch System-Chapter 212: A Little Spar (Part 4)

[A/N: Was focusing on the Other book, editing the Privs now!]

The chains clanked as the spinning blade cut through the air with a deadly whistle.

Cole didn’t hold back — he threw his blade forward, aiming straight for the head of the Onio Representative.

In a flash, she raised her dagger, infusing it with soul energy and barely managing to parry the strike.

She gritted her teeth in the process, the force of the blow rattling her arm, but she maintained her footing.

The blade spun in midair, returning with a deadly arc that threatened to descend upon her once again, she feared that this second time would not be like the first.

The Representative leapt to the side, her boots scraping against the ground as she landed with a crouch, daggers now in both hands.

She threw one at Cole’s head with a sharp flick of her wrist.

But Cole was quicker. Without hesitation, he raised his second blade, deflecting the incoming dagger with a swift motion.

The dagger flew off the field, clattering against the distant stone walls.

He retracted his chain and seized both hilts, the weight of his twin blades feeling natural in his hands.

His eyes, cold and focused, never left the Representative.

’Long-range battles won’t work against her,’ Cole thought, narrowing his gaze as the Representative prepared for her next move. She was fast — too fast to rely on anything other than close combat.

’I need to finish this quickly.’

With a sudden burst of speed, Cole closed the distance between them.

His blades cut through the air in a blur, each strike coming faster and more precisely than the last.

The Representative’s eyes widened in surprise as she tried to dodge, but she wasn’t quick enough.

The blades were upon her in an instant.

She could feel the sharpness of the steel, the air around her thick with the pressure of their speed. She just barely managed to shift her stance, the cold steel stopping a hair’s breadth from her eyes.

Cole stood there, still as a stone, his crimson gaze locked onto hers. The moment stretched between them, hanging in the air like a suspended breath.

"We’re done here," Cole said, his voice low and almost detached as he slid his blades back into their sheaths which lay on his back.

The Representative collapsed to the ground, her legs giving way beneath her as she sat on the field.

She stared at him, wide-eyed and shaken, her chest rising and falling with heavy breaths.

The fear that had gripped her heart since the start of their sparring match began to dissipate, but it was replaced by something else — a deeper, darker realization.

She stared into his eyes. His crimson irises gleamed in the dim light, a dangerous intensity that felt unnaturally cold.

She had expected some kind of aura, some noticeable surge of soul energy that would tell her who... no... what he was.

But Cole didn’t need to manifest any kind of power. His presence alone was enough to make her stomach twist with unease.

The word hung unspoken in her mind.

’Monster.’

That was the word that fit him, though she knew it wasn’t the full truth. He wasn’t just a monster. He was something more, something different.

Her hand trembled as she lowered her gaze to the dirt beneath her, trying to steady her breath, trying to steady her thoughts.

At first, she’d only heard rumors about the latest Apprentices from Orion. Whispers of their strength, their strange power and mastery over it, she had taken that as a joke. But facing one of them in battle, feeling that cold pressure bearing down on her — this was different.

This wasn’t just some skilled fighter. This was something far beyond that.

She had been sent here on a secret mission, cloaked under the guise of negotiating a truce between the three towns.

The official reason for her visit was simple enough: the Onio Representative, a respected figure in their town, was here to help finalize the terms of the agreement.

The unofficial reason, however, was far darker. She had been tasked with gathering information on the whereabouts of someone —Rem.

The name had spread quickly through both Orion and Onio, but the true details were murky.

Some said he was a rogue, others said he was something even worse.

The one thing everyone agreed on was that Rem had killed a Captain — a Beastkin, no less.

The news had caused a stir, but it hadn’t reached here or the other cities yet.

The leaders of both towns were careful to keep it under wraps. If it got out that a child, someone who hadn’t even reached the age of fifteen, had killed a high-ranking officer — especially one as respected as the Beastkin Captain — it would be disastrous for both towns.

What would that say about their security? What would it mean for the truce they were trying to build?

It was meant to be a simple mission. She would engage in the sparring match, keep her opponent distracted, and try to learn more about Rem’s whereabouts — whether through subtle questioning or by probing for any sign of where he had gone after the incident.

But this? This was something else entirely.

She could still feel his gaze, unblinking, as though he could see right through her...The Soulless monster from Orion — he wasn’t just an enigma; he was a threat. And yet, there was something about him that made her wonder.

Did he know?Did he know why she was here? Was he aware that she had been sent to extract information from him, to use their sparring as an opportunity to learn about his friend’s whereabouts?

As her eyes fell to the ground, she thought of Rem again. ’Where are you?’

She could feel the gnawing curiosity clawing at her. She needed answers.

But looking up at Cole, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever get them. He was no longer just a man in front of her. In that brief moment, he’d become something else... Something that could tear everything down if he chose to.

#####

Cole raised the can of water to his lips, drinking it down in one quick gulp. His throat felt dry, his mind already racing ahead.

He needed to head back to Orion soon, to report his findings and continue the search for Rem. The plan hadn’t changed — detain him, keep him locked up before his actions could tarnish Orion’s reputation any further.

But there was something else, something important that he needed to deliver.

After finishing the water, he crushed the can effortlessly in his palm and tossed it into a nearby trash bin.

He stood still for a moment, eyes lingering on the door in front of him — the door leading to the room where Cecilia was resting after their sparring match.

’I don’t know if they were close,’ Cole thought, exhaling slowly as he reached up to knock on the door. ’But the Mayor said if I ran into her, I should break the news. And, well... Cecilia’s his daughter.’

The sound of her voice came from inside. "Come in."

He pushed the door open, stepping inside. He closed it softly behind him, then paused for a moment, unsure of how to begin.

Cecilia was lying on the bed, her face pale but composed.

She’d taken the worst of their sparring match, but her body language suggested she was recovering well. She just needed a bit of rest.

"Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?" Her voice was faint but clear. There was an edge to it, maybe from the lingering adrenaline of their match, but she wasn’t dismissive.

Cole hesitated, feeling the weight of the moment settle over him. "It’s about your dad," he said quietly.

She froze, her eyes narrowing slightly, as if waiting for him to continue.

She hadn’t heard from him in over a year, and that had always seemed strange to her.

He had been a pillar in their town, a symbol of strength and honor.

His silence had been unsettling, but she hadn’t allowed herself to fully consider what that might mean.

Cole took a breath, then delivered the words flatly, with no emotion behind them. "He’s... dead."

The room seemed to hold its breath. For a long moment, there was no sound. The air felt thick, suffocating. Cecilia’s expression was unreadable, her eyes wide as if she hadn’t fully processed what he had just said. Then, the silence broke — her teeth clenched, her jaw tightening as her hands curled into fists at her sides.

Cole could feel it, the pulse of soul energy radiating from her like a shockwave. Her anger was a tangible thing now, thick and crackling in the air between them.

It was fierce, raw, and uncontrolled.

For a brief moment, Cole wondered if she was going to lash out at him.

But she didn’t. Instead, she just lay there, staring at the ceiling, her body rigid with fury. She didn’t speak at first. She didn’t need to. The power simmering beneath her skin said everything.

Finally, Cecilia’s voice came, low and trembling with emotion. "How?"

Cole stood there for a moment, the weight of the question hanging between them. The answer was brutal, but it was the truth.

He knew it wouldn’t bring her any peace, but it was the only answer he had.