Tower of Paradise

Chapter 74: Getting To Know Each Other

— I've won. —She declared triumphantly, sitting on the floor with that brilliant smile that was beginning to irritate me.

I opened my eyes and frowned, trying to ignore the piercing pain that throbbed in my head. I felt humiliated, but more than that, I experienced an immense frustration with myself, with my limitations.

— Was that last part necessary? —I asked, unable to contain my tone of reproach.

— Naive, you must always assume you're in a real combat. —KathyIn responded as she got up.

— Fine, I surrender. —I simply admitted, without the spirit to prolong a discussion that would lead to nothing productive.

Noticing the change in my expression, KathyIn turned to me and asked in a surprisingly soft tone:

— Are you okay?

— I'm fine. —I shook my head and breathed deeply.

Now I understood it clearly. There were some Ascendants who, despite sharing the same rank, possessed combat skills vastly superior to others. A common denominator among them: they never neglected training. KathyIn seemed to belong to this category.

In any case, training never disappointed; efforts always bore fruit, and the higher the level, the greater the difference and the more notably true talents stood out.

— Let's continue together. —She suggested, assuming I would agree to accompany her.

I hesitated momentarily, without offering an immediate response.

KathyIn put the wooden sword in her dimensional ring with a fluid movement.

— Well, you're strong. This is your opportunity to invite me to climb the Tower with you. —Her brazen smile was almost refreshing.

— Why? —I raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised by her direct proposal.

— What do you mean why? Because I'm pretty, sexy, and intelligent and, most importantly, strong. —She touched her hair and turned her head toward me with a flirtatious gesture.

— Are you that comfortable saying that? —I was disconcerted by her overflowing confidence.

— I'm a positive girl. —KathyIn pursed her lips in a gesture that was meant to be adorable.

— Uh, I see. —I mumbled, not knowing exactly how to respond to her disarming sincerity.

She remained silent for a few moments as she sat down and adopted a relaxed posture.

— How about we formally introduce ourselves? I'm KathyIn. —She extended her hand toward me in a friendly gesture.

After a moment of hesitation, I smiled and responded:

— I'm Arceus. Since we're going to depend on each other, should we share the abilities we have at our disposal?

It was a logical and strategic suggestion. If we were going to fight side by side, knowing each other's strengths was practically vital. Even so, KathyIn didn't seem completely unprepared, as she observed me with a cautious expression that betrayed a certain reserve.

She knew the fear of death, but above all recognized reality. In the tower, we were forced to be alongside death. The issue was who died first. Either I die or others die.

Initially, I had been reluctant to team up with her, but after witnessing her extraordinary abilities, I understood that rejecting this opportunity would be an unforgivable tactical error. I wasn't so naive as to believe I could conquer the tower alone, not with the dangers that lurked on each level.

— I'll start. —I declared, both to demonstrate my sincerity and to reveal information about myself in a controlled manner.

I strived to be as honest as possible, knowing that trust was the foundation of any effective alliance.

— As you know, I'm a hand-to-hand fighter, but I possess an ability that provides me with certain information about the tower floors.

KathyIn listened attentively to my words and then lowered her head, as if experiencing a sudden shame.

— Oh... you're telling the truth —she murmured, almost to herself.

It was true. The class I "had" and that KathyIn saw through the tower was: Warrior. And technically, I was a hand-to-hand fighter so nothing I said was incorrect.

I cleared my throat and smiled, skillfully hiding the nervousness that was beginning to invade me:

— Really? That's good to know. But... why are you so sure I'm being honest?

The young woman moved uncomfortably in her place.

— Ah! That's my ability. I can distinguish the nature of good and evil in people, as well as the authenticity of their words and the preferences they harbor. I mean, that's what I think... it's only happened on a couple of occasions.

I swallowed hard. In few words, what she meant was that she would know with absolute certainty if I had lied or not and that I should be careful with everything I said from now on.

I felt my head hurting and decided to avoid that line of thought for now. Instead, I hid my inner confusion and said in a friendly tone:

— That's a good ability.

— Let's go in. We've already lost a lot of time. —KathyIn suddenly got up—. Let's go.

Without looking at me, she headed toward the portal. When she reached it, she suddenly stopped.

— What are you doing? —I asked after having gotten up and finding myself a couple of meters away from her.

— I'm afraid to enter alone. Hurry up! —She exclaimed with a childish tone that contrasted with her presence.

— Nothing will change by just entering the portal. Do it.

— You want a vulnerable girl to go first?

Vulnerable woman? Don't make me laugh. I mocked internally, but didn't express it out loud.

— Yes, manners say ladies first... And I've learned that manners make the man. —I responded with a hint of irony in my voice.

— Look at that. I don't know where you learned that, but it would be good if you checked it again —she replied.

KathyIn couldn't help but laugh. Her laugh was like the music of a stream flowing gently. The sound made me feel much better; I hadn't heard anything like it since I entered the tower. It was nice to see that people could still retain a bit of joy even in this hellish place.

— Enter. —Still, no one could prevent me from pushing KathyIn's back so that she entered the portal.

— H-hey, I'm not ready yet... —she protested weakly.

— Doesn't matter.

I cut her off unceremoniously and surrendered myself to the light that enveloped my entire body.