“Practice makes perfect, at least that’s what grandmother always said. That and to always eat collard greens. She thought they were a superfood” – a nostalgic philosopher

Alex brought up the plan made by Albi, which caused his eyes to light up when he heard it, and the three set out once again to make it to the garden shed.

‘I thought that by avoiding a sacred duel father could simply activate the beast remotely… Well, at least this way I won’t have to challenge him to a sacred duel to get him to move…’

The group, sneaking past multiple soldiers, come across a pair right outside the door leading to the part of the garden the need to go to.

Walter looks at them for a moment and then nods and then whispers, “ We can take them. You two take the one on the left, I’ll get the one on the right. On my count. 3… 2… 1…”

Alex gets a strange sense of deja-vu.

‘Wait, did we do this before…?’

But time does now wait for Alex, and Albi and Walter rush forward, with Alex trailing behind them. Alex starts by kicking the soldier in the stomach, while Albi takes the man’s sword and stabs him in the chest.

Alex looks at the corpse for a moment, before turning to where his father was and sees him finished on his side as well. Walter motions to the door and they step through

‘…’

Soldiers, enough to fill a company to the brim, can be seen outside.

‘Do we just have really bad luck, or did they know we were coming in this direction.

The door swings closed behind the trio.

…Domain of Earth…

Suddenly the door becomes covered in dirt.

Then the army commander walks forward, “I knew you would run, just like a rat into a trap. Now that you’re here, let’s start our duel,” Gerald lunges at Walter.

‘Why does this seem familiar again? It doesn’t matter, I can’t let him die… again…’

Alex starts clenching his head in pain, not noticing his father be killed by a nearby soldier once again, not seeing when Albi dies trying to fight off the soldiers, only becoming aware when he is stabbed through the chest.

…

“-, just like a rat into a trap. Now that you’re here, let’s start our duel.” Gerald then eerily lunges at Walter.

‘It moved again…’

Alex watches the fight begin again in earnest.

‘What am I supposed to do now?’

Alex looks around, sees how he’s surrounded.

‘I’m just going to have to brute force it then.’