—–

Since that day that Erika had begun to come visit me every day without fail.

From the weekly times I would see her here and there, our relationship and friendship deepened faster as she came to visit me every day.

She often interrupted me while I meditated and expanded my Qi, but it wasn’t unpleasant, as I was able to meditate even while speaking or doing basic things. One of the various aspects of Qi usage is infusing it into your very mind and split your consciousness to multi-task.

At some point, she began to sense as if something weird was happening with me. She clearly sensed there was an aura of some sort around me… but she often kept silent about it, without bothering herself with pointing it out, which was good because I wouldn’t had wanted my parents finding out I was doing something dangerous enough that, if done wrong, could cripple me forever.

I’ve been trying to visit Eric and Chris again. I saw them the other day playing in the plaza, the two kids who were always nice treated me as always.

“Oh, Blake! Wanna play ball?” said Chris.

“My aunt said that I got faster!” said Eric.

“Oh… Sure. But have you seen Erika? I saw her the other day and she said that you guys are evading her.” I said.

“Ah…”

“Well…”

The two kids suddenly got a bit silent.

“Well?” I asked.

“Sigh… It’s complicated. Mom and dad said that we cannot get involved with her anymore…” sighed Chris. The black-haired boy seemed a bit regretful.

“Yeah, my auntie and uncle said the same… We can’t, or they won’t teach me Spirit Techniques when I finally awaken my spirit… You know it’s very important!” said Eric.

“But didn’t you two enjoyed her presence? Weren’t we… friends?” I asked.

“Y-Yeah… But… We can be friends with you, Blake!” said Chris.

“Yeah, but… not Erika.” Said Eric.

“So fast…” I sighed.

“Huh?”

“What?”

These two left her side so fast over simplistic interests… You make me feel ashamed to have thought you were my friends. Well, they’re children influenced by their parents after all. Sigh.

“You’ve left her so fast despite having been friends of her for so long. If that’s the case, I don’t want to be your friends anymore. Scram now.”

“W-What?!”

“Blake?!”

“Don’t you understand? She’s completely alone by herself. Discriminated by everyone for a reason we don’t even know about yet… you just accept it and move on?” I asked.

“…”

“…”

The two kids suddenly clenched their fists, they understood my words rather well. They felt frustrated. But I guess I shouldn’t be using big words with children, they still won’t understand I suppose.

“M-Mom said she’s not a human!” said Chris.

“What?” I asked.

“S-She said… T-That Erika is not a human…” said Chris.

“I heard you the first time… But why?” I asked.

“I don’t know!” said Chris.

The kid became angered the more I asked. I suppose it also hurt him deep down.

“I-I am not going to meet Erika again… I-I don’t have anything against her but… My studies and my future are more important.” Said Eric. The blonde boy, who was always a coward, suddenly grew bolder over his personal interests.

“You two liked her yet you leave her aside… Well, whatever.” I sighed. I was going to walk away but Chris continued trash talking me. Children are seriously annoying.

“Tch! And what makes you think you’re better than us?! Your parents are just… idiots!” said Chris.

“What did you said about my parents? Take it back.” I said, as I moved towards Chris. I suddenly felt an impulse to force him to take back those words. My family has been raising me all this time with care and time. Even as a child, I felt it was my duty to reprimand him.

The black-haired boy looked at me with a defiant smile, as rage was flowing through his face.

“Y-You don’t get it?! She’s discriminated for a reason! If your parents can’t even discern that, and let themselves get involved with her… they’ll eventually end up being targeted too… Your family are all idiots…!” said Chris, looking at my eyes from above. The kid was taller than me.

“You dare call my family like this? This is the last chance you have, Chris. Just because we are friends, take it back. Have nobody taught you that it is wrong to insult somebody’s family? I have never done this to yours.” I said.

“T-Tch! I won’t take it back! And to be honest… Y-You’re a creep anyways! You don’t even act like a kid, sometimes you feel like an old man! What is even wrong with you? Weirdo!” said Chris. As he pushed me back with his strength, trying to throw me onto the ground.

However he quickly discovered that my body, although small, was as hard as a log and as firm as a rock.

“H-Huh?”

“Flowing Fist Technique: Punishment Of the Ignorant.”

“Eh?!”

I infused Qi into my fists and moved my fists as if they were two flowing rivers, in a second my fist clashed against his chest and stomach like two arrows that had hit their target as swiftly as possible. Two beams of flashing golden light came out of them. Of course, it couldn’t even be said to be hits, more like gentle pats. I wasn’t going to hit a child, even if he was enraging me.

“Wha…?!”

Chris felt shocked, I didn’t actually damage him severely, but this type of hit really hurts. This is why it is called Punishment of the Ignorant. You are not meant to damage someone for being ignorant, but you punish them for being one, and then guide them to open their eyes after their learn their lesson. Perhaps a little scare so he would let me alone.

“Aghhh…! H-How did you move so fast?!” he asked, as he kneeled due to losing his balance.

“I am well versed in martial arts.” I said.

“M-Martial… Arts?”

Chris rushed forward towards me. As I felt his Mana began to awaken due to his rage. His body began to overflow with Mana, as flames began to emerge from his fists. Is this a sign of his spirit soon to awaken? We are four years old after all… so it’s possible.

I looked at him calmly.

“You think that your mana is enough to even make me falter. Fine, try your best, my former friend.”

“S-Shut up, idiot!”

He roared angrily as he tried to hit my face several times, his blazing fist were hot, if I were to be touched by them, I would suffer severe damage.

Flash! Flash! Flash!

However, his attacks were clumsy and predictable.

“You’re terrible at fighting, what with that posture? Move your fists swifter, not stronger. Someone that can’t even hit their target doesn’t even deserve to call himself a fighter. Do you plan to become a Spirit Master with such feeble movements, Chris?” I said.

“S-Shut up!”

He continued to try to hit me, as I evaded swiftly and then, I reached to his left side without him even realizing.

I gathered my Qi into my palm as I put on a posture of eternal harmony and peace. My entire aura suddenly calmed itself to the point of pure tranquility.

And I moved my palm towards the left side of his rib, touching it gently.

A wave of invisible energy suddenly shaped as a large palm hit Chris, pushing him a meter away from me and throwing him to the ground.

BAM!

“Ugh…!”

He fell to the ground, as he put himself into a fetal position while gritting his teeth. He was fine, however.

“Agh…”

“Don’t worry. It only hurts. The fist of tranquility doesn’t leave any damage, if I don’t want it to.” I said.

Indeed, the Fist of Tranquility is a technique where I can choose to either damage a person’s innards and burst them into pieces, or not, only overflowing their bodies with energy, which makes them tired. There’s the initial push, but that’s it. Even a four year old kid can survive that.

“W-Who… taught you that?” asked Chris.

“Myself.” I said.

I looked to Eric after that. The blonde boy was trembling in horror on the ground. Sitting on his butt and gritting his teeth.

“Y-You monster…! Leave Chris alone!” he said, as he rushed forward and protected his friend.

“Sigh… First of all, he insulted my family. You never insult a person’s family. Second, I don’t like hitting kids anyways. This was just a punishment. There is no actual damage to his body, only the pain of defeat.” I said.

“W-What are you?” asked Chris.

“I am Blake, your friend… But not anymore. I don’t want to have anything to do with you nor Eric. Don’t dare come closer to me or Erika ever again.” I said, as I walked back home.

“Nngh… W-Who cares anyways?! Get lost!” said Chris angrily.

“Blake…” sighed Eric. He seemed saddened.

I went back home with a bitter expression on my face, to think that things would end this way. I would have liked to not utilize violence. But I felt it was necessary to uphold justice over the discrimination to Erika, and also to his insult to my family.

Even as the thousand-year-old man I was before, I always hit in the face those that dared to offend those I loved, and in this life, I won’t falter either. I am no pushover. I am a fervent believer that a fist can sometimes speak a thousand words, and my fist spoke to Chris, and told him that he was not even at my level. Nonetheless, deep down I still feel rather ashamed I hit a kid. Maybe I let my emotions get the best of me. I should had simply ignored them.

I am getting too emotional, I should calm down… Maybe I took it too personal. Even as I am right now, I feel like there’s a lot of room for my own personality to grow. I suppose such expereinces were never there in my previous life.

…

Although…

It feels so bitter.

I really… would have liked them to be my friends.

I clenched my fist, as I felt exhausted. Utilizing Qi was very exhausting, I almost used it all in just those two techniques.

I have to be careful to not overuse it, or I might damage my Pressure Points.

“Sigh…:”

Suddenly, I sensed someone following me.

I quickly stopped walking and confronted it.

But it was a pink-haired girl.

“Erika?” I asked.

“B-Blake… W-Why did you fight with them?!” she asked.

“Did you see that? I am sorry. You shouldn’t had seen that.” I sighed.

“B-But weren’t we all friends? W-Why… why are you fighting…” she sighed, tears coming out of her eyes.

“I had to do it to uphold justice to my beliefs. I couldn’t tolerate them talking bad about you, nor how Chris insulted my family… This is how I am. I am not a conventional person that sucks it up and cries in a corner when people insult me or those I love. I fight back.” I said.

“…Blake.” She sighed, slowly moving towards me, and hugging me.

Her warm tears began to cover my chest as I sighed. I caressed her silky pink hair as I comforted her.

“Y-You’re the only friend I have… Nobody… nobody likes me…” she cried.

“Don’t worry… I am still your friend… You will never lose my friendship, as it is worth a hundred Galaxies. So make sure to treasure it.” I said.

She looked into my eyes as she smiled.

“Hm! I… I-I will treasure it… D-Do you treasure my friendship?” she asked.

“I do.” I said, as I hugged her back.

“Blake… Sniff… Buaaah…!”

Erika began to cry loudly. I don’t know how many things she had gone through, but I felt like she was letting out all her frustrations now, all her sorrows, all her pain.

She had accumulated a lot of that.

Poor child…

“Now, now, don’t cry anymore. Such a pretty face is better when you’re smiling as radiantly as you always do.” I said.

“Ah…” Erika suddenly blushed at my honest words.

“Now let’s go back to my home, I think mother’s lunch is almost ready…” I said.

“S-Sure!” she said, as she smiled back while I wiped her tears.

“Good, that’s a better face.” I said.

She suddenly held my hand tightly, without letting it go.

We walked back home while holding hands, which felt embarrassing.

“Oh my! W-What is this?! Little Erika! Have you already conquered my boy’s heart?!” she asked.

“W-What? No! I mean… That’s not it! She’s holding my hand because… She was a bit vulnerable before.” I said.

Erika let go of my hand as she smiled back and then went to hug my mother.

“Erika…” said my mother.

“T-Thank you, miss Mary… for being so nice with me…” she said.

“Ah… Dear… Oh dear… Of course… You’re such a precious little angel. I don’t care what others would ever say about you.” Said my mother, hugging back Erika and kissing her forehead.

I have a good mother.

—–