Chapter 24:No Room for Mercy
Peter sighed, and after a moment of silence, he spoke to Selene in a heavy tone—as if trying to explain something absolutely obvious to someone who knew nothing of the subject.
"Yes... to kill. Yes, to kill people. It's the only way if you want to survive a real fight."
Selene was speechless for several long seconds, unsure how to respond. Finally, Peter broke the silence.
"Unless, of course, you have a better idea I haven't thought of. I'm open to negotiation."
He said with a hint of irony in his voice. For Selene, this was her chance to present a counterargument.
"I do have an idea. We can avoid contact with people. We won't have to fight if we make sure no such situation ever happens."
Hearing her answer, Peter raised an eyebrow in feigned surprise. After a moment, he replied in a neutral tone:
"Really? And how do you plan to gather information about the area? Food? Equipment? I don't think avoiding people will help with any of that."
Realizing the flaws in her argument, Selene faltered. Still, she tried to come up with another option. Almost immediately, she said in a desperate tone:
"Okay, you're right—it won't be easy to survive without interacting with people. But it's still possible. And if you're really insisting on this... we can just knock them out instead of killing them. Right?"
Peter stared at Selene with no emotion on his face. He saw some logic in her words—he understood why she was clinging to another way. But he had to make her understand just how unlikely that plan was to succeed.
After a tense pause, Peter stood and walked a few steps toward an open area. Then he said:
"Get up. And take your sword."
Selene sat frozen in place, not understanding what he was getting at—until Peter repeated himself in a very... blunt voice.
"I said... get up."
No trace of anger, no emotion in his tone. Only then did Selene stand quickly and grab the sword that had been resting on her lap. She walked forward a few hesitant steps and stopped several meters from Peter, waiting to see what would happen.
Peter summoned his sword and drew a circle in the air with its tip. Then he assumed a combat stance—blade in his right hand, angled down and to the side. His voice remained neutral.
"Attack me."
Selene stood frozen in disbelief, forcing Peter to repeat himself.
"Go on. Attack me—if you think you can defeat an opponent without killing them."
Peter was furious. He understood why Selene clung to her ideals—but he had to make her realize that they were dangerous. This was a matter of life and death—not just hers, but his as well.
Still, he showed no sign of his anger. Selene, still confused, replied:
"But why me? You're the better fighter. Isn't it logical that you'd be the one fighting?"
Peter responded almost instantly:
"Of course I'll be fighting. But what if—surprise, surprise—there are two attackers? I'm busy with one, and the other runs straight at you. Then what?"
Selene still stared at him, confused. Finally, she snapped out of it enough to reply:
"But you can fight multiple opponents! I saw you take out three bandits on your own!"
"True. But this time, the element of surprise is theirs, and they're better trained. I'm not all-powerful—you know that, right? Now stop talking and just attack already!"
Peter replied, clearly irritated, then gestured to encourage her. Selene stood still for a moment, then finally delivered a slow, cautious overhead strike—making sure not to hurt him.
Seemingly without moving, Peter dodged the strike. He didn't even lift his sword to block or counter.
"Come on, a little more motivation! I know you don't want to hurt anyone, but with that kind of swing, you wouldn't even scratch them!"
He said in a provoking tone. Selene, slightly insulted, attacked again—and again. Still no success. Peter, with the smallest of steps sideways or back, dodged every strike. Then Selene gave in to her emotions and struck with all her strength and anger.
After several failed attacks, her sword finally clashed with Peter's. He gave a mocking smile and said:
"Better. But we're not done yet. Turns out my imaginary opponent is stronger than expected. No one's coming to save you."
That only made Selene angrier, and she attacked him recklessly. Every swing was dodged, deflected, or harshly blocked. With each brutal clash, painful vibrations traveled up her arm.
Still, Selene kept attacking, driven by the emotions that had built since she arrived in this strange place—fear, uncertainty, the anxiety about what was happening back home...
And anger. At the man who had just told her she had to learn to take human lives in order to survive.
Then suddenly, her next strike—which should have met Peter's guard—found no resistance.
Selene stumbled forward, letting out a startled cry that was quickly cut short.
She found the metal pommel of Peter's sword hovering just centimeters from her forehead.
If Peter hadn't caught her by the shoulder with his other hand, she would've slammed right into the steel. On the other hand, If he hadn't stopped his swing, there would be a hole in her skull.
Selene gasped and dropped her sword, falling to her knees and breathing heavily. Peter lowered his weapon back to its resting position, then said calmly.
"Are you done?"
Selene nodded silently and covered her face with her hands, trying to hide the tears that streamed down her cheeks. She curled up and wept quietly—shocked from how close she'd come to real harm, and overwhelmed by the emotions she'd been suppressing for days.
Peter stabbed his sword into the ground and sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her without saying a word.
He felt strange. After all, he had only met this woman recently... and now he had just scared her to death out of concern for her future. He sat quietly for a while, listening to her sobs slowly fade, before he spoke softly.
"I'm sorry. But I didn't know any other way to make you understand—if you want to survive, you'll have to sacrifice your morals."
He waited for a reply, but for a long time, none came. Then, finally, Selene's trembling voice reached him.
"I understand. I-I know you mean well. But... I just don't think I could ever kill someone."
Peter sat in silence for a moment, then replied—just as softly:
"You don't have to. Not yet. You just need to hold your own long enough for me to take out my opponent."
After a brief pause, he added in a normal tone:
"But you're not there yet. I mean, sure, you only made twelve fatal mistakes that would've gotten you killed in a real fight—but hey, that's progress compared to what you were doing back on the clearing two days ago."
He smiled. Selene processed his words for a moment, then shook her head in disbelief, a faint snort slipping out. After a pause, she said:
"I don't understand how you can find this funny."
She tried to sound offended, attempting to keep a straight face.
Peter grinned wider, then stood up and said:
"Everyone's always said I have a weird sense of humor. Looks like they were right. Now wipe your face and get ready—we're skipping the next lesson. We're heading for the city soon."
Then he turned and walked away to pack his things.