"Shall we start with close-range combat? Would someone like to volunteer for the first fight?"

Rin asked and Shelly raised her hand.

"I want to go first. Can I make a request if I do well today?"

Shelly tried to push for a reward and Rin sighed and decided to grant her request.

"Alright. I will fulfill your request if you do well today. But it cannot be anything similar to your previous request."

Rin immediately ruled out Shelly’s request to sleep together. It made Shelly pout in disappointment but she agreed to leave that aside.

Their side’s participant had been selected, so it was time for GBF to send their representative.

Alex stepped forward, which was not a surprise. As the heir apparent, he needed to show off his powers and establish authority among his people

Both Alex and Shelly stood in the middle of the training field and Alex extended his hand to shake Shelly’s hand.

"I hope we have a fair match."

He waited for Shelly to take his hand and shake it back, but Shelly kept staring at his hand with a frown on her face.

"I don’t shake hands with anyone who’s not Rin."

Shelly spoke just loudly enough for Alex to hear. She straightened her back and kept her sword at the ready.

Her reaction took Alex by surprise and he blinked at Shelly’s words.

"Excuse me, what does that have to do with anything-"

Shelly’s sword moved swiftly and Alex barely dodged the first attack before parrying the second.

Both Alex and Shelly were sword users, however, their physiques were polar opposites. Alex was tall and had a visible muscular body which showed even through his dress. His movements were precise and wasted no motion.

Shelly, on the other hand, fought with wild yet refined movements. She had trained in swordsmanship as well (not as extensively as Alex) so she carried her weight well.

They continued to spar, both not allowing the other side to have the upper hand. And then, Shelly decided to play dirty.

She was locked in a clash with Alex one second and she swept him off his feet the next. This took Alex by surprise and he lost his balance, leaving him with a light cut by the sword.

This was the end of the match...or it was supposed to be, but Shelly continued and placed her sword against Alex’s neck.

"Should I cut your throat with my sword? I bet the blood will look beautiful if I do that. Hmmm, just a small cut should make your skin look nice-"

"Shelly, this round is over. You can come back now."

Rin called out to Shelly and her expression changed within seconds.

"I am coming."

Her voice turned sweet and the oppressive pressure around her vanished instantly.

Honestly, she felt like a different person with the same face.

Rin walked toward the center of the training ground and Shelly instantly skipped over to him.

"Rin, I won. Did I do well?"

Those who were used to seeing Shelly clinging to Rin did not even bat an eye but the outsiders looked surprised by her bold actions.

Moreover, Rin did nothing to push her away, and that made Shelly’s actions even bolder.

Alex had a lot to say, but one look at his GBF members left him at a loss for words. He swallowed his words and got up with the help of Reri.

Reri looked shocked that Alex had lost and she immediately reached out to grab Shelly’s shoulder and address her.

"Hey, I saw you during the fight. You cheated to make Alex fall, right? How dare you humiliate her like this-"

Shelly grabbed the offending arm and broke Reri’s wrist. Reri let out a yell but Shelly paid her no attention and spoke softly.

"Why does your leader’s lack of skill become my fault? Do you think monsters won’t fight dirty? Maybe you should fight me next if you are so concerned. You can try and avenge your leader’s humiliation—"

"Shelly, please stop picking a fight."

Rin’s voice quieted Shelly instantly. One look at his face showed his resigned expression. But he did not look disappointed in Shelly’s actions.

Alex could read indulgence and even a hint of acceptance in Rin when he looked at Shelly.

Shelly was a monster and Rin knew it. And despite that, he treated her like a normal person. Alex did not know whether he envied Shelly for getting accepted as she was or Rin for having such an important person in his life.

Whatever the case was, he knew he had lost this fight because he had been weak. And now, he needed to stop his people from causing unneeded trouble.

"Reri, it’s alright. She’s not wrong. This did happen because of my weakness. It is something I need to work on in my own time."

"But Alex, this is..."

Reri bit her lip once she heard Alex’s reason. She was not ready to accept what he had to say. Her expression told Alex that she was going to cause trouble and he needed to stop her.

However, he did not let others know that their group had such friction.

Reri understood that as well and let out a frustrated sigh after seeing everyone else around them.

"I think we can continue this training session. Now that I know what I need to work on, I would like the others to be evaluated as well. But maybe having them fight Shelly is not the best idea."

Shelly pretended she did not hear those words, but the proud smile on her face was an indicator that she heard each and every word that was being said about her.

Rin agreed with Alex’s sentiment. Shelly was far too strong for most people to handle here.

"Shelly, you can stand back now. Everyone else can take turns fighting against each other so that we can see where we all stand."

Rin advised and everyone agreed and got ready.

They kept fighting until the sun began to rise and the heat started to set in. Breakfast offered a nice break, followed by a nap and more training.

Everyone but Shelly went back to training.

Rin did not even need to ask Shelly if she needed something because she spoke first.

"You promised me a wish, so I want to tell you my wish now. I want to have lunch alone with you, just like we used to have."

Shelly immediately claimed her wish. She did not seem to know the meaning of patience or holding back.