The Thief, The Trickster, and The Stolen Kiss

The air crackled with tension.

Kain braced himself, eyes locked onto General Varian, who now stood poised with his saber—its blade wrapped in flickering arcs of lightning.

This was bad.

Varian wasn't just some random knight—he was a high-ranking officer, and judging by the way his weapon hummed with elemental energy, he was also a magic-enhanced swordsman.

Which meant Kain was massively outclassed.

Not that it had ever stopped him before.

---

Varian vanished.

Not literally, but his speed was so fast, Kain barely saw him move before the man was already upon him.

Instinct took over.

Kain ducked, narrowly avoiding the saber's electric arc as it sliced through the air. The force of the swing sent sparks flying, the ground where Kain had stood now seared black from the lightning.

"Holy shit—!"

Kain twisted, trying to put distance between them, but Varian was relentless. He came at Kain again and again, each strike lightning-fast, his movements fluid and precise.

Kain barely managed to weave through the attacks, his enhanced agility just barely keeping him alive.

But he couldn't keep this up forever.

The moment he made one mistake—

Varian's blade grazed his shoulder.

A sharp jolt of electricity coursed through Kain's body. His muscles locked up, pain spiking through his nerves.

"GRAH—!" Kain stumbled, barely regaining his footing.

Varian didn't even look winded. He simply raised his saber again.

"You're fast," the general admitted, his steel-gray eyes analyzing Kain with cold calculation. "But you have no discipline."

Kain gritted his teeth. "Yeah? Well, I prefer not dying over discipline, thanks."

But his body was already reacting.

The Arcane Gauntlet pulsed, its runes flaring brighter than before.

And for the first time—

Kain felt something responding to him.

Like a second presence, coiling beneath his skin.

Something old.

Something powerful.

Something very, very awake.

---

Varian moved in for the finishing strike.

And Kain's body moved on its own.

His vision sharpened, his reflexes accelerating beyond human limits.

Before the saber could connect, Kain sidestepped—faster than he ever had before.

Not just dodging—but vanishing and reappearing a few feet away in a blur of motion.

Varian's strike hit nothing but air.

The general's eyes narrowed. "What?"

Kain stared down at his hand.

The gauntlet was glowing.

And his entire body felt like it had just caught fire—except it didn't burn.

It felt strong. Unbelievably strong.

The Trickster Goddess, who had been lounging nearby watching the fight like it was a theater performance, let out a soft, knowing hum.

"Well, well. Looks like my little thief is finally tapping into his potential~."

Kain clenched his fingers into a fist.

He didn't know what was happening, but he knew one thing—

He wasn't losing here.

---

Varian wasn't going to wait for him to figure things out.

The general lunged, his saber crackling with fresh lightning.

But this time—

Kain reacted.

Faster than he thought possible, he ducked under the attack, feeling the static hum as the blade barely missed his head.

Then—

He moved in.

Kain's arm snapped forward—a strike that shouldn't have been possible with his speed.

Varian's eyes widened as Kain's fist slammed into his torso, knocking the general off his feet.

The impact sent a shockwave through the room.

Varian skidded backward, his boots scraping against the floor as he forced himself to a halt.

The general looked at Kain, his eyes calculating.

Then, for the first time—

He smirked.

"Interesting," Varian said, gripping his saber. "You're not just a thief, are you?"

Kain exhaled, still trying to process what just happened.

"Nope," he muttered. "But I sure as hell fight like one."

---

The Trickster Goddess was grinning.

Her golden eyes sparkled with amusement as she watched Kain's power begin to awaken.

"Oh, my dear thief~. You have no idea what you've just unlocked."

Her nine golden tails swayed behind her as she leaned back with satisfaction.

This was only the beginning.