Chapter 3: Tantrums, Slaps, and the Art of Absolute Defense

【Eksu PoV】

In front of me was Elizabeth, a girl like me, around 10 years old. She had an athletic physique for her age, yet her face was small and delicate.

“What are you staring at…”

Elizabeth’s irritation was evident as she realized I was still gazing at her.

Well, that’s my fault—she looked pretty cute, and it was rude of me not to notice.

“I thought you were cute…”

It’s not like I’m sexually attracted to her; after all, I’m only a certain age.
It’s more like admiring a pretty doll in a shop window.

“W-What… you pervert…”

Her face turned bright red.

Without warning, she swung her hand in a fierce arc aimed directly at me. At that moment, I instinctively activated my 【Absolute Defense】. A shimmering barrier of energy burst forth, intercepting her strike. The force of her slap was caught mid-air, sending ripples across the barrier as it gracefully deflected her blow.

“What?”

Stunned, Elizabeth’s eyes widened in disbelief. Furious, she lunged again, her hand slicing through the air in another attempt to strike me. Once more, my 【Absolute Defense】 flared into action—a radiant, swift burst of energy intercepted her second swing, halting her momentum as if time had slowed.

“Son… you shouldn’t treat a girl like that… especially since this lady came to see you at home…”

My father’s reprimanding tone filled the room.

But I did nothing; she’s the one trying to hit me at all costs.

“Sorry, my son… you have no way with girls… you seem to be from a noble family… what do you want with my son?”

“I heard a rumor that he can defeat me, saying that he’s stronger than me… I CAME TO SEE IF IT’S TRUE.”

Rumor…

That I’m stronger than her…

…

What the hell is she talking about… I’ve never heard anything like that.

How troublesome…

Well… I better tell her this…

“I’m afraid you little lady wasted your time… I don’t fight…”

“How did you defend yourself from my attack then?”

“Well… I have a skill called 【Absolute Defense】. It’s capable—well, it’s self-explanatory, but I don’t have any attack skills, I swear…”

“That’s a lie…”

“It’s not…”

“Lier! Lier! Lier! Lier! Lier! Lier! Lier! Lier! Lier! Lier! Lier! Lier! Lier! Lier! Lier! Lier! Lier! Lier!”

Her voice trembled with a mix of indignation and raw anger, each cry punctuating the silence like a staccato burst.

Her eyes burned with fury as she stepped back, her small fists clenching tightly at her sides.

Every shout echoed in the room, a desperate, relentless outpouring of defiance that made the air crackle with tension.

The words, repeated over and over, were not mere noise—they were her declaration of righteous indignation, a tiny storm building in intensity.

I stood there, feeling the palpable heat of her tantrum, uncertain and overwhelmed by the force of her emotions.

Damn, this girl is throwing a tantrum… what should I do…

“Son…”

Hearing the girl’s furious outburst, my mother stepped into the scene, her expression a stern mask of maternal authority.

“That’s not how you treat a lady…”

And yet again, I found myself in trouble without having done a single thing wrong.

Damn…

“Come here, girl… what’s your name…”

She patted the girl’s head with a gentle touch, though her voice remained firm.
“I came here looking for an opponent… your son seems very strong but he doesn’t want to fight me…”

“Poor girl… there, there… my son is a bad boy…”

My mother cut me a glare so intense that it sent a wave of goosebumps ripping down my spine.
Her lips tightened, and she raised a single eyebrow in that terrifying way only mothers can.

“Mom… I didn’t…”

She silenced me with a sharp click of her tongue.
“Don’t even start, young man. I raised you better than this. You see this precious girl here? She came all this way for you, and you’re standing there like a clueless scarecrow!”

“Mom… I swear…”

Before I could finish, my father interrupted.

“Son… I will teach you something that you will learn later… men are always wrong, women always right…”

His tone was calm, as though reciting a well-rehearsed mantra he had memorized long ago.

My father then guided me to another room, leaving my mother and the girl behind. His steps were slow and deliberate, as if bracing himself for what he was about to explain.

“Dad… she came out of the blue challenging me for a fight…”

“I know, son… this is how life is…”

“What…”

He sighed deeply, as though recalling distant memories he’d both cherished and dreaded.

“Your mom used to be like this too, you know. She used to beat me when we were young…”

“Isn’t that wrong?”

A flicker of nostalgia crossed his features. He spoke with a subdued kind of warmth, a strange acceptance in his eyes.

“No… this is the way they show how much they love you…”

It’s not normal…

A girl beating me up to show me how she loves me—it’s so weird. It’s not right…

“Father… I don’t want to be like that.”

“Son…”

He placed a heavy hand on my shoulder, the weight of his words settling in.

“Yes, father…”

“Just accept it…”

“What… I thought you would give me some wise advice…”

“I did… think about it, son. She is from a good house… you have 【Absolute Defense】 so she’ll not beat you no matter how much she tries…”

“But…”

“No, but… just accept it…”

Dem…
This father of mine…

“Son…”

After a while, my mom reappeared with Elizabeth at her side.

“Yes, mom…”

“You will fight with this girl…”

【Extra: Mom’s Talk】

While Eksu and his father Thomas were in another room, Valentina and Elizabeth stayed behind to talk.

“So, little girl, how did you meet my son? (I need to make sure she’s not a bad influence…)”

Valentina’s words were straightforward, yet her tone remained gentle.

“I heard rumors about him… that he was strong, so I wanted to meet him. (Fighting strong people is always exciting…)”

“I see… I also used to fight with my husband, you know—that’s actually how we met. (Good times, hehehehe…)”

“I… I really want to meet your son, too. (Meeting someone powerful would be amazing…)”

At this point, both were speaking the same language, but they seemed to be in entirely different worlds. For Valentina, fighting was a way to show affection. For Elizabeth, it was purely for fun.

“So, girl, how do you plan on meeting my son? (I wonder what approach she’ll take…)”

“I wanted to fight him to see if he’s worthy. (Worthy of being my friend.)”

“So you want to see if my son is worthy? (Of being your future husband…)”

“Yes…”

“Well, I also want to see if you’re worthy. (Of being my daughter-in-law.)”

“I think it’s fair…”

That was precisely what happened while Eksu was away.