From Rags to God of War

The Cold Hard Truth

Elsa stormed out of the cafe, her face still red with anger and humiliation. Nicholas, who was yelling after her, was completely tuned out. She just wanted to get away from Nicholas and that embarrassing scene. Gasping for breath, she got into her car and drove straight home.

Once she was home, Elsa immediately looked for her mom. She found Sonia sipping tea in the family room.

"Mom!" Elsa cried, her voice practically dripping with rage. "I can't take it anymore!"

Sonia turned, her eyebrows raised at the sight of her disheveled daughter. "What's wrong? Why are you like this?"

Elsa threw her purse onto the sofa. "Nicholas! He humiliated me in public! He was practically sobbing in the cafe, saying he had no money, begging me for cash in front of everyone!"

Sonia frowned. "Crying? Nicholas? What are you talking about?"

"I asked him out for coffee, just like you suggested, to see how impressive he really was," Elsa explained, her voice fiery. "Then someone spilled coffee on his shirt. The guy wanted compensation. And he actually *cried*, Mom! Whining that he had no money, asking *me* to pay for it!"

Sonia set her teacup down. "Oh really? He has no money? But Victor Meyers respects him so much."

"I don't know!" Elsa was frustrated. "He always acts like such a loser. Always seems so helpless. But Victor Meyers insists Nicholas is better than Victor himself."

"It is weird," Sonia murmured. "Victor's no fool. He wouldn't just say things for no reason. What would make Victor respect a man who can't even pay a small coffee bill?"

"That's exactly what's bugging me, Mom," Elsa said, her expression now calmer, replaced by a sharp glint in her eyes. "I have to find out. I'm sure he's hiding something. There's no way a guy who can impress Victor Meyers is a sniveling loser who cries about a coffee stain."

"I agree with you," Sonia nodded. "But you need to be more careful. Don't let him play you again. Whatever your plan, make sure you don't end up humiliated."

"I won't let him get to me again," Elsa promised. "I'm going to expose his secret. After that, I'll use him for the good of our family."

...

Meanwhile, Serafina was in a secluded, open field. She was training, her face set hard with concentration. In her hand, she clutched an old book, stolen from her own father. The book contained the secret techniques of the Fire Lion Clan, ancient martial arts passed down through generations.

She chanted spells, moving her body quickly, trying to mimic the intricate movements written in the book.

"Damn it! Why do I always fail?" Serafina growled in frustration.

She tried again, leaping high, throwing punches and kicks just as she'd read. But when she tried to reach a higher level, a technique that promised immense power, her body refused. Serafina's inner energy dissipated, and she fell to the ground, panting.

"I won't give up!" she yelled at herself, anger blazing in her eyes. "I *have* to do this! I have to prove I'm worthy of this power!"

Ever since her encounter with Nicholas, the painful defeat at his hands still haunted her. She felt useless, her pride shattered. Serafina was determined to become strong, stronger than anyone, even Nicholas.

The thought of proving herself, especially to Nicholas, kept pushing her. She didn't want anyone to underestimate her again. She wanted everyone to know that she was the true heir of the Fire Lion Clan.

...

The next day, Serafina saw Nicholas walking alone behind the office building. Nicholas looked relaxed, as if he didn't have a care in the world. Serafina's hatred boiled over. This man, who had humiliated her, now seemed so calm.

"Nicholas!" Serafina called out, her steps quickening.

Nicholas turned, his expression flat. "What's up?"

Serafina advanced, closing in on Nicholas, her eyes full of malicious intent. "I know you're no ordinary person. I know you're hiding your power."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Nicholas said, his demeanor calm.

"Don't play dumb!" Serafina hissed. "I'm going to expose your secret."

Nicholas just smiled faintly. "Oh yeah? How are you gonna do that?"

"I have my ways," Serafina moved closer, making the space between them incredibly thin. She unbuttoned her shirt at the chest, revealing her skin. "I'm going to make you regret this, Nicholas."

Nicholas just stared at her, completely expressionless.

Serafina grabbed Nicholas's hand and pulled it towards her chest. "If you don't cooperate, I'll scream. I'll say you assaulted me. I'll ruin your reputation. Your wife, Isabella, she won't stand a chance at this company anymore."

Nicholas yanked his hand away quickly, his expression turning cold. He didn't care if Serafina destroyed her *own* reputation, but he couldn't let Isabella get caught in the crossfire.

"What exactly do you want?" Nicholas asked, his voice low and menacing.

"I want you dead," Serafina replied, her gaze burning. "But before that, I want you to fight me. With your full power. I want to know how far behind you I really am."

"There's no point," Nicholas said flatly. "You won't win."

"That's what *you* say!" Serafina snapped. "I'll prove I can beat you!"

...

The fight happened in the middle of the night, on the rooftop of a skyscraper. A fierce wind howled, whipping around the two figures standing opposite each other.

Serafina attacked first, without hesitation. Her punches and kicks were incredibly fast, powerful. She used every technique she'd learned from the secret book, launching a series of deadly, relentless strikes.

Nicholas only dodged and parried. He moved calmly, not striking back. Serafina grew even more frustrated. She felt like all her attacks were hitting an invisible wall.

"Why won't you fight?!" Serafina screamed, her movements becoming wilder. "Fight me, you coward!"

Nicholas just shook his head. "I'm not fighting you."

Serafina's rage exploded. She gathered all her energy for one final attack, the ultimate technique of the Fire Lion Clan. A reddish aura enveloped her body as she lunged towards Nicholas.

Nicholas sighed. He couldn't keep dodging forever. With a lightning-fast move, almost invisible to the naked eye, Nicholas launched a counter-attack.

*THUD!*

Serafina was sent flying, crashing into the rooftop's barrier wall. She was thrown to the edge, her body suspended in mid-air, ready to plunge downwards. Nicholas moved swiftly, grabbing Serafina's wrist just moments before she fell.

"Aargh!" Serafina shrieked, looking down. Her feet couldn't touch anything, just darkness and a dizzying height. "Let me go! I've lost! Just let me die!"

She looked up at Nicholas, her eyes brimming with tears. "I hate you! I've trained day and night, but I still can't beat you! I've lost so many times! Just kill me! I don't deserve to live!"

Nicholas pulled her back up onto the roof. Serafina stumbled, collapsing onto the concrete floor, her body trembling.

Nicholas looked at her with a sharp gaze. "You know why you always lose?"

Serafina raised her head, her eyes filled with despair. "Because I'm not strong enough! I'm not worthy enough!"

"No," Nicholas said, his voice calm but blunt. "The reason you can't master the techniques from that book, the reason you always fail when you try to reach the higher levels, is because the inherited knowledge of the Fire Lion Clan can never be passed down to women."

Serafina's eyes widened, shattered by every single word. "What are you talking about?"

"Your father knows this," Nicholas continued. "Your ancestors knew this too. That knowledge can only be passed down to men from the Fire Lion Clan lineage. That's why your father never taught you, even though he knew you were talented. Because it would be useless."

Serafina froze. Everything crumbled into pieces in an instant. It wasn't because she wasn't good enough, but because of something she couldn't change. She was a woman.