Peak Between Two: Mushoku Tensei

Luciel was not completely caught off guard.

From the moment he stepped into this place, he had prepared himself for the worst.

But being attacked before even speaking?

That was ridiculous.

"Are they a search group or a bunch of bandits?" he thought, annoyed.

A disheveled, drunk, and foul-smelling man had just assaulted him without warning!

Now, that same man stood before him, his sharp eyes filled with hostility as if looking at an enemy.

Luciel steadied his breathing, stepping back to create distance.

"Calm down. Just disable him."

He didn't want to kill this man.

But if he didn't take this seriously, he would lose.

The man attacked first.

With astonishing speed, he drew his sword and lunged straight at Luciel.

Luciel had only a split second to react.

He swung his hand downward, creating an air platform with wind magic and jumped back, dodging the sword strike that nearly cut through him!

"Fast!"

Luciel quickly cast another wind spell, creating a powerful gust that propelled him further away.

But—

The man relentlessly pursued him!

With aggressive and brutal movements, the man leaped into the air, swinging his sword one-handed with immense force.

Luciel saw the trajectory and acted immediately.

"Wind Barrier!"

A swirling shield of wind formed in front of him, slowing down the man's attack—but not stopping it completely!

The sword pierced through part of the barrier, breaking the magical defense with sheer strength.

Luciel rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the follow-up slash.

"Who the hell is this guy?! How is he this fast and strong?"

Luciel quickly realized—close combat was not his strength.

This man was clearly a veteran swordsman, and from his movements, his fighting style was wild yet controlled.

Like someone who had survived hundreds of battles.

Luciel had to fight smart.

He cast earth magic, raising a small pillar beneath the man's feet!

BAM!

The man momentarily lost balance, but with insane reflexes, he shattered the pillar with his heel and continued attacking!

Luciel remained calm.

This time, he had already prepared his next move.

With a single hand motion—

"Frost Bind!"

The ground beneath the man froze instantly, ice creeping up his legs, binding him in place!

The man struggled, trying to break free, but—

This was Luciel's moment.

Using a wind burst, he maneuvered behind the man, preparing his final strike.

"Thunder Shock!"

BZZZZTTT!

A small bolt of lightning surged from Luciel's hand, striking the man's back.

It wasn't lethal, but strong enough to paralyze his muscles for a moment.

The man groaned in pain, his body twitching before collapsing onto the floor.

Luciel remained alert, preparing another spell in case the man tried to rise again.

But before anyone could make another move—

"STOP!!"

A commanding shout echoed through the room.

Several people rushed in, panic evident on their faces.

One of them ran toward the fallen man, checking his condition.

But what shocked Luciel the most wasn't their reaction—

It was when someone finally called out the man's name.

"PAUL! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

Luciel froze.

"...Paul?"

His eyes widened as he finally took a proper look at the man lying before him.

A drunken man with unkempt hair…

A body covered in scars…

Brutal yet experienced movements…

And now, looking closer—

That face…

Though rougher than he remembered…

Though more rugged and unkempt…

It was still the face of his father.

Luciel stood in stunned silence, his brain still trying to process what had just happened.

He had just fought Paul Greyrat—his own father.

Paul, still sitting on the floor, his body trembling slightly from the electricity, slowly looked up.

Their eyes met.

For several seconds, there was only silence.

Then, in a hoarse and shaken voice, Paul finally spoke.

"…Luciel?"

Luciel swallowed hard.

"…Dad?"

And with that, the truth was revealed.

An Uncomfortable Reunion

After the unexpected battle, Luciel and Paul finally sat down to talk.

But even though the fight had ended, the tension still lingered.

Paul sat across the table, staring at his son with a mixture of emotions—shock, awkwardness, and… emptiness.

He was Paul Greyrat, but not the same man Luciel remembered.

Messy. Unkempt. His face covered in unkempt stubble. His long hair tangled and greasy. His eyes hollow, like someone suffering from insomnia and deep exhaustion.

Luciel only needed a few seconds to realize one thing—his father was mentally broken.

Not just physically drained but suffering from severe emotional trauma.

Like a soldier who had returned from war without a victory.

Luciel sighed before deciding to break the silence.

"Dad… I'm glad you're alive."

He didn't say 'I'm glad you're okay' because it was clear Paul was far from okay.

Paul looked at Luciel with tired eyes before slowly nodding.

"Um… how have you been?"

Luciel tilted his head slightly, thinking.

"Well~… It's been rough."

His tone was light, but there was weight behind his words.

This wasn't the reunion he had imagined.

It wasn't a moment of tearful joy.

It was tense, awkward, and felt more like an interrogation.

Paul remained silent.

Luciel sighed again before speaking.

"You look exhausted, Dad."

Paul hesitated, as if struggling to find words.

"Yeah…" he finally admitted. "I've been searching for our family. I met Rudeus before, but even he couldn't find your mother or Lilia."

His eyes flickered slightly, showing a faint glimmer of hope.

Luciel immediately understood what Paul wanted to ask.

"He wants to ask about Norn and Aisha… but he's afraid of hearing bad news."

Luciel didn't make him wait.

He gave a small smile, trying to ease the tension.

"They're fine," he said calmly. "I've been taking care of them and making sure they have everything they need."

Paul's expression slowly shifted.

Luciel then added something that he knew would shock him.

"By the way, we ended up… pretty far. We were teleported to the Demon Continent."

Paul's eyes widened, his entire posture stiffening.

"…The Demon Continent?"

Luciel nodded casually.

"Yup. So, getting here wasn't exactly an easy trip."

Paul didn't respond immediately.

He just stared at his son with a complicated expression—a mix of shock, guilt, and disbelief.

Luciel waited for his father's response.