Peak Between Two: Mushoku Tensei

Ryu took a slow breath, keeping his expression neutral.
Gyes still stood a short distance away, his sharp, eagle-like eyes scanning Ryu's every move. Even if he hadn't realized exactly what Ryu had been doing just moments ago, Gyes was an observant and wary man—someone who rarely overlooked anything.
"Why are you sitting here alone?" Gyes asked, his tone calm but carrying an underlying suspicion.
Ryu glanced at him briefly, then gave a casual shrug. "I just wanted to listen to the sound of the water. You know, sometimes hearing the river can be… calming."
Gyes studied him for a few moments, as if weighing the truth in his words. Ryu knew the man wouldn't be easily convinced. He had to remain composed, showing no sign of nervousness.
"Is that so?" Gyes finally said, stepping closer. "But that's strange. Earlier, I felt something move behind the bushes. You didn't see anything?"
Ryu kept his smirk small, controlled. "Probably just a small animal. The forest is full of wild creatures, isn't it?"
Gyes didn't respond immediately. His gaze flickered toward the bushes Ryu had mentioned before shifting back to him, sharper than before.
Ryu knew that in situations like this, saying too much would only deepen the suspicion. So he chose silence, waiting for Gyes to make the next move.
After a long pause, Gyes finally sat beside him, watching the river's steady flow. He seemed to be lost in thought.
"Ryu."
"Hm?"
"I always feel like you're hiding something."
The words came out so naturally that Ryu's heartbeat instinctively quickened.
But on the outside, his expression remained the same—calm, relaxed. He turned to Gyes with a slight smirk.
"Oh? What makes you think that?"
Gyes didn't answer right away. He continued watching the river, as if searching for answers in its rippling currents.
"I don't know." His voice was softer this time. "Maybe I'm just too cautious. But… if you are hiding something, I hope it's not something that could endanger all of us."
There was something about the way Gyes spoke that made Ryu pause.
It wasn't a threat.
Not an accusation.
It was… a subtle warning.
Ryu's smirk didn't waver. He turned his gaze back to the river.
"I hope so too."
Gyes exhaled slowly, his eyes still locked onto the endless stream of water. Silence settled between them, broken only by the gentle sounds of rustling leaves and flowing water.
Then, out of nowhere—
"Ryu… you know, there's someone who means a lot to me."
Ryu glanced at him from the corner of his eye.
This wasn't like Gyes.
Normally, the man was direct, blunt, never one for emotional conversations. But now—his tone carried something different. Something… personal.
"You're talking about who I think you are?" Ryu asked, keeping his tone light.
Gyes gave a small, almost nostalgic smile—one filled with both pride and sorrow.
"My sister… Ghislaine."
The name lingered in the air, bringing forth the image of a fierce, powerful beastwoman—a swordswoman unparalleled in battle.
"She was an incredible person," Gyes continued, his voice carrying a rare reverence. "Even as children, she was always stronger than me. Even before she formally learned swordsmanship, I knew she would surpass everyone."
Ryu remained silent, letting Gyes continue.
"I was supposed to be the older brother who protected her… but in the end, she was always the one protecting me."
There was a dry chuckle in his voice, but beneath it lay something heavier.
"And you know? Not everyone in our village liked her. Some feared her. Some felt threatened by her. She wasn't just strong… she was too strong for a beastwoman."
Ryu tilted his head slightly.
This was new information.
"But isn't strength something that's respected among beastmen?" he asked.
Gyes nodded. "It is. But there's a limit. If a woman becomes too strong, if she surpasses the men… she's seen as 'unnatural.'"
Ryu understood immediately.
Society, no matter the world, always had expectations. And sometimes, being too different was a curse rather than a blessing.
"Ghislaine didn't care," Gyes continued. "She kept training. Kept fighting. Kept getting stronger. But the stronger she became, the more people looked at her differently."
His voice grew heavier.
"I wanted to protect her, but I couldn't. She was too independent. Too stubborn. She chose her own path, left the village, became an adventurer… and eventually a bodyguard in another land."
He sighed, then looked at Ryu with an expression that was hard to read.
"I'm proud of her… but I also feel guilty. Like I failed as her older brother."
Ryu studied Gyes for a moment.
Then, in a softer voice than usual, he asked, "Why do you feel like you failed?"
Gyes fell silent for a long moment before finally answering.
"Because I never really tried to understand the burden she carried. I only saw her as my strong little sister… but I never asked if she was okay."
There was a weight to those words.
A weight that Ryu recognized.
After a moment of thought, he finally said, "Ghislaine chose her own path. And she succeeded. That's not your failure, Gyes. She became someone great. Maybe… she wanted you to see her as that—not as someone who needed protecting."
Gyes stared at him, then let out a small chuckle.
"Maybe you're right."
Silence returned, but this time, it was warmer.
There was something different in Gyes's gaze now—like a burden had been lifted, even if just a little.
Gyes grinned at Ryu's response.
"You're quite the tough kid, aren't you?" he said, lifting a wooden training staff.
Ryu smirked slightly.
Inside this three-year-old body, he still had the mind of an elite soldier from his previous life. Training like this was nothing—though he still needed to adjust to his physically weaker form.
"Well then, if you're tired, I won't go too hard on you," Gyes said. Though the gleam in his eyes suggested otherwise.
They stood in an open field near the river, surrounded by the thick trees of the beastmen's homeland. The gentle breeze rustled the leaves, the sound of flowing water setting a tranquil yet tense atmosphere.
Ryu raised his training staff, settling into a stance—knees slightly bent, body leaned forward.
Gyes gave an approving nod.
Then—
He attacked first.

Srak!

Gyes's wooden staff swung horizontally, cutting through the air with force.
Ryu had anticipated this.
He stepped back, lifting his own staff to block. The moment their weapons collided—
Thud!
A sharp vibration ran through Ryu's arms. The impact was heavier than expected.
"As I thought… beastmen naturally have superior physical strength," he mused.
But Gyes didn't stop there.
He launched a relentless barrage of attacks—an overhead strike, a sweeping blow from the side, then a sudden thrust aimed at Ryu's stomach.
Ryu reacted instinctively.
He dodged where necessary, blocked where he could, and adjusted his footwork to avoid losing balance. His body was small, but his reflexes and past-life experience allowed him to stay in the fight.
Still—
His breathing grew heavier as time passed.
His muscles—though trained beyond his current body's limits—were reaching their breaking point.
Gyes noticed.
"Getting tired, huh?" he asked, smirking.
Ryu controlled his breathing, forcing his body to remain steady. Then, he offered a small, unwavering smile.
"I can still go a little longer, Uncle."
Hearing that, Gyes grinned.
"Alright then! Let's finish this with one last attack!"
He raised his staff—then lunged forward with full force.
The sheer power behind the strike made the air tremble slightly.
It was a direct attack—powerful, fast, and overwhelming.
Ryu made a decision.
Instead of blocking, he shifted his body just slightly to the side—dodging the blow with barely an inch to spare.
Gyes's strike missed—momentum carrying him slightly off-balance.
And in that split second—
Tap!
Ryu's staff lightly struck Gyes's side before he could fully recover.
A small impact.
But a clear, undeniable hit.
Silence fell between them.
Then—
Gyes burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Kid, you've got some serious instincts!"
Ryu exhaled, lowering his staff.
"I just got lucky."
Gyes shook his head.
"Not just luck. You think fast, and you fight smart. I don't know where you learned all this… but I'm more convinced now—you're no ordinary child."
Ryu's grip on his staff tightened slightly.
He knew it. Gyes was starting to suspect something.
But before things got too tense—
A heavy hand ruffled his hair.
"Well, that's enough for today!" Gyes declared, laughing again. "You've got talent, kid. I'll make sure to sharpen that skill even further!"
Ryu let out a small, relieved sigh.
"Thank you, Uncle."
With that, they walked back to the village together—
As the golden hues of the setting sun cast long shadows behind them.