Our Continuing Days - Day 5, Part 2

From there, it wasn't long before we finished returning her spheres to those bags. Hence, the matches started once again. As they did, it was easy to understand why Fasnilthar claimed she was going to start getting harsher on me. Like with the initial rounds, those started to grow increasingly more one sided. For one, because Fasnilthar started making use of her full skillset from that point, which made it all the harder to try to guess what method of attack she would use at any given point. This also made it clear to me how solid of a read she had on my movements, not to mention the ease with which she controlled the pacing of the battle, and how frequently she would lead me into traps. 

She also had started moving through the battlefield more actively as well, instead of simply sticking to her starting spot, and this once again made it clear she was truly gifted in defensive action as well. Be it in choosing her stance and position, to the reckless yet extremely precise usage she made of barriers, it felt like her every effort to defend herself was done with minimalism in mind, sparring only with as much concentration as she deemed necessary. Seeing how little of her magic was used to improve her movement while evading also made it all the clearer how solid an understanding of those matches she had. Neither her veil nor aura took shape often, and even her rare displays of using kinetic control to affect her own movement seemed aimed at minimizing the effort devoted to the act. 

Speaking of, in the first five matches, I had failed to activate illusion spells once. This because of both the concentration required to manifest them, something that was quite hard to find when I had constantly been placed on the defensive, or simply because deploying them in a bad timing wouldn't necessarily eliminate any current disadvantages that I faced. Yet, by following a similar tactic to that of the fifth round, I had managed to turn invisible, or to create copies of me in one or two rounds. Which brings forth another issue I noticed on those sets. She seemed to have multiple methods of detecting me, and I wasn't sure of all of them. I knew her kinetic sense would make it hard to approach her without having my movements detected, yet regardless of the distance and caution of my movement she never failed at keeping track of me, even when I tried avoiding areas under the influence of her extensions. I wasn't sure what she was doing, though it was easy to tell this wasn't merely the result of her guessing my decisions, even if her reading of my fighting style was pretty solid. 

At some point during those matches, Chiaisei and Nalfimiria had finished their own lesson, and as a result had left us. For a moment, Chiaisei seemed intent on asking Finarkzir not to speak too much with us while she was away, though ultimately she simply asked her companion not to talk about her in this scenario. And in the end, we fought fourteen times before I needed to recover. I hadn't beaten her once. If anything, it never even felt like I got close to beating her. Every time I was tricked into thinking I spotted an opening, it was simply a matter of seconds until I fell for a different trap.

Considering Fasnilthar as the opponent, those numbers looked awful. Even if she was favored in many ways, that wasn't enough to explain such a one sided beating. If it were an older mage, like my parents, it could easily be explained by the gap in cognition and experience, things that wouldn't disappear entirely regardless of how much they were holding back. Yet neither the gap in age nor in magical skill justified the extent to which I was destroyed in this case, though. Only a significant gap in competence would fully explain this case, and worse of all, it was blatantly obvious I wasn't being taken very seriously, despite the beat down I received.

I suppose it was a difference in the way she looked at her opponents in varying scenarios. While we were headed to our task, there had been no hints of the usual carefreeness or playfulness she showed most of the time, her face had been completely serious and her smile being substituted by a stone cold glare. Whenever she fought Sowanar, she seemed slightly entertained, even if not appearing to feel very challenged. With Chiaisei, there was a hint of determination in her eyes, for reasons I couldn't guess, and whenever she contemplated or suggested a match with Nalfimiria or Finarkzir, it appeared the difficulty of such a potential match drew in her interest, like if the threat posed by those two lighted a spark in her. 

Yet while we were sparring, it looked like she was bored. Not like she was completely out of it, though I still had the impression she wasn't dedicating that much of an effort towards beating me, as if it were a relatively simple matter to her. Normally, I doubted I could have gotten such a clear interpretation of a person's mood from their expression, however seeing as I was far more observant of other people whenever we were headed to a fight, I would say this was the closest to an expertise I had for this kind of reading. Which was made all the easier by how sincere Fasnilthar appeared to be about her mood whenever she was going over any kind of combat training. Either way, I kept those frustrations in mind as I sat down to recover my spirit essence. Fasnilthar was sitting besides me, and she had brought Finarkzir's stand closer as well, in case we felt like chatting. At times, I would look at her, and it felt like Fasnilthar was in the midst of judging me, likely for displeasing her with my performance then. That annoyed me a little, yet I felt like whatever conclusion that might have brought, it wouldn't have come without any merit. 

—Hey. How were you tracking me? — I decided to ask, after some moments spent in silence. 

—Check your left pocket. — She pointed at it after telling me that. When I heard her, I remembered that was where I had been keeping my keys for the house. 

—Don't tell me…? 

—Based on my reading from the reactions, our keys are mostly made of nickel and brass. Not as easy to manipulate by me as a metal could be, though that doesn't necessarily mean it is hard to detect it, or to keep track of its location. Conjured images can't hide that, so it works as a way to detect you. — Hearing her explanation, I felt a bit ashamed. 

"I shouldn't have been surprised by this. Both the theory and applications I've seen so far should include this type of usage. Yet I failed to surmise she could also detect me through metals within a fight." A part of me wondered then also if starting each match with that spell form was her means of hinting at her main method of detection. "It's another method to keep track of, at the very least." When I was studying potential countermeasures against this level of illusion, mother refused to offer me a full list of the spell forms that could affect it. She told me that figuring out some of those myself would have made me a smarter fighter, in the long run. Discovering that issue through the words of another, I wasn't sure if I had succeeded in that task or not. 

—Want to fight without them next time? 

—No. In real battle, forgoing all kinds of metal would be impractical at best. I should train in a way that can be of use in the real world. 

—If you say so. That said, I'm also pretty sure spirit veiling can cover up this method, as well as forms of enchantment and infusion that reduce the effects of magnetism on metals. Or at least so in latter ranks. — As relevant as this advice might have been for the future, it couldn't cover the issue immediately at the very least. 

—Also… You move with a lot of confidence, considering how little you have been empowering your body. — I said, thinking back to her way of dodging and moving across the field. All things considered, I didn't expect a long range expert to know how to direct hers and other's positioning so well. 

—I have to. Ranged experts can't afford to waste concentration with infusing or veils constantly. I don't have enough output to waste any of it. Keeping that up requires practice, and practice brings confidence. Real simple. Besides, I don't think what I did in this case was really impressive. 

—How so? There aren't many forms of magic at this level that travel faster than light magic, and you dodged that kind of spell with ease. — Spells connected to electricity or wind still would outpace light magic of this sort, as well as some kinds of projectile spells, though it still remained far above the average for speed in a projectile at this point. 

—It isn't about how fast the spell is. It's about predicting its trajectory. Finarzkir, help me out here. — She said, while raising a hand towards the magical beast. 

Seeming to understand her implication, Finarkzir nodded her consent, before taking a stance and screeching her affirmation of being ready. Fasnilthar than fired a small bolt of light magic, one that wouldn't hurt the eagle if it hit, though it still appeared to travel in similar speeds to my own. Finarkzir swiftly left her perch, dodging the attack while also causing it to fall, due to the speed of her take off. Those two were also far closer to each other than we had been during our sets. 

—You see? Light magic is fast, but at this level it always travels in a straight line. If you know where your opponent is pointing at, and the timing between the conjuration of the spell and it hitting you, evading is pretty simple. — While saying this, she helped Finarkzir put her perch back in place, seeing as it had fallen near Fasnilthar. 

—I agree with her. Ultimately, though speed makes it much harder to dodge an attack, one should also take into account the area it affects before declaring how hard it is to evade. That, and whether there is a clear pattern behind the application of the magic form. — After getting back in place, Finarkzir activated her device and expressed as much. 

—Think of it this way. You've blocked or evaded lightning based spells multiple times over those rounds. Not because you could react to their speed, but because the form leaves clear indications of its conjuration before hitting a target. The same applies to many other forms of spellcasting. Otherwise, magnetic wave magic would be invincible in master level dueling settings. 

—You can't exactly beat light speed. But because everyone knows that, it is implied our passive defenses need to be able to handle light waves or UV spells. It doesn't take that much effort either, and so the fastest magic is kept in check by default. It would be the same with sound based spells at our level, really. 

"Their logic is solid enough, I guess. This is something to take into account for the future, most likely." Their explanation made enough sense, and I had just seen Fasnilthar put that thought into practice. I figured then that that was a lesson to keep track of, which already made me feel like that experience had been worth quite a bit. 

—I suppose it is… I'll keep that in mind for future fights. — Their comments had been helpful to that point, and I more or less assumed this had been the end of it. I figured that I would just get back to training normally after recovering, or, if we decided those matches had used enough of Fasnilthar's time already, I could continue recovering while returning to our home. Hence, I thought I was about to return most of my concentration to my spiritual recovery, yet before I did, I noticed Fasnilthar had been looking at me more intently than before. 

—I guess maybe about 65 to 70… Really good at learning and memorizing, most definitely, but your whole approach to combat is lacking. Compared to the others, you really do feel like an amateur, even though I'm pretty confident you could beat one with ease. Your methods are also really dependent on an opponent's focus to have any effect at all. In this sense, an opponent like Sowanar seems like your preference, which makes the fact your win rate against him is currently as low as it is all the more depressing. It's rather ironic that a specialist in Iscathnerin has trouble with the flexibility of other spell casters as well. But more than all of that… — It didn't seem to me like she cared whether or not I was hearing her. Like she was judging me mostly to herself, and if I happened to hear her out that would be fine too, as far as she was concerned. 

In the truest sense of the word, Fasnilthar's words were harsh. If there was anything in the world I was confident in, it was in my ability as a fighter, so hearing someone I knew was better than me at this tearing me down like that affected me in a way most forms of criticism wouldn't. And while I didn't know for a fact what the number she gave me meant, in this context I assumed she was comparing me to previous opponents, somehow. Still, up to that point none of her words felt like something I had the need to reply to. Whether I debated it or not, her points wouldn't change. And though I was curious as to what weaknesses she had spotted, I wasn't sure of how to address that topic properly. As much as it would have troubled me to admit this, I couldn't say with confidence that I would have been able to hear her points calmly, much less listen to her entirely. Hence, I figured it might be good to ask a summarized or gentler approach to this lesson, one I wasn't sure if I would get from Fasnilthar, out of all my companions. And yet, her following words almost made me jump on top of her, as soon as I heard and finished processing them. 

—... I think I get why the sisterhoods have rejected you so far. — Hearing her, it took me some instant to process the significance of her words, yet as soon as she did, I turned towards her and grabbed her by the shoulders. The sudden movement almost made me fall on top of her, but neither of us lost our balance during it. My eyes were staring at her straight, and I felt our faces were far closer together than they had been at any point. 

"So even she has these answers?!" I couldn't hold myself upon hearing that. As much as I respected Fasnilthar's ability as a warrior, it was hard to get a grasp on her person as a whole. Personally, at that point in time it still was difficult to differentiate at which points she was being the simple idiot forcing me into talks I didn't want a part in and when this incredibly talented and serious spellweaver showed up. It was hard to think both were the same woman in the end, this confusing creature caught a glimpse at my issue before I even had a clue of what it was. 

—What is it then…?! — I tried getting an answer out of her, as I more or less realized by then that every sister or brother who understood it refused to elaborate it to me. Even if she was clearly wrong, any hint of any sort would have been a blessing at that point in time. Her hands clenched the back of my head at that point. 

—Senshin, get OUT OF MY FACE FOR A SEC HERE, 'KAY?! — As she said so, she slammed the hands behind my head against it, before punching me in the gut and kicking me away from her. It appeared as if I had triggered her self defense reflexes. Taking in the pain of the blows, I took two notes in my mind as I used my veil to reduce the blows' effects: "Seems she isn't that patient" and two, "She has good technique for punching and kicking. Definitely went through some hand to hand training." Almost as soon as I finished rolling away from the kick, I got back in position to listen, though. The pain or her anger were of little concern compared to the information Fasnilthar might be able to offer me. 

—By Kalfisnar's text, were you trying to kiss me or talk? 'Cus if it's the latter, distance helps a bit, you know? Jumping at a mage without warning is bound to cause a reaction too, and not the nice kind friend. And if it's the former, you need to learn how to make advances on others too at some point Senshin, because jumping on top of them all of a sudden definitely ain't it. You gotta set up a mood first, you know? Or at least give some hints. It's easy to sway me, but not to that point. If you're trying to fuck me, you gotta follow at least some of the usual steps. We even have an audience! — She said while pointing at Finarkzir, who seemed more interested in the scene since the sudden explanation by Fasnilthar. 

—Interesting. I had never seen an attempt at mating by humans before, seeing as my- never mind, breaching protocol. Do humans usually advance on each other this aggressively? And is the exchange of strikes a common practice as well? On my kind, dueling before copulation is the norm, even if the goal isn't reproductive. 

—Not any normal ones, they don't! — Seeing them continue bringing the topic in that direction, I got a little frustrated.

—This has nothing to do with what I asked! Just answer me, please. — I believe at the time a hint of desperation may have been betrayed by my tone. Already over the blows, I tried shutting down whatever conclusion those two might have arrived at. 

—I know it doesn't, but again, you shouldn't jump a mage without expecting a counter attack. If you had been any more sudden I would have ended up zapping you for a bit. — While explaining herself, she gestured at me with one of her hands. Between the fingers I could see electrical sparks taking shape. The suggestion normally might alarm me, seeing as a mage using electricity is at their most dangerous when in direct contact with their target, but I couldn't think of much other than her answer at that point. Looking at her expectantly, she continued glancing at me for a moment, before calming down a little. She then taped me on a shoulder before continuing to talk. 

—Alright, I'll talk a little. But first, let me set up some rules. First, this isn't anything concrete about you or your situation or anything, just a hint I got from the way you fight. If I'm right about my assumption, I can see why the sisterhoods are hesitant to take you in as a normal student, by this point. Though I don't think the issue is that tough to solve. If you're given the right pointers, I could see them accepting you fully in time for you to make your vows right at 18. That said… — After talking for some time, she spent a moment in silence, as if considering something. 

—I kinda hate saying this, but I get why they're not giving you an answer in this case. So I won't be telling you everything I thought. — That part of the answer disappointed me a little, especially since she herself just said her observation might not have been perfectly on point. 

—Why though? 

—In this case… I think spoon feeding you an answer might enable part of the issue. Or at least, I think that's what your parents might have thought. Maybe this assumption has some problems with it, but I don't really know that much about you in the first place. And if I'm right, I might end up causing more harm than good in the end. Not like I'm the most patient girl around, though you need to take some care while trying to help someone out. — I wasn't sure how much I could trust her explanation, but at least she had been telling me more of her reasoning than my parents or teachers had to that point. For that at least I was thankful, even if I had yet to figure out how good Fasnilthar's advice usually was. 

—So while I won't point out my full logic or anything, there is some stuff about our match I feel like that could work as hints. First things first, Senshin. You use Iscathnerin like it is Laenixir. Did you ever realize that? — Even at her first question, I was already a little lost. 

—What? How so? — I wasn't sure what that accusation was supposed to mean. 

—Come to think of it, I agree with her to an extent. Or at least, I could certainly see the similarities to the other spiritual area in your tactics. — As Finarkzir declared her agreement as well, I started to wonder if those meant something I didn't understand well. Because just the words on their own sounded kind of hard to swallow. 

—Yeah. Hey Senshin. What distinguishes the spiritual twins? 

—You mean literally? Other than the method in how each manifests the spirit, there are the differences in properties between the shared magical structures and a considerable number of structures only one or the other has access to. Laenixir produces more potent versions of the same spells, and as a result the ones created through Iscathnerin are both easier to control and require less concentration. For what isn't shared, I believe the trend is around Laenixir stabilizing and intensifying spiritual magic as a whole, while Iscathnerin is more effective at specializing its magic and changing its functioning past conjuration. There are more abilities not shared between both as well, like Auras or Soul Reading magic, but it would take a while to list all of those specifically.

—From a technical perspective, that would be it. Strategically speaking, that doesn't cover all of it, though. You gotta keep in mind how the spiritual arts interact with the other greater areas. In a lot of parameters, Laenixir is usually the third spot while Iscathnerin is the fourth. This is what makes them so consistent at taking on the other areas at their weak spots. Each also has their own unique strengths, but if there is something else that sets them apart is the effect the customization of its spells has on Iscathnerin. This can not only reverse those placements, but Iscathnerin can often reach closer to number two at its extremes than Laenixir. The default might be weaker, yet the additional options also add far more complexity and possibilities, as a result. That's what I think you're lacking. — After hearing her out, I spent a second recalling our matches to try to identify what had caused that particular advice. That effort showed no immediate results, though. 

—I don't get it. Could you explain how more clearly? — As I asked this, her expression seemingly contorted more, to my surprise. She appeared to be sad, or maybe disappointed was the accurate term. 

—Oh Senshin… Fine. I'll be a little clearer. Due to its status as the Neutral Blade, tactics based on Laenixir are almost entirely centered on how to maintain your opposition in an unfavorable state. This often means that the strategy is decided almost as soon as the main greater area of the target is confirmed. What's their preferred range, the potency of their attacks, what are the properties of their defense, how much time until the main clash begins… Simply knowing the greater areas at play already helps plenty with that, but the more information you gather, the better. The technical theory for Laenixir basically consists of answering a string of similar questions until the solution appears. Other than testing the information on this list, this guideline remains pretty consistent when fighting opponents with the same skillset or in similar situations. This plan pretty much always applies to Laenixir, varying a little when it's used alongside the other greater areas. Simple, elegant and predictable. It's also part of the reason why almost every type of mage can easily fit in Laenixir as a secondary area. It being so reliable at its job makes it simple to fit it in for any secondary role you might need. — The explanation was clear, but that part of it felt unnecessary to me. As Fasnilthar said herself, she was simply reaffirming common theory until that point, and she likely realized I had been growing somewhat impatient, as a result.

—That shouldn't need much explaining by now. 

—It's not like I thought you didn't know that. The point is, that's the factor from Laenixir that you seem to be borrowing. Just draw a plan based on match up and execute it, right? Making a single plan doesn't work well for Iscathnerin, though. The biggest strength to the area is adaptability, so changing plans on the fly and improvising are often treated as requirements for effective usage of it. The bare minimum is making multiple plans before taking action, but you set your mind on a course of action before the fighting even begins. See the problem yet? Not that it's restricted to just that either. — As she began pressing her point more aggressively, I sat quietly while trying to process what she was suggesting, yet Fasnilthar didn't give me the time to stay too long on a single topic either. 

"More plans? Have my tactics not been varied enough between rounds? Or does she imply I should be acting more responsively? Simply saying that doesn't cover how I should learn that. Maybe starting with multiple plans would be the easiest method then, but to what extent would something count as a different option? It's not as if I've been that consistent regarding my choices for techniques or stances…" It was in the middle of trying to sort through these options for consideration that Fasnilthar continued the conversation.

—The matches we just had. Especially in the first part, they were structured like lessons. Did you notice that? — Being offered a question while I was still trying to process what she had been explaining delayed my response for a few seconds. Especially since I wasn't yet sure how this connected to the prior argument. 

—You mean… You were trying to push me into adopting more varied tactics since then? — If so, I failed to realize how she had been doing so. 

—Not exactly, no. Let's say it was something more on the line of a test. Based on what I've seen so far, I figured you aren't at a point where we can fight as equals yet, so I decided doing things that way would be more productive. 

—As expected of my girl's instructor. You have a talent for knowing when to soften your touch, Fasnitlhar. 

—Well, you know. Girls my age don't normally get work like that, so I've got more experience under this kind of belt than most. Still, this isn't the point. So, what was I teaching you? Based on the way I fought, I mean. 

—Firstly, it seemed like the rounds filled with volleys were aimed at measuring my speed of adaptation. As the matches progressed, though… Perhaps a test of striking balance as well. It seems as if restricting my time to think and act had been intended to result from your offensive. Pressing a quick response is usually the goal behind such exercises. — I said, recalling the study material I've read on the subject. The concept in question usually refers to the balance a mage needs to place between defense and offense. Both sides were dangerous if done in exaggeration, after all. If for offense this likely should already be obvious, in defense excesses were dangerous not only due to the usual problems with passivity yet also because in the context of magical battles, the one with the initiative often has more concentration available to develop their advantage.

—You didn't get everything, then. — The revelation surprised me for a moment. That didn't stop her from continuing, though. — So, and the next part of the lesson? My stance varied slightly between each, but overall I was trying to get a message across, from battle 5 onwards. 

And that part of her sentence shocked me even more. "Was there even a pattern to her fighting from that point?" I couldn't think of any obvious ones, at all. Since the moment she started using her skill set in full, she never would rely on the same tool for too long. Whenever I thought I was getting used to her way of using a form of spellcasting, she would flip it in its head, or show me a new way to surprise me with it. She even would occasionally employ her weaker fields, like fire based spells, all to keep me guessing how she would act. With how easy to count it was how many types of arts she could use in the literal sense, it was shocking how many different ways she had thought of using them to attack. She even succeeded in using a barrier to make me trip at some point over our matches, a loss that felt so embarrassing that after falling I spent some seconds with my face planted in the grass post being beaten. 

—A lesson… I guess I hadn't considered a lot of things that Thalgignir can do, before this set. 

—Really? Like what? 

—Like the points you used mist as a means to blind me. I figured that was something closer to a Favighea application or of a different area, and especially didn't think someone could use it at your level with Thalgignir. Or fragmenting ice shards by blowing them up from within. I never expected that fighting against the kinetic control of someone our level would be this difficult either. Or using barriers aggressively at all. I didn't think this was something people at our level could pull off. You've also applied magnetism in plenty of ways the textbooks never mention. I figured anything past the magnetic sling would be far more difficult at this stage. 

—It's the easiest way of hurting people with the structure, so it's simply the one most warned about. The fields created this way will do just about anything else magnets would do normally, though. That aside, what's the goal of those lessons? There are two main points, really, but if you hit either of them that will be plenty for now. — She said, though a part of me thought she wasn't expecting much of me, based on her expression. 

—I need to study a lot more, I guess. — As I finished saying this, Fasnilthar slapped me on the forehead. It hurt me as much as it surprised me. — Why? — I wasn't necessarily upset, but the suddenness of the hit made me want to question her. 

—I wasn't expecting much, but that's the worst answer I had imagined. Maybe I had a point earlier on. — She said the last part as if in thought. I still didn't get what she meant. 

—I think I see part of her point as well. Perhaps not to the point that I would hit you as well, yet I can see how your conclusion might frustrate someone. — And the fact Finarkzir had been watching us silently for some time to berate me as well made it feel all the more like I had failed to understand her points. 

—If I didn't understand something, just say it without hitting me, please. 

—Sorry, but not really. If you're gonna frustrate me this much, leaving it at a slap feels fair enough. Either way, Senshin. — After saying so, Fasnilthar closed her eyes for a moment, seeming deep in thought. 

—It's from the volume about Iscathnerin, obviously, but… Was it chapter 3 or 4? Anyways. The general stance you were trying to take against me. It was pulled straight from "The Basis of Magical Combat", the Iscathnerin volume, right? I know it's already on the technical parts of the book, at least. I think Kalfisnar calls that section "In a shit storm with no rooftop", or something like that. What I do remember is that it's in the section covering the basics for magical exchanges of different types. You were alternating between the defensive and evading postures described there, and it looked like the rhythm behind your attacks had also been set based on it. Did I get that all? — I nodded while listening to her. I was surprised she had studied those volumes of the Divine Wisdoms closely enough to even guess at the chapter pretty precisely. 

—Indeed. That's the part where Lady Kalfisnar would describe basics as to how to deal with opponents with a range advantage, especially those focused on projectile spells. To be exact, I was using adaptations of the defensive postures and attacking stances between numbers 13 and 20* mostly, though I adopted offensive stance number 34* at some points as well. Against most opponents, narrowing down on an exact number is much easier, by the way. As most of the group training on the sisterhood is done under the theories the Greater Ones developed, I sought to study the source of them as closely as possible. The titles she gives to her forms makes it much easier to memorize them, right? — I always thought Lady Kalfisnar's habit of naming things might have been intended as a means of facilitating studies. After all, why else would the wise lady put a title like that in a text book? It almost sounded like an attempt at comedy, yet the topic clearly was serious. I couldn't think of any other reason, at the very least. 

(*Why the numbers, you might ask? Well, in Kalfisnar's sections within the basis, instead of explaining things through exemples, due to the great flexibility her Greater Area offers, she chose to instead devote specific postures, stances and forms that reflected the potential distribution and tactics used by the mage who practices Iscathnerin. Postures reflect how much a mage should dedicate to defense at any given time, as well as the points at which they should opt from evasive actions and barrier casting, stances for the usage and employment of direct attacking spells and forms is the terms used to describe methods of using Iscathnerin that could break the balance of power within a match. These are meant to be inter combined, and there are 80 different postures and stances described for low level mages, not to mention 40 different means she registered to apply forms that can be used in early level Iscathnerin. As these combinations might be too much for a normal person to put together, she also separates them in potential scenarios based on opponents of the different areas, one of which is the part Fasnilthar called "In a shit storm with no rooftop". I had memorized all of the postures, stances and forms in that book. As a result of that effort though, I struggled to memorize the whole contents of the other 5 "The Basis of Magical Combat", though, despite the fact they were much shorter than Lady Kalfisnar's own volume.) 

—Really now… Senshin, you know those books are considered the basis for anything related to combat theory, right? I wouldn't be surprised if Finarkzir has read them, even. 

—It's funny you say that, I did indeed. Chiaisei passed them onto me when she was trying to convince me reading could be useful, many years ago. — The mention seemed to bring some nostalgic memories into Finarkzir. 

—See? Those books are even popular among magical beasts! Have you noticed the problem yet? 

—Not at all. Even those with no habit of reading recognize how well the Greater Aspects speak of each of their areas. As far as sources of knowledge about magic goes, they are still by far better than anyone else in this globe. And seeing as to this day their works on explaining many things connected to it are still unparalleled, it would be simply moronic not to use them as a base for studies at any point. — I wasn't sure what she was trying to get at. Especially since she appeared to be in agreement with everything I said, and even memorized sections of those books herself. Even ones that weren't connected to her areas, such as the one written about Iscathnerin. 

—I know! That's the whole point. Everyone has read them at some point! And you seem to follow every suggestion from them when you fight. See the issue now? 

—What issue? I don't - Gah, hey what was that for?! — That time, she didn't let me finish my sentence before hitting me on the forehead again. She also put a lot more power behind the strike that time. 

—I think I get why your people may be having trouble with you! You're immune to hints, aren't you?! — She yelled, holding her head in frustration and still looking irritated at my reply. — How do I even say this without delivering the news directly? There is a big problem with the way you fight. And if I was right at the start, and it is reflected in other aspects of your life, this is definitely why the sisterhood is still hesitant on taking you in. — After telling me this, I thought I could hear her whispering, "Am I also like this?", but the topic proceeded before I could ask what that was about. 

—I believe I understand what you mean as well, by now. Normally, I would say the idea of keeping the answer from someone might be unnecessary, yet I am beginning to understand why you would stay quiet as well. Perhaps I'll do the same for now, until my girl declares her judgment. She is far better suited for this kind of debate than myself, after all. — Finarkzir thought to us in agreement. The way she would move her head while delivering the message appeared to indicate she had interest in this part of the talk. 

—Yeah, I doubt it will be long before others understand the issue either. Especially those you prefer sparring with. Hey, Senshin? — She appeared to have calmed down slightly by the time she asked me that. 

—Yes? — I answered, still unsure of what she was thinking. 

—Nalfimiria also makes use of Iscathnerin. Why don't you try to talk with her about this? To figure out the differences between you and her, in terms of usage of the area and all. 

—You mean about the matter of the book or with planning? I can see why she can help with part of that, yet the styles she specializes in are too advanced for me to try to learn techniques with her. — Nalfimiria mainly practiced the War Architect style, yet my levels surrounding constructs and alteration magic weren't anywhere near high enough to apply most of its teachings. The postures, stances and forms in a book the size of the Basis could hardly contain the variety of techniques of that style as well, something all the more true for Nalfimiria, who likely stood among its most eccentric practitioners. 

—Both, sort of. She is definitely well used to improvising, based on her spell set, so just watching her fight might already make some of that clear. She likely is better at putting theory into practice as well, as far as that situation goes. And don't go backing out on this because of your crush, hear me? — I still didn't get what she found so worrying about my replication of the Basis, but decided to still keep that in mind, given how serious her reaction seemed to have been.

Either way, Fasnilthar offered to bring up this shared training to Nalfimiria, for a day in which she was less busy. I didn't particularly feel the need to be represented by her in this matter, but figured she would have an easier time expressing the idea, seeing as Fasnilthar rarely ever shut up even without being given a motive to speak. We had decided to leave our sparring matches for that during that day, though. According to her, the talk we had afterwards had taken a lot of time, but had been really important. So much so, that as she put it, if I kept fighting her without considering the suggestions she offered me, I would never beat her once. A part of me felt like that was a challenge, though nothing about the way she spoke it made it appear like a bluff. Still, I told myself not to forget the number of rounds we had that day. Fourteen matches in all, none of which I won. Wondering how many it would take before my first victory against her, I moved on to the next step of my training that day, while keeping her words in mind. Which also shall mark the end for this section of mine. Until the next one.