3.7 Picking up the Pieces

*CLANG! WHOOSH!*

I rolled onto the ground after barely dodging that last volley through the skin of my teeth. While I was picking myself back up, my eyes landed on a particular spot on the tin can's armor and it all clicked in my head.

The joints.

God, I was an idiot. Basic anatomy, Rouge. You've known this since high school.

I immediately stood back up, my body almost hugging the ground as I gripped the handle of my dagger even harder. I knew what I had to do now. I just needed to close the distance.

"Given up?"

"Hardly."

Spotting my opportunity, I sprang into action. The minute details of the floor zoomed past me as I rushed the tin can dagger pointed forward.

*WHOOSH! WHOOSH!*

I deftly ducked under his swipes as I approached his effective range, swiftly making my way towards his right leg.

*SLASH!*

"ARGH!"

A fountain of blood rewarded my efforts as my blade slashed through the assuredly softer metal of the joints. A smile adorned my face as I immediately capitalized on my advantage, leaving the right knee in favor of the other.

*SLASH! SLASH!*

Another fountain of blood erupted as I slashed on the left knee-joint. The armored man immediately fell on his face as his legs gave out on him, his halberd no longer in his grasp as he clutched his knees in pain.

"AAARGHH!"

*CLANG! CLATTER CLATter clatter...*

He fell over like a house of cards, and I couldn't help but smirk at a job well done.

Success...

*Clap Clap Clap*

"Good show, cutie~" I turned towards the sidelines, spotting my 'patron' alongside a shaken Lise. "I knew you could do it~"

But just like that, I wiped the smirk off my face and scoffed as I flicked my dagger, shaking off whatever blood that might've decided to stick onto it.

"Fvck you," I ground out.

"Oh~ I'd be honored~"

My eyes widened. What the fvck?

"Do call me Aria, however. It wouldn't count if you screamed someone else's name in bed~"

Oookkay? Oddly flattering, but coming from someone that I hated with every fiber of my being...

My- No! Bad thoughts!

The woman chuckled as she made her way towards me. Her waist-length hair fluttered with a grace I felt disgustingly attracted to as she stopped merely a few inches away from my face.

"Of course, that can wait~ Congratulations, partner- or should I say, partners~"

Blinking at her offer, I ignored the outstretched hand in front of me in favor of checking up on Lise. This was more important than anything that this bvtch could offer me.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I-I'm fine, Brother."

I tried to hold her shoulder, only to winced as she recoiled at my touch. She avoided looking at me in the eye as she returned to her usual place beside me. In all honesty, it hurt to see her react like that to me.

Was there something on my face?

"Ehem~"

Oh.. right...

With a certain level of disgust that I found hard to swallow, I reluctantly shook my supposed partner's hand as she smiled like there was no tomorrow.

"Joy!~" my 'partner' exclaimed to high heavens as she beamed like a love-struck schoolgirl. "It counts!~ It counts!~"

I quickly retracted my hand the moment she let go of it. What counted?

"Oh~ And of course, the little cutie as well~"

I simply watched as the blue-haired Zahler eagerly shook hands with my apprentice, with said apprentice also sporting a face filled with confusion.

"Okay~ Now that everything's in order, let's get outta here, partners~"

I sighed in relief as tied my dagger to the back of my thigh once more. It was over. We're getting out of this hell hole.

"B-Big Bro?" I turned my head towards a reluctant Lise, her blue eyes filled with... regret? "I-I'm sorry."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "What for?"

"Fo-For not trusting you."

Huh? That was it?

"It's fine, Lise," I smiled at her as I ruffled her hair, giving her the brightest smile I could possibly give to her. "I'll make sure you're safe, okay?"

I felt the soothing, familiar grip of her hand on my own as she replied with her sweetest tone.

"O-okay..."

My mental faculties shuddered at such a weapon. It was more than enough to give me the strength to tolerate potentially living with the person that killed my father.

With mind resolute, we followed the older woman up the stairs. Her constant humming cut through the silence as we slowly approached a bright and open exit.

"Welcome!~ To the Aufteilung Branch of the Imperial Barracks~"

I blinked my eyes at what amounted as my first intake of vitamin D in weeks as I felt the cool fresh air of the outside world flow through my body. I stopped myself from crying as I realized that the days of languishing in a souped-up sweatshop was finally over. Nevermind that I had no idea what the word she just said meant. The fact that we were outside was just that... amazing that I was speechless...

"B-Brother..."

Beside me, Lise was less resistant to the call of emotion as tears flowed freely from her eyes. I gripped her hand harder; a sign of reassurance for the new normal that we'll now be living in.

"Ignore the fact that there's nobody in the courtyard at the moment~" our benefactor prattled on as she lackadaisically walked through the open walkway. "Just follow me to our room~"

We acquiesced as the Zahler guided us through the winding hallways of the barracks. The walls and the floors were still made of cobblestone, albeit of a higher quality than that of what I saw down at the Furnace. Overall, the place looked like a general improvement over our previous arrangement; with candle holders in between draped windows and the wooden doors no longer looking like it'd fall over with a single gust of wind.

"Here we are~"

We stopped at a particularly decorated door. It stood out amongst the others that we passed along the way, a big 'XII' emblazoned at the top of the doorway.

"Don't be shy now~" Aria coaxed as she opened the door. "There's nothing in there that'll bite you~"

Pushing myself to enter, what greeted me was a far cry from what I was used to in the whole seventeen years that I've lived in this world. Luxuriously large bed, a chandelier filled with unlit candles, and a fully stocked wardrobe. Those were the things that immediately caught my attention.

"Woah!" Lise exclaimed in wonder as she stared directly at her own reflection. "Look, Bro! I can see myself!"

I felt a tear fall in my other eye as I realized what I was looking at.

A fully functioning mirror. Oh how I've missed you.

"Pretty neat, don't you think~"

⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛