Chapter 9-A Consistent Victory

Three days have passed since that friendly fight, which turned into a battle with the content of death. In these days that have passed, we can say that Aiz and Bell's relationship began to be built, they both apologized to each other for what happened in that pseudo-training. They understood that they had exaggerated in every way, both Bell for letting himself be carried away by anger and the survival instinct and Aiz for having plunged into an ocean of concentration.

With the proper indulgences, Bell began to teach Aiz.In the back yard, they were face to face. Aiz did not wear her armor, she wore her white dress with blue stripes, half pants and high boots. Bell wore a black shirt, beige pants and high boots.- "First, I want you to enter a defensive position."Upon hearing those words, Aiz expressed confusion. She tilted her head slightly to the side.- "But weren't we going to train with the swords?"She asked, pointing to the farthest tree. Under her, two swords were resting on the ground.- "No. At least not for now. At this first moment I need you to be able to defend yourself without the use of a weapon, whatever it may be."- "Why?"- "In a fight, either in the <Masonra > against a monster, or on the surface against a thinking opponent, at some point you may end up being disarmed, so it is crucial that you know how to defend yourself with your hands, so no one can exploit this weakness."Aiz quickly understood. She shook her head.- "That way, even if I lose my gun, I can deal with my enemy."- "Exactly. Only after you become good at hand-to-hand combat will I teach you how to truly wield a sword. You can become the strongest adventurer if you can merge what I'm going to teach you with your own techniques."- "I can become even stronger..."She smiled. A glow decorated that shiny gold.However, Bell didn't like that smile on the girl's face at all. That expression, that aura that emanated from her and that climate that was established in that courtyard, all this made him apprehensive. Aiz was following a path that could end with her death or even worse.Despite this, Bell couldn't say anything to her. He didn't have that right.So he chose to ignore that look and finally decided to start training her.- "Well, let's get started. Stay in a defensive position."Aiz did what she was told. The feet separated slightly, leaving the center of gravity more solid. She raised her arms as she closed her fists, the right one a little away from her face near the side of the chin and the left one inch in front of her face.- "This way..."Bell half closed his eyes. It was the same way he used it. Without even taking it, she managed to recreate it with impeccable perfection.— "Aiz... This position is the same as mine. Where did you learn that?"- "Hm? I watched you a few times while you trained, so... Hm... Did I learn?"She tilted her head to the side as if she also didn't understand or wasn't sure what she had explained.- "Only watching?"He arched his eyebrow.- "Yes."With that confirmation, a memory invaded his thoughts. Bell remembered someone. Someone very special to him, a true friend.(...)When they met, they quickly became friends.They had similar tastes and the same dreams.They formed a good duo.If separated they were strong, together they were irrepressible.However, the girl was amazing. She could learn things only by looking while the boy had to make an effort to learn.She was the definition of prodigy while the boy was the definition of effort.When they fought for the first time, the boy demonstrated through his abilities and abilities an overwhelming superiority. There was a unilateral fight, where the girl was easily defeated.However, as the training passed, even defeating her, the fights began to become longer and more disputed. The girl was gradually understanding and, especially, learning how to defend herself from her friend's blows. In the fifth dispute, the boy's blows no longer had the same effect. They were read completely while the girl's blows that were previously not connected were dealt with a considered force. She learned the boy's techniques so quickly, that it made it seem that all the effort he put into rooting those movements in his body was totally in vain. The months it took him to dominate them were obliterated by the girl's ability to learn quickly.However, even if he had to spend more hours than she trained, he would get some result. If he did not have the ability to learn like her, it was enough for him to try even harder so that he could read her movements. He would find a means so that it would not be overcome, at least not so easily.With this, at the end of another workout, the two children were lying on the floor covered with mats. His breaths were panting. The slender arms were open as they looked up slowly catching their breath.For a brief moment, they were in complete silence.After regularizing his breaths, the boy started a conversation.- "You're amazing, Alice. His ability to learn just by looking is very strong."They sat down so they could talk face to face.- "You and I know that even with that, you will still be better than me."- "I don't think so, but how are you saying who I am to disagree?"— "Idiot...."She hit the boy's arm lightly.- "Hahahaha".(...)- "Tatsuo?"- "Huh? Yes, sorry, I got lost in thoughts for a moment."Bell laughed in embarrassment. He scratched the back of his neck, looking away.Aiz, however, noticed something in that distant expression of the boy. He seemed to be seeing someone in the place where she was and for a moment, she saw a deep sadness ravage those crimson eyes.- "Why were you sad?"The golden-haired girl asked herself.She wanted to ask, but was it right? Wouldn't she be invading his privacy? Several questions arose in her mind at that moment, but for the vast majority of her unknowns, she did not know how to answer, much less understood the reason behind her concern for the boy's sad look.- "Well... Let's start. Attack me with everything I have."Bell said removing Aiz from his thoughts.The girl shook her head. Aiz took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment and when the gold appeared into the world again, she kicked the ground with her left fist raised. She advanced confident that her blow, if it hit, would wreak havoc. However, she saw the world rotate feeling, in sequence, her coast burning when the pain spread all over her body. Aiz moaned in pain realizing that in a miserable second she was defeated.- "First lesson: Never advance on your enemy in a thoughtless way."Bell looked at her from above while holding her by the wrist.- "Second lesson: The fight only ends when one of the sides is unconscious or dead. As long as none of these conditions are happening, don't give up."Helping her get up. He walked away three steps.- "Again."Ordered.Aiz once again advanced, but this time, she paid attention to her actions. She analyzed the boy at a relatively short distance. In a measly impulse she would be able to enter his range and strike a blow, but as seen earlier it would not be easy at all. Aiz took a deep breath entering position once again, however, unlike the first attempt in which she advanced thoughtlessly, with slow and short steps she approached keeping her guard high.Bell smiled minimally with that approach.- "Good girl."He praised her deeply, but even if she had made a little progress, this was far from ideal.Aiz entered the boy's reach, her golden eyes widened slightly while her instincts dominated her. With his left arm, in a quick movement, worthy of a level 2 adventurer, he punched the boy's face. However, once again, his attack was fault.Bell tilted his body slightly back. The punch hit the air, leaving Aiz with his guard entirely open. Immediately understanding his situation, the golden eyes widened when the boy with the outer part of his left arm maintained the movement of his arm towards nothing. In the next second, the boy turned his left arm holding her in simple immobilization, thus making her stay dangerously close to his body while his feet separate slightly and, the next instant, she felt a mind-blowing pain hugging her body once again.Bell struck a right-wing blow to the unprotected rib. Aiz moaned in pain. She closed her eyes strongly feeling that blow. But, unfortunately, it wasn't over.Without any mercy, Bell advanced undoing the immobilization and with a fluid movement, wrapped his neck with his left arm, thus placing his left leg behind the legs of the girl who was scared when her body, once again, was going towards the ground. The boy applied a creep leaving the rest of the service to gravity. The body of the golden-haired girl, once again, was on the floor with her grinding her teeth in pain.Without waiting for a recovery, Bell rode on top of her retracting her right arm with her fist being clenched. Aiz opened her eyes the moment her fist went down furiously towards her face. Fear devastated her mind and she closed her eyes turning her head to the side.Aiz remained with his eyes closed waiting for the blow, however, the impact never happened. The burning originating from the blow on his face did not exist either. Slowly opening his eyes, Aiz realized that Tatsuo's fist was at a safe distance.- "You died."Bell said calmly. He got up leaving Aiz lying on the grass floor.- "The third lesson: Never, under any circumstances, close your eyes in a possible final blow. It is at these times that your enemy completely lowers his guard, because he faithfully believes that he will win."Crossing his arms, he witnessed Aiz sitting on the grass with a frown of pain.- "It's just for today, tomorrow I'm going to <Masonra > so we won't train, use this time to think about where you got wrong."He reached out to her. Aiz held her feeling pulled up. She stood up putting her hand on her right rib.- "I didn't hit so hard, but it's better to ask Riveria to heal you so it doesn't get a purple spot."Aiz shook her head agreeing. She herself had already thought about that, asking Riveria for help.- "Your real training will start the day after tomorrow. And you'd better have resilience, because I won't take it so lightly."Bell put his hands inside his pockets and then returned to the Mansion leaving Aiz in the back yard.- "I... I'm going... Stay... more... Strong..."She said between arfadas. The pain in his rib still persisted.— "Riveria..."She cried out for the High Elf as she walked towards the bridge so that she could cross the lake and return to Mansion. She felt pain in the affected regions.◇◇◇◇The next day.- "This time, I'm fully prepared."Bell murmured entering the <Don's dungeon>, in his bag there were snacks and several potions. Everything so that he could advance even further, descending to deeper levels. Bell advanced quickly knowing that he could deal with those monsters, his sword was increasingly bathed in blood, but it also wore out slowly.The first floor and second floor were finished at a considerably high speed. Having the proper experience made Bell take advantage of the small margins that the <Masmorra > left at each birth of monsters.The third floor had a portion of complication, because it had explored the first initial meters, Bell did not have much to base itself on as he advanced. Almost all of his potions, courtesy of Riveria, were used. However, he continued to go towards the unknown with great bravery, a simple smile appeared on his face with a small glow of excitement adorning his commonly opaque irises. For a moment, that boy allowed himself to forget his pains and sins taking advantage of that liberating and engaging feeling for wanting to explore the purest pitch.Thus, the third floor was completely explored.The next goal was before his eyes, but prioritizing his safety he decided to return to the surface. Their portions were already over and their groceries too. There would be no good in wanting to go beyond the limits. In addition, his sword also had small cracks.The day was finished without any major problems.◇◇◇◇Aiz woke up extremely willing. A small smile graced her lips as she dressed, preparing for her second day of training. Tatsuo had gone to the <Danuson > the day before and, as requested, reviewed his mistakes. She knew she would be stronger if she could complete that training, although she was eager to learn how to use a sword, she would not neglect hand-to-hand combat.Leaving his room, he walked to the back courtyard.On the other side of the bridge, Tatsuo was already waiting for her. Impressively, the boy could be more early in the morning than her.- "Hello."She greeted him after crossing the bridge.- "Oh, hi."The boy made a brief nod with his hand.- "Did you sleep well?"He amended a question.- "Yes. I'm well rested."- "Great, because today I'll make you know hell."The dangerous smile on his lips made her shudder slightly, but Aiz would not retreat.- "I'm under your care."She made a little bow. Riveria that I had taught you.◇◇◇◇The training was divided into two parts.In the morning, Bell would teach how she should behave in a fight. The boy also ended up fixing his posture, because he ended up finding out that she was not left-handed. That's why her blows in the last practice were sloppy, although they still carried considerable strength. This was quickly fixed. He also demonstrated some scams and also explained in which regions they should be hit. The morning was exclusively theoretical while the afternoon was intended for practice. Aiz was completely obliterated by Bell. Even if Aiz was the only one to attack, no blow could be effectively struck. Bell's fluid and fast movements left her trapped in an infinite loop of advancing, catching, getting up and advancing again.- "Pay attention to my movements, you are focusing too much on attacking, try to formulate a plan before and then execute it."Bell said defending himself from a punch.- "You're not fighting a monster. I'm a rational being, Aiz. If you attack me, I will defend myself and counterattack in any loophole you leave. Don't think of this fight as if it were a fight you're used to. Remember what I taught you this morning."While explaining, he swayed from the blows. Bell might not be Level 2, but his experience ended up compensating for the level difference.Realizing his mistakes, Aiz retreated by analyzing him.- "That's right. Think, idealize and then attack."Encouraged.The girl was quite panting with several abrasions due to her falls and with some bruises on her body, one of them on her right cheek. Bell punched that place and, even now, it was still burning.The following attacks continued to be defended, but the way Aiz attacked changed. She thought, even late, about her next blows. She never surrendered or closed her eyes when she was knocked down on the floor.The day ended with a total of 50 falls, 10 immobilizations and 5 knockouts. No agreement on the part of Aiz.And, although she had been completely defeated, she smiled while now lying on her soft bed and fully healed thanks to Riveria.The intoxicating feeling of evolving filled his chest, because even if he hadn't hit Tatsuo once, the considerations he said after that first last workout left her excited and happy. She evolved. And it would continue to evolve.- "I'm getting stronger..."◇◇◇◇A month has passed.Looking at that girl, a feeling of nostalgia invaded his heart. But that was it, just nostalgia. The look previously lost and completely defeated due to the dozens of defeats were shaped into a serious and analytical look. Aiz was in position while she remained to look at him very carefully. A smile on the side came out.Since they started training, today, for the first time, he was the one who advanced.Aiz was surprised by that advance showing his surprise, the boy took advantage of that brief moment of hesitation.Covering the distance between them in an instant, Bell stecked Aiz's face with a razor-like movement with his left hand, which was immediately followed by a right hand. The girl was stunned by the blows, and quickly understanding her situation, Aiz moved her body slightly, pretending that she would attack, knowing that he would read her action and, with that, managed to move away from her martial arts teacher.Aiz gasped feeling pain and numbness in the places where she was hit. However, she did not worry about her pain, she simply advanced at a speed that surprised Bell. The boy managed to deviate by millimeters of a blow to his face. Aiz started a wave of blows that, even though they were defensible, to the power behind them caused a slight numbness in each part of the body in which Bell used to defend himself.— "Oh..."Bell gently widened his eyes.- "The Level difference is now shown."Realizing a painful truth, Bell, in a slip, could not predict one of Aiz's blows and he was involved in a flood of blows. A punch came like a loose spring, and with the force of a furious wave. The moment Aiz's fist first connected to Bell's face, Aiz skillfully changed his body weight and gave a knee on Bell's flank. Then she grabbed Bell's shoulder and chest and gave him a low kick on his feet, followed by a shoulder throw to make him fly.Bell felt the blow. The pain wrapped his whole body, but he quickly got up. He already had similar experiences years ago and, therefore, did not care so much about that distressing pain that involved every fiber of his body. He felt something hot drip. Slightly widening his eyes, he passed the back of his left hand under his nose cleaning it.- "Wow..."The corner of his mouth was bleeding.- "You really got better, Aiz."- "Thank you, master."She smiled minimally on her side.The sound of the word 'master' was completely graced by the boy's ears. He smiled having liked that sound. However, the fight was not over yet.Bell smiled.Snamming his neck, he relaxed his body. Aiz was attentive to his movements. Bell tilted his body, slightly bent his back and turned the back of his hands towards the opponent - a posture similar to the old martial arts. With light steps, he carefully stared at Aiz.- "Let's dance, Aiz."Even by his standards, he was faster. Aiz slightly widened her eyes when Bell approached in a matter of seconds. His fist was prepared for a diagonal attack on his rib. She realized and quickly defended herself. At a short distance, due to experience, Bell took control of the situation, as far as possible, of course. Aiz, apparently, was the kind of person who gets better when pressed.That reminded him of something he shouldn't. A bitter feeling appeared under his tongue while fighting with Aiz. The memories of a girl your age, Alice, and with a bright smile invaded his mind, although he felt the nostalgia invade his heart, he could not afford to relax in front of that golden-haired girl. The disparity of strength and speed was, once again, one of the reasons why Aiz continued to defend himself and counterattack.But...Aiz got the calculation wrong. His support foot, the left, went forward. Bell took advantage of that unconscious action and, quickly and forcefuly, enjoyed the small failure of the youngest. With the outside of his right foot, he used it as a lever to pull her left leg, making him lose his balance almost immediately. Aiz's leg went forward at a lateral angle while his body fell on top of his right knee. The girl widened her eyes in surprise, it was a matter of seconds and she was already totally exposed to a blow. Bell quickly fixed his left foot on the floor and, with a quick swing, turned his waist to give a knee with his right leg on the face of the youngest.Aiz moaned in pain and fell back.Bell didn't care about the force exerted on his blow. On a battlefield, a woman or a man made no difference. Both are enemies that need to be eliminated. And for the boy, they would be. Therefore, his eyes shone slightly in murderous intent. Even if it didn't leak from his body, it was still there, existing in his eyes.The golden-haired girl got her arms outstretched while she still felt the burning on her face and a hot liquid drip down her nose. For many, that scene could be miserable, but for Aiz, it meant that she was getting stronger and stronger. After all, for someone who was always beaten, she managed to fight back. His joy is quite apparent on his face. She was smiling slightly. Completely happy to know that he still had room to evolve and that he was already giving work to his teacher, after all, looking at him from the bottom up, he saw him pasping heavily and with droplets of sweat running down his skin. This, in the past, could not be seen. Now, she could provide a even fight, even if she still lost.However, one day, she would win, she was aware of it and was not worried about skipping stages.- "Very well, Aiz. You have improved a lot, and now you are already able to learn to fight with a sword."He said among some of the arfadas.Aiz sat down and looked at him with confusion.- "But what about the fight?"- "You have already proven to be able to fight on an equal footing with me. In his defeats, what decreed them was his lack of experience. However, this will not be a problem from now on, you will grow even more and will eventually surpass me because of your level."- "I understand..."- "I'll give you a week off and then we'll start fighting with swords. And with the blades, it is possible for your training to be faster, since you already have a strong base. I'll just improve it a little."- "Okay."Aiz was excited, she would finally learn to truly wield a sword.She couldn't wait for the week to go by faster. And, logically, he would do a mental training to continue the teachings of the black-haired boy.◇◇◇◇The day after that conversation with Aiz, Bell heads to <Masmorra >. As on his last descent into the dungeon his sword had been damaged again, he went to the Corporation to ask for another sword. He had managed to catch another sword with the Corporation without many problems. The boy was not proud of this, but he was already becoming known to the receptionists. Whenever they saw him, they already knew he was behind a new sword.He didn't even need to show the clown's emblem anymore...After that, he entered the dungeon finishing the first floor, the second floor and the third floor at an alarming speed. Previous experiences being more than well used.And now he was on the first part of the fourth floor. He wore the same light armor, the grip of the weapon always being held in his left hand and a bag on his coast to collect the magic stones that fell from the monsters he defeated. The sharp look always adorning his face during the time he was in the <Masmorra >.A noise had been picked up.He advanced quickly towards a small group of Globins, they were eliminated so quickly that the monsters didn't even have time to moan for the cuts they suffered. In one second they had spotted a black-haired human fluttering for the speed of the race and in the other second their magic stones were falling to the ground and shining slightly by the precarious lighting of the floor.Bell kept advancing on the fourth floor and in about an hour he finished that floor going down to the fifth. Upon arriving, he inspected his sword noticing that it was still wearable. With this in mind, he calculated how long it would last in view of an average of thirty-five monsters appearing.His ability to destroy those swords was something that was not well regarded by him. But because of that, he knew exactly how much those blades could withstand the damage.With that in mind, you made your decision.Finally.- "I think now I can finish the fifth."He pondered it. His bag was starting to get full, but nothing that made him want to go back to the surface so he could exchange them for valid. Bell turned his heels advancing through the fifth floor. It took him a little too long to finish that floor. The monsters were stronger, but nothing prevented him from advancing. Of course, they gave up work, but he managed to stand out.On the way to the sixth floor, a shrill moan surprised Bell.A smile appeared on the boy's face for the challenge that appeared in front of him. Right at the end of the fifth floor. It would be the perfect test! He plunged straight into the swarm of monsters. The way he used his small body to close the distance and win the first blow against them was magnificent. The monsters being a reminiscence of a quadruped looting.His movements were unimaginably polished. He reduced unnecessary movements and concentrated his power on fast attacks, he used his speed and precision to bring down the monsters. Using the information he learned about his enemies, he reached his weak point more accurately than ever before: since his current targets did not have a proper head, he simply cut the magic stone on his breasts.It was all thanks to his lessons he received from Riveria.Bell used his own fighting style: he always aimed at his speed ending with a fierce and definitive attack. However, sometimes this style ended up being harmful.The counterattack of a murderous ant cut his cheek, but Bell did not pay attention when he pushed his sword in retaliation. The leather and white metal plates of his armor brought countless cuts and scratches from the claws and teeth of the monsters.The boy accepted that, at various times, he would receive damage from the monsters. It would be impossible to leave without any injury, so his fighting style changed over time, from too conservative to something more insane. Logically, an escape route always existing in your mind. He was not crazy enough and not even strong enough to get headlong into a fight knowing that he could be defeated.Accepting this damage, however, Bell managed to trigger twice his attacks.Suddenly, several screams appeared from somewhere ahead.He quickly eliminated those enemies.Turning his heels, he kicked the ground advancing to where the noises were. Your curiosity taking the best in relation to your safety. Bell went into action fast enough to give anyone who watched the lashes as he ran towards the fountain of the screams. He reached the path that connected the fifth to the sixth floor below.- "That... Shit..."Bell was stamed. That would become a nightmare.He heard the screams of the adventurers who tried uselessly to retreat.- "Gaaah?! Damn! Don't fuck with me!"- "There are many of them!"- "Someone help me!"A swarm of murderous ants gathered around a handful of teams with different emblems. Lower-class adventurers were going through a difficult time, since a swarm of this size was rarely found in the upper levels.- "A swarm of killer ants. Some adventurers lost their composure and made a parade of monsters..."Even looking at that desperate situation, Bell remained calm and analyzed the situation. Even though he was a low-level adventurer, he could immediately say what had happened thanks to Riveria's teachings. A murderous ant was injured, panicked and released pheromones to ask for reinforcements. The failure of an adventurer to finish the work had turned into the situation in front of them.The monster parade took place on the main path and managed to block the connection path, leaving them without a way out. Seeing the agitated monsters, Bell plunged headlong into that situation.- "Huh?"His body moved unconsciously. He didn't understand himself.It was not an excuse to advance to the sixth floor, because he knew he still did not have the capacity to face that floor.It was something much stronger than him.He felt he should save those people. His mind said no, and his heart also denied it, but something, possibly the fault of who he was, made him move forward. As if it were the right thing, even if he didn't want to.But since he had advanced, he would have to use everything he had. Dying in that place was out of the question.Freeing all the strength of his Status, the boy turned into an angel of destruction. His face became emotionless, his crimson eyes became filled with an irresistible desire to kill and he shook his sword as if it were the scythe of the God of Death.- "Who...?"- "The emblem... That's it... Loki Family!"- "What the hell..."The adventurers looked at that scene without any reaction. He was reckless and unthinkable, beyond the unimaginable. Even when his claws attacked him, they hurt him, they took blood, yet, he massacred monster after monster. The adventurers who asked for help paled, speechlessly, as they watched him fight.The monsters squeaked as destroyed exoskeletons exploded in the air and cut limbs and heads spread across the passage.In the midst of the beastly attacks, his fierce sword techniques exterminated the swarm of killer ants one by one.- "Monster... A real monster..."- "Loki Family... There are only monsters..."Someone grumbled when the blood and lamentations of the monsters disappeared on the battlefield.Bell, you didn't care about those words. To be honest, now that his stupor has passed, a growing anger has invaded his being. He snamed his tongue, furious.- "Damn heroic gene."They happened a few times years ago, but he knew how to control this impulse. Becoming almost a memory of a past life. But today it wasn't possible. And he hated it. His body was full of wounds, injuries and they burned and hurt pulsatingly. It was not at all comfortable to feel what he was feeling in his body.Moreover, he did not serve to be what he was intended for, after all, if his genes had not taken control, those people would have been left to die without any shred of remorse for him.Squeezing his fist tightly, he decided not to turn on. If he thought too much, he would end up losing sight of what mattered: Surviving at any cost.With an irritable sigh, he simply shook his sword trying to free it from the blood that came from the monsters.— "..."There was a mountain of corpses.Standing in the center of the animals' grave, there was a boy with black hair and totally bloody crimson eyes.The silent corner of the <Masorra > was painted red. Since it was along the main route, many people have witnessed this.The adventurers were frozen in place, having glimpsed and felt a part of the boy's madness.Before his eyes, the boy, covered with wounds, came off the monsters as if nothing had happened. He walked out of that place in order to return to the surface.- "And to complete..."Bell looked at his sword, he cracked his teeth totally disgusted. He stopped near the adventurers sitting on the floor with scary looks. He, no matter what, asked.- "Can you give me this dagger?"- "Huh?"- "The dagger."Bell pointed to the hand of the adventurer who alternated the look between his gun and the boy covered in blood.- "Yes..."He gave it to him, not caring to ask what he would wear for, the adventurer just gave it over.Bell shook his head thanking him. He started walking again.And then.Finally, cracks ran along her sword, and she broke into shards like silver raindrops.The adventurers only let their eyes widen watching the slender boy continue on his way not caring about the looks that burned on his thin coast.◇◇◇◇The events that took place in the <Masmorra > were already in the mouth of the people. Bell... I mean... Tatsuo ended up earning a nickname that was given by the adventurers who witnessed that bloody scene.Crimson Monster.Or translating.Rimson monster.The boy didn't care much about that nickname.Forgetting about his amazing, he focused on what he needed to do: Achieving his excellence to continue evolving as an adventurer.And of course, to train the golden-haired girl again.◇◇◇◇Time has passed.Unlike before, two weeks were more than necessary for Aiz to reach an acceptable level. And as he suspected, the girl had the gift for the thing. It was much easier to teach her to push a sword.Aiz learned to hold a sword in the right way. She had to feel that that weapon was an extension of her body, her actions and her insanely fast movements. During the two weeks, every day, about six hours a day, she trained uninterruptedly to feel and be able to say that the weapon she wielded was part of her, like an extension of her right arm.During this training time, his relationship with Tatsuo ended up getting more intimate. Now, there were three people who could talk to the black-haired boy without worrying about an immediate denial. Riveria gained more and more place in the boy's confidence as he lived with her, Loki climbed slowly but progressively on this ladder of trust and Aiz followed in Loki's footsteps.It was clear to the other members the way Tatsuo treated these three women. Always with a smile on the side ready to accept a banal conversation.Aiz Wallenstein's growth as a swordsman was simply absurd. She learned fast and soon tried to put into practice what she had learned, this desire that burned inside her made her become stronger and stronger. In a few years that girl would be a powerful swordsman, capable of defeating her enemies only with a gentle swing of her sword.But at the present time, she was still just an apprentice.The two adventurers unhook their swords. They looked at each other seriously. Aiz, who mixed his fighting style with Bell's, patiently waited for the boy to attack. And so he did it. With a smile on his side, somewhat dangerous, Bell kicked the ground not holding back when throwing himself wildly to the attack. Fierce as a hungry animal, he cut the distance of five meters in a few steps and soon he was in front of Aiz to attack her with everything he had.Aiz knew that his specialty was short-range. She learned in the worst way during the first days of training. And because he had much more experience than she, it was almost predictable that she would lose if she entered that kind of combat. But if she was an apprentice, she had to learn to turn around in the hardest way. Then she would accept head-on any attack Tatsuo threw at her.Bell smiled from the side realizing the girl's intention.- "She has the courage, I admit that..."A sequence of subsequent rapid attacks took place. The sparks danced in the air when, Aiz, skillfully managed to defend himself from that flood of attacks.And so it perpetuated.Bell attacked.Aiz defended.But...The fight did not seem to be inclined towards Bell. Aiz had already become accustomed to dealing with the unpredictable and disordered attacks that Bell madly unleashed without any pause. After several simulated battles, she learned that the best thing to do to try to beat Tatsuo was to keep him pressure, whether with her defending or attacking.Bell also noticed that, he smiled on his side.- "She's really amazing... But... Let's raise the level."A flood of blows. Aiz made a face noticing that he was faster and more unpredictable. Aiz once again had the confirmation that those movements clearly did not seek aesthetics or vanity, but a cruel beauty, an intense hunger that only sought to cut his enemy in the most brutal and effective way possible.She saw a smile sprouting on his lips.She felt tense. Something was coming.But Aiz wouldn't let him do this something.This time, she advanced fiercely, in order to prove that she was stronger than before. She moved her body forward and in a movement that bordered on insanity, Aiz made five thrusts in a row, she thought she could win since she had a speed higher than his, but she forgot that Bell could read his movements, and thus, her attacks were intercepted splendidly by Bell's also five uninterrupted blows. The two swords rejected each other at the same time, with more sparks and explosions joining the screams in unison of the pair.- "Ryaaaaa!"- "Seaaaaa!"They put their strength into that clash.His arms trembled slightly with the pressure they made.Bell was looking at Aiz.Aiz looked at Bell.Both had sisuda characteristics.They forced their swords with all their strength.Even if Aiz was a level 2, Bell had firmly stuck his feet on the ground holding the girl's strength.But Aiz leaned back.His setback surprised Bell who didn't expect Aiz to make that move. No, it wasn't that. He didn't want to believe she would do that. He had noticed her shoulders bow slightly, she looked down looking down at her firm base and sighing lightly, as if confirming that her plan would work. Bell noticed all this and still didn't want to believe that that girl, who until a while ago, was learning to handle a sword, would do something like that. She used the same cold reading as him.Bell didn't believe this was going to happen. And because of that, the simulated battle that was fierce ended up hovering to the side of the golden-haired girl. With the subtle movement of her body, the girl took advantage of her speed as a Level 2 adventurer to be able to make the boy end up going forward, the boy's heavy sword advanced with the help of gravity.Even if Bell knew what would happen after, his mind could not come up with a plan to escape that situation, the way his body was tilted forward and the way everything happened according to Aiz's plan, he had nothing to do but accept. Aiz let him pass, she turned her wrist leaving the wide part of the sword in contact with the sharp part of the boy's blade. The swords touched at the lowest possible angle, where inertia had already done its work and causing the absurdly powerful clash of force between Bell and Aiz to end in nothing, the girl escaped from the blade descending from top to bottom with a practically tiny margin of space.The impact that was actually heard was of something unexpected being crossed. With Aiz's millimeter dodge, the blow passed about a centimeter on the left side of his head and hit the absolute nothing.A tuft of golden hair was vaporized and dispersed in broad air.Bell tried to firm his left foot on the ground so as not to fall face down, but his intention was totally in vain, because Aiz lowered his right arm with considerable force, hitting the part under the handle of the sword on the boy's back, who closed his jaw tightly so as not to moan in pain.Bell lost his balance falling to the ground with a certain brutality.Aiz quickly turned his heels on his own axis to aim the sharp tip of the blade against the coast of the boy who just laughed lightly as he released the sword of his left hand and opened his arms in a sign of surrender.- "You won..."- "Yes..."Aiz was gasping a lot.After long weeks not even being able to glimpse a chance of victory against that little swordsman, finally, his effort was being rewarded for being able to apply a blow to him with one of the techniques he learned from the boy.She pushed the sword back.Bell turned around with his stomach up with his arms open.Aiz sheathed the sword.They were silent.Aiz por is taking advantage of her well-deserved victory and Bell por is seeing an old image behind Aiz.A swordsman capable of defeating him.A friend he hasn't seen for a long time. And that I wouldn't see it anymore.But he still remembered her perfectly.She had white, flying, silky, wavy, long and deep hair, combed with affection. His voice was sharp and refined and flexible, and his stature was shorter than Bell, little thing, although the line drawn from the back to the waist is slenderer. She has a pure and beautiful face that could rival an elf and also has a silky skin with a brown tone. His bow-shaped eyebrows and long eyelashes are black, while his eyes are bright red, a fervent crimson. The rounded tone of her chin brings a remarkably soft elegance that is accompanied by her slightly red little lips.That girl...The smile she had used to calm Bell.- "Alice..".He thought with an affectionate smile adorning his lips.Her image was engraved in her mind and would stay forever.