Man of the sword

After two hours of studying, the morning session finally ended. It was midday now, and as always, we tried to start early to fit all of Eris's training into the day studying, sword practice, and even her dancing lessons.

Frankly, I didn't need to participate in her sword training. It was way too easy for me, and it wouldn't benefit her as much as it would Sylphie. Sylphie's swordsmanship still needed a lot of work, and letting her train with Eris was more productive. Plus, I had something more important to focus on: finishing this book.

An hour passed quickly as I pored over its pages, my excitement growing with every turn. "Wow, this book is exactly what I needed. Now I just need to practice using magic circles and get used to how they work."

I closed the book and began heading toward an empty room I'd scoped out earlier in the week. It was the perfect place to test my ideas. If everything went as planned, I'd finally have a breakthrough on my project.

"Rudeus," a low, commanding voice called from behind me.

I turned and saw Ghislaine standing there, her arms crossed and her sharp gaze locked on me. I froze for a moment.

I hadn't been attending sword practice for the last couple of days. Reading felt far more important, especially with my project finally coming together. But something told me she wasn't going to let me off the hook so easily.

The moment her gaze narrowed, I bolted.

I sprinted through the halls of the manor, weaving around corners and ducking into empty rooms. I could hear her heavy steps behind me, quick and steady, but I was determined to lose her.

After what felt like an eternity, I finally slipped into a quiet room and leaned against the wall, panting. "Wow, that was easier than I expected."

"I know, right?"

My heart sank. Slowly, I turned around to see Ghislaine standing behind me, her arms crossed and an amused smirk on her face.

How was she so fast?

Before I could say another word, she grabbed me by the collar and lifted me off the ground like I was a sack of potatoes.

"You're going to sword practice," she said firmly. "I promised Paul I'd teach you. I know you like reading, but you also need to practice the blade."

I sighed deeply, my dreams of building a magic-powered motorcycle momentarily crushed. Ghislaine carried me all the way to the training field without a word, where Sylphie and Eris were already locked in an intense sparring match.

Sylphie swung her wooden sword at lightning speed, her strikes aimed with precision. But Eris was quick, jumping back and sidestepping to avoid the attacks. A left strike from Sylphie aimed at Eris's torso was blocked effortlessly. Sylphie used the Water God Style to redirect the momentum, forcing Eris to retreat.

Despite the pressure, Eris grinned. She ducked under one of Sylphie's slashes, slipped behind her, and struck her squarely in the back.

"Ahahahaha! I'm the winner again!" Eris laughed, her voice triumphant and full of pride.

Sylphie smiled kindly, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Wow, Eris, you're so naturally talented at the sword. You're almost at Rudy's level."

Sylphie's words made Eris puff out her chest with confidence. But then, she turned to me, a smug grin plastered on her face.

"Almost at his level? Hah! He's not even here. From what I'm seeing, he's just scared to fight me!"

Perfect. This was my chance to make an entrance.

"Oh, is that right?" I said, stepping into the sunlight. The golden light filtered through the trees, obscuring my face for a moment. I held a practice sword casually at my side, giving off what I hoped was a mysterious aura.

Eris laughed. "Finally decided to show up, scaredy-cat?"

"Yes," I said with a calm smile, "to beat you. Now, get into your stance and fight me."

Eris didn't hesitate. She charged at me the moment the words left my mouth, her fiery red hair trailing behind her. Her wooden sword arced through the air, a powerful downward swing aimed straight for my shoulder.

I didn't move until the last second, sidestepping effortlessly as her sword sliced through the air.

Eris growled, spinning on her heel to deliver a horizontal strike. This one came faster, aimed at my ribs. I leaned back just enough for it to miss and tapped her sword lightly with my own, redirecting the momentum to throw her off balance.

"Hold still!" she barked, her frustration already starting to show.

She came at me again, this time with a flurry of quick strikes. One after another, she swung with impressive speed, but I blocked each one with minimal effort. The loud clack of our swords echoed through the training field as I parried each strike, my movements precise and deliberate.

Her attacks grew wilder. She aimed for my head, my legs, my torso anywhere she thought she could land a hit. But no matter how hard she tried, I dodged or deflected every swing, my calm demeanor only making her angrier.

Finally, she screamed in frustration. "Stop dodging and fight me!"

I raised an eyebrow. "I am fighting you. You just can't hit me."

That pushed her over the edge. She gripped her sword with both hands and rushed me with everything she had. Her strikes came faster now, her movements stronger and more precise.

I decided it was time to stop dodging.

She swung for my head, but I raised my sword and blocked it easily. Her next attack was a thrust aimed for my stomach. I used the Water God Style, redirecting her blade to the side with a simple twist of my wrist.

She stumbled but quickly recovered, her frustration mounting.

"Come on!" she yelled, her voice filled with rage.

Another overhead strike came hurtling toward me. This time, I stepped inside her guard and used her own momentum against her. With a soft tap of my sword, I redirected hers downward right into her own shin.

The dull thud of the wooden sword hitting her leg was followed by a yelp of pain.

She jumped back, clutching her shin, and glared at me with pure fury in her eyes. "You… you cheated!"

I tilted my head innocently. "Cheated? I don't remember breaking any rules. You attacked, and I defended. Isn't that the point of sparring?"

Eris's face turned bright red, a mix of anger and embarrassment. She pointed her sword at me, her hands trembling. "You're just lucky! Next time, I'll win for sure!"

I shrugged, resting my sword on my shoulder. "We'll see. For now, maybe work on keeping your emotions in check. They make you predictable."

Her rage was immense, but I could see the tiniest hint of determination in her eyes. Despite her defeat, she wasn't going to back down.

I stayed a bit longer on the training field, sparring with Eris again and again. Each time, I beat her.

For someone as naturally talented as Eris, her fighting style was still incredibly reckless. Despite being trained in the Sword God Style, her emotions controlled her every move. And that's exactly what the Water God Style excelled against reading and neutralizing wild attacks.

Her swings were strong, but they were easy to predict. A tight grip on her emotions could've made her terrifying, but as it stood now, even a beginner could outmaneuver her if they stayed calm.

Still, it wasn't all bad. Every loss seemed to light a fire in her. She fought harder, refused to back down, and even tried to learn from her mistakes. By the time the sky turned a deep orange, it was clear she was running on sheer stubbornness.

"Alright, Eris," I said, dodging her latest attempt to cleave my shoulder. "That's enough for today."

She let out a frustrated growl, clearly unhappy about stopping.

"Tch! Next time, I'll win for sure!"

I smiled, twirling my practice sword before setting it aside. "I'm looking forward to it."

With that, we all went our separate ways, heading back to our rooms to unwind.

When I pushed open the door to my room, I stopped in my tracks.

"Sylphie? What are you doing here?"

There she was, lying on my bed, curled up like a kitten. She blinked up at me, her soft green hair scattered around the pillow.

"Well…" she began, sitting up slightly. "Eris has been sleeping with me these past few nights. And when she cuddles with me, it really hurts. Her hugs…" Sylphie's face twisted with an almost comical look of horror. "…they're like being crushed by a bear. I think she cracked my ribs last night!"

I couldn't help but chuckle. It made sense. Eris was strong for her age absurdly strong, actually. For someone as delicate as Sylphie, those hugs probably felt like getting squeezed by a monster.

"Well, it's okay," I said with a warm smile, walking over to the bed. "You can sleep with me anytime."

She relaxed at my words, smiling back.

I lay down beside her, staring at the ceiling. It wasn't long before Sylphie scooted closer, snuggling into my side.

We'd slept together before, so it wasn't anything new. But every time, I couldn't help but notice how soft she was. Her skin was like marshmallows, warm and impossibly smooth. Once you held her, it felt like you never wanted to let go.

I sighed, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Sylphie… I wish you didn't have to go with Ariel. I wish you could just stay here with me."

She didn't respond. Her breathing was slow and steady, her head resting against my chest. She was already asleep.

I closed my eyes, letting the warmth of her presence push me into slumber.

When I woke up, everything was dark.

No, not just dark pitch black. My arms and legs were cramped, unable to move. My chest felt heavy, as though I were buried beneath something.

Panic bubbled up as I tried to sit up, but the space around me was too small. My hands brushed against smooth, cold wood above me.

It hit me all at once.

I was inside a box.

A coffin-shaped box.

A/N: get me to 20 power stones and I'll release two chapters