[A/N] SORRY

Life's been crazy busy recently. I'm also working on a few other projects on the side (a lemon with Kiran and Eirika, and an unrelated Xenoblade story) so updates are gonna get even more inconsistent. Sorry to disappoint, but I don't know what else to do. The important thing to note is that this chapter is finally done.

I'll also apologize for the comparatively short length; after around three months of sitting on my hands, I just wanted to get it done.

Ryoma planted his foot against Kiran's stomach, and shoved him to the ground. The summoner fell with a yelp, and the tip of the sword was against his throat.

The summoner spat to one side and looked at the practice blade. "That's playing dirty."

Ryoma withdrew the sword and offered him a hand to help him up. "It's realistic," the prince corrected. "Not every opponent is as honorable as I am. You need to be prepared for anything."

Kiran sighed, and ran one hand back through his hair. "How am I doing?"

The high prince thought about how best to answer that. "You are improving, and you have a good grasp of the basics. You also have excellent reflexes."

"I'm sensing a 'but.'"

Ryoma smiled tersely. "But you only seem to have a good understanding of the basics, and those could still be bettered. Anything further that I've tried to teach you has been almost completely unsuccessful."

Kiran sighed again. That was a little disheartening, but he wasn't one to give up. "Thank you for your candor."

"You have many swordfighters at your disposal in the Order," Ryoma pointed out. "Perhaps someone else could teach you different techniques."

The thought hadn't crossed his mind, but the prince was right. He had countless sword techniques from many different worlds at his fingertips; he could learn from whoever he pleased.

Kiran hummed in thought. "I might take you up on that. Thanks, Ryoma."

Ryoma inclined his head in a short bow, and walked off. Kiran watched him leave.

He was aching, but felt fine. He didn't exactly expect any kind of weapons training to be easy.

As he stretched, he suddenly felt a tingle on the back of his neck. He turned around in a slow circle.

Nothing out of the ordinary, as far as he could see. He shrugged it off and started to go back inside.

The faint rustling of grass made him turn again, just in time to see an archer dart toward him. The arrow was already nocked, and Kiran didn't even have time to react as it flew toward him.

Out of nowhere, a male shape appeared in front of him, and loosed a pair of daggers. The projectiles expertly lodged themselves in the attacker's unprotected throat and chest, and the archer fell. The whole exchange took about two seconds.

Kiran's eyes were wide and his heart was racing, but he was unhurt. Saizo turned around, yanking the arrow out of his shoulder without a flicker of expression. His eyes were narrowed. "Have I not told you to remain vigilant?" he chastised.

Kiran blinked at him, still in a bit of shock. "Um. I, uh. I wasn't really expecting that."

The ninja growled. "That much is obvious."

Kiran watched him carefully, and noticed his shoulder. Blood was welling from the wound. "You're hurt."

Saizo rolled his eyes. "Also obvious. I'll take care of it myself."

Kiran felt more than a little insulted at all that. "Saizo, there hasn't been a single attempt on my life until just now. Forgive me for thinking I'm not really in danger."

"Be that as it may…" the ninja replied. His voice came out angrily, and although Kiran couldn't see his face, he was almost certain that Saizo was grinding his teeth. "You are still an important member of the Order. It would not do for you to be lulled into a false sense of security and die because of it."

He had a point, but Kiran wasn't about to admit that. Instead, he sighed. "I appreciate the aid, Saizo." He left it at that, and stepped around the ninja to examine the body.

The arrow was coated in a familiar-looking poison, and the bow was sleek and light. It was clearly intended to be used at a short range.

This person was a talented assassin, without a doubt. Kiran bit his lip. He'd be lying to himself if he said this wasn't worrying, but he tossed another look around and returned to the inside of the building.

{asterisks}

Over the next few days, there were no less than four more attempts on Kiran's life, including a rather frightening appearance of a manakete that required Myrrh in her own dragon form to defeat.

At this point, he was getting spooked, and he wasn't the only one; Anna had commanded that he have a clear guard at all times. In the meantime, Kiran had sent several warriors out around the kingdom in order to find information on this turn of events.

He also continued with his sword training, sinking even more time into it than he had before. He pushed himself hard, and started taking lessons from Athena and Ike in addition to Ryoma.

Some days later, the mercenary asked a question at the end of the lesson. "Have you considered trying any other weapons, Kiran?"

Kiran was panting, exhausted from the rigorous regimen, but still felt a little pang of shame at Ike's words. "Yeah… I did at first. And I think this is the only one that works for me." He counted the other weapons on his fingers. "I don't have any aptitude for magic, I'm not strong enough for an axe or a lance, I can barely pull the drawstring on a bow, I can't aim well enough for daggers, and I can't turn into a dragon. Believe me, I've tried everything else. A sword is the only thing I have a chance with."

Ike listened, arms folded. "Mmm… I see."

Kiran waited, but apparently, that was it, so he returned to the Order's main hall.

His latest group of reconnaissance warriors had returned, consisting of Kagero, Legault, Gaius, and Kaze, and he got the reports. The only one who'd seen anything out of the ordinary was Legault, who recounted a story that a townperson had told him.

"He told me that he was out hunting when he almost got chopped in half by some guy with two swords," the Hurricane recalled. "When the guy saw that he wasn't an animal, he just said 'sorry' and walked off."

Kiran blinked. 'Weird' was definitely a good word for it. "Did he say what the swordsman looked like?"

Legault shook his head. "He said it happened too fast for him to get a good look, but I got him to tell me where it happened-"

Kiran gave him a suspicious look and he held up his hands. "No violence, honest. I fed him some coin. Anyway, he told me where he went to hunt and I went there and met the guy."

Kiran's eyebrows shot up. "You met him?!"

The Hurricane nodded, looking smug. "You bet. Not for long, though. We talked a bit and then he took out his sword. Said something about how I must've been the enemy so he didn't have a choice but to fight me, but I chose that moment to split." He paused. "He said he had a contract to fulfill."

Kiran swore under his breath. Embla must've gotten to him already. "You said you talked. Did you get a name?"

"Navarre."

"Oh," Kiran said. "Well. Um. Where was this? And was there anyone with him?"

Legault closed his eyes for a second and thought. "Mmm… no, he was alone. And it was around the northeast."

He'd expected that. "Of course…" he muttered. "Alright, thanks. Dismissed."

The warriors walked off, and Kiran ran one hand back through his hair, already formulating a team in his mind.

{asterisks}

Several minutes later, he was on the road with a smaller team than usual; Caeda, Ike, and Genny. The trip was mostly in silence, as he'd filled everyone in on the situation before they left.

When they arrived, they were in a normal-looking clearing with forest all around them. The swordsman was casually leaning up against a tree, dressed in red with a pair of swords on his belt. He watched them as they entered the clearing.

"Are you Kiran?" he asked.

The summoner nodded, watching him warily.

Navarre stalked towards the little group, one hand on his sword. "I have to kill you. Don't take it personally."

He blinked, a bit surprised at the swordsman's bluntness. "Um. I have a bit of a problem with that. Is there any way to change your mind?"

Navarre shook his head. "I don't want to do this, but I haven't got a choice. I'm compelled."

Kiran was still looking for the right words, but Caeda steered her mount in front of him. "Navarre. Please. You can still do the right thing here." Her voice was calm and confident.

He scowled. "Princess, I can't. If I don't, my limbs move on their own. I'll cut you down to get to him if I have to. Please stand aside."

Caeda's eyes widened, her composure shaking a bit. Navarre drew one of his swords and threw it on the grass. "But I'll give him a chance to defend himself at least."

Kiran looked between the weapon and his opponent, and gulped. "Um. Alright."

Ike stepped forward. "Don't be ridiculous. I'll-"

He was stopped with a hand on his chest. "No, Ike," Kiran said with authority. "I'm tired of being helpless. I'll do it."

The mercenary looked at him incredulously, then stepped back and shook his head. "Fine. But I'll still be here."

Kiran nodded and stepped forward, picking up the fallen blade and leveling it. Part of him knew that he was way out of his league here, but he didn't give a damn. This was a test, as far as he concerned, and he was determined to show his worth.

Navarre raised his sword and inclined his head slightly.

That was all the warning he had before the fight started.

The Scarlet Swordsman lunged and almost killed Kiran on the first try; a sideways slash came in and grazed his hip. Kiran grunted in pain and stared his opponent down as Navarre jumped backward.

He came in for another strike, but Kiran was ready this time. He blocked it, barely, and the power of the blow reverberated through his arms. He tried to push back, got a bit of momentum, and shoved Navarre back a step before the swordsman retreated. The sudden lack of pressure caused Kiran to overbalance, but he kept himself from falling.

Navarre watched him for a moment, and closed the distance between them in a heartbeat. He planted his foot against Kiran's chest and tried to shove him down, but the summoner was ready; his feet were braced against the ground, and he was pushed back a few steps, but he didn't fall.

Kiran brought his sword up for a slash of his own and landed a light cut on Navarre's left arm, but the swordsman stepped back without a second thought, and that's all he got.

The fight continued in this vein for some time, and Kiran held his own for a bit longer than he expected, but it didn't take long for him to slip up. Navarre went in for a stab, and Kiran failed to parry it the way he intended. Navarre twisted his blade and disarmed him, then kicked him to the ground. Kiran stared up at Navarre blankly.

The Scarlet Swordsman had his blade pointing straight down. Kiran faintly heard grass rustling as Navarre murmured "Sorry, friend."

At that, a wave of light appeared out of nowhere and struck Navarre. The swordsman's head snapped to one side just in time for him to block a heavy blow from Ike.

"Kiran!" the hero shouted. "Move!"

He wasted no time in complying, scooting backwards on his elbows. He bumped into Genny, who quickly murmured an incantation and healed his wounds. The cuts and slashes that Kiran had suffered were soothed immediately, and he pulled himself to his feet as he watched the fight raging in front of him.

The fight had certainly escalated now; the two swordsmen were fighting with all they had, and the heavy clang of metal on metal was the only audible noise in the little clearing.

It was rather interesting, actually; compared to Navarre, Ike was definitely more of a heavyweight, complemented by Ragnell, but he wasn't a slouch in speed, either. He was doing a very good job of forcing Navarre to fight defensively.

The Scarlet Swordsman, on the other hand, had his teeth gritted in sheer concentration. Occasionally, he would try to retreat and regain his footing in the duel, but Ike, courtesy of the power of Ragnell, would swing his weapon and send more shockwaves his way.

Kiran was impressed; all of the spectators could tell that Navarre was fighting a losing battle. It would take a miracle now for the fight to turn around.

It didn't come. Ike swung his sword with all his strength, so hard that Navarre's was warped and bent into a strange angle. The hero used it to gain leverage and forced the sword out of Navarre's hands. It spun in the air and landed a few feet away. Navarre stared at it in shock, and silently raised his hands in surrender.

Kiran watched the two of them, mouth hanging open in astonishment. Ike took a small step back, and kept Ragnell drawn.

Kiran finally shook himself out of his stupor and stepped forward. "Is the contract broken?" he asked Navarre.

The Scarlet Swordsman was silent for a moment, and walked over to Kiran's discarded sword. He picked it up, sheathed it, and stood still for about a minute. When nothing happened, he nodded to Kiran, who breathed a sigh of relief.

Caeda looked overjoyed. Ike finally sheathed his own sword and gave Kiran a pointed look.

"Then I suppose you're with us now, Navarre," Kiran said, and they returned to the Order of Heroes.

{asterisks}

The Scarlet Swordsman wasn't much of a talker. Kiran was only able to get a little bit of information out of him; luckily, Caeda was more than willing to pick up the slack on that score, when it came to personal details.

"How did you come here?" is what he'd asked.

It took Navarre a while to answer that. "Summoned" was his reply. "A girl told me I'd been bound and I had to fight for her. Then she described you and said it was my job to kill you."

Kiran recalled the past few days. "So you were responsible for the other assassins?"

"They were there when I got to the destination," he explained. "None of them came back. The girl told me to wait where I was. You came."

Kiran nodded in acknowledgement. "You aren't the first one. A few other Heroes have shown up where you did. I've never heard of them getting contracted by the Emblians, though."

Apparently, Navarre didn't think that was worth a response, and the short remainder of the walk was mostly in silence.

As soon as they walked in and got the minor details sorted out, Navarre turned to Ike. "Let's spar," he said.

The hero arched an eyebrow until Navarre continued.

"I need to train against ranged attacks like yours," he explained. "Spar with me."

Ike stared for a second, then shrugged, and the two walked off. Kiran watched them go, expression unchanging. After a moment, he walked off in another direction.

He found Eirika in her own bedroom, straightening things up a bit. The door was open, but he knocked anyway. She glanced back at him, face quickly breaking into a little smile.

"How are you, Kiran?" she asked.

"Fine, I suppose. Can I talk to you?"

The smile faltered a little and her face grew worried. "What's wrong?"

He paused for a moment, and started describing the events of the day, mainly the finding of Navarre and the extremely one-sided swordfight he participated in before Ike came to his rescue. They both took a seat on the bed, and she listened intently.

"And... gods, I'm just... it feels frustrating to be the only one in the Order who can't defend himself," he finished.

Eirika was silent for a moment. "Kiran... if I were honest with you for a moment, would you be angry?"

He blinked. "Um. I guess not."

She sighed. "You are the single most stubborn, arrogant person that I have ever met."

Well, that wasn't quite what he was expecting.

"Today was your first real fight. And from what I've heard, this Navarre has quite a bit of skill. Did you honestly think you'd be a master swordsman like Ryoma or Ayra right away?"

He looked away sheepishly, but she wasn't done. She placed one hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes.

"You're pushing yourself too hard, Kiran. You've gotten so focused on your sword lessons that you've been neglecting your other duties." Her look softened. "You don't have to be good at everything."

"I know that, but-"

"No you don't," she replied immediately. "The situation with Valter will never happen to you again. You're surrounded by the most capable warriors from countless different worlds, Kiran. With all due respect, we don't need another. We will protect you."

"Okay, okay," he said, holding up his hands in surrender. "I understand."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

She let go of him, finally. "Good. Our tactician needs to focus on tactics, Kiran. There are things more important than personal pride."

He nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed now. "Yeah, I understand."

She smiled at him. "Did you need anything else from me?"

Kiran shook his head. "Not right now," and got up to leave. "Maybe later, though."

She watched him go. He stopped at the door. "Wait... there is one other thing I wanted to tell you."

Eirika watched him curiously.

"Thanks for telling me that. I really needed to hear it." He debated with himself for a second before blurting out the second part. "I think you'd make a good mother."

With that, he left the room before anything more could be said.