Chapter 23 / Clashing Blades
With the evening skies settling in, they were setting up a campsite. Itsuki and Ren went out to hunt for some food. It shouldn't have taken them too long, but no one had been too hungry yet.
Naofumi decided to work on practicing to imbue magic. Using a spare necklace, he tried remembering the feeling of magic synchronization since he still wasn't used to it. It would be best if he was able to get it to the point where all that was required was muscle memory.
"Miss Eclair?" Raphtalia came up to the former knight. "Would it be possible to have a quick training session before dinner?"
"Good idea. I don't see why we shouldn't." Eclair picked up a wooden sword from the cart and tossed another one over to Raphtalia. "We'll focus on swings again. Remember to focus on your posture, while not becoming too firm with your stance. You have to work on loosening up a bit in order to make those quick and flexible movements."
After performing the preemptive exercises, Eclair watched Raphtalia's practice carefully. Naofumi's attention pulled away from the necklace, realizing that he had never truly sat down to watch Raphtalia train together with Eclair. Perhaps the familiar friend of procrastination came about, but seeing Raphtalia work hard like that was fascinating.
"I suppose she's trying to bridge the difference as best as she can," Motoyasu mumbled. He was sitting down nearby Naofumi, allowing him to hear his friend's outward thoughts. Sakura was plopped down right on his lap as she munched on some fruit. "Being in a party of four heroes, it's probably difficult to imagine standing next to them."
"I don't want Raphtalia to push herself too much. Considering the benefits we have as strengthening methods, it's almost impossible for that gap to be closed."
"Especially with that level cap."
The group was able to level up the non-heroes of the group at an easy rate, since they didn't have the restriction of experience, after all. However, that came with its own demerits.
According to Eclair, a level cap existed for people at LV40. It was impossible for them to level to LV41 without the class-up ritual. It was similar to a limit-break, unlocking a higher threshold of levels while increasing their stats depending on what class path they decided to take. Motoyasu was more than familiar with the mechanic, being a part of Emerald Online, but there was a problem that existed outside of Motoyasu's game knowledge.
Class-up rituals needed the presence of the Dragon's Hourglass. Considering how the Dragon's Hourglass had been locked away in the capital between the Church's walls, it was incredibly difficult to imagine that they would be able to provide Raphtalia, Eclair and Sakura with the proper class-up rituals.
"Keep your form straighter! I want to feel the wind of your blade from here!"
"Yes!"
"Have your blade controlled a bit more! Your swings are starting to diverge from one another! Retain the consistency and mark that precision in your muscles!"
"Yes!"
In Eclair's case, it might not have been a problem. She was far too skilled with a sword that stats were almost a secondary factor. However, it might have been a different case for Raphtalia and Sakura. Unlike Raphtalia, Sakura didn't show much care about that.
"Since Mister Ren and Mister Itsuki haven't returned yet, I'd like to have a mock battle."
"Alright, then whenever you're ready."
Preparing her wooden sword, Raphtalia closed in on Eclair.
A few collisions of their swords broke out, but Eclair's feet hadn't moved. She was able to push back, reversing Raphtalia's final strike into a stagger. Once Raphtalia regained her footing, she tried again, but it resulted in the same way. No matter how many times she tried, she simply couldn't break through Eclair's defenses, nor did it look like she was getting anywhere close.
"Not every opponent will conveniently reveal their weakness for you to expose in your assault. You need to create your own openings in order to break through their guard. Watch your opponent's movements a bit more."
Naofumi noticed that Raphtalia was sweating from her training, so he prepared one of the canteens and a towel. He walked over to the field once Raphtalia looked like he needed a break.
"You've been working pretty hard, but don't forget to take breaks."
"O-oh, thank you, Master Naofumi.
"Raphtalia has been training with Eclair for a bit now, right?" Motoyasu asked. "I don't want to say anything mean-spirited, but seeing that mock-up with Eclair, it doesn't look like she's improving."
"Do not get the wrong idea," Eclair chuckled. "She certainly is improving. Compared to how she started off, only having her own self-taught style, her movements have been smoother and her strikes emphasize its force where it needs to count."
Being her battle partner, Naofumi already knew that. She was far quicker and more accurate in her attacks when Naofumi created an opening against monsters ever since she started her training with Eclair. Although Motoyasu couldn't detect the details, Naofumi could feel the difference.
Sakura tilted her head. "So Eclair is saying that Eclair is just stronger."
"To put it bluntly," Eclair wryly smiled, "I suppose that would be the correct way to say it."
"If things would keep up like that, would Raphtalia even have a chance to break Eclair's guard?" Motoyasu scratched his head. "I mean, it might not really be important and all, but I would think that it would be done easier if Raphtalia had an example as to how to break guards, rather than be simply told."
"Hmm." Eclair rubbed her chin. "That would be a good idea, but I haven't gone through the basics of defense with Raphtalia yet. It simply wasn't a priority, considering Sir Naofumi fights with her."
"Then how about teaching Raphtalia using Naofumi's guard?"
"Huh? Me?" Naofumi pointed to himself.
"Another good idea, if Sir Naofumi doesn't mind."
Naofumi hesitated for a moment, but if it would help Raphtalia out, then he felt like he had an obligation to agree. Switching over to a better-suited shield, Naofumi nodded.
As Raphtalia cleared the field for them, Naofumi stood at one end while Eclair stood on the other. Naofumi knew he needed to prepare himself to properly tackle Eclair's attacks. She was fast, strong, and very precise in her movements, so even if this was supposed to be a lesson for Raphtalia, he couldn't slack off or else it might defeat the purpose.
"What's going on here?"
Coming back as the training was about to start, Ren and Itsuki stepped into the campsite.
"Just a bit of training," Motoyasu responded.
"Naofumi is helping out," Sakura followed up.
Ren crossed his arm, glancing back at the field. "Is that so…?"
"Oh?" Itsuki raised his eyebrow. "This might be interesting and the front-row seats are still available. I've always wondered how far Naofumi's defense can go."
"You're already putting bets against Naofumi?" Motoyasu laughed.
"Eclair is pretty strong, if you notice how she moves in fights. Isn't that right, Ren?"
Ren didn't respond, simply staring at the upcoming battle in silence before narrowing his eyes.
"... It's starting."
As the wind blew right between them, Eclair's sword fell into position and before Naofumi could blink, she closed the gap. It was one thing to watch Eclair from the sidelines, but to have her be his opponent, it was extremely daunting.
Even someone inexperienced like himself could see that there was nothing wasted in her approach, lacking all unessential motions and focusing on what needed to be done. He could barely pull his shield up to block her opening strike, but then—
—the wooden sword snapped on impact, causing it to fly into the trees.
Eclair froze, slowly looking at the broken sword, as Naofumi sweatdropped.
"... I suppose if I ended up putting that much force into a wooden sword, it would break like that, wouldn't it? Especially if it had to go up against a sturdy shield like that."
"S-sorry about that?"
"There's no need for apologies. This wasn't your fault, but it is slightly bothersome that we'll have to pick up a new wooden sword in the next town." Eclair sighed heavily. "I knew I should have gotten an extra one, just in case."
"Why don't you use your real sword, Eclair?"
"Are you sure?" Eclair pondered at the idea briefly before Naofumi continued.
"Yeah, I think my stats are high enough to which if there was any accidental contact, I could shake it off with a healing spell or a potion."
"If that's the case, then I'll have confidence in your words." She drew her sword from her waist, tossing the broken wooden hilt aside and postured herself once more. "Prepare yourself."
Eclair's pressure changed dramatically once she was holding her proper weapon. When she repeated the same action, pressing forwards with a deft strike against Naofumi's strike, he started feeling the full force of her thrust. It was like standing his ground against a moving vehicle, but once the sword didn't shatter, Eclair's assault continued.
It became difficult for Naofumi to even keep track of the blade. Clattering against his shield, Naofumi had to retreat to give himself some space, but Eclair was unrelentless. If he had his eyes closed, he could have mistaken Eclair for wielding multiple swords. It was extremely exhausting for him to keep the blade away from him, but he was somehow hanging in there.
However, Eclair suddenly threw in a slash in her thrusting storm. It threw Naofumi off, causing him to instinctively throw his shield into its direction to knock it away, but Eclair pulled it back quickly. Before Naofumi could figure out it was a feint, he felt a tap against his shoulder, exposed for her blade to slip right by his shield.
"Wow…" Naofumi couldn't retain the awe as Eclair pulled back her sword and sheathed it. He held his shoulder, rolling it while in disbelief. "I knew you were good, but this is just another level."
"I certainly had a significant amount of training, so it's not anything too out of the ordinary for myself." Her fingers slid across the handle. "In fact, I believe I'm still a bit comparatively sluggish to before the time I was imprisoned."
"I wouldn't want to be crossing paths with you on the battlefield."
"On a battlefield, I wouldn't dare raise my sword against a hero like yourself."
However, Eclair's friendliness swapped back to a stern nature in order to face Raphtalia. She had been watching, as if taking mental notes, but by the end of it, she seemed a bit defeated by Eclair's movements. There was no way she could move as quickly as Eclair, but if she could achieve even a quarter of Eclair's knowledge, she might have been able to stand her ground.
"I don't expect you to perform the same motions as I did in that example," Eclair said, as if she knew what the demi-human had been thinking. "However, I did want you to pay attention to how I was able to break through Sir Naofumi's guard."
Raphtalia pondered for a bit. "You… unleashed a rapid assault, so that Master Naofumi couldn't handle the speed?"
"Wrong," Ren sighed, crossing his arms. "None of those thrusts were meant to actually land. If they did, it meant that Eclair overestimated her opponent. They served to imprint a basic pattern on an opponent, before breaking their guard by suddenly using a different attack to mess them up."
"That's entirely correct," Eclair nodded, "and welcome back, Sir Ren and Sir Itsuki."
"Sakura can smell food…"
"Well, I've got to cook it up first," Motoyasu chuckled. "I'm on cooking duty today, so I'll need a little bit of time to get everything sorted out."
"Hey, I got a fun idea while we wait," Itsuki said. "Since Naofumi went at it with Eclair, Ren should give it a shot as well. This exhibition is supposed to help out Raphtalia, so maybe it might be better for her to watch two swordsmen fight."
Eclair snorted amusingly. "I've still got some energy left in me. I'll accept it."
"Well, I won't," Ren groaned.
"Huh? Really?" Naofumi raised his eyebrow.
"I've got better things to do than to fight exhibition matches like that. I'd rather work on my strengthening methods."
"You can think of this as your own training!" Motoyasu exclaimed. "A fight with Eclair would surely give you some experience! You might even learn something in the process!"
"I highly doubt it," Ren shook his head dismissively. "I won't learn anything from a trivial fight like that, especially if the results are to be expected."
Itsuki bit his lips, desperately wanting Ren to reword his thoughts, considering how he knew that it probably wasn't how Ren thought it would have sounded from his head. However, Eclair already took the implication the wrong way.
"... Excuse me?" Eclair narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying that you'll be able to best me easily?"
"Obviously. There's only so much a normal person can do against a proper Cardinal Hero."
Naofumi wryly chuckled, knowing what Ren was trying to say, but not exactly approving the way it was actually said. What he probably meant was that there was only so much a normal person could do against someone with a Cardinal Hero with heightened experience in his belt, but Eclair already took a step closer to Ren.
"That attitude again, from when we were in Lerno. I thought it was simply a fluke at first, but you truly are rather arrogant about your skill. That type of attitude will get you nowhere, Sir Ren. The proof was already demonstrated against that plant monster."
"I had that fight handled. It wasn't my fault that Sakura swooped in to bring me out."
"Huh? It was Itsuki's plan?" Sakura said, tilting her head.
"The same applies." Ren turned his back to Eclair. "In any case, I'm saying that my fight with you would be a waste of time. Your skill with a blade doesn't exceed mine."
Naofumi and Itsuki both facepalmed in the background, as Motoyasu looked like he wanted to grab some popcorn to enjoy the confrontation.
"I shouldn't have expected this," Itsuki grumbled under his breath. "It's my fault for not expecting that this would happen and still suggesting it…"
Naofumi tried to stand in Eclair's way, as her expression was detailing a subtle annoyance to the Sword Hero's attitude. "Ren doesn't actually mean that. Let's forget about this and come help Motoyasu with cooking duties for today."
Unfortunately, Eclair ignored Naofumi and pushed him to the side.
"You have quite the confidence," Eclair sternly said, trying to hold herself back from growling. "If that's the case, then why don't you look at it from a different perspective? Would you mind if I bother you for a lesson instead, Sir Ren?"
"Eclair, calm down."
"I'm sorry, Sir Naofumi. If my swordplay is being questioned, then it's my right to retaliate in order to stand up for myself."
"Hmph." Ren looked over his shoulder. "If you want a lesson so badly, then I'll happily oblige. You'll quickly come to regret it though."
All Naofumi and Itsuki were left with were the screams internally echoing in their heads.
"Why does Ren have to be like this…?" Naofumi sighed.
"Beats me…" Itsuki groaned. "He can't speak his true thoughts properly even if his life depended on it, so people will always misunderstand."
"There's nothing bad about good-spirited competition, right?" Motoyasu asked, being the only person that can chuckle in such a situation. "This might actually be fun to watch."
"I have no idea how you see this as good spirits."
"I-I'm sorry it had to end up like this," Raphtalia stammered. "I don't think I did anything, but I still feel like I'm at fault here…"
"Ren and Eclair both look very mad," Sakura added. "While Ren deserves it, Sakura doesn't like it when Eclair is mad."
"This is just Ren digging his own grave," Itsuki responded, "so maybe we let this one play out."
Raphtalia looked over to Eclair and Ren as there was almost electricity sparking between the two swordsmen. Leaving nothing except a wryly laughter out of her, she might as well take advantage of this unique scenario and take as many mental notes as she could. From her training, she knew Eclair was strong and from watching his fights, she knew Ren was equally as powerful.
From a mere glance, Raphtalia didn't actually know who would be coming out on top.
Seeing the two sword wielders get heated up like this, it was probably better to migrate the damage as much as possible. He stepped in once more between them.
"Then we'll just have a quick match before dinner, alright? I don't want you two take it too far, so we'll have victory decided on the first-hit. Whoever can land the first attack will take the match."
"Those are agreeable terms," Eclair declared.
"I see nothing wrong with them," Ren answered.
"Although, I don't want to see skills and magic being thrown around." The restriction was specifically geared towards Ren since Eclair didn't have access to the same skills that heroes have. "This is strictly a fight using your swords. You two understand?"
"Other than that, anything else is allowed, right?"
Naofumi wasn't sure what Ren was trying to imply here, but against his own personal reasoning, he decided it was fine, as long as Ren understood that he shouldn't injure Eclair.
As the field was cleared for the two sides, a sense of uneasiness came over Naofumi. Raphtalia was sharing the same sentiment, nudging her master.
"Are you sure this is going to be fine?"
"Ren might not get along with people," Itsuki interjected, answering for Naofumi, "but he's not stupid. He's not going to do anything crazy."
"I believe in that," Naofumi responded, "but I also feel like I have to hope for that as well."
"So they're really going to fight?" Sakura tilted her head.
"Don't worry, it's not going to be anything too bad," Motoyasu said, trying to cheer Sakura up. "No one is going to be hurt from—"
"Sakura hopes Eclair wins."
"O-oh. I see."
As the leaves rustled in ambience, Eclair and Ren stood off against each other by some distance. It was actually a greater distance compared to when Eclair was standing against Naofumi. They both unsheathed their blades, preparing themselves. Eclair's refined posture had her sword held before her, but Ren's style kept only a hand in front while his sword was kept behind him. From that, it wasn't a mystery that their behavior in fighting were going to be a clashing difference from one another.
"I've been meaning to ask you, Sir Ren. Is your swordplay self-taught?"
"What if it is?"
"Nothing. I was simply curious."
Once enough time passed, they both made their move. Almost as if blinking through the wind, they were suddenly clashing blades at the center, bellowing a metallic cry as they grinded against each other. They immediately broke themselves out from the hold, throwing out attacks that each collided with one another as they tested out how the other would react to the pressure.
"Amazing, I can barely keep up with where their swords are moving," Raphtalia gasped.
When they blades locked together once more, Ren and Eclair jumped backwards from each other, but it only took a second for them to bounce right at each other. This time, Ren pulled out the advantage, being faster than Eclair and forcing her to retreat defensively. Eclair was able to block all of his approaches, but his sword twisted as he came for another strike.
It pulled back as Eclair was about to block it.
"A feint?"
Raphtalia placed her new knowledge to work, but Itsuki shook his head.
"Considering that's what Eclair just showed you—"
As Eclair was trying to readjust to react properly, Ren's sword redacted its prior movements and smashed forwards. Against a normal opponent, he might have been able to throw them off guard, but Eclair managed to hold on, being able to move her sword back before Ren could swing at her.
"—there's no way Ren would have done something like that."
"It's a double feint," Motoyasu muttered, "and it doesn't look like he's done yet."
Ren converted his attacks as if they were flowing like a river. Every one of his attacks transitioned into the other, accounting for the position Eclair took up to defend against the prior one. Each one also held violent force before it slammed into Eclair's blade.
However, the former knight didn't falter in the slightest. Her eyes kept up with Ren's brutal assault and once she predicted one of the attacks, she managed to parry it away with finesse. Planting her feet in the ground, he launched a rapid thrust at Ren as he staggered backwards.
It would have been the match if Ren staggered unwillingly.
"In a battle against Ren," Itsuki monologized, "they're not simply fighting against a person with a sword. Even if the legendary sword doesn't allow him to use another weapon, he already has what he needs, something that the legendary sword can't truly restrict him."
As the sword came closer, Ren swung his foot to knock Eclair's sword away. It would appear that Ren's boots were more than just for show and the opening he made allowed him to spin his blade to counter. She dodged out of the way, rooting her feet once again to unleash another similar strike as before.
It caused Ren to jump back, but he held his sword in a defensive stance in order to dissuade Eclair from approaching. Whether it worked or not, Eclair remained to stand her ground, repositioning her stance to reset the fight back to neutral.
"Ren uses his feet in a battle?" Naofumi asked. "This is the first time I've seen him do that."
"That's just a way to know if he's taking the match seriously or not," Itsuki answered. "Despite what he said, he knows how good Eclair is, so he's using that fighting style. It's his unique technique from Brave Star Online, being known for it while being on the top of the leaderboards."
Eclair suddenly closed the distance and started her own assault. Just as Ren was, she was quick on her strikes, if not quicker. Not even Ren could block all of it, but he managed to dodge the ones that were able to slide past his sword. However, Ren couldn't keep it up for much longer.
He spun his sword to hold it in a backhand before rushing in inbetween Eclair's thrusts. His approach was aggressively dangerous, but if Eclair chose to take advantage of the opening he intentionally left, he was in the position to pull back his sword and block it thanks to his current grip.
Eclair decided to not take the risk, blocking the attack. It allowed Ren to readjust his grip back to normal while rolling his blade over. He transitioned the reversal into a string of attacks. One into the other, Ren converted his sword slashes and kicks against her defense. Although not as quick as Eclair's attacks, there was no opening for Eclair to break out from it.
"Perhaps Ren's fighting style might be a little too aggressive though…" Itsuki mulled. "Against Eclair, it isn't going to work as well as it did in Brave Star Online."
Despite what it would seem, Eclair launched an attack in the middle of Ren's cycloning strikes. It didn't completely stop Ren's movements, but it gave Eclair enough space to retaliate an attack of her own. At the same time, they both unleashed themselves outwards at each other, but the resulting action caused them to push each other backwards to a grinding halt.
And once again, they were back to neutral positions.
None of them had shown any signs of tiredness. If Naofumi wasn't any the wiser, he would probably be convinced that this was their opening act before they got serious if he was told that.
"It looks pretty even…" Sakura commented.
"No, it's not," Itsuki declared. "If Eclair is as good as I think she is, she's going to be able to pick up on Ren's attacks quickly. If she had been a player in Brave Star Online, she definitely would have been able to rise herself up the ranks in no time. The longer the fight lasts, the more it favors Eclair."
"I didn't know you were pretty good at combat analysis," Raphtalia mentioned.
"I'm not. I know Ren enough to make my guess." Itsuki narrowed his eyes. "You can barely see it, but Ren is already starting to sweat."
Ren twirled his sword before rushing in. He tried to angle his attacks differently, but Eclair was already on top of his movements. What was presented as manageable beforehand had been adapted to perfect deflections. Eclair was no longer keeping up with Ren, but rather, it was Ren that was unable to break through Eclair.
"Although Ren is strong himself, his core swordplay style isn't as firm as Eclair's."
Eclair watched as one of Ren's attacks caused him to launch himself forwards and stepped out of the way to allow his sword to grind up against her blade as momentum carried him past her. Ren used his hand to avoid collapsing on the ground, springing out of the way before Eclair could follow up. Even when he was moving back, his eyes kept vigilance on Eclair, but perhaps it was all he could do.
She wasn't going to let Ren retreat for free and with his movements severely limited, Ren's teeth gritted in frustration. The trajectory of Eclair's blade guaranteed a victory in her name, but he saw Ren's sword glowing in a familiar light.
As if he was going to use—
"Naofumi! Block that!" Itsuki spat.
"What…!?"
Naofumi hesitated for a second before realizing what Itsuki was saying. Hoping it wasn't too late, he extended his arm out with his shield summoning its skill.
"[Air Strike Sword]!"
"[Air Strike Shield]!"
A transparent shield appeared in between the combatants, barely being able to defend against Ren's transparent sword. Naofumi was glad the skill held out for long enough that both skills shattered at the same time, leaving Eclair to stop where she stood in bewilderment.
"Alright, that's enough! I'm calling the match off!"
Ren groaned with exasperation, dusting himself off as he stood back up straightly. On seeing Naofumi step in like this, Eclair lowered her blade to sheath it immediately. However, most of Naofumi's attention fell on the violator of the predetermined rules.
"I thought I said to not use skills!"
"..."
Ren's eyes glanced away, turning his entire body away silently.
"Ren!" Naofumi called out his name. "Are you even listening to me?"
"This fight didn't have any meaning," he abruptly responded, "so I just let her win. It looked like she was taking this far more seriously than I thought, so it looked like she needed it."
"That's not my problem. You could have hurt Eclair with a skill like that."
"She wouldn't haven't gotten injured from something like that."
"That doesn't mean it was alright to use a skill like that."
Ren turned his back, sheathing his sword.
"Then why did you go ahead and use one!?"
Ren held his tongue, hiding his eyes away from his friend. Naofumi's concern was quickly dismissed with a scoff. Naofumi felt a little frustrated that his friend was acting so stubbornly. It was far more than he could originally expect. There hadn't been a shred of doubt that he violated the rules, but Ren was still being insistent on otherwise.
After his dismissal, Ren ran off into a seemingly random direction.
"Hey, Ren! Wait! Where are you going?"
Without another response, Naofumi couldn't stop Ren in time. He wasn't sure what the exact problem had been, but Eclair probably had more mixed emotions about how their match ended here.
"Sorry about that, Eclair," Naofumi sighed.
"There's no need to apologize. You did nothing wrong."
"Please don't hold anything against him."
"I might have been irritated about what he said, but I don't believe he said them out of malice." Eclair glanced into the direction Ren ran to. "Back in my days with the knights, there were a few unruly folks that spoke similarly to Sir Ren, but it was simply all hot air. At the very least, Sir Ren certainly has the skill to back up his claims."
"I wonder what's going on with Mister Ren," Raphtalia pondered. "Did that match bother him more than expected? Maybe it might not have been a good idea to persist with the sparring match in that case."
"Sakura thinks Ren is just being a sore loser," Sakura huffed. "Eclair did good."
"Thanks, Sakura," Eclair softly smiled, but she replayed the final few motions of the match in her head again. "I suppose it's not entirely his words that left a bitter taste in my mouth."
"Maybe some yummy dinner will help. It might get the bitter taste out."
"That's not what Eclair…" Naofumi shook his head, disregarding the correction. "Never mind. Although you're right about getting onto dinner as soon as possible, I'm worried about Ren. He didn't seem like he was thinking straight as he usually did."
Itsuki scratched his head. "If everyone is so worried for Ren, I can go ahead and bring him back. He probably wants to be left alone right now, but with persistence from me, I think I can drag him back."
"If you say so," Motoyasu said. "We'll be waiting! We won't be starting dinner without him!"
Sakura was already drooling over the raw meat that the two boys had hunted, but Motoyasu pulled her back to make sure she wouldn't preemptively eat any before everyone was present.
Before Itsuki could trace Ren's footsteps, Eclair stopped him for a moment.
"Will Sir Ren be alright?"
"Of course he will." Itsuki turned to her. "I'm honestly more surprised you aren't more angry at him for breaking one of the rules."
Eclair spared no comment. Perhaps if she hadn't known the Sword Hero, she would have been agitated by the actions Ren had taken, but she could say for certain that she wasn't satisfied in leaving things how they were.
At the very least, she wouldn't mind having another sparring match with Ren. It was genuinely a good exercise for her body, all things considered.
"Don't let Ren's words get to you. He didn't mean any of what he said and once he calms down a bit, he'll come around to acknowledge your victory there. He's always working hard to get stronger, so when he's knocked down a peg or two, he can get very defensive."
"Is that right…?"
Hearing Itsuki speak about his friend with such confidence does bring some relief to her mind. Perhaps another sparring match might not be too impossible after all.
"I should have probably controlled my emotions a bit more myself. If I didn't take his words at face-value, that might have not ended in the way that it did."
Itsuki smirked. "Now you're understanding him a little more. Naofumi and Motoyasu also understand that too, but they can't help themselves to be worried for him."
"Is that to say that you aren't worried?"
"Of course I am, but I know better than to fret about it when it comes to Ren—no, especially when it comes to Ren. I've known him for so long that I have an idea how this will end."
"Then I'll leave it in your trustworthy hands."
Itsuki strolled off in the same direction that Ren went in.
Eclair was slightly concerned that Itsuki might not be able to find Ren, given that the forest they were keeping themselves in was a bit vast, but if he was heading off without even hesitating on where to go, maybe it was best that Itsuki was the one to chase after Ren like this.
Eclair walked back to offer any help that Naofumi and the others might need from her.
-/IV/-
"I'm so stupid…"
Ren found himself near a cliffside.
It hadn't been too far of a drop, having one part of the forest hanging over another, but it made for a perfect shot of the horizon in the distance. There was a small rock that he welcomed himself to sit down upon and from that angle, he could see the edge of the forest lingering out into the open plains above.
With his legs crossed together, he was left alone with the wind as his ambience, only further emphasizing the lingering thoughts that surfaced in his mind.
"Why the hell did I have to go ahead and say all of that…?"
He knew he shouldn't have used [Air Strike Sword], but it was all he could do against Eclair's approach. Ren hated to admit it, but she got him pretty good. The skill was only fired off reactively, but all his excuses came after it to hide his embarrassment. Once it started rolling, he couldn't exactly stop himself until he found himself in the middle of the forest.
Returning now would make things even more embarrassing, but Ren couldn't lie to himself that it was a lame. All he could do was sigh at himself, letting his frustration be vented in the shape of a clenched fist.
"Just calm down, Ren…" he whispered to himself, closing his eyes. "There's no reason to be acting so immature like this… You're better than that…"
"Doing some little meditation?"
Ren opened his eyes again, but he didn't bother to turn around to the voice. He already knew that his childhood friend might have gone after him, but it was simply a matter of when he thought it would have been the right time to pull him back.
"Want something, Itsuki?"
"Nah, not really. I was curious as to how you're holding up after you stormed off like that."
"I feel like there's some snide in that tone of yours."
"Was it so obvious?"
Itsuki walked up next to Ren before taking a seat on the grass. Just like his friend, he crossed his legs. Ren leered to his side briefly, only to redirect his attention back to the cliffside.
"I'm guessing I don't need to dress you down in what happened back there, right?" Itsuki asked.
"Don't even mention it. I'm already tired from thinking about what I said back there. It was really lame of me to say all of that, wasn't it?"
"This fight didn't have any meaning, so I—"
"Ugh, shut up already…"
Itsuki snickered in Ren's cringing response. If Ren wanted to relapse what he said back then, he didn't need to be reminded about it, but Itsuki was doing it on purpose. He at least knew that much.
"You got to see Eclair's strength firsthand. She's pretty strong, but I'm thinking you've already known about that, even before you engaged in that sparring match."
"I shouldn't have said anything," Ren pouted, holding up his cheek against a standing hand. " It would have saved us a whole lot less of a headache. This is why I don't like talking to people."
"If you're able to speak freely like that with Eclair, doesn't that mean you're already comfortable in her presence?"
"I wouldn't know."
Itsuki chuckled. "Did you end up enjoying the fight? It seemed like despite what happened, Eclair enjoyed the swordplay you've demonstrated."
"...Yeah, I guess it was an interesting fight, I guess."
Despite her not truly understanding how virtual reality might work, Eclair was certainly a prime candidate for someone that might have excelled in the virtual world of fantasy combat. Though, it might have been because she literally lived in a world filled with fantasy combat.
"Maybe if Brave Star Online was filled with players like her, the top of the leaderboards might have been more of an interesting battlefield."
"Maybe there would have been players that could have kept up with you."
"If skill and strength were the only factors, I would have been partnered up with a guild in the game a while ago. It's just that I could never work well with others, and you know that already."
"Didn't need to tell me twice. Our time in Lerno already said enough."
As Ren groaned, Itsuki found himself glancing upwards towards the night skies.
"What was it that made you pick up Brave Star Online in the first place?" he suddenly asked. "I know you said it was your favorite game, ever since picking it up in its beta days, but was there something about it that gravitated you towards it?"
"Now, you're just asking that?"
"Yeah. I've never really thought about it before."
"I liked the systems the game had in place. It really felt like a world where I could experience the strength I was building for myself in it compared to all of the other failed attempts. Kinda like how this world is providing to us, setting aside the whole ordeal of us being fugitives and all."
"You enjoy fighting in this new world?"
"It's familiar to Brave Star Online. I could say that much, but to say that I enjoy it…"
Ren looked down to his hand. Without even thinking, it was twitching a bit as if it was an instinctive mannerism. He clenched his fist again, making sure that not even he could notice it.
"That remains to be seen. I'm merely doing what I have to do to make sure everyone here is safe. I don't really have the time to be thinking about what kind of amusement I'm having here."
"There has to be something you want to do while you're a Cardinal Hero."
Itsuki stood up from his place and nudged Ren on his shoulder. Although his head didn't move, Ren's eyes still leered at Itsuki from the corner of his eyes. However, he turned his head away from his friend once he noticed that Itsuki was striking a dynamic pose.
"For instance, taking on the evil and injustice of this world!"
"You want to do that," Ren tiredly responded. "Don't group us together like that."
"There's still the injustice against us that we still have to fight against, right?"
"That's already obvious." Ren sighed as his eyes panned downwards to the grass. "If there's something I want to do as a Cardinal Hero, it's to get everyone out of this situation. Everyone was excited to head off on an adventure and if some assholes wanted to block us from doing that, I'm going to do what I can to make sure they'll pay with my own two hands."
Itsuki swung himself over to steal a spot on Ren's rock. Even though it was small, it was still able to fit the both of them once their backs were against each other. Ren did mindlessly scoot himself over to provide a place for Itsuki to comfortably sit though.
"If that's the case, we're going to have to do what we can in order to make sure we're able to defeat the evil and injustice of this world in the first place. And we have to make sure we aren't accidentally dragging innocent people into our affairs and all."
Itsuki thought back to the time he spent at Rabier's manor. He always wondered if he never got Welst and Kojeel involved, that they would still be safe by now. In fact, he was wondering how they were doing now, but he hoped that they were out of harm's way from the Church and from Mald.
"Eclair has her own way of doing things and if it's been working well for her, maybe you should pick up a few things from her. You can't deny that she's probably the most skilled out of all of us here, even despite the fact that she isn't a hero."
"I suppose so…"
"Maybe you should give Eclair a few more practice rounds?"
Ren softly smirked. "I suppose it's not off the table, but there's more important things to do than to spar with your own allies like that. If Raphtalia wants Eclair to train her, I shouldn't be taking up her opportunities like that. Raphtalia needs the training more than Eclair needs the fights. Hands-on experience for Raphtalia is the best way for her to grow."
"My, how considerate of you."
"Oh, shut up…"
As the silent gale flocked right past them, Itsuki made a small chuckle.
"How long ago has it been since we had such a random conversation like this? Naofumi and Motoyasu sent me out to make sure you're alright, but here we are, making random small talk with one another to pass the time."
"We spoke back at the castle, remember?" Ren responded. "You know, when you couldn't sleep and we met up in the gardens?"
"It feels like so much has happened since then and besides, I was mostly talking about spending time outside like this back in our world." Itsuki pulled up his legs and started to hold them against his chest. "Ever since we moved in together with Naofumi and Motoyasu, we never came back to our little hideout in the middle of that forest. There wasn't really a reason to, now that we had a safe haven there."
"Feeling nolgastic?"
"A bit…" Itsuki bitterly smiled. "With everything feeling like it's against us again, don't you think it's a real throwback to the past?"
"Not that it matters, since thinking back to the past isn't something we should be doing. We've got enough on our plates in the present as it is. As long as we can deal with that—"
"You're already starting to sound like your normal self, going on about that."
"Hmmph," Ren scoffed. "I wasn't going to be wallowing forever. I only needed some time to calm myself down, that's all. Who do you think I am?"
As Ren gave Itsuki a soft smile, Itsuki responded by smiling back.
"How about we start heading back now? Everyone's waiting for you for dinner to start."
"Yeah, let's go. I don't want to be the reason as to why dinner is being held up," Ren sighed.
"Alright, sounds like a plan—"
Just as Itsuki and Ren were about to move off from the rock, a sight grabbed their attention from the corner of their eyes. Their heads turned over, catching a shooting star and its stardust trail.
"This world has shooting stars too…?"
"Why wouldn't it? There are stars above and probably their own set of constellations," Ren answered. "I don't see why there wouldn't be shooting stars either."
"We should make a wish!"
"Don't you think you're a bit too old to be believing in superstitions like that?"
Itsuki bitterly smiled. "I already know that things won't miraculously work out if we ourselves don't do anything about it, but it's not like a quick wish here and there will hinder our progress. IT might serve as a good tool of motivation."
"Go ahead and make your wish then. I won't stop you."
As Itsuki stayed silent, glancing up in the skies, Ren couldn't help himself to make his own wish despite what he said. It was a rare occurrence that the two friends had only seen one other time together and while he knew things were more complicated than what he desired, Ren still wished for something regardless. After a few moments, Itsuki stepped off from his seat.
"Let's head back now."
"Yeah."
Both Ren and Itsuki departed from the cliffside and started making their return.
-/IV/-
"You know, maybe you could give me some suggestions for fighting, Eclair?" Motoyasu approached the former knight as Motoyasu was finishing up dinner for everyone. He sat down across the fire from her as Sakura came over next to him the second he had his hands free. "I should probably join in with Raphtalia to see if I could get better at fighting."
"If that's what you want, I won't mind. It would be an honor to help train a Cardinal Hero."
"Don't think of it much as an honor." Motoyasu waved his hand, cheerfully dismissing Eclair's remark. "It's better to think of it as a friend asking another friend for a favor. And besides, having quite the elegant lady as yourself might help motivate me!"
"Elegant, you say?" Eclair chuckled. "Such flattery won't get you an easier time in training."
"No, no, I mean it! I've seen how people fight in this world already, but you're probably the person that has the most refined style I've seen! Very fitting as someone as beautiful as—"
"I leave for a few moments and you're already acting like this."
Motoyasu suddenly felt a hand slapping against the back of his head. It stung quite a bit and it caused Sakura to reflexively come to check if her father was alright while glaring at the assailant with aggravated eyes. He turned around to see Ren's hand, fresh out the trigger.
"Don't hurt Daddy…!"
"Don't worry, Sakura…" Motoyasu did his best to laugh it off, trying to pull back Sakura from retaliating an attack in his stead. "Ren was just joking around. It doesn't actually hurt that much!"
"Huh," Ren muttered, tempted to lift his sword. "I must have gone soft. And what happened to you on cooking duties? We must not be eating much if you're spending the time flirting."
"Hey, it's basically done already! We were just waiting on you guys!"
"Then we can start getting the food out!" Itsuki said.
"Then we'll get everything sorted out," Raphtalia responded.
Itsuki took a seat near the fire, but as Motoyasu settled Sakura down, Ren walked over to Eclair. He didn't take a seat, nor was he planning to do so, but his movements already pulled her attention over.
He didn't look at Eclair, but there was a slight mutter.
"I'm sorry about that skill…"
Without even giving Eclair a moment to reply, he turned back around to head off to sit next to Itsuki. However, it wasn't without a few more words.
"You're pretty strong, Eclair."
It was quiet enough that only Eclair could hear it, but it still brought a smile to her face. She supposed that Ren was still a growing teenager, so there wasn't any reason to be too hard on him. There was already enough, given that the weight of the world was on his shoulders, as well as dealing with Melromarc's treatment of him. Eclair was simply glad that there hadn't been any bad blood.
"Ren is a good person when it comes down to it, even if he does act cold or even stubborn sometimes," Naofumi mentioned from the side. He didn't hear what Ren said, but judging from Eclair's reaction, he could make a guess. "I suppose that wasn't the meaning that originally got across, thanks to how he typically words his sentences and shows his attitude, but he means well."
"I can see that," she amusingly responded. "Quite the friend you have there, Sir Naofumi."
"Yeah, and I wouldn't have it any other way."
The crackles of the fires were drowned out by the sizzling of the meat.
[SKIT 097 : Sword and Foot Technique]
[Naofumi] : "So Ren's famous in Brave Star Online for a battle style of his...?"
[Naofumi] : "That's genuinely amazing. He's been playing since the game was released, so it's not hard for me to imagine that he might be the original practitioner of that style inside of the game."
[Itsuki] : "You would be right. Since he played in the beta test servers, before the game's official release, Ren was a core part of the playerbase as this powerful player with a unique battle style. In Brave Star Online, using your limbs was unheard of, mainly because they didn't provide any sort of meaningful damage. All of that was centered around the weapons you wield, but Ren used his feet to keep up the pressure on his opponents. Even if it's virtual reality, people will still act as if his kicks would hurt, even if they wouldn't necessarily would. That's just the nature of humans."
[Motoyasu] : "Did Ren trademark it?"
[Motoyasu] : "There's no way that he wasn't aware of this news, so he must have came up for a name for the battle style."
[Itsuki] : "If I remember correctly..."
[Itsuki] : "The community actually named it without his consent, dubbing it as the [S.F. Pressure Style]. S and F, standing for Sword and Foot."
[Itsuki] : "It didn't feel original, so Ren calls it something different."
[Naofumi] : "And that's...?"
[Itsuki] : "[Schenller Angriff Strum], roughly meaning [Galeforce of Rapid Attack]."
[Ren] (Elsewhere) : "... I feel a disturbance in the air that's telling me to cringe."
[Ren] (Elsewhere) : "... What the hell is Itsuki telling them now?"
[SKIT 098 : Intensive Training]
[Motoyasu] : "You've been doing good in keeping up with Eclair's training regimes."
[Raphtalia] : "What made you think I'm keeping up?"
[Raphtalia] : "I feel like I'm barely holding up whenever I train with Miss Eclair."
[Motoyasu] : "Huh? Really? Then why do you keep asking to train with her?"
[Raphtalia] : "Because that's not something that's optional for me. If I want to continue to being Master Naofumi's sword, then I have to grow stronger through any means I have accessible to myself. If a portion of Miss Eclair's strength and knowledge can be passed onto me through these tough training sessions, then that is more than what I could ask for. Even if I sometimes feel like passing out after I'm done."
[Sakura] : "Eclair doesn't really go easy, does she...?"
[Sakura] : "Sakura thinks that would be too much work for Sakura..."
[Motoyasu] : "Everyone's got their own capabilities."
[Motoyasu] : "Just make sure you don't push yourself too much, Raphtalia. You'll end up worrying Naofumi, not to mention the rest of us."
[Sakura] : "Take good care of yourself."
[Raphtalia] : "Of course. I'll try not to overdo it."
