Lucina and Hinoka - No Crowns Allowed
Day 28, midday
Nohr had its fair variety of warriors, many of which Lucina had challenged and learned from their duels. However, it was just a matter of time before the Hoshidans joined in on the beat down that was Lucina's sword prowess.
Finishing up her individual training and recalled that Hoshidan monk, Azama, gesturing for her. Most of his insults flew over her head, but she remembered the specific detail of him asking whether she was the Crown Princess of Ylisse or not.
"I am," Lucina confirmed.
"Very well. I do not mean to disturb your time, as productive as I'm sure it is, but Lady Hinoka wishes to train with you."
"And she would not tell me this herself?"
Azama appeared offended at the remark, but the twin slits that were his opened eyes gave no further evidence of that.
"Er, she would, were she not preoccupied with another sparring partner. She only asked for your presence when she exhausted her current dummy."
"...Who is?"
"That Nohrian mage, Odin."
Lucina decided that she wouldn't mind the change in routine today, knowing that she'd be getting sword work in no matter her oppoenent. Hopefully, Hinoka would not disappoint.
"I preferred you when you used your katana," Hinoka grumbled under her panting, naginata at the low ready while the mage in front of her breathed heavily as well.
"T-The Chosen One - ahem- does not rely on mere physical prowess alone to inflict his f-fell fury!"
"I still preferred the katana." Hinoka scoffed. Odin gave a yell and fired off a Fimbulvetyr while simultaneously back flipping, launching off a second torrent of ice as his feet touched the ground. Hinoka ducked under the first wave of frost and deflected the second with the blade of her lance.
"You telegraph your moves so plainly when you use magic," Hinoka complained, running in with a downward slash, forcing Odin to sidestep. She quickly altered her footwork, expertly handling her naginata with her legs as she cartwheeled towards him, while also delivering a rapid series of slashes with her blade as she fluidly transferred it back to her hands when she finished the maneuver. Tossing it into the air right as her feet hit the ground again, Hinoka leaped skyward and somersaulted with the blade, leaving large gashes in the sand. Odin, purely on the defensive, shouted again and rose into the air with power.
"Behold!"
Firing off five bolts of ice in rapid succession, Hinoka agilely ducked and weaved around the first three, deflected the fourth, but faltered as the last one struck her leg. Feeling her leg give out from the shock, Hinoka was helpless to see Odin unsheathe Mystletainn, landing from his brief levitation with a roll. A low slash with the back end of his blade knocked her over, leaving both of them panting in the sand.
"There. My blade."
"Tch," Hinoka sighed, the effects of the cold mostly gone. "The day I master magic is the day you need to come up with new tricks."
"Dragon's Vein counts, no?" Hinoka considered Odin's suggestion and nodded after a brief pause.
"It does, doesn't it? Well, I can't really use it offensively in the middle of combat. It's more of a strategic flow-disrupting manuever, more than a way to kill efficiently. Not to mention, you can use the Dragon Vein too, which does not make sense at all."
"Even though I was a Nohrian for three years, I am still an Ylissean at heart. It is a land of heroes! Heroes whose blood flows in mine. Likewise, your blood if blessed with those of Hoshidan heroes, no? Anyway, now that I know how to look for Dragon Veins, this continent is scattered with them. 'Tis an old battleground of the dragons, and they have left their marks for us mortals to find!"
"This is like the ninth time you have bragged about Ylisse to me. Not once have you explained how you can do the same stuff we can." Odin smiled sheepishly as he nodded.
"My true form is a swordsman by the name of Owain. I am the child of Lissa, one of the healers here. As she is the brother of Prince Chrom, the Divine Dragon's blood flows strong through my veins as well."
"Thanks for the history lesson," Hinoka marveled in sarcasm, interrupted in her thoughts by another swordsman entering the sparring arena. Odin, er Owain seemed to brighten up from his cheap victory, dashing towards the blue-haired princess.
"Ah, Lucina! I haven't really talked to you since we came back!" Lucina squinted at the strangely familiar cousin in front of her. Was that really Owain? Ah, that's right. He came with the Nohrians.
"Owain?"
"You are correct!"
"I understand the magic. It is impressive, even. But the clothes? I have to admit that is a little... superfluous."
Owain didn't even falter as he proudly flashed his gleaming chest.
"It's for the free flow of divine power when-" Hinoka silenced him, covering his torpedo nipples with her lance.
"Like I said, I liked you as a swordsman." Owain nodded sadly before admitting defeat.
"I'll... excuse myself. Farewell, Hinoka."
"Heh."
As Owain walked off, Hinoka suppressed a very struggled smile. Looking at Lucina, the two Princesses mirrored each other before finally giving in, the latter as surprised at her own reaction as she was with Owain.
"Are you Owain's-"
"No, I assure you our relationship is purely for sparring and ridicule," Hinoka assured.
"Well, I suppose I can offer you my blade to spar with, if you're still willing."
"I am. Allow me to just..." Hinoka's red eyes flashed as she channeled a pulse using her Dragon's Vein, placing a regenerative aura over the pit where they would fight.
"That's... The Divine Dragon's power!"
"In Hoshido and Nohr, we call it the Dragon's Vein. Royalty descended from the dragons themselves carry their bloodline through us. Those pure enough, like Corrin, can evidently transform into a dragon outright."
"So... as a Princess of Ylisse..."
"Hmm, you could channel it too. Your cousin could, so I have full faith you should be able to. Try it, and tell me how it goes. I could give you some pointers, if you have trouble. In the mean time, I have rested enough. At your ready!"
Hinoka watched as Lucina slowly drew Falchion, twirling it around with a flourish before resting the blade along her chin, parallel to the ground in her usual pose.
"I hope Owain has not spoiled you too much on Ylissean sword play, Lady Hinoka."
"Oh, it'll take a lot to impress me after seeing a seemingly simple Nohrian use our own weapons with such finesse. And please, I'm not a Lady when my lance is pointed at you. Come on then!"
Swiping upwards towards Lucina's face, Hinoka's naginata whistled sharply as it cut through the air by her ear.
Lucina leaped into the air, parrying Hinoka's upward thrust in flight while slicing downwards in a stabbing motion. The strike was deflected by Hinoka's gauntlet, slapping the blade away while at the same time using Lucina's momentum to shove her past. Almost instantly, Hinoka twirled the blade into Lucina's side, only for the princess to leap acrobatically over the horizontal strike, landing on her feet.
"I'll admit, you're certainly more limber than your cousin..."
Lucina charged forward, shifting her momentum quickly as she feinted into a reverse spin. Hinoka barely ducked under the strike and delivered five rapid lunges in an up-down-up-down-up pattern, which Lucina parried with a struggle as Hinoka's reach advantage forced Lucina into a defensive stance.
"Astra technique... My mother taught me that, oh so long ago," Lucina said in admiration, recovering in the temporary ceasefire.
"My father taught me that," Hinoka replied grimly, twirling her staff before assuming a defensive pose.
Jumping skyward, Lucina prepared to execute her father's signature move. Just as she started flipping forward, Hinoka took the opportunity to lunge with her spear while keeping her body in the defensive stance. Their blades met in midair, and by the sheer strength of the force, Hinoka found herself leaning on her rear leg, as the front one collapsed onto its knees. Lucina on the other hand was kept in mid-air for a few seconds by the power of the blow. She was more surprised that the naginata didn't break.
"Whoa."
"That was a quite impressive block."
"Hey! That's enough you two, don't want you guys getting too fired up," Chrom called out, admiring his daughter's form. Ryoma stood beside him, taking notes of both warriors and thinking of which maneuvers to implement the next time he drew his blade. Nodding to Chrom, he made his way to the pit.
"Nice attempt, Hinoka. Allow me to demonstrate what Father taught us," Ryoma stated, drawing Raijinto with a solemn slowness. Lightning crackled at his hands as the Dawn's Fang sang in the samurai's grasp.
A few feet away, Falchion harmonized Raijinto's song as it too left her owner's sheath.
"Thanks for getting the pit nice and warmed up for us," Chrom called, while his daughter and the Hoshidan watched the spar.
"Bet you a bullion on Ryoma," Hinoka offered, climbing out of the pit.
"I would not want to take your money," Lucina smirked back.
