After much work in the forge, The Ironworks is shipping out chapter 2. I was originally unsure if this was going to be a multi-chapter work or a oneshot, but I started feeling that this story could be expanded further and I was getting a lot of ideas that wouldn't fit into Absence or Aftermath. Plus, it lets me have more fun with Signum.
As per the norm, I own nothing and comments and criticisms are always welcome.
EDIT: 01/17/12: Fixed a few things, primarily with how Signum addressees Yuuno.
- Chapter Start -
Even though she had arrived home late and was fortunate enough to not be required to report in that day, Signum still rose early as ever. She sat up in bed with a slight yawn while blinking the sleep from her eyes. Her normally well kept pink hair poked out at odd angles in places, giving the impression of a restless night. She stared at the far wall for a minute or so before pulling off the covers and getting out of bed. The carpeted floor felt wonderful between her toes.
Still, that moment of morning comfort had to end at some point. Signum gathered her clothing for the day and made her way to the large family bath. When purchasing a house on the massive colony, Lady Hayate had insisted on the home having a traditional Japanese bath. Or at least enough space to install one. None of the Knights had any objections.
Bathing in the Yagami household was often an event that included the entire family, with the obvious exception of Zafira. However in the mornings, bath participation tended to be a bit more scattered in participation owing to work schedules and varying times of waking. No one else was a awake so far as Signum could tell at the moment.
Since she was often the first one awake, it usually fell on Signum to ready the bath for the day. Disrobing, she set her pajamas in the laundry and gathered her bathing supplies from a basket with her name written on it. There was a winking caricature of her head next to the letters, a product of Rein's attempts at personalizing the sign. With her clothing for the day deposited in the now empty basket, she entered the bath.
The room was nice and clean as it had been Zafira's turn to scrub down the room yesterday and the Guardian Beast was quite thorough in his task. Signum set down her supplies by a faucet and then proceeded to begin filling the large tub with hot water. It would take quite some time for the vessel to fill, so she sat down and began to wash herself.
As she went through the process of shampooing her long pink hair, Signum thought back to last night. Her match with Yuuno had hardly been noteworthy. Just a low-end training match against someone who was already exhausted. She had no doubts that the man had done everything in his power to combat her, but he had been too worn out from his earlier exercises to reach par for their normal matches.
While the bouts between herself and Yuuno were not nearly as epic a spectacle as those against another member of the Wolkenritter, Fate, or Nanoha, they still created quite the spectacle. Chains and fire flying about like some hellish scene from a horror movie, with sparks flying from every meeting between his shields and her sword.
Filling her bucket from the faucet, Signum upended the container of water over her head to wash away the significant amount of lather in her hair. She idly twirled a few of the wet strands between her fingers, examining them for split ends. A warrior she may be, but she was still a woman who took care in her appearance. Deeming her hair to be in good condition and not needing any kind of special action, Signum grasped another bottle and popped the top open. The faint aroma of cinnamon reached her nose as she discovered that Shamal had bought her a different scent of conditioner.
Signum began to work the white colored cream into her pink locks, enjoying the smell as she did so. It took less time than shampooing and soon another bucket of warm water was called upon to rinse Signum's mane clean.
Taking up a cloth and soap, Signum started washing the rest of her shapely body. It was an unconscious set of actions as they had been repeated so often to almost become second nature. The pinkette idly wondered when the rest of the family would awaken. Then again, it was a Saturday and none of them had anything scheduled so far as she knew. Perhaps they were enjoying much sought after extra sleep.
Vita would likely be the last one to awaken. For all her drive and hatred of wasted time, the diminutive redhead hardly missed an opportunity to sleep in. It was something that Nanoha, Lady Hayate, and sometimes Rein had taken advantage of in the past. Signum fondly recalled the Iron Hammer Knight waking up one morning with whiskers drawn on her face. The memory brought a chuckle to Signum.
Rein tended to take after her Lord, but not to such an extreme degree.
Signum recalled that Lady Hayate usually woke soon after her. Not only because she had taken it upon herself to dominate the kitchen and prevent and fires, but also so that she could have more time to wake up and bathe. If ever there was an example of someone who was not a morning person, it was Lady Hayate. The numerous cups of coffee her Mistress downed in the morning added evidence to that.
Zafira and Shamal tended to wake up around the same time, having similar schedules and being lured downstairs by the sinfully delicious aromas of Lady Hayate's homemade breakfast. When they had been living on Earth, Zafira had quickly learned not to come to any meal in his wolf form. Drool on the floor was not fun to step in, nor was it any more amusing to clean up.
It wasn't long before Signum had thoroughly scrubbed herself clean. Another two buckets cleansed her body of the the numerous bubbles and lather adorning her body, leaving the General feeling refreshed. While the soapy water ran down the drain, the pinkette strode across the wet tile and over to the tub's faucet and closed the tap. There was the occasional dripping sound as the last drops of liquid fell into the bath.
The massive bath was now full of clear, steaming water and seemed to beckon Signum into it's warm embrace.
Signum obliged, placing one long, well-toned leg into the bath and following with the other. She sank into the steaming depths up to her chin, allowing the warm water to cleanse her mind, body, and soul. As the heat seeped deep into her, penetrating down to the bone, the General let out a hum of contentment.
Signum's gaze was drawn to the dormant Laevatein, resting in the valley between her ample breasts on a silver chain, and she began pondering on the agreement she had made with Yuuno the night before. Together they would work on developing a new style of combat. One where the shield was the weapon, not the sword. They had yet to work out any of the specifics, but there would be plenty of time for that the next time they met.
Still, that did not stop her from fantasizing the kinds of battle they would have. Heated exchanges, surrounded by stone, fire, and ruin. She would strike out, he would parry and counter. She would evade, he would pursue. They would trade roles and the cycle would continue. Freshly drawn blood would mingle with the old as they fought and fought until neither could fight anymore, yet still trying to push themselves forward to deal that last blow.
Their armor and clothing in tatters. Blood pouring from their wounds. Laevatein cracked down it's length and Yuuno's shields flickering from strain. The fine line between life and death becoming so close that it barely existed. Then, and only then, would they exchange that final blow. Each striving to take victory from the other and dominate their foe.
So enamored was she with this fantasy of future battle that Signum did not hear the door to the bath slide open.
"Do I want to know why you're looking at your boobs with a stupid grin on your face?" The slightly sarcastic, but still amused question from Vita smashed through Signum's mind like a hammer through glass.
Had it been anyone else, they would have jumped out of their skin and likely started denying their actions. Signum's eyes only widened as her head snapped in Vita's direction. Any trace of the supposed stupid grin was gone. She would have said something in return, but Vita's own grin let the General know that her fellow Knight was simply teasing. "You are up early," Signum stated with a raised eyebrow.
The nude redhead went about her own bathing routing as she responded. "Me and Nanoha are gonna take the newbies out for some evasion training in the Southern Ruins." She looked around for a bit after replying, sniffing at the air. "Is that cinnamon?"
"Shamal purchased some new conditioner," Signum stated simply as she relaxed back into the water.
Vita merely shrugged. "By the way... You were out a lot later than you said you'd be. You didn't even call. What gives?" came the girl's question before dumping a bucket of water over her head.
"I will have to apologize to everyone at breakfast. It was not my intention to cause worry." Signum's gaze turned towards the opposite wall.
There was a snort in reply. "We know that. But still, you're usually pretty good about those things. Was the book that good?" What Signum did on her bi-weekly outings was not a secret. What she read, however, often was.
A short pause preceded the pinkette's response. "In truth, I was unable to read anything. Rather, I spent my time at the training fields."
"You spent all that time training by yourself? Pull the other one, Signum, I know how much you hate using those drones," replied Vita with a hint of exasperation while she went about the process of washing herself.
"I did not train the entire time, nor did I use any drones. I had the unexpected pleasure of doing combat with Scrya. Unfortunately, our match was rather short as he had already been there for some time by himself." Signum truly did hate using those drones for practice.
Vita's scrubbing slowed for a bit. "So you spent the night out with Yuuno, did you? How's our favorite ferret doing by the way? I haven't had a chance to drop in and see him in a while." She'd been aching for another match against the librarian for some time, but their schedules seemed to conflict so often that the most she could do was the occasional short call.
Signum ignored the redhead's innuendo. "He is doing quite well. He has been training himself quite often as of late." A teasing grin graced her features. "I would recommend that you should step up your game, else you will never be able to break him. His drive is quite impressive."
"Oh, I'll break him alright. I don't care how long it takes me, I'll bust his shields wide open. You can be sure of that, you boob demon," growled out Vita as she finished washing her back.
The pinkette chuckled. "Just try to avoid being tied up again."
That got a reaction out of Vita as the tips of her ears reddened. "I will have my vengeance..." During one rather intense match, Yuuno's efforts to bind her had led to interesting and embarrassing results. He'd claimed that it was an accident, but the redhead was still skeptical.
Signum heard Vita dump a bucket of warm water over her head, soon followed by feet upon tile. The relatively calm water was disturbed when she joined her fellow Knight in the large bath. "Ahhh... Good stuff," sighed Vita, hardly being immune to the soothing effects of a good wash followed by a soak in steaming water.
"What time will you be meeting Nanoha?" inquired Signum with her eyes closed, luxuriating in the heat.
"Around ten. She'll prolly get there way earlier though, always does." Vita knew that if there was anyone who could try to put Signum's punctuality to shame, it was Nanoha.
They sat in a comfortable silence for a time before deciding to get out. Vita because she had things to do and Signum because she did not particularly want to test how well she could pass off as a prune.
As they dressed, both Knights' noses twitched. From beyond the door separating the dressing room from the rest of the house came a most tantalizing aroma. Both hastened their efforts to dress themselves, though Signum did so in a far more dignified manner than Vita.
The redhead practically flew from the room in her efforts to reach the breakfast table. Signum followed at a far more controlled pace.
Upon entering the dining room, Signum was greeted with the sight of the entire family seated at the table with the exception being Lady Hayate. Her Mistress was setting down the last massive stack of steaming pancakes. The fluffy cakes stood alongside crispy rashers of bacon, piles of scrambled eggs, toast, and a large pitcher of orange juice. It was enough food to feed an army and it made the collective Knights' mouths water.
Still, the General managed to retain her composure. "Good Morning, Lady Hayate. Everyone." A chorus of morning's greetings responded.
Most notable was the glint in Lady Hayate's eyes as she replied to her General's greeting after she sat down at the head of the table. "Good Morning, Signum. Did you have a good evening?" The tone of her voice was friendly as ever, but Signum could tell that her Mistress was rather displeased with her unexplained late return home last night.
Food was passed around and plates filled with an unconscious precision that would tell any random onlooker that such a practice had been done many times over the years. After taking a portion of eggs to accompany her pancakes, Signum folded her hands on the table and spoke. "I must apologize for my late return home last night. It was not my intention to cause concern and I should have had the presence of mind to call."
That seemed to placate Lady Hayate to a degree and she huffed before smiling mischievously. "Just don't do it again. Or else I'll have you wear the skimpy maid outfit again."
A shiver ran down Signum's spine as she recalled the event. Having to fight Fate with her armor reconfigured into a maid's outfit had been mortifying. She couldn't recall exactly what she had done to deserve such a punishment, only that she had never done it again. "I shall be more careful in the future, Lady Hayate."
The brunette gave a satisfied nod of approval. After that, the conversation shifted more towards what everyone had planned for the day.
Zafira would be teaching his weekly martial arts classes at the park. It was something he had started as a way to give the children of the numerous TSAB employees something to do on a Saturday morning. It was good for the mind, body, and soul and he'd gathered quite a few students over time, all of whom seemed to enjoy themselves immensely.
Shamal had a few errands to run on Mid-Childa and her Lady Hayate would be accompanying her. There were a few things needed around the house and the Knight of the Lake usually took it upon herself to go shopping for them. Their Mistress wanted to give her a hand along with spending some time with the blonde knight.
Vita conveyed what she'd told Signum earlier in the bath to the rest of the family. It would keep her busy for a good portion of the day, but the redhead was looking forward to beating the cockiness out of the newbies.
Zwei wasn't sure what she was going to do with herself as her original plans with Agito had been scrapped due to the latter being called in to speak with her superiors about something. If Agito's fiery temperament was any indication, it likely involved a discipline issue. The Unison Device bemoaned her friend's failure to control her temper, eliciting an amused response from everyone at the table.
The plates were beginning to empty as Zafira queried Signum on her plans for the day. "What do you have planned for the day, Signum? You've got the day off if memory serves."
Swallowing some of her orange juice, Signum considered her plans for the day. She hadn't anything in particular set for the day save for perhaps a light workout and giving Laevatein a good polish. Then she recalled that Yuuno would be expecting a call from her at some point. It would be rather difficult to work on something together if they lacked proper communication. "I believe that I shall be giving Scrya a call. Hopefully we shall be able to continue from where we left off last night."
Her statement had no initial visible effect on the rest of the family, save for Vita who seemed to be trying her hardest not to laugh. Eventually the reactions came about. Shamal and Hayate seemed to have taken on a color more appropriate on a tomato as they linked Signum's admission with her, as yet, unexplained late night return home. Zwei seemed to have tuned out the world as she stared straight ahead at Signum, her face frozen in shock. Zafira coughed into his hand, a slight tint of red on his face, "I hadn't expected you to be so open about such a thing, but good for you."
Signum replied with a raised eyebrow. "Why would I conceal such a thing. It is only training." Truthfully, it was more than just training. It was the creation of a new array of techniques, new ways of fighting, new ways to wage glorious battle. She longed for the day that Yuuno brought his theorized style to fruition. It took a great deal of self control to not let her fantasies come to the forefront of her mind as they had in the bath.
Her explanation seemed to calm the nerves of nearly everyone present as their misconceptions were cleared. Shamal and Hayate let out a sigh of relief, though their coloring was slow in returning to normal. Apparently the idea of Signum having an illicit rendezvous with Yuuno behind their backs was as interesting as it was scanadlous. That catlike grin on Lady Hayate's face let the pinkette know exactly where her Mistress' mind was: the gutter.
Vita seemed a little put off, having hoped for a little more amusement from the situation than had actually happened. She did however come to the conclusion that while Yuuno's apparently intensive training would make her goals even more difficult, his training with Signum would threaten to render them a pipe dream. She was going to make the most of today's training. Those kids would never knew what hit them.
Zwei had remained unresponsive until snapped out of her reverie by the redhead. Blinking in confusion and quite ignorant of Signum's explanation, the girl with powder blue hair decided that she would need to have words with Yuuno Scrya. Sure, he was a good guy and they'd all known him for years, but he hadn't been officially vetted by the rest of the family. Zwei decided that she would shoulder the task by herself since no one else seemed too concerned.
The meal finished, Zafira claimed dominance over the kitchen to clean the dishes while Hayate, Shamal, and Zwei went to take their morning bath.
Vita had donned her uniform before heading off on her motorbike to the nearest teleportation facility. The bike had been a collective gift to the redhead from her family and friends on her 16th birthday. It was designed to be usable by someone of her stature or an adult without sacrificing performance or safety. The Iron Hammer Knight loved the bike and it proved to be extremely useful when there was no one to give her a lift to work.
Signum retreated to her room after watching Vita drive off. Sitting on the corner of her bed, she had Laevatein send a call to Yuuno. She was feeling a little anxious at the prospect of calling the man, knowing that this call would undoubtedly lead to their next meeting and their next battle.
The semi-transparent communication window displayed an icon indicating that the device was attempting to connect to Yuuno's line. It took a little longer than Signum would have liked, but eventually a familiar face filled the screen. "Good morning, Scrya. I hope that I did not wake you."
Yuuno shook his head. "I've been up for a little while now. I was wondering when you'd call, actually."
"Oh?" inquired Signum with a slightly curious look.
"Yeah, I couldn't stop thinking about what we're going to be doing and it woke me up early. I've been drafting ideas since I got up," admitted the blonde somewhat sheepishly as he looked away from Signum's gaze.
It was imperceptible to Yuuno as he'd turned his head, but the General of Fire licked her lips as a hunger began to settle in her belly. That Yuuno was taking such action meant that he was definitely serious about this. "I look forward to seeing what you have developed in such a short time."
Turning back to face the woman, he brought up the proposed meeting. "When would you like to meet up and talk? I cleared out as much time as I could, much to my subordinates' chagrin." They hadn't been all too happy that their boss was finally using more of his power to delegate assignments. Still, he was their boss and he did have that right.
"My schedule is open for the day." replied Signum with a glint in her eyes. The sooner they could fight, the better. Plus, it would be harder to match their schedules later on. While Yuuno might be the head of his department and able to arrange for more acceptable hours, Signum was tied to whatever hours the Air Force gave her. She did have some say in when she had to work, but the pinkette was still subject to what time frame the military's human resources department gave her.
"How about we meet for an early lunch and go from there?" It would also give him some time to work on the drafts for some of the spellwork he'd modified.
Signum nodded. "That is acceptable. There is a small outdoor restaurant perhaps fifteen minutes by foot from the training fields."
"Sounds good. I can come pick you up if you'd like," offered Yuuno politely.
"Actually, I would prefer to drive this time. You did provide me with transportation last night and it is only proper that I repay the favor." While that much was true, she also wanted to drop in on Yuuno. If she was lucky, she could get a hint at what manner of work he'd done and get him out to the field sooner.
The blonde man blinked before acquiescing. "Sure. You have my address, right?"
"I do," she replied simply.
The exchange seemed to taper off aft that until Yuuno broke the silence. "Well, I'll see you soon then. Alright?"
"Indeed." There was an exchange of nods before the communication ended and Signum lay down on her bed, staring at the ceiling. It was still early and despite how much she wanted to meet with Yuuno and get started, arriving so early would be rather inappropriate. Perhaps showing up half an hour or so early would be permissible.
So the time passed as Signum polished and tuned Laevatein, the blade having been at her side for so long as she could recall. She had paused in her efforts only to bit the members of her family farewell as they headed out to take care of their own plans for the day. The pinkette had also made certain to tell them that she would be going out later as well, and would send them the details of her return home when she confirmed them. Zwei seemed to be working on a project of her own and had holed up in her room only stating that she was busy with something important.
As Signum was completing her inspection and tuning of Laevatein's razor edge, a notification of the time popped up in her peripheral vision. If she wanted to arrive at Yuuno's residence a little early, she would have to leave soon. She bade Zwei farewell and was seen off by the girl.
Driving to Yuuno's home did not take too long owing to the light traffic and favorable stoplights. It took perhaps twenty minutes for the entire drive. That she was skirting the upper edge of the speed limit probably shaved off a fair amount of time as well. After pulling into the driveway and turning off the car, Signum approached the front door and knocked solidly three times.
There was a shuffling from behind the door before it opened, revealing Yuuno Scrya dressed in casual clothing. "I wasn't expecting you this early, Signum. Come on in."
"I would not wish to be late," replied Signum simply as she entered the home at Yuuno's behest. Her sharp eyes scanning the room for any indication of work on their project. To her dismay, she did not find any at first glance. At the very least, he had kept the place clean. The last time she had been here, there had been tomes and scatterings of work everywhere. Yuuno had received quite the reprimanding for living in such a state.
"I supposed it wouldn't hurt to eat a bit earlier than planned. Besides, I can show you some of the ideas I've come up with while we eat," suggested the librarian with an eager smile, holding up a small mobile computer terminal as he did so.
Signum nearly did an about-face before replying. "That would be acceptable." She hadn't even had a chance to remove her shoes.
Yuuno blinked and the next thing he knew, he was sitting the passenger seat of Signum's car and headed in the direction of the training fields. The blonde wasn't quire sure how he'd gotten in the car only that there had been a pink blur and then the sound of an engine. Eventually he found his voice. "Have you been to this restaurant before, Signum?"
"I have not, but I have heard favorable things about it from those who have," spoke Signum with a small shake of her head.
The silence that followed in the vehicle seemed somewhat charged. Both adults appeared eager to eat and get to the fields, Signum moreso than Yuuno. It was not long before they arrived at the restaurant. It was small and out of the way, with an array of tables placed outside.
They ordered their lunch, food that would provide them with a lot of energy to burn in the coming session. It did not take long for their meal to be ready and they sat down at one of the tables under the shade. While it was somewhat nippy with the onset of Autumn, the bright sun overhead made the shadows preferable.
After taking a few bites or her meal, Signum looked at Yuuno and spoke. "Show me what you have come up with." It was equal parts a request and a command. The closer they got to the onset of combat, the less time the General of Fire wanted to waste.
Not wanting to make her wait, Yuuno withdrew his portable terminal and called up an array of displays. Each one displaying a collection of magical arrays and equations. Some had human outlines with numerous notes and symbols attached to them. "This is what I have so far. Its not much and I haven't even gotten around to the forms, but I think it has some potential."
Signum did not respond, her mind awash with ideas and possibilities. There was indeed much potential in what Yuuno had devised. Who would have thought that shield spells could be reworked in such a way.
"What do you think?" questioned the librarian after a time.
"I think that today's match will prove very educational, for the both of us." There was a dangerous gleam in her eyes that sent shivers down Yuuno's spine and for the second time in two days, the man was reminded that the woman who had just spoken was not only beautiful like a blade, but just as deadly.
That electrified silence from before returned as the pair finished their respective meals. For Signum, the desire to enter battle against Yuuno's untested theories was becoming overpowering. For Yuuno, there was a feeling of anticipation. To anticipate an approaching fight was not something he was very familiar with. Anxiety over the approach, yes. But rarely, if ever, anticipation.
Both adults made great haste towards the nearest field, the fifteen minute journey on foot seeming to pass by in a flash.
By the time they reached the training field, they were itching to get started. The distance traveled had gotten their bodies warmed up and the blood flowing. There was a flash of light as Signum drew Laevatein while striding towards the center of the field, her clothing vanishing and being replaced by her Knight Armor in a fraction of a moment. Yuuno's clothing vanished in a similar manner, giving way to his own Barrier Jacket in a burst of green.
When they cane to stand across from one another, Signum's eyes were nearly blazing as they took in the differences that her opponent displayed compared to normal. It was not a physical difference, but rather a difference of stance. Normally, she saw the man's desire to bind, trap, and halt her advance. Now she was bearing witness to a shift in that feeling. It was slight, but still perceptible. He would strike, he would crush, he would advance. He would fight.
The signal was unspoken, but both combatants began at the same time.
The blade sharing the name of a weapon that slew gods met with a shield whose name bore no mythology. There was a brilliant flash as they collided. The narrow rectangular shield that now adorned the back of Yuuno's left arm halted the advance for Signum's blade.
The General of Fire's eyes gleamed even more fiercely as more of Head Librarian's ideas came to life. Shield panels burst to life over Yuuno's hands, emulating gauntleted fists. With a wordless shout, he swung his defending arm to the side aiming to knock aside the deadly sword. There was a burst of force from the shield that would have blown the weapon out of less skilled hands.
With a wordless shout, Yuuno charged forward into the brief opening created and was deftly sidestepped by the pink haired warrior. Were it not for his reflexes, the fight would have ended with the cracking open of his skull by Laevatein's white sheath. He rolled forward to avoid the bludgeoning force and again to the side before Signum's device could carve out his spine.
Their exchanges persisted heatedly, increasing in speed over time as Yuuno became more and more familiar with what he was attempting to create. Repulsion and brute force came with every strike of his shields. Since Signum had some inkling of what to expect, she was no longer sent flying whenever her blade met his fist. Still, each strike rattled her bones.
However, she could tell he was holding back. He had not begun to delve further into his innovation or the other theories that she had seen in his notes. Signum wanted more from him and knew full well that he could give it. When Laevatein met Yuuno's shield encased fists again, she pressed him. She pressed him hard. The blade lashed out viciously and drew first blood. Even as the red fluid flowed from the wound on the librarian's shoulder, Signum pressed him.
Yuuno felt himself being pushed back. The heat from his wound was negligible compared to the situation. He needed to turn the tables, needed to adapt, needed to stop relying on theory and make it into a reality. Three small shields sprang up perpendicular to his right forearm near the elbow. A moment later, the same arrangement appeared on the left. Pumping mana through the equations, Yuuno activated them. A repulsive force began emitting from the shields that acted against the surroundings.
With a successful parry, Yuuno struck. The shields' effects added tremendous speed to his punch, more than Signum could successfully evade or defend against. Her eyes widened as his fist struck her sternum with devastating force. She could feel her bones groaning and her chest burning as the circular shield on the man's fist drove itself forward. Perhaps a fraction of a second after impact, the shield's repelling effect blew the General off of her feet.
That signaled the taking of the fight to the next level. As Signum regained her footing, Yuuno was trying to capitalize on that minor instability. It proved to be fruitless as Laevatein ejected a shell casing and erupted into flames. With a swing of her sword, the pinkette filled the blonde's vision with a hellish fire.
The fight continued to escalate from there. Yuuno using more and more of his theorized arsenal, up to and including using the edge of his shields as a cutting blade. Movement augmentation, brute force, and manipulation of physical laws wielded from an untested theoretical arsenal pitted themselves against the tried and true techniques of an experienced master who wielded bow, blade, and whip.
Time held no more meaning as the pair pummeled each other, vying for domination. The battle had lasted for well over an hour now and both were beginning to near the end of their capacity. Much as Signum saw in her desired fantasy, they were bloodied, beaten, clad in armor that was barely holding together, and surrounded by the ravaged training field. She was out of cartridges and Laevatein was rapidly burning through the last of her reserves, literally.
Yuuno was hardly better as he had been forced to consolidate his defenses and discard useless or wasteful theoretical armaments and strategies. This mid-combat tuning had taken its toll on the man. His hair was loose and cut at a ragged angle near the end, the result of a near miss that would have taken his head off. His sleeves and part of his tabard had been burned away by Signum's searing flames while one arm hung loosely at his side, dislocated by the feel of it.
He had also discovered something for himself: he could faintly see that thin line between life and death that Signum desired so, that made her into a battle junkie. It was barely perceptible to him, but he could feel that draw. That desire to go ever closer. He wanted more.
This first session was the epitome of trial by fire. Rather than spend months and years meticulously developing a new style of combat, they would rapidly forge this one in the heat of battle. So far, it seemed to have worked out for the better.
The last blow would decide the victor of the match, which had gone above and beyond its original purpose. Laevatein blazed brightly, its heat warping the air around it. Signum's nearly crazed eyes started deeply into Yuuno's soul as her face was flush from exertion. Yuuno met her gaze as he poured the last of his mana into his shields. A large iridescent ring of bright green symbols erupted from his back as shield panels gathered around his remaining usable arm.
Two battle-cries erupted from the throats of the combatants as they charged full on at one another. Signum's Laevatein met Yuuno's shield clad hand and they locked. Neither was giving any and was coming with the full intention to take everything. Then the ring on the blonde's back began to rotate, pushing against the air and forcing its caster forward.
It was an imperceptible shift at first, but eventually Signum's foot was forced to dig into the solid ground to brace herself from being pushed back any further. The ground of the field cracked under the pressure before finally giving way. With nothing left to stop its movement, the magic ring's full force was loosed and hurled the pair towards the opposite wall.
With nothing to stop herself, Signum struck the wall hard enough to splinter the reinforced surface. Yuuno's impacting against her did not help matters either and she heard a sickening snap when his body closed the already short distance between them. The sudden onslaught of pain in her left arm assaulted her senses. Had Laevatein's blade not been in Yuuno's shielded grasp, it surely would have run the man through. Her vision swimming, the last sight Signum saw before darkness consumed her was the rapidly approaching floor behind a falling blonde.
It was perhaps ten minutes later when she awoke, propped up against the training field's wall with an exhausted looking ferret in her lap. She didn't hurt nearly as much as she though she should, but would not complain.
'I had to use some of your mana to heal you... Your arm broke when we hit the wall.' Yuuno's tired voice reached her thoughts.
'...I appreciate it,' Signum replied as she sat there, recovering beneath the Autumn sun.
'Signum...' The ferret trailed off, not certain how to ask his question.
'Hmm?' That wonderful feeling after a harsh battle was beginning to overtake the receding pain.
'...Is battle supposed to feel that good?' His question brought Signum's attention to the rodent in her lap, her eyes slightly widened.
Eventually a smile graced the General's features. 'To someone who enjoys battle, it is. And that was a most enjoyable fight.'
While his home was amongst tomes and magical scripts, decayed ruins and ancient stone, Yuuno felt that being here wasn't such a bad feeling. 'Do you want to do this again next week? There's still plenty to work on.'
'Most certainly, Scrya.' Amongst the ravaged field, armor in tatters, her body exhausted and beaten from such a prolonged and vicious fight, Signum's smile was glorious.