Chapter 21
Sparring with Ghislaine
It's already been a few days since I woke up. Paul and the others had already left since they made sure I was okay. And Paul can't leave the village unguard.
Well, about what happened the moment I woke up and talked with this "Grandmother" of mine. I try not to think too much. I mean what do you want me to do? Searching for someone I don't even have a clue about is nigh impossible.
Having a kid is for when I grow up. And me getting stronger is kind of my goal. Well, what can I say? Either she will talk to me again and give me more clues or I need to find it myself.
Well, other than the fact that she lives in my soul alongside my mother, able to kill me at ease but can't because she wants to live, everything else is normal...I think? Speaking of killing me I do have one concern.
My heart. It is not beating. My body still functions as normal but I can't sense my heartbeat at all. No in fact...My body is doing better and better each day.
I feel like an old machine that got oiled up and started to run more smoothly. I can control my body more easily. I even feel stronger for some reason.
"Are you okay, Lucy? You've been spacing out for a bit." Ghislaine's voice woke me up from my thoughts.
Oh yeah...I was going to start my training with Ghislaine. "Ah...Sorry! I got a bit distracted by my thoughts."
Ghislaine just shrugs it off and then throws me a wooden sword. It was sturdy. But I feel like if I use my half… no, not even around 20% I would break it.
But! All these 10 long years I have learned how to control my strength already! Hm? I talked about this before? When? Ah, forget it.
"Well, I tested you with my full strength last time. That is why I can't gauge your ability closely. This time I will give you a handicap. Show me what you got."
I nodded at her. Hmm...my muscles are still a bit sore from sleeping all week but after a few days, it is mostly a little annoying at best.
Well, time to get serious. Our distance from each other is around 10 meters. Ghislaine...she will most likely rush at me. And it will be in a second.
"Do your best, Lucy!" Rudy cheered me from afar. He is standing next to Eris who was crossing her arm and got a proud expression for some reason.
"Are you ready?" Ghislaine's voice breaks me out of my thoughts. I nodded at her. I gripped my sword tightly. And as I expected she rushed at me the moment I nodded.
She is fast! But not as fast as that time! Our swords easily crash against each other. Ghislaine frowned lightly as she slashed at me. I continue to parry her slash with my own.
I can't use her attack to counter her. They have no openings. And her attack is slowly rising in speed.
I need to make some openings. Small enough that it won't let her notice but still get me out of this stalemate.
We continue to exchange our swords against each other. Her slash was getting faster every slash while surprisingly, my body slowly adapted to it.
I can see it...where her sword is going to swing next. I can't respond but I can see it. Feel it even. How? I know that my eyes aren't as good as they are right now. My eyes couldn't keep track of her movement before. Even though she gives me a handicap she is still much faster and stronger than me.
But my body is somehow slowly adapting to her speed. Is...this because of the new heart? The one my Grandmother mentioned? She never mentioned her name…
But...I feel like...This body isn't mine. It is far stronger than before. Far more adaptable.
Thwack
"What's wrong, Lucy? Why are you getting distracted?" Ghislaine asked. Although her face seems to be expressionless like always, her voice is full of irritation. She seemed to think That I didn't take this seriously. Her tempo was increasing at an alarming rate and I began to notice little scratch marks that started to appear on my body.
She is getting faster! I can't keep up! I need to do something. Ghislaine became fiercer. Her attack kept getting faster and she started to aim at my Vital spots! I continue to keep blocking them but my hand starts to feel numb.
"Ngh…" A groan escapes my mouth. She did not let that escape as her foot landed on my stomach and sent me flying. "Gah!" Another one came out. This time it was accompanied by blood. My own blood…
"... What's wrong? Why are you not focusing on our sparring?" Anger is visible in her voice. She must feel insulted by my actions.
"Sorry…I don't know what happened either. It's just…My boy is getting weird and I don't know what happened." I answered her honestly. She just looked at me in the face for a bit. Then she let out a sigh and held her hand out gesturing for me to take it.
I take her hand and she pulls me up. and brush off the dust on my body. "We are going to start over again. This time don't get distracted." She said as she handed me the wooden sword I dropped.
She walked back to her position and began to take her stance again. But this time…I can feel it. her aura…It's suffocating! It was as if a mountain was atop me! crushing every bone along with its weight.
"Hm? You can't move with just this much pressure?" …She was mocking me…the grip on my sword hardened, slowly cracking sound could be heard from it. I can feel the blood rush through my head. My eyes only focus on her.
I rush at her with the speed I didn't know I had before and swing at her. She blocked them. But I didn't care and continued to slash away at every opportunity I got.
Each swing is harder and stronger. The sword slowly forms a crack and feels like it is going to break if I continue to do this.
I keep attacking her mindlessly until suddenly she vanishes from my sight. I don't know where she is. The only thing I know is that my body is getting sent toward the tree.
Boom!
"-Cough! God damn it!" Coughing air out of my body I turn to look around only to see Ghislaine with a smug face on her.
"What's wrong, Lucy? Is that all you got?" Mocking me again!
Calm down, my dear.
Calm down my dear...eh? Did I just think that? That's not how I normally speak, right? Using the word dear or word of affection is not me.
Eh...I somehow...feel so calm all of a sudden. What is this? Is that voice...Grandmother or Mother? I don't know but anyway, let's do this first!
PAP!
Slapping myself on the face. The pain isn't much but it helps me get everything in order. She really is strong. Stronger than I thought even. She really is so far away from me…But so what? If I can't reach her now I will just reach her later. No matter what I will catch up to her, No I will surpass her!
"Now…You have the eyes that I want to see." Ghislaine said with a light smile. Ah…Let's do this!
I rushed at her with all my might. I was gripping my sword so hard to the point that the handle started to crack. I can feel the adrenaline rushing through my head as my and Ghislaine's sword is about to meet.
Ghislaine is smiling too. She wants to enjoy it just like me. Our sparring.
Our sword met with a loud crash. My sword is cracking and threatening to break but hers is completely fine. So she uses Touki huh? If she uses magic then don't mind If I do too!
My hand reaches the ground and a thin ice layer starts to form and spread around until it almost reaches Rudy and Eris. It covers everywhere on the ground. making everything slippery.
I got this Idea from Rudy's quagmire spell. The spell he used and the normal one is different. His mud was more sticky and it actually sucked you in too unlike the normal one. I try to replicate his spell but I never manage to do it. Maybe it's the difference in our mindset or something. That is why I created this—an original spell of mine.
Ice floor…yeah pretty suck doesn't it? I will admit I was never good with naming things. But lucy? If you make the floor into ice how will you move around? Well, the answer is simple. It was the training I had secretly done in the forest. Standing on the poll while hitting hang wood on rainy days helps me a lot.
What about, Frozen Bridge?
Oh hey, that's a good name! Wait, who is this!? Well, there can only be two people or well souls.
Ghislaine takes a few seconds before she stabilizes herself and that is enough for me. I rushed at her a second time, going for her leg. But she did something I didn't expect. She suddenly put her hand on the floor and then smashed it with her hand.
The thin layer of ice broke in an instant and it made me lose my balance too. It made me lose my balance too….Oh shit! I need to balance myself or-
"Too Slow!" A slash…From behind me!? How!
Thub!
"Gah!..." It hurts! Damn, She didn't even pull back her punch! I roll away from her while holding my left arm. Did she hit there on purpose? So that I can still fight more?
Ghislaine didn't give me the time to think as she was already in front of me still on the ground.
No…She wouldn't, right? She wouldn't do it right?! But it seemed she could read my mind as she raised her sword up and then stabbed me. I roll left and right dodging with every ounce of strength of my body.
This continues for a minute until I finally break out using a wind blast to blast myself away from her. I quickly got up and kept my eyes on her. Ghislaine got this almost sadistic smirk on her face. She enjoys it…Enjoy tormenting me that is!
"If I get out of this alive I will tell Elinalise and Zenith!" I yell out while throwing my hand around like a child in a mocking manner. I could see Ghislaine chuckling lightly, knowing that I was just joking. But joke on her I wasn't kidding! The only people that She fears are Zenith and Elinalise plus her sword teacher.
Well, now that I'm on my feet, it's time to do something so I won't lose like a dog. So what can I do? Ghislaine is taking her sweet time standing waiting for me to make my move. Hmm…my expertise is in my Water magic and my Water god style. My sword god style and North god style are…on an acceptable level. I can use other magic with no chant except Fire magic.
So I need some plan but time is starting to run out. I saw her start to fidget around and swing her sword already. Hmm! Alright! I got one!
Holding my sword up I turn my face toward Ghislaine. "So? Did you figure out how to beat me?"
"Nope! No matter how I try right now I can't beat you. But I figured out how to not go out like a dog." I can't brute force her or outsmart her technique. She…is the goal that I will reach someday.
My sword grips tightly, holding it to my waist like I was going to unsheath it. Ghislaine's expression is that of a surprise but soon turns back to a smile. That's right. I will perform it, The Long Sword of Light. No, I will definitely use it!
Gathering mana around my left leg and my right hand. Hold the sword in the most comfortable position as I can. Look straight into her! Only her and not everywhere else! Put all my attention on her and do it! Just one strike!
Ghislaine too. She holds the sword in the position she used to unleash her Long Sword of Light. Second pass by, minute pass by as we only stare at each other waiting for each other to move. Waiting for the moment someone makes a mistake.
Then I was the one who moved first. With the Touki enhancing my left leg I blast off with such speed That I can feel my head getting a bit blurry. My body couldn't keep up with my speed. But with no time to think I was already almost in front of her. She gave me a smirk as I saw her hand already move. It was quick but not as our first duel. I can see her movement.
Her movement has many flaws as if she is inviting me to open it up and make her regret it. I took that invitation. Move my hand just slightly upward to slash at her empty hand.
Wait…Empty hand!?
"You too tunnel vision." With that as her last word to me, I felt a painful kick to my stomach with a force that sent me flying toward the house.
BOOM!
…
Rudeus POV
"Did I perhaps use too much force?" Ghislaine speaks as I and Eris look toward the debris that falls from the Boreas mansion. Yeah…Lucy got kicked through the wall into one of the rooms…
The whole fight is breathtaking. The two of them move faster each exchange. At one point I felt like I actually saw the afterimage of them, Of course, it was just my eyes playing tricks on me. But nevertheless, both of them are strong.
But seeing her getting kicked through the house is worrying.
"Is she gonna be okay–"
Woosh! Thub!
Holy shit! A sword just flew past my face by just a few centimeters and Ghislaine just casually caught it! Wait! I saw something in the smoke…is that Lucy? Wow…Is she still standing after getting hit like that?! And what that blood?!
"That…Was hurt." She then spits out the blood in her mouth and wiped it off her face. "So…How was my last strike?" She asks.
"It was a nice try, But because your half-ass Touki is unable to support your body. it makes you off balance and has a lot of openings. What's more, you're too tunnel vision. The moment you see the opportunity you take it without hesitation. Which makes it incredibly easy to use something like a faint or fake on you." Ghislaine said while walking toward Lucy.
"Your absurd strength may make up for your Touki in the short run but it still is weaker than those with Strong Touki. Your swordsmanship is good but…you are not compatible with any of those styles." Ghislaine said. Once Lucy heard that her face broke into a frown.
"What do you mean?" She asks, Her voice full of irritation.
Ghislaine just sighed lightly. "First, you are thinking too much, which is not a bad thing but you are overly reliant on thinking only. Second, When you lose focus just now you lose yourself and let your instinct take over. It makes you too predictable. and the First and second problems just contradict each other too. Finally the last problem. you have a perfectly fine weapon with you but didn't use it to its full potential"
"Eh? The first two I can understand but the Third one? What do you mean by me not using it to its full potential?" Lucy asks, her face turning to that of a confused one.
"Magic. Lucy, you are narrow-minded. When you pick up the sword, why do you only use magic that supports it? Why not just blast me away with fire or whatever?"
"Eh? But I thought you want to see my swordsmanship?" Lucy said.
"Yes, but I didn't say anything about not using magic right?" Now that I think about it. Ghislaine is right. If I remember correctly she said she wanted to see Lucy's full power.
"Nee Rudeus! Your sister is really strong huh!" Eris next to me said excitedly. She probably wants to fight against her.
"Yes, she is always ahead of me in everything but magic. And she trains from morning to dawn a lot too." I said. To be honest, I'm jealous of her. She has both good looks and talent in both magic and sword. She is intelligent and considerate of others.
It makes me feel...kind of worthless. I got a second chance and still not better than her. Even during those assassin attacks I couldn't do anything but watch as she fought alone.
...Did I really improve from my past self? Am I still the same failure-
"OI! WHO BREAK MY GOD DAMN HOUSE!" Lord Sauros' loud voice echoed throughout the field breaking me away from my dangerous thoughts.
I turn to look only to find Lucy and Ghislaine sitting on the floor while getting scolded by Lord Sauros.
That night. The two of them didn't get to have dinner and rebuild the wall by themselves without magic.