Erza pants, rubbing sweat and strands of sticky hair from her forehead. The hot sun is beating down on her.
Yet, her mother is smiling and stands in front of her. Not having moved a single inch from her position.
Erza clicks in her tongue in frustration before lunging at Irene once more, unleashing a flurry of attacks with her sword.
Irene parries Erza's sword with her enchantress staff, using the end of her staff to knock Erza from her feet.
The young girl falls to the ground with a hard thud.
Irene laughs at her daughter kneeling on the floor.
"It's okay, Erza," Irene said, in a condescending tone. "You get a flower for effort."
Erza can't help but feel her lips quiver. It seems no matter how hard she trains and studies, her mother is on a whole different power scale.
Irene stops smirking when she notices her daughter shaking.
"Erza?" Irene whispers, reaching her hand out to light tap.
Suddenly, Irene is knocked to her bottom when Erza's head smashes into her face, causing the woman to gasp as she bleeds profusely from her nose.
"Damn!" groans Irene as she clutches her face from the searing pain.
She tastes the strong iron on her lips as it dribbles down from her nose, to her mouth, down to her chin.
Irene looks up to see Erza pointing her sword at her with a victorious grin plastered on.
"Looks like I finally won for once," said Erza with a small smile.
Irene chuckles and stands up and pats the girl's head.
"I guess so, cheater."
Erza pouts and crosses her arms. "That's not fair! You cheat all the time too! You pulled my shirt over my head the other day!"
Irene faints ignorance and shakes off the girl's accusations with a wave of her hand.
"Well that's because I'm your mother and teacher. I'm trying to teach you that there is no such thing as fairness in a duel."
Erza frowns as her mother walks past her.
"Plus, it was kind of funny, haha!"
"No it wasn't it!" said Erza in a shrill voice.
"Whatever you say."
The two go home afterwards to enjoy a cool refreshment and much needed bath.
Irene will always proudly remember when Erza bested her for the first time.
It was a huge stepping stone that led Erza in becoming the strong swordswoman she is today.