One Afternoon...
"WHAT?!"
Lyra's shout rang across the training yard as she spun toward Saul, fury written all over her face.
"Kyro is allowed to use magic against me?!" she yelled. "THAT'S NOT FAIR!"
Honestly, I did not see that coming.
After the party, Lyra had been beating me black and blue for days straight. No mercy. No hesitation. Even I could tell her swordsmanship had improved a lot compared to last month. Faster footwork. Cleaner swings... Oh boy, those cleaner swings.. Less wasted movement too. It was honestly kind of terrifying.
So when Saul said that, I felt something I had not felt in a while.
It was relief. A LOT of relief.
"Really?!" I shouted, suddenly bursting with fake excitement, throwing my hands up just to mess with her already boiling temper. "Finally! I can beat Lyra now!"
Lyra snapped her head toward me so fast I thought she might pull something. Her teeth clenched, eyes blazing.
"Shut up, nitwit!" she barked. "You will never beat me! Remember the last time?"
Saul pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long sigh."I am allowing him to use magic so you can improve, Lyra," he said calmly. "And so Kyro can learn to blend magic with movement and sword work. Besides, you've been beating him so badly, you almost killed him once. Remember, he still haven't unlocked his aura yet."
Lyra groaned at that remark. Saul looked between the two of us.
"In the end, both of you will get stronger."
Lyra crossed her arms, clearly unconvinced. "Tch. He's still going to lose."
I grinned. "Keep telling yourself that."
Her eye twitched.
Saul straightened, his one arm pierced the ground with his wooden sword, holding it in place while his hand stayed on it's hilt. "Enough. Get ready. Training starts now."
And just like that, I had officially been granted permission to fight back.
Lyra cracked her knuckles as she prepared her stance.
I tightened my grip on my wooden sword from my left hand.
This was going to hurt.
"BEGIN!"
Lyra dashed first in a zigzagged pattern. My muscles tensed as I braced for her charge. I rose my right hand as I made a Geo Push.
At the last second before she stepped closer, the ground in front of her shifted. A long slab of rock burst upward, blunt and forceful. It did not have a sharp edge, but getting hit by that would definitely hurt.
But Lyra did not slow down, instead, she jumped onto it. Using the rising stone as a foothold, she kicked off and gained even more speed as she launched herself forward.
Um.. Crap.
I raised my right hand again, panic creeping up my spine as my mana surged.
Fireballs!
Heat gathered behind me, prickling against my back, as several fireballs formed in the air one after another. I pointed forward and sent them flying, but Lyra moved with terrifying efficiency. Her wooden sword flashed again and again as she deflected each fireball mid air, sparks scattering wildly as her faint aura glowed with every swing.
This is bad. She's getting closer.
My legs trembled for a moment. I could see her eyes now. They were fierce. They were focused. Locked onto me. ONTO ME..!
I swallowed.
It's fine. I've got this. Just combine your sword and your magic.
My grip tightened around my wooden sword. Instead of retreating, I burst forward, sprinting across the grass to intercept her head on.
That's it. I just need to dodge her swing. One clean miss, then I'll have my opening. Apply Saul's lessons!
Each step closer made my heartbeat thunder louder in my ears. Time seemed to slow as the distance between us vanished. I watched her arm move, saw the muscles in her shoulder tense as her wooden sword came forward in a horizontal swing. I feinted with a swing of my own, baiting her reaction.
That moment I saw her wooden sword growing closer... I ducked
Swoongg!
The air above my head split as her sword passed just over me. I dropped low, brushing my fingers against the ground as mana flowed from my hand. The earth beneath Lyra bubbled unnaturally, softening and shifting, turning into thick, sticky mud that swallowed her boots halfway.
I dashed forward past her immediately, already twisting my body as I prepared to swing from behind.
Lyra tried to turn and jump away, but her legs were stuck. Unable to fully escape, she reacted instantly and swung her wooden sword against mine.
Clack
The impact rang through my arms, sending a sharp jolt up to my shoulders. I was forced back a few feet, my heels digging into the grass. That strength… it was all her. Even stuck, even unbalanced. It was scary to imagine what her power would be like if she were an adult.
Still, I focused my mana again and conjured Geo Push near her side.
She noticed immediately. Her teeth gritted as she pulled her left leg free with sheer force, mud tearing apart around her shin. The moment it came loose, she kicked the rising rock slab with a single, brutal strike. It was unbelievable, my eyes almost bulged from shock.
"Damn!" I said out loud without thinking.
Lyra yanked her right leg free next, twisting her body as she turned toward me and dashed forward again without hesitation.
"AH!" I backed off instinctively. A second later, she was on me, swinging with all her might. I dodged and backed away again and again, my mind racing even as my body moved. Each dodge forced a grunt from my throat, each step making me exhale sharply. Adrenaline coursed through me as my brain worked like clockwork.
Okay, think.. I observed her, each of her movement. Then, my eyes landed on her sword. Of course, it's wood!I could use my Wither on it, the only problem is how I would catch her wooden sword without breaking my hand.
I ducked on one of her swings. Oh, I know.. I could use gale!
"Won't you stay still?!" She groaned as she swung her sword again.
"Fine!" I yelled back.
Her sword came in fast, another horizontal swing aimed straight at me. I raised my left hand as I prepared the spell, mana spiraling tightly in my palm.
Gale! I thought.
VWOOOM!
A massive burst of wind erupted from my palm. The force slammed into her sword, slowing its momentum just enough as it pressed against my hand, the wind screaming between us.
Wither!
Moments later, her wooden sword darkened to a dull gray, cracks spreading across it before it crumbled completely into dust, the remains blown away by the wind.
Lyra's eyes widened in disbelief, and I didn't waste my opening. Before she could react, I swung my sword, striking her jaw, then followed with another swing that slammed into her abdomen. She gritted her teeth and tried to retaliate, reaching out as if to catch my own sword. But I feinted low, I ducked pretending to swing from below.
Her focus was entirely to my sword, and I took advantage of that.
Geo Push!
A rock slab formed just behind me, moving past above my head as it headed straight toward Lyra's face. Time seemed to slow as I saw her focus shift from my sword to the rock that was about to collide with her.
BAM!
The rock struck her forehead and sent her flying backward. Her body hit the grassy ground hard.
Thud.
For a brief moment after the impact, there was only silence. No cheering. No shouting. Just the faint rustle of grass as the dust settled. I stood there, frozen, my sword still half raised, chest heaving as my mana slowly calmed. My eyes were locked onto Lyra's unmoving form on the ground, my mind struggling to catch up with what had just happened.
Did that… really work?
"I… did it?" I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.
A second passed, it hit me.
"I did it!" I yelled, disbelief turning into excitement as my body finally moved. I jumped once, then again, laughter spilling out of me before I could stop it. "I actually did it! I won! I won against her!"
My arms shot into the air as I spun around, practically bouncing on my feet, the tension that had been crushing my chest moments ago finally breaking apart. My heart pounded, but this time it wasn't fear. It was joy, genuine and uncontrollable.
Just ahead, Lyra groaned.
Her eyes snapped open, sharp and furious, as her aura flared the moment she woke. She pushed herself up with one hand, dirt clinging to her clothes and hair, her jaw tightening as she sat upright.
The first thing she saw was me. Jumping. Smiling. Celebrating like an idiot.
"Tch…" she grunted, annoyance dripping from the sound as she got to her feet. She brushed the dirt off her legs and waist with rough swipes, her movements stiff and irritated.
That was when a hand rested on her shoulder, Lyra stiffened and turned her head. Saul stood beside her, calm as ever. They stayed like that for a moment, neither of them speaking. Then Saul finally broke the silence.
"Let your brother have this for a while."
Lyra stared at him, then her gaze drifted down, landing on his single left arm. Her expression shifted. Just slightly. She let out a long sigh and closed her eyes.
"I'm not going to do anything to him," she said quietly.
She crossed her arms, then opened them again as she looked back toward me, still grinning like I had just conquered the world.
"Good for him." she said, her voice calm, controlled.
Inside, though, the frustration still burned.
Saul could tell.
He smiled faintly, gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, and let his hand fall away.
***
"Mom! I'm going for a walk!" I said as I slipped into my leather shoes, tugging the straps tighter around my feet. The leather creaked softly as I stood. "I'll be back before evening."
"You better be!" Mom's voice echoed from the kitchen, followed by the faint clatter of a pot and the scrape of a spoon against metal.
I stepped out the door a moment later.
Sunlight spilled over me immediately, warm against my face and arms. The air outside felt different from inside the house, cooler and fresher, carrying the faint smell of dirt and grass. I took a deep breath without thinking, filling my lungs until my chest felt light, like something heavy had finally loosened its grip on me.
I wanted to hang out with Onnie for a while. Yesterday, she promised she would teach me plenty of spells today, and just remembering the way she said it made my steps feel lighter as I started down the path. Magic always did that to me. The thought of learning something new, something I shouldn't even be able to do, sent a quiet excitement buzzing through my body.
Still… that wasn't the only thing on my mind.
There was a warmth sitting deep in my chest, refusing to fade. It was about yesterday. About Lyra falling back, the thud against the ground, the way everything went silent afterward, like the world itself needed a moment to catch up.
Even now, it felt unreal.
For a brief second back then, I had just stood there, staring at her, my heart pounding so hard I thought it would burst. No cheers. No shouting. Just me, the field, and the truth settling in.
I won..
The realization had hit me slowly again, creeping in piece by piece until it finally stuck. I had beaten Lyra for the first time. Not because she went easy on me and not because of luck. Without magic, I knew I never could have defeated her. Her strength, her speed, her instincts were on another level. But with my magic and my head, I finally had chance.
As I walked down the dirt path, I passed a man headed the other way. He looked... intimidating.
He was tall, muscular, and his upper body was covered by a worn leather vest that left much of his chest exposed. A massive scar ran diagonally across his chest. His arms were lined with old wounds. Battle scars.
His hair was tied back, falling like a pale mullet. White as snow. His eyes were green. His beard framed his face in sharp, weathered lines, reaching from temple to jaw to chin. He looked like someone carved from stone and tempered in war.
His boots stomped with weight as he passed. Then suddenly, he stopped.
"Hey," he said.
I turned to face him.
"You know where the Samsworth household is?"
I blinked, then pointed behind me toward our home.
"Ah. Thanks, kid."
He turned to head down the path.
But then I noticed something strange. A coin sat on the ground where he'd just been standing. I bent down to pick it up and I felt the wind shifted.. Probably just my imagination.. Without me knowing, a presence loomed just behind me.
"AH—!"
A finger jabbed straight between my butt cheeks. My whole body went stiff. The book flew from my hands. The next thing I knew, I was airborne, sailing over the fence before landing face-first into a patch of dirt.
"Oof-!"
I lay there, groaning, hands over my butt. Behind me, the man blew on the tip of his finger like it was a smoking gun.
"Gotcha."
He grinned, showing far too many teeth.
"What the heck was that for?!" I cried, rolling over to glare at the random old geezer.
"Don't tell me your mother never taught you about our family tradition?"
I stared at him, panting. My eyes were wide. My cheeks burned.
"What are you talking about?! What mother would—Oh, here's a better question! What tradition sticks a finger up in someone's—?!"
He pointed a thumb at himself.
"I can tell who has my blood just by looking. And you, kid, are one of mine."
My breathing slowed. Something about his voice... his confidence... his grin...
"...Your blood?"
He grinned wider. A thought suddenly clicked in my mind.
"Grandpa...?"
The man threw back his head and laughed.
"There it is! I knew you'd get it! Hahahaha!"
[End]