'Huff, this feels manageable.'
Akamir stood in the center of the ring, his sword lowered lazily.
The academy grounds were busy at this hour, but the training area itself was mostly empty.
"You're really going against both of us?" Viros asked from across the ring, raising a brow. "Trying to act tough now?"
Akamir rubbed the back of his neck. "Just co at , will you?"
Viros grinned, twirling his spear before stabbing it into the dirt beside him.
He cracked his knuckles, stretching them out, then pulled the weapon free again.
Luca stood across from him, rolling his rapier in his palm, calm but not relaxed.
"Don't cry when you lose," Luca said, looking at him.
Akamir shifted slightly, positioning himself to keep both opponents in view. "Just co."
The two exchanged a quick glance.
Viros nodded first, and then they moved.
Luca angled to Akamir's right, fast and light-footed, while Viros lunged from the left.
They weren't holding back.
The mont they entered striking range, magic circles lit up beneath their feet.
Akamir didn't attack.
He slid back half a step, adjusted his stance, and raised his sword just in ti to catch Viros's spear sweeping across his side.
CLANG!!
The impact rattled through his wrist, but he turned with it, redirecting the force off his blade.
Luca followed up imdiately, his rapier darting low toward Akamir's thigh.
Akamir twisted, letting the tip graze his coat, and slamd the flat of his sword down to deflect the next strike.
'Hmm?'
Akamir looked at them in a new light.
'They both are actually strong.'
Viros activated another circle, enhancing his legs before lunging again, trying to throw Akamir off balance.
The tip of his spear humd with force, the air rippling faintly around it.
Akamir dug his heels into the ground.
His fingers curled tighter around the hilt.
CLANG!!
He parried again, barely.
His body scread at him to shift into offense, to lash out and control the rhythm, but he held steady.
This was the point.
He wanted to learn to use the skin barrier on reflex.
'Tch. But they're not strong enough to get past my defense.'
Luca darted in again, feinting high but aiming low.
Akamir dropped his elbow and blocked.
Viros swept at his head in the sa mont.
Akamir ducked under the arc and let the wind of it pass over him.
The edge of the spearhead grazed his cheek, not enough to draw blood.
'They really are good.'
They were pressuring him on both sides, never letting the space between attacks stretch too long.
He could feel the barrier flickering at the surface of his skin, thin and fleeting, ready to be used.
Luca's rapier thrust again, but this ti with a magic-augnted lunge.
Viros jabbed in the sa second.
The synchronization between them was sharp now, trained and instinctive.
Akamir blocked the rapier and caught the spear against the back of his blade, turning his wrist to redirect the force.
It worked, but just barely, giving him ti to move.
'I don't think they are going all out.'
He rolled aside, brushing sweat from his eyes, and exhaled once through his teeth.
"Be faster, bro!"
Viros ca at him again, this ti from above, leaping forward with his whole weight behind the spear.
Akamir tilted his sword back, catching the shaft between both hands as it slamd down.
"Argh, fuck."
The force drove Viros to a knee, dirt crunching under him, but he didn't fall.
Luca tried to stab at his back.
Akamir spun, shoulder-first, and the blow missed his spine by inches.
Luca thrust once again.
This ti, the barrier flared to life across Akamir's arm. The rapier bounced off with a sharp spark.
Akamir grunted, the force heavier than expected.
Maintaining the barrier across his body was harder than he thought, but it was working.
He exhaled again, adjusting his stance, foot sliding against the ground.
"Again," he muttered, more to himself than them.
Viros circled to his right, grip tight around his spear.
The boy's left forearm was already bruising from one of Akamir's earlier deflections, but he didn't seem to notice or care.
Luca's breathing was faster now, but his posture never slipped.
Another circle flared to life beneath Viros's boots.
He rushed in this ti, going low, attempting to sweep Akamir's legs out.
Luca mirrored him, slicing upward in a sharp diagonal arc.
Akamir jumped back just in ti, but Viros extended his spear with a shout.
The weapon curved slightly as magic twisted its shape, catching Akamir across the ribs.
The blow sent him stumbling, and his barrier barely flickered in ti to absorb it.
'Alright, this is doing good for now.'
Viros and Luca quickly regrouped in front of him.
Viros grinned, looking at him. "Is that all you can do?"
Akamir's lips twitched as he looked at the boy.
He drew in a deep breath and rushed at them.
Viros blinked in surprise, barely bringing up his spear before Akamir's sword smacked it aside.
The hit jolted through Viros's arms, throwing his guard wide open.
He kicked the spear just as Viros reached for it, sending it sliding across the ground.
Then ca the flat of his blade slamming against Viros's side.
"Argh!"
The boy grunted and dropped back down.
Luca jumped in instantly with a thrust aid straight for Akamir's chest.
But the barrier was already there.
The rapier slamd before bouncing off like it had hit tal.
Akamir twisted with the montum, grabbed Luca's wrist mid-motion, and yanked.
The boy stumbled forward.
His elbow ca up, slamming right into Luca's jaw.
The hit knocked him back a few steps, dazed but not out.
"Alright, this should be enough for today," Akamir said, looking at them. "Let's continue tomorrow."
Viros, who was laying on the ground, looked at him. "….Really? We need to do this daily?"
"Up to you," Akamir shrugged. "Run away if you want."
Luca sat up, rubbing his face. "How are you so fast?"
"Doesn't matter. But tell sothing." Akamir narrowed his eyes. "Aren't you both from the church? Why not use Holy Aura?"
"We can't," Luca replied, catching his breath. "You need a decent amount of faith to use holy energy."
"Faith, huh?" Akamir mumbled as he sat down on the ground. "First ti I'm hearing that."
"It's common knowledge in the church," Luca said. "The more faith you have, the more Aura you can draw."
"Faith in what?" Akamir frowned. "The gods?"
"Anything," Luca answered. "Doesn't matter what or who."
"…I see."
Akamir rubbed his chin.
"So, as long as you believe in sothing, it works?"
"Pretty much."
"I want to drink sothing good," Viros mumbled, sitting up again. "Sothing really good."
Luca snorted. "Go drink your milk."
"I might if it was an elf's milk," Viros replied wishfully. "Man, they taste great."
"…..What?"
Akamir looked at him in astonishnt.
"What are you saying?"
Viros blinked innocently.
"You don't know?" he asked. "An elf's milk is the sweetest milk in this world."
"....."
Akamir blinked his eyes, trying to understand his words.
"They're ridiculously expensive though," he continued without any care. "I spent thousands of gold coins just to get a few milliliters."
Akamir had so many questions to ask.
But….
Sothing else stuck with him.
"Wait… aren't you both supposed to be commoners?" he asked. "How could you afford sothing expensive like that?"
"..."
"..."
Both Viros and Luca blinked in unison.
They finally noticed what they said just now.
Viros quickly pointed at the sky. "A dragon!?"
Akamir instinctively turned to look that way, only to find nothing.
When he looked back, both of them were running away from him.
"....."
'Did I fall for the oldest trick in the book?'
He wondered, slowly standing back up on his feet.
Still, Akamir began to doubt their orphan story.
'They aren't really commoners.'
He concluded as he began to walk away.
Even back in his old world, people of ancient families used to do this.
Sending their children to an unknown place without any support.
'A way for them to grow.'
Akamir let out a sigh as he threw those thoughts away.
'Hmm?'
But just as he began to move, sothing caught his eye.
'Zaina?'
And then his gaze landed on the boy with her.
The one who was trying to talk to her even though she was ignoring him.
'…. Arthur?'
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