The air hung heavy and motionless, tinged with the scent of dust and burnt paper.
The pair continued their conversation for a little longer. However, in their talk, Ixion brought up quite an interesting proposal to Reina.
"The Artoris na is one to rally behind. But why not use Hope’s as well?"
Reina, now quite relaxed in her chair, asked:
"What do you an?"
Ixion’s lips split into a grin. It was ti to spread his ’friend’s’ Origin.
"There’s a low chance Hope will actually return, but I thought we may use his na as a sort of beacon guiding our way. Well, not his na exactly, but a word from his na."
Reina’s eyes were wide and unblinking.
"Let’s create hope, the word. Have it ant a desperate wish even in the most disparaging of tis. Or perhaps just a good wish in general — a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. We can rally behind Artoris while charging forward with hope."
A flicker of excitent sparked in Reina’s eyes.
"Veritas. That’s actually an amazing idea." She grew a wide smile, "I didn’t paint you as the poetic type."
Ixion laughed.
"Oh, dear dissident. I’m a hopeless romantic."
Reina turned to a nearby person and whistled. The young man trotted over, and asked:
"Yes?"
Reina whispered in his ear.
The boy’s eyes widened in surprise as excitent flooded his veins. He ran off and spread what Reina had told him to the rest of the communication specialists.
’Ah, thus hope’s spread begins.’
He’d actually lied to Dia about Hope’s na becoming a word. But, that was because he planned to spread it himself.
That lie had now beco the truth.
Soon, the idea of hope would take over the slums.
With his main goal in coming here accomplished, Ixion got up to leave, but Reina stopped him.
"Where do you think you’re going, Veritas?"
Ixion humd lightly.
"Hmm. A wall. Or maybe a ceiling this ti. Switch things up a bit."
Reina clicked her tongue and held out her open palm
"I’m afraid I can’t let you go at the mont."
"Huh?"
"You said you were a general, right? If you won’t take part in the duels yourself, the least you can do is spar with . And if you leave now, who knows when you’ll show up again."
Ixion’s face fell flat.
"I see..."
’I don’t particularly have anything to do imdiately as Ixion...’
Ixion boisterously laughed.
"Sure, why not! If you enjoy my company that much, I’ll service you. But where and how would we spar?"
Reina smiled.
"I know a place."
***
’You know a place, huh...’
Ixion looked around after having traveled through the sewer system and climbing out just before the wastewater waterfall into the river.
"Do you really like sewers, or sothing?"
Reina tossed a pipe toward Ixion, who caught it with ease.
’Hmm... how balanced.’
Ixion didn’t exactly know what Reina had done to engineer it, but the pipe carried weight and length similar to a typical longsword.
"If we could walk here openly, we would."
Ixion looked over at the two guests they’d picked up on their travel here. A man with long, tied-back black hair, and another with short brown hair and glasses — Ilium and Porter.
Those two also intended to participate in the duels.
’Though, this is indeed a nice area. Minus the sll.’
Reina had led the group to a small clearing within a dense forest not too far away from the waste basin. It would be highly unlikely for them to be spotted.
They could truly train without fear.
The only problem was getting through the long trek without puking.
Ixion looked the pipe up and down then flipped it, and caught it where the handle would be if it were a sword. He put an arm behind his back and took a stance.
"Well, show your capabilities."
Illium, sitting atop a treebranch as lookout, swinging his feet, remarked:
"How arrogant."
Ixion’s glare tightened.
"Any who survived the frontlines have a right to arrogance."
Reina chid in.
"Well, then, Veritas."
She raised her pipe.
"Prove it."
She kicked off her back foot and leapt toward Ixion.
Controlling his strength, Ixion ground his feet in the dirt and swung up into Reina’s blow. The mont the tal collided, a sting shot into his hand. Though a much worse pain must have plagued the weaker Reina.
Reina’s face contorted as she stepped back.
’Such is what happens when one fights with a tal pipe.’
Ixion laughed to himself, then said:
"How crude... your father’s sword skills were far more refined."
Reina growled:
"Why do you think I was spared? I was a young girl. There was no way I’d be elusive enough to evade the King. He simply had no reason to fear the inept and weak. So, my life was overlooked. I live as a result of weakness."
Then, she charged again, this ti sending a cross strike at Ixion’s chest. Ixion held up the pipe and locked it against hers.
"You don’t seem weak. What I ant is your sword lacks the Artoris grace."
A hint of annoyance flashed across her face as Ixion pushed her away.
"I know..."
Ixion laughed.
"Truly, I don’t wish to mock you. But, how about I show you. Your father’s technique."
Confusion danced in the air as Reina and the spectators’ eyes widened.
Veritas shifted his weight onto his foreleg and engaged Aether. Then, he shifted the Aether in his body to maximize fleet-footedness. Finally, he coated the pipe with a thin Aether film.
Reina’s eyes flew open in surprise.
"So, you were close with my father. Closer than I thought, it seems."
Ixion’s gaze soured a bit. With uncharacteristic seriousness, he said.
"He was a good man. I’ll never forgive the man who took him."
’Though I still don’t know why Despair did it...’
Reina lifted her pipe.
"Sa."
Then, she enacted her own flimsy interpretation of the style.
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