That got everyone’s attention.
They all turned to l almost at the sa ti.
Sitting calmly beside Arthur.
Tail relaxed.
Looking like she hadn’t just been running nonstop.
Selene narrowed her eyes slightly.
"...What about it?"
Lyra crossed her arms.
"The weight she’s using isn’t enough anymore."
Silence.
Arthur nodded slowly.
"...Yeah. I noticed."
Lyra continued,
"So I left to fix that."
Nox blinked.
"Fix... how?"
Lyra answered simply,
"I went to the rchants and the smiths."
That made them pause.
Torren scratched his head.
"...Wait. You an you’re making new ones?"
Lyra nodded once.
"Yes."
Arthur let out a small breath.
"...Of course you are."
It made sense.
The process took ti, that explained the delay.
And also..
"...She’s always like this."
Already planning ahead.
Already adjusting.
Selene folded her arms slightly.
"...So it got that bad?"
Lyra didn’t soften it.
"Yes."
Their eyes shifted back to l again.
This ti differently.
Not just curious.
But... aware.
Because they all knew how prepared Lyra usually was.
If she had to leave mid-training to fix sothing...
Then it ant one thing.
"...It outgrew it."
Ryn said it quietly.
Arthur smirked slightly.
"...Told you she’s crazy."
Nox bent slightly, looking at l with wide eyes.
"You’re really sothing, huh..."
l just blinked.
Unbothered.
Arthur chuckled before responding.
"Like master, like pet."
Torren laughed.
"...I was just thinking that."
Lyra didn’t let it linger.
She stepped forward slightly.
"That’s enough."
They straightened.
Her tone had shifted again.
Back to command.
"The weights will take a few days."
She spoke clearly.
"I’ve already put pressure on them to speed it up."
Arthur nodded.
"...Makes sense."
Lyra continued,
"Until then, I’ll adjust her training."
Arthur looked down at l briefly.
"...Alright."
Then Lyra turned to the rest.
"And you."
They all focused.
"Training continues for the next few days."
No complaints.
None of them expected otherwise.
"You’ll refine what you’ve started."
Her eyes moved between them.
"I’ll monitor your progress."
A short pause.
"And adjust as needed."
Then she added,
"Nox. Torren."
They both straightened slightly.
"I haven’t forgotten."
Arthur glanced at them.
"...Mana training."
Lyra nodded.
"You’ll get it."
Nox’s eyes lit up slightly.
Torren nodded firmly.
"Yes, commander."
Lyra’s tone hardened just a bit.
"The situation isn’t stable."
That quieted them imdiately.
"Dungeons are becoming more unpredictable."
Arthur’s expression shifted slightly.
He understood that part.
Too well.
"So you’ll grow."
She didn’t say it like a suggestion.
It was a requirent.
"Faster."
Silence followed.
No one argued as they all felt it.
That pressure.
That urgency.
Then...
Lyra turned.
Her gaze settled on Ryn.
"I hope you have results for ."
No warmth. No softness.
Just expectation.
Ryn stepped forward.
No hesitation.
"I do."
His voice was steady. Confident.
That alone caught everyone’s attention.
Arthur raised a brow slightly.
"...Oh?"
He watched closely now.
But he already knew Ryn wasn’t bluffing.
Not this ti.
Selene crossed her arms.
"...That confident?"
Nox leaned slightly.
"I want to see this."
Torren nodded.
"Sa."
Arthur just smiled faintly.
"...Go on."
They all stepped back.
Giving space.
Lyra didn’t move.
"Alright."
A short pause. "Show ."
Her stance shifted slightly. Not aggressive.
But ready.
An invitation. Clear as day for a spar.
Ryn exhaled once.
Then stepped forward.
And Arthur..
Watched with a knowing look in his eyes.
"...Let’s see it."
The rest of the squad all leaned in without realizing it.
No one said it out loud, but the mood had shifted the mont Ryn stepped forward. It wasn’t just curiosity. It was expectation.
Nox folded her arms but her eyes stayed locked ahead.
Torren stood a bit straighter than usual.
Selene didn’t even pretend to look away.
And Arthur..
Arthur just watched quietly, a faint smile sitting at the edge of his lips.
"...Show ."
He muttered it under his breath.
Because he already knew what was coming.
This wasn’t just confidence.
Ryn didn’t move like soone guessing.
He moved like soone who had already seen the answer.
Lyra stood across from him, calm as always.
"Begin."
That was all she said.
Ryn moved first.
No hesitation.
No testing.
He closed the distance instantly, his first strike already aid clean and direct. It wasn’t reckless. It was precise. He knew exactly how much force to use.
Lyra t it without effort.
A clean parry.
The sound echoed lightly across the hall.
But she didn’t stop there.
Her body shifted imdiately, already preparing for the next strike.
Because she knew him.
They had done this before.
Ryn didn’t pause after the first clash.
He flowed straight into the next move, adjusting mid-motion, his angle changing just enough to force her to respond again.
Arthur’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"...There it is."
That flow.
That constant pressure.
It was what made Ryn dangerous.
From the side, Nox whispered,
"He’s already pushing her..."
Torren nodded.
"He’s not holding back at all."
Selene added quietly,
"He never does."
Lyra blocked again.
Then stepped in.
A short counter.
Sharp.
Controlled.
Ryn shifted just enough to avoid the full impact, but it still brushed past him.
No wasted motion. No panic.
Just adjustnt.
From the outside, it looked smooth.
Almost natural.
But the speed... The speed was different.
Arthur crossed his arms.
"...He’s faster too."
Not just physically.
ntally.
He was reading faster.
Moving faster.
Deciding faster.
The exchange continued.
Back and forth.
Strike. Block. Shift. Counter.
And sohow...
Ryn always seed ready.
Like he knew what was coming just before it happened.
Nox leaned forward slightly.
"How does he..."
She didn’t finish.
Because even she couldn’t explain it.
It just looked...
Right.
Lyra’s eyes sharpened.
She noticed it too.
The way his timing felt tighter than usual.
The way his follow-ups ca quicker than expected.
She stepped back once, just enough to reset.
Then she spoke,
"That’s not it."
Ryn smirked.
"...Impatient?"
Lyra tilted her head slightly.
"Or you’re stalling."
A few of them chuckled.
Arthur just shook his head.
"...He’s waiting."
Selene glanced at him.
"For what?"
Arthur didn’t answer imdiately.
He just kept watching.
"...You’ll see."
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