The violent maelstrom of Qi surrounding Alia gives
pause for a mont, making
look in a brief flash to the corner of the room where spirit Ios has been observing our... well, I shall call it what it is. My attempt to begin breaking Alia's hesitation to violence by trying to madden and enrage her. A pang of sorrow and regret echo through , but my resolve pushes those brief doubts away, knowing that any other approach would likely have been equally as insurmountable as the other given her past life of safety and peace. Regardless, I do wish I could have found a better option, as seeing her struggle and break is beyond unpleasant for . Likely as it is for her.
When my gaze lands upon Alia's patron, I see her frown - ever present since the proceedings began - deepen as she regards the tempestuous state that her charge is now under. The corners of her lips arching downward enough to pull the illusory flesh of her cheeks taught. Another thing to make ands for, after this has concluded, I decide. I return my gaze to the poor girl who had truly been doing wonderfully, more than I could ever hope for from soone who had never raised a weapon in anything but fleeting self-defense, especially when their opponent was soone they... cherished so. But, I knew that she was still holding back. So other barrier preventing her from acting with the proper lethal intent that is required for cultivators, if they wish to survive that is.
And without doubt, she has found it. The amount of bloodlust ebbing from her cold, rciless eyes temporarily makes
ponder if she actually has committed so level of violence that I was not privy to, or that perhaps spirit Ios was even unaware of. However, I know that not to be the case as I can feel a slight, yet noticeable foreign pressure mixing and combining with Alia's energy, feeding and fueling her killing intent once the idea of Sandra's death was offered. It feels as Alia had described: regal and powerful, if still sowhat subdued.
I am gladdened to see that instead of it enveloping her and suppressing her natural signature, it seems to rely be aiding and empowering her outburst. Helping her channel her Qi to a frankly frightening scale of efficiency, even if not strength since she is still at the peak of the 1st Rank on her paths. I determine to take her seriously now, as she deserves that much after the underhandedness I have displayed to get us to this point.
"I offer no threat, Alia. rely a statent of fact. Unless you prove to
that you have more inside you than what you have shown
thus far, I cannot in good faith say that either of your lives will be secure once you are outside of my estate. If you disagree, then I welco-!" My firm, authoritative voice is cutoff by Alia rearing back and then launching her spear at
like a javelin! The entire room shakes as the barrier of sound is broken from the force of the throw, as I feel my own eyes widen at the sudden display of strength and accuracy.
Still yet, I can deflect it easily enough despite my montary stupor. I flick my sword in an arc when the spear cos in range, the ringing of our weapons confrontation blasting into the space around us as I send the weapon twirling in the air. My tails fan out behind
subconsciously at the abrupt increase in threat, as I notice that the weight of the impact is enough for
to feel! As I lick my lips, the allure and arousal of battle beginning to bubble forth within , I look to see what my fascinating human will do next~. My eyes et empty space where she once stood, as I scan for my burgeoning lover, only to find her midair with her body covered in a silhouette of silver energy! Her arc perfectly takes her to where the spear is still tumbling aloft, grabbing it mid jump with both hands and posturing for a powerful overhead strike against !
I lick my lips once more without aning to, my eyes tunneling down on what I can see is the true extent of Alia's power. For now. As I adjust my footing and prepare to counter her exaggerated overhead strike, her falling form inching closer and closer to
in my enhanced perception, I catch the subtle shift of her silver energy, transitioning more and more of it to her arms in preparation for the strike! This cheeky girl has already learned to use Qi this effectively?!
With a small laugh of glee, I raise my sword and take the strike head on as the air around us bubbles out with an ear pounding *BOOM*of force and making
take a step back for the first ti since we have started this regrettable but necessary lesson. My tails quiver in excitent at the display of power, one that I would dare any peak 3rd Realm to co close to, as she jumps back slightly with a cold look etched onto her adorable heart shaped face.
She wastes no ti wallowing in her failed attempt, and by the looks of things actually expected the result, as she rapidly readjusts her hands placent on the spear once she lands, flitting the spear tip upward and toward my form once more as she presses her attack, signaling the beginning of her demonstration in earnest.
On and on we go, my laughter becoming more and more pealed and full of delight witnessing Alia in all her glory as we trade strikes and blows, parries and dances of footwork, each conflict and clash resonating in the chamber with the lodious sounds of battle. Her beautiful red hair listing behind her in waves, her devastatingly attractive body getting more and more surrounded by the pale energy - her Moon attributed Qi, no doubt - as her cold, harsh glare emits nothing but the desire we have been working towards.
After one particular exchange where she nearly succeeded in clipping a couple strands of my hair, she jumps back a few feet to recover her breath. I smile widely, perhaps manically, at her. Pride and joy washing and mixing with the thrill and lust of battle. I attempt to calm myself, ready to finish this training for now as Alia is no doubt beyond exhausted. I had waited until she was likely at the end of her ability to stay awake to begin this, just to help make the lesson easier to break through and learn. I raise my voice gently to her, my smile still present on my lips, "Well done dear!This is the state I was trying to bring you to! You did a fantastic job, let us end the spar here and see about getting you so well-deserved rest."
I expect her to simply agree and be thankful that my rude and forceful attempts have concluded, so that I can begin pampering her and making ands, but a slight twinge of worry plinks through
as I see her rely stand up before absorbing more Qi into her form. I'm about to speak out when I see her close her eyes, so unknown thought process occurring behind those gorgeous azure windows before she opens them once more and mutters out one phrase in a slightly distorted voice:
"[Unending Flow of the River]"
I am once again rocked by shock, realizing that she has comprehended so kind of technique mid battle with
and that this event is seemingly far from concluded. I return my guard and wait to see what wonderous ability she has managed to use when the energy around her shifts from its moonlit luster to... nothing? Space seems to distort around her where that energy once was, the realization dawning on
that she is channeling her Void attribute now and that this technique must be from her spiritual path!
Just as my own comprehension occurs, she dashes toward
with a speed that nearly rivals a mid-tier 4th Realm!! Her spear tip poised and ready to strike out at , the hesitation and reluctance fully abandoned in her icy blue eyes as she makes a direct path to . I reposition to deflect the incoming blow, before all of her forward montum simply stops and translates to lateral, making her appear to my open side in a ripple of broken space. My eyes truly widen as I notice that her intent has not changed, and the tip of the training spear angled and nearly ready to make contact with my rib cage!
I lash out a tail to deflect the strike, turning my body with the parry as I bring my sword down for a slash. All for naught, it appears, as she just as rapidly and soundlessly moves just out of range of the strike, her pointed attack coming once more for my exposed neck now that I have committed to my own blow. My smile deepens as I lean back, just enough for the sound of the tip to whistle past my face as I hear a grunt of annoyance from Alia. I jump back a few spaces myself, the beat of the Berserker thrumming through
as we both stare at each other for a mont.
Alia levels her gaze onto , slightly repositioning her stance before she absorbs more Qi and then flits this way and that with her new incredible speed. I give chase, and soon the chorus of conflict is sprung forth once again. A blocked strike to my shoulder here before she dashes away. I give chase only to have her reappear behind
- even though I did track her - which makes
use a tail to defend. A rapid flurry of thrusts all aid around my neck and face that I have to dodge and deflect lest she score a hit, breaking off once she seems to run out of breath for the mont. Another intake of air and Qi, and we are back into the fray once more~! Utter bliss~!
I revel in delight at this entire situation! Never in my wildest dreams did I think Alia would take to this reality quite so quickly, despite her doing exactly that for nearly everything but so slight social and cultural hiccups. Happy to be made more the fool, my echoing laugh mixes in to the martial orchestra we make for ourselves, ti and ti again as we dance this way and that. So lost in my reverie, I nearly fail to notice that she has stopped her advance for longer than usual, heavy gasping breaths escaping her as we stand apart.
I wonder if she is finally, amazingly, at the end of her endurance for now, before another sensation washes the room with a cold grasp of disdain. I see spirit Ios off to the corner, her previous scowl nearly turning into one of fear instead of remorse. As she turns to
and is about to speak, a frigid, glacial atmosphere sinks into , and a loud gong echos around us. I look back in confusion to Alia, especially at how I can still feel this sensation despite having a powerful Ice based kitsune bloodline, and what I see makes
gasp in befuddlent and worry.
Alia stands proudly in front of , her dress waving in so unseen wind as she grips the spear vertically in one hand, the other to her side balled in a fist. Her crimson hair blasting backwards partially fras her face, her lips turned into a cold sneer as her beautiful eyes are now devoid of any color but a flaming, translucent white void that flickers past the edges of her brow. Floating just above her is a faintly visible golden white pointed crown, hovering perfectly in place as if it was just rely waiting to be sat upon the top of her head as it radiates heavenly color. I'm broken from my daze by spirit Ios, her panicked voice finally piercing through the haze as she exclaims, "Shit, Akiko knock her out!! Akiko fucking hit her and knock her out!! Now!!"
I nod to the spirit, faster than any other creature can likely perceive as I use my full speed to dash toward this newly empowered Alia. The barrier of sound once more shatters, my feet nearly cratering the mats below despite the protection formation as I rear back my palm to strike Alia's center, hoping the force of the blow will render her unconscious. What happens next makes a spike of fear bolt through my form for the first ti since I had to exact vengeance 100 years ago, as despite my vastly superior speed - surely too fast for Alia to notice - she whips her head toward . We lock eyes for a brief mont just before I make contact with her body, as another word or phrase looks ready to leave her lips.
Before she can utter whatever that no doubt empowering speech would be, I make contact with her leather chest piece and send her smaller form blasting off to the side of the room, her body impacting against the side of the protective formation as it ripples behind her before she slouches and then slumps down to the ground. I breathe out a few worried breaths as I stand in my striking pose, my ears and tails lashing with a mixture of concern, trepidation, and wonder, as I finally shake out of my stupor and rush to Alia's side.
I quickly take out a healing pill from my storage ring, dropping it gently into her mouth and using so of my Qi to help circulate it inside her, thankfully, barely damaged body. I restrained myself as much as I thought was necessary, given how shockinglystrong Alia is, but I was still worried... Spirit Ios joins
as I lay Alia gently on the floor, producing so blankets and a pillow for her to rest on. With a frightened mumble, the spirit begins her judgent of , one that I cannot deny is justified.
"Fuck
that was scary..." She begins before her contraption flies directly in front of my face, "You took this way to fucking far fox!! I was on board with what you were planning, as I basically had the sa thought, but seriously?! Implying Sandra was going to die if she didn't pass so test or challenge you neverexplained to her?? Fuck Akiko, you know she has an issue with keeping herself sane when she fights, and you just want to press the biggest fucking red button she has?!" She looks like she wants to shake , or strangle my neck, if her transparent hand placent is any indication before she finishes her harsh critique of the experience, "You know as well as I do that she did perfectly fine after the first couple rounds! Hell, even when she got fired up and was coming at you before she started using Qi! Why the fuck did you keep pushing her?"
I can't help but start to agree with the enraged spirit, even if I feel that I did it for the correct reasons. "I know spirit Ios," I begin as I stand up, respectfully regarding the floating form, "but the longer we put this off, the worse the outcos would have been. She is a cultivator; she mustlearn to fight with ruthlessness and without reservation. I pushed her past a normal beginner's first sparring session because I knew, the sa as you I would wager, that she is stronger and more capable than what that would entail. It would have hampered her growth if I had approached this in my normal fashion.
On top of that, Alia must learn how to use Qi in a fight. True, I had imagined this to take several attempts, but the end goal was always having her channel Qi and attack with lethal intent. In all regards, she has outperford my expectations of her, lofty as I had them set." I say as I look back down to the resting form of Alia. "Now, what exactly was that at the end? I noticed so kind of... influence like she had described to us after her tribulation, but it looked to be rely assisting her until that point."
Spirit Ios scoffs as she crosses her four arms across her chest, her look of disdain and anger not fading in the slightest. "Don't think that by changing the topic you are going to get out of this one, Akiko. Especially not when you have to explain to Aims your little thought process behind this borderline torture porn." I wilt slightly at her recriminations as she continues with another scoff, "Far as I can tell, Alia was in full control during that whole exchange up until that point, where she was running out of options to land a blow on you. Which, I will remind you, was one of your fucking requirents when you two agreed to spar. You wanted to test to see you could notice when or if Luck was going to trigger, rember?"
I nod sowhat sheepishly, as I recall I was in fact wanting to test that hypothesis before the call of battle sung to
from Alia's unexpected display of power. "Well," the spirit goes on, "Looks like that'll have to wait until next ti. If we can freaking convince her to do this again... *Sigh* Anyway, she was in full control, even when she learned that movent technique out of the blue, but once she realized that wasn't going to work, she just kept feeding her soul Qi. You know, the soul of a powerful 8th or 9th Realm reincarnated being?
Damn it Akiko, she was so set on trying to live up to your standards that she nearly lost herself. I honestly don't know what would have happened if she had fired off that technique before you smacked her. And she was about to fire one off, her soul looked like a fucking blazing star by that point. Shit, I'm surprised she didn't try to just break into the 2nd Realms!! Ugh!!" As spirit Ios finishes her exasperated rant, I notice several drops of liquid pooling down her cheeks before she rubs them away, the implication further driving to center just how desperate Alia was and how much further I pushed this than necessary. Again.
I find my throat dry at the notion that Alia nearly willingly gave in to a power just to appease , the ache in my heart doing more damage to
than any conflict that I've had in decades. I kneel down beside the poor, stubborn, powerful, and exceptional woman resting on the ground, stroking her hair softly as I finally respond back to the now pacing spirit. "I am sorry, both to you and Alia. I did not think she would go to such lengths for this. Truly, I had ant only to get her accustod to that feeling of fighting with all her might, without reservation, so that she will be prepared when the ti cos to actually act in such a manner.
Like I ntioned previously, I did not think she would even achieve it here, today. I fully had assud that we would have to have multiple sessions,
breaking down her reluctance one quip and deflected attack at a ti. Yet more sha upon
for doubting her tenacity and will to protect her soulmate. I will take her to her room to rest, unless you think it wise for her to remain here for us to discuss things when she wakes?" Spirit Ios stops her back and forth strides, turning to face
with a complicated expression before she huffs out a breath, the simulated tears leaving marks on her face.
"Look, I know you didn't push her that hard without good intentions and with decent reasons. I get that. And part of it was Aims not accepting defeat when you offered it, which is sothing we will need to talk to her about too. But I really don't have a clue how she is going to react when she wakes up. The last ti that foreign influence affected her, it shook her pretty bad. I can't even imagine what she's going to think when she rembers how she almost willingly gave into it." She runs a pair of hands through her curly blonde hair as she closes her eyes to think, her erald eyes opening once more as she looks back to , "Let's take her back to her room, but you need to stay with her until she wakes up. If she wants to talk, then we can talk to her, either one-on-one or together, but you are notleaving her alone after what you two did here."
"I could not agree more, spirit Ios. Very well then." I say solemnly as I scoop up the still sleeping form of Alia in a bundle of my soft tails. Spirit Ios' contraption beats its chanical wings softly over my shoulder as we make our way to the sealed door to the training room. Upon exiting, we are confronted by a confused Samantha who looks down to Alia with a not insignificant look of concern and care which does wonders to lift my spirits. Even for the sowhat standoffish nature the two seem to still have, it is obvious to all of us that Samantha does indeed care for our new addition~. I shake my head in response to an unspoken question from my lover, rely turning to continue the trek back to Alia's room.
With a gentle speed, we arrive not long after as I use a free tail to quietly open the sliding door and shut it behind us after spirit Ios flits in. I walk over to Alia's bed, placing her softly down as I take off her armor with deft and nimble speed, tucking her in once she is free of its obstructions. I turn and make my way to one of the wooden chairs at her table, gently resting in its usually comfortable embrace, although now all I feel is a sense of unease as I look up to the ceiling and close my eyes, my tails plopping sadly to the ground behind . Updates are released by Nov3lF??re.??et
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