Sunlight filtered through the jagged canopy of fungus-covered trees above an open field just beyond the colony's borders.
Isla stood at the edge of the clearing, her fingers trembling at her sides.
Am I really going to fight both of them at once?
Isla swallowed hard.
"You alright, Isla?" Lily leaned forward, sweeping her orange hair over her shoulder.
"Don't tell me you're having second thoughts after that big speech you made."
"N-no! I'm perfectly fine!"
Isla's knees trembled beneath her.
Get it together! You were the one who agreed to this!
Lily stared at her for a moment before letting out a long sigh.
"You're hopeless..."
"If you fall apart now, I'll have to carry you all the way back to the colony."
She planted her hands on her hips.
"And that's gonna be a real pain, you know?"
Beatrice gently tapped Isla on the shoulder.
"Loosen up, Isla. It's okay to be afraid. It means you understand what's at stake."
Isla froze, her eyes widening.
"R-really?"
Beatrice nodded.
"You're not the only one who's ever felt this way."
Lily's gaze flicked toward Beatrice for a brief moment before returning to Isla.
"She's right. Everyone starts out like this." She tilted her head, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "The trick is learning to turn that fear into survival instincts. So instead of freezing up when things get ugly, you learn to react."
"All right, enough talking."
Beatrice's mandibles slid out of their sheaths with a sharp click.
"Get ready."
With trembling hands, Isla drew her blades and raised them into a fighting stance.
"We'll both attack you at once. That should be about the same as facing a strong grasshopper. If you want to stand alongside Ari and Lancelot, you need to learn how to hold your ground, no matter how many opponents you're facing."
Beatrice said.
Lily chuckled.
"Just don't pass out on us. I'm not carrying you all the way back to the colony."
Isla's lips curled into a faint smile.
"Right..."
Beatrice lunged forward, closing the distance in an instant.
Isla's eyes widened.
She's so fast...!
Beatrice swung a mandible at her.
Isla snapped her blades up to block.
Clang!
The impact rattled her arms. Her feet scraped across the ground as she stumbled backward.
Before Isla could recover, Lily rushed toward her.
"Now it's my turn!"
Orange flashed across Isla's vision.
Lily's blades came slashing down, then swept upward before cutting across in a rapid flurry.
Isla raised her weapons to block.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
She caught one strike overhead, deflected another, then barely managed to stop the next from reaching her side.
"Ahhh!"
A final blow knocked the mandibles from her hands. They clattered across the ground as Isla crashed onto her back.
She sucked in a ragged breath, her chest heaving.
Lily stood over her with her hands on her hips.
"Well, at least now I know you can fall with style."
Isla slowly pushed herself upright, her gaze fixed on the ground.
"I... I can't..."
Her fingers dug into the dirt.
Lily's grin faded.
"What do you mean? Did you already forget what just happened? You blocked almost every attack we threw at you!"
She crouched down, bringing herself closer to Isla's eye level.
"If that doesn't prove you're stronger than you think, then what does?!"
She's right...
Isla's mouth fell open slightly.
I did manage to block them...
Lily held out a hand.
"Here."
Isla took it, and Lily pulled her to her feet.
Beatrice approached, holding out Isla's mandibles.
Isla accepted them, tightening her grip around the handles.
"First, hold on to your weapons properly. If your grip is too loose, a strong impact can knock them right out of your hands."
Beatrice raised one of her own mandibles.
"Second, don't try to meet every attack head-on. If your opponent's strike is too powerful to block, don't waste your strength trying to stop it. Angle your weapon and guide the attack away from you instead."
She demonstrated with a controlled swing, turning her mandible just before the imaginary point of impact.
"See? Rather than fighting against the full force, you redirect it. Even a slight change in angle can throw off your opponent's aim and keep you from taking the full impact."
Beatrice lowered her weapon and met Isla's gaze.
"And don't just focus on blocking. Watch your opponent's shoulders, hips, and footwork. They'll often reveal where the next strike is coming from before the weapon even moves. That gives you time to position yourself instead of scrambling to react."
"I see," Isla said, nodding.
"Don't worry! After fighting both of us at once, you'll catch on soon enough."
Lily placed both hands behind her head.
The following morning, Isla stood in the clearing with her mandibles gripped in both hands.
Beatrice approached from the front.
Isla swallowed hard.
Here she comes...
Beatrice lunged.
Isla's eyes squeezed shut as she hurriedly raised her weapons.
CLANG!
The impact jolted her arms. Her feet scraped backward, and her fingers nearly slipped from the handles.
She opened her eyes and stared at Beatrice.
Again...
Beatrice stepped forward and swung.
Isla's shoulders tensed. Her eyelids fluttered, but this time, she forced herself to watch the incoming strike.
CLANG!
She stumbled backward.
Isla glanced down at her hands before looking up again.
I held on...
A small smile tugged at Beatrice's lips.
"Again," she said.
"Right."
Throughout the day, Isla strained beneath a boulder balanced across her back. Her knees shook as she lowered herself, then forced herself to stand again.
By the time she finally set the boulder down, her legs trembled, and sweat dripped from her chin.
By nightfall, she ducked beneath Beatrice's sweeping mandible and raised her own just in time to block Lily's incoming strike.
I can feel it...
Their attacks... I can see them coming!
Beatrice charged straight at her, but Isla angled her mandible and deflected the strike.
A flash of orange appeared at her flank.
Isla twisted, narrowly ducking beneath Lily's blade.
The corners of her mouth widened.
I'm getting stronger!
The sun rose over the clearing, and a gentle breeze swept through the field.
Isla's eyelids fluttered open. She stared up at the sky before raising an arm to shield her eyes.
With a yawn, she pushed herself upright and wandered toward a stream flowing through the forest.
She crouched beside the water, scooped up a handful, and drank.
Brr... that's cold!
After rinsing her hands, she made her way back to the clearing.
She stopped.
Beatrice stood in the field, while Lily sat atop a nearby rock.
"Um... why are you two up so early?" Isla asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Lily said, hopping down from the rock. "Today's the day we put your training to the test!"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"For the past three days, we've been training you while deliberately holding back to help you improve," Beatrice explained.
She stepped forward, her mandibles shifting out of their sheaths.
"But from now on, neither of us will hold back."
Lily held up two fingers, the corners of her mouth curling upward.
"And this time, we'll be coordinating our attacks. So you'd better brace yourself!"
"EHHH?!"
Isla flailed her hands, nearly stumbling backward.
"B-but I'm not ready!"
Beatrice and Lily faced Isla with their mandibles drawn.
Isla drew her own weapons, glancing between the two. Her fingers trembled around the handles.
She sucked in a deep breath.
Here goes...!
Beatrice lunged.
Isla raised her mandibles, catching the incoming strike with a sharp clang. Lily darted in from her left, her blade sweeping toward Isla's arm. Isla twisted, angling her weapon.
Lily's blade crashed against hers, forcing Isla's weapon backward. The edge grazed her arm, leaving a thin red line.
Isla winced and slashed forward.
Lily stepped back.
Isla immediately darted in the opposite direction.
A flash of movement caught her eye.
Beatrice appeared at her side, her mandible sweeping toward Isla.
Clang!
Isla snapped her weapon up to block. The impact jolted her arms, and her feet scraped across the ground.
Her fingers tightened around the handle.
They're stronger than before! No... they're not holding back anymore!
She ducked beneath Beatrice's next strike and pivoted away from Lily's follow-up.
Lily charged again, swinging diagonally. Isla caught the blade, twisted her wrists, and redirected its momentum.
Beatrice closed in behind Lily. Isla caught the shift in her shoulders and snapped her mandibles up just as Beatrice struck.
KREEEENG!
Metal ground against metal.
Not bad...
Beatrice leaned into her weapon, driving Isla backward. Isla's feet dug into the dirt as her arms strained.
Lily slashed in from the side.
Isla swung her free mandible upward, forcing Beatrice to jerk her head aside. She turned twisting Lily's blade away from her face.
A thin cut opened across Isla's cheek.
She swept her mandible toward Lily's shoulder.
Lily's eyes widened.
She ducked.
A few orange strands drifted past her face.
Sweat trickled down Isla's face. Her chest heaved. Beatrice struck upward, swept her mandibles sideways, then brought them crashing down. Isla deflected each blow, her arms jolting with every impact.
I can't keep this up...!
Before Isla could turn, Lily's foot slammed into her stomach.
"Gah!"
Isla doubled over, stumbling backward as the air burst from her lungs.
Beatrice lunged.
Isla hurriedly raised her mandible.
CLANG!
The impact knocked both her weapons from her grasp. They spun away and clattered across the dirt.
Isla spun around and tried to flee, but Lily swept her legs out from under her.
Thud!
Isla hit the ground hard. She sucked in a ragged breath.
They're on a completely different level...
Her gaze flicked toward the two Corporals.
And when they fight together, they're even stronger...
Beatrice approached Isla and held out her hand.
"You did well."
Isla looked up at her, then grasped her hand and let Beatrice pull her to her feet.
"I have to admit, I never expected to see the day you'd last this long against two Corporals," Lily said, brushing a few stray orange strands from her shoulder. "You've grown so much."
"T-Thank you, Corporal Lily."
Isla lowered her head with a small smile.
"But now my hair's uneven because of you!" Lily pointed at her. "Now Lieutenant Tavian's going to think I'm a kid!"
"I'm sure he already thinks that," Beatrice said flatly.
"I heard that!"
Isla pressed a hand over her mouth, but a laugh slipped through.
She finally lowered her hand and looked between them.
"Thank you both... really."
Beatrice stepped in front of Isla and dabbed some green paste onto the cut on her cheek.
Isla flinched as Beatrice spread it over the wound.
"What is this?" she asked, glancing at the paste.
"Crushed medicinal sap. It'll help your cuts heal faster."
"Oh."
Beatrice moved to the smaller cuts on Isla's arm, carefully rubbing the paste into each one.
"Listen, if you're really serious about joining Lancelot and Ari to fight the Grasshoppers, remember what we taught you today." Beatrice glanced up at her. "Don't be reckless, and try not to get yourself killed."
Isla nodded.
"I will."
Lily turned her back.
"Are you really sure you want to defy the Queen?"
Isla fell silent. She lifted her gaze toward the sky.
"If it means protecting my friend..."
Her hands curled into fists at her sides.
"...then I can live with the consequences."