Morning mist clung to the clearing near the cottage. I could feel the chill in my bones before I ever moved. The air was thick with pine and something deeper, mana. It pulsed beneath the earth like a slow drumbeat. Faint, but constant. I stood with my wooden katana in hand, feeling the hum of it through my grip, tracing the movement of life around me.
Across from me, Syl and Lily stood ready. Syl held her dual blades like someone itching to prove something. Lily, on the other hand, had her dagger drawn with a grip that spoke of nerves, not anger. Yet something flickered in her eyes, determination, stubborn and real.
I let out a slow breath. My mana track vision sharpened around the edges. The world shifted, streams of energy flickered from both of them, soft ripples blooming from their bodies, giving away every breath, every twitch.
Ben huffed behind me, sprawled like a lazy beast. His growl rumbled faintly as if this fight bored him.
In my head, Ignis stirred. His voice snapped like firewood in a furnace. "Move, brat. Stop standing there like a tree. These girls need to bleed if they want to learn."
I didn't even blink. Relax. It's a spar, not a battlefield.
"Then treat it like one. Let them feel their limits. Or they'll stay soft. Your lover? She's hesitating. That's death."
He wasn't wrong. But I didn't say that. I just waited. Watched.
Syl's voice cut through, her irritation obvious. "Kibo, stop stalling. We're not here to stretch our legs."
Lily chimed in beside her. Her voice was a little too high-pitched, like she was trying to be brave. "Are you scared you'll hurt us or something?"
I smiled, just a little. "Scared? You two look like you want a nap, not a fight."
Syl stepped forward, blades catching the weak sunlight. "Don't hold back. You won't get another chance like this."
"There. She's asking for it," Ignis hissed. "Make her regret that mouth."
I didn't answer him. I just lifted my katana, angling my body. "Alright. Use everything to have to use. Don't think I'll go easy."
Syl grinned, like that was what she wanted to hear. Lily gave a smile, gripping her dagger tighter.
My eyes narrowed. The mana around them flared with intent. Now.
I moved.
One step. Then another. And then my foot barely touched the ground before I disappeared into a burst of momentum. My body blurred forward, vanishing from view.
Lily turned her head too slow. I reappeared at her blind spot, swinging low, not hard, just enough. The flat of my blade tapped her shoulder. Her mana flared too late. Her dagger slashed behind her, but I was already gone.
Syl caught me mid-shift, blades slicing toward my ribs in a wide arc. I twisted, ducking the first blade, catching the second with the flat of mine. Her mana was wild, too sharp, too loud. Easy to trace.
I stepped back, and Syl followed with a storm of steel. Lily wasn't far behind, her dagger stabbing toward my side. But her aura flared up a half-second before the motion, so I knew. I twisted my hips and let the katana kiss her wrist lightly.
She pulled back with a soft hiss.
Syl was already diving in again.
Her strikes were fast, cleaner than before, but still too angry. Her mana pulsed every time she committed to a swing. I tracked the signal, timing my parries, brushing her side with a light blow before pivoting.
Lily's footsteps crunched behind me. Her breath trembled, but the dagger came in low. Again. Predictable. I shifted to the side, flicked my blade, and tapped her thigh.
"Too easy," I muttered, just loud enough.
Syl heard it. She roared, slashing harder. She was getting tired, her aura fraying. Her left blade twitched before every crosscut. Her rhythm, disrupted.
Lily was the opposite. She kept coming. Quietly. Her energy was softer, more controlled now. But it still flared too early. Every time.
I kept moving between them, my eyes locked on those mana trails. Like threads in a spider's web, pulling me where I needed to go. I stepped under Syl's swing, let Lily's dagger slice air, then turned and caught her shoulder again.
Neither could touch me. Not really.
And I wasn't even trying yet.
Ignis's voice roared in my head, raw and poisonous. "You're a disgrace, brat. Stop toying with these clumsy rats. Their strikes are a joke—sloppy, weak. End this charade."
I didn't flinch. My blood was already hot, and my heart had settled into that exciting rhythm I only felt during combat. But his words sank in.
I shifted.
The air changed.
My katana moved faster now, sharp cuts slicing through their guard, not with full strength, but enough to cage them in. They barely had space to breathe. Syl's blades crashed against mine, each impact louder than the last, splinters and mana crackling through the wood. Lily darted in, catching the skin on my arm. A thin sting. I turned with it, slipping out before she could strike again.
I pressed harder. My vision stayed locked on the glowing threads of their mana, every tremble, every pulse, a warning of what came next.
Syl's energy suddenly flared.
A warning.
Roots burst from the earth, thick and fast, twisting up around my legs. She wasn't playing anymore.
Smart.
I didn't hesitate. Mana surged to my arms. My katana dropped, slicing straight through the coils with a rough, cracking sweep. I moved, low and fast, lunging toward Syl. I didn't need to hit her, just close the distance, pressure her, make her falter.
My hand snapped forward, inches from her face.
She didn't blink.
Lily's voice rose behind me, light but fierce. "Don't touch her!"
Her kick slammed toward my head. I brought my arm up in time. The impact rang through my bones, dull but solid. I pivoted sharply, swinging my blade toward her ribs, but she twisted out of reach. Syl's blades came again, cutting for my back.
Too slow.
I dropped flat, feeling her blade cut the air just above me. The wind burned against my ear.
The clearing became a little chaotic.
Blades, breath, and mana.
I didn't let them recover. I pushed harder, my katana spinning through every blind spot, every mistake in their rhythm. They started syncing up, Syl watching Lily's openings, Lily circling to my back like she'd finally found her rhythm. Syl's footwork adjusted, keeping Lily covered.
I felt... impressed.
For a moment.
Then Ignis growled again, deeper this time. "Sloppy. Still pathetic. Push them, brat. Break their spirits. In battle, there's no victor. Only death's cycle. Crush them."
I didn't answer him. I just moved faster.
Blades collided again. I let Lily's dagger scrape across my arm, shallow, not enough to matter. I stepped into a strike too close, let Syl's blade crack against my ribs. It stung. I gritted my teeth.
Blood welled. Then disappeared.
The pain faded almost instantly as my mana healed the wound, flesh knitting over like it had never been opened.
Lily noticed.
Her eyes went wide, hand trembling.
I barked at her. "Don't stop."
She blinked, then nodded. No words. Just a deep breath, her innocence burning into something sharper.
Syl's roots surged again, thicker this time, heavier. They latched around my ankles like iron bands. Lily took the opening, her dagger flashing for my side. I swung up, feinting toward her eyes.
She flinched, dodging instinctively, the blade slicing across my bicep instead.
Better.
I spun, roots snapping around me, mana flaring from my core as I twisted out of the trap. Syl leapt high, vaulting with grace I hadn't seen in her before. Her blades came down in a perfect cross-cut, straight for my neck.
Lily lunged from the other side.
Two blades.
One moment.
My vision traced every pulse of their mana. Every intention.
Lily's dagger hovered just inches from my left eye.
Syl's blade held still at my throat.
We froze.
Our chests rose and fell, ragged. Their weapons trembled in their grip, sweat glistening on their faces.
I smiled excitedly by it.
But something in my chest shifted.
Ignis's laughter crackled in the back of my skull, cold and relentless. "Not bad, but pitiful. You could've dodged it all, brat. Why let those girls touch you? Weak, spineless fool."
I exhaled slowly, my fingers flexing over the wood of my katana. My pulse was steady.
"They've gotten strong," I murmured under my breath. "They fought with grit, not whim. I could've dodged, but why? This tests my healing, my limits."
"Idiot. You're soft, always will be. You'll die for it one day."
I ignored him and looked at Syl and Lily. Both were sprawled on the grass now, sweat clinging to their skin, chests rising and falling as they caught their breath. Syl had that glint in her eye again, defiant even in exhaustion. Lily looked... proud. Her smile was wide, real.
"Alright," I said, resting my katana on my knee. "You both win."
Lily let out a breathless laugh. "See, Kibo? We can fight for ourselves!"
Syl gave a sharp nod. "That proves we're not helpless."
I let myself sit beside them, knees bent. "Maybe. But I saw your attacks coming from a mile away."
Syl rolled her eyes and dropped back against the grass. "Don't rub it in."
Lily giggled, brushing dirt from her arm. "We knew, but we gave it all! Next time, we'll suprise you."
I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped. "I'm counting on it."
I turned to Syl, wiping a trickle of sweat from my brow. "Those roots were impressing. How was it with Aunt Sora during your training with her?"
Syl groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "Brutal. She pounds us into the dirt, then makes me heal both Lily and I…Over and over."
"She says it helps," Lily added quickly, more cheerful. "But she looks so happy when we're crawling."
"That's real training, brat," Ignis growled, his voice curling around my thoughts like smoke. "Your sadistic aunt knows the game…. Those girls need pain to face a knight, a mage, or worse. She revels in their struggle. It's survival."
"It's not enough," I replied, keeping my face neutral. "They don't quit. But that could get them killed one day."
"Let them die," Ignis hissed. "You'll play hero and save them, won't you?... Pathetic."
Out loud, I sighed. "Aunt Sora's way isn't kind, but it's building your strength….You're better than you were a months ago."
"We know," Lily said softly, her voice full of quiet belief.
Syl crossed her arms, frowning. "It's frustrating. We can't even nick her."
I leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on my knees. "Then don't focus on beating her. Focus on your edge. You've got it, you just don't see it yet."
Syl gave me a sideways look. "Edge? Kibo, we're not like you. We can't just take a hit and pretend it doesn't matter."
Lily's tone turned gentle. "Yeah, Kibo. It's risky. We don't want you hurt."
I lifted a hand in mock surrender. "I hear you, but…"
Syl cut me off fast, eyes sharp. "No buts. Against Aunt Sora, don't take hits just to prove a point. It hurts us to see it."
Lily scooted closer, her face open, sincere. "You can see attacks coming. So use that. Don't let yourself get hit at all."
"They're right, brat, but useless, Ignis sneered. Your healing's a weapon. Push it. Test your limits, not theirs."
I studied their faces, the way they watched me with that mix of concern and determination. They weren't begging. They were holding me accountable.
"Alright," I said at last. "I won't do anything dumb."
Ben trotted over, stubby paws kicking up dirt as he gave a low, rumbling growl. He flopped down between us, his tongue lolling, tail sweeping pine needles.
Lily giggled and scratched behind his ear. "See? Ben agrees!"
Syl smirked. "For once, you listen."
"Sweet words, brat," Ignis whispered, his voice colder now, "but we both know you'll chase the kill in any fight, even if it destroys you."
I kept my expression flat, my voice low. "That's why I have Syl and Lily. To keep my sanity."
"And when they're gone? What then?"
My eyes flicked toward the trees. The wind stirred through the clearing, brushing the mist aside. "Let it come. We'll see."
Syl bumped her shoulder into mine. "Did you see my spin? I nearly had you."
Lily grinned, hugging her knees. "And my dodge? We're getting good, Kibo!"
I looked at them both and nodded slowly. "You are. Keep this up, and you'll outdo Aunt Sora one day."