Some minutes later, Sirette's aide appeared with two wooden swords in his firm grip. Sirette stood up from the flower bed she was admiring then accepted hers while she threw the second to Kael who caught it.
"Alright, we can spar now. I'm curious of your strength and I'll advise that you start with intensity as will I," Sirette commented as she swung the sword in her grip a few times, with a graceful sweep through the air to get a feel for the weapon.
"Thanks. I'm ready now," said Kael after positioning himself in a stance, his sword firm in his grip, as he noticed how lighter the sword felt in his grip and how heightened his sense became.
"This is one of the changes of undergoing through the Detel trial and I'm sure it will be more profound for someone with your rates, so it may make a few things feel unnatural at first but you should use this duel to familiarize yourself with your improved body," Kina mentioned as she glanced at Kael whose face was twisted in confusion and dilemma.
"I see. Thanks for that," Kael commented as he decided to begin to balance himself in his new body but before he could, a sharp sound of a blade cutting through the air with much speed and force alerted him as he unconsciously raised his wooden sword to block it.
As the two swords meet, a sharp sound was produced from the impact which also flung Kael a few centimeters from his original position. "I'm amazed you have enough time to ponder on such useless thoughts," Sirette proclaimed calmly as she set herself ready to deliver another blow to Kael.
Glancing at the girl, Kael picked up from his position, his sword swung shortly aimed at her neck which she dodged and positioned her sword in a piercing motion straight for his stomach which Kael clenched his hand into a fist and diverted from the intended trajectory and then kicked away to gain space from Sirette.
"I didn't expect you to divert my technique that way, especially when you're holding a sword," Sirette commented her opinion as her eyes locked on the boy with more intensity. "It's an unusual technique my master developed and taught me but I'm still not that proficient in the hand techniques just yet," Kael revealed as he stepped into her space ready for another confrontation.
With a wide sweep of his sword aimed for her neck in swift attack which she stepped back, intending to dodge. Seeing such an opening, Kael let go of his sword, went for a dip and then for a sweep of her leg using his Taekwondo technique to take her to the ground using her unstable footing due to her dodging his move.
This was a strategy that made use of her having no knowledge of this Old World martial art and using it to gain a swift advantage during the spar. But unlike what his predictions calculated, after losing her stability, she supported herself with her hands and prevented herself from falling to the floor and with a pivoted and calculated motion, delivered a kick to the side of Kael's head who was able to block it with his hands serving as a guard to cushion the impact.
"That was a nice reflex, right Kael?," Sirette complemented, a smile brooding on her otherwise stoic face as she gracefully stood up from her position with no wasted movement nor a lasting effort on her side.
"I didn't expect that," Kael commented honestly as she glanced at the chill girl. "What didn't you expect?" she said as she waited for Kael to pick up his sword back. "That movement. I thought nobles were too sophisticated to perform such moves," Kael said seriously but filled with confusion too.
"Now that is clearly a bias and cliche look to have. If you persist with that outlook, you'll surely face defeat, afterall, you've meet me as a noble who clearly doesn't follow that rule and if you kep your bias, i'm sure you'll meet foes that divert from the rules and that will definitely get you killed, that is something which would also cause me distress," Sirette lectured Kael casually on his one sided generalization of life, that served as a wake up call for his habit he never considered before.
"But, that doesn't mean that nobles don't think themselves to be "too sophisticated", especially those from the great houses, keep this in mind too," Sireete added as she began getting ready to continue the spar, the warm glow of the sun settling in the garden.
"Thanks," Kael said while flustered after hearing Sirette blunt words that his death would bring distress to her. 'Does she find me interesting too? I know I'm handsome but I didn't think she'd fall in love with me so quickly,'. His thoughts became disillusioned by such thoughts which a kick to his stomach jolted him from his slumber.
"Oh, was I not threatening enough for you to daydream during this spar? Now this is surprising, Kael" Sirette casually said as she looked at the boy who had been kicked some centimetres away.
"That was such a foul move and couldn't you wait or signal the start?!" Kael questioned the girl with surprise at her quick action. "Only a fool fails to take advantage of an opponent's weakness and you surely know that I'm no fool. Besides, the face you made annoyed me that I felt that you required a kick, which is what I did," she explained causally like what she did was an inevitable outcome and that she was justified.
With more focused attention, Kael approached her fist, a side kick dedicated to her side, which she got a hold of and kicked him off the floor, as Kael with that inertia, readied a roundhouse kick to her side that she blocked with her sword but with Kael's improved body and uncontrolled Detel modification, he added a more than normal strength which split the sword due to the force and the rebound pushing her away as she offset the damage by lifting from the ground as a way to reduce the impact but which still caused a substantial damage to Sirette.
"That was an unexpected blow," she said casually as she approached her original position, with her white combat clothes stained from where the impact was aimed at. "I didn't expect you to use your modification in this spar but it is something I'm willing to compromise for due to not having enough control over it yet," Sirette concluded as she stared at Kael, face filled with guilt and confusion.
"I'm sorry, it was my carelessness that caused this, I'm fine to count this as my loss," kael said, understanding that due to his uncontrolled state, he could have caused a significant injury to Sirette, and it would not have been of his own violation. Kael remembered his father saying that
'Strength brings safety but it also brings fear with it' and he understood what his dad meant at this moment.
'You still can't control yourself, Kael. You seek for power but when you gain it, you use that power to hurt those who you should protect. Tell me, to them, what is the difference between you and those monsters called Xions?' a voice sounded, its direction faint and unknowing to discern, speaking cruel yet sweet words to Kael, who is drowning in his guilt to be able to see forward if he just takes a look.
'No! I'm different. I kill those Xions and I'll keep them safe!' Kael screamed internally, his thoughts slipping and walking a fine thread between madness and conviction. 'No. You're no different. Both you and the Xions, all you do is harm with the superior and stronger power you wield. That is how they shall and will see you,' the voice commented.
Kael stammered as he forced his moths to make any statement to defend himself, 'I..I' and within his daze, a cold yet comforting touch awoke him from his mindscape. The hands held his chucks in a comforting manner and as it erased all the consuming thoughts within him, accompanied by a smell of soft flowers. The voice, calm and collected, spoke to the dazed Kael.
"You are brooding again, Kael. I'm not hurt, you know," Sirette mentioned, as she lifted off her combat clothes, her clear ivory skin showing no sign of a blunt force impact. "You seem to take me as someone weak who can't hold herself, which annoys me greatly. You have no idea how much I am holding back during the spar and I think you have forgotten but I am the number 4 on the rank and my Detel infusion rate is not bad in the least" Sirette commented, clearly angry by Kael's soft approach to her, so she reminded him that she was much more powerful than he was, and his high Detel infusion, while clearly impressive, doesn't make him a monster overnight.
Her blunt statement awoke Kael from his guilt phase as he stared at Sirette's open stomach adorned with abs and a beautiful feminine body, a skin that was not marred by his hit just now. "How? I don't understand how that didn't cause serious damage to you.." Kael questioned, intrigued but more in the confused state, his eyes raised to Sirette's face, waiting for an answer.
"Fighting and killing Xions is nice and all, but you must remember to also protect yourself so you'll be able to kill more Xions. I used a technique that allowed me to reduce the impact through distance and reduced the force of the blunt hit," she said casually as she covered her stomach with her combat suit.
Understanding that all of his worry was for naught, kael stood up and evaluated himself. The Detel trials were still affecting him, as he believed that if he had enough strength, he could save everyone and he would have been able to save his parents but that strength that he needed was what almost caused a tragedy again, which affected his forte, which was not that stable at the moment.
He collected himself and stood up from his downtrodden state, a breeze that blew back a sense of self into him. "I apologize for showing you such an embarrassing side of me," Kael mentioned as he stared at Sirette whose worry for Kael's unusual state could be easily inferred from her face.
"It's no matter. Humans as a species are full of flaws and sometimes, those emotions that have been hidden within tend to leak once in a while. There is nothing to apologize for, the best you can do is to face it and embrace such flaws, because that is what makes us humans" Sirette advised Kael, her voice toned down and became softer than she normally sounded. A voice that was meant to comfort, but it held stories within it that the comfort was also for the girl too.
"That is true. Haha…" Kael laughed unprompted which caught the attention of Sirette, who clearly didn't understand what was the reason he was laughing. "You were the last person I expected would comfort me, so it was a bit amusing for me," Kael spoke, his thoughts honestly laid bare.
"Aside from that, since I have won my bet, I'll reserve the bet now. The timing isn't the best and you have not reached the required strength to be of use but when you do, I'll gladly cash in on my promise," Sirette commented, her tone shifting back to what she sounded like originally, a prim and proper noble.
"Huh? I thought that the spar was still on. When did I lose?!" Kael argued the conclusion of the duel, for the reason that he was unable to accept the loss he didn't understand how he lost and well, the dread of what Sirette would demand, especially after the statement that she had just made of him not having enough strength, further solidifying his dread.
"You really do amuse me, Kael. Your loss can be counted from three instances. The first is the fact that you used your modification in a friendly and normal spar that involved weapons. Second is the fact that you had already surrendered to me after your uncontrolled strength of the modification and third?..Well,.." she paused before with a quick and stupidly fast move of her sword, it rested on the neck of Kael, who now, was too stunned to speak. "Is this, Kael. So is there any counter for these claims of mine?," Sirette questioned while her tone became smug, clearly sure of her perfect win against Kael.
With clenched fists and after audible turns of his thinking gears, Kael came up with nothing to invalidate his claims, so he dropped his guard as he spoke, his tone laced with his surrender. "The wins were unfair..," he said, desperately finding a point to cling to.
"And remember what I said, Kael? The person who doesn't take the opening that his opponent makes, is clearly a fool and I would be a fool for not using this for my benefit," she commented as she planted the hilt of her split sword into the ground as she took her seat on the chair in the garden.
"Can I come here again? I wish to trade blows with you and spar," Kael mentions as he sat on the ground while planting his sword next to Sirette's. "Sure. It gets boring here sometimes and the liveliness of a fool like you will surely make it a bit more interesting,"
Kael had become used to her blunt way of talking that it phased him no longer. As he kept on staring at the flowers and the swords planted, he questioned Sirette. "What is the name of this place?,"
"I don't understand, Kael. Why does it require a name?," Sirette questioned as she stood up, ready to exit the garden, with her aide. "It feels too special and beautiful to be nameless and this is where we'll interact for sometime, don't you think such a place would require a name?," Kael mentions.
"Hmm…true. You have brought up this topic so you should have concluded on a suitable name for here then," Sirette said, once again easily guessing Kael's thoughts. "A garden of blades. Both literally and metaphorically. We both have pains and I believe that when we are comfortable enough, we could share them with each other. They are blades which have once scarred us and this place is where the blades which will protect us, deliver us and satisfy us of those scars the blade has done. What do you think?"
"It's accepted. I didn't know that you had such sophistication in you. Colour me surprised. I also do like the feeling, it will be our garden of our blades," she commented, unaware that it could also mean in another way, well she was a bit immature in such aspects of life. "I'll excuse myself then, Kael. You should prepare for when lessons begin," she comments as she steps out of the garden, followed by her aide who before leaving, glanced back at Kael, with a look that withheld intentions.
Location - Outside the Garden of Blades
"Young Miss, is he the person you have chosen?" the aide questioned as he walked behind his miss, the only survivor of the Wain family massacre. "Yes, Uncle. He is strong, talented and has enough proven potential and with his fighting skills too, so if I have to choose, he's the perfect person," Sirette commented, her voice heavy with an intended purpose as she spoke with her aide.
"I understand, young Miss. So have you begun to make your move?," her aide questioned to which she responded. "No, I'm too weak right now and so is he. I'll take my time and first consolidate and strengthen myself in Pioneer, build reputation here too and with his strength and of those I have taken under me, I'll destroy them," Sirette commented, eyes cold but with a blazing anger within that threatened to consume all.
"I understand, young Miss. You have been able to conceal your true prowess in the practical and theoretical while still allowing you to be part of the top 5 but rank 4 that doesn't gain too much attention but has enough needed influence but due to the unnatural means of the Detel trials, it is practically impossible to conceal. I was worried that such a score may make the Great Houses react but Kael and second place helped to mitigate that factor,"
"Thanks to the help your parents planted there and with this rank 4, it is enough to cultivate influence but still have enough mobility to investigate the Great Houses who didn't lend a hand when our house was being attacked while also being able to seek out the Lord class Xion in charge of the siege against House Wain and have your revenge against him, " he commented as they walked on the solemn and lone hallway that led out of the garden.
"And with the time I have secured at Pioneer, I'll seduce Kael, one of Sanctuary's most promising talents who has no relation to Sanctuary or the Great Houses and let him join me, a perfect plan," Sirette commented as she reworked through her plan. "If I may ask, young miss, how do you plan to seduce him?" her aide asked, afterall, he has been with her for all her life and he knew she had no education on how to seduce a man, because the Wain family followed strength above all so this was not a subject that was taught.
'Did she learn during her private hours so as to secure a valuable ally?' he thought, clearly touched by her growth. 'The patriarch would have been so proud of your growth, but young miss, we all wished you wouldn't have to do this, no one in the family would have wished this' he mused within, as his physical form twisted and formed into shadows that joined with Sirette's as they were about to exit the hallway.
"Uncle , this is easy. That is what I was doing today. Father told me that those who are weak admired the strong and would follow them,, so if I show him how strong I am with the spar like today, surely, he'll become entranced with me and follow me. I believe that this is the easiest of the plan," Sirette said quite innocently but with an undeniable smugness in her tone.
As he heard her plan, his perfect cover moved and flinched in response to his Miss's plan. "I feel like that method won't work, Miss," he said, hoping to persuade her to try other means. "What do you mean, uncle? It clearly worked. He asked if he could come for more spar and he also named the garden, and father said that if boys begin to do unimportant things like this in front of a girl, it means he is interested and willing to follow," Sirette commented, clearly unsure of what the problem is.
"Well…" he wished to say how impractical her ideas were but he couldn't because, in a way, it did work, just not in a conventional way. 'I feel like both the young miss and that boy are both strange of themselves. It is true that birds of a feather do indeed flock together,'
"Since you didn't say anything, I'll assume that you have accepted my method," Sirette commented, her voice now lowered as they began to be in more public spaces. "Um..sure, Young Miss," he gave in. 'If this works and you don't have to do anything like that, I feel that it should be accepted as a means and just look forward to the final goal,'