There was a tense moment of silence where they stared at each other; Rainer with a slight frown and Veliona, for some reason with the glazed, distant look of someone recalling a distant memory.
Rainer let out a soft sigh.
'Damn! Looks like she has baggage. What are you, thirty? How much have you suffered during that time to have such a look? Tsk! She's hot though.'
Rainer took a deep breath and utilized the opportunity to recall his skills with the spear, although the spear was his preferred humanoid choice of weapon. It had been a long time since he used one, not even considering that his body was near-absent of battle, muscle memory, the simple act of trying to remember his past skills was like pulling a car out of a thick fog with a long rope, still the memories came, slowly streaming in like a creak.
*Vah!*
Veliona suddenly moved, startling him as she pushed forth against the sand, charging at him with what seemed like a reckless charge.
Rainer thrusted his spear at her shoulder, hoping to take her out of the fight with one hit. But she kicked against the ground, dodging to the side and accelerated with a counter-thrust to his liver.
His eyes widened in alarm and he scrambled to parry the thrust with the spear's shaft.
The sword went through, and fortunately, it only grazed his tunic as they staggered past each other, exchanging positions.
Veliona gazed at the slight cut on Rainer's tunic and let out a disappointed huff.
Rainer touched his side and his hand came back with some blood.
"Veliona!" Nantosvelta chided, and Veliona merely looked away.
"No, no!" Rainer raised a hand at Nantosvelta and smiled. "This is how I like it!"
Veliona's eyes gleamed at this and she smiled. Nantosvelta could only watch in distress.
Now, it was Rainer's turn to go on the offensive. He walked toward her but she decided to meet his attack again with a charge...
A bad move.
Rainer swung the blunt of his spear at her face but she ducked below the blade. This allowed her keep her momentum, but skewed her form.
Utilizing his heavy torque, he twirled, using the momentum to snap around with a sweep at her legs.
Her eyes momentarily widened, alarmed that a second attack came in quick succession. She was desperate and acted instinctively, deciding to spring forward in a diving thrust to his open back
Rainer instantly sensed the danger.
'Fuck! This mad woman's going to skewer me for laughs!'
*Pafff!!!*
Rainer drove his spear against the ground, canceling his attack in the nick of time to bring the spear in and around in a behind-twirling-parry.
Her sword grazed the wooden shaft as she dove past into a half-roll, then stopped with a unique form of 'super hero drifting' dust.
Panting softly, Rainer turned to look at the woman with a worried furrow on his brow.
He was too close to being unallived.
The sparring ground became silent as everyone watched on with varied feelings.
The spar, was turning into something not unlike a deathmatch. However, this appeared to delight the mercenaries even more, and it was either out of respect, or discipline that prevented them from hooting encouragements to stimulate the whole affair. Many also had surprised expressions; they didn't expect to see their deputy be given such a hard time.
Nantosvelta had her hands over her eyes. She almost watched her potential son-in-law get run through from behind. That would have been too much for her heart to watch.
Flavius let out a long sigh of relief. He glanced back toward camp and back to Rainer.
He opened his mouth to speak but paused and shook his head, deciding instead to encourage him.
Flavius gulped and yelled.
"You can do this, Rainer! You are the son of Mars remember!!"
Rainer was shaken out of his dark thoughts by the yell and he turned to Flavius with a grateful smirk.
"Aha! I knew you would come around sooner or later!"
That said, he twirled his spear into a relaxed grip and turned to the spectating mercenaries. Catching their impressed expressions, he began walking around with a wide grin on his face.
"Oh-ho! What do we have here? Smiles? I'm shocked. I guess you guys are in awe at my strength now!"
He guffawed, standing arms akimbo.
The mercenaries looked at each other in disbelief at his shamelessness.
'Junior brother! You've been on the back foot since the start!!!'
Many inwardly yelled, groaning softly, but Nantosvelta could only giggle at this.
*Ssswunk!*
A low metallic ringing perforated the air, and Rainer immediately stopped laughing and slowly glanced back.
Veliona had drawn her second sword.
Gasps and whispers echoed across the crowd and a few words were audible.
"She never used both blades in a spar. Unless—"
"Godling!"
Veliona's call echoed wide as she looked at Rainer with a wild, almost 'flirtatious' smile.
"The day is young, but allow me to revel in it early."
She deftly twirled and held a sword in reverse grip before falling low into a twin-bladed stance.
"Oh! That's Vindica's—"
"Shut up and watch, Saren. Veliona doesn't like it when we talk during her spars."
The mercenaries whispered behind Rainer, but he wasn't listening; rather, he couldn't. Tinnitus rang in his head as his body trembled, and sweat beaded on his face before rolling down into his eyes, yet, despite the burning, he couldn't take her off his sight.
'That stance... It can't be... That's Magenta's Dance of Ravens.'
Rainer recognized the stance from someone he knew. He remembered fighting against someone who had perfect all the lethal skills that followed the stance.
'So many conflicts... Across so many worlds. Magenta...you are here too it seems.'
His eyes became shrouded. He wasn't quite sure what to feel about this. Maybe he would find out when he finally met her again.
It wasn't the time to ponder over this anyway...
Veliona took a deep breath and moved. However, it wasn't a reckless charge as before, but long assured strides.
However, Rainer calmly walked toward her as well. They quickly drew close and in a fluid, instinctual motion, she slashed at his neck. But Rainer had predicted the move and launched his counter.
He swiftly twirled, dropping under the blade while simultaneously sweeping her off her feet with the spear shaft, extended behind him.
For a brief moment, everyone watched as Veliona flailed in the air before coming down on her face.
Rainer coolly walked away from her with the shaft of the spear resting on his shoulder.
Then he glanced at Flavius with a smile.
"Maiden acquired."