Morning arrived quietly.
The village woke to its usual sounds: wood creaking, distant footsteps, and a rooster that had been yelling since before dawn for no good reason. After everything they'd been through, the normalcy felt strange.
Arin was the first to break the silence.
"Alright," he said, stretching his arms over his head. "Let's surprise Rasir."
Raul's grin came instantly. "On it."
He was gone before anyone could say another word. Flowstep flickering just enough to kick dust into the air behind him.
Rasir was already awake.
Raul found him in the training yard behind his house, spear in hand, sweat darkening the ground beneath his feet. His movements were slower than before, but only just. The missing hand changed the rhythm of his stance, forced subtle adjustments in balance and grip, yet there was nothing hesitant about him.
If anything, he practiced harder now.
He thrust, recovered, and pivoted. The spearhead snapped through the air with sharp, efficient precision.
Raul leaned against the fence, arms crossed, watching quietly for a moment.
Then he clapped once.
Rasir stopped mid-motion, exhaling through his nose. "You're loud," he said without turning. "What do you want?"
"There's a surprise," Raul said. "At Mina's place. Right now."
Rasir turned, brow creasing. "A surprise?"
Raul nodded. "The kind you don't want to be late for."
That was all it took.
Rasir set the spear aside, grabbed his cloak, and followed without another question.
The moment Rasir stepped into Mina's yard, he stopped.
Not because anyone blocked his way.
Because his instincts screamed at him to.
Mina stood in the open space near her hut, spear resting casually against her shoulder, shield strapped to her arm. She wasn't doing anything dramatic. She wasn't trying to intimidate anyone.
And yet—
The air around her felt different.
He could feel it, a pressure, subtle but unmistakable, pressing down on his senses like the calm before a storm.
Rasir's eyes widened.
"…No," he said quietly. "That's not possible."
Mina smiled nervously. "It's not an illusion, Father."
She straightened, standing a little taller. "I reached Captain Rank."
For a heartbeat, Rasir didn't move.
Then his breath hitched.
Captain Rank.
Not someday. Not years from now. Now.
Emotion slammed into him all at once, pride so sharp it hurt, joy tangled with grief, guilt for every doubt he'd ever had, fear for what this path might cost her, and relief so deep it nearly brought him to his knees.
He didn't ask questions; he already knew her rapid progression wasn't random, not with Arin involved.
He crossed the space between them in three long steps and pulled her into a hug.
It wasn't gentle.
It was desperate. Tight. Letting go might make this moment disappear.
Mina hugged him back just as fiercely.
"I'm proud of you," Rasir said into her hair, voice rough. "So damn proud."
She laughed softly. "You're crushing me."
"Hm," he muttered. "You did well."
They separated after a moment, both smiling, both pretending their eyes weren't wet.
Then Mina tilted her head, grin turning playful.
"Father," she said, "why don't we spar?"
Rasir blinked.
"…You want to fight me?"
"I want to show you what I can do."
He snorted, lips curling into a familiar, smug smile. "Now you want to beat up your old man?"
He picked up his spear, rolling his shoulders. "I'm still stronger than most Captain Ranks, you know."
Mina raised her shield, eyes bright. "Then show me who's the father and who's the child."
Raul whooped from the sidelines. "Oh, this is gonna be good."
Arin folded his arms, watching intently. Victor leaned forward, already invested.
They moved.
Rasir struck first.
There was no warning, just a clean thrust, driven straight at her centerline.
Mina reacted instantly, shield snapping up, feet shifting, spear angling to deflect. The impact rang out, sharp and solid, echoing through the yard.
She countered with a quick sweep, spearhead flashing toward Rasir's shoulder.
He twisted away, haft sliding against his grip, using momentum rather than strength. His movements were economical, honed by decades of battle.
They clashed again.
And again.
Spear met spear. Shield rang under impact. Footwork kicked up dust as they circled, tested, and adjusted.
Mina was fast, faster than Rasir expected. Her strikes were crisp, her defense tight. She didn't overextend. Didn't rush.
But Rasir could see it.
The gaps.
Moments where she hesitated, not from fear, but from calculation. She was thinking, adapting, and learning in real time.
He pressed her.
A feint. A sudden thrust. A low sweep meant to knock her balance.
Mina blocked, stumbled, and recovered.
The fight dragged on, neither giving ground easily.
"She's holding her own," Victor muttered.
"She's doing better than that," Arin replied quietly.
Rasir finally changed tactics.
He baited her into attacking.
The moment she committed, he slipped inside her guard, hooked her spear aside with his own, and twisted, using leverage, timing, and experience rather than brute force.
Mina's shield came up too late.
He tapped her shoulder with the blunt end of his spear.
"Point," Rasir said, breathing hard.
Mina laughed, lowering her weapons. "I know."
Rasir smiled, pride shining in his eyes. "You're strong. Stronger than you realize."
He leaned closer, voice softer. "But experience still matters."
She nodded. "Next time."
"Oh, there will be a next time," he said firmly.
The mood lightened quickly after that.
Raul challenged Rasir next and got politely but firmly put on his back within a minute.
Victor wisely declined.
They ate breakfast together afterward, laughter mixing with the smell of warm bread and stew. For once, the conversation wasn't about monsters or ranks or survival.
Just normal talks.
When the meal ended, Victor stood abruptly. "Alright. I'm heading to the smithy."
He stretched his arms, already thinking ten steps ahead. "Armor won't upgrade itself."
Raul waved him off. "Don't overwork yourself to death, buddy."
"No promises."
Once Victor left, Raul turned to Arin and cracked his knuckles.
"Alright," he said. "Our turn."
Mina raised an eyebrow. "Both of you?"
Arin nodded. "Two versus one."
She smiled.
"Try not to cry."
They took positions.
The moment the spar began, Mina moved.
She didn't rush them.
She controlled the space.
Every step she took forced Raul and Arin to adjust, reposition, react. Her spear danced between offense and defense seamlessly, shield always exactly where it needed to be.
Raul went all out.
His movements sharpened, instincts screaming, Combat Sense flaring as he pushed himself harder than ever. He attacked relentlessly, exploiting every opening he could find.
Mina blocked them all.
Sometimes effortlessly.
Sometimes with a grin.
Arin supported from the side, timing strikes, trying to corner her.
She slipped between them, spear tapping Raul's ribs, shield slamming into Arin's shoulder.
"Hey!" Raul barked, laughing. "At least pretend we're dangerous!"
"You are," she replied lightly. "That's why this is fun."
The spar lasted longer than either of them expected.
By the end, Raul was drenched in sweat, breathing hard, muscles burning.
And smiling like an idiot.
When it ended, something clicked.
Raul felt it before he saw it.
A subtle shift. A tightening, then release, like something inside him snapping into alignment.
He opened his status panel.
Soldier — 86%
"…Hah," he said softly.
Arin noticed immediately. "You progressed."
Raul nodded, eyes bright. "One percent."
Mina tilted her head. "From our sparring?"
"From being bullied," he corrected cheerfully.
The realization settled over them.
If this worked,
If repeated battles like this could push him forward,
Raul straightened, fire in his eyes. "Guess I'll just have to work harder."
He raised his twin daggers again.
"Round two?"
Mina smiled, lifting her shield.
"Whenever you're ready."