[Third Person POV]
A few weeks had passed since the dinner party, and once again, Riser was training with Erza.
It was combat training, but unlike one might expect, Erza wasn't just instantly knocking out Riser like she would Natsu.
That was mainly because of Natsu's personality.
To Natsu, Erza not doing her best would be an insult, even if it was just a friendly spar.
Riser was also very young. That didn't mean she'd let him hit her to feed his ego, but she knew that she needed to limit herself so Riser could actually grow as a fighter.
Recently, their sparring had even started moving to mid-class levels after Riser's reserves reached mid-class. Beyond that, the sparring was normally just Erza beating Riser up, though how much strength she exerted slowly grew with each sparring session.
At first, it was always just Riser getting thrashed. Erza didn't even use a sword yet, since he didn't know basic combat.
Instead, she just kept punching him, which, while not much better due to her strength, was preferable to getting cut open for now.
Riser wasn't exactly scared of pain. Back when he was 5, his parents had started using a family training method to resist pain, even performing a family ritual to nearly completely numb all pain, something his sister would go through in a few years.
Given the Phenex clan's abilities, it would be strange if they didn't have some method to lower the pain they feel.
After all, canon Rias literally threw her Power of Destruction in Riser's face, and he barely reacted to it. There wasn't any screaming or flinching when his face was turned to nothingness.
Riser's sense of pain wasn't completely removed, though; just dulled to an extreme degree. Pain was still an important thing for survival, but now, getting hit on the head felt like getting whacked by a pillow, while a stab would feel more like the prick of a needle.
Erza didn't spend long on hand-to-hand combat; she only ensured Riser knew the basics and avoided major mistakes. She wasn't much of a physical brawler herself, preferring swords, so she wasn't the best person to go to for that.
She could easily win a fight using technique and her strength, but any skilled CQC fighter would dismantle her easily.
That led to their current match. Erza was once again wearing her Flame Empress Armor, while Riser was trying to land a blow on her.
Even now, she still fought circles around him.
Every time Riser thought he was about to hit her, Erza would narrowly dodge.
A few weeks ago, Riser would've been too committed to the attack that he'd practically fall over himself trying to recover, leaving Erza available to slam him into the floor.
More recently, he'd finally stopped overreaching, only to learn that Erza was reading his movements to an insane degree. Whenever he overcommitted, she would dodge, and when he didn't, she would redirect his attack and knock him to the ground.
Though she was using a sword now, it was only a wooden one to get him used to pain when fighting.
"Riser, you need to focus less on where I am and more on where I will be," Erza instructed.
"That's easier said than done, Erza. I know how it should work," Riser said tiredly.
They had been working on this basic combat skill for weeks. Riser was familiar with the concept from anime.
Read the opponent's body language to anticipate their next move and intercept them at their next position.
Asking his parents about it, they both told him that it took years for them to reach a decent level, while his brothers did slightly better.
They were Phenexs. Their combat skill primarily consisted of what would best be termed suicide charges. Against angels and fallen, they would merely snipe from a range, but for everyone who couldn't negate their healing, they just got in close and unleashed hellfire.
It wasn't a complex strategy, but unless the enemy could instantly overwhelm their regeneration, they would usually have the chance to escape. It also wasn't like they had no combat experience or martial prowess, but for the most part, because of their immortality, it was never needed. They could usually outlast most people in trading blows, getting their opponents to retreat before taking a devastating blow.
Erza swung her sword down, slamming it into Riser's shoulder, potentially breaking something.
It was hard for Riser to tell the extent of the damage, generally 'feeling it out' through the amount of energy to heal.
Riser swung his fists in an attempt to touch her clothes, but Erza didn't give him the satisfaction.
Sweeping his feet out from under him, jabbing her wooden sword onto his sides, whatever she could do, she did.
By the end of their sparring session, Riser was once again lying on the floor, exhausted.
"Do you *pant* have to go *pant* so hard *pant* on me?" Riser asked. It was rhetorical. He was the one who asked her to train him, telling her not to go easy on him. But it was the only way he could vent until he was strong enough to beat her.
Erza picked Riser up and carried him on her shoulder.
"Don't be a baby, Riser. You're doing quite well for yourself. Your talent is probably just as good as Cana's is," Erza complimented.
"When she's drunk or when she's sober?"
"Drunk."
"Whoopee."
As Gildarts' daughter, Cana was extremely talented, but most of the time she was either drunk, hungover, or about to get drunk. Truthfully, had she spent more time training and less time drunk, she would've probably made S-class by now. Erza, as a guildmate, wished Cana would use her talents properly, but since Cana was happy, she never pushed her.
"Now come on," Erza said. "It's dinner time, and all that training made you sweat a lot. We'll get you cleaned up, and then we can go have dinner."
"We?"
"Of course," Erza replied. "I can help get your back," she explained, completely nonchalant.
Riser had almost forgotten how casually Erza treated bathing; even if she hadn't said anything, though, he wouldn't have complained.
"Let's go then.
__________
Author's Note:
Thanks for reading; I'll see you next time!