He was exhausted, lying on the ground with the sword planted beside him. His chest rose and fell slowly as he caught his breath. Around him, the grass had been flattened by the countless repetitions they had gone through during the afternoon's training. Sitting beside him, Jeanne watched him carefully.
"That was a huge improvement," she said. "As long as you keep practicing regularly, your swordsmanship won't let you down. Later, I'll see what else I can do to help you improve."
"Thank you. That really helps," Mitsuki replied.
Ishimaru crawled across the ground and climbed onto Mitsuki's chest. He stayed there for a second before trembling as if he wanted to tell him something.
Mitsuki didn't quite understand, but he picked up a nearby rock and dropped it onto the slime. The stone sank into the creature's body, disappearing into its gray mass.
Ishimaru immediately seemed satisfied. He quivered happily as he slowly began absorbing the mineral.
