"All right, next."
Guh-heok!
"Bravery that charges in without hesitation is one thing, but being so cowed that you don't properly read your opponent's blade... in a real fight you'd have taken two or three cuts and died."
"Please do."
"Come at me as much as you like. I'll let you have the first strike."
My sparring partner is our section chief. He's a decent guy. But that's irrelevant—this is sparring.
'He's fast. His fundamentals are well ingrained.'
'He's not flailing some muscle-bound blade, even though there's power behind it. There's precision in his cuts and the way he severs when needed—proof of why he holds his rank.'
'Then it's time I show him something.'
We all agreed not to use Arts in this sparring session. That includes me. So it comes down to pure skill.
'His cutting technique is sound, but that blade path even overpowered his own guard.'
'He slices as if to deny me any initiative, but he isn't truly seizing the advantage either.'
"Don't just focus on cutting it off. You need to catch the flow. Ride the motion, then sever when the moment calls for it."
This is exactly what his blade needs now: harness the flow, unify offense and defense, and accentuate his strength in zone control.
Tang!
In the end, the section chief's sword traced a circle in midair and flew backward. That was my victory.
"You're not bad at all. With a bit more practice, you'll savor the thrill of the cut... no, no—you'll relish it."
"...You were about to say 'the thrill of the cut,' weren't you."
"No! Not at all?! All right, next, next! Hurry up so we can have breakfast!"
I'm no sword revenant—how could I talk about the 'thrill of the cut' with a person? Ha! What a hilarious joke.
"Jokes aside, 'sword revenant' suits you more than 'assassin,' doesn't it?"
"Shut your mouth."
"Who are you calling a sword revenant? I'm not like that, you know?"
"Chen, Talulah. Attack together."
"What? Really?"
"Originally I planned to fight twenty opponents back there at once, but it wasn't interesting… and I figured I couldn't hold back. So I'll experiment with you two."
"You just say 'experiment' like it's nothing…"
If you call it an experiment, what else would you call it?
'Talulah's still dual-wielding, and Chen's one-handed sword, huh.'
'It might be fun to face two swords at once.'
'First leap goes to Talulah.'
I feel her leg muscles coil. Unlike the tense Chen, who's already faced me once, Talulah seems fully poised to strike.
'Shall I do as the Dragon Head requested?'
"Why did you call me, Dragon Head?"
"My apologies. Your training was supposed to start tomorrow, wasn't it?"
"Yes, it was. Why?"
"With Talulah and Chen participating as well?"
"Yes. So I could go easy on the opponent while keeping watch…"
"That won't be necessary."
"Huh? Really?"
"Rather than baiting them into using Arts like last time, crush them with pure swordsmanship alone."
"…I don't get your intention."
"It's simple. Since they're now in a position to learn from Baekhyun, you don't want them thinking you're just community neighbors. You need to demonstrate the gap in skill. And on top of that, send the message that you won't go easy on even my own kin…"
"It'll boost morale as well… Damn, you're cunning, Dragon Head."
"So? Will you do it?"
"Count me in. I'll take whatever comes."
'Now that Dragon Head has asked me not to go easy, maybe I should face them in earnest.'
'Feign aiming for the torso, twist your waist, and execute [Ascending Strike] upward.'
Mixing in feints can certainly catch an opponent off guard, but that only works if it isn't anticipated. Once it's read, it's meaningless.
I took two steps back, twisted my body, and evaded cleanly—his hesitation was plain to see.
"You can't do that. If you show hesitation just because one strike didn't land, your opponent grows emboldened. Like this."
I lightly swing my wooden sword and strike down on the wrist. Talulah's firm grip on her training sword—
collapsed without resistance. The blow to her tensed muscles made her relax instantly.
"And Chen, speed's good, but accuracy's zero. You have to factor in your opponent's evasion when setting your range."
Chen, thinking I was focused on Talulah, leapt in from behind and swung his sword—but it was too chaotic. It felt like a swing made without a defined target area, so it tangled itself without me even needing to parry.
'I wonder if this is what it felt like when Lee Sang taught me?'
His speed was adequate, but precision was void. Still, the inherent strength of a Draco and the faint resilience in Chen's eyes…
'She really is strong.'
Her blade path was a mess and her accuracy zero. She was the weakest opponent I've faced today. Yet she's also the one I most look forward to seeing improve.
"Don't get jittery. A flurry of strikes isn't like a storm of attacks—you need calm intent."
It's advice she'll realize on her own someday, but there's no harm in telling her now.
Ddak!
I drove my blade into a gap between her chaotic swings, and her sword clattered to the ground.
"Alright, team. I won't stop you if you go eat or stay to train. You have two hours of free time. Assemble again at eleven for sparring. Understood?"
"Yes!"
Good. At least no one's had the nerve to talk down to me just because I'm younger.
"What about you two? I'm heading to eat, and I'm taking you with me."
"Then why ask?"
"Just wondering."
Eating alone can get dull, and you need to fuel your growth anyway.
"Sorry, but I'm good."
"What's wrong, Chen? You're not actually sulking, are you?"
"No. Not that."
"Look, Chen, don't be like that…"
"Talulah, hold on. Fine, I get it. Let's have lunch together later."
Now's not the time to push Chen. She's replaying her every move, questioning what went wrong and how she should've done it. If you bother her now, her inspiration will just vanish.
"…Looks like you want to stick around and get a feel for it too, Talulah?"
"…Yeah."
If that's the case, I guess I'll eat alone.
"Ugh, it's freezing. This is nuts, right?"
The sun's higher than before, yet it's still bone-chilling. At times like this you crave a steaming broth…
"If it can be spicy, even better…"
"Ooh! You're a kid who knows what's good, huh?"
"Huh? Who?"
I spot a tail of stark white tipped with vivid red, and thin clothing so ambiguous I can't tell if it's summer or winter.
"I was craving something spicy anyway and it's great to have company~ Come on, let's go!"
"Huh? Me? Y-yes? Yesssss?!!!"
"See, you're excited! You're squealing with joy!"
Nian — the first limited operator of Arknights and a member of Ling's family, whose third fragment I collected when I met Shei — is effectively abducting me right now.
'Life on Terra isn't easy…'
"Yeah, hot pot's definitely the way to go!"
"What the hell, give me back my [Lin-su Fishcake Soup], dammit."