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Post by Mana on Mar 21, 2012 6:22:53 GMT -6
They had been far enough from Etruria now, any pursuers would have given up to catch them. Mana didn't count how many days had passed, the vast plain was pretty far from Etruria so she didn't want to make this trip feel longer by counting days. It might be a long trip but at least the two travellers found that the trip was easier than they expected, there was no random bandit or a new quest to stop them from heading straight toward their goal.
Today, they decided to camp in riverbank. This spot was perfect to make camp, it had fresh water and fishes so they didn't need to worry about food and water supply. And the fresh water of the river was very clean, Mana couldn't stop herself from jumping in as soon as they arrived here. The girl then cleaned the dirt in her body using the cool water when Wyatt was gathering some woods in the forest nearby.
When the night fell, they agreed to start their first training before dinner. They went to an empty ground carrying two wooden swords which they created from a dead trunk, it was much safer than using a real sword. "This place looks good. Lets go there, Wyatt!" Mana said as she jogged. Although she seemed reluctant when Wyatt asked her to help him train with sword, she looked really spirited now.
"So...Well..." Mana, who was supposed to be an instructor here, seemed pretty confused about how to start the lesson. It was because she was inexperienced in teaching people, she didn't know what to do and what to teach. "Honestly, I am not too sure how to teach you. I have never done this, actually. I am used to have someone guiding me but not the other way around," she said. Mana was having hard time thinking a good training method. Wyatt had believed in her to so she shouldn't disappoint him, this training had to be effective and worth his time.
"Lets see, maybe we should fix your grip first." Mana approached Wyatt and held his right hand, assuming he wasn't left-handed. "You must grip your sword like this and this," she said while helping Wyatt to hold the sword correctly. His hand was strong and a bit rough, as expected from a blackmith. "Don't put to much power in your grip, do it more loosely."
"Hehe...It's pretty fun," she thought to herself.
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Wyatt
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Post by Wyatt on Mar 21, 2012 8:39:30 GMT -6
Wyatt had been enjoying their leisurely trip through the plains, but he knew that the sooner he started training, the sooner he would get decent with the blade. He'd taken up the training sword, feeling slightly silly to be holding a wooden sword, and grabbed it as he would his axe. Both hands gripped close to the cross guard. Holding it like this felt awkward, but that was how he'd learned to hold weapons.
[red]"The grip is wrong, eh?"[/red] Wyatt asked, letting her move his hands. He still had both on the blade, but they were spread out along the handle more. A grip like this would weaken power, but provide more mobility, that made sense. [red]"Ok, a loose grip..."[/red] Wyatt repeated, taking a first swing with the practice sword.
The swing was straight and the sword moved quickly through the air. However it's momentum carried it far beyond where it would be effective, wasted energy and leaving his entire chest open. [red]"Hmmm...a bit too much power on that swing."[/red] Wyatt said, attempting again, willing himself to reduce the power so he didn't send the light weapon flying. The result this time was that the weapon moved far slower then he was used to, and that was bad for it's own reasons.
Wyatt scowled to himself slightly. [red]"I've not the time to learn by practicing forms and styles. I'll just have to learn it the same way I learned how to use the axe!"[/red] He said, leveling the mock sword at Mana. [red]"Here I come!"[/red] He announced, taking a diagonal slash down towards Mana's collarbone. The attack was rather slow, and very crude.
Hey, had to start somewhere.
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Post by Mana on Mar 21, 2012 12:34:57 GMT -6
Mana smiled as she watched Wyatt swinging his sword. He wasn't bad at all but his swing was still awkward. But at least he had the basic of fighting, his swing was pretty sharp and precise although he seemed to have a difficulty adapting his new weapon. Well, that was normal, using a sword was simple but mastering it would need some time. "Don't worry. It does take time," she said to him. His first try came out as a fast deadly swing but it made himself vulnerable. That kind of attack was more suitable as a final blow, though. The next was slower than the last one but was pretty close to the ideal speed, she thought.
Mana was a bit surprised when Wyatt came at her. "Sounds like a good idea." Mana braced herself to face his attack. Like her, it seemed Wyatt didn't like doing boring practice and prefered to get real experiences from a sparring. How could she blame him? "Don't hold back, Wyatt!" she shouted.
The attack that came from her side was slow and crude, Mana could see and predict the arc. She swung her sword toward his to repel his attack. When the two sticks connected, she could feel the strength within his attack. The blow hurt her hand, it might be slow but the power was truly great. Still, Mana had been used to it, she often faced someone with greater strength than her so she knew how to fight a powerful opponent like Wyatt. "Ouch! You are really strong, Wyatt!" she said while enduring the after-effect of the blow. If Wyatt used his full power in this strike she would have been forced to dodge, no doubt about it.
"It's my turn then!" Mana suddenly ducked low and sneaked into Wyatt's left side, bringing her sword in horizontal slash toward his stomach. The myrmidon planned to take advantage of her smaller size to pierce through his defense.
The girl was full of battle spirit now, she had even forgotten that this was only training.
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Wyatt
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How can someone win if winning means that someone loses?
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Post by Wyatt on Mar 21, 2012 12:44:19 GMT -6
Wyatt barely felt the sticks clacking together, and was going to try and force his way through with sheer power. It was then that he felt himself sliding forward, Mana had not maintained the block. She'd blocked in a way to stop his sword and slide it off to the side, meaning that he couldn't press more force onto it to try and push through her defense. He halted the push in time to keep himself from losing balance completely, but her strike was fluid and precise. A sharp snap followed by a quick burst of pain was his reprimand as the sword struck his chest. He stumbled back a step, before realizing another problem. She was on his left side, and he was right handed. It would be impossible to hit her where she was without adjusting his entire body, and to do so at close range would be exposing himself.
Wyatt hopped back, putting some distance between the two of them while he pondered his next move. He didn't wait long, he knew he had to keep on the offensive. Springing into action, he closed the distance again, aiming to bring an upward diagonal slash towards her left calf. It would be a harder attack to block, and since he knew he overpowered Mana, it was probably his best guess.
Problem was, the attack was obvious. Low attacks always were. He still held the practice sword firmly in both hands, trying to find the sweet spot between power and speed. Quite a difficult practice.
Knowing how to fight with a weapon and fighting with it were two very different things.
[red]"I'm not down that easy!"[/red] He shot back at her. [red]"It'd be a bad lesson if it was over so soon!"[/red]
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Post by Mana on Mar 22, 2012 2:26:38 GMT -6
Mana could feel her sword hit its target, a clean hit to his chest. Her decision to went into his left side was a good choice, Wyatt looked troubled when he realized where she was. The girl looked for another chance to land a punch, she knew she need to launch an consecutive attack to steal the momentum. Unfortunately, Wyatt reacted quickly, he hopped back immediately as if he realized her intention. The myrmidon tried to hit him with a diagonal slash toward his left shoulder but it only hit empty air.
Wyatt took the initiative in the next turn, he charged toward her almost as soon as he regained his footing. Mana was amazed by his legs power, she never saw someone move like that before. "He's strong." Mana smiled, she had begun to enjoy this. Her right hand holding her sword tightly when she watched him coming. His next attack was a low attack. Unfortunately, Mana had predicted it, she knew because Wyatt held his sword too low, indicating that his next attack would be aimed toward her lower body.
Mana decided to face him from front, as she always did. She didn't step back or run to the side, the girl launched herself toward Wyatt without showing doubt. It might be risky considering that Wyatt could overpower her easily in direct confrontation, but the girl did this because she knew that she had better speed and technique than the red haired blacksmith.
"Yeah! I wouldn't be fun if you was defeated easily" she shouted to respond his roar. Mana changed her stance, she brought her sword near her face and held its side with her left hand. She was going to aim his left arm. The timing was be crucial, his attack would hit her if she was late to make her move. Waiting to seize her chance, Mana waited until they were close enough. "Now!" she said to herself. The girl kicked the ground and jumped to dodge his low attack, gripping her sword with her right hand and using her left hand to mantain her balance in the air. Like before, she tried to get into his left side.
"Your left side is open, Wyatt!" she roared as she swung her sword to his left arm.
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Wyatt
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Post by Wyatt on Mar 22, 2012 9:18:56 GMT -6
She wasn't going to dodge? With all the strength he was putting into the swings there was no way she'd be able to block it. It was difficult enough to block low under normal conditions. Wyatt saw at the last moment, as she bent her knees and readied her sword. She was going to...what? Could she even pull something that fancy off in battle?
His question was answered in the next second, as Mana cleared his weapon and introduced her's to his left forearm. The familiar slapping sound echoed in the empty plains as Wyatt felt the redness spreading from the point of contact. Mana landed deftly, and Wyatt fought the urge to put pressure on her when she landed. She'd be ready for him, plus he didn't have the skill to try and be as fancy as she was. He hopped back, putting some quick distance when he saw something.
Mana fought with her weapon in one hand, he had his in both. He'd never been able to fight with an axe in one hand, but the sword was different. He held up his left hand for a moment, signifying a break.
[red]"Give me a second, I want to see something."[/red] He explained, shifting the sword so only his right hand grasped it. His left hand felt very conspicuous, as if it should be doing something. He tried a swing or two through the air. Something was missing, he felt off balance from this. Not to mention that his left arm would tend to hang limply at his side, while Mana's free hand moved about just as fluidly as her sword arm did.
[red]"It's not right..."[/red] He mused. [red]"It doesn't feel right being empty...but..."[/red] He walked back to where their gear was and took up one of his bags for a moment. Placing an Iron Ingot inside of it, he felt it in his hand. About 10 to 20 pounds... that would work well as a counter weight. He returned to where they were and wrapped the bag tightly around his left arm, wouldn't want it coming free and smacking Mana in the middle of the spar.
[red]"I needed a little counter balance."[/red] Wyatt explained, taking a few practice swings. The weight in his left hand kept him balanced, and the force he could gather with one arm for the swings was ideal for this style of fighting. A bit more power then speed, but still a decent combination.
[red]"All right then, ready to start again. Let's see how this works!"[/red] He called, approaching Mana with a much sturdier swing towards the midriff.
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Post by Mana on Mar 24, 2012 10:26:42 GMT -6
Mana turned around quickly as soon as she landed, not wanting to leave her back open. As the myrmidon prepared herself for the next attack, she saw Wyatt raise his hand. "He isn't going to surrender, is he?" She was afraid that he might want to end the training, no way, she just started to enjoy this. But Wyatt didn't disappoint her, he didn't give up. Instead, he had found something from the last blow. That was something she should have told him since the beginning, that he didn't need to always hold his sword using both hands. It might have made his attack stronger, but it couldn't be effective forever.
While Wyatt was trying to balance his strength and speed, Mana examined her training sword. "Hmm...It feels too light compared to a real sword." It had been a long time since she trained with wooden sword, the weigh in her right hand brought back some memories. Fortunately, she didn't have trouble adjusting to the lighter weight.
What Wyatt was doing picked her curiosity. Before she realized, Wyatt had done wrapping his bag around his left arm and returned to her, looking more prepared and confident than before. "I wonder why he have that thing wrapped around his arm...And what did he mean about counter balance?" Mana thought for a second. She then understood that Wyatt wanted to use the ingots to balance himself. "Is his balance bad?" she thought as she eyed the bag in his left arm. He probably shouldn't use that, it wouldn't be a training if he kept using that. But still, it was a good first step to learn how to use a sword with only one hand.
His next attack came with better speed than the last one. She was used to his previous attacks, which were slow, so she reacted too late to dodge this one. Not only the speed, the timing was improved as well. "Damn!" Mana cursed as she raised her sword to defend against his blow. Their swords clashed again, this time Mana used her both hand to hold her sword, trying to match his strength. Thankfully, his one-hand attack wasn't as strong as when he was using his both, it still hurt though. "That's better, Wyatt. Still a bit slow, but...better!" she said.
Mana parried his sword to the side to give herself enough time for her next move. "Take this! Heaaah!!!" she raised her sword above her head then swung her sword vertically downward, aiming to his right shoulder.
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Wyatt
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Post by Wyatt on Mar 24, 2012 21:57:54 GMT -6
OOC: Doing a mini-skip to continue the support.
IC: Wyatt felt the swords connect and smiled, good! He was putting all of his strength into his right hand, but swinging alone with his left hand empty would make him awkward on his feet. The extra weight in his left hand did help him to offset the balance issue while letting him attack with all of his force, but that was a temporary solution. He'd need to find something more long term.
And here came her sword, coming down from the top. Ok, he could block that. He raised the sword to try and parry her's, but it felt weak in his hand. Holding it one handed like this he didn't have the right kind of skill to deflect that hit. The result being that his weapon gave when they collided, and he jumped back just in time to feel the sword swish past his clothing. Man, she sure wasn't pulling any punches!
The training continued on for a few more minutes, Wyatt gaining a few new bruises during the course of it. He'd pushed Mana back once or twice, but he had yet to land a hit on her. Man her defense was something else! He pulled back, sweat pouring from his brow, as he wiped it off with a strap of cloth on his belt.
[red]"Whew...what a workout. You're better then most swordsmen I've fought. The Etrurian's have got nothing on you."[/red] He complimented, going for his waterskin as he sat down on the grass. He took a draw from the skin, and then offered it to his teacher.
[red]"I learned a lot from that. For one thing, balance issues, but that comes with all the power I throw around. For another, I need to get better at blocking with a weapon."[/red] He said, thinking on it. [red]"Axes aren't terribly good at blocking. I just needed to get strong enough so I could be mobile with such big weapons. Dodging was more important then blocking. But swords, they are designed to block, small and agile weapons. It's a whole new kind of fighting."[/red]
He mused, looking up at the star filled sky above Sacae as he sat there catching his breath.
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Post by Mana on Mar 25, 2012 7:26:13 GMT -6
Finally the training was ended. "It was very fun," she thought as she wiped her sweats in her chin with the back of her hand. She had managed to dodge most of his attacks so far, and parried some of them. "You will be a great swordman, Wyatt," she complimented back. The girl felt happy when he acknowledged her ability, his praise sounded like a beautiful music in her ear.
He was comparing her with the Etrurian, she couldn't help but feeling challenged after hearing that. Maybe she should have tried to fight those inquisitors before they left Etruria, just to know how strong they were. "Thanks." Mana took the waterskin from Wyatt and sat next to him, but not too close. The water that went down her throat was really tasty, she needed it after sweating so much. This training was not useful only for Wyatt, the Sacaen girl had gained a few things too.
"We will fix that. I will teach you some tricks about footwork. They will help you keeping your balance, I am sure about that," she said as she returned the waterskin to Wyatt. "Also, I saw that sometimes the distance between your steps were too big, it might have caused you unbalanced," she said, evaluating him. Wyatt had made good progress so far, he just needed to fix a new things before he could be good with sword. Mana was like him when she held sword for the first time, but having inherited natural talent from her mother helped her to learn fast.
"But, Wyatt...I was thinking...Maybe you should try something like bigger blade instead of a slim sword like mine. A big blade would suit a strong man like you," she suggested, poking the blacksmith's arm with her wooden sword as she said.
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Wyatt
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Post by Wyatt on Mar 25, 2012 12:53:04 GMT -6
Wyatt listened to her speak as he caught his breath. She was sure cutting to the heart of the issue. Wyatt looked at the practice sword and thought about it. [red]"Well, it's like learning a new way to walk. I'm used to throwing my weight around, cause with an axe you have to. But with a sword, it just makes you more vulnerable. That is why I use some weight in my left hand to balance me out, so I can hit with full force without having to worry about flailing around. Still, need a more permanent solution to that."[/red] He thought about it, and then Mana made the recommendation on a new sword.
[red]"Hmmm, you have a point there. I guess I should play to my strengths, and a bigger weapon would be better suited to me."[/red] He thumbed his chin as he thought. [red]"When we get to Bulgar, I'll go and make myself one! I'd never fight with a weapon I didn't make myself...well.."[/red] He patted the stone axe on his back. [red]"There are some exceptions to that, but I don't tend to buy weapons. If you are going to risk your life on it, you better have put your heart and soul into it."[/red]
Realizing that training was over for now, Wyatt released his backpack and let it thud to the ground, with a rather loud crash. He sheepishly looked up at Mana, rubbing his hair. [red]"Ah, sorry. My old master used to make me do everything with my pack on. Muscle building and all, guess I do it without thinking now."[/red]
The pack must have weighed close to fifty pounds, and he wore it almost all the time, even during the training! It seemed perfectly normal to him though.
He almost wished he could just stay like this. Good company, a good night, and just a pleasant time. He couldn't remember the last time he was so relaxed. Life had been very stressful for the last few months.
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Post by Mana on Mar 26, 2012 5:54:29 GMT -6
"A good footwork will do. You won't lose your balance easily if you have sturdy footing," she explained. "Yours wasn't that bad, actually. You are just not used with light weapon, I think." Yes, he seemed to have trouble without that counter balance of his. The technique needed to use a sword were different with axe's so it wouldn't be easy for someone who had used an axe for along time.
"Yup. A big sword is as heavy as an axe..maybe." Mana looked at his axe. She had never used an axe before so maybe she shouldn't try making a comparison. Wyatt then explained how he had always make his weapon himself. before he explained the reason, Mana thought it was only because he had the skill to forge weapon. But his reason then made her smile, she admired how he cherished a weapon he made. It was similar to her fondness toward the sword she was using so she could understand him.
The loud sound made her surprised. "What was he carrying, actually?" It had to be very heavy, the loud crash had explained it very well. "No wonder, you are very muscular, Wyatt," she said as she stood up. Mana went to where the backpack was and tried to lift it. But the weight was too much for her slender arms, she couldn't lift it.
"You were carrying this?" she asked. The girl was offended, Wyatt carried something heavy like this when training. This meant he hadn't use his full potential against her. "Wyatt...Stand up..." she said with somewhat annoyed expression. Mana never liked when someone went easy on her. "Lets train again, without your backpack..." she said, having scary smile in her face. Although she was angry, she felt excited deep in her heart. This man was strong, a perfect sparring partner, she couldn't ask more.
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Wyatt
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Post by Wyatt on Mar 26, 2012 12:13:14 GMT -6
Wyatt rubbed his head sheepishly at her critique of his style. Swift and to the point, but not untrue in the least. Still, sticking with a big weapon was probably going to benefit him more then he'd imagined.
When she made the comment on his physique, he wasn't quite sure how to take it. Was she flirting with him? No, no way. Mana didn't look like the type to be swayed by some big muscle man, it was probably just the different cultures clashing. [red]"Yeah, it actually helps me more then you'd think, to fight with-"[/red] He paused, watching her try to lift it. Wyatt shook his head with a slight chuckle. [red]"Hey hey, you are trying to lift with your arms. You gotta lift it with your legs, that is why it's a backpack."[/red] He always put it on when he was sitting down. Slide on the shoulder straps and then stand up, much easier then lifting the monster in his hands.
And then she rounded on him, wearing an accusatory expression. Wait...why was she mad? [red]"Huh? But I-"[/red] He paused, seeing the fire and anger in her eyes. Refusing her would not be a wise idea right about now. Wyatt half sighed, she thought the pack was a handicap? It's true it made him stronger but...
[red]"All right."[/red] Wyatt resigned, standing up and rolling his shoulders to loosen them up a little bit as he leveled the training sword in his hands. Had to be careful here, didn't want to break the damn thing if he lost control of his strength. He brought it back and swung it forward in a simple horizontal slash.
The 'simple' slash ripped through the air with the force of an arrow, speed and power delightfully combined, but the law's of inertia reclaimed their dominance. Wyatt had pushed so much raw power into the swing that his body couldn't maintain it's balance, the result being that he stumbled and nearly tripped past Mana, missing completely with the sword. He looked back at her, very much embarrassed, but hoping he made his point.
[red]"It wasn't a handicap. It's something I've been doing for months. I've got too much power, so I keep using too much and losing balance. So I started adding weight so I would get weakened to where I can control it. As I get more used to it, I take weight out. Eventually, I hope I can fight well with no weight, but I'm not quite there yet."[/red]
Another embarrassed look. [red]"A lot of strength, but I'm still working on the skill part."[/red]
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Post by Mana on Mar 26, 2012 19:08:51 GMT -6
"All right."
Mana prepared herself, she wanted to see how he would fight withou his backpack. She then saw his next attack coming faster than before. It was not just fast, she was expecting a strong strike but this was better than she imagined. "This is his real strength?" she thought. His attack flashed in front of her eyes as she raised her sword to defend but, she never felt the impact. The blacksmith had stumbled and missed his attack. "Oh, Mother Earth. I thought he would sent me flying."
Mana watched him, dumfounded by what just happened. She just stood here listening to his explanation about how he needed the weight to help him with his balance problem. So, he didn't go easy on her? Now it was Mana's turn to feel embarassed. But instead of sulking or looking embarassed, the girl just laughed, starting with small giggle before she let out a joyful laughter.
"Sorry, you looked so funny," she said, wiping tears from her eyes. Her mood changed, she didn't look angry anymore. A smile had returned to her face again. "I see it now. I am sorry for doubting you, Wyatt. I just didn't like the thought of someone going easy on me," she explained.
"And don't worry about that. You will get better soon. You have shown a great potential." Mana wasn't just saying, she really meant it. She never threw praises to people who didn't deserve it anyway. The girl had acknowledged his potential, and she was willing to help him with his training.
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Wyatt
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How can someone win if winning means that someone loses?
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Post by Wyatt on Mar 26, 2012 19:41:54 GMT -6
Wyatt blushed in embarrassment at her laughter. Yeah, the big powerful fighter almost falling flat on his face, that did seem like it would be kind of funny. When Mana made the comment about him going easy on her, it was his turn to laugh.
[red]"Me? Go easy on you? Bwahahahahah!"[/red] He roared with laughter. [red]"I'd need to be better then you to go easy on you first. I've got the strength, but you've got the speed and skill. It winds up being a somewhat fair fight, if I were using a weapon I'm familiar with, I'd think. I don't like sparring with axes though, they hurt even when it's just practice."[/red] He remarked, sitting back down on the ground.
[red]"It's been so long since I started doing this stuff...at least 2 years...maybe 3. I remember my first little adventure, cleaning a town out of a bandit invasion with a knight of Laus. Young kid too, I wonder what happened to him. That was where I met Yaen as well."[/red] He said, tying the story into something she would know a little about.
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Post by Mana on Apr 6, 2012 1:03:51 GMT -6
"Maybe," she thought secretly when Wyatt made a comment about how if he were using his axe . Mana had seen his movement, it might be awkward because he was unfamiliar with the new weapon in his hand. But his movement was already good from the beginning. She could imagine how he would fight with an axe in hand, that would be different from this sparring. "Uuurgh...Why I get this urge to challenge him into a fight, with him using his axe?" That would be an interesting fight for her, who always like testing her ability. Mana refrained herself, the time didn't seem right to ask such request.
"Well...How should I say it?" Mana scratched her cheek while looking at his eyes. "You just made me curious. Now I want to try fighting against you again," she said, chuckling. Maybe he would think that she was making a joke.
Mana seemed interested when he mentioned Yaen and how he met the Sacaen swordman for the first time. "That's funny. My first meeting with him was in a battle too. Well, maybe not quite similar but..." She tried to gather the pieces of her memory. Mana then started turning red as she remembered how she felt when their eyes met. "A-Anyway, this world is really small, right? We both has met a same person." Suddenly looking embarassed, she tried to change the topic.
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