CHAPTER 229: TRAINING WITH GENIUSES [2]

I groaned, rolling my neck as I forced myself to my feet again. Every joint in my body clicked like an old machine being booted up after years in a basement.

"I’m starting to think you two are trying to kill me," I muttered.

"No, Rin," Leona said sweetly, brushing a stray hair behind her ear. "If we wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead."

I gave her a blank stare. "That’s supposed to make me feel better?"

Ryen clapped me on the back again—seriously, what did he have against my spine?—and laughed. "We’re just pushing you to your potential. If you survive training with us, the ranking match’ll feel like a vacation."

"And if I don’t survive?"

"Then we’ll attend your funeral and tell everyone how brave you were."

"Touching," I said flatly.

Still, I couldn’t lie. There was something reassuring in their presence, in this unspoken understanding between exhausted cadets. They weren’t just trying to break me. They were trying to pull me up.

Which was... annoyingly endearing.

"Get ready! I’m coming in—don’t block it this time. Deflect it!"

Ryen’s voice rang out clearly as he dashed toward me, his stance sharp and controlled. I inhaled deeply and adjusted my grip on the dagger. My mind snapped into focus. No time for distractions.

The moment his sword came down, it was like a bolt of lightning again—but this time, I could see it. Just barely.

I moved to deflect it like he said, but—

"Gah...!"

My dagger caught the blow, but the sheer force of it made my arm tremble. The weight of the strike pressed down through my shoulder like a hammer, and I had to grit my teeth to stop from buckling.

"Damn... that was close."

"You’re getting there," Ryen said, stepping back and nodding, genuinely.

"Honestly," I muttered, catching my breath, "maybe you two should just spar with each other and ignore me for today. I clearly don’t have a shot at the ranking match."

Ryen blinked at me. "Huh? Nah. You’re actually doing pretty well."

I looked at him, squinting. "...Are you messing with me right now?"

"Don’t glare like that, I’m being serious," he said, holding up his hands. "You’ve got the hardest part of a fight already figured out."

"Huh?"

"That’s right!" Leona chimed in from the side, hopping down from where she was sitting on the fence, twirling a training staff. "You’re already crazy good at reading the timing of attacks. That’s not something you can teach easily, you know?"

I frowned. "Timing?"

"Yup!" she grinned. "You’re just a bit slow in reacting physically. Probably because your body isn’t keeping up with what your head sees. But that’ll get better with training."

Ryen nodded. "That’s why we’re pushing you like this. You already see what’s coming. That’s half the battle."

I blinked, a little surprised. That... made sense. I had been reacting more instinctively than consciously.

I let out a long sigh, shoulders easing as the tension finally slipped away.

"...Thanks," I muttered, almost under my breath.

"Don’t sweat it," Ryen replied with a grin. "Now let’s give it another shot."

Wait—what?

Before I could even register what he meant, he was already back in that merciless stance again.

...Huh? Wasn’t that the wrap-up moment? A nice clean finish? We’re still

going?

"Come on," he said, eyes gleaming with unshakable determination. "I’ll help you until you get it right."

Yep. That was Ryen for you.

The kind of guy who believed hard work solved everything. The type to charge forward with pure spirit and drag everyone along in his fiery wake.

I told you already, man—characters like this aren’t popular anymore. People want clever, moody masterminds now. Not walking shounen manga protagonists!

But before I could voice my protest, he shouted—

"Here I come...!"

I flinched.

"D-Don’t come...!" I blurted, half panicked.

My legs moved on their own to dodge his incoming attack.

And so, the merciless training continued.

CLANG!

Steel rang against steel as Ryen’s blade met mine again, the shock vibrating down to my bones.

"Good! You’re holding it better this time!" he shouted, the force of his swing pressing me back a step.

I gritted my teeth and tightened my grip. My arms felt like they were on fire, but my feet stayed planted. Barely.

THWACK!

A wooden staff snapped against the ground just inches from my side. Leona had joined in, her staff sweeping in low from behind me.

"Don’t drop your guard just ’cause he’s in front of you!" she chimed, spinning the staff back into her hand like it weighed nothing.

"What the—!? You’re attacking too?!"

WHOOSH—!

The wind from Ryen’s next swing cut past my ear. I ducked instinctively, barely escaping a clean hit to the head.

"Focus, Rin!" he barked, "You’re getting distracted again!"

"I’M TRYING NOT TO DIE!"

CLACK! CLANG!

My dagger clashed again, sliding off his sword with a screech of metal. My wrist throbbed, but I shifted my weight and twisted, just barely managing to avoid Leona’s spinning follow-up.

"Better!" Ryen called out, eyes gleaming. "Now use that momentum!"

"Like hell I know how—!"

I stepped in, trying to fake a swing, but Leona read it instantly and jabbed the end of her staff at my shoulder.

THUMP!

"Argh!"

"Keep moving!" she grinned, backing off just enough for Ryen to close the distance again.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

It felt endless. I parried high, twisted low, stumbled sideways, kicked out at the ground just to stay standing. Sweat blurred my vision and my arms screamed with fatigue.

But even through all that—

I started to notice.

The way Ryen shifted his weight before a big swing.

The rhythm in Leona’s movement when she struck twice in quick succession.

The gaps in their rhythm.

There—!

CLANG!—SKRRRCH!

I twisted my wrist at the last second and diverted Ryen’s sword fully to the side, forcing him off balance for just a breath.

"You see it now, don’t you?" he grinned, regaining balance with a pivot.

"Barely!" I gasped, almost laughing from sheer exhaustion.

The training was over....even only for now.