"You've always been so stubborn... You remind me of Mavislin when she was young."
"She's still stubborn now!"
"Yes, but she is stubborn at the right times. There's a difference. You are stubborn because you refuse to go against the grain and change your ways. Faced with a difficult opponent, you have to learn how to adapt and overcome."
That was a conversation that was held between the Slayer and the High Queen during the earlier fight before they went to Albion. He'd never put any thought to it... Until now. Tomoe was shown to be a very whimsical person when it comes to fighting, the same as Mavislin.
His attacks can be vastly different, making it futile to study his techniques or learn any patterns. The more Bryan thought about it, the more frustrated he got. He needed more time to analyze his next move and to read the situation. That is if Tomoe doesn't change his weaponry or fighting style.
Both were locked in their stance and Bryan would soon be the first to falter. Tomoe smirked as he pushed Bryan away.
But the fox wasted no time to follow the flying Slayer. He used both fans to try and propel himself faster in the air, catching up with Bryan. When Tomoe was close to delivering another attack, he used the curved edges of his fans to afflict damage on Bryan.
But because Bryan lacked the strength to face off with the war fans, the Slayer was forced to dodge the powerful slashes of Tomoe's weapons. He dropped downwards and onto the forest floor before running away. Tomoe's twin fans were capable enough to slice down a large tree.
And Bryan didn't have to see the carnage that Tomoe had done to know that he was in deep trouble now. His legs were the strongest thing he had now, so he had to use them to his advantage.
"That's your tactic? Running away from me?" taunted Tomoe, taking down the trees that stood in his way.
Bryan turned and faced Tomoe with his blade ready to strike at the metal fans. Both weapons met with sparks, with Bryan's blade clashing with the right war fan's curved edge.
"Your blade is quite durable, despite going full force with my twin fans. Whoever made that blade certainly earns my respect in my book," commented Tomoe, gazing at the blade opposed to him.
"Well, the person who forged it is dead. And the blade was rusty and chipped when I found it. I was the one who got it back to pristine condition," replied Bryan, proudly.
"Unfortunately, you don't have my respect if you keep continuing to run away like that... And you are wide open!" yelled Tomoe, smiling.
This made Bryan vulnerable to the left fan, which Tomoe held up to prepare for a slash on Bryan's shoulder. To the Kitsune's horror, Bryan caught the metal fan with his bare hand. He then weakened his stance, allowing Tomoe to push him back.
The Slayer's blade remained in contact with the fan. He then concentrated his strength on his legs and took in a deep breath. And jumped. Tomoe was thrown completely off guard at what just happened and was now flying back to the starting point.
Both of them crashed back at the open area, where Baldwin was still waiting for their return. His eyebrows raised when he saw the predicament that they were in. And to top it off, Bryan was refusing to let go of the fan, despite his palm being cut.
"Are you insane?! You may have powers but your body is still human! Let go!" ordered Tomoe, trying to get Bryan to let go.
"Let go, Slayer Verna! Before Mavislin takes a whiff of your blood and kills me for real!" cried Tomoe, once more.
The Slayer finally let go and the two resumed their normal battle, with the blade's edges clashing with the fans' curved edges. The two clashed and Tomoe stuck up another conversation.
"Listen, I need you to know that you hurting yourself just to get the upper hand will not work in this training. There's no point fatally wounding the enemy while putting yourself in danger. This is not a suicide mission, you're supposed to be back alive," explained Tomoe.
"And another thing. I may be a spirit and a Familiar, but I wish to keep my head connected to my neck. If Mav found out that I nearly killed you in training, she will hack off my head the same way I took down those trees. So unless you want to kill me, I suggest you don't do it again. Got it?"
"Understood. I just thought it would be a neat trick to do, I didn't think about the aftereffects," replied Bryan, slightly ashamed.