"You shouldn't be sorry that you defeated us... Instead, you should be proud that you've learned how to fight like a swordsman!" yelled Tomoe as Midori giggled.
"And as for your training, you have won the duel against Circe, with or without Mordred, since you were using the power of your Original Spell and your sword mastery. I will be putting you against Amani tomorrow, and we'll have to see if we can help Circe with her losing streak."
"But for now, let's return to the surface and regroup with the rest. I plan to have Nasima fight against Duncan as the last duel for today. Hopefully, the Ankou within Duncan won't fully take over during the fight. But as far as I can tell, great work, Midori..." explained Bryan as the place changed.
As soon as they returned to the surface, Nasima wiggled out of Duncan's grasp and ran towards Midori, with Circe following behind. Duncan shrugged as he calmly walked over to greet his twin sister. Meanwhile, Z was bombarding Mavislin and Bryan with questions.
After the Valkyrie and Slayer finished Z's onslaught of quizzes, Bryan quickly turned his attention to the children, preparing them for the last duel.
"Listen, I understand that Midori's sudden change to her spirit within her might have freaked you out. Especially for Circe, but don't worry, Midori isn't hurt at all or being forced by the spirit. And we are fine as well since no one asked..." explained Bryan, with a hint of sadness.
The children looked at each other before shrugging in unison.
"We didn't think you would need to be asked if you are fine since you are grown-ups... And grown-ups are more powerful than children, right?" asked Circe.
"And this is why I will never have kids in the future or any point of my life... So brutally honest to the point that it can hurt physically..." complained Tomoe, nudging Bryan's side.
"Anyways, Duncan and Nasima are up next as the final battle for today. I'll see if we've got time for some more duels tomorrow since Mavislin wants to go through some basics for the day's main part. Duncan, Nasima... Are you ready?" asked Bryan, turning to the two children.
"The last question should be for you, Bryan. You just got knocked out by the Knight of Rebellion, the one who killed King Arthur and nearly put your head into an early grave just a few Tocks ago... Are you sure you can help supervise the next duel?" questioned Mavislin.
The Slayer rubbed the sore spot from where Mordred had planted that final blow and sighed. Bryan then stayed still for a few Ticks while steadily breathing. Mavislin and Z were confused and afraid that the Slayer would faint since he wasn't looking too good.
"Don't disturb him; he is focusing on the bruise to see if there is any internal bleeding. By staying still and concentrating his Elemental Energy on the wounded area, Bryan can determine if it's life-threatening or a mere bruise. Bryan can also stop the bleeding if he can repair the wound."
"I've never heard of that... Z, do you know that humans can do that skill?" asked Mavislin.
"It's an old technique, but it requires a large pool of Elemental Energy to work since you are going to waste Energy to stop the bleeding," replied Z.
"Bry, do you have enough Elemental Energy to stop the bleeding?" asked the Kitsune, walking towards the still Slayer.
Bryan slowly opened his eyes and shook his head.
"There's no need to since I'm not suffering from internal bleeding, but it is still a sore spot. I might have got a more serious injury if Lady Roydon hadn't stepped in. But I promise I am well enough to take care of my students. Lady Roydon, are you staying to watch?" asked Bryan.
The Valkyrie sighed and shook her head while glancing at Z.
"No... I've got quite a few things to look into before dinner... And we've been gathering some information about our next Major Mission, so I can't stick around. But I'm sure the kids will perform well even without me being here."
"And as a bonus, I would say that I am proud to know that Nasima has exceeded my expectations and will be getting two helpings of cake tonight. According to what I planned, we'll be touching on the basics of Elements and how it works tomorrow after breakfast," replied Mavislin.
"Thank you, Mother Mavy... I love cake!" exclaimed the happy girl, running around Mavislin.
Mavislin smiled as she patted Nasima's head. Z began to walk back to the house as the Valkyrie flew back to the room. The pit opened up again; this time, it felt more extensive than usual. Perhaps the Old Chapel was preparing for the worse to come.