Sparks flew as the two clashed time after time, the blonde holding up better than Ry expected as she displayed he skillful movements with her blades. She countered each one of his strikes with much ease and the reach her blades had over his kunai gave him an advantage. It limited the number of times he could actually come close enough to do any real damage, though that wasn't his main aim.
He stepped back and ducked his head, missing swing right at him before going down on his hands giving himself enough thrust both his legs in a kick aimed at the Guardian's jaw. She drew back both her arms into a cross and blocked it but the force moved her a few feet back. Ry followed up with more strikes, mixed in with a few slashes of his kunai, pushing back the Guardian for once.
But he wouldn't get too cocky, the Guardian's defense was basically perfect, deflecting away his kunai while still guarding against his kicks without giving any openings to him. The moment he would try to go for a more decisive hit her blade would shoot out towards him threatening to pierce through him.
He would have been content just holding her in place if the beast girl hadn't returned.
"Aya, get upstairs, he's trying to hide something," Ry tensed up hearing that, looked like she'd caught on what he was doing.
"Sure thing Tara," Aya bounded up the stairs, forcing Ry to break away from Tara and chase her down.
"You sure you can afford to leave me," Tara called behind him, making him turn his head to a catch a glimpse of her blades glowing a faint blue light as blades of razor sharp water jetted from them.
'A spellsword huh,' Ry thought as he went into a full flip to avoid having his leg parted from his body and landed to keep on his chase for the cat girl.
However Aya had now turned to him, swinging out her gloved fist at him. Ry had enough sense in him to not take it head on, dodging to the side while sliding up to take her off her feet. His sweeping leg was blocked though as Aya moved her own leg forward to counter him making him switch into a back heel with his other foot going towards her face. Aya pushed that aside, slamming her fist down at him. Ry didn't stick around for that though, being forced to roll out of the way into a spring stand while anticipating an attack from Tara who had her swords swinging out at him.
He had to counter them while still mid air sliding his kunai out against them to deflect them away from him. Once he was back on his feet he had to pace back a few steps further to avoid being cut down by Tara's follow up. They were locked in this little dance, this time with Tara pushing forward managing to slice open Ry's left upper arm and knocking him down with a kick.
"Give up," Tara said, pointing her blade at him.
"DONE!!" the both of them turned to Hugo, who was at the top of the stairs, waving at Ry before bounding off by himself. That little yell provided the perfect distraction for Ry to swat away Tara's blade, and while she was trying to swing at him with the other got her feet kicked out from under her as Ry rolled back to his feet and made his way out through the front door.
The two guards outside were to surprised to avoid the two sharp kicks right to their temples that knocked them down clean while Ry made for the alleys where hopefully he'd loose anyone who still planned on chasing him down.
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"Tara, you okay?" Aya helped Tara up to her feet while she dusted herself off.
"Yes, don't worry. Call HQ, report everything. I'll have a look at whatever's missing," Tara explained as Aya turned away to activate her comm, a mana powered band that allowed audio communication between people.
She made her way upstairs just in time to find the guards there finally coming to. She helped them out, assuring them of coming help while she kept on with her search till she came up an empty glass casing, below it labelled Sarphin Soul.
Tara remembered hearing about from a family meeting a few weeks ago, her mom and aunt mentioning it partly in one of their conversations. She shuddered recalling that attending that again, family meetings were never her favorite moments. She was happily content passing her days serving under the Guardians.
Soon enough higher levelled officials arrived to open official investigations with Tara reporting everything at the scene before being dismissed. She and her partner or rather subordinate made their way back home, Aya particular in good mood even though they failed to stop a robbery.
"What's got you so happy?" Tara asked.
"Nothing much captain. It's been a while since we've seen some action is all," She hummed softly to herself, one of her canines poking out cutely.
"We lost though, but I guess it was worth a learning experience," Tara let out a sigh.
"I know right? Now when we get back I wanna eat some of your delicious meat stew then take a long nap," Aya's tail wagged happily thinking about the stew.
"Really? I cook for you guys everyday, why don't you learn how to cook yourself," Tara nagged.
"As if I haven't tried, you know how that turned out," Aya did have a good point as Tara recalled the last time she tried to cook something. It left her incapacitated for close to a week with Rosalie being the only one spared since she didn't have any of it.
"Alright I'll make stew," Tara resigned to remaining her company's chef. Rosalie or Rose as they liked to call her, the other member of their company, wouldn't bother with it at all. For being the captain her surbodinates hardly did anything without her help. As much as they were talented in their jobs they could barely clean their rooms.
At the Guardian, they divided themselves into companies of six each with one of them presiding over it. The companies were assigned different responsibilities according to their overall ranking based on their performance and twenty companies were overseen by a lieutenant colonel who was in charge of overall training and inspection. Of course the lieutenant colonel had an assistant to help out while training could also basically the Captain's duty if they wanted to excel and be recognized.
Companies which show high excellence are promoted to their own unit known as elites, under direct supervision of the superintendent overseeing the region and handed higher and more difficult missions rather than patrols and basic police duty. Hunting monsters, dangerous insurgent groups, even battles against other nations are just among the few on the list.
Tara's company, the twelfth company under liutenant colonlel Alphius Yorlee, a battle hardened dwarf was actually recently started with her as captain only comprised of three members her included. In normal circumstances members of the company are appointed by the force but Tara's case was special, graduating top of her class with record breaking results and her father, Julius Stein, having a major pulling in the force was granted free will to choose members of her company.
Tara's first pick was Rosalie, the black haired pale skinned beauty, graduated from the academy together with Tara while being recognized as a top tier witch, though her character proved to be quite challenging. The two didn't even get along but Tara recognized her talent and wouldn't let go.
Aya though hadn't even completed her academy training when Tara chose her. Being a very adept martial artist with a fine control over her insane strength. Tara had had an eye on her for a while and wouldn't let her get snatched up by anyone. Though her untidy nature back home sometimes made her feel a little bit of regret.
'No point in thinking about that now, let's just go home and get a good night's rest. I'm really tired,' Tara thought to herself.
They got back home quite fast, home being apartment blocks set up for members of the Guardian force each with one block having five floors, each floor operating as a living space for a company. The floors each had a living area, kitchen, bathroom and six bedrooms. When they arrived Rose was already asleep, finding the door locked and every light turned off. Tara prepared a meal for the two of them before they both retired for the night.
Tara had a an early start compared to the two, today they were off duty till the evening as well so she started her morning with a quick training session while Aya and Rose slept in. By the time she was going out was when Rose bedroom door opened up and she dragged herself out all groggy.
"Where's breakfas-" she didn't finish going into a yawn while stretching her limbs.
"Make it yourself, I'm heading out," Tara slammed the door behind her.
"You're no fun," Rose grumbled, now having to find something to eat by herself.
Tara was actually headed to her favorite bakery and diner. She found it a few months ago and they had the sweetest strawberry cakes and she had to admit she'd been hooked ever since. She had a severe sweet tooth which she had to satisfy at least three times every week.
The bakery was just a few streets from the apartment and Tara enjoyed the early morning walks. Halberg had was a nice site to behold. Clean streets, beautifully designed rows of buildings lining up the roads bathed with the morning sunlight that nicely bounced of the windows, horse drawn coaches going up and down the marble roads and finally the sweet smell of freshly baked bread, cakes and scones as Tara entered Happy's Bakery.
She greeted the owner who was busy stacking fresh scones into the glass displays.
"The usual Tara?" Mr Arsalay asked.
"Yes, and maybe add a scone too," Tara added.
"I'll have it right to you," Mr Arsalay said, drawing up a plate and a tea cup while Tara took a seat. When her order of cream strawberry shortcake and honey tea was placed before she was really close to drooling so much that Mr Arsalay had to hold back a chuckle, and Tara noticed it.
"Sorry, that was unsightly of me," Tara blushed trying to avoid Arsalay's gaze who merely laughed.
"It's alright. I quite like seeing that my customers actually enjoy my food. Eat up now," Arsalay went back behind his counter.
Tara was really digging in to her food when a new strange arrival beckoned her attention, and it was something she couldn't take her eye off...