Clang.
Hex parried the lightning-fast strikes of Althea. Each strike was fast and explosive.
'She is truly good.' Hex gritted his teeth as he was put on the defensive.
Althea wasn't holding back. Her movements were nimble and unpredictable.
Hex stood vexed.
'I can keep up with the speed and the strength is manageable but the attacks come from everywhere.'
Althea's moved like a phantom. If Hex blocked the attack coming from the front, she followed up from the back or top. Within a blink.
The spear was fast and moved like a snake. Althea moved it as she willed. Sometimes it was flexible and soft, other times it was straight and hard.
Hex defended relentlessly. Whenever he was unable to block, he used his cloak to stop the spear.
After a while, Hex noticed her beginning to slow down. Her attacks weren't as unpredictable anymore.
'She is getting tired.'
Hex had expected it. He had noticed this after so many fights. His stamina rivaled, sometimes even surpassed Squires with triple Blessings.
He saw sweat drops forming on Althea's forehead. He only felt warm and a bit irritated. He didn't like being on the defensive.
'Calm down. Once she is more tired, you can start attacking.'
Some might not consider it very sportlike to take advantage of a weary opponent but as far as Hex was concerned, only the result mattered.
'Having more stamina is my strength. And not using all your advantages in a fight is stupidity,' Hex thought, being self-aware of the way he was.
Althea was slowing down but her attacks became stronger. Once again Hex noticed she seemed to have become one with her spear.
'She is holding it shorter now. I get it. She is using her mass to increase the force.' Hex's eyes lit up when he realized how she was using her weapon.
Clang.
He used the flat side of his sword to block. But just as Althea tried to jump back, Hex followed up. He jumped with her and swung his sword.
'If her attack range is shorter, she is closer to me,' Hex grinned. He didn't hold back.
But Althea was an experienced fighter. She pivoted, lowering her body, and used the lower end of the spear to parry the sword.
The spear end pushed his sword down. Before he could react, Althea vanished beneath him.
'Above!'
Hex didn't need to see her. He knew. It was the only place he couldn't defend.
Roar!
A thunderous roar spread out. Hex felt the killing intent above him.
But he didn't get flustered. He poured all his energy into the back part of the shield. It glowed bright red.
Bang.
The collision of their energies caused shockwaves. The shockwave moved outward, pushing both sides away.
The impact of the spear against his back pushed him lower. But just as he was about to be pressed to the ground, he turned.
With the rotary motion, he swung his sword.
Clang.
Both weapons collided…then stopped. The tip of the spear was inches away from his eyes. His sword inches away from her heart.
Hex looked without flinching in Althea's eyes. She returned his stare. Her bright eyes stared straight back at him.
Neither moved. For a while, they kept their weapons pointed at each other. Their gazes locked in a stalemate.
"Call it even?"
Hex was the first one to break the silence. Althea nodded slowly.
Carefully they pulled their weapons back.
"It was a good spar," he said, trying to lighten the mood. "We are evenly matched."
"No," she replied sharply. "I wasn't free to kill you."
"Kill me?" Hex stared at her incredulously. "Weren't we just sparring?"
She looked at him coldly for a moment but then a soft blush spread over her cheeks.
"Y-yes, sorry. I am not used to losing," she said, averting her eyes from Hex.
Hex looked at her, feeling bemused. The girl always seemed calm and collected.
"You didn't lose, okay? It was a draw." He said with a chuckle.
Althea turned her face even more away from him. "Drawing to a newbie like you is the same as losing," she replied with a snort.
"Is there a need to be so competitive?" Hex asked with a frown. 'It was only a spar for Heaven's sake.'
Hex noticed her neck getting red. After a short while, she turned towards him.
"You are right. I am used to winning and overwhelming my opponents." Her voice was less cold and Hex saw even a tinge of embarrassment in her gaze.
Hex felt that the way she was looking at him had softened a bit.
"Don't worry about it. But can we keep it friendly? Or else I would rather not spar with you."
Hex didn't want to deal with emotional outbursts every time he sparred. He was trying to improve his proficiency with combat, not counseling.
Although he didn't say the last part, Althea seemed to have understood him. She nodded with a red face.
'I have to admit, she looks even more beautiful now,' Hex thought, looking in admiration towards her beautiful features, highlighted by the rising sun.
He kept looking at her until she turned and met his gaze. He hurriedly averted his eyes.
"S-so, what do you think about my fighting style?" He asked quickly, trying to cover up his embarrassment.
As soon as he asked that, Althea's gaze lit up. She forgot everything else.
"You are strong. Your cloak is sturdy. Rarely have I been unable to penetrate an opponent's shield who was at the Squire stage," she started. The excitement in her voice didn't escape Hex.
'She is a total combat freak I think. That's the only thing she pays attention to,' Hex thought wryly.
Even last night she was paying the least attention to everything being discussed in the study.
"But you have too few techniques."
Hearing her speak about his weaknesses made Hex more attentive.
"You are obviously very strong and have immense control over your body and energy, but you lack proper techniques to wield your sword, you don't move much, and you let your cloak shield you, without linking it with a proper attack."
Althea listed Hex's weaknesses one by one, without paying attention to him. Or else she might have noticed his face fall with each thing she mentioned. In the end, Hex felt like an incompetent mountain monkey.
'I knew I lacked in some areas but she makes me feel like I am an idiot swinging a stick,' Hex cried inwardly, feeling deflated.
Althea seemed to have realized the effect her words had on him.
"You are strong. Really strong. I mean you can even fight me to a standstill," she said awkwardly and hurriedly.
"I am just saying that with a few more techniques and training you can be even better."
"Yes!" Hex, elated by her worrisome behavior towards him, cheered up and shouted.
"It's indeed time I learned more techniques. Especially one that helps me with our secret tasks."
The last part he said softly. He was supposed to investigate Clannad but he couldn't just walk up to him and ask.
'I can use the morphuse mask but I need at least a movement technique. Ideally, one which can make me teleport away.'
He discussed a little longer with Althea about their fighting style and what he needed to look for.
After waving to her, he made his way to the castle. He would rent a few techniques from the baron.
But just as he entered the castle, he saw Lira coming out of Gorge's room.