"Okay, we'll stop here for today. Good work."
Lisa continued to teach me how to defend myself for the last couple hours, but it looks like we're finally giving it a rest.
Personally, I don't feel like I learnt too much as Lisa broke through my defense within a matter of moments. And when it came to my turn to break through hers, I just kept getting countered. She wasn't as rough like in the beginning so I wasn't subjected to that much pain, but I now know clearly that there's a huge gap between Lisa and I.
We take a seat at the bench out the back, resting our bodies as we both drink from our own bottles of water.
"When you can safely activate your mana, you shouldn't need to worry, but until then, just focus on evasion and the counters I showed you. Your attacks are weak, so try and use your opponents body against them."
"Like how you swept my feet off the ground?"
"Mhmm. But remember to leverage their body against them. Timing is important."
"Got it."
"Hehe, you look like you had fun though."
"Huh?" Actually now that she points it out, I realize that I have been smiling this whole time. "Nn. I want to learn more. To catch up with Charlotte."
"Well you won't be able to get to her level without mana, but I'll help build a good foundation for you until then."
"Thank you, Lisa."
"No problem." She gently pats me on the head as we both take another drink from our bottles. "But it is getting late, so we can continue this tomorrow. Hehe, maybe you can surprise Charlotte when she's back."
"Yes!"
"Ohoo~ You're more fired up than Charlotte was, hehe."
"What do you mean?"
"Ah, well you see, I taught Charlotte how to fight."
That came as a surprise... I honestly thought that Charlotte was just gifted and could always fight like that. But now that Lisa said that, I do recall Charlotte pulling off similar moves like what Lisa showed me. Although Charlotte looked a lot more agile, even pulling off handstands and cartwheels, darting around the place. I'm guessing she used mana to enhance her body or something, but maybe Lisa can also do those sort of things as well...
"Was it different teaching me?"
"Well, yeah. By the time I started teaching her, she had already gotten a grasp of her mana, so we trained around it as well. Hehe, she was a bit reluctant though, wanting to spend more time with her mom instead."
"Mell, right?"
"Yes. Although she was really busy and still is. It actually took a while for Charlotte to accept me." Lisa's face turned a bit sad just now as she looks down at her water bottle. I was about to say something, but Lisa continued. "For years she could never see me as family. But it was when she saw Mell and I talking did she finally let me in." Lisa smiles as she reminisces on the past.
"...I always thought you two were always close."
"Haha. Nah, Charlotte was a real piece of work when she was young." Hearing her smile and laugh makes me also smile. "Charlotte couldn't even keep her room clean, let alone herself. Sometimes when I came home from work, the whole house would be a mess."
"Fufu. It's hard to imagine Charlotte like that."
"She was just a child back then, it's normal for kids." It's clear to me now just how much Lisa values Charlotte, no- how much both of them value each other. Even with Lisa bad mouthing Charlotte, Lisa still smiles.
"You really care about her, huh." For some reason, I feel a slight sting in my chest as I realize that. Knowing that Lisa got to learn a whole different Charlotte than me.
"Nn... I'd do anything for that kid."
I end up drinking more of the water from the bottle trying to maybe get rid of this stingy pain in my chest, but I soon realize that the bottle's empty.
"Let's go back inside, shall we?"
"Y-yes."
She must've noticed that I ran out of water as we now both head back inside through the back door. But even as we walk through, my mind's still hung up about what Lisa and I talked about.
It was a nice talk, and I feel like I've gotten closer to Lisa now, but at the same time I feel like I've grown further away from Charlotte. Knowing that Lisa knows more about her than I do... I shouldn't feel possessive like this. Is it possessiveness? I just want to learn more about Charlotte is all...
"Hmm? Something wrong, Shiro?"
"Uh- nothing."
"Worried about Charlotte?"
I was going to keep silent, but I'm finding myself regretting it almost instantly.
"...I just wished that I was there as well."
"Hmm?"
"Back when Charlotte was a kid..."
"Awww~" Suddenly, Lisa pulls me into a hug. "Don't worry, she's all yours, haha."
"I- I don't understand."
"Hehehe~"
Well, being hugged like this by Lisa does feel nice and is making me feel better. But I'm still unsure what Lisa meant just now. Charlotte's all mine? Don't tell me she picked up on my possessiveness?!