[Ah, once again, if you want me to include sketches of the characters when I introduce them, I don't think it would be a problem for me to. I will use this chapter as a vote for whether I should implement it, so please don't forget to leave your thoughts.
Also, I will try to lock in for this arc, so expect an increase in releases, since I noticed how sloppy with writing I'd become ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ ]
The girl springs forth a huge amount of water, that transforms into a drill shape, slowly starting to spin.
As its speed ramps up, I feel my feet thirsting to run and my heart burning for a fight. Yet for now, I hold back the urges in order to see just how strong this new companion of mine is.
Then, reaching its climax, the rapidly spinning cone of water shoots at my heart in a speed, that made it just barely possible for me to dodge.
Yet, as I stepped to the side, the spell released its cone shape and burst forth, covering the entire area around it in dangerously sharp water jets, causing me to jump back. All while this was happening, Elisa was already preparing the same spell, leaving me with little time to close the distance.
So I freed my hungry legs and let them burst forth, transforming my halberd to its gladiator form mid-dash.
My body felt light, dashing across the field. And now, that my body was stuck in movement, it became a lot harder for Elisa to aim her spell.
Even if she fired it off now, it would leave me with enough time to react to it. She is probably waiting for me to come closer to release the spell.
"Waiting for me to approach you is a dangerous game as a backliner.", I said, hardly containing a light chuckle.
Yet, as soon as I stepped into a radius about eight meters away from her, she let loose the spell, shooting it at me with full force.
Reacting swiftly, I jump back to get more space to react. Then, as the spell expectingly bursts just like the other did, I use the gap in its spread radius do dash past, landing my halberd right in front of her throat.
Despite my limited experience in actual combat, it seemed that she was even less experienced than I was.
Elisa takes a sharp breath and stumbles to the ground in defeat. Sitting beneath me, she looks up with a warm smile.
*huff* "Wow, Yukiko, that was amazing. It seems I wont have to worry about my safety ,travelling with someone strong like you.", she says, though I noticed her holding back quite a bit during the fight.
"Is that the only spell you know? How about we go out to the fields so I can get a better feel for it?"
"No! Momma said no monsters today, so we won't fight monsters today. I still have to say goodbye to my family, so we will leave tomorrow.", the girl said, pouting and avoiding my glare.
Letting out a short sigh, I agree to the conditions and after spending a while at the training grounds, let Elisa lead me to the dining room, that was filled with several servants, rushing past to create a beautiful scene: the food on the plates was arranged neatly, leaving three tablewares with an older woman occupying one of them, sitting at the tables peak.
She looked similar to Elisa so I assumed her to be her mother.
And what a beauty this woman was. Even if there were signs of aging, one could imagine how beautiful she looked when she was younger. Even now, the silky blonde hair drew my eyes more and more focused.
"Am I right to assume that this is our first proper meeting? Namphal probably didn't tell you about me, knowing her. My name is Kiara."
The raspy, yet flowing, voice, left me to daze out for only a little while before answering,
"Correct. Were you the one to pick me up after I fell unconscious?", I asked, feeling Elisas disappointed stare stab me in the back.
'Well, it was rather hard to believe that Elisa was the one to save me.'
"Yes, now sit, child. Your body needs some nutrients.", Kiara says, motioning me to sit right in front of Elisa on the unnecessarily long table.
"I'm sure you are already aware of the match in one month. It is absolutely essential, that you win, in order to make full use of Rin's favour.", she says casually while looking down on her plate.
Suddenly putting down her cutlery, she lifts her frail hands and claps them together, ordering the butler.
"To make sure, that you don't slack on training, I have created a list of places, that Rin journeyed to in his adventure, along with intricate details, that should help you find your way around them. Make sure not to disappoint me, while my beloved daughter keeps her eyes on you."
.
.
'She wants me to take the same route that Rin did on his adventure?'
'I can't accept those conditions. Only by taking your own path in life, can you achieve your dreams. The same cookie cutout wont be enough if you truly want to achieve something great.
If i take that path and succeed, the best possible outcome would be to match Rin and save myself of the premonition, that people have about my inferiority to him. But would I really be content with only that? If I don't reach for the stars, there will be no cloud for me to fall on, in this case, only this person would be able to catch me.
It's like a contract that only has downsides for me, while also making me completely dependant on this woman, that still only sees me as Rins replacement.'
Stopping to glare at me, the woman didn't expect an answer, yet was suspicious of how deeply I was caught in thought.
Deciding to speak up and break the tense atmosphere, Kiara speaks up, "There is no need for you to give it so much thought. In the end, I don't really care if you make use of this information at all. As long as you win the fight in one month, everything else is secondary."
Ah, I was overthinking it again. Still, I can't drop my guard around her, she possesses such an intimidating aura, as if I was looking at the matriarch of the whole country. And with Rin's will laying in her hands, I can't afford to offend her.
*sigh* "What a messy situation I've found myself in."
Letting my thoughts accidentally slip, Kiara breaks out in raspy laughter, that was genuine, unlike how I viewed her before.
"Little Yukiko, you don't have to worry now, just give it your all, that would be enough.", the woman said, wiping a tear from her eyes, suppressing her laughter.
'Is she bipolar?'
Spending the rest of the evening in the occasional conversation, it was finally time to prepare for the next day.
Walking down the smooth halls of the mansion, Elisa suggested showing me to the bedrooms.
"And this is where we will be sleeping tonight. I already ordered a maid to wake us tomorrow morning so we can venture out as soon as possible!"
Finding something slightly off in that sentence, I rather brush it off and decide to follow Elisa into the moderately sized room, that was equipped with an abnormally large bed, garnished with all sorts of decorations and fluffy pillows.
"A-Alright, if you want, we can go to bed immediately. Are you sleepy?", the figure behind me ominously said, causing a shiver to run down my entire body.
Making a creaking noise, I slowly look back to the innocently blushing girl.
"We? Like… like the gaming console?"
Retracting her blush for a second, Elisa takes on more of a curious look, "What's that?"
'I guess it makes sense to get used to sleeping together, since that is what we will be forced to do in the near future, but my seventeen year long loner life didn't prepare me for this.
But wait, girls do this all the time with each other right? This should be fine, though this would be my first time.'
Finally convincing myself, I take the leap of faith and start undressing right in front of the now glowingly red blushing girl.
"H-Ha okay sure, we can go to bed now, but… you can also have some of my pyjamas you know.", she said, letting out a sound, that resembled a deflating balloon.
Catching myself in the middle of undressing, I take her up on the offer and put on some of her pyjamas and we uncomfortably go to bed, facing away from each other.
'What is up with this sexual tension? Wasn't I straight before? Does this make me not straight?'
Too many questions for the Halberd Hero to answer. The slow overflowing of her brain eventually led to its shutdown, making her fall asleep despite her racing mind.
.
The next morning was spent with Elisa scurrying together the stuff she wanted to bring, while I patiently waited. While I waited however, an older man approached me with a knowing look in his eyes,
"Kid, I know how it feels…", he said while putting his hands on my shoulder, as our gazes met.
'This guy…
Is just like me! Just this one gaze told me everything I needed to know. I thought I'd never find someone who I could befriend in this world, yet here he was.'
"Uncle, what is your name!", I ask the geezer, that slowly took on a slight smile.
"Child, you are merely the frog in the well, there is so much more for you to find out. Until then, you can call me master instead of Uncle.", he said enthusiastically.
.
.
'Never mind, is this guy one of those pedophiles that my parents taught me to avoid? Stranger danger and all.'
"Are you nut-", before I could finish my derogatory comment, Elisa halts her manic packing to greet the crazy old man.
"Dad! You came?!", she said, making a cold sweat run down my nape. Thank god she interrupted me.
"Oh, daughter of mine, you are just like your mother, and this companion of yours… I approve of her.", this crazy geezer says in response. How bad is Kiara's taste in men?
Then, having to endure another twenty minutes of this uncles useless wisdoms, we were finally able to leave.
"Aren't you gonna miss your family? What made you want to join my party in the first place?", I ask, genuinely curious.
Putting her hand up to her chin, she thinks for a bit, then answers, "My mother told me to never ever tell you! She said it would hurt your feelings, sorry."
Maybe it is better this way.
"Anyways, get ready. This will be the most eventful next few weeks of your life. After that, you can choose whether you want to stay with me after I win."
,I said confidently.