-Morning-

As the morning arrives, the sunlight from outside streams through the window, casting a warm and bright glow into the room

Mizuki slowly begins to stir, the soft, warm light gently coaxing her awake.

Upon opening her eyes, she found herself still lying next to Yuto, her body pressed against his, their limbs intertwined in a tangled embrace.

She let out a soft sigh, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face, as she slowly and reluctantly extracted her limbs from his, sitting up in bed and blinking the sleep from her eyes.

"Zzz," Yuto was out cold, his body practically attaching himself to the warm bed sheets.

She chuckles softly as she looks down at him, still fast asleep and blissfully unaware of the world.

Yuto's peaceful, sleepy expression was endearing, and she couldn't help but find it adorable.

"Aww, still asleep, huh? You are quite the heavy sleeper"

She reaches out and gently ruffles his hair, trying to awaken him from his slumber, Cynthia comes in to wake him up in her usual manner of opening the door without knocking.

Their Aunt Lilly had told her to get him out of bed, so she walked down to Yuto's room to wake him up, but when she approached the room and opened the door.

She saw her brother sleeping on the bed while Mizuki was messing his hair up, and her entire face went red again.

"S-seriously? You have her in your room again?"

Mizuki turns her head to look at the door as Cynthia suddenly enters the room, her hand still in Yuto's hair as she pauses her action of messing up his hair.

Mizuki can see the shock and embarrassment on Cynthia's face, her face turning red as she sees the both of them on the bed together.

Mizuki slowly retracts her hand from Yuto's hair and shrugs, feigning innocence as her response.

"Yep, that's right. I'm in his room again, specifically his bed. What's it to you?"

She gave Mizuki an irritated look, her arms crossed as she shifted her focus between her brother and Mizuki.

"What's it to me? Isn't it obvious I'd be shocked and embarrassed to walk in here again?"

"And you're in here messing with his hair while he sleeps. You're seriously woke up this early in the morning just to mess with him?"

Mizuki meets her irritated look with a smirk, finding amusement in her reaction.

She shrugs nonchalantly and responds with a hint of snarkiness in her voice.

"Hey, relax. It's not like we're doing anything inappropriate. I woke up a little early and figured I'd mess with him a bit. Can you blame me? He looks adorable when he's sleeping"

Hearing Mizuki's response, her irritation only grew, and her cheeks reddened as she tried to come up with a response.

"Hmph… I guess it is a bit cute when he's sleeping.. but don't you think it's creepy how you're just in here sitting on his bed messing with his hair while he's still sleeping, watching him sleep like a weirdo?"

Mizuki rolled her eyes at Cynthia's comment, unfazed by her accusations.

Mizuki laughs softly and responds, her tone slightly mocking.

"Oh, come on, it's not weird. Can you blame me for wanting to admire his cute, sleeping face? And mess with his hair a little? I mean, he looks so peaceful and defenseless. It's hard not to take advantage of the opportunity. After all, he is my lover"

Her cheeks burned a deeper shade of red as Mizuki called Yuto her lover so casually, and she bristled at the fact that she was openly admitting it so easily.

"Hmph... I guess you're right.. you have that advantage since you're his 'lover' and all"

She says this while rolling her eyes, clearly still not entirely happy about the whole situation.

She chuckles softly as she watches Cynthia's reaction, seeing her reddening cheeks and the slight hint of irritation in her tone.

Mizuki could tell that she was getting under her skin by admitting her relationship so casually, and she took perverse satisfaction in knowing it.

"Yeah, exactly. I'm his lover, which means I get special privileges. Like being able to watch him sleep, mess with his hair, and call him adorable without anyone objecting"

Cynthia turned to Mizuki and gave her a stern look, her irritation still present before telling her.

"Hey, you. Wake up my brother, and tell him Aunt Lily wants him out in the backyard. And tell him I'll be out there as well"

And with that, she turned and left the room, closing the door forcefully behind her and heading to the backyard.

Mizuki watches in silent amusement as Cynthia gives her a stern look and demands that she wake Yuto up.

A smirk forms on her face as she speaks, and she lets out a soft chuckle at her instructions.

She waits for her to leave the room before turning her attention back to Yuto, still asleep and blissfully unaware of the request.

She gently shook his shoulder, her voice soft and gentle as she spoke.

"Hey... wake up, sleepyhead. Your sister wants you to come out to the backyard. And she'll be there too"

Yuto, in a sneaky move, pulled Mizuki in and planted a kiss on her cheek.

Mizuki couldn't help but let out a soft gasp as he suddenly pulled her in and planted a kiss on her cheek, which caught her off guard by his unexpected affection.

She pauses for a moment, her face flushing slightly before a small smile forms on her, and she lets out a chuckle.

"H-hey! Watch it, you! Don't just surprise me like that out of nowhere"

"Oh, and just last night, you were the one teasing me," Yuto chuckled as he saw Mizuki's flushed face.

Heat rushes to her face as he teases her back, his comment reminding her of the playful actions of the previous night.

She can't help but feel a mix of embarrassment and amusement at the situation.

"Hmph, w-well, that was different," She stammered, trying to defend herself. "I was just having a little fun. Besides, you're the one who just casually planted a kiss on my cheek, without any warning"

"So, what's up?" Yuto got up to put on the training armor his aunt left for him. It was a simple brown leather armor with iron forearm guards.

Mizuki shook her head, the previous embarrassment quickly fading as she also got up to change from her pink pajamas to her beautiful white kimono with black roses for its design.

"Your sister came by and said Aunt Lilly wants you out in the backyard. She'll be out there too, apparently"

"Hmm, let me guess, Cynthia barged in again and saw you on my bed," Yuto said with a chuckle as he put on the armguards.

Mizuki chuckled softly, amused by his guess, "You know it. She walked in, saw me on your bed, and went ballistic as usual. She's out in the backyard now, waiting for you"

"I need to start locking that door. What if Dad or Aunt Lily barge in here one day and see you?"

She let out a soft laugh at his comment, picturing the flustered expression on Cynthia's face as she barged in on us again, and if his father or aunt saw her well she would love to see how Yuto explained the situation.

"Yeah, maybe locking the door is a good idea. It might save us from your sister's surprise visits and her endless blushing"

"Hahaha, well, that's just how she is"

She nods in agreement, a smirk forming on her face, "Yeah, I know. And it's always a sight to behold, seeing her get all embarrassed and flustered. It's almost too easy to get a reaction out of her"

They both share a laugh, Yuto finally finishes putting on the training armor and looks at Mizuki.

"Well, how does it look?"

Mizuki takes a moment to look him up and down, assessing his appearance with a critical eye.

She can't help but admire how the training armor compliments his physique, clinging to his form in all the right places.

She let out a soft whistle, a sly smile forming on her face as she spoke.

"Not bad, not bad at all. That armor looks good on you. Aunt Lilly certainly knows how to pick out a good set"

"Haha," Yuto pats her head, loving her short silver hair, "Thank you, Mizuki"

Mizuki feels a warmness spread through her as Yuto playfully pats her head, his hand gently tousling her silver hair.

She can't help but blush slightly at his affectionate gesture, her heart fluttering a bit at such a simple yet affectionate action.

"Y-you're welcome," She replied, her voice a bit more sheepish than usual. "It's true, though. You do look really good in that armor"

Yuto stops patting her head to pat the armor down to get a good feel on its defense, "Still I have the ring of Ernaline that already gives me a suit of armor, I wonder why she insisted on me wearing this?"

Mizuki ponders his question for a moment, her curiosity piqued as Yuto mentioned the ring of Ernaline and the armor it provides

"Hmmm... it's true that you already have that form of protection with the ring. I wonder why your Aunt Lily would still want you to wear this armor. Maybe there's a specific reason or purpose behind it that we're not aware of"

"Perhaps to see what I can normally take during a fight?"

She nods in agreement at his suggestion, considering the possibility of Aunt Lily wanting to test Yuto's physical limits and endurance in a fight.

"That could be the case. Testing your physical strength and endurance could be a valid reason for her insistence on you wearing the armor"

"It would give her a better understanding of your abilities and how much you can withstand in a fight"

"Jeez, I just hope I don't have to fight my dad, I didn't even use the ring yesterday to have a so-called fair fight"

Mizuki chuckled softly at Yuto's concern, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Hah, don't worry, I doubt Aunt Lily would make you fight your dad. Besides, I don't think he'd go easy on you, even if you did have the ring"

Mizuki paused for a moment, a sly smile forming on her face as she continued, "But then again, maybe a little father-son sparring session isn't such a bad idea. Could be fun to watch."

"When has he ever gone easy on me?" Yuto said with an amused look.

Mizuki chuckles at her rhetorical question, her amusement growing as she considers his father's strict and demanding nature.

"True, your father does have a reputation for being tough and relentless when it comes to any type of training. I doubt he'd show any mercy on you, even if you're his son. But hey, they do say that tough love is the best kind of love, right?"

Yuto chuckles as he cracks his knuckles, "Well, let's go!" he says with a big smile as he opens the door.

Mizuki smiles at Yuto's confident demeanor and enthusiastic attitude.

"Alright, let's do this. Let's go see what your Aunt Lily has in store for us in the backyard"

-Back Yard-

Yuto saw his family waiting for him. His sister was sitting on the chairs with a giant table of food, and his mom crossed her arms in front of her chest as she was waiting for Yuto.

Yuto ran up to his mother and aunt, "Hey, I'm here"

His mother's eyes widen slightly when Yuto runs up in the leather armor. She looked at him for a moment before she spoke in a somewhat impressed tone.

"Wow... that leather armor looks good on you, sweetie"

Mizuki chuckled, ~See even your mom agrees that the armor looks good on you.

Yuto's face was a nice shade of pink, ["I get it, come now, I'm curious about what my aunt will have me do"]

His aunt chuckled, "Well, it seems as if he looks ready"

His mother looks at Aunt Lily as she chuckles; she takes a deep breath and nods in agreement.

"Yes... he does look ready"

Aunt Lily nods, "Well, his first training is pretty simple"

Cara raises her eyebrow in curiosity. She crosses her arms in front of her chest and speaks in a questioning tone.

"Simple? What do you plan on having Yuto do for his first training?"

"Well, he's already fought his father once. He has to do it again in front of me so I can gauge his abilities"

His mother was a little surprised to hear that Aunt Lily's first training for Yuto was to have him fight against his dad again.

She looked at her husband for a moment, then back at Aunt Lily, and spoke in a slightly concerned tone.

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"Are you sure that's a good idea? I don't want Yuto to get hurt"

"Don't worry honey, I'll go easy," his father said with a confident smile.

He wasn't sure if he could hold back as last night he sent his son flying to a wall.

She still felt slightly worried. She uncrossed her arms and spoke in a calmer tone.

"Okay... but please don't go too hard on him…"

Cynthia holds Yuto by his arm, "Mom, are we sure Dad won't put him in a two-day coma again?"

Cara let out a small sigh and glanced at their father for a moment before she spoke to Cynthia.

"I told him to go easy on Yuto, so I doubt that will happen"

Unfortunately, he turned his head away rather quickly away from the conversation.

"Darling, are you going to play nice?"

"O-of course honey, I promise," everyone stares at him, knowing at this point he was just bullshitting in broad daylight

She walked over to hold his hand, "You're being genuine, right?"

"Yes, I promise dear I'll go easy on our boy"

Lily looks annoyed but leads both men to the middle of the 'arena' she had set up after Yuto and his father's little match.

She then walks back to Cara and Cynthia, ready to watch the match go down.

"Okay, rules are pretty simple no special equipment use, no marital art or aura usage, and no magic, anything else like buffs is a go"

"Well, maybe you can use what you need to use to win this match, good luck!"

They both agree to the terms of the match, Cynthia is too busy filling her face with food to worry, his mother holds her hands close, and Lily, on the other hand, looks the most excited.

Yuto gets into a combat stance, holding his katana straight and looking his father directly in the eyes.

His father responds to Yuto with a nod, a serious expression on his face. Seeing how his son switches his demeanor so quickly, matching him with a disciplined and focused state brings a hint of pride to his eyes.

"Yuto. Are you ready to begin training?"

He eyes him up and down, noting Yuto's serious and determined demeanor as approval, Yuto is ready, and his body and mind are in sync.

His father returns his gesture, holding his katana up with practiced ease.

The morning sunlight glints off the blade as his father regards him with a sharp and focused gaze.

"Excellent. Let's begin"

His father takes a defensive stance, his body poised and ready to react to any sudden movement.

His eyes track Yuto's every muscle, anticipating his first move.

Yutō and Ryōko square off, their katanas held firm in their hands, the training ground is silent, the only sound is the light rustle of the breeze through the trees.

Both regarded each other with cold intensity, the air charged with the tension of the impending duel, their eyes almost seemed dead as if the fight was going to end with only one standing.

Yuto's aunt, mother, and sister were sitting behind the bleachers, all three waited in anticipation, noticing how both were not moving until Yuto took the first step.

Lunging forward in a swift and deadly attack. Ryōko responds by gracefully sidestepping the strike, evading his blade with ease.

The dance begins, the two of them exchanging blows with lightning-fast precision.

[ Skill: Dash ]

Passive: Black Smiths Blessing

+40 Attack

["Mizuki, buff me, the first 5 seconds of the fight, decide the winner. Let's give him all we have!"]

As asked Mizuki with a chuckle, provided Yuto the simple buffs that provided him the much-needed strength and speed to match the pace his father was setting.

+10 Attack

+10 Defense

+10 Speed

His father smiles as he notices Yuto's boost of strength and speed, and his aunt and Cynthia stare at him more intensely.

~Well, it seems that your sister and aunt noticed the buffs I gave you. Yuto, give them all a good show!

Yuto nods as he and his father begin their clash; they move in a blur of movement, each strike and counterattack executed with flawless precision.

Their katanas clash in a shower of sparks, the sheer speed and power behind their movements a testament to his father's mastery of his techniques.

Sweat begins to drip from their brows as the training duel intensifies, both of them pushing themselves to their limits, his father holding back and Yuto matching such 'simple' strength.

Despite the intensity of the duel, neither of them seemed to be gaining the upper hand.

Both are skilled and agile. His father's years of training and fighting in the old war were evident in the way he evades, parries, and counterstrikes every single one of Yuto's attacks.

~Jeez, your father is holding back a lot, last night he sent you flying to the wall, today it seems as if he managed to match your skill level

Yuto couldn't respond as the air grew hotter as the speed of their movements increased, Yuto's lungs burning as he pushed himself to his limits.

Both his sister and mother were worried, after all the first time Yuto fought his father he ended up in a beat-up state covered in his blood, his aunt on the other hand was eating her popcorn and shouting for Ryōko's victory.

Finally, Ryōko saw an opening in Yuto's defense. In a blur of motion, he feints left before striking from the right, his blade finding its target with precision.

'Shit, Yuto block this attack!'

It's too late as they both feel the force of his father's attack on Yuto's arms. It feels as if a giant hammer hit him.

"Kgh!"

Yuto's katana flies from his grasp, knocked out of his hands by the force of his father's strike. He stands there, panting and disarmed, as Ryōko looks at him with a small, satisfied smile on his face.

"Jeez Dad, it seems like you still need to learn how to hold back. It feels like my arms are going to fall off"

Ryōko lowered his katana, a hint of pride in his eyes, despite holding back, he didn't expect Yuto to match his pace let alone parry his attack or evade it, it showed that Yuto improved in a single night.

Such growth in a short amount of time, his son's talent truly was monstrous, to develop such skill overnight has never been heard of let alone seen.

"You fought well, Yuto. But you still have much to learn. You left your guard down just for a fraction of a second, and that was all it took for me to disarm you"

Yuto's mother rushes over to check on her son, "H-Honey... I told you to go easy on Yuto"

His father drops his katana, surprised that she ran over to check on Yuto, "H-honey, but I did go easy. You see, Yuto has no broken bones, nor is he bleeding"

She spoke in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Yes... I can see that he doesn't have any broken bones or is bleeding. But look at him. He is all tired and panting"

Aunt Lily appears behind Cara and chuckles, "Dummy, that's why it's called a duel"

Cara looked back at Lily, who chuckled. She clenched her fist and spoke in a slightly irritated tone.

"Hush, I know what a duel is. I just don't want Yuto to get hurt too much"

Cynthia speaks up, "Mom, Yuto isn't bleeding and doesn't have any broken bones. Dad kept his promise"

Cara let out another soft sigh, uncrossed her arms, and spoke in a little calmer tone.

"Alright... alright... I get it, I won't complain anymore"

Their father looked at their mother with watery eyes, a weird thing to see as this man had just beaten his son down 1 minute ago.

"Don't look at me like that", their mother said with a huff.

"Honey, don't I get a reward, I kept my promise," he leaned in closer to her shoulder, his head rubbing up and down.

"A-Are you a child? No rewards, stop asking for one," everyone let out a laugh, the conversation turning into a lighthearted one.

She looked around for a moment after everyone laughed at her husband asking for a reward.

She felt a bit annoyed that everyone was laughing, but managed to maintain her composure and crossed her arms in front of her chest again, as she spoke again in an irritated tone.

"Can we please get on with Yuto's training? I'm tired of this childishness"

Ryōko stole a quick kiss and quickly went behind Yuto for protection.

Cara couldn't help but blush slightly and stumble back a little before she gained her composure and quickly looked away in embarrassment.

"H-hey! Knock that off... not in front of Yuto and the others"

Aunt Lily, despite looking annoyed, speaks up, "Hmm, good good, now onto the next test"

"P-please tell me it won't involve embarrassing me like my husband just did"

Aunt Lily chuckles, "This time, it's Yuto vs. Cynthia, in a magic battle"

"Lily you can't be serious, Yuto barely knows any magic and Cynthia is a 6th-tier mage"

"It's fine Mom, I won't get hurt, Cynthia doesn't even like fighting, so she'll end it in one shot"

Cara sighed as she looked at Yuto, giving him a quick pat on the head, "I-I hope so sweetie... but you still should be careful, just in case"

They all look over to Cynthia who is too busy stuffing her face with bags of popcorn.

"Wait, me? I have to spar against him?"

She looked over at Aunt Lily and then over at Yuto, a hint of hesitation in her expression.

Aunt Lily pats her shoulder, "Of course, dear, I need to know your brother's talent in magic better"

She swallowed nervously as she glanced back and forth between Aunt Lily and Yuto, her hand clenching and unclenching at her side.

"Oh.. um, alright. I guess that makes sense, I can do that..."

They both make their way to the middle of the arena that Lily created, Yuto couldn't help but greet his sister with a big smile.

"Cynthia!" He waved his hand.

As she saw his cheerful wave, a small, slightly nervous smile appeared on her lips as she waved back

"Hey. I guess we'll be sparring against each other, huh?"

"Ha, well Aunt Lily agreed to let me use the ring of Ernaline this time, seeing that you are way more advanced in magic than I"

Cynthia chuckles, "Need a little cheat now do we?"

"Ha, even when I used the ring, you sent me flying to a tree"

Cynthia couldn't help but feel slightly amused at the memory of how easily she was able to knock him into a tree, a small smirk tugging at her lips.

"Yeah, I did. And I'd probably do it again if you weren't using that ring"

Yuto sighs, but soon a smirk appears over his lips, "How about a bet to make this more interesting"

She raised an eyebrow at the mention of a bet, her interest piqued. A small, curious smile appeared on her face as she tilted her head slightly.

"A bet? Brother, knowing you, what kind of bet are we talking about here?"

Yuto in a dramatic ass pose, lifted his arms as he spoke, "If I can last 10 minutes against you, then you will have to share your monthly supply of ramen with me for a year"

Her expression changed from curiosity to slight disbelief, as her eyes widened slightly.

She looked at him, a mix of surprise and disbelief on her face.

"You want me to share my ramen? That's quite a bet, and my monthly supply is practically sacred to me, what happens if you lose?"

"I will share my monthly supply of my favorite drink for a year"

She smirked at his simple response, knowing that her brother valued his drinks equally as much as she valued her ramen.

"Yeah, you bet your drink supply. If I win, I get all of your coke, and if you win, you get all of my ramen, okay I accept!"

<- System ->

[ The ring of Ernaline is now activated ]

His black suit of armor wraps around him, and his long red scarf symbolizing his victory appears to be flowing with the wind.

She watches as the ring of Ernaline surrounds him with its red glow, causing his suit of armor to appear over his body and the red scarf to form.

"Alright, let's do this!" She braces herself, preparing for his first move, but then goes on the offensive.

'Watch out Yuto, she's hellbent on getting to your monthly supply of drinks'

<- System ->

[ New Task: Survive 10 Minutes ]