I lay on my back on the hard-packed dirt floor of the arena and groaned. I’d lost count of how many times I’d been knocked down and had grown used to the metallic tang of my own blood in my mouth. That Akari, she didn’t pull her punches.

“Come on,” she said, “get up. You’re not done yet.”

“Not until you show me your horns,” I said.

Akari frowned. “Horns?”

“You can’t fool me,” I said, “you’re a demon. Just admit it and show me your horns.”

She laughed and leaned over, extending her hand. “If you can still make jokes you’re definitely not done yet. Come on.”

I groaned again and reached out to take her hand. One quick tug and she yanked me back onto my feet. Even though I knew her slender body was deceptively strong, it still surprised me how easily she could manhandle me.

I’d been her punching bag for most of the morning and if I hadn’t been healing myself constantly I would have been a mess of broken bones and pulverized tissue. Akari had said she wanted to see what I was capable of but so far all we’d done was spar using nothing but hand-to-hand combat skills. I’d been using omni-do without weapons or powers while she’d been switching between aikido and brawling. I wasn’t sure which I hated more; it was beyond frustrating to have my attacks turned against me by the aikido but the brawling hurt a lot more.

Akari

Hero

Gifts:

I Know What’s Going On Here

I’m A Lot Stronger Than I Look

I’m A Lot Tougher Than I Look

Powers:

Is Anybody Out There? - Expert

Indomitable Spirit - Expert

Guard, Turn, Parry, Dodge, Spin, Thrust - Expert

Single Sword Splits The Sky - Master

The Sky Is Not The Limit - Expert

Skills:

Aikido - Master

Brawling - Master

Exploring - Expert

Hunting - Master

Meditation - Expert

Staff - Expert

Swimming - Adept

Sword - Master

As she pulled me up to my feet I felt a sharp pain shoot through my chest. I’d become a connoisseur of injuries over the last few hours and I self-diagnosed at least three cracked ribs, plus I was pretty sure my collarbone had also been fractured during that last skirmish. I healed myself, again, and raised my fists, ready for another go.

“That’s my boy,” the she-devil said with a wicked grin.

“How about we take a lunch break?” Annabelle shouted. She’d been sitting in the stands watching her sister beat the snot out of me until now, and I silently thanked her for finally stepping in.

Akari bounced from foot to foot, jabbing her fists in the air. “One more round,” she said. “Just one more.”

“Nuh uh,” Annabelle said. “It’s always just one more with you. Can’t you tell the poor guy needs a rest?”

Akari lowered her hands and stopped bouncing. She took a slow step toward me, gazing up at me flirtatiously through her eyelashes. She’d been using me as a punching bag so much I’d forgotten just how pretty she was. All I could see was a merciless beast with pink hair.

“You don’t need a rest, do you?” she purred. “A determined guy like you?”

Like that was gonna work.

She took one more step closer and ran her fingertip down my chest.

“You’ve got one more round in you, don’t you, Daniel?”

“Maybe one more,” I caught myself saying before I knew it.

A purple magic circle appeared vertically beside us and the next moment Annabelle stepped through it. She put one hand on me and the other on her sister and pushed us apart.

“That’s enough of that, Akari,” she said.

“Party pooper.”

“My arena, my rules. And as for you,” Annabelle said, turning on me, “get a grip.”

I cleared my throat, glad that whatever feminine bewitchment I’d been befuddled with was gone. “Right.”

Annabelle raised her hand and a purple circle appeared on the ground, then she waved it and the circle swept around the floor, cleaning up the blood stains as it went. My blood stains. Then she waved her hand again and another circle appeared. A red and white checkered blanket materialized on top of it, along with a large wicker basket. Annabelle sat cross-legged beside the basket. She looked up at us.

“Well? Sit,” she said.

I sat. Akari flopped down on the blanket, limbs splayed, and leaned on her elbow.

Annabelle started pulling food out of the basket. If you’d told me yesterday morning I’d be having a picnic on the arena floor with these two I would’ve laughed in your face, but there I was. I couldn’t tell you what I may have learned while getting abused by Akari over the last few hours, but at least I knew how to roll with the punches.

“Um, Annabelle?” Akari said. “You didn’t happen to make this food did you?”

Annabelle narrowed her eyes at her sister. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh, no reason,” Akari said. “I’m just not sure how hungry I am and I wouldn’t want to offend you if I don’t eat.”

“Is that so?” Annabelle said with a wry smile. “Well you needn’t worry. I didn’t make any of this.”

“In that case,” Akari said, then grabbed a knife and sliced a huge wedge of meat pie. Ignoring the plates and cutlery Annabelle had set out, she picked it up with her bare hands and chomped into it with open zeal, scattering flakes of pastry and crumbs everywhere.

“Not hungry, huh?” Annabelle said, watching her sister scarf it down.

Akari shrugged and took another huge bite.

“So,” Annabelle said, twisting a corkscrew into a wine bottle. “Are we having fun?”

“Hell yeah,” Akari said, mouth still full of pie. “You’ve had me training with your conshtructsh for sho long I’d forgotten how much I like faching off againsht a real pershon.”

“Weren’t you educating ogres yesterday?” I said.

She swallowed and thankfully did not take another bite before answering me. “Yeah, but it’s not the same. All I ever get to beat up are monsters. You fight one ogre and you've fought them all, you know?”

The cork popped as Annabelle tugged it out of the bottle.

“So you’re saying it’s nice to beat up another person for a change?” I said.

Akari held out an empty glass expectantly. “Exactly.”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” I said as Annabelle filled the glass with some deep burgundy wine, “but wouldn’t it be more fun if you had an opponent who was on your level?”

“I’ll let you know if I ever find one,” Akari said, then raised the glass to her mouth and drained it in a single chug, causing Annabelle to wince.

“Ahhhh,” Akari said, smacking her lips.

“That is the good stuff, you know,” Annabelle said. “Couldn’t you at least pretend to savor it?”

“Oooh, the good stuff, huh?” Akari said, holding the glass out and waggling it for a refill. “Who are we trying to impress?”

Annabelle ignored her sister and filled another glass before handing it to me. I accepted it gratefully and took a sip, keenly aware of her eyes watching me.

It’s no secret I like beer, but I’m not impartial to wine, either. I’m no expert sommelier by any stretch, I just know what I like. And holy moly, I liked that wine. Annabelle must’ve gleaned as much from my reaction because she smiled and filled a glass for herself.

“This is incredible,” I said, taking another sip.

“At least someone here has a bit of couth,” Annabelle said.

Akari pushed her empty glass closer to her sister. “Yeah yeah, I’m a barbarian, whatever. Top me up.” Annabelle poured some more for her. Akari kept her glass out. “Don’t skimp on me, now. Keep going.” Annabelle huffed but tipped the bottle again, emptying the rest of the wine into Akari’s glass. She watched wistfully as the last drops fell out, then sighed.

“I don’t get it, Akari,” I said. “What’s the fun in sparring with someone like me?”

Akari made a production of raising the glass to her mouth and taking a modest drink from it. Her sister nodded approvingly and set to work divvying up the food.

“I’ll admit, when it comes to basic skill you’re far behind,” Akari said, “but that technique of yours, it’s something else. It’s like every fighting style all mixed up together. I’ve never seen anything like it. I think you have great potential.”

“Actually,” I said, “I don’t have any more potential. I’m as good as I’m ever going to get.”

“Hey now, don’t get discouraged. Just because I wiped the floor with you now doesn’t mean you can’t get better.”

“That’s just it. I can’t.” I heaved a breath, making the decision to come clean. “Here’s the thing: I have a certain, uh, talent for learning things quickly. I just have to see someone do something and I can learn it too.”

“So that’s how you learned my sorcery,” Annabelle said.

I nodded. “I’m also good at combining things. That’s where my fighting style comes from, it really is a combination of every combat technique I’ve learned.”

“That’s some talent,” Akari said.

“Yes, but it comes at a cost. I can learn things, but only up to a point before I plateau. Take my fighting. I’m as good as I’m ever going to get.”

“I suppose that explains it,” Akari said.

“Explains what?” Annabelle said.

“Well, I know Daniel has a few abilities beyond straight-up combat, but I wanted to see how strong he was just using skill. That’s why we’ve been at this for hours using basic fighting skills only. The thing is, he’s not improving like he should. There was a time when I thought we were making progress, but after that it was all the same.”

“Yeah,” I said. “That must’ve been when I figured out your patterns and tells. Like how you always feint low when you’re about to kick high.”

“I do that?” Akari looked appalled.

I nodded. “Knowing that still wasn’t enough to keep you from making me eat dirt, though.”

“I’ve been showing you advanced moves that you should’ve been able to learn from, but you haven’t. Honestly, I think I’ve learned way more from your bizarre technique than you’ve picked up from me.”

“Like I said. I’m as good as I’m ever going to get.”

“Wait a second,” Annabelle said with a piece of sushi halfway up to her mouth. “If you know you can’t get any better, and you believe you can’t possibly beat Akari, why have you continued to let her pound on you all morning?”

“Well, I didn’t exactly let her,” I said. “I was trying to fight back.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but how is that any different?” Annabelle said.

Ouch.

“I’m curious,” Akari said. “Have you ever lost a real fight? You know, not counting sparring like this.”

I thought back on my time on Crucible. I did get beaten nearly to death by Kiki’s crew that first night, but I can’t count that because it was before I had even learned a single combat ability. And I did pass out a few times during fights from mana drain, but I won’t count that as a loss, either. After that...

“Once.”

“Really? When was that?

“Not that long ago, actually.

“What were you fighting?”

“Do you know the Silver Sword?”

The looks that came across both sisters’ faces was enough to tell me that they did indeed know them, and liked them about as much as I did.

“I see,” Akari said, then confirmed I was right. “Those nimrods. Let me guess: Flint?”

“How’d you know that?”

She looked at me like I’d just insulted her, then her eyes narrowed and a grin formed on the edges of her mouth. “How would you like to kick his ass next time?”

“That would be wonderful,” I said, “but he literally took my head off last time.”

“So what?” Annabelle said, handing me a plate loaded with food.

“What do you mean, so what? I can’t get any better, I’ll never reach his level.”

“Maybe you’ve progressed as far as you can with raw technique, but that’s clearly not where your true strength lies,” Akari said as she accepted a similarly loaded plate from her sister. “Your adaptability is your strength.”

“Versatility for the win,” I said.

“Exactly.”

“I’ve figured that much out on my own, but I still don’t see how that could help me match someone of your caliber.”

Akari appeared to think as she munched on something that looked like a blue carrot. “Would you believe me if I told you that you should have won that fight against Flint?”

“No. I would not.”

“What did you use to fight him?”

“He’d stolen my knives so I just fought hand–to-hand like I have been with you, with a few buffs. He used one of my knives.”

“Are you serious?” She barked a laugh, at least I think it was a laugh. “Oh man. Did he use the thing where you have to do what he says?”

“Yeah, so?”

“I see now. In that case you should have easily won.”

It was my turn to laugh. “How much wine have you had?”

“Not nearly enough," Akari said, glancing over at Annabelle no doubt hoping she would pull another bottle of wine from the basket. "Do you remember yesterday? When you took on ten of those cultists by yourself and finished them off in seconds?”

“Yeah, but those guys were weak.”

Akari shrugged. “Your comrades didn’t seem to think so. Six of them struggled against the same number of enemies, and their skill level was about the same as yours. Plus they had this one’s help, too,” Akari said, jerking her head toward her sister.

“Hey,” Annabelle said, “you know how much I was holding back.”

“Yeah yeah,” Akari said, waving her hand dismissively.

“It’s still not the same,” I said.

“Look, Daniel. Do you really think I would’ve invited you here to train with me if all I wanted to do was pummel a weaker foe?”

“I have been wondering about that.”

“Why do you think you’re here?” Akari said.

Should I have told her I thought I was there because I had somehow triggered another unique event flag and got myself into the weirdest side-story involving the two most abnormal NPCs I’ve encountered. To what end I had yet to figure out.

“Man you should see your face,” Akari said, pointing at me and covering her mouth with the other hand to stifle a laugh. “You don’t have to think so hard. Just say I dunno, why did you invite me?”

“I dunno, why did you?”

“I’m very glad you asked, and let my answer begin with a question: how did you beat those cultists so quickly and so easily?”

“I used superspeed.”

“And?”

“And I used a teleportation power to blink around.”

“And what does that tell you?”

“That I cheated.”

Akari scoffed at me. “In battle there’s no such thing as cheating, there’s only using everything you’ve got to win. Flint’s a tool, but at least he knows that much. Call it the secret to his success.”

“Daniel,” Annabelle said, “along those same lines, why do you think I became so interested in you after that night here?”

“The one I don’t remember?”

She laughed. “That’s the one. Don’t bother trying to answer, you’ll probably just say something stupid and self-deprecating.”

“Ouch.”

“She’s got a point,” Akari said through a mouthful of cured meat. "You do sell yourself short. Like, a lot."

“Oh! That reminds me.” Annabelle dug into her pocket and pulled out the medallion she’d given me in her office right before the Cathedral went kablooie. “You forgot this yesterday.”

Akari looked shocked to see her hand it to me. “Hang on, she gave you that?”

“Yeah” I said. “Why, what is it?”

Annabelle shot her sister a warning look.

“You’ll know when you’re ready to know,” Akari said, and Annabelle backed down.

I tucked it away in my inventory. “Fine, be like that. You sound like System." That made them both chuckle. "Anyway," I continued, "you were about to say what was so interesting about me.”

Annabelle nodded. “Right. I may not look it, but I’ve been in a lot of fights. Not as many as Akari, sure, but only because I retired from that life. We used to be on a sort of team together.”

“We kicked ass,” Akari said.

Annabelle nodded. “Yes we did.”

“Why don’t you fight together anymore?”

The sisters exchanged a look.

“I stopped,” Annabelle said, “for reasons we won’t go into, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’ve seen a lot of people fight and I’ve never seen anyone fight like you.”

“Same here,” Akari said. “I’ve never seen someone behave in a fight the way you did yesterday. And it wasn’t just your fighting, you did all those other things to support your team as well. You buffed them, healed them, armed them. You figured out how to win and took charge. You got my attention, which doesn’t really happen. Ever.”

Annabelle nodded in agreement. "It's true, she never pays attention to other people."

“And that’s why I’m here?” I said.

Annabelle nodded. “Do you really think I needed to call you here that day to give you the gold you won? That was just an excuse. The way you faced those six guys all by yourself, acting like you didn’t care...no, wait. Like you didn’t take it seriously, that’s it.”

“In the state I was in, I probably didn’t do either.”

“Yeah, but the fact that you were totally blotto makes it all the more noteworthy. You didn’t just win, you shut them down. As soon as it started it was over. Boom. No handshake, no banter, no feeling each other out. It started, and you ended it. No hesitation. Utterly ruthless. Like it was all just a game to you and not a fight to the death against several opponents.”

“I think I’d like to hear this story,” Akari said.