‘Maybe I’m being a little too harsh on them?’ Anyi mused, hefting his greatsword, ready to turn on Miruku and Karen. But as he turned, they were gone.

‘Very good,’ he silently approved, eyes narrowing as he “lost his target.” With no hesitation, he charged back toward Layton.

“Swish—!”

“Pfft pfft pfft!”

A series of Water Arrows hurtled toward him, and he lifted his sword to block them. These relentless strikes kept Anyi from closing in on Layton, who was sprawled on the ground after being knocked down.

To the soldiers watching, it seemed as if Anyi had taken out Layton, then flung two others aside, only to turn back on Layton—all within seconds. Yet, within that rapid exchange, he and the four trainees had gone through several rounds of skillful maneuvering.

“Hmph!”

Seizing the seconds Ariana had bought him, Layton sprang up, shield at the ready, and barreled toward Anyi. Simultaneously, Karen appeared behind Anyi, her fist drawn back, ready to strike. Miruku’s location was a mystery, but she was lurking, no doubt prepared to pounce at any moment.

Meanwhile, Ariana gathered a massive Water Arrow, her eyes trained on Anyi as she prepared to let it fly.

“Ah…” Anyi sighed.

“Bang—!!”

A wave of slime surged forth, forming a giant hand that snatched Karen mid-swing, shoving her backward—right into Layton’s advancing shield.

“Ouch!”

Karen collided with Layton’s shield, jolted by the unexpected force, and both were thrown back as the slime wave enveloped them.

“Swish—!”

The giant Water Arrow shot toward Anyi. A flash of white as Anyi deflected it easily with his greatsword—

Now!

Miruku, quick as a shadow, appeared at Anyi’s flank, evading his guard and lunging with twin daggers aimed for his side.

“Bang.”

But Anyi sidestepped, his boot snapping forward to strike her ankle. Miruku faltered, losing her balance and crashing to the ground.

“Ouch!” Miruku yelped as Anyi planted a firm foot on her back, halting her.

Anyi sheathed his greatsword, lifted his foot, and gestured for the others to gather around. “Alright, that’s enough. Come here.”

As the four trainees regrouped, he began, “The Holy Maiden and Miss Miruku did well. Holy Maiden learned to seize her moments, and Miss Miruku showed great movement and adaptability—both of which were evident in the fight.”

Ariana, having timed her attacks to disrupt him effectively, said nothing. She and Miruku had maneuvered well, and Anyi noted that Miruku, once knocked down, had immediately retreated, taking advantage of her speed to reappear from an unexpected angle. It was a valuable tactic that would serve her well in real battles, giving her the flexibility to both avoid danger and create opportunities for her team.

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

“Now, Mr. Layton and Princess Karen, stay a moment—I have a few things to go over with you.”

“I’ll be going back, then…” Miruku mumbled, edging away.

“I’ll stay.” Ariana offered, a knowing smile on her face. “I actually noticed something during the training.”

Miruku paused, glancing around. “...I’ll wait too,” she muttered, uncomfortable with the idea of leaving alone.

Anyi nodded toward Ariana. “Go ahead, share your thoughts.”

Ariana eagerly jumped in. “Okay, okay! Mr. Layton is still acting like he’s fighting a Goblin Centurion! He keeps getting pushed out of the way!” She pointed at Layton like a teacher correcting a student.

Layton sighed. “I know… I’ve been trying to find a way to stay in position.”

Karen looked down, guilt creeping over her expression. “It’s my fault—I should have stayed by Shiklai’s side.”

“Just call me Layton! And it’s not your fault,” Layton said, waving a hand. “I still haven’t figured out a way to keep from getting shoved around.”

Anyi’s voice cut in, cool and blunt. “If you’re trying to stay in place and not get thrown off balance, that’s impossible.”

"Most large-bodied monsters can throw you around effortlessly, using their sheer size and weight to their advantage," Anyi began, looking intently at Layton. "You might have strength and durability, but without that weight, you’re like a needle against an immovable wall. Just as a needle can pierce skin but lacks the heft of a steel rod, you’re easily tossed if you don’t compensate."

He paused. "So, if you were this needle, what would you do to avoid being thrown?"

"Lines?" Layton guessed, catching on.

"Exactly."

"Ah! I should tether myself with ropes, anchoring myself to the ground?" Layton exclaimed, a sudden light of understanding in his eyes.

Anyi sighed. "Close, but not quite. Think of it like this: consider everyone else as lines connecting you. When needles work together, they become formidable. If you’re thrown off alone, don’t rush—regroup, then strike again. Princess Karen, this applies to you as well."

Layton frowned, deep in thought, while Karen quietly mirrored his contemplation. After a moment, they exchanged a determined look and turned back to Anyi.

“Anyi, let’s continue!” Layton said firmly.

“I’m ready!” Karen added.

“Alright.” Anyi nodded approvingly. “This time, I’ll go in with the slime sword, simulating a large monster's movements.”

“Let’s do this!”

As they resumed, the two sides split, with Ariana and Miruku standing off to the side, observing like bystanders at a coliseum.

“Taunt!” Layton bellowed, charging forward.

This time, Karen stayed close behind him, her movements tightly synchronized. Finally, the two met—

“Bang!!”

A mass of slime surged, striking Layton and revealing Karen just behind him.

“Hmph!” Karen smirked, veering away instantly to keep a safe distance.

Anyi charged forward, his slime sword morphing into a massive hand that lunged toward Karen.

“Bang!”

The hand crashed down, slime scattering everywhere as Layton stepped up, waiting for Karen to fall back into formation behind him. Raising his shield, he smashed the slime hand as it came down once more.

“Taunt!” Layton roared, holding his ground. As Anyi’s hand shifted to push him aside, Karen suddenly slipped from behind Layton’s shield, dodging past him with a punch aimed directly at Anyi.

She saw it—the window, the precise distance, Anyi’s hand lifting for his next strike. She could interrupt him, she could—

"Not bad," Anyi commented, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

“Boom!”

In an explosion of slime, Karen and Layton were sent flying, skidding across the ground.

“Ahahaha—!” Layton removed his equipment and burst out laughing as he lay sprawled on the ground. He finally got it.

"What are you laughing at, Layton?" Karen asked, grinning as she lay beside him.

"Haha—I just realized I’d been ignoring everyone else on the field, charging in with my shield up and nothing more! Now it all makes sense!" he laughed.

“Good to see.” Anyi approached with a light clap. “Congratulations.”

The surrounding soldiers joined in, applauding with admiration.

“Congratulations, Shield Hero.”

“Congratulations, Princess.”

“Congratulations!”

Ariana leaned over to Miruku. “What’s with this cheering? It’s a bit eerie…”

Miruku glanced sideways. “...Don’t ask. I have no idea.”

The next day…

It was time to attack the Castle of the Dead.