“No matter how many times we will come here, I’m sure I will be surprised each time.” Zesty looked up at the huge gate in front of her with a wry smile. Beside her was the usual group, composed of Talia, Sanya, Ellen, and Akim.

The rest of the group continued to walk in order to enter the property, letting Zesty alone in her internal torment. No, there was at least Ellen, a filled-up bag under her arm, to pull her big sister by the hand inside. “I don’t really understand, but I’m sure you will get used to it one day.”

As they made their way to the modern-looking mansion, the group of girls once again looked around them with curiosity. On the other hand, Akim’s palms became sweaty in apprehension. His eyebrow twitched as he imagined what was about to happen. ‘Today’s training will be even worse than last time. Normally, I prepared myself mentally for it, but still...Even more, he came back home.’

They entered the mansion and spotted a little girl waiting for them. Ashia had her arms crossed as she puffed out her childish chest. Her current attire was perfect for some physical activities. “I was waiting for you, big brother….And you too, big sisters.”

Her voice betrayed the fact that she was still a bit reluctant to let those high school girls near her brother. She walked up to them and nodded to greet the guests. When she was beside them, Talia put her hand on top of the little girl’s head with a grin on her face. Aishia obviously tried to avoid her, but the grip was too fast and firm for her. It was being held by an irremovable gentle giant.

With a bit of fear, Ashia looked up at Talia. ‘W-What did I do?! Did I perhaps made her angry?!’

However, Talia’s hand began to calmly pat the black hair. She then took a cranberry-flavored hard candy and put it inside the girl’s mouth. Ashia was taken aback, but she still began to suck on the candy after tasting the sweetness. Talia opened her mouth. “Let’s work hard today, missis.”

“E-Eh? Yes, of course…” Ashia nodded awkwardly just like she just dodged a bullet. Talia let her go and resumed her walk. The others watched the scene unfolded in confusion, but they still followed her the moment after.

Sanya caught up with Talia and whispered. “What was that just now?”

Talia adjusted the sports bag that she had under her right arm while thinking for an answer. She answered back in a low voice. “...Knowing today’s training session for her brother, it’s preferable to be friendly with her. I don’t want her to hold a grudge more than necessary.”

“...”

At the tail of the group, Ellen looked with the corners of her eyes at the other black-haired girl. Her cheeks naturally turned to a shade of red as she gave a glance to the big bag that she was carrying. Her steps gradually made her come closer to Ashia. With a heartbeat faster than usual, she started to open her mouth. When-

“Now that I think about this, I didn’t see father today. Do you know if he is at work or in his office, Ashia?”

Ellen halted herself as Akim’s voice was heard the moment he turned toward his little sister. Ashia lifted her head while savoring the candy. She then nodded her head and gave her brother a reply. “He is in his office, busy with Lionel. Apparently, he finished all the important works at the company early in the week. The rest can be done from here.”

The young man smiled. “He has been occupied with the renovation plan of the wind farm. Now that he is back, some rest would be good.”

Talia overheard him and could not help but ask a question. “Your father is home? Is he aware of our training session?”

WIth a scratch of his hair and a wry smile, Akim replied back. “I informed him, yes... But, I got nothing more than a “I see”.”

Talia didn’t add anything more. They just kept walking forward toward the training place. Meanwhile, Ellen knitted her eyebrows with complex emotions as she was unable to do what she had first planned.

The training room was slightly different from last time. There were now a few tables and folding chairs on the side, ready to be used if needed. It was Akim’s idea. As the others will also train alongside him, this would make it easier than the previous simple benches.

After moving them to the center, they put their stuff on the floor and settled down. The six younglings looked at each other and began to decide their plan.

As the one basically in charge, Talia started. “We will first begin with Akim’s training. While the two of us do this, you can either watch it or train on your side. I don’t know for Ashia, but none of you should have a problem using your ability indoor.”

Ashia rested her head on her hands and kind of nodded. “This much is enough.”

“Good then. After this, I will supervise both Akim and Zesty’s training and Sanya’s. If either Ellen and Ashia need help I will surely be able to lend a hand. Are you all fine with this?”

They nodded in agreement. Talia then stood up and took her sports bag. “In that case, let’s go. Can you show us a room where we can get changed?”

“Sure.”

The training ground had two rooms connected to it for people to change. The girls used one, while Akim used the other.

Now that they were clad in clothes fitting for physical activities, they could start the training session. Sanya, Zesty, Ellen, and Ashia didn’t immediately start their own training. They first waited on the benches near the fighting area where Akim was standing alongside Talia.

Akim had the two wooden swords that had been used last week in his hands. He extended one to Talia with a determined expression. “I’m ready.”

“...” Talia silently took the sword before reaching her other hand in Akim’s direction.

“Give me the other. We will not use those today.”

The young man tilted his head in confusion, but he simply obeyed and give it to her. Talia discarded the two swords on the side and took out two long flat spike-shaped things with a handle from her bag. The exterior gave off a shiny metal reflection and the tip seemed rounded so that it could not hurt anyone. They were about thirty centimeters long.

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Talia threw one to Akim, who caught it without any problem. Still, he looked at it with a face full of question marks. He turned to Talia. “This is?”

She held the metallic baton in front of her. “There should be two buttons on each side of the base of the flat surface. This happens if you press them at the same time.”

Saying this, her fingers pushed the buttons. Instantaneously after, the spike extended to form a flat blade a centimeter thick and a bit less than a meter long. Talia spun the futuristic-looking practice sword to get a good grip.

Akim and even some of the girls on the side gasped in shock. Nowadays’ technology was quite advanced, but this seemed to be on a whole other level. The confused lad could only look alternatively at the thing in his hand and Talia’s.

Talia paused a moment as she watched the confusion on Akim’s face. Her legs slightly bent as she opened her mouth. “...A moment of confusion is long enough to get yourself killed, you know?”

Akim’s senses screamed in terror the moment he felt a gust of wind blow on his face. He reflexly tried to raise his arm to protect himself to whatever was coming, but it was too late. No, it would have been too late in a real situation.

Talia’s sword was on the edge of touching Akim’s neck. Drops of sweat started to run on his face as he realized the situation. ‘Just now...If it was a real sword and she wanted to kill me, I would already be dead.’

Talia’s cold eyes were peering into his own. The metal practice sword was still unmoved. The blue-haired sword master continued her lecture. “I think I already told you. I don’t intend to teach the normal way. The training starts the moment you step inside this room. Just now, you were confused due to the fact that you had a foreign object in your hands. On the battlefield, your enemy will not wait until you are aware of your surroundings. Stay sharp.”

‘... Sharp?‘ Akim looked at the non-extended sword in his hand. He took a deep breath as his fingers slowly pressed the buttons, making it extend all of sudden.

In response, Talia retreated a few meters back with a single leap. Akim took a stance, more ready to fight than to simply train. She smiled while putting her sword on her shoulder. “That's better. Remember this for the future...Now, let’s start with a warmup.”

“Wha-!” Akim tried to ask a question, but he reflexively raised his sword overhead. A split of a second later, a metallic clang resonated inside the room. Talia’s sword was blocked by his own. However, Akim grimaced while holding the handle with two hands.

Despite being blocked, Talia nodded with a satisfied expression. “Good. We will start from last time’s difficulty and increase further with the time.”

After saying this, Talia began her barrage of attacks. She twisted her sword and aimed for Akim’s wide open torso. In a hurry, the silver-haired boy brought his sword down, successfully protecting himself from the hit. Still, he didn’t even think about relaxing. ‘Not yet-!’

Talia spun once to slash Akim on his left side. This time, the blow was too strong making him take a step back. Talia used this moment of weakness to continue her attack, resulting in Akim to be hit in the arm and the side before starting to block once more time.

“Keh!”

The intense one-sided offensive intensified under the gazes of the onlookers. Unlike last time, Ashia was no longer so upset about Talia beating up her brother. The scene still made her frown though.

On the other hand, Sanya tilted her head in wonder. Not because she had been surprised by the sword or anything related to this. At this point, not a lot could surprise her. No, it was something else.

She tucked at Ellen who was watching with an indifferent face the combat. “Say, Ellen...Didn’t Talia say that she wanted to increase the intensity of the training each time?”

“Hmh? Ah, yeah. Something like that I think. Why?” The sporty clothed little girl looked at Sanya after giving her reply.

However, Sanya just shook her head with a confused expression. “No, it’s nothing.”

“? If you say so.” Ellen easily dropped the matter and went back to watch the spartan training.

Meanwhile, Sanya’s eyes also landed back on the intense confrontation in front of her. But, her mind was on an entirely different thing. ‘Akim’s mouvements...No, even Talia’s ones feel a bit slower than last time? I remember being almost unable to follow a single move last week. Now, it’s still fast, but somehow visible...What is going on?’

She again tilted her head while her lover was pushing the young man to his limits.

In the end, Talia and Akim stopped after around half an hour of pure fighting madness.

“Aah, Aah, Aah!...Damn!”Akim cursed under his heavy deep breaths. His torso rose up and down as his soaked body was coiling down laying on the floor. He tried to lift himself, but all of his muscles were unable to fulfill their roles. Pain and tiredness was the only thing that he could feel now.

On the other hand, Talia approached with a smile. She made the blade of the practice sword shrink with a face devoid of any trace of fatigue. She looked absolutely fine like all those earlier crazy attacks were just a dream.

She peered down on Akim with her hands on her hips. “Good work. We will take a break in order to allow you to recover. Drink some water when you can stand up. After this, you will be able to train with Zesty.”

“...Sure.” Akim somehow nodded. Talia took the sword firmly gripped from his hand and shrank it. During the whole time, he never had let go of it, like it was a treasure for him.

Talia finally looked at the exhausted boy one more time. After this second session, she had a bit more respect for him. ‘This training is basically hell for a normal human. Thirty minutes might seems short, but they are not. Every single second his concentration can’t slip off or it would result in him taking hits and losing the flow of the battle.'

The training had for purpose to train Akim by confronting him against extremely dangerous confrontations. Talia would then show him how to react and fight back, resulting in him to develop some sort of battle instinct while pushing the limits of his body. Not even masochists would appreciate this amount of pain.

Talia exited the ring and went toward the group. In the end, they had watched the whole time. Sanya took a water bottle and gave it to Talia. “Good work. Want to drink?”

“Thanks, even though he clearly needs it more than me.” Talia took it and gave it a glance before looking in Zesty’s direction. The shy girl was watching as Ashia was helping her brother to sit up. She fidgeted around not knowing what to do.

Seeing her behavior, Talia spoke up. “Zesty, catch this.”

“Huh?! W-Wai-! Awawawa!” Zesty panicked as the water bottle flew in her direction. Her hands moved around trying to secure the PET bottle, before succeeding in squeezing it against her chest. She looked at it and gave Talia a confused look. However, Talia just pointed toward Akim with her thumb and smiled.

Zesty realized the meaning behind those actions and instantly blushed while waving her hands in front of her. Regardless, Talia kept pressuring her by signaling her to go. Zesty was then unable to decide whenever to go or not. But thanks goodness, she had a good friend beside to make the decision for her.

“Hmh, Zesty? Want to go near Akim? Off you go!” Ellen snapped her finger with a brimming grin as she teleported her friend a few meters away. The tallest girl in the room disappeared before appearing just beside Akim who was now sitting on the floor, a towel in his hands.

The moment Zesty appeared, Ashia took a step back in surprise. Zesty had to stabilize herself due to the sudden spatial displacement. With her arms flapping on the side, she wobbled a few times in front of the disbelieving siblings. When she stopped moving, her cheeks turned a shade of red darker due to the shame. Nevertheless, her eyes looked at the surprised boy. She silently extended the bottle while looking away. “...Here.”

“Oh, thanks. Much appreciated.” Akim came back to his senses and took it with a sunny smile despite the fatigue.

“...I don’t like this.” Ashia whispered a few words with her brows frowned. The scene before her displeased her for reasons that were still vague for her at the moment. She had prepared a towel for her brother to wipe the sweat, but she had not thought of the most important. Replenish the lost fluid with water.

Ashia crossed her arms, feeling like she had just lost some kind of competition.