My father since coming home had been stricter than ever. Yuzu my etiquette teacher was given a break which I was grateful for, however, father had called upon every blade-wielding person in our house to train for a week and even some who had never picked up a blade also decided to join in.

Not only had my house decided to train, the royal family had also sent their children, my cousins and even Riku had also all joined in! It was a warm summer's day, so looking over the crowd I was shell-shocked.

[ My heart I can’t take it please put your shirt back on! ]

I was flustered looking at Riku who was not in his regular scholars’ outfit. He was wearing some dark brown training pants and sporting a bare upper torso. He was not muscular but his pale slim body was enough for even the idols back on earth to blush. His hair was tied in a low bun with the sweat dancing off his body with every stroke.

Next to him was Ren, who was also shirtless wearing the same kind of training pants except in black. He bare torso was very muscular with drops of sweat rolling off his perfect six-pack. I watched as one particular sweat drip had dropped down to his V line and fell between the gaps of his pants and gulped.

[ Are the gods mocking me? Damn this child's body! ]

Watching them trade blows like they were my mind went to an AV video where the actors where in a gym and then one of them fell on the other than ****** and ***** happened then they *****.

My mind wouldn’t stop so I looked away quickly.

It didn’t help however as the princes were sparring my cousins. The crown prince was wearing a short sleeve yukata and was trading blows with Tamo who was not giving an inch with a boomerang type weapon. I watched as fire flew towards him and was blocked swiftly by a boomerang covered in wind.

I was slowly getting used to the idea of magic but seeing the two of them fighting it out made me want to run over and cheer. My blood started pumping before I glanced just to the right of them and saw the second prince fighting Hina.

The second prince was in a matching outfit with the crown prince as always. He was putting up a brave front with his short sword against Hina’s whip weapon. Hina was wearing a short floral dress, her green hair flowed in the wind like a lush green waterfall. She was moving like a fairy.

The second prince, on the other hand, had such a serious expression on his face. Knowing how easy it was for him to get nervous I was really proud of him. Sweat dripped down the side of his face before he unleashed a water attack. I had no idea that Nathan had water magic until that moment but I think it suited him very much.

Ki was over in the corner with my mother, I was surprised to watch them trade blows, I had no idea mother could be so fierce!

Ki was sporting a pair of pants that had been cut off at the knees and a half kimono, her chest was covered in bandages I was guessing to stop as much movement as possible. With each movement, I noticed they jiggled slightly and I felt sorry for her as most of the soldiers watching were gawking at her with their mouths open.

My mother was skillfully blocking blows using wind magic attached to a musical instrument that she was carrying. She was using the same sort of sonic attacks that I had seen at the festival some time ago. She moved like an ethereal fairy as each step seemed light as a feather.

Father looked on with an approving head as I stood next to him. Finally and unfortunately my opponent showed up. She was sporting a lovely pink dress with pink ribbons tying her hair up. Each step she took with perfect grace as if there was no combat at all happening around her. She looked around as if she were in a garden.

What I saw on her back shocked my brain into a meltdown.

[ How the hell is she carrying that?! ]

On her back wrapped in dainty floral cloth was a massive sword. Next, to her, it stood at least a head taller. I imagined this sword would look perfect next to some sort of ogre or kingslayer and not in the hands of a tiny girl.

I looked at my father for answers still shocked.

He took one look at me before laughing. “ You didn’t know? The princess is the most skilled out of the royal siblings in combat. She has a very rare sort of wind magic. Instead of using it like a blade as you would assume, she can change the weight of things. I would watch out Yuki, she is very talented!”

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As he finished talking he slapped my back forward.

Rosli came up to me with the massive sword still wrapped around her chest and on her back before she hugged me really tight. I could feel that my arms were about to break.

[ Are you a monster or a child?! ]

“ Yuki! I am so happy to be training with you today. You have been spending so much time with everyone else that I was getting lonely so I asked your father to let me train with you! Isn’t it great! “ Rosli said with a broad grin on her face.

[ I guess I had been neglecting her a bit. I would hate for her to be angry at me…it is bad for my health! ]

I put on my best plastic grin and as she let go I put on my best court bow before kissing her hand as was considered etiquette. As she blushed the sword on her back fell down with a

BANG!

The whole crowd around me appeared to stop and stare as my lips were still pressed on her hand. My face threatening to go bright red and my heart pounding out of my chest. I had tried my best to ignore the onlookers.

[ It’s not like I WANT to do this please stop staring! ]

“ Princess, I am sorry if you feel that I was avoiding you,” I said as I quickly took my lips away.

“ I had no intention, I have just been training to become a better protector of Tama. Please forgive me” I said using my best and most fake polite tone.

[ Urgh I feel sick. ]

The stares on me seemed to deepen.

I peeped around and noticed the peculiar glances on the faces of some of the people I knew. Some were shocked some were smiling but the most unnatural reaction of all came from the second prince. His fist appeared to be curled up in a ball.

[ Maybe he is still angry about me cancelling the engagement? ]

“ Ap..p..pol..ogy Acc...epted “ Stuttered the princess as smoke seemed to be coming out of her ears and snapping me out of my stare with the second prince.

I stood up and beamed my favourite plastic smile.

“ Shall we spar young lady? “ I said again in a practised tone.

[ Ahh reading those shojo mangas as a kid has really helped. ]

The princess nodded and everyone went back to dueling. She picked up the ogre sword that was sitting on the ground before handing over its cover to my smiling father.

Looking at the sword in its entirety it was rather sinister looking. Dark coloured materials were used to create it and it was covered in some dried unknown blood. It gave off a sinister aura. Leaving me with a bad taste in my mouth. Some dark runes flicked on and off on it.

Since Kibbles had been asleep all this time since we had returned I had been unable to check the system and as such the status of the princess’s emotions.

[ Please don’t kill me with that sword. I have been nice today haven’t I? ]

I watched as she walked ahead of me onto a clear spot of the training grounds before swinging the massive sword with one hand as a practice stroke. The dark material seemed to leave a glow in the air.

“ You like it? Daddy got it from me from our Vault, apparently, some bad guys tried to take over our kingdom and my great, great, great grandfather got this made from a rank 9 spirit beast! I have called it Mr Long!” The princesses eyes twinkled as she spoke.

[ Mr Long?! Uhhh what horrible naming sense you have scary child! ]

Comparing her “ Mr Long” to my Malice was like comparing a toothpick to a broadsword. I began to worry a little bit about my future safety.

[ Is this how I die in the future? ]

“ You ready Yuki? “ Rosli said as she smiled. Her aura changed from her usual fairy like one to a bloodthirsty demoness. If I hadn't gone to Tama forest and trained with Ren I probably would have fainted in fear right now.

I watched as her stance became perfect as she charged at me.

[ I have to keep her at a distance, then move in when she is not prepared. ]

All of the lessons that I had with Ren came stampeding into my mind at that moment like a bull. I remembered what he said to me on the first day of training and I smiled before charging back at her.

I held Malice as correctly as I could and we exchanged our first blow.

Clang!

A loud sound reverberated in my ear but I had no time to get shaken by it. I sidestepped as she raised her blade above her head and threw it downwards. I dodged the slash but it left a slight dent in the ground.

While she was recovering I jumped in trying to get closer to her while her guard was down but it was of no use. She swiped her sword at me and I had to use a backflip dodge technique that Ren had taught me.

She just managed to miss me. The tip of my hair was sliced and small strands of red fell to the ground.

All of a sudden my body started to feel slightly heavy as if I had training weights strapped to each limb. Just swinging my sword had become burdensome.

[ What is happening ]

I thought back to what my father had said about the princess’s powers as I just barely dodged another swing. I moved back as far as I could from the princess and my body felt light again.

[ I see so I have to be close to her? Her ability is terrifying! ]

We continued like this for quite a long time. Each bout that we had I was unable to win. However, my reaction times had increased and I was slowly getting used to the princess patterns.

I was glad that I had improved.

But this had only been day one.

We spent the whole week training like this, each day against different people. The last day of the practice session seemed to finally come.

I was stood just across from the second prince. He was wearing his usual training uniform. A breeze blew by forcing his hair to move and a scent of flowers was carried with it.

The prince's face was holding a complicated expression.

“ Come” was the only words he spoke.