Behind the Flameheart mansion, surrounded by red and orange flowers, in the middle of a large clearing, Rylan and Gerard stood. The leaves of the nearby trees rustled in the breeze, as a few of them freed themselves and fluttered in the wind. The atmosphere around the clearing was peaceful, but Rylan knew that this was merely the calm before the storm. Around ten meters in front of him, his father spoke loudly.
“Are you sure about this?”
He nodded.
“Yes. As I told you, please help me prepare for fights against Mages.”
Gerard sighed while staring at him with a deep gaze.
“Are you readying yourself for a fight against Evenon and his people?”
“Yeah.”
His father nodded, saying nothing else. It seemed like he understood the necessity of this training. Rylan continued.
“I also need to discover my own limits in battle. Please, don’t hold back. Fight me until I’m on the ground.”
Gerard kept up his stare, before cracking his neck. Rylan blinked.
“Well, I guess fate is granting me the chance to make up for all the beatings I didn’t give you.”
Rylan grinned. He knew it was his father’s attempt to break the tension inherent to any battle.
“I mean it, Father.”
“I know the necessity of understanding one’s full prowess. I will give you what you’re after. But, are you sure you’ll be able to handle it?”
Rylan nodded. He didn’t underestimate his father for a second. Before being a noble and Flameheart’s Family Head, Gerard was a powerful Mage. He wasn’t sure exactly what Circle his old man had reached, but he estimated Fifth Circle. The gap between Circles widened as their number increased. A Fourth Circle Mage had more mana and could use stronger spells than several Third Circle Mages put together. This was in terms of raw power alone. When coupled with experience, spells, and wits, a Fourth Circle Mage could take on a group of Third Circle Mages.
Father is beyond even that.
Gerard was one of the strongest Mages in not only Cantavega, but also the entire region. It was no coincidence that two of Rylan’s siblings had succeeded in entering the capital’s Royal Magic Academy. If it weren’t for his unwillingness to participate in political matters and his lack of desire to develop the family further, the Flameheart family could have commanded much more influence. Truthfully, Rylan understood his father’s thoughts. Two of his children were doing well enough on their own, but the other two kept getting into trouble. When taking his past self’s actions into account, Gerard had been busy enough trying to keep the family’s prestige from nosediving.
But now, that’s changed.
Rylan had become someone else and encouraged Aelfric to overcome his bad habits. Things were just starting to get orderly. Soon, his father would be free to worry about the family.
Focus.
However, this spar came first. He needed to concentrate on the here and now. In an instant, all unnecessary thoughts were thrown out of his mind. He unsheathed his sword, entering his stance. Both his Mana Core and heart beat rhythmically. Gerard tilted his head before nodding with a pensive expression.
“…A Sword Saint, huh? Let’s see what you’re capable of.”
Rylan’s gaze sharpened.
“I’m starting, Father. Be careful.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
Gerard raised his right hand, index finger pointing up. Circulating his mana to the best of his current abilities, Rylan shot forward, upturning the small section of the ground he had been stepping on. The moment Rylan moved, the finger began drawing symbols in the air. Chanting left his father’s lips. He rapidly closed the distance between the two of them, rushing forward like the wind. Gerard’s brow furrowed, but he managed to finish his chanting before Rylan reached him.
“Magic Missile.”
The tip of his finger glowed with a red light. Three arrows of light flew from it towards Rylan. They were faster than him. It was as if the world were moving in slow motion; the mana circulating throughout Rylan’s entire body strengthened all of his senses, making him able to clearly capture the moving red arrows. He hadn’t yet managed to develop Roland’s sixth sense, but this would be enough. In order to dodge the Missiles, he needed to make up for his lack of speed with prediction.
Slightly tilting his body and changing his footsteps, he narrowly avoided the three Magic Missiles. In an instant, he reached Gerard. The man took a large step back as he did, still chanting. Rylan’s sword stabbed forward. It was a simple thrust, but it was also the most efficient way of reaching his opponent’s body. His muscles roared as the mana within him circulated at unprecedented speed.
“Magic Shield.”
A layer of red mana took shape above Gerard’s skin. The stab was blocked completely. It was as if he had hit a steel wall. Yet, Rylan had already expected this. Even he, as inexperienced as his current self was, was aware of the Magic Shield spell. Unfazed, he pulled his sword back, getting into the most efficient stance possible, and executed a diagonal slash. The blade divided the air with almost no noise.
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The blade’s edge cut at the Shield; at the same time, he readied himself to move. Once the attack was blocked by the Shield, he seamlessly flowed into another one, despite his body’s protests. Not willing to give his father any breathing room, he connected one attack to the next, attacking the Shield from different angles. Sweat flowed down his brow as he moved. The sound of the repeated collisions echoed. Roland’s experience was the only reason why Rylan could deal with the rebounding force, but his muscles still ached.
Gerard kept stepping back, but that only made Rylan step forward. As Rylan was about to deliver another slash, the Shield vanished. He immediately perceived this weakness, smelling it like a bloodhound. But there was no way that Gerard would lower his defenses without a plan. Still, he, a melee warrior, had managed to close in on his opponent. He couldn’t step back and ruin that.
No chanting left his father’s lips, but red light coalesced around the man’s finger. This time, it was far faster than his previous Magic Missile or Magic Shield.
Silent casting?
Rylan furrowed his brow. He readied himself as quickly as he could. Four arrows made of red mana shot at him as Gerard took a large step back. Given the distance between the two, the Missiles arrived in an instant. Rylan had no time to think. Mana flooded his body. His body moved automatically; it was as if Roland’s memories were moving it for him. He spun in place in a flash, narrowly dodging two of the arrows, but the other two still grazed him, drawing blood. The small droplets of scarlet drifted in the air as a stinging pain appeared. With his center of gravity lowered, he dashed forward, trying to narrow the distance between himself and Gerard again. His father had already taken another step back.
More red mana was already coalescing around Gerard’s index finger, but Rylan had dodged too quickly; there hadn’t been enough time to cast another spell. His finger continued to glow as he took a large step to the side, dodging Rylan’s thrust, which tore the edge of his shirt.
He can move this much while silent casting? At this speed?
More Magic Missiles flew at him.
I can’t cut the Missiles.
He was only able to empower his own body; he was some distance away from being able to strengthen his weapon. Considering Gerard’s raw power, his sword would simply be destroyed by the man’s spells, even if Gerard was holding back. The same would happen to his body if he were cleanly hit. To win this fight, he needed to avoid every enemy attack while finding a chink in the enemy’s armor.
Rylan treated this as a true battle. He seriously doubted he would be able to severely injure his father, and Gerard had agreed to push him to his limits, so there was no need to worry. He could give it his full effort. His heart throbbed in anticipation.
He leaped to the side, avoiding most of the red arrows. A couple scratched his waist and thigh, creating lines of blood. Thankfully, none had followed his movements yet, moving only in straight lines or arcs. He ground to a halt, then dashed towards Gerard, avoiding yet another wave of Magic Missiles. His mind was clear of any idle thoughts. This battle was all that mattered. He surveyed the surroundings and his opponent. The man’s expression was completely serious as he gritted his teeth. There were no environmental factors that could be used, since they were fighting in an open field. He could only rely on his body and skills.
He rapidly closed the distance between himself and Gerard. His leading foot stepped strongly as he delivered an overhead slash. A Shield took shape just as the attack was about to connect. It was a defensive choice.
He isn’t used to fighting others in melee range.
The issue wasn’t that Gerard was slow; even with the current empowerment, Rylan wasn’t much faster than his father, even though he had strengthened his body a bit. Yet, that small difference was taken full advantage of by Roland’s memories. He always took the shortest possible path between himself and Gerard and chose the best attacks for every second that passed. This, combined with his father’s inexperience in dealing with melee warriors who didn’t have to cast, allowed him to take control of the battle.
Rylan’s movements turned into a deadly dance as every step served as the foundation of the next attack. Gerard kept trying to widen the distance between them, moving while Shield was still up, but he failed. Rylan cornered him through his footwork, pushing his father closer and closer to the edge of the clearing while making slashes and stabs rain down on the Shield.
Over time, Rylan’s attacks became faster and more accurate. He was getting more used to pushing himself in this weak body. He managed to put his full weight into every blow, ready to switch from attack to defense at a moment’s notice. It was as if he were truly dancing. Of course, Gerard hadn’t stayed still. His father was still a battle-hardened veteran in his own right. He alternated between Magic Shield and Magic Missile at blinding speed through his silent casting. Just like Rylan had learned how to fight him, Gerard was also beginning to understand how to deal with a melee combatant. None of the spells managed a clean hit, but more and more of them grazed Rylan, drawing blood.
The stinging pain now came from every corner of his body, especially his legs. Gerard had made the correct decision to aim for Rylan’s legs and try to limit his footwork. The spells that missed still served to limit Rylan’s movements, cutting off his possible paths.
This is harder than I thought.
It was partly because of his lacking body, but Gerard was also proving to be a more capable fighter than Rylan had expected. However, he was still improving faster than his opponent. The pain and pressure only served to help him heighten his state of concentration. One after the other, the slashes landed on the Shields. There were lines of blood and scratches on his father’s body from the times Rylan had counterattacked before a Shield could take shape. At the same time, Rylan was becoming more capable of predicting the spells’ paths. Avoiding them had become easier.
Gerard was frowning. A sphere of red energy enveloped him completely.
It was then. For the first time, Gerard raised his left hand. A chill went down Rylan’s spine. He suddenly ducked, slashing at his father’s legs, but only hit the Shield. Without warning, two Magic Missiles flew from Gerard’s left index finger and pierced through the area where Rylan’s chest had just been. There had been no gathering of red light that signified the beginning of an attack. The Shield remained, guarding Gerard’s body.
Dual casting!?
At that moment, he heard his father’s voice.
“You forced me to use dual casting. Let’s see how you deal with this.”
Rylan’s gaze sharpened. He got in the Stormcaller Sword Style’s stance a second before a wave of red mana hit him, forcefully pushing him backward. He didn’t have enough strength to resist it. His feet slid on the ground as he was pushed more than three meters away, but he didn’t fall down. The attack couldn’t be described as a spell; Gerard had merely emitted his mana.
In this momentary lull, he looked at his father’s face. It looked like there was much that Gerard wanted to say.
“…You’re powerful.”
In the end, however, the man settled for a single sentence. Rylan let out a deep breath. There was no need to address Gerard’s compliment. This was a fight, especially now that Gerard would use dual casting.
The true battle began now.