“Lusya, why don’t you train with me?” Azure asked as she loomed over Lusya.

Lusya looked up from her book and blinked. What had brought this on? It was rather sudden. Azure hadn’t given any sign she was interested in training with Lusya—or at all—up to now. She hadn’t given Lusya any reason to think she would be opposed to it either, but it was still odd. Lusya certainly hadn’t sought it out, and she couldn’t think of much reason for Azure to do so.

“Let me rephrase that,” Azure said with a grin. “Now that our food’s settled a bit, train with me.”

They had finished the evening meal about half an hour ago. Ariya had gone to bed soon after. Lusya and Azure, meanwhile, would stay up for a while longer before they began taking turns keeping watch. Azure took more time on lookout, at her own insistence. Lusya wasn’t going to argue. There was no point to pretending Azure wasn’t the better suited of them to it by virtue of being stronger, though it was novel being the less capable fighter for the first time in a while. Getting a little extra sleep was not an unwelcome bonus either.

“May I finish this chapter first?” Lusya asked. She had no objections to the suggestion—or command, rather—nor did she see a point in arguing about it. Azure was sure to prove persistent if she tried.

“Aren’t you supposed to read that with Ariya?” Azure asked.

Lusya nodded. “Ordinarily, yes. However, I do not believe this chapter would be appropriate for her. It is an extended torture scene. Though I am unsure why. It does not seem to add anything meaningful to the narrative.”

Azure shrugged. “Maybe the author’s got a fetish.”

“Perhaps.”

That would have explained some of the language, in fact. The writer seemed to enjoy equating various bodily fluids and functions to each other. The validity of these analogies varied quite a bit.

“Go ahead and finish it so you can continue with her, then,” Azure said. “I can wait.”

“Very well.”

Lusya spent the next few minutes finishing up the chapter. Azure moved behind and read over her shoulder, offering small comments like, “Ouch,” “Gross!” or, “Is that even possible? Never mind, I’d rather not know.” Of course, it was difficult to know what parts she was reacting too, since neither of them was reading aloud. Except for that last one. Lusya was pretty sure she knew which part that was. She had had a less visceral, but similarly incredulous reaction to it. She was fairly certain the answer was no, that was not anatomically possible, at least not for any member of the three mortal races or high-rank demon.

When she reached the end of the chapter, Lusya shut the book and stowed it in her pack. Azure stared at the pack warily, as if the book might leap out on its own and attack.

“That was interesting,” she said, looking rather nauseous. “Good call reading it without Ariya. Is the book normally like that?”

“No,” Lusya said. “It was the comedic story of a jester courting a lady who caught his eye. Ariya selected it.”

Ariya had been enjoying it over the past few days since they had finished the first volume of My Knight Academy. Her laughter was often thunderous. Lusya had not disliked it either. She even understood much of the humor, though she still did not feel much of anything for the bulk of it. Azure had been present for a couple readings, but it seemed she either hadn’t been paying attention or hadn’t been able to glean the premise from what she had heard.

Azure’s eyes widened. “That is not what I just read.”

“Hence ‘was.’”

“You…might want to skim ahead and make sure it doesn’t stay that way,” Azure said. “For Ariya’s sake.”

Lusya nodded. “I was planning to do so.”

“You don’t look like you loved it either,” Azure said.

Lusya blinked. “It was less enjoyable than what preceded it, but it was not awful. I will have no problem checking for further such content.”

“That sounds like you,” Azure said with a small laugh. “Just don’t push yourself, okay?”

“I do not see how I would.” Lusya paused, then cocked her head and blinked two times. “Why do you want to train with me?”

Azure wouldn’t gain anything from it, and there was no sense in pretending otherwise. A warrior wasn’t going to sharpen their abilities by stepping on an ant.

“I want to see how strong you’ve gotten, of course,” she said with a smile.

“I assume I did not know much about combat when last we met,” Lusya said.

“More than you might think. Your mother had you taught some basics, including by me. It’s true that you were too young to be a powerful warrior, though.”

In that case, perhaps teaching Ariya some basic skills for self-defense was in order. Lusya had thought her too young, but Lusya herself would have had to start around the same age based on Azure’s memories. It would be different for Ariya, since she was a human, but she could probably stand to learn how to throw a punch or a kick. No, on further thought, there were too many potential problems with that. Lusya would simply continue protecting Ariya herself.

Azure led the way to an open stretch of ground away from the camp. It was far enough to give them some room, but near enough that they could keep an eye on their things and Ariya if need be. Of course, from this distance, they would likely destroy the camp and everything in it if they were in a serious battle, but, for training, it would be fine.

“I do not imagine I will pose much of a challenge to a Paladin,” Lusya said.

“Not the way you are now,” Azure said. “I’m sure you will one day.”

“My motomancy has been getting stronger at a remarkable rate over the course of this journey,” Lusya said. “I am not sure of the cause, but perhaps you are correct.”

Azure gave a so-called knowing smile. “Good for you. You are still a ways off from me, though.”

“I know.”

“Well, anyway,” Azure said with a shrug, “I’ll be holding back to keep things interesting. This is about seeing what you can do, not honing my skills. They don’t need it.”

“I see,” Lusya said. That was a typical thing for Azure to say, but it was likely true. Putting aside that Lusya couldn’t push Azure at all, she must have kept her skills plenty sharp on her own.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“We’ll be fighting hand-to-hand, of course. No weapons.”

Lusya nodded. “I had assumed as much.”

“Good.” Azure turned and strode a couple dozen feet away before facing Lusya again. “Go ahead and attack whenever you’re ready.”

“As you wish.”

Given the opportunity, Lusya examined Azure before moving, though there wasn’t much point. Azure’s stance was nonexistent. She was just standing there, hands at her side, no more on alert than if she were holding a casual conversation. Lusya knew looks were deceiving. Well, no, deceiving was the wrong word. It wasn’t that Azure feigning relaxation. She just didn’t need to assume a proper stance. Azure was more than powerful enough to respond to Lusya’s attacks regardless. On the other hand, such a relaxed stance gave no hint as to what might be effective. But then, if Azure didn’t restrain herself, nothing would be effective, so perhaps there was no point in trying to search for an opening.

With no idea what strategy to use, Lusya decided a straightforward approach was best. She charged forward and threw a punch at Azure’s face.

In a motion Lusya could barely perceive, Azure placed her hand in the fist’s path, blocking it against her palm. Catching a punch like that wasn’t usually advisable. But when one outclassed their opponent so much, it was a viable option.

Lusya followed up with a high kick, which Azure blocked batted aside with a single forearm. Another defense only effective due to the difference in strength. With her body forced to twist the other way, Lusya followed the motion and dropped into a leg sweep. Azure stepped back out of range, and Lusya leaped forward into another kick. Azure crossed her arms to block the blow, but the force and shockwave behind it still drove her back.

Her eyes widened as she collided with an invisible barrier behind her, stopping her earlier than expected. Lusya air jumped to allow herself another kick without stopping. Despite her surprise, however, Azure blocked the blow with ease. She did apparently feel the need for her first counterattack: she poked Lusya in the stomach with a single finger, which sent Lusya flying back through the air with such speed that she couldn’t get her bearings to right herself before she crashed onto her back on the ground and tumbled head over heels several feet.

Although it had sent her quite far, that blow had not done any damage, so Lusya stood without issue. Azure still had not assumed anything resembling a proper fighting stance, but nor was she standing at ease either. Her body was tense, ready to move.

It had been clear from the start that Azure outclassed Lusya. Lusya wasn’t going to so much as land a blow with her usual abilities. She was going to need to take a risk and use Danfia’s technique. Azure’s restraint would make it easier. She clearly enjoyed making the fight look effortless—not that that was an act—which would make her movements easier to predict.

Lusya surged forward and kicked at Azure’s head. As anticipated, Azure leaned back to avoid it, letting Lusya’s boot pass inches from her face. Lusya focused on Azure’s movements as she threw her next punch at Azure’s chest, examining every twitch and muscle movement, drawing on past knowledge of her opponent to anticipate the flow of battle.

Azure blocked the blow with an open palm, as anticipated. Lusya began to bring one leg up, as if to knee Azure in the stomach. The moment Azure moved to catch that attack, just as the hand made contact, Lusya instead used that leg to jump off the air and throw a powerful kick at Azure’s head.

Lusya’s leg struck an invisible barrier that held firm against the attack. The shockwave paired with the kick emanated out, kicking up dirt and dust around them. Azure shoved Lusya back with one hand. Before Lusya could go far, barriers wrapped around her arms and legs and plunged downward, driving her to the ground and holding her there, acting as manacles. Additional bindings materialized over her belly and throat. Though she strained against the bonds, it was futile. They would not budge.

“I think that’s enough,” Azure said. “I appreciate you also holding back and not actually trying to take my head off.”

The bonds dissolved, allowing Lusya to stand. “It would have been too destructive if I had used my full strength. We may have also woken Ariya or moved away from her.”

That wasn’t to say that she had not done her best. On the contrary, she had made every effort to defeat Azure. Lusya had simply avoided enhancing the strength of her attacks as much as she would in a real fight.

“You’re probably not feeling it right now, but you are strong,” Azure said with a smile.

She was right about the first part. “I could not land a single blow on you.”

“I’m the Seventh Paladin,” Azure said. “There aren’t more than twenty people—demons included—who could on the continent. You probably wouldn’t get past double digits in the whole world.”

“That is true,” Lusya said with a nod. “I will take your assessment as the truth.”

“As you should,” Azure said with more than a hint of smugness. More than usual, at least. “I’m usually right.” Her smile faltered at that. “Usually.”

“I see.”

Lusya was not sure what had prompted that burst of apparent sadness. She did not know how to address it, nor did she care to. So, she ignored it instead.

“So, where did you learn that thing at the end?” Azure said. “Pairing your movements to mine, making me get comfortable, then turning the tables like that. It’s impressive.”

“A demon named Danfia taught me,” Lusya said. “She is responsible for much of my fighting ability.”

“Danfia means ‘dancer,’ in some language or another, doesn’t it?” Azure asked.

Lusya nodded. “In Rezish, yes.”

“That explains a lot.” She frowned. “Now that I think of it, I’m pretty sure that’s the demon that killed the Twentieth Paladin.”

Lusya cocked her head and blinked. “Is that so?”

Azure held up her hands as if in surrender. “Don’t look at me like that. I was just thinking out loud. I can’t say it doesn’t bother me at all, but we weren’t that close, and it has nothing to do with you.”

“I see.”

Lusya did not necessarily agree. She might not have contributed directly to the Twentieth Paladin’s death, but she had fought for Father, and Danfia had been her teacher.

“And either way, it’s impressive,” Azure said. “It was like we’d planned what we were going to do beforehand.”

Lusya nodded. “Any fighter anticipates their opponents actions based on a variety of factors. Danfia was extraordinarily skilled at doing so and at exploiting her opponent’s tendency to do so. I am not as skilled as her.”

“You have your own strengths that she didn’t, don’t you?” Azure asked.

“I do,” Lusya said. At this point her motomancy was probably stronger, and she had both Lunera and Miudofay, both of which were more useful than Danfia’s Demon Blade individually, let alone when used in tandem. “It was a simple statement of fact, not of self-disparagement.”

Azure hummed in thought. “That’s good to hear. Still, you could stand to be a little more confident. You only did that because you knew nothing else would work, right? I think you could stand to be less hesitant. It worked on a Paladin, even if I was holding back, so think about making it more a part of your repertoire than a desperation move. Just because you’re not as good as your teacher, doesn’t mean it’s useless, and who knows? You might close the gap with practice.”

“I will consider it,” Lusya said.

“Aside from that, you use kicks a lot, huh? Way more than punching. Is that because you usually use two swords?”

“No, using two swords is a recent development,” Lusya said with a shake of her head, “while my prioritizing kicks is quite longstanding. According to Danfia, kicks are stronger, follow more naturally from other movements, are available while armed, can more easily have existing momentum incorporated into them for added power, and are more beautiful. Aside from the last one, my experiences have borne out her reasoning.”

Not that she disagreed with the last point, she simply had no strong opinion on the matter.

“I can’t say I disagree with any of those points,” Azure said. “It’s not my style, but if it works for you, there’s no reason to change it.”

“Indeed.”

“We should keep at this,” Azure said. “You’ll get stronger in no time.”

Lusya tilted her head and blinked two times. “Why are you so invested in my strength growing?”

“Like I said before, you’re important to me,” Azure said with a soft smile. “I want to see you grow in any way you can. Plus, you’ll be safer if you’re stronger, and of course I want you to be safe.”

Lusya considered that answer for a moment. She supposed it was straightforward enough, though she still did not understand the depths of Azure’s desires.

“I see.”

Azure smiled. “Well, why don’t you get to bed now? I’ll take first watch.”

“It is unlikely I will be able to sleep immediately after that,” Lusya said. Exertion went a long way to waking one up. Fighting more than most forms, even if there was never any real danger attached.

Azure giggled. “Yeah, I guess you wouldn’t, huh? Well then, you could read some more. I’ll join you, as a matter of fact.”

“You wish to continue that book?” Lusya asked, cocking her head and blinking twice.

“Call it morbid curiosity,” Azure said with a shrug. “And if it ends up becoming wholesome again, it’ll be like old times.”

Lusya blinked. “Did we read together in the past?”

Azure smiled. “Occasionally.”

“I see. You may read with me if you wish.”

“Let’s see what—hopefully less horrifying—adventures await next, then!”