03 — The Mock Battle

03 — The Mock Battle

Estia’s situation still weighed heavy on my mind, but not so much as to overshadow how nice it was to see Catherine again. We chatted and caught up as we made our way through the maze of hallways, soon coming to the Valkyries’ personal training grounds.

“I should’ve known,” I said.

Catherine smirked. “I think my girls will be good judges of your friends—and how much you’ve improved, don’t you?”

Apparently, I was also joining the match. I searched Catherine’s expression for a way out and found none. But I wasn’t going to just sit back and take this. After everything I’d been through, I would not surrender now.

“It’s getting late and we need to find where we’re going to stay for the night,” I protested. “Can we do this some other day?”

“Look at the spine on you. We can do this as many days as you want. And don’t worry, we’ll make sure your people have a place to sleep, slave or not, dwarf, beastfolk, or human.”

Classic. How nostalgic.

I sobbed bitter tears in my heart and surrendered.

The Valkyries were awaiting us in rigid formation. Catherine had been prepared.

“How long have they been waiting like this for us?” I asked.

“You only have yourself to blame for bringing Illumasia’s greatest general along with you,” Catherine stated with a hard smile. It was probably the first time I had ever seen her grin so effortlessly.

I turned to Lumina, and she bowed. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Mister Luciel. May we all fight well today.”

Our ranks had totally reversed, and perhaps her respect was due to my team’s presence, but I had to set the record straight.

“Lumina, all of you, this isn’t a public forum. Treat me like you always have,” I said. “It gives me the creeps seeing you act so formally with me.”

“I assure you, it’s purely respectful and not at all motivated by a desire for more honey,” Lumina insisted.

“We were going to beat you up if you tried to pull rank, to be honest,” Lucy laughed.

Things only deteriorated from there.

“Have you gotten stronger?” Ripnear asked.

“I hope you’ve studied,” Elizabeth warned me. “Ripnear and I shall test you thoroughly on the rudiments of dual-wielding.”

“Wait, we will?” Ripnear replied.

“But of course.”

Fortunately, they didn’t seem to be in sync. I had not studied up on my dual-wielding.

Two claps cut through the clamor. “I know we’re all dying to reminisce, but we’re killing daylight, girls,” called Catherine. “Let’s begin.”

The Valkyries immediately stood at attention. Come to think of it, I hadn’t ever actually seen them fight at their best. I couldn’t let my guard down.

“So, how do you think we should divide the groups?” Catherine asked.

“Hmm, well, assuming magic is allowed, I’d say four of us versus the rest of you would be fairly well balanced.”

The regiment looked utterly offended.

“Are you calling us weak?” Lumina said accusingly.

“Of course not. I’d lose to any one of you on my own, but my companions are better than you give them credit for, and they’re very well equipped. We also have to consider how our combat styles will mesh.”

Catherine flashed me a thorny grin. “Eleven against four. If that’s what you want, Mister Healer. Give my girls a good show. Anything goes as long as you don’t maim anyone. Just try not to lose your head either.”

Clearly, the Valkyries weren’t the only ones I had insulted.

“You misunderstand,” I said. “I meant to include you. So it’s twelve against four.”

I thought that would make them even madder, and I was right, but it really was the most balanced composition. Catherine should have known how strong Lionel was, so either her head had inflated over the years or she was being reckless. And they must have forgotten how powerful my barrier magic was as well. With that alone, victory was very much within our grasp.

Lionel and Ketty looked completely unperturbed by the matchup, only adding to my confidence. I chose them for my team, as well as Kefin, sending the R&D team to the sidelines with Estia. I wasn’t sure I trusted Pola to know how to keep her golem from turning someone into a pancake.

“We’ve got this, Kefin,” I said.

“Yes, sir,” he replied.

“What weapons will we be using?” I asked Catherine.

“You still know how to heal, I assume,” she said. “As long as it’s not too serious, anyway.”

“If they’re not dead, I can heal them. You want to use live blades?”

“The more realistic the better, don’t you think?”

I turned to Lionel. He nodded.

“All right,” I agreed. “But anyone who takes a solid blow has to retire.”

“Fair.”

“When do we start?”

“First, everyone begin in the center and take thirty paces.”

We gathered in the middle of the field and waited for the captain of the guard’s signal. It came and the match began.

I immediately free cast Area Barrier, Lionel swiftly taking position in front of me while Ketty and Kefin dispatched themselves to harass the enemy. Five of the Valkyries intercepted them, and the remaining ladies charged at me and Lionel.

“Defend or attack?” Lionel asked.

“We don’t know how hard they can hit, so let’s wait and see what they can dish out,” I said. “We could end it with your flame sword, but we’re not trying to kill them.”

“Understood.”

The Valkyries finished setting up, and Lumina, Saran, Myla, Beatrice, and Kathy attacked Lionel from all around. Lionel took a single step back, swung out his shield and greatsword, and repelled their attacks at once. Attempting to strike at the break in his guard, Lumina rebounded and thrust in her sword. I cast Heal at the same instant and renewed Lionel’s Area Barrier, then turned my attention to Ketty and Kefin and applied the same spells to them.

Lumina’s cohort retreated, surprised by how quickly we had recovered from the charge. I was casting healing magic continuously, meaning our stamina was virtually infinite. All they had to do to win was take me out of the running, but Lionel made that nearly impossible. No speed could outrun him, and no attack could break the shield he impeccably guarded me with. Our partnership of trust was impenetrable, and our opponents’ morale visibly dropped.

Ketty parried blows, never initiating herself but slowly chipping away at the enemy with well-timed counters. The Valkyries were losing, little by little. Kefin utilized his ninjutsu expertly and lured the paladins around the field, disappearing and reappearing like fog and inciting friendly fire. Any attack that seemed to connect with him only struck the air as he vanished, providing Ketty precious seconds to land an attack.

Eventually, we figured our opponents out, fell into a rhythm, and the match gained momentum in our favor. Kefin countered Saran, knocking her to the ground, and Elizabeth set her sights on me. She had to do something, so she circled around and ambushed me from behind.

“This might not be fair, now that I think about it. But oh well,” I muttered.

I transformed the Illusion Staff into sword mode and filled it with magic, at the same time summoning a shield from the magic bag in my free hand. I patiently waited for Elizabeth’s and Saran’s attacks, then parried them with my sword when they finally came. Their weapons were instantly split in two. While they blinked in confusion, I kicked Elizabeth back and swung my shield into Saran, knocking them both away. They were out of the match.

They had been caught by surprise, but a loss was a loss. I refocused myself, careful not to get overzealous.

Without Elizabeth to check him, although scraped and bruised here and there, Kefin used his ninjutsu to go on the offensive. Ketty was unscathed and led Ripnear, Marluka, and Lucy around by the nose, letting more of their blood run at every opportunity.

“Lionel, do we hold things until the match ends or should we add to the offensive?” I asked.

“Do you think you can begin to take them out of the battle?” he replied.

“We can find out.”

Lionel took a blow from Kathy, pushing her closer to me. Queena appeared to protect her wounded comrade as I faced them down.

“That sword’s seriously not fair,” Kathy whined. “Please don’t break my weapon. It’s really expensive.”

I cracked a smile. “You could always surrender. Join Elizabeth and Saran.”

“Fine,” Queena said flatly. “We yield. Your weapon is too strong.”

I felt a bit of shameless pride at finally beating them. Meanwhile, Ketty and Kefin were pressing their advantage against the wounded Valkyries. One by one, they surrendered, leaving Lumina alone.

“Your defense is impregnable,” Lumina exhaled. “It’s absurd.”

The captain struck out with a desperate flurry of her most powerful attacks, and Lionel lazily repelled each and every blow.

“Mister Luciel’s barrier magic is certainly something, isn’t it?” he remarked idly.

“I always knew that, but he’s improved leaps and bounds. To an absurd degree.”

“It’s why I follow him.”

Lumina dodged a swipe of Lionel’s blade.

“However,” he continued, “I would regard my surroundings more carefully if I were you.”

Lumina swung at Lionel’s neck but suddenly stopped. No, was stopped. Kefin and Ketty had caught her unaware, each of their blades crossed over her neck, locking her arms in place. She exhaled, the frustration she felt evident.

“You chose your companions well, Luciel. Indeed, you were right to be confident. I admit our arrogance.”

“Thank you,” I said. “Then if the match is over, I’ll get everyone healed.”

“Please do.”

“Catherine?” I said.

“Yes.” She smiled and nodded. “The match goes to your team.”

I went about treating everyone with Area High Heal, wondering if “team” was really the best thing to be calling ourselves.

I let out a heavy sigh of relief that the battle was over and our duties for the day were complete. But it was never that easy.

“Looks like you’ve leveled up a fair bit,” Catherine commented. “Why don’t you spar with me, and we’ll see how much you’ve really improved.”

“What? No.”

“Come on, now,” she insisted. “We’ve all seen how strong your weapon is, but not you personally. How else are we supposed to know if you need a guard detail?”

“Why would the knights be guarding me?” I demanded.

“One can never be too sure.”

“I’m at least a little sure that you just want to get back at me for the match.”

“All right, let’s see your war face.”

With that, Catherine came down with a sudden case of deafness and refused to hear any more of my pleas. The Valkyries joined in as well, effectively sealing all avenues of escape.

Some time later, after promising a rematch at a later date, I was finally spared.

“Am I going soft?” I wondered aloud. “Have I forgotten how to tell people no?”

No one bothered to answer me. Lionel was busy talking with Catherine, and Ketty and Kefin chatted with the others freely, no one seeming to be bothered by things like race in the slightest. The Valkyries all but lost their minds when they saw Pola and Lycian’s golem off to the side of the field.

I looked at them and grudgingly let my personal misgivings go. At that moment, I was blissfully unaware of the mess this single friendly bout would cause.