The twins meticulously kept themselves from being in the same line as their mother's blade. Their spatial awareness had grown considerably, making it more difficult for Noble to keep both at arm's length. Brock went low from the front while Blaze went high from behind.
Their unity and synchronization were astounding, especially for mundanes. It was like they were speaking their own silent language and operating on a plane that Noble could not see.
Perhaps they were. Against most opponents, the move would have resulted in at least one hit against the target.
Noble was not most opponents. She jumped over Brock's strike and spun to meet Blaze.
The younger twin was surprised to suddenly have his blade met by his mother, but this time, he held his ground as his sword was pushed to one side and even managed a follow-up block.
'Good.' The professor was happy with his progress.
With Noble's attention off of him, Brock adjusted his strike upward in an attempt to cut up and across the teacher's body. The professor kicked it away with the heel of her armored boot.
"Good try! Perhaps not the best move for a flying enemy, though."
Brock pursed his lips.
"How many flying enemies am I really going to come up against?"
"If you want to Awaken? Whatever number you estimate, multiply it by ten. The Spell probably heard you and is preparing something extra special…" Noble was only half kidding.
First Nightmares were tailored to the person, and the Professor couldn't help but feel that the Spell enjoyed dramatic irony.
Maybe that is why it had given Keth the ability to drain others. It was already his personality. Making it his Aspect was simply an extension of that.
Noble smothered a grin. It was an unflattering thought about the member of the Aegis Rose Clan, but the professor couldn't help but think it might be true.
At least after today, she wouldn't have to deal with him again.
'He better not be in my farewell group…' Noble made a mental note to check her list when she got to work.
The young man was taking up too much mental space. She pushed the Legacy from her mind as she focused on the task at hand.
Brock and Blaze had already devised their next offensive. The elder twin made a chain of attacks from the left, right, and finally above. They were flawless and full of intent.
Noble blocked the first two hits in a rhythmic sequence, catching the third on the wrist guard of her left arm. Her right arm remained in motion with the practice sword, swinging behind her back as she stopped Blaze from hitting her from the rear.
"You both are getting more coordinated. Have you been practicing?"
The boys did not answer, but their emotions spiked.
'I knew it!'
They had been coming more prepared each time, and their hard work was paying off. Having taken their mother's advice and put it into practice, they were able to receive new nuggets of wisdom that she had for them.
While Noble knew they needed to each get stronger on their own to attack a First Nightmare, she selfishly enjoyed watching them battle as a team much more. Their love for each other and desire to work together filled her heart with parental pride.
The boys maintained control of their weapons, taking turns drawing Noble's attention.
"Your left foot is too far back…keep your head up and trust your body…your eyes are telegraphing your move…" Noble corrected her sons by moving her sword to remind them of the consequences of missing their mark.
Still, they persisted. Their determination never wavered, even as they failed to break through Noble's guard.
The boys tried changing the pace of the battle. They altered their cadence. They even tried to rotate their attacks to be at random intervals.
Noble had seen it all and more.
"If you are going to attack, you must commit. Move with purpose," she told the more tentative Blaze. "Half measures are useless. Either you land the hit but not hard enough, or you miss and open yourself to attack by your opponent."
Blaze nodded, his brain working out how to best use the information.
Brock whistled twice. It was a new signal that Noble hadn't heard before. She was immediately put on her guard.
The boys separated, heading toward opposite ends of the arena. Left in the center, Noble resisted the urge to use her second sight.
'What are they up to now?'
Based on their emotions, either of them could be the culprit of whatever was about to go down. Noble's muscles tensed as a smile came to her face.
All at once, both boys took off toward her at top speed. Their swords were raised as the pair let loose a common war cry.
'So theatrical.' Noble had to admit that their exuberance was effective.
She bent her knees, ready to intercept them. Blaze met her first, tilted his sword to strike, and…ran past her?
No, Noble hadn't imagined it; the younger twin had left her alone and passed her by.
The professor turned just in time to see Brock drop his sword and cup his hands. The elder brother bent his knees, ready to accept the younger twin's foot.
Blaze stepped into his sibling's palms and turned, pushing off of him like a spring. Brock straightened his knees and bent his elbows, further launching his brother into the air.
Blaze's sword cut downward, ready to hit Noble on her unhelmeted head. It might have worked, except that Noble knew how to step to one side.
Blaze's cry of victory became a yelp of defeat as the air in front of him became empty.
He tumbled to the ground in a heap and lay still.
"Blaze!" Noble ran over to her younger son, rolling him over to check his breathing. As she did, she felt a tap on her shoulder from the elder twin's blade.
"Got you!"
Blaze's eyes popped open, and both brothers burst into laughter.
"You boys!" Noble shook her head.
"We were getting tired, so we thought we would end it with a wild card. We knew it wouldn't work in a real fight, but we wanted to see your face." Brock continued to chuckle. "I hope you're not too mad, Mom."
"As your mom, I'm livid that you would play such a prank on the woman who birthed you. Seeing you hurt nearly gave me a heart attack!" Noble pressed her lips together. "But as your teacher, I will say that you mastered the element of surprise. That wouldn't work in most situations, but I can appreciate your creativity. What made you think of trying that?"
Noble motioned to the bench along one wall where the boys could rest and get some water.
"You are very good at the feint, and so we wanted to try our own version of it. You said the best way to fool someone is to misdirect their attention away from your intention." Blaze explained.
"A feint…misdirection…" Noble's eyes went wide. "That's it!"
"What's wrong, Mom?" Brock noticed the change in his mother's body language.
"Excellent job, boys." Noble stood. "I have to go—right now!"