Zannen stood up, rubbing his chest where my kick had landed. His brown eyes burned with frustration, but he didn't back down.
Good boy.
Lina clapped her hands.
"You're getting better, brother!"
"Oh, shut up!" Zannen grumbled, spinning his sword and assuming a guard position.
I chuckled and took a step forward.
The gleam in his eyes gave away the answer before i even opened my mouth.
"If I can hit you again, you'll teach me."
I tilted my head, thinking.
"Hmmm... okay. But you only have one more chance."
Zannen gripped the hilt of his sword and took a breath, then his eyes flashed once more.
Now let's see if he's learned anything.
But this time, he didn't advance straight ahead.
Good boy.
He began to move in circles, spinning his blade at a calculated pace. Testing. Waiting for an opening.
His movements were much faster, like an approaching blur.
When he came in with a sideways strike, I stepped forward first and slammed my blade against his before he had even finished the movement.
The impact was powerful enough to knock him off balance.
"Keep your stance." I pushed his sword down, forcing him to retreat. "Your chance is running out."
He growled, planted his feet on the ground, and twisted his wrist for a diagonal strike.
This time, I saw something interesting. Zannen was no longer just attacking mindlessly. He was looking for vulnerable spots.
His blows came at different angles. High. Low. Short.
Trying to make me retreat.
In a bold move, he feinted a direct attack at my chest, but at the last fraction of a second, he changed the angle to my leg.
And it almost worked... but before he could complete the blow, I moved first.
I turned my body and, instead of simply dodging, I stomped hard on the ground and spun my blade against his, knocking his sword away.
Zannen lost his balance.
Before he could recover, I raised my leg and kicked him in the side of the knee, causing him to fall again.
He groaned in pain.
"Damn..."
He made a move to get up, but I extended my sword to his neck, showing him it was over.
"It's over, kid."
Zannen closed his eyes for a second, breathing heavily, but after a few seconds, he smiled.
"Okay... but will you still teach me?"
I sighed and reached out my hand to help him up.
"You're too insistent.
Zannen smiled sideways and dusted off his clothes with his hands.
"So, what's the technique?"
I took a step back and threw the sword into my right hand, adjusting my grip.
"That was one of the first techniques I taught your father when he was still a brat worse than you."
Zannen raised his eyebrow.
"You trained Dad? How old are you?"
I lowered the blade slightly and looked at him.
"He never told you?"
The boy hesitated. A small smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Zamar, you bastard.
"Well, then I guess I'll have to show you." I took a step back, adjusting my guard stance. My eyes fixed on Zannen, who had already recovered his sword and was holding it firmly. "Try to hit me with a direct blow."
He didn't need a second request, he just advanced. Fast.
The sword rose in a swift arc, aiming directly at me. But the instant his blade cut through the air, I had already moved.
Not backward.
Forward.
The point of my blade slid close to his, deflecting his blow while positioning myself to the side of his body. The movement was fluid, calculated, like a leaf carried by the wind.
Zannen barely had time to react. If this were a real fight, he would already be dead. The cold edge of the sword rested against the side of his neck.
"This is the basis of the Single Slit." My voice came out steady, while he remained paralyzed. "You attack at the exact moment your opponent thinks they are in control."
His eyes widened, as if a penny had dropped. His mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.
He jumped back, pointing at me as if he had just seen a ghost.
"That... that's Dad's technique!"
Lina's voice was heard in the background.
"Really?"
"Yes! I always tried to copy him when I saw him do it, but I never could..."
I let out a sigh, crossing my arms. Zannen stared at me, still in shock.
"So you were the one who taught him that?"
I nodded affirmatively.
He lowered his head and his voice came out low, almost a whisper.
"Maybe if he had had more time..."
I felt a twinge in my chest. Losing a father so young must not be easy, especially for a 5-year-old boy...
So I gave him a light punch on the arm, and he looked up with slightly teary eyes.
"But now, I'll teach you."
Silence.
His sad expression soon lit up with pure euphoria. It was as if he had just received a gift equivalent to 18 birthdays.
"Okay... I'm excited!"
I smiled back.
Lina clapped her hands, her eyes shining with excitement.
"That was amazing! I want to try it too!"
Behind her, Gineviv laughed, standing up with an amused look.
"Calm down, Lina. You don't want to leave this training session missing a few fingers."
Zannen smiled broadly and turned to me, her energy overflowing.
"Again?"
However, before I could answer... I felt two presences, watching what we were doing. My eyes turned, almost instinctively, to the entrance of the training ground.
And there they were, the two elves. Lurya and Lut'hner.
She stood with her arms crossed, watching with that same appraising look as before. Her bodyguard stood beside her, his hand on the hilt of his sword, as if waiting for any reason to act.
I let out an internal sigh.
Great.
And I thought... peaceful moments aren't easy.