FVN Chapter 22: Eight Years Later (1)
Chapter 22: Eight Years Later (1)
Chapter 22: Eight Years Later (1)
In the courtyard of the Solaris House's training facility, a sonorous, metallic clang of steel echoed against the high marble walls. Another soon joined the singular echo, and another, until eventually, the entire grounds sang the metal symphony. Short bursts of wind brushed against the sturdy walls, but an invisible barrier blocked even a single scratch from forming on them. The wind bursts soon became sword slashes shaped like a crescent moon, sending an endless barrage at the innocent walls.
The culprit of the ceaseless bombardment was none other than a tall, black-haired youth. Standing 1.8 metres tall, he'd already reached the average height of men in the Solaris House and had yet to grow fully. Broad-shouldered with the poise of a seasoned warrior, one would be hard-pressed to believe he was just a few days shy of eighteen.
He swung his training sword like a painter, indiscriminately splashing acrylic on his masterpiece with such ease and fluidity that it almost seemed to flow in slow motion. However, there was nothing careless about his swordplay.
His movements were precise and calculated, a testament to his abundance of experience and combat knowledge. It was as if he was dancing without moving a single step. He only moved his sword when needed, creating an illusion of an impregnable wall that couldn't be breached.
However, that didn't mean that no challengers were willing to try.
His opponent, a girl younger than himself, struck him with a flurry of attacks. Her blade wasn't as restrained and composed. The blade in her hand was wayward and clunky, showing numerous weaknesses in her swordplay. Yet, she made up for her inferior artistry with speed and tenacity. The young teenage girl used her small frame to unleash a whirlwind of slashes, attacks too quick for the human eye.
And yet, her sword never reached the youth in front of her.
"Arya, you're rushing again."
Amon's deep voice burst into his sister's eardrums, forcing her to slow down her attacks momentarily as she brought awareness back to her blade work.
"Using your speed is good, but it leaves you with too many openings."
Amon easily parried Arya's sword thrust and landed a kick on her thigh as if to prove his point. Unable to hold her stance from that blunt force, the sixteen-year-old dropped to the ground. In such a vulnerable position, there was nothing Arya could do but watch Amon's sword fly down towards her throat, only to stop a centimetre before it pierced her slender nape.
"You rely too much on your speed, Arya. The basics of your technique are there, but whenever you enter high-speed clashes, you fall back on your bad habits. There were so many openings for me to exploit."
Amon retracted his sword and dropped his guard, signalling the end of the training bout. He offered his hand to his fallen sister, which she gladly took.
"E-Even then, I'm still in the top five of my class!" Arya protested with a pout. "It's just that your standards are too high, Brother!"
"In a life-and-death battle, your ranking doesn't matter. All that matters is that you beat your opponent."
"I-I know that!"
Rising to her feet, Arya adorably bit the bottom of her lip in frustration. She dusted off her clothes and sheathed her sword. After reaching fifteen years old, the young cutie blossomed into a gorgeous flower. She still possessed a tinge of baby fat around her cheeks, but that wasn't enough to hide the beauty that hid underneath.
Unlike Amon, Arya inherited most of her mother's features. Her cat-like eyes were mesmerising, to say the least, and her bubbly personality was evident even from a mile away. Tying her hair up into a ponytail, she looked a proper swordswoman through and through. Arya was dubbed one of the Flowers of the Knight's Academy two years running, and it was only a matter of time before she claimed her third crown.
However, even Arya's superhuman Solaris body couldn't keep up with her brother's hour-long sparring session. She walked over to the corner where her water bottle was and took a big chug out of it. Only after emptying the bottle did she notice her brother frozen in place.
"Are you going to continue training?"
"Yeah... My body is tingling... I feel like I'm about to reach a breakthrough soon."
"Again?! You bloody monster! Didn't you just condense your third Sun?! Leave some for the rest of us, will you?"
Arya threw her empty water bottle at Amon, only for it to bounce right back, dealing negative damage. Why negative damage?
"Ah! My water bottle! You broke it!"
"... You were the one who threw it at me."
"Haha, it just shows your senses have improved drastically!"
Turning his head toward the sonorous voice, Amon saw a young woman breaking free from a veil of grey space. The young woman possessed an ethereal, captivating, and, overall, otherworldly beauty. Her porcelain skin was flawless, without the slightest speck of pore damage. It was borderline unnatural how perfect her skin was.
Cascading like a waterfall of spun silk, her hair flows in lustrous waves of purest white, framing her face in a moonlit sanctified halo. Each strand catches the light, shimmering with an iridescent glow that lends her an almost mystical air. Her eyes, the colour of rich crimson, are like twin pools of molten ruby, which seem to hold secrets and depths yet unexplored.
Her noble white gown was draped over by a blue cloak, covering the ample bosom that her neckline freely revealed. Layers of sumptuous fabric cascaded around her slender form, the bodice intricately embroidered with patterns of silver thread that caught the light with every movement.
Eight years ago, she merely showed hints of the impeccable beauty she would turn out to be. Eight years later... she was ninety per cent there.
It wasn't a stretch to consider the eighteen-year-old amongst the most gorgeous women living on the planet, and the poise and elegance with which she walked only helped boost her rankings.
"Almost everyone in the Elune House won't notice me if I truly wish to hide myself. Only two people I know could do that. Congratulations on being the third!"
Yue flashed her gums as she addressed her future husband.
"Thanks..."
Amon sighed and turned his head away. He had spent eight years with Yue as his fiancée, so Amon had learnt how to deal with the little menace even if he didn't wish for it. During times like these, Yue would continue to tease him until she got bored, so it would be best to end the topic altogether. But unfortunately for him, Yue wasn't done.
"Oh, don't give me the cold shoulder! Didn't Arya ask you to send her regards to me?"
"Since you've heard it, there's no point in me repeating it, right?"
"That's not the point! Hah... How did the two of you grow up to be so different? Arya is such an angel; you're just a boorish brute who only knows how to play with swords!"
Yue's ruby eyes twinkled with delight as she recalled Arya's previous words.
"I didn't know she felt that way about me! To call me the most beautiful girl in Eshon and a perfect fit for your family! I think I should raise her allowance!"
"... You're giving her an allowance?"
Amon heard some cursed words coming out of Yue's mouth. The ethereal beauty froze briefly and seemingly rebooted like a computer. Coughing twice, she took a page out of Amon's playbook and quickly changed the topic:
"Anyway, the stuff about you reaching a breakthrough! You lied to your sister, didn't you?"
"I didn't lie; I'm about to make a breakthrough."
"No, I believe you!" Yue's signature radiant smile returned as she foolishly believed that she had made Amon forget about the bribery of his sister.
"But you're not about to make a breakthrough about swordplay, aren't you?"
"... How did you know?"
"There's nothing you can hide from me, Amon."
Yue folded her arms and stared straight into her fiancé's eyes. Amon stared right back into those crystalline rubies, mesmerised by the depths of knowledge that was hidden within. Unconsciously, he stepped back as the following words from Yue's mouth struck him like a bell.
"Amon you... are about to condense your Sixth Sun, right?"