Tysone blinked, slowly turning his head toward her, as if coming back from someplace far away. "Could say the same about you. Thought you were supposed to be resting."
She smiled faintly, walking over to him until she was a few steps away. "Vice leader's duty, remember? You push yourself too hard. Someone has to make sure you don't break."
He let out a short breath—half chuckle, half exhale—and leaned the halberd against the wall, finally relaxing his grip. "Guess that makes two of us."
There was a pause between them. Not awkward, just... full.
She moved forward, closing the gap, her katana still held loosely in one hand.
Then—
She burst forward, her hair whipping behind her in a black cascade. She lunged, blade flashing.
Tysone reacted. His body twisted, a sharp, instinctive dodge. The halberd's handle whipped out, clattering against the sword.
Saeko's follow-through was a feint, and she spun, blade whistling through the space where Tysone had just been. But he had spun as well. They mirrored each other, their weapons meeting again with a ringing clash. A burst of wind from their clash blew past them.
Then they separated, each taking a step back.
"Nice form." She smiled.
"I've been paying attention."
The spar continued, their blades dancing around each other, never quite landing, always deflecting, parrying, testing.
They weren't fighting; they were playing.
Or perhaps flirting. Saeko had quite the fond yet maniacal glint in her eyes. Tysone had come to learn that that was Saeko in her most honest, natural element. Not a pretty girl. Not a fighter. Just a warrior who sought the heat of battle, no matter how much she restrained herself.
She spun her katana around, her smile never leaving her face. Her blade clashed with the halberd. Sparks flew.
Tysone spun with her, his weapon coming up in a quick arc. She sidestepped—but he had already predicted it and moved with her. Saeko's eyes widened in mild surprise and pleasure, but she didn't miss a beat.
Her blade snapped out, fast as a viper. A silver streak that could've easily beheaded someone before they even knew they were dead.
Tysone blocked, his weapon ringing with the impact. A stalemate followed as both weapons were engaged in a tug-of-war. He smiled. When it came to strength? He had the 'evolution' advantage. The core he absorbed was of a higher quality than hers.
Saeko chuckled, letting herself be overpowered by his superior force, her eyes gleaming. Tysone pushed, his halberd straining against her katana. Her blade slid back along the polearm, closer and closer to the axehead, until—
With a deft twist, she disengaged and slipped past his guard. She stood close now, the edge of her blade hovering just above his neck.
She could almost kiss him if she so desired.
Tysone's eyes turned into slits as time slowed down, his reaction speed already way past the limits of a human's. He thought. 'What can I do to get out of this?' Saeko's blade was getting closer to his neck.
He took a step forward, completely unconcerned by her katana's position, then his hand grasped her katana's edge. The blade bit into his palm, but when had pain ever stopped him? Saeko blinked, and that moment of surprise was all Tysone needed exert the full power of his strength. With a mighty push, he sent Saeko's body flying.
Flying was a bit of an exaggeration; he had only sent her a few steps away. But that had been enough.
He spun the halberd around. She quickly recovered and did the same.
Both weapons clashed in the middle. The resulting impact created a loud bang. A gust of wind. The ground slightly cracked beneath Tysone.
Saeko stared at him in surprise, and her lips twitched. "I didn't know you could be this powerful." She said, eyes narrowing slightly as her smirk widened. "What a fun night."
Tysone chuckled. "Well, not the kind of fun I usually expect after a party."
"Fair enough." She exhaled, sheathing her katana. "You've improved since we last sparred. A lot, actually."
Tysone grunted, a strained smile on his face. "Thanks. Still have a ways to go, though."
That, however, didn't mean he wasn't proud of his improvement. After all, he had trained for this shit. He put his life on the line for this shit. Of course he was proud.
"True, for both of us." She replied with a soft smile. "There's always more to learn. Always a new technique to master."
There was a comfortable pause in the conversation as both of them took a breather from their intense spar. Saeko turned her eyes toward him. "So... what's next?"
"What do you mean?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Your plan." Saeko said. "Your plan going forward."
Tysone smiled.
...
The next day...
Tysone disentangled himself from Shizuka's soft limbs and climbed out of the bed, leaving the drooling woman to sleep alone for once. After going through his usual morning routine, he made his way down where breakfast was already being prepared. Marin, who had been working in the kitchen along with Yui, Saeko, and Saya, immediately greeted him. "Hey." She said, smiling slightly as she held a ladle in her hand. "Breakfast is almost ready. You want coffee? Or tea? Or..."
Saya elbowed her, hissing something under her breath, to which Marin simply pouted and looked away, a red hue on her cheeks.
Tysone smiled. "Tea would be good." He muttered, and his eyes scanned the dining room, noticing the absence of some of the group.
Saeko noticed, and spoke. "They're still sleeping." She explained, and Tysone nodded. As for the survivors, none of them had shown their faces yet.
"Saeko, as soon as the fresh meat wakes up, make sure they're all working. They don't get to eat if they're not. I want them all to help maintain the mansion's exterior and interior. Those who wish to join the main combat force can join your and Kohta's class, and will naturally be exempted from more mundane duties."
Saeko nodded.
Tysone looked at the others. "As for you all... just continue what you're doing." He said, sighing softly. He looked outside through the windows. The weather seemed to have stabilized. The rain was no longer pouring as harshly, and there weren't any lightning bolts or whatever. However, it was still cloudy, and the aurora, whilst not as strong as before, was still present.
"That being said..." He continued. "I want to go outside and fully scour the mansion's vicinity. I also want to establish a perimeter. A safe area that's ours. And we're not stopping until we're absolutely sure that nothing's gonna attack us, or come to take our territory from us. Is that clear?"
They nodded. Even Saya was in agreement.
"I want to establish a larger base of operations that'll serve as the center of our group." He added. "It's not just about me, you all, the rest, and then everyone else. It's about creating a place where everyone will feel safe." They couldn't stay there forever. This mansion was just the starting point. He was hoping the could establish an entire city that they can rule over.
That'll take time, of course.
But no better time to start than now.
The rest of the day was relatively normal. Compared to yesterday's shit, anyway. After Tysone relayed what shared during breakfast to all the members, he received a round of nods and agreement, which meant the idea would be immediately implemented. As usual, an elite task force would be mobilized for the sole purpose of intelligence gathering and area clearing. Once the area was safe enough, they'd gather resources and recruit anyone willing to join them, and those who were too weak would remain here under their protection, whilst being made to do some chores as repayment for their security and food.
"Saeko, Takashi, and Marin, you'll be with me. Shizuka, I hope your driving has gotten better, cause I'm counting on you."
"Leave it to me!" The nurse chirped cheerfully. She looked like the type to get a little nervous under pressure, but Tysone knew better than that now. He trusted her.
"Wait, I'm joining too?" Marin asked, looking surprised. She was usually left in charge of the mansion along with the others, after all.
"You've chosen to be part of the main combat force, haven't you?" He grinned. "You can't always stay here."
She bit her bottom lip, looking worried for a moment, before she took a deep breath and nodded with a more confident expression on her face. "I understand. I won't let you down, Ty."
"Good. Then let's get ready, we'll be going in fifteen." Tysone nodded. "Shizuka, get the truck ready."
...
Author's Note:
If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead or support my work, you can check out my P@treon at [email protected]/LordCampione. But don't worry—all chapters will eventually be public. Just being here and reading means the world to me. Thank you for your time and support.