The Only Son Amongst The Daughters Of Eros

Chapter 164: Training Arc • 11: Sparring Mate II



Seeing Delva flying through the air like that with a speed that he would usually expect from a fellow Awakened Player, Aeric was struck with the element of surprise.

He found himself retreating back, but she flew closer, sword stretched forward. The first attack was deceptively simple, a quick thrust aimed at his midsection.

Aeric found confidence and pushed himself forward once again, using his sword to parry it easily, but before he could counter, she pivoted with startling agility, her blade sweeping toward his side.

Stunned again, Aeric twisted his body to dodge, but she was already repositioning, pressing her advantage with a series of lightning-fast strikes.

He blocked and blocked and blocked, moving back as she kept advancing. Clang! Clang! Clang! Their swords kept kissing viscously.

'She's so fast!' Aeric thought, gritting his teeth as he blocked another strike. He didn't block it perfectly, and his arms vibrated from the impact. The strain crept into his muscles, causing him to draw backward.

Delva gave him a spin kick and he fell back, finding his feet quickly after. "Ugh." He petted his jaw then looked up, seeing her coming close. Explore more at empire

'It's like she's ten steps ahead of me. How is she reading me this well?'

"Your footwork is sloppy, Aeric," Alzera called out from the sidelines, arms crossed as she observed. "Stop letting her dictate the pace! Use your reach. Force her to play your game."

Easier said than done.

Aeric glanced at her and smirked. 'Like she's not secretly enjoying this after I beat her ass in Player X Player.'

Suddenly, he felt a movement. A rush of air.

Aeric looked up to see Delva jumping high, about to land on him. He quickly got out of the way and once she landed firm on the ground, their battle of swords began again.

Every time Aeric tried to create distance and use his longer reach to his advantage, Delva closed the gap effortlessly. Her strikes were fast and extremely precise.

An attack is meant to have a purpose, and every one of Delva's did. Each of them was aimed to exploit a weakness in his defense. He was not as fast as her, but he had quick reflexes and comeback stratagem. She wanted to push that to its limits.

Even her movements… they were smooth, fluid, almost like a dance. Aeric was no match for her, he'd been in the defence ever since they began fighting.

"Focus, Master Aeric," Delva said calmly, her tone measured even as their swords clashed again. "You have a fast response mechanism to being in danger, but you hesitate a lot. Your hesitation will cost you your life on the battlefield."

Aeric grew frustrated. He decided to force an attack in the midst of Delva's onslaught, so he swung his blade in a calculated arc. But Delva sidestepped it with ease, her sword snapping up to tap the flat of his blade.

The move sent his weapon slightly off balance, leaving him open. She didn't exploit it immediately, instead giving him just enough time to recover — almost as if she was teaching him as they fought.

That made Aeric feel a bit pampered and insulted, he couldn't lie. But he also couldn't lie that she was better. She was leagues ahead when it came to battle skill, strength and technique.

His mind raced as he struggled to keep up. Despite all his training, all the progress he thought he had made, Delva was dismantling him without even breaking a sweat.

"You're relying too much on brute force," Delva continued, deflecting another of his strikes with total ease. "Your form is decent, but your judgment is clouded. You're reacting to me instead of acting with purpose."

Aeric gritted his teeth. 'I see the difference now. Delva. Alzera. Both of them are differently skilled fighters. Alzera battles beasts while Delva battles men. Now I see why their attack strategy is different and why it's hard for me to keep up with someone who has a wider offensive arsenal than an ordinary beast!'

He growled under his breath, trying to focus. 'But I'm sure I can try to show that I have potential! At least I can take down one or two knights on my own!'

He feinted to the left, hoping to catch her off guard with a quick thrust to the right. For a moment, he thought he had her, but then her blade was there, meeting his with a resounding clash.

'Rabbit balls! She's everywhere!'

Before he could recover, she twisted her body and swept his legs out from under him with a sharp kick.

He hit the ground hard, the air rushing from his lungs.

When he tried to get up, he suddenly stopped. Delva's sword was at his throat, and his eyes found her face having a calm and firm expression.

"Master Aeric," she said, speaking like a wise samurai. "It's not always about Divinity. Sometimes a man's true strength and skill is what matters on the battlefield. Do not depend too much on magic and forget that you are human as well. Your body should be your rock. Not your Divine Core."

Aeric stared up at her, stunned not just by the fight but by her words. For a moment, all he could do was blink. Then, a small smile crept onto his face. "Well, I'll be damned," he muttered, clapping his hands in surrender. "You've got me."

Delva smiled at him and then extended a hand, pulling him to his feet. "I hope I wasn't too rough, Master Aeric?"

"You were fine, Delv." he replied. "I knew you were a skilled fighter but wow. That was something else" he replied.

"Thank you, Master Aeric," she blushed.

Aeric glanced over at Alzera's direction as she approached them. "That was incredible, Delva. Perhaps there are things that I could learn from you as well."

Delva looked at her. "And I you, Lady Alzera. It would be an honor to learn from a legendary Dungeon Clearer such as you."

Alzera looked down at her as she bowed, then she looked at Aeric. "I like her."

He chuckled. "I guess I've learned more than one thing today," Aeric said, dusting himself off. "I've been humbled, and I've done the humbling. Not a bad day."

Delva chuckled.

"Very funny, Prince. Also, I wanted to ask you." Alzera turned to him fully.

"Yeah?" he raised a brow.

"When was the last time you had... sex?"

Dum! A drum banged in Aeric's head. He froze, stunned by the question and his eyes moved to Delva. Then back to Alzera.

"What?"

Alzera blushed a little, seeing his reaction and understanding, but then she coughed. "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm only asking because your technique was a little rough back there and you seem to have a small clog when using your physical Divinity. Good sex is important for one's growth as an Awakened Player."

"Oh." Aeric cleared his throat and glanced at Delva who said it's true.

"Well, thank you for telling me that." He said to both women who seemed really interested in the answer to the question. "I'll put sex into my weekly routine."

Alzera smirked at him. "Daily will be preferable," she said. Then leaned to whisper in his ear. "Since your training will be daily, that means I'll be available as well."

He cleared his throat and looked at Delva, smiling nervously. "She... didn't say anything."

The girl smiled.

The training ended with maidens arriving in the chamber with trays of food.

They all sat together, eating and laughing as the tension of the day melted away. Kael tore into a leg of pheasant, grinning as he recounted Aeric's earlier victory over Alzera.

"I'll never forget the look on her face!" he roared, earning a playful glare from Alzera.

As the evening fell, they left the Crystal Chamber, their laughter echoing through the halls of the Castle of Starlight.

Aeric waved goodbye to his companions, but instead of heading inside, he turned back toward the training expanse.

~ ~ ~

From a window high above, Mother Guinevere watched her son with a quiet smile. Jontel stood beside her. "He's grown so much," she murmured. "Both physically and mentally. He'll need that strength, but… I hope the weight of leadership doesn't fall on his shoulders."

Jontel chuckled softly. "It might already be too late for that, Your Grace. You may not see it yet, but Aeric was born to rule."

Guinevere glanced at him, then back at Aeric. Down below, her son was relentlessly slashing at the dummies, sweat dripping from his brow as he groaned with effort. "Ngh! Ngh!"

"Perhaps," she said softly, her expression contemplative. "Perhaps he was."


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