The sands of time yet echoed in his mind. They were feeble and somehow they still managed to drive him around in a state of mind that he could not quite describe, bright and endless stars above him that seemed to be the ones to drag him around for he followed them and their endless rotations. When he did so, he would keep seeing these grains ahead of him. Each one of them was orange and yet tinted with a fragment of memory, almost as if each one of them was in truth a crystal that yearned for the man’s attention.

If he was to carefully look inside those crystals, he could almost see them. No, he did look inside one rather, and when he did his entire view turned orange. A voice in the back of his mind felt a sense of familiarity with the scene, this endless void that he had roamed before, and behind him a village. That was what he expected, at least. He thought he would see what were those nostalgic sights, those humble faces and people that worked together in a community where even an orphan could feel welcome and loved for, but when he turned, he witnessed something else.

Fire. Oh, how beautiful it was. It was a beautiful shade of orange, one that simply made you stare at it for no reason at all. How vast and how far it extended to the reaches of his vision, it was boundless. But why did he not feel any warmth at all? No, it was not just that. Rather he felt cold, why was it so cold? Something wrapped him with an endless breeze, it made him feel like he could nearly freeze into a popsicle right where he was standing.

He realized why soon enough. From fire, emerged smoke and once the smoke passed, the flames began to twist and turn, until he could catch a glimpse of what hid behind them; corpses. Men, women and children that had resisted up to their very last not to suffer a worse fate, and the look of desperation over their faces did not deserve a single word. He was speechless. When he tried to reach out, he was wrapped by the flames.

They were consuming him, to the point where he could no longer even see his hands, they were gone in the depths of the flame’s lowest point and turned into ashes. Fear emerged, what would happen next? A sense of anxiety began to overwhelm him, until a voice suddenly hit him.

“Heed…”

Something snapped right at that moment. A voice he could not recognize or even hear for the matter and yet he knew that he had heard those very words just a moment now, but even that would become ephemeral not a moment later when his eyes were now open, and his sleep had also gone with the ashes. Such a disgrace earned a sigh from Nasu, yet once more he could not sleep one full night without having to deal with some awkward stuff. To be honest, when was the last time he managed to have a sound sleep session to himself?

Never, most likely. There was no end to how annoying this was, but even more was the fact that he could hardly remember anything much from what he saw in his sleep. In a way he knew what the whole deal about it was, but in another way he felt like he could not progress any further with his problem and that he was stuck against a wall.

Speaking of which, he was actually stuck to something. It was no wall but he could recognize it almost immediately, he had decided to take a nap within the forest earlier. By now his senses were finally waking up and he could see the absurd amount of grass, leaves and bushes all around. Not to mention the tree that he laid against in his sleep, it was a fine time here. While he did not wake up out of his best intentions, he could still enjoy the vibe all of this was giving him currently. It was sweet and tender in a way, to be in the middle of nature without the slightest distraction or need to really focus on anything.

That was until he heard a voice. Could she be, no, there was no way. She did not sound like what he believed were the words spoken to him in his mind, and yet there was a strange event that first occurred for Nasu; he could not sense anyone. Just how strange this was he was at a loss for words, something like this never happened to him and now he was here, wondering if he had not just gone insane and hearing things.

He pushed himself up to his feet, he did not need to spend much energy to find the source of all these noises, in the middle of nowhere, on flat ground he found another person. She was curious, however. Not that Nasu was a regular person, but she was definitely not an average citizen, from what he had witnessed during his time in the city. She did not look normal, and even that very blade she wielded had him grasp at his mind for clues. How did it work? What was it?

“You are doing a good job there. You will need a lot of muscle memory to pull more advanced moves in the future.”

The man did not hesitate much to approach her, she did not seem like an aggressive individual at first glance. Besides, Nasu felt more than confident in having to deal with just anyone the way he was currently, even if he could not feel her energy. He stepped inside the vast and flat area, and she would bear witness to a tall man, his dark locks flowed freely against the breeze, dressed and clad in black, gray and white, with golden and crimson boots, and a strange golden emblem on his shirt.

“I take it you are a beginner, though. That is fine, we all start somewhere. But I have never seen anything like that, what is it called?”

He spoke like he had experience, and perhaps she could see that from the very weapon strapped upon his back and yet, that too was not just any blade; for it was far too big to be called a sword, at first sight.

“Sorry. I should introduce myself first. That sword of yours threw me off balance. I am Nasu, and you are?””

Thread Power Level: 3,202
WC: 1103

Something struck Nasu the most when he took note of the stranger in the woods and true, while there was a sense of curiosity that piqued his interest because of her extravagance there was something else that was ticking the strings of his mind and it was something on a whole other level, nearly metaphysical perhaps. The very swings that she delivered were indeed not a veteran’s or whatever other level she was at, but there was something else behind them. He could not describe it as either joy or happiness for he could not read her well, however he could somewhat tell there was a positive vibe behind each of her attempts with that sword.

It felt nice, honestly. It gave off nostalgia from each and every corner of that moment, nearly enough that Nasu could feel himself travel across space and time upon another layer of reality that existed many years prior to this encounter, back when the headstrong child insisted on training together with the others. He did not have to, he was not meant to rather, for they all promised they would take care of him and not allow him to raise a finger and yet the boiling soul of a warrior was already exhaling steam from each and every intent in the child’s actions.

He knew what he wanted to do already and thus he continued to simulate what he was seeing from others. He had seen many of them do the same movement repeatedly, time and time again for hours and days and he continued to do as well. Of course there was no end to how many times he nearly dropped dead or perhaps to how many times the sword slipped out of his grasp, or when he could not even lift it. Echoes of an endearing voice scolding the boy for not choosing a sword his size still remained in his mind to this day.

In a few words she reminded him of the way he used to be. Not that he was any different or that he strayed off his path but it was almost like seeing himself into a mirror that led straight into the past, a window into one’s memories and it was honestly kind of entertaining. Each struggle felt and surpassed through training felt meaningful, and that it could still lead him far. Nasu knew that he could still grow stronger.

But perhaps it was not just about yourself growing more powerful.

“Hmm?”

He mused shortly when she looked to be somewhat astonished. His eyes widened in response and just tried to kind of tell what was going through her mind, the idea of his constitution and body type being something else did not cross his thoughts, therefore he was also left somewhat confused at first. But he guessed he could tell that she was definitely an okay person, or well at least she appeared genuine.

“Why, you should not apologize for no reason.”

His head nodded in return to her formal greeting, he did excuse her failing at it especially because she was training, and because he did not really care for formalities. He accepted them nevertheless, it was something new. While she was left to examine him, he did pretty much the same. In style he was still quite different when it came to attire, but the weapon itself was indeed interesting. The hilt and handle was definitely worth a sword but of course, much like she pointed out, there was no blade.

“Keyblade, you say. It does look like a key, so I can definitely see that. But you are telling me that it speaks to you?”

When he spoke, if she paid any heed, she could tell there was not a hint of disbelief in his voice and rather his eyes simply were gazing in marvel at this occasion. He had never heard of anything like this, but either he was too naive or he knew nothing of the world. He knew there was magic and the like but never would he have thought of a sword that could harbor words, or perhaps even intent. If this one blade really spoke in the name of good and protecting, it had to be a good thing and it was in the hands of someone good.

Of course he did not know this individual at all, but there was definitely something that he could tell meant well, the blush at the hint of her intent, to him at least it was a signal that it was more of an aspiration than a current duty. Not that he had much experience in that regard himself, but more and more he could see a younger version of himself ahead of him; one that really wanted to help others out not for the very achievement but because back when he needed a savior the most, there was nearly none to spare him the sightings he took one tragic day.

He barely knew this one’s name but if anything her desire to do good transpired and he had felt the vibe, therefore it prompted him to offer a hand.

“No, you excuse me. I must have asked too quickly about your weapon. I could just tell that it was something out of this world, at least from my own experience.”

Nasu found himself smiling a bit at both her assumption, and the comment that came right after. Yeah, he was big but he did not think much of it usually. Now that he thought about it, maybe he figured out why she was quite shocked earlier.

“I am a swordsman but I fear size is not exactly an attribute of any swordsman. It is more like something you play around with, in a way it can impact the way you will be fighting; from the type of sword you will use to the style and techniques. It is true that your Keyblade has no blade, thus it makes for an interesting kind of weapon. Perhaps you could use it as a hybrid between a staff and a sword, but from what little I could spy, you are still a little short on your path to worry about what kind of moves you will be using.”

While he absolutely appreciated the youthful spirit behind her training, he could point out a thing or two about it. There was of course no need for him to school her but given the chance that she would listen, he would be happy if she heard him out and at least tried to do so.

“Your sword may very well be light but you will grow tired if you make unnatural movements, even if you are just doing simple swings. That is because you are stretching your muscles nevertheless, in this phase of your training you should try to perform short strikes until you get used to swinging a sword. Once you reach a certain level of muscle memory and dexterity with your blade, you can then expand your repertoire.”

One hand gripped the hilt of his weapon and slowly he rose it, and twisted his wrist to guide the blade upwards, up in the heavens, until he finally allowed it to descend and while he did hold back its movement, the moment it approached his waist, the very grass between them danced and split apart from the very latent force of the sword. With one other hand, he also held the hilt and tilted it shortly up, running straight ahead of him while his legs spread to welcome the hilt closer to his stomach. It was a classic sword stance, and yet it looked totally different just from the sheer size of the sword.

“Meet Shadowbreaker, a gift from an old friend before we parted ways. According to my friend’s words it would be my light when crossing the darkness. Of course, my friend was a little too dramatic but I can not deny his craftsmanship being something else.”

A closer look and no veins were under pressure around his wrists, while there were no doubts about Nasu’s power still being in its youth, he was confident and experienced enough with his sword to the point that he could bear its weight with ease.

“Since you are a beginner and you are so fiercely training, maybe I can help you out. What do you say?”

WC: 1407
Total WC: 2510

It was true that thinking of a weapon speaking was a little hard to believe but Nasu did not necessarily blame her for even saying so, there was plenty out there that he did not know about. Frankly if somebody told him their weapon spoke to them, he could believe it without too much hesitation. He did not feel like he knew all the laws of this reality, there was so much he did not likely know about and that he could not even begin to fathom. But that was no excuse for him to just believe everything anyone told him, of course, so he just took everything with a grain of salt.

Even the fact that the weapon had some kind of good intent could honestly come down to magic. He did not know anything about that aspect of life but he believed he could see that as a possibility, and that itself was honestly intriguing. In twenty eight years he had likely seen a lot of different things, probably even magic at one point but it was just an unexplored area of his life that it was nearly a legend for him. Something that he did not need to worry about, of course unless he was to suddenly face someone powerful in that department.

“Short strikes, yes. Let us think of it like unarmed combat. When you compare the two, of course you would think they are two different things but in truth they are actually very similar. Your sword is nothing more than an extension of yourself, so you must guide it the same way a martial artist would guide their fists, of course you can not just swing at someone and hope it would hit in the same way. But when you are untrained, you are going to have a hard time to perform long ranged swings, so it is best you start by training your stamina by using the least amount of strength and energy for each strike. You should try not to punch too much into your swing, make it short and quick just to hit your opponent where it hurts and that is it. Rinse and repeat until you get the pace, and then you can try harder strikes.”

Of course he could not just tell Rhapsody to try the hardest thing she could think of, right away. Swordsmanship took years of practice and work, but he did not believe much into the theory and studying part, instead he believed that experience was the most powerful method to become better at any of it. If she was to get better and if she really wanted to, then she would have to fight as much as possible using her Keyblade. Of course, when he pulled down his own sword in that stance, it was also an invite for her to strike, one that he reminded her of formally and vocally shortly after.

He would not say there was some kind of etiquette where swordsmen would have to fight if both drew their weapons but it was kind of obvious they were not just going to show their weapons off and then do nothing. Nasu himself hardly showed it off unless he was going to fight someone.

But across all he faced, this was the first time someone spoke to his sword. In all these years, this was definitely new. There were people that were of course obsessed with swords in the same way one was with their car but he was pretty sure he did not expect anyone actually talking to them. Was it some kind of ability she had or was she just younger than what he expected? It could be, but either way, it did not really bother him that she would speak with weapons, it did confuse him however.

“Y-yeah, it did. It has been a godsend. But a weapon will only be as useful as its wielder, so you better train hard.”

That being said, she was definitely excited to spar but before he could even begin, she asked a curious question. Were swords meant to clash? He knew what she was talking about, nearly anything one could look up about swords and the like usually had exaggerated material of dramatic battles. Of course clashes did happen but they were quite rare.

“Clashes do happen but they are also quite short. When two swords clash, it is about pacing around your opponent first and landing a hit or backing away to dodge if they are faster than you. In a way, it is nowhere like in those pictures or films you saw. But your sword would not necessarily break if it clashed with mine, if you wish to play it safe, always clash with the part of the blade closest to the hilt. It will be sturdier to break. While if you get to learn how to use your energy, you could even imbue the sword with your aura and make it stronger, literally make it an extension of yourself. Of course that still will not do much if you face an opponent more powerful than you are.”

In a way it was not much different from martial arts indeed. Of course he believed swordsmanship could potentially be even more dangerous given the presence of a weapon, if it was used well it could do a lot more than just a punch in the face. Except he also knew how effective a punch could be in the right situations, he was not only a swordsman but a warrior first and foremost and believed one could use nearly every limb in a fight to their advantage.

There was definitely a lot more to it, but it would probably be a little overwhelming introducing everything to Rhapsody all at once, therefore he believed it was best to just begin from the basics. If she could not swing her sword efficiently, there was little use in worrying about clashes and whatever else. Therefore once more Nasu beckoned with his head, feeling quite confident that he could take on a starter from the young lady and prepared himself with a tight grip on his hilt.

“Come on, show me how your opener.”

WC: 1038
Total WC: 3548

Rhapsody was of course asking the right questions for a beginner. Nasu, too, would not understand how it really worked to fight with a weapon when he was younger . It would not be unbelievable to think that some could see the use of a weapon to be not as merciful as fists but in truth he did not believe that statement applied one bit. Simply enough because there were men more than capable of killing with their hands alone, without the need of a weapon. So it was not like using a weapon was any worse than going at someone with your hands but of course it was also a different situation.

He believed that many types of weapons were mostly ideal only for that kind of crude fate. For example you could not do much beyond slicing with a katana, but it was also true that most weapons were not so sharp to actually cause any cuts to a prepared opponent or even worse someone with armor. That took a lot of skill and strength to pull off, but of course the point was that directing your sword at someone’s body did not immediately translate into death.

Of course injuries were going to take place but that was no different from using your fists. What else was one going to fight with? Petting their opponent? Surely some would find it more pleasing but also far less efficient and dangerous for your own sake. Nasu could understand her hesitation but she could not let herself worry that much yet.

“You could theoretically strike the weapon on purpose. In my case I could try breaking their blades if I slice at their weapon’s tip, or if you are precise enough you could even attempt a disarming maneuver. But that is a little more advanced and honestly will not serve you well against people that are also powerful, unless you are just as fast as they are.”

Of course he was slowly learning more about this stranger each interaction. She did not seem willing to hurt others which was a good thing, of course. Even Nasu would have had a similar phase back then, but there was a little problem with that; if somebody was out there to hurt you, they would not stop just because you were not going to. Sure, there were chances and whatever other more diplomatic actions could possibly stop a person, but that was one in a million when it came to a world where you could achieve extraordinary power.

“No, you do not have to be harming anyone just because you are using a sword. First it is not even so easy to just get through another weapon user’s defenses, if you actually manage to break through that barrier you can pretty much knock them out in any other way, but even a small cut can do the trick if you land it well. Second, you do not really have a blade. Yours does not likely risk cutting anyone, it is more like a brawler’s choice of arms, so it would be more akin to using a bat or a staff most likely. Does it still hurt? Yes. But do not expect evil to stand down just because you tell them to.”

He took a short moment, given the practical uses and cases asides, which were definitely useful to make clear and make sure there was no confusion over. Again, using a weapon could definitely make for a great advantage in a fight but one had to be responsible enough to know how to use it and even just wielding it was definitely something beyond the act itself of using a sword. Just having it could be considered something of a benefit, as many would think twice before picking trouble with you.

Not to mention that of course one could perhaps either try to talk them out of the fight and all. But Nasu felt like he knew a different life; he did not deny there were likely those that would perhaps give up and decide to rightfully find another course in life but in all honesty Nasu believed there were more people that would likely get riled up and keep fighting rather than give up just because you had a sword or in general if you tried to defend someone or something. She had to understand this much.

“Besides, you should not ever hesitate. I understand where you are coming from. I am the first guy that would give my enemy a second chance, it is only fair that they get one. But you should not exaggerate with that or in a few words; you can not take it that easily in a fight. When you have something to defend, it is not just about stopping the bad guy. Hesitating may leave an opening and you might end up losing that which you hold dear. Giving a second chance is a risk, I admit it even if it is the way I do things. For all you know your enemy could later exploit others or go after those you deem dear to you. Even if I would rather hope that a bad person can understand their mistakes instead of coming back for more.”

This was nearly infinite, of course, there were plenty of scenarios or events one could possibly account for, all that even Nasu that was much older would not manage to possibly imagine. Perhaps he also lacked some degree of experience on the matter but he was sure and confident about the things he currently told, and with a brief nod he would just sum it all up in one statement.

“It is not easy being a good guy. I guess you can say that. You will definitely face some awkward and tight choices. But you will do fine if you stay true to yourself, probably.”

He did not want to make her too comfortable about that notion. Life was full of surprises and there was no telling when she would end up disappointed and done dirty by the events of this world. But he preferred this approach rather than just spouting up lies about how they could stop just anyone, for he knew there was always a bigger fish.

“Come!”

Nasu had noticed the glow of that sword, a part of him believed that it could have just been the sunlight that reflected off its materials and produced some kind of illusion, but if she was honest and she could really talk with that sword, then perhaps he had just witnessed to a possible proof that he was about to cross his own weapon against a sentient blade. But that did not matter much to him, the man did not shift stance and instead just briefly pulled away his fingers, getting a feel for the air before he once more wrapped them around the hilt lightly enough so that he could make any one last minute shift.

Rhapsody ran for it, if anything she really did have quite the spirit but of course Nasu recognized that she was somewhat sloppy even in that, he did not have to really see that fall of hers or when she fell, he did not even recognize it. Was it funny? Kind of, but he decided not to be mean and laugh off her. It probably happened to him before, too, who knew. However what he wondered right now was if this lady had actually ever fought before; of course dresses were never a good idea in a battlefield unless they were properly styled to suit a battle or if you were actually good enough at fighting with one.

Given she just fell like that he began to doubt this one was a fighter at all, especially since apparently it was the Keyblade that guided her. Yes, lots of food for his brain there but again he found it rude just to comment that fall or even question her, thus he stayed silent and waited for the woman to recover. Which she did eventually and even if still clearly embarrassed she launched herself at him.

The moment he saw her type of attack, he shifted weight to his left and stepped aside while he would slow her down with the tip of his long blade, allowing both weapons to stride briefly and placing it above hers, blocking her attack.

But he would not just let them clash, he pressed all its weight and his own on that weapon of hers before he swung his blade to the left, he knew that doing that would free the Keyblade from the Shadowbreaker that sat upon it but he aimed for her, as a demonstration of what he meant earlier, he launched all his strength into one switch that would swing into her stomach, luckily for her, what would hit her was not either edge of the blade but the very body of it, in a vertical position since he had used one of the edges to stop her blade. It was not any different from being struck with a baseball bat right into the stomach, in a few words.

WC: 1535
Total WC: 5083

The man had pretty much collected whatever information he could on her next attack, not even from the few seconds that passed from when she launched her blade, but her stance and movements gave it away when she was not even close enough to him. Given that much had already been hinted to him, he found it easy to think of a counterattack without having to really rush for it.

His own blade weighted enough for her own weapon to probably be pushed down with ease, and when he got that out of the way, his back muscles and arms brought the force to lead the blade’s flat into her, smacking her away in one swoop. The moment of impact was crucial and shocking enough that it sent a breeze through the forest, causing the very leaves to shake and Rhapsody to tumble away from his Shadowbreaker’s reach.

Nasu exhaled a long breath, nearly all of his lungs were emptied in that instant before he freshened himself with newer air through his nostrils. Soon enough he pulled back his foot and held his sword overhead, holding it up onto a shoulder diagonally.

“If you attack first, then you best not let your attack be predictable. Do not get in pose while you are still miles away and you are running for it. You will give your opponent enough time to think on how to fight back.”

By then he had of course managed to make a full book of her experience, which was basically zero. Not to her own fault, he had probably assumed too much to begin with, so he did not expect her to pull this off at all. Even though when he saw her lay down, he was kind of feeling something else. It was a different feeling than usual, but it was something that he recognized as either shame or regret. It was a sparring session and he was pretty sure he had knocked her out for a good few hours now.

A brief echo of the past touched him, he did not remember how many years it had to have been but he could still remember the episode clearly in his mind. Like flowing water, his mind danced away with the currents back; the area was just as green even if the feeble memories showed images greatly enhanced by a brightness, perhaps he tried to make up for the details he did not remember. Upon the grass laid what looked like to be a beaten kid, he tried to push himself up back on his feet with a long sword at his side that had fallen next to him.

The weapon laid motionlessly while the boy tried to use all his strength to push himself up, it was not clear in what condition it was but his mind would paint him red over; whoever he had been fighting with, had not been holding back, to the point where his wounds did not allow him to stand up with any sort of ease. When he looked up, he could still see the silhouette of a man. For some reason it did not fill him with any aggressive emotions but he was indeed somewhat scared of him, someone tall and mighty that decided to go all out during a spar.

He remembered feeling scared, and powerless. Just like way before that time, his village was taken away and burned into the void, no ashes left to mourn for and there was nothing he could have done about it.

Shortly after that, he realized that this feeling was a sympathy that he was feeling right now. He felt sorry for striking her, even if he had even limited his strength in doing so, he had overestimated her a little. Out of worry he was one second away from rescuing her so he could make sure that she was okay, but that was when she spoke up instead. He stopped briefly and just gazed at her blankly, confused even. Could she truly continue? Nasu doubted it but if anything he was once more reminded of his own past and that was curious, the fact alone that he was training someone so much alike made him feel like something was coming full circle and it felt satisfying.

“You are the first beginner that stands up after something like that. Perhaps you can really make it big one day.”

Nasu was not a great teacher, this was his first experience even but he liked what he was seeing. He believed she could probably become much stronger, however a part of him was awakening; a deeper level of empathy. Ever since before he had always helped others out of necessity, now he felt the need to do so because otherwise he felt like he would have been consumed from within, and therefore he nodded and when she was ready to come for more, he interrupted her with a sole finger up in the air.

“One minute. I give you one more minute to hit me at least once. If you do, I promise I will make myself available should you want more help with the way of the sword. Do not worry about hurting me. I can take it.”

The man readied himself for his opponent, his eyes watched her carefully on the way to him and when he could see her having finally mustered the force and courage to run up to him once more he readied himself and swung the sword forth, its long body stood mighty in the way of her Keyblade, horizontally so, while he held the clash briefly.

“When there is a clear skill gap between you and your opponent, forget about swinging your sword in different ways. You watch for his swings and for what is around you, in the end, the only way to win against such a foe is to use anything useful around you. Element of surprise, if you will. All you can find or do to temporarily stun him and make yourself an opening.”

He used Shadowbreaker’s length to run forth, and reach for her back, all the while his blade would grind against her Keyblade. While he could have normally struck at her in one way or another in this maneuver, he chose not to and just to disengage before he once more held his blade ahead in the earlier stance he began this spar with; one more hit probably meant having to carry this girl to a hospital honestly, if anything he was going to be on the defensive and see if she was be able to hit him.

WC: 1112
Total WC: 6195

Nasu did not even have the time to properly warn her with the new rule that she had already charged in. At that point he was convinced that she was not going to back down, perhaps not even after the full minute had passed, but he would keep count in his mind. She returned onto trying to hit him with swinging that was indeed more akin to flailing. His eyes followed the sword fly left and right and of course while some could argue it was an unpredictable pattern due to that literally being random, in truth there was a level of predictability since the opponent would always try to strike for what looked like a gap in one’s opening.

If one saw things that way, it was pretty easy to just kind of see through it and even then when he swung his blade, he simply allowed it to clash against her own keyblade whenever it merely tried to reach for him, in a way even there he was pretty much handling himself well.

“You are not going to accomplish anything like this. I told you to use your head.”

Flailing itself was a move like any other which was basically useless in a real battle unless used in certain circumstances where perhaps one needed to break their opponent’s defense by striking as hard as possible multiple times, but this was not the case. The encounter came to a pause when he made his announcement, but this time he witnessed Rhapsody assume a lower stance instead.

For a moment the man’s eyes shined with interest; could it be that she had gotten the idea to finally use her height as an advantage? Surely that could have been a fine point indeed, it was underestimated just how much smaller opponents could be bothersome for one with his height. But of course that would also imply she would be capable and agile enough with her sword to be a nuisance, certainly that somewhat put him on edge. While he hoped she could make it, he hoped he would not go down so easily after establishing that one hit condition.

“Come, then!”

When she finally charged against him, he was slightly disappointed however when she did not properly use her height, instead she hopped in the air and tried to execute a faint, that while of course always a reliable approach, he simply defended himself with the flat of the sword forming a wall ahead of him, holding it strong with his other fist closed and packed against the blade while he held the hilt with only one hand. He simply let her keyblade clash against his own sword, and any blow in between simply saw him swinging and striking back.

Much like he instructed her earlier, he kept the clashes short and quick and only made sure to watch for the sparks created by the blades as a signal for him to step aside. Blow after blow, he was slowly growing somewhat tired from staying in a defensive stance but when she once more came flying towards him, he decided to knock her away, this time he could do so by his own fist most likely and thus held his sword in one hand before he prepared his other hand to land a nice and sound hit.

He did not really pay any attention to the wings previously, however, feeling somewhat confused when she suddenly flapped in mid air and all of a sudden he stumbled in his grip. The moment she landed on his sword was the moment an extra weight that he did not consider suddenly heaved over his arm’s strength. Yet when she decided to attempt the thrust again, he could still use his other hand to defend himself, except that it was yet another feint. When she flipped over him it was far too late for his sword to really be positioned in any other way, he had in mind a maneuver or two that would however hurt her and instead just realized there was really no basic way out of this that would not possibly come with some aftereffects for his opponent, thus he had pretty much been bested under the conditions he had established himself; to remain defensive and to give her one minute. And thus, the keyblade hit his head finally and had him stumble and lose his balance, walking it off with a groan when his free hand rushed for the back of his head.

“Could have aimed for my back instead, ow.”

It was not a real sword so thankfully he did not suffer real injuries but it still hurt a lot, it was like getting smacked with a bat in a few words. He resumed to rub the back of his head over and over until he could kind of feel the pain subside into a stinging nuisance, but even if it still hurt, in the end she had come victorious from this challenge so he guessed there was at least a hint of happiness in this. Nasu let his hand lay and put his sword to rest, or at least its tip, into the ground, stabbing it just gently enough to create a gap that could keep it still before he turned around to face Rhapsody.

“Not exactly what I expected but it worked, so I can not say you failed.”

To be fair he was not even counting the seconds, therefore he had no idea whether a minute had passed or not, but that was probably best left unsaid lest she would begin getting worried. In his eyes, she had passed and that was probably enough. He did not know how to exactly get straight to the point, but there was of course one point to be made.

“So, like I promised I will help you out with sword training. But there is a matter that somewhat troubles me. Earlier I did not go as easy as I could have because I expected you to be a little stronger than your average human. What are you exactly? Because let me tell you, we need to work on you, in general. You need to become faster and more resistant and powerful. Strength is something we can avoid depending on your style of choice.”

He picked up his sword and slowly latched it to his back once more.

“Tell me about yourself. Why do you want to become a swordsman, and if you have any combat experience.”

WC: 1090
Total WC: 7285