The White Yeti of the North (3)
Usually, the moment fatigue sets in, your field of vision narrows. The desire to rest, to take it easy—it muddles your mind. Focus blurs, blades dull. So Regaf figured the kids were nearing their limits.
Clang! Scrape! Ting! They came charging from all sides.
Vina no longer glanced at her surroundings. She hadn't said it outright or shown it, but just as Regaf had said, she respected him. Until now, she hadn't seen him as an enemy, and out of regard for his role as someone's mentor, she'd held back.
"Hyaah!"
But now, weaving magic into her attacks, she threw everything she had at disrupting his stance. The ground beneath her foot sank with a thud.
"Ho ho?"
Iri and Elvin, wrapped in their aura rings, lunged in right after. Regaf eyed the kids, who had grown more aggressive than before. Exhaustion was plain on their faces, yet their eyes burned fierce.
Boom!
If anything, their momentum was building. Unnecessary tension melted away as they forged their own rhythm. When one shook his stance, the others pounced. They drew his gaze, struck from blind spots. No longer the tangled mess from the start, yelling "Do it this way!" or "Like that!" They moved in silence now, exchanging glances that spoke volumes about their roles.
"Yes..."
Regaf glanced at his feet. He'd retreated a few steps from his starting spot.
"Now it's getting interesting."
That was the moment he let his guard down—just a bit.
He'd forgotten one thing. The little one was missing.
A prickling at the nape of his neck. It felt like death itself was reaching out from behind.
"Hup!"
Regaf whipped around, grabbing the wrist of Yufir Sageina clutching her dagger, and hurled her away.
"Gyaack?!"
Yufir tumbled head over heels again, rolling like a fuzzy ball straight toward Vina.
"Haha, Yufi. You're all balled up."
"Get me... out..."
Regaf rubbed his neck, replaying the sensation. He never imagined a tiny girl like her could make him sense his own death.
"Haha..."
When was the last time he'd felt this? In the field, scrapping with those damn bastards, it hit sometimes. Is today the day? One slip, and this could be my last mission. What'll be left of me after? He'd intuited death plenty. And just now was one such time.
"Hahaha!"
Overcome by the thrill of fieldwork after so long, Regaf couldn't hold back his laughter.
"Good. You're not ending it here, are you?"
Regaf kicked off the ground. The four trainees watching knew—this was the real fight beginning.
They reset their stances and charged, holding nothing back. Wrap those rings. Cloak in aura. Use every trick in the book.
Regaf matched their power blow for blow. One ring against one-ring foes, two against two-ring.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The clearing rang with merciless clashes. Exhausted as they were, their eyes sparkled brighter. Where to strike next? Like this? That way? Everyone sensed it—their condition had never been better.
And Elvin felt it most keenly.
Clang!
Axe in left hand, sword in right. An odd pairing, but Elvin's favorite combo, the one he wielded best.
Boom! Scrape!
He dove into a frenzy of blows. Now, he saw what needed seeing. No distractions. Do what you can, right now. Swing the axe, thrust the blade.
Clashing head-on will just bounce me back.
Then deflect.
His moves are getting familiar.
It wasn't just the teacher adapting. Elvin was reading his patterns too.
Dodge. Thrust. Fail? Try again. Deflect, thrust, dodge—with full power. Think of nothing else. Pour your heart into what's before you.
Kiiing. One ring on the axe. Kiiing. One on the sword.
Elvin's mind was clear. He could focus on himself and his foe like never before. Fatigue? Gone. In that moment, he even split two rings across his weapons.
Regaf smiled. No blood tied them, but having raised him since boyhood, he knew how impressive this was. The kid was a genius. He'd never said it aloud, but Elvin would make one hell of an agent... Regaf felt like shouting it to the world.
Craaaack!
The air tore as Regaf and Elvin's strikes collided. Massive recoil flung their bodies open, centers tilting back.
Elvin didn't falter, even as his all-out attack failed.
Now, Yufir.
Regaf had never shown such a gaping opening. Maybe the one real shot they'd get.
Amid the swirling snow fog, pink killing intent stirred. Yufir aimed for his blind spot once more. The faint red line of death sharpened crystal clear.
Its prior dimness had signaled the vast skill gap. Now, even that vanished—meaning no chance to invite death, not even from carelessness.
Put another way: close the gap or force a big mistake, and you could make death vivid again.
My head's clear. I can do this now.
Maybe from all the time spent amid killing intent lately. A moment that should've been trance-like... and she was aware of herself.
Let's go.
Spin, rings. A dark crimson vortex coiled around the dagger. Yufir swung without hesitation.
"I see."
Regaf nodded in realization.
"The Intelligence Agency's got a real gem this year."
With a satisfied grin, he slammed his axe into the ground. Bluish cracks erupted, spewing raw mana.
Kaboom—!
The earth quaked. Elvin and Yufir flew back from the billowing smoke.
Vina and Iri rushed to them—thankfully, no major injuries. Just knocked out from the shock.
Cough. Cough.
Regaf emerged slowly from the haze.
"Got a bit carried away there..."
Ptoo. His spit held a tinge of blood. He kicked snow and dirt over it, then turned to Iri and Vina, who were still compos mentis.
"Keep it from Elvin, yeah? Haha, getting old means something's always breaking down."
I came to quickly. After Regaf's session ended, we rested in his cabin with cocoa until it was time to head back.
"Hope you each took something from it."
Regaf said from his oversized chair, perfectly fitted to him. Beyond his initial pointers, he hadn't done much. Just sparred till we dropped.
"Thank you, sir."
Elvin bowed deeply. No denying it—he'd grown the most.
"Enough. You did the work. I don't know what clicked for you, but keep seeing what matters. Any wall you hit... won't be too tall for a fine lad like you."
"Yes, sir."
Regaf went around, sharing his thoughts on each of us. Praise for Vina, for Iri. He seemed thrilled we'd kept our focus amid the exhaustion.
"Off with you."
Outside the cabin, we bowed once more. Evaluation day was just two days off. Probably wouldn't see him much after this. My chest tightened a bit. Guess I'm too sentimental.
"Oh, little one... no, Yufir?"
"Yes?"
Elvin, Iri, and Vina had gone ahead. Regaf called me back.
"I don't know what you're seeing or feeling, but hold onto it tight."
I listened closely to his earnest advice.
"You always need to hold the reins."
A bit abstract. He didn't know my gift in detail, but he'd sensed my state back then.
"It's your sharpest weapon. Keep yourself and those around you safe with it. Got it?"
I nodded.
"Yes, I'll remember."
Evaluation day on the snowy mountains was colder than ever. Snow poured down, visibility low.
Our guesses were spot-on: like tag. But with a twist—the "its" were us, hunting the instructors.
Instructors with bells on their belts headed into the mountains. We played seekers, needing to snag those bells.
"Just spotted an instructor!"
"Where?!"
"That way! Charge!"
We cooperated at first. But grabbing a bell ended your run, so by the end, it was every trainee for themselves.
Yield too much, and your shot at descending the mountain shrank.
Iri made it down. Elvin followed.
Chasing instructors, I spotted Edmon Portridge with a bell and grimaced.
Deeper in, Vina was cheering, bell in hand. Jealous. So jealous.
I wanted to do well, but instructors weren't attacking, so I hid my intent. No killing vibe to track by scent.
Halfway up, I saw her.
"Making it this far means few bells left, huh."
The Black Rose Instructor waited openly, not hiding.
"And the first to find me is you, chirpy."
Sniffling, amid thickening snow, I gripped my dagger.
"I'm... getting that bell!"
"Muahaha! That's the spirit!"
Her eyes bulged as she stared me down.
"Scream it loud, chirpy! Show me every bit of what you've honed this year—not one thing missing!"
Fists clenched, she wrapped two aura rings. No holding back.
"Or you won't touch this bell."
"I..."
I shuddered. Not scared. Just freezing.
"I'm not chirpy! Yufir! Yufir Sageina! I have a name! Enough with little one, chirpy... ugh, argh! So annoying!"
Colors drained, I charged the Black Rose Instructor. If I'm chirpy, time to crack that fancy shell around her.