Chapter 71: First Lesson

She looked between them before settling on the announcer, her sad eyes unflinching. "You summoned me?" The man grinned and walked up to her, patting her shoulder twice before turning and pointing his cane at Charon. "Yes, my dear, you will be responsible for teaching our newest entertainer! He requires a more direct method of combat. I trust you can handle this?" His smile twitched as he looked at the girl, a strange glint in his eyes. Without looking back, she nodded. "That’s my girl! I expect results within a months time! Any later and I may have to... involve myself. We don’t want that, now do we?" Wallflower shook her head, her frown growing. The announcer laughed uproarously before turning away from them and sauntering back to the disk. "I am awaiting greatness from both of you, do not disappoint! I do hate being disappointed!" The vehicle’s engine flicked on, emitting a quiet humming noise from its base as it floated into the air. With one last wave, the flamboyant man took off through the same crack they entered from. His voice soon began to echo as he introduced the next fighters. Looking at Wallflower, Charon scratched the back of his head through his robe, grimacing at how ineffective it was. ’My robes are thick enough to stop my hand, but not a knife. That makes perfect sense, but I still want to be mad about it.’ "So, you’re going to be my weapons instructor?" His thoughts immediately went to Professor Thalt, the large built man who was supposed to teach him at the academy. ’Anyone is an upgrade compared to him.’ She ignored his question and instead pointed at the weapon racks, a single word leaving her lips. "Choose." Following her finger, he gazed at the multitude of options and frowned. "You want me to pick a weapon?" She gave a curt nod. Walking to the racks, he scanned up and down the rows before naturally moving towards a medium-sized scythe. ’My element wanted me to use one before. Why would that change now? Besides, a scythe is intimidating!’ Wallflower studied him with a confused expression before sighing and walking over to grab the scythe next to his, hefting it over her shoulder and giving it a quick spin. "The scythe. An unorthodox weapon that has seen little use in recent times." With unexpected grace, she twirled the weapon around her body, the sharp edge cutting through the air with a dull hiss. "Combat with the scythe is focused on control above all else, both over yourself and your opponents. The length allows you to keep distance, but the weight will challenge you not to overextend." Kicking her legs in the air, Wallflower began to somersault with the large weapon, her entire body spinning as she maneuvered herself over to one of the metal dummies. With a bang, the blade of the scythe slammed into the chest of the humanoid construct, a bright red light bursting around the impact. Charon watched it all with his mouth open, stunned at her incredible display of strength and agility. ’That thing must weigh half as much as she does, and she carries it like it’s a feather! The first time I used it, I fell on my ass, and she can twirl and dance with the thing!’ It was hard to wrap his head around the sheer talent she possessed. Wallflower flipped her brunette hair out of her face, her blue eyes suddenly more vibrant. They locked onto Charon’s green eyes. A small smile appeared on her face, and it was somehow less solemn than usual. ’Does she enjoy fighting?’ She straightened out and held the scythe behind her back, coughing to clear her throat. "The most important skill to have when wielding a scythe is to never let go. It is not just a tool, but an ally. Abandoning it is like abandoning a friend, needlessly risking yourself by cutting off help." She flicked her wrist at the area around them. "Summon your strongest skeleton." Raising an eyebrow, he chuckled and shook his head. "Why? Don’t we have the dummies for a reason?" She clicked her tongue and shot him a glare. "You are too new to this. You will not trust your eyes unless it relates to yourself. I will demonstrate on something you understand better so you can truly comprehend what I am about to do." Slightly put off by the implied insult, he closed his eyes and activated his spell, summoning one of his Clown Guard. Its heavy armor clunked as it dropped onto the mat, its sword and tower shield drawn. Wallflower looked from Charon to the skeleton and then back before nodding her thanks. "The first lesson I will teach you is how to keep an opponent at bay. A scythe’s blade is at its head, which makes it hard to use in close quarters. Have your summon attempt to grab me, and pay close attention to my movements." Furrowing his brow, Charon took a step forward and raised a hand, his other holding the shaft of his own scythe. "My summons aren’t toys. They are strong, and I’m unsure how much control I have over them quite yet. It could hurt you, or you could break it." Wallflower’s smile took on a predatory glint. "Do not worry about me breaking your toy, Jester. I fought many men far larger than this." Once again put off by her choice of words, such as calling his summons a "toy", Charon scoffed and stepped back off the mats. He sent a mental command to the Skeleton Defender, ordering it forward. ’Catch her, but be gentle. I want her alive.’ With an approving rattle, it raised its shield and slammed it onto the ground, sending a shockwave through the room. At the same time, its longsword slammed into the front of the tower. A loud ringing noise echoed as metal clashed against metal. Covering his ears, Charon watched as it lurched forward at the small woman, her body lowering as she prepared to engage. The moment it got within range, she lunged with the scythe, sticking it through a gap in the neckguard and slamming the skeleton back. It flailed its sword out to counter, but missed. Rather than press her advantage, she took a step back, increasing the distance between them as the Clown Guard righted itself. ’How did she do that so fast? I didn’t even know that gap was there! Move faster and keep your head down!’ Reacting to the order, the skeleton increased its pace, thundering across the floor and swiping its blade horizontally. Wallflower kept out of range, allowing it to harmlessly slice the air in front of her before she lashed out with the scythe. It struck the center of the skeleton’s armor. Although it didn’t pierce, it was still able to push it off balance. Following up, she struck again, this time hitting the helmet. It spun, blinding the skeleton. The summon, however, did not need its eyes to understand what Charon wanted. ’This is your chance, she won’t expect you to attack. Pounce on her!’ Obeying, it charged forward with its shield held in front of it to block further attacks. Wallflower’s eyes widened ever so slightly as her posture changed. The scythe was swung out to the side with the blade facing inward. With a calming breath, she exhaled and watched the stampeding skeleton move closer, waiting until the perfect moment. Charon gaped as the small woman struck, the scythe managing to hook the backside of the skeleton. Putting all of her strength behind the strike, she allowed momentum to do the work for her, dislodging the summons charge and throwing it across the floor. She moved with it, their positions swapping as the skeleton stumbled to a crash, its chest and shield scraping along the mats as it toppled over. Grinning, she turned to Charon and flourished the scythe once more, spinning it and slamming the base of the staff on the floor. Their eyes met, and her expression softened, the sadness he associated with her slightly returning as if she only knew joy during the brawl. "Were you able to identify the lesson?" Charon begrudgingly nodded, miffed at how easily she proved him wrong. ’How was that possible? She threw him like a ball! He must weigh a thousand pounds, and with barely any effort, she had him falling like a stone!’ His opinion softened as he reflected on her skill. ’But the way she did it was so... impressive! I want to be able to do that! She could be just the teacher I need to grow stronger!’ "It was about distance and control. You didn’t allow the skeleton to get close to you so that the scythe could always be effective." She nodded as he spoke. "Correct. If I had allowed him to close the distance, he could have attempted to beat me a thousand different ways. Knowing his goal was the first step to denying him it." The Skeleton Defender pushed itself up at Charon’s command, lifting its weapons in the same motion and moving to stand behind its master. "Now that you have identified the lesson, it is time for you to practice." Her eyes narrowed. "Keep me at a distance."