Chapter 58: Cut Above the Rest

Chapter 58: Cut Above the Rest The skeleton soldiers, utterly amazed by the fight, cheered in unison. "Ooooooh!" they exclaimed, their bony hands clapping together, the sound reverberating through the vast, cavernous halls of the -3rd floor. Luma, reeling from the shield bash, took a moment to collect herself. She muttered to herself, her mind rapidly piecing together Rook’s strategy. "I get it now. He anticipates and reads my moves. Even if I had gone for the cross slash, the shield would have still blocked my attack. But since I went for the horizontal slash, that angle from his shield continued the momentum, exposing my side. What truly amazed me, was his daring move. He sacrificed his spear so he could catch me off guard, bashing my face with that shield, and at the same time disarming me. It was a terrifyingly calculated gamble to ensure his winning chances." She shook her head in awe. "What a terrifying fellow. From that spear attack earlier, which I barely saw, he could’ve killed me with the thrust to my side alone, but he held back. Mr. Karl must have reminded him. I can smell it in his aura—he is, in fact, a lot stronger than the first time I met him." She sighed, defeated but not dishonored. She let go of her remaining khopesh, raised her hand, and smiled. "I surrender." The skeletons cheered again and clapped in victory and Rook visibly eased his stance. Karl smiled and exhaled, a wave of relief washing over him. "I’m just glad nothing worse happened. I’m glad she’s that reasonable; her title as a knight captain alone precedes her, despite being a Lupen." He knew Rook had taken his words personally. If Rook hadn’t held back, the spar could have easily become fatal. But Karl’s reminder that control over power wins in any situation had clearly resonated, and Rook had proven that he not only had control, but that he exceeded Karl’s expectations. Karl clapped and smiled in admiration. With the match over, Luma approached Rook and shook his hand. A smirk still lingered on her lips. "I’m going to win next time," she said with a hint of a challenge. Rook returned a slight smile. "I’ll look forward to it, Captain." As they began to walk towards Karl, Luma said, "By the way, that move of yours was phenomenal. I definitely learned a lot from you from that spar alone." "No," Rook replied in his own humble way. "I thank my lord for such insight. That patience and control wins over power. I would’ve lost the other way." Luma’s face reddened a bit in annoyance. "Hey, you’re too modest! I know you’re hiding a lot from me, but don’t make me feel a lot worse than I already am." When they reached Karl, he said, teasing. "You two could be good friends." Luma nodded. "Yeah, he’s a good teacher. That I can tell." Karl scoffed playfully. "Yeah, I guess he is. He’s a bit shy and introverted, but he could be indeed a good teacher." Luma then turned to Karl. "So, have you fully analyzed my fighting skills?" "Yeah," Karl said, "I know what weapon is the best for you. Since you’re fast and favor heavy strikes, how about that sword over there?" He pointed to a katana on one of the weapon racks. Luma approached it, pulling the elegant blade from its scabbard and showing it to him. "This one? I admit this is a good one, but it’s kind of bad for close-quarters combat. I will definitely struggle a lot with this." "But you’re not going for a close-quarters combat," Karl explained. "You usually avoid it, and with your mobility, you can escape. That’s what makes this so good for quick draws and heavy single slashes." Karl’s mind flashed with images of anime samurai, of a lightning-fast dash, a single cut, and a swift return to the scabbard. "You can try for a quick draw attack." Luma looked confused. "How do you perform that?" Karl signaled to Rook. Luma handed him the katana, and Rook nodded slightly before stepping into the center. The skeleton soldiers carried a wooden dummy and placed it in the middle of the field. "Watch him," Karl instructed Luma. She watched intently. Rook placed his hand on the scabbard at his hip and his other hand on the hilt. In a flash, he drew the sword diagonally upwards, slicing the dummy. He then returned the blade to the scabbard with the familiar click of a samurai. Luma was surprised how fast Rook was able to draw that blade, but she was confused. "uhhh... Is something supposed to happen?" Karl simply pointed. The dummy’s head slid off its shoulders and fell to the floor with a soft thud. Luma’s eyes widened. "WHAAAATTT?! How is that possible?! That’s an extremely sharp sword!" Karl smiled with pride and explained, "Yes it is, It’s a quick draw technique. Rather than revealing your stance to the opponent, it’s a fast attack that they can never anticipate." As he explained, the skeleton soldiers brought out three more wooden dummies and lined them up. "It can be used for a dash and quick slash motion, which you usually do and also a lot of things, but I’m sure you can figure the rest of it." He pointed again and said. "Watch." Rook, prepared at a distance, paused for a moment and then dashed toward the three dummies. In a quick, fluid motion, he drew his sword and slashed as he passed them. The slashes glinted, and the heads of all three dummies were severed as he stopped a short distance away, sheathing the sword back. Luma’s eyes widened, her expression that of a child on Christmas morning. "WHHHHHAAAATT??? That’s... THAT’S PHENOMENAL! Teach me, teach me, teach me! I will pick that sword!" She clasped Karl’s hands, bouncing slightly with her starry eyes. Karl, a bit concerned that his decision might be a bad idea, sheepishly smiled. "Yes, yes, of course." Luma, still riding the high from watching Rook’s katana display, practically skipped over to the weapon rack again. Her eyes scanned the rows of gleaming steel until another katana caught her attention — its scabbard lacquered in deep black with subtle golden flecks. "Ah... this one," she murmured, running her fingers along the smooth curve before pulling it free. She gave it a few test swings in the air, the blade whispering as it cut through nothing. With a grin, she marched back to the center of the sparring floor. "Alright," she said, planting her feet in what she thought was Rook’s stance. She bent her knees, angled her hips, hands ready on the hilt and scabbard. For a second, she looked the part. Then she drew. The motion was fast, but not controlled. The katana sliced forward while the scabbard, still in her grip, slipped free from her left hand entirely and shot across the room like a javelin. CLONK! It bounced off the ribs of a skeleton soldier, who stopped clapping mid-motion and stared down at it, then slowly looked up at her as if to say, Really? Luma froze, wide-eyed. "...Oops." She turned to Karl like a child caught breaking a vase. Karl pinched the bridge of his nose but couldn’t hide his smirk. "The time between drawing and striking should be short... but not so wild you start attacking the audience." One of the skeletons in the back muttered in a hollow voice, "We’re not paid enough for this," and the others rattled in laughter. "Alright," Karl continued, motioning toward Rook, "watch him again — and this time, really watch. Don’t just look at the sword." Rook stepped forward. No words. Just a calm, grounded stance. Left hand anchoring the scabbard, thumb pushing lightly on the guard until a sliver of steel caught the light. His eyes stayed locked on the target, his body still as if the world had paused. Then — motion. The blade flashed in a clean, controlled arc. The cut at the dummy’s base was so precise it might as well have been drawn with a ruler. The air whispered around the strike, and when it was over, the dummy didn’t even wobble — it just... separated. Even the skeleton soldiers leaned forward, rattling in appreciation. Luma blinked, her tail curling in excitement. "Wow... so it’s never just about being fast. It’s about... being quick but clean." Karl nodded, clearly pleased. "Exactly. The faster you end a fight, the better. One slash. One kill." Luma’s grin softened into something more focused. She reset her stance, legs wider, hips lower. "Alright... so, how exactly did you do that?" she asked Rook. He stepped beside her, close enough that she could see the minute flex of his wrist as he demonstrated the draw in slow motion. The motion was a single fluid line — no wasted movement, no strain. Luma tried to copy it, moving in deliberate slow motion. "So... like this?" Rook nodded once. "Quick. And fast." Her grin returned, a little too confidently. "Alright. I think, I’ve got it this time." She turned toward another dummy. The blade came free in a rush — but her grip was off. The scabbard went flying again, and this time, the edge caught her left bicep. A sharp sting lit up her skin. She winced, teeth gritting as a thin ribbon of blood trickled down to her wrist. Karl exhaled through his nose. "And this," he muttered, "is why most people start with wooden training swords" Rook was already at her side, pulling a strip of cloth from his kit. He wrapped her arm with quiet efficiency, his touch firm but careful. "Thanks," Luma said, chuckling despite the sting. "Watching you do it, I thought it was going to be easy. Turns out, the sword disagrees." "Are you alright?" Karl asked, his tone more serious now. "Yeah," she said, flexing her fingers. "It’s sharp enough that I barely felt it. If I’d pulled harder, though..." She trailed off, imagining the rest. Karl hesitated. "Maybe we should pick something safer for you." But she shook her head, her expression shifting to one of determination. "No. I’ll take it. It’s the first time I’ve been cut by a weapon... and it feels like this one isn’t meant for just anyone." Karl studied her for a moment, then smiled faintly. "No. It isn’t. Underestimating them, would be a huge mistake." She tilted her head. "You agree that swords have... personality, then?" "They do," Karl said. "And some swords...do choose their owners." He handed her the same katana — the one that had just marked her. Her eyes widened. "How much?" "It’s free." Her ears flicked in surprise. "Seriously?" Karl nodded. "Yes. I believe swords pick their owners — and this one’s already claimed you. It has your blood in it. Asking for payment would be disrespectful on my part." For a moment, she just looked at him, then dropped to one knee and bowed her head. "Thank you. Truly." Karl rubbed the back of his neck, a little embarrassed. "No need for that. Just... take care of it. Or rather, take care of yourself with it." She rose, gripping the katana with a new kind of reverence. "This sword punished me for my own arrogance." Karl chuckled. "Yes, it did. You’re welcome to come back anytime if you need help taming it. Rook will be here." Her smirk returned. "Oh, I’ll be back. But for now, I’ve got to check on my men. They’re probably wondering if I’ve gotten myself killed yet." Karl waved her off. "Go. Just don’t give them a reason to think that." With that, she left — the katana in her hand, the cut on her arm still stinging, and the quiet knowledge that this weapon wasn’t just steel. It was a challenge. And she was going to master it.