All I wanted to do, no matter what, was stroke Mara as hard as I could, preferably in the face. My whole body felt cold as sweat dripped from my brow to the ground as it started to rain again.
I glanced over at Lu. She was still watching, but the pride she carried in her posture had become timid. “Mom isn't that enough?”
If I wasn't so worn down I would have smiled ‘Maybe she does care.’
As soon as my eyes wondered I heard Mara take a heavy step.
‘I let my guard down!’
As I turned to face her, time froze still. ‘Yes! This is just what I needed.’
I analyzed her stance from every angle, reading the path of her sword and taking note of where my own body was.
‘I could block this one… But she will just keep coming at me… No, I'll take the hit, and give her one in kind. At least this way I'll get in one of my own.’
Time resumed and I swung my blade just over hers, slashing her face with the dull blade of my sword and taking the full weight of hers to my side, making my whole body shudder. Neither one of us moved.
‘She pulled her swing for sure, but I didn't. She just took the full force of my blade against her head and didn't even blink.’
I glanced down, her knuckles had turned white. I tried to laugh, but ended up just coughing out blood instead. “Heh, you're holding your sword too tight.”
Before I knew it my nose was dripping blood again, and I even felt it coming from my ears. ‘Guess I wasn't quite ready to use magic again, not in this state at least.’
Mara’s face was covered with shock, but after a few moments, she recovered. Scowling even deeper and groaning as she took several steps back.
I smirked. “You want more?” I had finally landed a hit, and it even looked like it drew blood, even if it didn't phase her.
Just landing one hit was enough to satisfy me. After all, that was all Lu managed to do.
I heard my blood hit the ground as it dripped down from my nose. Even before it started I was feeling lightheaded. ‘It won't be long now. One way or another, this is going to end with this last fight.’
I turned back to my sister. “Hey, you only managed to hit her once right?”
Her shoulders had slumped forward, and her eyes were filled with uncertainty as she looked at my bloodied face. Somehow her voice was calm though, and as cold as Mara’s “Yeah, that's right.”
I held my sword facing back and assumed the second stance. “So if I hit her twice that means I win.” I turned back to Mara and tightened my grip.
‘There's no way I'll be able to hit her with my sword again though. If I use magic I'll pass out for sure. I'll have to just trick her instead.’
The second stance of the sword art form that we practiced, Mammoth, was a double-edged sword. It was the most powerful, but left the biggest openings. The fact I was using it sent a clear message, ‘I want to crush you.’ Of course, it was a bluff.
“Well!” I yelled out, “COME AT ME!”
I wiped the blood from my nose and gripped my sword with both hands.
Mara started walking towards me. There was no effort at all in her movements.
I felt my face twitch with anger. ‘Seriously? You're not even pretending to try anymore? Do I mean that little to you?
Her eyes narrowed more and more as she got closer. Finally, she was within striking range. ‘Let's see you get past this.’
I swung my sword as hard as I could, throwing everything I had into it. ‘There's no way she won't dodge this.’ It was all too clear I was too slow to hit her with my sword, but I knew that.
‘Just like I thought, she ducked and slid to the side where I left the most space from my swing.’
I let go of my sword, letting it fly away from me as I lunged towards her, punching her right in the nose.
I coughed again as more blood dripped from my nose. “How do you like that…” I muttered.
She stood motionless, still unphased. My punch didn't even get her to take a step back. ‘Well… I tried…’
She took her hand and swatted me to the side, sending me back to the ground where I belonged.
It was over. I could hardly breathe, much less crawl back up to my feet. I tried to grit my teeth and clench my fists one more time, but even if it was possible, I had no motivation left to stand up.
I laid on the ground, curled up on my side trying to regain the wind that had been knocked out of me, struggling to move.
Mara pointed at my blade across the courtyard. “Pick it up.”
“Mom, stop! You'll kill her!” My sister's voice had lost the cold edge, and was now pleading.
I saw Mara’s face twitch, as a mix of emotions covered it, the most prominent being rage.
After a few moments, I could finally breathe again, and I got up to my hands and knees.
“I'm waiting…”
I staggered to my feet. ‘Maybe I could still go one more–’ As I took my first step I stumbled and fell back down. ‘no, it's over…’
I looked up to see Mara. Her whole body was turning bright red as She tensed it with rage. She grabbed her sword and snapped it in half over her leg, scabbard and all. “IS THIS ENOUGH FOR YOU!”
She was looking up at the balcony on the second floor, but I couldn't see who she was yelling at. ‘So this wasn't her idea?... That just makes it worse that she's doing it…’
Ultimately it didn't matter who it was on the balcony. The look she had in her eyes and the beating she gave me said enough. Despite all of it though I was grateful in a way. I had always thought my sister hated me, but hearing her plead for my life, there was no way that was true, regardless of what she said.
All I wanted to do, no matter what, was stroke Mara as hard as I could, preferably in the face. My whole body felt cold as sweat dripped from my brow to the ground as it started to rain again.
I glanced over at Lu. She was still watching, but the pride she carried in her posture had become timid. “Mom isn't that enough?”
If I wasn't so worn down I would have smiled ‘Maybe she does care.’
As soon as my eyes wondered I heard Mara take a heavy step.
‘I let my guard down!’
As I turned to face her, time froze still. ‘Yes! This is just what I needed.’
I analyzed her stance from every angle, reading the path of her sword and taking note of where my own body was.
‘I could block this one… But she will just keep coming at me… No, I'll take the hit, and give her one in kind. At least this way I'll get in one of my own.’
Time resumed and I swung my blade just over hers, slashing her face with the dull blade of my sword and taking the full weight of hers to my side, making my whole body shudder. Neither one of us moved.
‘She pulled her swing for sure, but I didn't. She just took the full force of my blade against her head and didn't even blink.’
I glanced down, her knuckles had turned white. I tried to laugh, but ended up just coughing out blood instead. “Heh, you're holding your sword too tight.”
Before I knew it my nose was dripping blood again, and I even felt it coming from my ears. ‘Guess I wasn't quite ready to use magic again, not in this state at least.’
Mara’s face was covered with shock, but after a few moments, she recovered. Scowling even deeper and groaning as she took several steps back.
I smirked. “You want more?” I had finally landed a hit, and it even looked like it drew blood, even if it didn't phase her.
Just landing one hit was enough to satisfy me. After all, that was all Lu managed to do.
I heard my blood hit the ground as it dripped down from my nose. Even before it started I was feeling lightheaded. ‘It won't be long now. One way or another, this is going to end with this last fight.’
I turned back to my sister. “Hey, you only managed to hit her once right?”
Her shoulders had slumped forward, and her eyes were filled with uncertainty as she looked at my bloodied face. Somehow her voice was calm though, and as cold as Mara’s “Yeah, that's right.”
I held my sword facing back and assumed the second stance. “So if I hit her twice that means I win.” I turned back to Mara and tightened my grip.
‘There's no way I'll be able to hit her with my sword again though. If I use magic I'll pass out for sure. I'll have to just trick her instead.’
The second stance of the sword art form that we practiced, Mammoth, was a double-edged sword. It was the most powerful, but left the biggest openings. The fact I was using it sent a clear message, ‘I want to crush you.’ Of course, it was a bluff.
“Well!” I yelled out, “COME AT ME!”
I wiped the blood from my nose and gripped my sword with both hands.
Mara started walking towards me. There was no effort at all in her movements.
I felt my face twitch with anger. ‘Seriously? You're not even pretending to try anymore? Do I mean that little to you?
Her eyes narrowed more and more as she got closer. Finally, she was within striking range. ‘Let's see you get past this.’
I swung my sword as hard as I could, throwing everything I had into it. ‘There's no way she won't dodge this.’ It was all too clear I was too slow to hit her with my sword, but I knew that.
‘Just like I thought, she ducked and slid to the side where I left the most space from my swing.’
I let go of my sword, letting it fly away from me as I lunged towards her, punching her right in the nose.
I coughed again as more blood dripped from my nose. “How do you like that…” I muttered.
She stood motionless, still unphased. My punch didn't even get her to take a step back. ‘Well… I tried…’
She took her hand and swatted me to the side, sending me back to the ground where I belonged.
It was over. I could hardly breathe, much less crawl back up to my feet. I tried to grit my teeth and clench my fists one more time, but even if it was possible, I had no motivation left to stand up.
I laid on the ground, curled up on my side trying to regain the wind that had been knocked out of me, struggling to move.
Mara pointed at my blade across the courtyard. “Pick it up.”
“Mom, stop! You'll kill her!” My sister's voice had lost the cold edge, and was now pleading.
I saw Mara’s face twitch, as a mix of emotions covered it, the most prominent being rage.
After a few moments, I could finally breathe again, and I got up to my hands and knees.
“I'm waiting…”
I staggered to my feet. ‘Maybe I could still go one more–’ As I took my first step I stumbled and fell back down. ‘no, it's over…’
I looked up to see Mara. Her whole body was turning bright red as She tensed it with rage. She grabbed her sword and snapped it in half over her leg, scabbard and all. “IS THIS ENOUGH FOR YOU!”
She was looking up at the balcony on the second floor, but I couldn't see who she was yelling at. ‘So this wasn't her idea?... That just makes it worse that she's doing it…’
Ultimately it didn't matter who it was on the balcony. The look she had in her eyes and the beating she gave me said enough. Despite all of it though I was grateful in a way. I had always thought my sister hated me, but hearing her plead for my life, there was no way that was true, regardless of what she said.
