บท 20: The Path 020
Stepping past Lyra, who had already drawn her rapier, William made his way over to his Gryphon-themed spadroons, pulling them from the floor before turning to face her.
"I would suggest you parry my blow or evade this time," said Lyra, smiling as she reapplied a Second Circle Ice Magic, Chilling Edge, to her weapon. Afterward, she applied Acceleration and Reduce Friction to her arms and legs, allowing her to move faster than she could otherwise.
"Take your time," hummed William, crossing his spadroons in front of him before making a swift, slicing motion that caused a wave of Aura to surge away from him, forming a circle of faint green energy on the floor.
"Then, pardon me," replied Lyra, swiftly drawing a rune with the tip of her rapier before stabbing it. As she did so, bright pink energy burst from her back, forming fairy-like wings of light.
'Not bad...' thought William, recognizing the enchantment as the Fourth Circle Magic, Faerie Flight. It was flawed, as Lyra was far from becoming a Fourth-Circle Mage, but she very clearly had talent.
"Just what I would expect from a Brave Candidate..." stated William, his smile broadening as Lyra, once again, surged forward. This time, however, her speed was nearly twice what it was before.
Like a sprung trap, William swung in spadroons, which he had angled low and thirty-five degrees away from his body, in a reverse arc, intercepting Lyra's thrust and changing its trajectory toward the ceiling before making a swift slicing motion, just missing her head and shoulders as she stared at him in wide-eyed shock. At the same time, a burst of Aura surged out from his body, pushing her back as he said, "Physical enchantments are useful but flawed. If you can't adapt to your own accelerated movements, you leave yourself wide open..."
Utilizing nothing but the standard reinforcement of his Aura, William's body appeared to flicker as he bounded forward and thrust at the center of Lyra's chest with the spadroon in his right hand. Fortunately for her, he didn't emit Aura for the blade's tip. Instead, he focused on supplementing its durability, causing her to be knocked back but unharmed thanks to the dispersive properties of her breastplate.
Touching her breastplate, which had a small knick where William's blade had impacted, Lyra no longer doubted he was superior to her, not just in experience, but speed and power. Any other person might have given up right then. Unfortunately for William, a smile blossomed across Lyra's face as she flourished her rapier and shouted, "Again...!" with an excited gleam in her red-amber eyes.
"I can dance all night...!" replied William, adopting a smile of his own as he turned his body sideways in a broad stance, one spadroon leveled at Lyra and the other away, hidden by his body.
Flourishing her rapier in swift, graceful arcs, Lyra sent crescent blades of icy Aura at William, hoping to slow his movements. She knew she wasn't a match for him in close quarters, so she intended to use her superior Mana and Aura reserves to whittle him down.
"Smart!" exclaimed William, slicing the blades of icy Aura, dispersing them as he shouted, "But did you forget where we are!?"
Without waiting for Lyra's response, William accelerated forward, slicing through an especially large sword beam before spreading his arms and spadroons wide, cutting off her escape vectors.
Undaunted by William's speed, the corners of Lyra's smile curled upward as she abruptly vanished, disappearing in a diamond-shaped clap of pink light.
'So this is what a genuine prodigy is like...' mused William, spinning around just in time to redirect the tip of Lyra's rapier with the spadroon in his right hand. In the same motion, he angled the back of his spadroon against the side of her neck, her momentum causing her to briefly slide along the dull edge before she evaded to the side using her wings.
'That's twice I should have been defeated...' noted Lyra, her smile giving way to a serious expression as she activated her trump card, the higher-ranked version of Faerie Flight, Faerie Queen's Ascent.
Seeing an extra set of wings appear behind Lyra's back, bringing the total to six, William's pupils contracted as he resisted the almost overwhelming urge to negate the half-finished spell. Instead, as Lyra gathered her Aura around her right arm, encasing it like a full-length gauntlet, he smiled and remarked, "That's quite a lot of Mana you possess..."
"You're not the only one blessed with a rare trait," mused Lyra, congealing a bright pink aura around her rapier, increasing its length and giving it a shape similar to a broadsword. Then, instead of executing another thrust, she vanished, this time appearing to William's left as she swept her sword in a broad, incredibly swift, sweeping attack that left an arc of radiant pink light in its wake.
'This cheeky little brat...'
As the alternative was letting the attack slice him in two, triggering his talisman, Willaim raised his spadroons overhead, the muscles in his back and arms bulging as he swung downward with all his might. The moment his blades met Lyra's, an explosion of pink and blue Aura surged outward, slicing at their bodies and tearing their outer layer of clothes. Fortunately, it wasn't to the point where they ended up in a compromising situation, as the various artifacts adorning Lyra's body made her impervious to attacks beneath the Fourth Grade or Circle.
"Your raw strength is awe-inspiring..." stated Lyra, sporting a smile as she brandished her rapier, no longer wreathed in pink Aura by still exuding an icy chill. Her reserves had reduced considerably, but thanks to her unique trait, inherited from a distant Fae ancestor, she had nearly twice the Mana of her peers. And it would only increase as she aged.
'You have no idea, girlie...' thought William, outwardly smiling as he placed his right hand over his heart and gave a slight but respectful bow, stating, "The Gamma Star of the Oirthear Constellation, William Altaurus Oirthear, acknowledges and pays obeisances to the Fourth Princess, Lyra Alcyone Astralis..."
Not expecting William to suddenly shift to polite speech, a slight frown adorned Lyra's face. She preferred it when he treated her like any other person, but since they had an audience, she couldn't simply ask him to revert to his previous behavior.
Returning her rapier to its sheath, Lyra regained her smile as she stated, "It pleases me to know that the Great Oirthear Constellation has not one, but two exceptional individuals to inherit its legacy and titles. The Astralis Royal Family is blessed to have you as allies..."
"And we are honored to be of service..." replied William, raising his head and matching Lyra's smile with a cheeky grin. She had put him on the spot by unleashing such a powerful blow, so he took the wind out of her sails by ending things early and forcing her to play a role she clearly had little interest in.
Rolling her eyes, Lyra turned around and said, "Attend me," before walking toward the edge of the barrier, waiting for the Mages outside to create an opening for her to pass through. William had originally intended to take on more challengers, but after seeing him slice through an attack on par with a Fourth-Grade Warrior, only those among Lyra's group would dare to face him directly.
"I don't think your bodyguards would appreciate us meeting in private like this..." remarked William, raising his right brow as Lyra led him to a private tea room/rest area.
"Why? Are you a threat to me...?" asked Lyra, looking back at William with a playful smile and a challenging sparkle in her eyes.
Raising his hands in a gesture of mock surrender, William replied, "Nah. I would be lying if I said I was completely harmless, but I'm fairly selective with whom I bare my teeth and claws against..."
"For example...?" asked Lyra, genuinely curious.
Shrugging, William replied, "I'm not particularly fond of those who use their power and wealth to suppress others. But, unless they cross the line into genuine despotism, I see no reason to do more than rock the boat a bit."
"Then our goals align," said Lyra, extending her right hand, presumably for a handshake, as she stated, "I would like you to join me, William. With our combined power and capabilities, we could introduce some much-needed changes to Axial and the Kingdom as a whole."
"I respect those with grand and noble ambitions," said William. "But why should I join hands with you? You're unquestionably talented, but without a miracle, you're more likely to be killed than bring about any meaningful change. And with the other three Great Constellations against us, House Oirthear isn't in a position to take too many risks..."
"And that's why I need people like you in my corner," maintained Lyra. "A single ant may be crushed underfoot by a child, but when their numbers dwarf even the stars in the sky, not even a Dragon can ignore them..."
"Then, what's your plan...?" asked William, crossing his arms rather than accepting Lyra's handshake.
"I am still in the process of gathering allies," explained Lyra, keeping her hand extended. "Once our numbers are sufficient, we will win the public's trust by campaigning for the changes they yearn for. Delphina has already started laying the foundation by becoming a model, and once I become a Brave candidate, I will use that and my position as the Fourth Princess to make their demands heard before the Senate."
"Have you managed to convince any of the other Lords to support you...?" asked William.
"Not yet," admitted Lyra. "But I am gathering like-minded individuals, not just from the territories of the Four Great Constellations, but from outside the Kingdom. I believe that if the various races come together, just as we did five centuries ago, there is nothing we can't accomplish..."
'This girl is going to get herself killed...' thought William, making a show of caressing his chin in deliberation. He actually empathized with what Lyra was saying, but he knew from experience that ideals without the power to back them carried little weight. The support of a future Lord was precisely what Lyra needed, but that would only provoke those plotting against him to take action sooner...
'That's not necessarily a bad thing...'
"It appears I misjudged you..." muttered Lyra, her expression and tone a bit sad as she retracted her hand. Based on Wiliam's actions, she thought he also yearned for change. But, like most other Nobles, it seemed he was only willing to take risks if the benefits made it worth his while.
"What's with the sad puppy act?" asked William. "I never said I wouldn't help you. But I would need to be a pretty tremendous idiot to enter into an agreement with someone I only recently met, Princess or otherwise."
"Then...you're saying there's a chance you will help me...?" asked Lyra, a hopeful sparkle in her eyes as she gazed up at William with an imploring look.
"That depends on you," William contended. "If you're incapable of making progress toward your goals 'without' my aid, you don't deserve it. At least not without certain...concessions."
As she was ultimately a young girl on the cusp of pubescence, Lyra read too much into William's words, her cheeks gaining a faint red glow as she asked, "Are you suggesting we marry to cement our alliance?"
"The only thing I'm suggesting is that you continue doing your best," said William, choosing to leave things open-ended. His current plan was to cut ties with his family around the time of his graduation. He was expected to get engaged long before then, but as he had yet to enter the Academy, he wasn't in a hurry to start courting a bunch of high-born brats whose ages ranged from ten to fifteen years old. Fortunately, his parents were pretty understanding, so they shouldn't mind too much if he decided to woo one of his Professors instead...
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