As the final swing cut through the air, Evan shouted with all the strength he had left, "One hundred!"
The wooden sword fell from his trembling hands, and he dropped to his knees. His feet gave out next, and he collapsed onto the grass, breathing raggedly. His arms and legs felt like jelly—drained from the relentless practice.
"L-Let me rest for a while… Piko…" he muttered weakly, eyes fluttering shut as exhaustion consumed him.
A soft warning hum filled the air—gentle and ethereal.
System Standby: Overexertion detected. Initiating Recovery Shield.
But then, something changed.
A faint shimmer surrounded Evan's body as a soft green light bloomed above him. From within that glow, a figure materialized—no longer just a voice.
Piko revealed herself quietly, descending beside Evan with a warmth that didn't match her usual tone. Her light green-yellow hair shimmered like spring leaves touched by sunlight, short and slightly tousled. A few small, glimmering stars adorned the side of her bangs—subtle, yet magical.
Her emerald eyes scanned Evan's exhausted form with a rare tenderness. Kneeling beside him, she gently brushed aside his sweat-matted hair, fixing it with slow, careful fingers.
"You're always pushing yourself too much…" she whispered, her voice soft and real, not digitized.
Her cheeks flushed a light pink, and after hesitating for a heartbeat, she leaned forward.
"Idiot…" she murmured, before gently pressing a kiss to his forehead.
Then, with a quiet breath near his ear, she whispered, "That's why I'm attracted to you."
The green light flared once more, enveloping Evan in a protective cocoon of energy—soothing his aching muscles and stabilizing his breath.
Piko faded once again into the system interface, her presence gone, but her emotions lingering in the faint glow that surrounded him.
Evan stirred awake, his body still heavy but strangely recharged. He blinked against the dappled sunlight that filtered through the leaves above, and a soft breeze cooled the sweat on his brow. Sitting up slowly, he flexed his arms and legs—they no longer felt like jelly. In fact, they felt lighter, stronger.
"Huh… I feel great," he muttered, surprised.
A familiar voice chimed in, tone blunt and teasing.
[Piko]: "That's your bloodline, idiot. You already know how it works. You train hard, your body adapts faster. Be grateful your father's genes weren't just for show."
Evan chuckled quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Still, it's insane how quick the recovery is…"
He was about to stand when he heard a calm voice behind him.
"I didn't think I'd find someone training out here too."
Turning his head, Evan saw a boy walking out from between the trees. He looked slightly older—maybe twelve—with tidy brown hair and calm eyes. He carried a sleek rapier at his hip, walking with the poised grace of someone well-trained.
Before Evan could speak, Piko's voice returned in his thoughts, now sounding informative.
[Piko]: "That's Lucan Valencrest. He's the son of Lady Serina, one of your father's wives. A prodigy with the rapier—gentle by nature, but skilled enough to defeat adult knights in training duels."
Evan stood, brushing off his clothes, eyes narrowing slightly as he evaluated Lucan. So this was one of his many half-siblings. The competition.
But Lucan only gave a faint smile. "Your form looked raw, but your swings had intent. That's rare."
Evan kept his voice calm. "Thanks. I'm Evan."
"I know," Lucan said, tone still light. "Let's see how serious you are… Evan."
"What?" Evan blinked, unsure if he heard right.
[Piko]: "He wants to test you, dummy. Just a light spar. A little swordplay to see what you're made of."
Before Evan could reply, Lucan gave a gentle smile and spoke calmly, "Don't worry, I'll use a wooden sword." He unsheathed a slim training blade from his back—crafted with precision, clearly not an ordinary stick.
Lucan took a few steps back, his body moving with a practiced ease. He dropped into a stance—left arm tucked behind his back, right arm extended with the wooden rapier forward, blade aligned perfectly with his gaze.
His footing was firm, light, and balanced. It was a stance that spoke of discipline and countless hours of refinement.
[Piko]: "Be careful. That's a classic high-tier dueling stance for rapier users—his center of gravity's low, and he's baiting you to attack first. Watch his feet. The moment they shift, he's closing the gap."
Evan swallowed and gripped his wooden sword tightly. His heart pounded—not out of fear, but excitement. This wasn't just practice anymore. This was a test.
A test he wouldn't fail.
Evan gritted his teeth and raised his wooden sword high over his shoulder, feet sliding into a low stance.
Then—forward step. A burst of speed surged through his legs as he launched forward, the forest wind howling past him like a storm.
Lucan's silver eyes widened, just slightly—surprised by the sudden acceleration. But he didn't flinch.
With calm precision, he twisted his wrist.
Clack—Clack—Clack!
Three sharp slaps from Lucan's rapier—fast, controlled, and each from a different angle. One from the left, one from above, and one from the right.
Evan barely kept up. He parried the first, barely deflected the second—and the third one grazed his shoulder, stinging like a whip.
He stumbled back a step, panting.
[Piko]: "He read your step too fast. That triple-strike is meant to test your reflexes and break your stance. Don't go head-on next time. Use your footwork. Pressure his sides, not the center."
Lucan smiled politely. "That was quick. Not bad for someone your age," he said, lightly spinning the wooden blade with a flick of his fingers.
Evan narrowed his eyes.
Not bad?
He wasn't here to be just not bad.
He took a breath and reset his stance, flicking the sweat from his brow.
"Again."
Lucan smiled calmly. "Guess it's my turn to attack head-on."
Before Evan could react, Lucan vanished—swift as a shadow—and suddenly appeared right behind him.
A flash of steel aimed for Evan's back in a rapid thrust.
Evan's instincts kicked in—he ducked low and slid his feet forward, narrowly escaping the strike.
Lucan didn't miss a beat. With a smooth pullback of his rapier, he shifted into a new stance.
"Needlestorm," he said quietly.
Suddenly, a barrage of rapid thrusts rained down, targeting Evan's front and sides—each strike precise, like needles piercing through.
Evan stumbled back, trying to block and parry, sweat dripping down his forehead.
[Piko Notification]: "Needlestorm is a high-speed rapier technique designed to overwhelm opponents with multiple precise thrusts in quick succession. It's excellent for breaking through defenses by targeting weak spots with pinpoint accuracy. Be careful—trying to block every strike can tire you quickly."
Summoning every ounce of focus, Evan triggered a forward step—blurring his movement forward again.
Lucan readied himself, sword raised high to block the incoming attack.
Evan swung his wooden sword in a powerful arc—then transitioned into Guard Breaker, slamming the blade downward with force aimed to break through Lucan's defense.
The clash rang out, reverberating through the trees.
Evan swung his wooden sword with all his strength, but Lucan blocked it, skidding back a few steps from the impact.
Lucan's eyes shone with pride as he smiled and said, "Amazing, little brother."
Evan blinked, confusion flickering across his face. "Little brother?" he thought.
[Piko Notification]: "Lucan is your half-brother—another son of Lord Alaric Valencrest by a different wife. He's proud of your potential and progress. Remember, family ties here are complicated but important."
Evan's mind raced, trying to take it all in.
"Well then, shall we go to the finale?" Lucan said calmly, a happy smile on his face.
Evan steadied himself and took a stance, returning the smile. "I agree to that… uh, brother..lucan."
Evan narrowed his eyes, watching Lucan straighten his posture. His sword tilted forward ever so slightly—then, in an instant, it dropped to point directly at Evan.
In that moment, Lucan vanished.
—He's gone!?—
Before Evan could fully react, Lucan reappeared right in front of him. The sword already halfway through its motion— a fast, razor-sharp thrust.
Evan gritted his teeth and instinctively used Wrist Flick, twisting his arm just in time to angle a short slash across Lucan's blade path. It disrupted the momentum—but not enough. The force still knocked Evan back, his body slamming against a nearby tree with a thud. Dirt rose beneath his feet as he staggered.
Lucan stood composed in a finished thrust stance, the rapier steady and extended, eyes calm.
A soft chime echoed in Evan's head.
[Piko - Info Prompt]
Skill Identified: Flash Thrust
A refined high-speed technique used by elite rapier users. Flash Thrust compresses movement and attack into a near-invisible step, allowing the user to vanish from sight for a split second and deliver a deadly, straight-line strike with precision.
"That was Flash Thrust," Piko explained. "A quick-step assassination move. It's hard to dodge unless you read the stance perfectly. You actually did well to counter it mid-motion. Not many could."
Lucan tapped the wooden rapier gently on his shoulder, then pointed a thumb at himself with a soft smile.
"If you ever want to learn how to use a rapier," he said, glancing back over his shoulder at Evan, "just come and find me."
He gave a short, friendly wave.
"I'm not as good as some of our older sisters and brothers... but I can guide you through the basics."
With that, he turned, his footsteps light as he vanished through the trees—calm, composed, and surprisingly warm for someone so skilled.
As silence settled in the forest again—
[Piko Notification – Tone: Grinning]
"Not bad, sword-brain. You just sparred against a rapier specialist with years of experience and kept up. That's no small feat."
A pause, then a teasing chime:
"You earned this: Recognition from one of your siblings. That's harder to get than a rare skill drop—not that we're calling this a game."
Evan smiled faintly, sweat still clinging to his brow. His heart was pounding—but not from fear. It was from excitement.
He was growing.
Bit by bit, swing by swing.