The afternoon sun filtered through the high canopy of Etheria's sacred forest, golden shafts of light illuminating the village's training grounds. In the large clearing bordered by mana-bloom trees and vibrant foliage, elves of all ages trained in their own peculiar ways.
Some sat in lotus position, meditating with eyes closed, faint spirals of mana drifting from their bodies. Others engaged in light sparring, their wooden weapons clacking against each other. One elf hung upside down from a thick branch, arms crossed, blood rushing to his head. Another sprinted laps backwards while balancing a book on his forehead. If nothing else, the Etherian training style was... unique.
At the center of the field, two young elves faced each other, Jessica and Adiw. Wooden weapons in hand, they stood in the traditional stance of ready combat.
Jessica held a bamboo katana lightly in front of her, both hands relaxed but precise on the hilt. Her long black hair was tied into a high ponytail, swaying gently with the forest breeze. Black eyes, cool and sharp, locked onto her opponent with an intense calm. She lowered her stance, weight distributed evenly, heels barely grazing the earth, ready to move in any direction at a moment's notice. Her breathing was slow, deliberate. No fear, no haste. Just measured resolve and focus. Despite her youth, her presence radiated discipline, like a blade that had already tasted battle.
Adiw stood tall with his two-handed wooden greatsword. His stance was solid, planted like an unmovable wall. Red hair tousled by the wind, he grinned, competitive fire burning behind his gaze.
A small crowd began forming. Even the elf hanging upside down dropped from his branch and jogged toward the scene. Elves gathered quickly, this was no ordinary spar.
The two combatants bowed slightly.
"Begin," Adiw said.
Jessica's foot slid back, barely perceptible. She vanished from her spot.
Zfft!
Her first strike came from the side, a diagonal slash aimed at Adiw's ribs. He blocked it with the flat of his blade, absorbing the force. A cloud of dust burst from the ground as their weapons met. Jessica flipped back, her sandals kicking soil, and immediately lunged forward again.
Slash! Slash! Thrust!
Her katana blurred, each strike faster than the last, sharp thrusts probing for an opening in Adiw's defense. But the red-haired boy stood firm. Though slower, his reactions were precise. He deflected her blade to the side and countered with a heavy horizontal sweep. Jessica ducked, her braid trailing behind as the wooden greatsword passed inches from her face.
"Fast, but not enough," Adiw muttered.
Jessica spun low, sweeping her leg in a fluid arc aimed at Adiw's ankles. The move was fast, sharp as a whipcrack. Gasps erupted from the gathered elves. A child in the crowd leaned forward too much and dropped a small mana-infused marble, which shot forward from the excitement, zipping through the air like a startled firefly. Adiw leapt just in time, his boots clearing the sweep by inches. Without pausing, he brought his greatsword crashing down where Jessica had been, a brutal vertical strike that split the air with force. She rolled sideways, narrowly escaping. A plume of dust exploded around her, trailing behind like a comet's tail as she slid across the dirt, graceful and untouchable. The marble bounced harmlessly against her foot and veered off into the grass.
"Woah! That crater!" someone whispered from the crowd.
Adiw's greatsword had struck the earth with such force it left a small indent. Jessica landed beside it and smirked.
"Strong, but slow," she replied.
"Then I'll speed up," Adiw growled.
He charged. His swings came one after another, left, right, then spinning upward in a brutal arc. Jessica parried the first two with fast counter-deflections, but the third sent her backward, sliding on her feet. She didn't stop. The moment she gained footing, she bolted forward, her katana ready.
Their weapons clashed again, crack!, the sound echoed through the clearing. Adiw pushed against her blade with sheer strength, but Jessica bent low and slipped under his arm.
She thrust upward, her motion fluid yet fierce, every muscle coiled with precision. In that breathless moment, time seemed to stretch. Her bamboo katana glinted in the golden light, slicing upward toward Adiw's midsection like a rising flash of steel. The wind parted around her blade. Gasps echoed from the onlookers. Even the leaves above seemed to pause mid-rustle, as if the world itself was watching the strike unfold in perfect, suspended clarity.
Adiw spun his body, catching her blade with the flat of his weapon. The force caused Jessica to hop back again. Her eyes narrowed.
Then her body disappeared again.
Zfft!
To the untrained eye, she blinked. But Adiw turned and caught her blade mid-strike, barely. His reflexes saved him, but she had been close.
So close.
He grinned. "Not bad, pudding girl."
She blushed. "Stop calling me that."
"Make me."
Jessica exhaled and launched forward, initiating a flurry of strikes. Left, right, spin, slash, thrust! Her blade became a blur, every angle tested, every feint deceptive. But Adiw, despite being slower, read the flow. His strength gave him leverage, he began stepping into each parry, pushing her back.
Crack!
Their blades collided hard. Jessica was thrown into the air. Adiw didn't let up, he leapt with surprising agility for someone wielding such a massive sword and swung another upward slash mid-air.
"Whoa, !" she gasped.
Jessica twisted, narrowly avoiding the full blow. But his blade clipped her side, sending her into a spin. She corrected her posture mid-air and landed in a low crouch.
But Adiw was already moving, his instincts honed sharper than his grin. He pivoted with surprising speed for his build, dragging the tip of his greatsword across the ground in a wide arc. Sparks burst where wood met stone, a rumbling growl rising from the earth itself. The blade surged upward in a sweeping horizontal slash, the sheer force bending the air around it. Jessica reacted in the blink of an eye, her arms snapping into a defensive stance, katana braced sideways. The weapons collided with a thunderous crack, the impact rattling her down to the soles of her feet as she was pushed back, dust spiraling around them like a coiling dragon.
BANG!
She was hurled backward several meters, feet skidding against the dirt. A trail carved behind her heels. She stopped near the edge of the training ground, panting.
Adiw approached, resting his greatsword on his shoulder. "You alright?"
She nodded. "I'm fine."
They both stood silently, gazes locked. Then, at once, they lowered their weapons. Applause erupted from the watching elves. Some elf viewer talk softly between each other.
"That was insane!"
"She dodged all of that?!"
"I thought Adiw would crush her! But she's like a dancing blade!"
Jessica and Adiw turned slightly as the crowd slowly dispersed, many whispering about the sparring session.
Adiw exhaled. "So many viewers."
Jessica shrugged. "Let's take a break."
They sat near a moss-covered stone. Jessica wiped her brow with her sleeve. Adiw stretched his neck with a loud crack.
Just then, BOOM!
A voice echoed from beyond the trees.
"I, Fahleena! Heir of Stardust Fate, shall now awaken the Mana Picnic Ritual of Everlasting Delight!"
Adiw sighed. That voice, dramatic, over-enunciated, and dripping with theatrical flair, was unmistakable. A wave of secondhand embarrassment washed over him before he even turned his head. It was Fahleena again, announcing her presence like a wandering heroine from an overacted stage play. He didn't need to look to know she was likely brandishing her so-called "Keyblade of Destiny" with sparkles in her eyes and an imaginary wind blowing through her twin tails.
Jessica pinched her forehead. "Here we go again…"
From the path came Fahleena, Orchid, Yetsan, and Gigih. Fahleena marched ahead proudly, waving her keyblade like a royal scepter. Orchid skipped beside her, carrying a picnic mat and her magic bag slung over her shoulder. Yetsan followed reluctantly, full armor clanking with each step, grumbling with every breath. Gigih walked last, face pale with dread.
Adiw stood up. "Where are you four going?"
"Picnic!" Orchid chimed. "Under the mana tree. I made lunch!"
Yetsan sighed. "I was dragged."
Gigih muttered. "I was threatened."
"She said she'd shove the food down our throats if we didn't come," Yetsan added.
Jessica raised an eyebrow. "Wait… Orchid cooked?"
Adiw's face darkened. A memory surfaced, tentacles made of soup, muffins that screamed, a salad that dissolved metal. He exchanged a look with Gigih, who simply gave a slow, traumatized nod.
"I'm coming with," Adiw declared, grabbing his gear. "To prevent casualties."
"More people, more merrier!" Fahleena cheered.
Jessica followed, shrugging. "Nothing better to do."
As they walked, Orchid happily hummed. "I made chocolate curry, candied fish, and marshmallow-stuffed pepper buns! So creative, right?"
Adiw leaned to Jessica. "If I die, tell Kyle I hated him."
Jessica held back a laugh, whispering under her breath, "Good thing Sakura can use Revive."
Soon, the group disappeared down the winding path beneath the towering mana tree, its ancient trunk glowing faintly with resting mana. The roots sprawled like veins across the forest floor, guiding them toward the shaded clearing beyond. With every step, the air grew gentler, tinted by the scent of moss and wildflowers. Above, the vast canopy stirred. Leaves rustled and shimmered in the light breeze, their soft whispers rising and falling like stifled giggles, almost as if the tree itself was amused, sharing in the secret joy of yet another one of Orchid's questionable picnics.
And back at the training ground, the dust from the sparring still lingered.
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