Cassian and Armand were sparring with swords in the garden.
The sun shone brightly, warming the fresh grass beneath their feet.
Their wooden swords clacked against each other in a rapid rhythm.
CLACK. CLACK. CLACK.
Armand lunged forward abruptly, pivoted on his back foot, and executed an upward feint as if aiming for the head.
Just before impact, he thrust his torso forward, rolled over his shoulder, and in one fluid motion, swept horizontally at leg level while springing back up.
But Cassian sidestepped even before the strike was fully committed.
His wooden sword grazed Armand's guard, slid along the wood, and snapped a reverse blow to the collarbone.
SMACK.
Before Armand could retreat, Cassian had already spun on his heel and pressed the tip of his wooden sword under his opponent's throat.
A gesture of absolute mastery.
Armand stopped, breathing heavily.
"It's frustrating sparring with you."
Cassian laughed.
"Sore loser!"
Armand frowned.
"I'm not a sore loser. It's just… cheating."
Armand was well aware of the training he'd received.
He had learned from the best in the kingdom.
And yet, Cassian beats me every time.
To me, that's cheating. There's no point continuing to spar with Cassian if I'm just going to lose like this.
He started to walk away.
Cassian, still buzzing with excitement, grabbed Armand's hand.
"Wait! We're not done!"
Armand tried to pull free.
"What kind of strength is that?!"
He's way stronger than he looks.
Cassian insisted.
"Stay! You can't just walk off like that."
Armand replied irritably:
"There's no point staying. It's not fair at all."
While Cassian thought about his response, Armand yanked his hand free.
Cassian realized something.
Right now, I've mastered a ton of different fighting styles.
I've relied a bit too much on The Shoreless Sea.
He had literally implanted years of experience into his mind and body.
From that angle, Armand's complaints made sense.
Experience was too big a factor.
Cassian knew what to do, when to do it, and why.
The knowledge he'd implanted had sunk so deeply that even his body had absorbed it.
Like new reflexes, new habits.
Cassian looked Armand in the eyes and smiled as realization dawned.
Then he raised his hands, accepting Armand's terms.
"Alright. Let's make it fair."
Armand perked up with interest.
"Really?"
"Yes."
But they both wondered the same thing.
How do we make it fair?
Armand said:
"Remove all those… boosts you have."
Cassian refused outright.
"No."
Armand glared at him irritably.
"Then why agree to make it fair?!"
Cassian replied calmly:
"There are surely other ways to level the playing field."
Armand crossed his arms.
"Like what?"
Cassian grinned widely.
"We just need to make Armand better at swordsmanship."
Armand thought for a moment.
"That makes sense. Let's go with that."
Cassian signaled to The Shoreless Sea.
The Shoreless Sea rummaged for a moment, then spat out a stack of books as tall as a wardrobe.
BOOM.
The books piled up in front of Armand.
Armand approached and read some of the titles.
The Hundred Forms of the Celestial Saber.
The Dance of Eternal Blades.
The Path of the Immortal Warrior.
They all had extravagant names.
Armand opened one and flipped through it quickly.
The pages were filled with complex diagrams and detailed descriptions.
This is… incredible.
Meanwhile, Cassian slapped The Shoreless Sea.
It dodged and started fleeing.
Cassian chased after it, yelling:
"You understood exactly what I wanted! Why give him boring manuals to read when Armand could just get the knowledge instantly?!"
The Shoreless Sea dodged a few of Cassian's swipes, then spat a helmet right in his face.
BONK.
Cassian took it full in the face.
"OW!"
On his side, Armand, after skimming the book, was in awe.
I haven't grasped the style yet. But just flipping through a little, I can tell how incredible this fighting style is.
Cassian came over and tore the book Armand was holding.
RIIIIIP.
Armand was utterly shocked.
Words wouldn't even come out of his mouth.
He grabbed Cassian and shook him violently.
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU JUST DID?! DO YOU KNOW HOW PRECIOUS THAT BOOK WAS?! AND YOU JUST… DESTROYED IT?!"
Cassian, being shaken, held out the helmet.
"Put this on."
Armand ignored him.
He shook Cassian even harder.
"THAT BOOK COULD'VE TURNED A SIMPLE PEASANT INTO A GOD OF COMBAT!"
Cassian told him to stop exaggerating.
He smacked the helmet against Armand's head.
BONK.
Armand sighed.
"What's this helmet?"
Cassian replied wearily:
"Once you put it on, you're supposed to gain advanced swordsmanship knowledge, blah blah blah."
Cassian couldn't be bothered to explain everything.
Simply touching something gave him a mental description of anything.
Armand tried fitting the helmet over his red hair.
Too small.
Cassian looked at The Shoreless Sea.
"Are you doing this on purpose or what?"
The Shoreless Sea instantly spat out the right-sized helmet.
Armand caught it mid-air.
Then he put on the bronze helmet.
He felt something imperceptible enter him.
If I wasn't expecting something to happen, I wouldn't have noticed.
Then nothing.
But he kept waiting just in case.
Cassian watched him.
What's he doing just standing there like an idiot without moving? He looks like a tree.
Armand asked:
"Is it done?"
Cassian replied:
"No, you still have to wait. Otherwise, you might ruin everything."
Of course, that's not true. I'm just messing with Armand.
Without warning, Cassian walked away, saying:
"Whatever you do, don't take off the helmet!"
Now, let's see how long this idiot stays rooted there.
Cassian bet with The Shoreless Sea, laughing:
"I bet Armand will stand there for fifteen minutes. He won't dare remove the helmet."
The Shoreless Sea made a motion as if accepting the bet.
The chimera, drinking water nearby, tilted its head curiously at Armand standing straight as a tree, all alone.
It made a small questioning sound.
"Groooo?"
Armand remained motionless, eyes closed.
It's coming. It's coming.
One minute passed.
Still nothing.
Two minutes.
Maybe it takes time.
Five minutes.
…Cassian?
Ten minutes.
…He scammed me, didn't he?
Cassian, hidden behind a tree, watched Armand with a mocking grin.
"Five more minutes and I win my bet."
The Shoreless Sea floated beside him, watching too.
Finally, after exactly fifteen minutes, Armand removed the helmet.
"CASSIAN!"
Cassian burst out laughing, stepping from his hiding spot.
"You stood there for fifteen minutes! I won my bet!"
Armand hurled the helmet at him.
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"
Cassian ran off laughing, chased by a furious Armand.