Bang! Bang...
Dull thuds of physical impact echoed rhythmically through the courtyard, accompanied by the sharp sound of limbs cutting through the air.
At this moment, in the center of the courtyard lawn, Subaru gritted her teeth, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she launched an all-out attack on Tsukasa.
Her fists were like a torrential storm, sometimes striking straight, sometimes hooking, constantly trying to find a gap in Tsukasa's defense to land a hit on his body.
However, faced with Subaru's dense offensive, Tsukasa appeared to be handling it with ease. He didn't even use both hands, relying solely on the elbow of a single arm to parry and deflect the force.
His elbow acted like a precision shield. Every movement was perfectly timed to steadily ward off or deflect Subaru's fists, producing clear sounds of impact.
Between the two, there seemed to be an invisible wall. No matter how Subaru accelerated or changed her moves, she couldn't break through this seemingly casual defense.
On the edge of the courtyard, spectators were closely watching the sparring match.
Emilia clenched her hands slightly, a hint of surprise on her face, while Puck floated on her shoulder, watching with great interest.
Even Ram and Rem were nearby, holding prepared snacks and tea, quietly waiting for the sparring to end.
"Whew... Huff..."
Heavy gasps escaped from Subaru's throat.
The high-intensity continuous attack was rapidly draining her stamina. She could feel the soreness and fatigue radiating from her muscles.
Whether it was the Divergent Fist used in a head-on assault or the sneaky little kicks she mixed in to catch him off guard, all were effortlessly neutralized by Tsukasa with that single arm.
'This is simply an insurmountable gap in strength.' A sense of helpless frustration spread through her heart.
Just as her offensive faltered for a moment due to exhaustion, a tiny opening seemed to appear in Tsukasa's defensive stance.
His left torso area seemed temporarily unprotected because of the previous parry.
Subaru's eyes lit up instantly, her fatigue replaced by the excitement of seizing an opportunity. She didn't hesitate, immediately using the counterforce generated when Tsukasa parried her last straight punch with his elbow to spin her body.
Whoosh!
A sharp whip kick, accompanied by the sound of rushing wind, lashed out fiercely toward the "opening" Tsukasa had exposed.
However, just a moment before her leg was about to hit the target, she clearly saw a devious, successful smile on Tsukasa's face.
"I never said I could only use one hand during practice."
With those teasing words, Tsukasa's left hand, which had been hanging at his side, moved. Its speed was like a bolt of lightning, accurately grabbing the ankle of Subaru's incoming kick.
Subaru was shocked, and it was too late to withdraw her leg. Tsukasa's hand, gripping her ankle, suddenly applied force and pulled back.
"Ugh!"
Subaru instantly lost her balance and was pulled forward uncontrollably, a cry of surprise escaping her lips.
In the moment she was pulled close, her body leaning forward and her defense wide open, Tsukasa's right hand, with fingers held like a blade, stopped in front of her neck, accompanied by a breeze that had most of its force restrained.
All movement came to a sudden halt.
Tsukasa looked at Subaru, who had almost fallen into his arms due to shock and the momentum of losing control, the smile still on his lips. "Alright, that's enough. This practice is over."
As the sparring ended, Subaru seemed to have all her strength drained away. Like a puddle of soft mud, she fell straight back, landing heavily on the soft lawn.
At this moment, she was gasping for air, her chest heaving violently. Her training clothes were already completely soaked with sweat, clinging to her skin and bringing a cold, sticky sensation.
Her mind was almost a complete blank, with only one thought echoing repeatedly.
'Sparring with a monster like Tsukasa, that omnipresent and suffocating pressure was simply terrifying.'
Almost at the same time Subaru hit the ground, Ram had already stepped forward, deftly covering Subaru with a dry and warm blanket, shielding her from the cool dampness of the grass and the autumn wind.
Seeing this, Tsukasa immediately spoke up with an exaggerated tone of grievance, "Ram, that's not fair. I think I need a warm blanket too. My heart was frightened by Subaru's fierce attacks."
Ram didn't even bother to look up. While carefully tucking in the edges of the blanket for Subaru, she responded in her characteristic, emotionless, and cold voice, "No, you didn't even break a sweat. Someone who bullies Subaru has no right to ask Ram for a blanket."
Being rejected so bluntly and ruthlessly, Tsukasa could only rub his nose sheepishly and then plopped down on the lawn nearby, preparing to enjoy the afternoon breeze.
However, not long after he sat down, an appa slice was quietly handed to his lips.
Tsukasa turned his head in surprise and found that the one offering the appa was Rem, who had a gentle smile on her face.
He immediately felt as if he had found a savior. A brilliant smile instantly appeared on his face, and he was almost moved to tears, his voice rising an octave. "Did you see that? Rem is still the best to me. Ram, you should really learn from your sister on this point."
Hearing this, Ram, who was nearby, didn't hide her disdain and let out a "Tch".
She crossed her arms, her tone full of disgust. "Ram is not willing to feed someone like you. If you have that much free time, you might as well go feed the Ground Dragons in the courtyard, at least they know how to be grateful."
Facing Ram's sharp tongue, Tsukasa just shrugged indifferently and then triumphantly opened his mouth, biting into the appa Rem held to his lips.
The crisp flesh made a light sound between his teeth, and the sweet juice mixed with a perfect amount of tartness instantly spread through his mouth. The wonderful taste made him narrow his eyes in satisfaction, letting out an extremely enjoyable hum.
"Ah... I've come back to life..."
At this time, Subaru, who had gradually recovered from her state of exhaustion, wiped the sweat from her forehead with the blanket. Her gaze swept across the courtyard, only to find two people missing.
She asked with some confusion, "By the way, where are Lia and Puck? Weren't they just here watching the fight? How did they disappear in the blink of an eye?"
Ram, who was guarding Subaru, quickly provided an answer, her tone returning to its usual indifference, "Because an important guest from the Royal Capital has arrived today, Emilia-sama needs to go to the drawing room to receive them. Puck-sama naturally went along as well."