Eira cleared her throat loudly. “You know, it’s polite to say hello when you meet someone.”

Ren snapped back to reality, his face flushing crimson. “Uh—hi! I-I’m Ren!” He blurted, waving his hand awkwardly.

Lyria glanced at him, her expression cool and unimpressed. “...You’re staring.”

“Am I?” Ren laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. “Sorry, it’s just—you’re—uh…”

“Wow, articulate,” Eira snorted. “Ren, close your mouth before you catch flies.”

Ren quickly shut his mouth, his heart pounding. She’s so beautiful. What’s happening to me?

Lyria sighed softly, turning to Eira. “This is the disciple you’ve been training? Are you sure he’s not just some awkward village boy who wandered into your camp?”

Eira smirked. “He’s rough around the edges, but he’s got potential. Anyway, Lyria, you’ll be training with him from now on. Good luck.”

“Training with her?” Ren blurted, his voice cracking slightly. “I mean—training with you? That’s… great! Fantastic!”

Lyria raised an eyebrow. “You seem oddly enthusiastic for someone who looks half-dead.”

Eira patted Ren on the back, nearly knocking him off balance. “Don’t get too excited, brat. She’s here to push you harder, not to boost your ego.”

“Not that his ego needs any boosting,” Lyria muttered under her breath, earning a glare from Ren.

Eira grinned at the two of them. “Oh, this is going to be fun. Let’s see who survives longer—Ren or Lyria’s patience.”

Ren swallowed hard as he realized what he was in for. Training just got a whole lot more complicated.


Ren glanced at Lyria, who stood a few meters away, her arms crossed and her posture exuding an air of quiet authority. He grabbed Eira by the arm and pulled her aside, speaking in a hushed tone.

“Master, what’s going on? Why did you bring her here?” he asked, his voice a mix of confusion and nervousness.

Eira smirked, clearly enjoying the situation. “What? Don’t tell me you’re intimidated by her?”

“No, that’s not it!” Ren whispered, glancing back at Lyria to make sure she wasn’t listening. “She’s just… so… beautiful.” His voice trailed off, and his eyes seemed to glaze over as he got lost in thought. “So elegant… so cute…”

Eira snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Earth to Ren! Focus. She’s my niece, you know.”

Ren blinked, his cheeks heating up. “Oh, yeah, sorry. It’s just—shouldn’t beauty like that be illegal?”

Eira laughed softly, shaking her head. “You’re hopeless. Anyway, she’s here to train with you. You’ll be sparring together, learning together, and maybe…” She leaned in closer, her tone turning mischievous, “I’ll even help you two get closer.”

“Master!” Ren’s face turned crimson as he flailed his arms. “Why would you even—what if she hears you?”

Eira shrugged nonchalantly. “So what? Do you want to stay single forever?”

Ren sighed, his shoulders slumping. “It’s not like that. I just don’t think she’d ever like me.”

Eira rolled her eyes, patting his shoulder. “Oh, stop moping. You’re not as bad as you think. Now, go make a good impression.”

Before Ren could respond, Lyria, who had clearly grown tired of their secretive conversation, called out sharply. “Hey! Enough with the whispering. Let’s get to training already.”


Eira clapped her hands to signal the start. “First, you two will spar. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Ren hesitated, holding up his hands. “Master, what if I hurt her?”

Lyria’s eyes narrowed, her voice cold and sharp. “Hurt me? Don’t flatter yourself. You should be worried about keeping up.”

Eira laughed, clapping Ren on the back. “She’s got a point, brat. Now stop stalling and fight!”

Ren sighed, resigned to his fate. “Alright, alright…”

The three stood in the training yard. Ren fidgeted nervously as Lyria unsheathed her sword, the blade gleaming in the sunlight. Her movements were precise and deliberate, radiating confidence.


As soon as Eira gave the signal, Lyria dashed forward. She moved like a shadow, her sword slicing through the air with incredible speed and precision.

Ren barely managed to sidestep her first attack, feeling the rush of air as the blade passed by. “Whoa! You’re fast!”

“Stop talking and focus,” Lyria said curtly, pivoting on her heel and launching another series of rapid strikes.

Ren ducked and rolled to avoid her blade, his heart racing. “I am focusing! But seriously, your technique is amazing.”

Lyria’s expression didn’t waver, but a faint blush crept across her cheeks. “Less talking, more fighting.”

Ren smirked, trying to lighten the mood. “I mean it. You’re impressive… and your voice is really beautiful, by the way.”

Lyria faltered for the briefest moment, her next swing slightly off-center. Her blush deepened, though she quickly masked it with a glare. “Focus, or you’ll regret it.”

She feinted to the left, forcing Ren to dodge in the wrong direction. With a fluid motion, she grabbed his arm, her grip surprisingly firm.

“Wait, what are you—” Ren started, but before he could finish, Lyria pivoted smoothly and threw him over her shoulder in a flawless judo move.

Ren hit the ground with a loud thud, staring up at the sky, completely dazed. “Okay… that was… something,” he muttered.

Lyria stood over him, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Her tone was sharp, but her cheeks were still faintly pink. “Stop flirting and take this seriously.”

Eira burst out laughing, nearly doubling over. “Oh, this is gold. Ren, you’ve been completely outclassed!”

Ren groaned, sitting up and rubbing his back. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Master.” He glanced at Lyria, who was already turning away, her composure fully restored.

She’s scary, Ren thought. And beautiful. But mostly scary.

Ren sat up from the ground, rubbing the back of his neck, only to hear Eira’s laughter echoing in the training yard. “Alright, lovebirds, enough romance for one day,” she teased.

Lyria’s face turned a shade pinker as she shot a sharp look at Eira. “We weren’t being romantic!” she snapped, her voice carrying a defensive edge. She crossed her arms and turned her head slightly, avoiding Ren’s gaze. “Not me, anyway. He was the one acting like a creep.”

Ren raised an eyebrow, smirking as he dusted himself off. Yeah, sure, he thought, watching her face flush deeper as she avoided eye contact. He could tell from the slight waver in her voice that she didn’t mean it the way she said it.

“What a creep,” she muttered again, almost to herself, her fingers fidgeting with the hilt of her sword.

“Aw, c’mon,” Ren said with a lopsided grin, stretching his arms casually. “You know that’s not true. Admit it you liked the compliment.”

Lyria turned her sharp gaze back to him, eyes narrowing. “What I like is competent sparring partners. If you’re done lying on the ground, maybe you could focus on not getting thrown next time?”

Eira leaned against a post, barely containing her amusement. “Oh, this is fun. Lyria, don’t let him get under your skin. And Ren, try not to trip over your own charm next time, okay?”

“Charm?” Ren repeated with mock surprise, tilting his head. “Master, are you saying I’m charming?”

Eira rolled her eyes. “Let’s not get carried away, brat.”

Lyria huffed, her blush fading as she regained her composure. “Enough talking. Let’s move on to the next drill.”

“Whatever you say, Sensei,” Ren teased, giving her a playful bow.

Lyria sighed but didn’t reply, turning sharply toward the training area. As she walked ahead, Ren couldn’t help but notice the small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

Eira, watching the scene unfold, chuckled quietly to herself. “Well, this is going to be interesting.”