The Reborn Veteran is an Aristocrat

Chapter 5 - Sword Training (2)

-----

Fenris/Ethan's POV

In the past few months I've been training under Lionel, memories of sparring with my grandpa flood back to me. Ah...those were the good ol' days.

"Come on, Ethan!" My grandfather's voice echoes across the granite room. "You can't hold back. Attack!" Determined to finally win, I charge forward, aiming a downward strike at the frontal region of his head. But he easily parries and counters with a horizontal strike, forcing me to retreat.

Despite his advanced age, my grandfather was still stronger than anyone I've ever met. I struggle to block his lunges, feeling the weight of his sword against mine.

I see glimpses of my grandfather in Lionel as we spar together in the present. But in reality, I am truly struggling now that Lionel has stopped holding back and my skills have improved.

"Don't hesitate!" Lionel shouts, but all I hear are two equally loud voices. Nostalgia clouds my mind and distracts me from focusing on the present.

But then, my grandfather's voice got louder. "Don't dodge. Drive your blade through to the chest!" My grandfather fell back before leaping forward, with his wooden sword in the air, lunging forward at my chest.

Back in reality, a fire lit up in the pit of my stomach. I deflected Lionel's blade, sending him stumbling back slightly. Then I dove forward with my blade pointed at the sternum, the middle of the chest.

In the nick of time, Lionel blocked my attack. But the thought that I was getting closer to a true victory was exhilarating enough that I accepted this small setback.

As we stood facing each other, both exhausted from our fight, the feelings of nostalgia faded away. In a show of respect, we crossed our blades in salute. "I've never seen that move before. Were you trying to kill me?" Lionel asked playfully.

"N-No..." I blushed, feeling a wave of dread wash over me as I realized that I could have potentially killed my own teacher. Seeing my distress, Lionel came closer and put a comforting hand on my shoulder while giving me a reassuring smile. "It's okay, man. If using your own techniques helps you win, then go for it." His words lifted my spirits and I couldn't help but smile up at him gratefully.

"But seriously, what do you call that move?" Lionel asked with a smirk on his face.

I racked my brain, trying to recall the name of the technique, but came up empty-handed.

"I guess you could just call it..." I hesitated, embarrassed that I didn't have a cool name for it.

"...A finishing move where you thrust your blade into your opponent's chest when they are unarmed," I explained, feeling a slight blush creeping onto my face.

"Well, it's definitely effective if your opponent is disarmed. Just don't rely on it too heavily or it could backfire," Lionel commented analytically. His answer satisfied me for the moment.

"I won't," I replied. 

-----

Narrator (3rd Person) POV

It had been ten months since Fenris left home, and he was making outstanding progress in his sword training. However, after the initial first few months of learning (or rather, re-learning) the fundamentals, things had begun to slow down significantly. Now it was simply refining those already-existent skills he had acquired.

Feeling exhausted and in need of a break, Fenris and Lionel decided to take a breather. They left the barracks and made their way through the bustling streets of the Commercial District before heading down to the Noble's District, one layer below the city's core.