The Unmatched Beauty (Cato Hadley) - Currently being Rewritten -

Seize

Parry

Block

Stab

Dodge

Slash

I practiced sword fighting with the given trainer. Lucky for me, he was all padded out, preventing any form of injury to be caused due to the sharp blades.

I, however, wasn't completely suited up in that sense. So I relied solely on speed and dodging to minimize the number of cuts I'd receive.

Whilst I wasn't the best when seeing blood, I had grown into it throughout the years. It takes a lot more than a cut to make me faint now, but I would still feel weak and sick at the sight of it. Which is why I focused only on the fight, and not on my wounds.

The trainer was slow, whether it be natural due to his bulky frame, or from all the excess padding. Perfect for what I had planned next.

His strike slowed down, and my sword swiftly glided towards his, twisting and turning it out of his hand, and flinging it across the room, before landing somewhere the sun won't shine. My weapon hovered above contact.

He raised his hands in mock surrender, and I heard a clap from behind me.

Cato.

"Not bad, Nini. You could work on your strength though."

I looked behind him, observing the severely mutilated dummies he had hacked away at. I then scowled at his bulging muscles as he flexed.

"Well, we can't all be built as an ox, can we? I work with with what I've got." I replied, walking away to get the minor cuts treated.

"I could help you, you know?" He smirked, deciding to follow me.

I scoffed. "I'm not sure your special protein shake will make that much a difference. Besides, those kind of muscles would only slow me down, which isn't exactly practical seeing my style of fighting."

"What? Dodge and deflect?" His mocking tone did not go unnoticed.

I turned to walk in another direction, only for him to pull out a bottle of disinfectant and dangle it in front of my face. Puffing my cheeks, I stuck my arm out, maintaining eye contact with the taller boy.

"If you're able to evade attacks, and aim for the vitals, you're good to go. You don't have to butcher them."

I held back a wince as the alcohol seeped into my open flesh.

"It's a show, Nini." Now he rolled is eyes. "You make it entertaining."

"I'd rather just win quickly, and get out."

"And you're sure you're going to win by describing your style of fighting to me?"

"I'm going to win because I take precautions, Cato."

I ripped the bandage out of his hand and plastered it to my stinging skin, before walking away to find someone more bearable to talk with.

Short chapter, I know, and sorry. I've been bombarded with work for the last month, and it has only been getting worse now because of the quarantine and all the online essays. Stay safe people, and thank you for still reading this badly written fic!