Charlotte understood better than anyone that, when it came to raw physical strength, she still stood above Ian.
Every swing of her blade carried overwhelming force.
Every strike possessed enough power to shake an opponent's defenses.
Yet...
She also knew a truth that had never changed since they were children.
When it came to tactics, composure under pressure, and absolute efficiency in battle, her younger brother was her superior.
The same was true of swordsmanship.
Ian loved the sword almost as though it were half of his own soul.
For years, he had refined every slash.
Corrected every flaw.
Repeated the same movements thousands upon thousands of times until they ceased to be techniques and instead became instinct itself.
Charlotte acknowledged that superiority.
But...
Acknowledgment was not the same as surrender.
The corner of her lips slowly curled into a confident smile.
I won't lose simply because his swordsmanship is better than mine.
As a Shinobi proficient in countless forms of combat, Charlotte's mastery of the sword still far surpassed that of the average warrior.
She simply did not love the art of the blade with the same unwavering devotion Ian did.
The two of them retreated several paces.
Creating distance.
Granting one another a brief moment to observe.
A brief pause.
For Ian, even an instant like that was enough.
The crimson eyes of his Sharingan briefly studied the straight-bladed katana resting in Charlotte's right hand.
It was an unusual weapon.
Its design lacked a handguard between the hilt and the blade.
Simple.
Elegant.
Yet it seemed perfectly suited to Charlotte's hand.
Almost as though it had been forged for her alone.
Ian looked at it for only a heartbeat.
Then...
His body vanished.
Shunshin no Jutsu.
Within the blink of an eye, he reappeared at Charlotte's side.
Slash!
His katana swept forward in a razor-sharp diagonal arc.
The blade sliced cleanly through the air, aiming directly for Charlotte's upper body without the slightest hesitation.
Both of their Sharingan had been active since the battle began.
This fight was no longer about who could read the other's movements.
Both of them already could.
The only thing that mattered now was...
Who moved first.
And who could transform prediction into action more quickly than the other.
The instant Ian's slash descended, Charlotte bent her body backward.
Her movement was astonishingly fluid.
Like a leaf surrendering itself to the wind.
At the same moment, her right leg shot upward.
A high roundhouse kick, angled just enough to crash into Ian's upper arm as he completed his swing.
Ssh!
Ian's katana sliced through nothing but empty air.
Almost simultaneously, his left hand rose.
Thud!
His palm intercepted Charlotte's kick mere inches before it reached its target.
A violent shock instantly surged through his arm and into his shoulder.
Ian could clearly feel the tremendous force contained within that single kick.
Had it struck his sword arm directly, the balance of his attack would almost certainly have been broken.
Charlotte offered him no opportunity to recover.
The moment she realized her strike had been blocked, her left hand planted firmly against the ground.
Using it as a pivot, she drove her body upward with explosive force.
The momentum carried her lower body into a spinning sweep.
Both legs lashed through the air in a spinning kick even faster than the previous one.
Thud!
Ian reacted once again.
This time, he raised the hilt of his katana.
The steel pommel caught Charlotte's boot just before it could crash into the side of his jaw.
Another heavy impact rattled through his arms.
Ian immediately realized something.
Every one of Charlotte's attacks flowed seamlessly into the next.
She allowed him no time whatsoever to organize a counterattack.
Ignoring even a single strike...
Would almost certainly prove fatal.
The power hidden within each kick was enough to make both of his arms tremble despite successfully blocking them.
At last, Charlotte sprang backward.
She widened the distance once more after her relentless chain of counterattacks failed to break through Ian's defense.
Her eyes never left him.
Within her mind, countless possibilities rapidly took shape.
Then...
Lightning chakra began flowing into the blade of her sword.
Raiton.
A pale azure radiance slowly spread across the entire length of her katana.
Tiny arcs of lightning danced gracefully along its edge.
Soft crackling sounds echoed through the training hall as strands of electricity leaped into the surrounding air.
Against an ordinary person...
The slightest touch from that blade alone would be enough to leave their body completely paralyzed.
Charlotte's smile widened with eager anticipation.
It's time to raise the intensity.
I've waited far too long for a moment like this.
Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword.
Her crimson eyes locked firmly onto Ian.
"Let's enjoy this."
Ian answered with his usual calm composure.
"Gladly."
Since lightning was not his elemental affinity, Ian chose another path.
Wind chakra flowed quietly into the blade of his katana.
Fuuton.
An invisible current gradually enveloped the edge of the sword.
It lacked the dazzling brilliance of Charlotte's lightning.
Yet...
The wind compressed itself into such an impossibly thin, dense layer that the blade began to emit a low, haunting hum, as though the surrounding air itself was already being severed before the sword had even begun to move.
Once again...
The two siblings stood facing one another.
One wielded the brilliance of lightning.
The other commanded the unseen edge of the wind.
Their auras spread throughout the entire training hall.
And everyone watching could sense the very same thing.
The true battle...
Was only just about to begin.
***
I drew a slow breath.
Then released it in perfect calm.
The rhythm of my breathing became one with the steady flow of chakra coursing throughout my body.
Before me, pale azure arcs of lightning continued to dance along the straight blade of the katana resting in my grasp.
Its radiance caught the sunlight, creating a sight that was as breathtaking as it was deadly.
Slowly, I raised the sword before me.
Not to strike a dramatic pose.
Nor to display my strength.
This was simply the stance I always assumed whenever a true sword fight began.
It had become second nature after years of relentless practice.
If someone were to ask me who the most difficult opponent I had ever faced was...
My answer had never changed.
Father.
He still stood firmly at the very top.
The only time I had ever come close to defeating him was within a dream several years ago.
A dream that had felt astonishingly real.
Every detail remained vivid.
As though it had truly happened.
Yet...
Precisely because it had felt so real, it was almost impossible to believe.
I had never spoken of that dream to anyone.
It was something I chose to keep to myself.
As for...
The second person...
That would be Ian.
Not because I was incapable of defeating him.
On the contrary...
I understood the limits of my younger brother's abilities better than anyone else.
I knew exactly how fast he could move.
How sharp his mind was.
And how dangerous every decision he made became once a battle was underway.
Ian was undeniably a genius.
He fought with his mind long before he fought with his sword.
Every movement served a purpose.
Every step concealed another possibility waiting to unfold.
Even so...
For me, that alone was still not enough.
At least not in a sparring match.
I still possessed the advantage in raw physical strength.
That was why nearly every duel between us over the past several years had ended in a draw.
Not because I lacked the ability to win.
But because...
That outcome was already enough.
Ian continued to grow stronger.
And I gained an opponent capable of making my blood race every time our blades crossed.
Father was far too busy.
Most of his time was spent with Mother.
Though...
Walking in on the two of them being affectionate was always rather embarrassing.
Still, I never minded.
The result, however...
Was that Ian had become the only person left who could give me the exhilarating battles I truly enjoyed.
A faint smile found its way to my lips.
Chakra flowed smoothly into both of my legs.
The energy spread evenly throughout my body.
Strengthening every muscle.
Every joint.
Every fiber.
The entire process took no more than an instant.
My chakra control was nothing like it had been several years ago.
It had become far more refined.
More precise.
Far more efficient.
Crack!
The earth beneath my feet burst apart with a muffled explosion.
Dust erupted in every direction.
My body vanished.
Shunshin no Jutsu.
My speed surpassed the blink of an eye.
I was already standing before Ian before the dust I had kicked up had even begun to settle.
I had expected as much...
He always knew exactly where I would appear.
Perhaps it was because of his Sharingan.
Or perhaps...
His hearing had detected the subtle disturbance in the air created by the lightning chakra surrounding my blade.
It could even have been the faint explosion caused by my body slicing through the wind at tremendous speed.
Whatever the reason...
It no longer mattered.
Slash!
I brought my sword down from above.
A straightforward overhead strike carrying the full weight of my body.
The lightning dancing along the blade crackled sharply, producing a chorus of shrill chirps that echoed like awkward birds calling to one another.
Unlike the deafening roar of Chidori.
Ian responded without the slightest hesitation.
His curved katana, already cloaked in densely compressed wind chakra, rose instantly to meet mine.
Clang!
Steel collided once again.
This impact was far more violent than the last.
A shockwave burst outward from the point where our blades met.
Lightning scattered wildly in every direction.
At the same time, razor-thin currents of wind exploded outward, slicing through the surrounding air.
An ordinary person...
Would have been injured simply by standing too close to that collision.
This was no longer the ordinary shower of sparks created by clashing steel.
It was the violent meeting of two chakra natures, each deadly in its own right.
The tremendous vibration traveled through my sword and into my hand.
A brief numbness spread across my fingers.
I was certain...
Ian felt the same thing.
I knew that expression well.
A slight crease formed between his brows.
His crimson gaze sharpened even further.
Whenever Ian wore that expression...
It meant he was concentrating with every ounce of his being.
At the same instant, we both released the pressure locking our blades together.
Then...
Clang!
Our swords met again.
Cha!
Clang!
Cha!
Clang!
The relentless exchange continued without leaving even a heartbeat for silence.
Each slash chased after the last.
Sometimes from above.
Sometimes from the side.
Sometimes thrusting straight ahead.
Every attack was answered by another.
Neither of us was willing to yield.
We continued shifting across the battlefield.
One step.
Then another.
Only to disappear again.
The training arena filled with fleeting afterimages as we appeared and vanished in rapid succession.
Dust rose endlessly with every explosive step.
The once-solid ground gradually became scarred with footprints and fine cracks carved by the force of our chakra.
As I looked across the battered arena, I finally understood why this training ground had never been paved with stone or reinforced concrete.
It certainly wasn't because the Handler family lacked the wealth to build it.
Quite the opposite.
Bare earth simply made far more sense.
If the entire floor had been constructed from stone, every serious sparring session would have shattered it beyond repair.
Restoring it would consume both time and effort.
And Lucas clearly had no desire to postpone training simply because the arena needed rebuilding.
The earth, however...
Only needed to be leveled once the session was over.
Far simpler.
Far more practical.
And perfectly suited for two Shinobi whose every clash left lasting scars upon the battlefield itself.
The force of the collision drove both of us several steps backward.
My feet slid across the ground, sending a thin veil of dust drifting into the air.
On the opposite side, Ian did the same.
Neither of us lost our footing.
Neither of us gained the advantage.
A slow smile spread across my lips.
My blood began to boil once more.
The adrenaline surging through my veins seemed to set my entire body ablaze with an exhilarating thrill.
That feeling...
Was utterly intoxicating.
Almost as delightful as savoring my favorite candy.
Or running aimlessly beneath a clear blue sky.
It wasn't boredom that had vanished.
It was the excitement that had slumbered deep within me, finally awakening once again.
It had been weeks since I last felt this alive.
Even when we fought those bandits not long ago...
I never experienced anything like this.
Perhaps...
Those bastards had simply been too weak.
They hadn't even managed to force me to fight seriously.
A soft chuckle escaped my lips.
For some reason, the laughter came naturally.
Ian, standing across from me, frowned slightly.
There was unmistakable confusion in his eyes.
Perhaps he was wondering what had crossed my mind.
But I had no intention of explaining.
I'd much rather continue our battle.
My body moved once more.
I refused to let his curiosity lessen the intensity of our duel.
I poured even more chakra into my katana.
The output of lightning chakra surged dramatically.
The crackling aura that had merely coated the steel moments ago became far denser.
Pale blue lightning danced more violently than before.
The crackling of electricity grew louder.
As though thousands of tiny bolts were colliding with one another.
In that case...
Let's continue.
With a single explosive step, I appeared directly before Ian.
Without wasting even a heartbeat, the tip of my katana thrust straight toward him.
Before the thrust could reach its mark, my blade flowed seamlessly into a horizontal slash.
The entire sequence unfolded without the slightest pause.
As I continued my relentless assault, my smile only widened.
"Satisfy me, darling. I'm truly enjoying this."
Ian intercepted every attack without fail.
His katana met mine again and again in an endless chorus of steel.
At the same time, the wind chakra cloaking his blade intensified as well.
The compressed currents became even sharper.
Every clash sent razor-thin streams of wind brushing against my skin.
It felt like the lightest touch of an impossibly sharp blade.
Not enough to draw blood.
Yet more than enough to send a delightful shiver down my spine.
For the first time since our sparring had begun...
Ian chuckled as well.
"I'll have to be careful. I wouldn't want our hero to become bored."
"More than anyone else, you're the one who satisfies me the most."
"Was that supposed to be a compliment?"
"Think of it however you like."
I swung my sword once again.
"In that case... how about becoming your older sister's lover for a single day?"
Ian let out a quiet sigh.
"I'll pass. Your jokes have always been strange."
I laughed.
"Hmph, you know, Boris and Haris even make fun of me. They say I'm far scarier than Rose and Cecilia."
Ian remained completely focused on deflecting my attacks.
Our swords continued colliding without pause.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
"I wouldn't know."
"Oh?"
I narrowed my eyes as I continued pressing forward.
"Don't tell me you're avoiding the question because it has something to do with your little harem."
I drove him back relentlessly.
Not once did I give him the opportunity to organize a counterattack.
Whenever he attempted to create even the slightest opening...
Another slash or thrust had already arrived ahead of him.
And, as always...
He blocked every single one with ease.
Even when Ian attempted to retaliate, my own blade greeted his attack before it could fully unfold.
Despite the relentless pressure, Ian's expression remained perfectly calm.
There wasn't the slightest trace of panic.
Not even when I mentioned Rose and Cecilia by name.
With a tone of quiet resignation, he replied,
"We're only friends. It would become troublesome if Lucas and Dorothea overheard a conversation like this."
"Are you worried? They probably already know."
A flicker of confusion crossed Ian's face.
"How could they?"
"Ryan."
I couldn't help chuckling.
"His tongue is sharp enough to spread stories all over the place."
Ian looked puzzled for only a moment before his usual calm expression returned, as though the matter wasn't worth worrying about.
"I figured as much. Besides, it's only gossip. It won't change anything."
"That's because you're far too confident and refuse to take it seriously. But... I'm sure you secretly enjoy all the attention Rose and Cecilia give you."
"We're just friends. Nothing more."
"Hmm... how boring."
At that very instant, Ian's katana shot straight toward my chest.
The thrust came with astonishing speed.
I immediately twisted my body and stepped to the side.
The tip of his blade swept past only a few inches from my clothes.
Ssh!
The tip of Ian's sword pierced through the air, passing only inches from my body.
Even then, I could still feel the razor-sharp current of wind trailing behind the blade.
A faint sound of fabric tearing reached my ears.
A small rip appeared in my clothes.
Not because the blade itself had touched me.
Rather, the wind chakra cloaking his katana sliced through the fabric as effortlessly as a knife passing through a delicate leaf.
Ian had no intention of withdrawing his attack.
Quite the opposite.
That straightforward thrust was merely the beginning of his next sequence.
His wrist rotated with practiced precision.
His grip tightened.
The momentum of the thrust flowed seamlessly into a horizontal slash powered by far greater force.
Swift.
Efficient.
And nearly impossible to read if one's attention faltered for even an instant.
I immediately raised my sword.
My left hand, already enveloped in lightning chakra, pressed firmly against the middle of my blade.
I held the katana upright before my face.
The stance reinforced my guard, allowing me to withstand the force behind Ian's strike.
Clang!
The violent collision echoed throughout the training grounds.
The impact surged through my arms and into my shoulder.
I was forced to slide one foot backward.
The power behind Ian's slash was far greater than I had anticipated.
Had I relied on only one hand to stop that blow, my balance would have been shattered.
Fortunately, the lightning chakra surrounding my left hand strengthened my support.
I held my ground.
A heartbeat later, we both leaped backward.
Only for an instant.
Then we charged at one another once more.
This time...
I made a decision.
Continuing to force a pure sword duel against Ian would be foolish.
That would only drag the battle deeper into the field where he excelled the most.
He loved the sword.
As for me...
I loved mastering every style of combat.
There was no reason for me to limit myself to a single method of fighting.
Chakra surged once again into both of my legs.
My speed increased.
Even faster than before.
Yet Ian did exactly the same.
His movements became lighter.
Faster.
We met once more at the same point.
This time, I didn't open with either a slash or a thrust.
Instead, my right leg struck first.
A sweeping kick shot straight toward his chest.
At the same moment, my katana carved sideways through the air, forcing Ian to abandon the line of the thrust he had been preparing.
Thud!
Ian raised his left hand.
His palm caught my kick firmly.
I didn't stop.
I continued pressing forward without mercy.
As our weapons clashed, a mischievous smile returned to my face.
"Just friends, hm, Ian? I certainly hope Rose and Cecilia never hear you admit that."
Our swords collided again.
Clang!
"Or perhaps the Baron's daughter has already started making your heart race?"
I continued pressing the attack.
"Or are you secretly adding another girl to your little harem while pretending you don't care?"
Ian's expression remained perfectly calm.
Almost completely unreadable.
"That won't be enough to break my concentration."
"I'm serious. Besides, we'll be arriving at the Imperial Academy in just a few days."
Ian shifted his body, narrowly avoiding the path of my blade.
"And what does that have to do with anything?"
"Aren't you curious about Baron Glutherz's daughter? Didn't you once promise to protect her?"
Clang!
"I intend to keep that promise. Of course I'm curious. But that curiosity exists only so I can learn how to protect her without making her feel uncomfortable."
I answered with a teasing laugh.
"Hehe... I heard she's incredibly beautiful."
Ian didn't reply immediately.
Only after several more exchanges of steel did he finally speak.
"That is a blessing granted by the gods, both for her and for the people who love her."
"That includes you. You'll be seeing her often soon enough."
"I don't care."
His answer came so quickly that I clicked my tongue.
"But I do. It would become troublesome if your future wife gained yet another rival."
Ian let out a long sigh.
I was certain it wasn't out of panic.
More likely...
He had simply resigned himself to the fact that I wasn't going to stop teasing him.
"You really are talented at making things up. Father and Mother would probably laugh if they heard all of this."
"I don't think Mother would laugh. She'd probably lecture you instead. She'd wonder where her eldest son found the courage to bring home several daughters-in-law all at once."
"That's an amusing joke, but forget it, Sister. That's nothing more than an overactive imagination."
"Imagination? Hmph... you're so hopelessly stiff."
I felt slightly annoyed.
Teasing him had become increasingly difficult.
Every reply he gave was short.
Calm.
As though none of my words carried the slightest weight.
Yet...
At that very moment, his body moved.
A lightning-fast kick came hurtling toward me.
He had seized the opening created while my sword was still completing its previous swing.
Its target was precise.
My abdomen.
My blade had already traveled too far to be recalled in time.
I immediately raised my knee.
Thud!
The impact echoed sharply.
A tingling numbness shot from my knee all the way to my waist.
The force drove me back several steps.
Even so, my eyes never left Ian.
The rhythm of the battle shifted once again.
Faster.
More ferocious.
Little by little...
My younger brother was beginning to match me once more.
Then...
Something caught my eye.
A brilliant blue glow blossomed within Ian's palm.
At first, it was no larger than a clenched fist.
Then it gradually expanded.
Growing brighter.
Growing denser.
I recognized that chakra immediately.
Ninjutsu...
The playful smile faded from my face.
Every joke I had been throwing at him vanished from my mind.
Now...
Only a Shinobi preparing for the next attack remained.
The intensity of our sparring had risen to yet another level.