The soft hum of mana filled the private training chamber as Kyle and Eleanora stood side by side, a thick five-meter rope tied securely around their waists.
Eleanora adjusted the grip on her slender estoc, the blade gleaming under the artificial light. "Alright, let's try fighting together first. No affinities, just basic combat."
Kyle nodded, unsheathing his tachi. "Yeah. We need to get used to moving like this before we add Affinties."
He turned to the empty space in front of them. "Nexus, activate training protocol. Two opponents, sword users, chained together, intermediate level. No affinities."
"Training parameters set" the AI announced in its smooth, genderless voice.
"Two opponents, intermediate level. No affinities. Chain simulation active."
Kyle adjusted the rope tied around his waist, making sure it wasn't too tight. Five meters. That was the limit. Not too short, not too long—just enough to be annoying.
Eleanora stood beside him, her Estoc already drawn, the slender blade glinting under the training room's artificial light.
"Ready?" she asked, her voice calm but focused.
Kyle nodded, gripping his Tachi. "Let's do this."
The two translucent blue mana puppets flickered into existence across from them, each armed with blunt training swords. Like Kyle and Eleanora, they were bound together by an identical five-meter rope.
For a moment, no one moved.
Then—
Kyle lunged.
Or at least, he tried to.
The second he took a step forward the rope around his waist yanked him back mid-motion. His foot caught on nothing, and he stumbled, barely catching himself before face planting into the floor.
Eleanora, who had been about to strike from the opposite angle, was jerked sideways by his sudden halt. She hissed through her teeth, barely managing to keep her balance.
"Kyle."
"Sorry!" He shot her an apologetic glance. "Forgot about the damn rope."
The mana puppets didn't wait for them to recover.
The first one charged, swinging its blunt sword in a wide arc. Kyle barely managed to raise his Tachi in time to block, the impact vibrating up his arms.
The second puppet darted around its partner, trying to flank Eleanora.
She pivoted, her Estoc flashing out in a sharp thrust—but the rope around her waist pulled taut as Kyle shifted position, throwing off her aim. Her blade grazed the puppet's shoulder instead of piercing its chest.
"Tch." She clicked her tongue in frustration.
Kyle gritted his teeth. This was harder than he had thought.
The puppets pressed their advantage, moving in sync, their attacks coordinated. Kyle and Eleanora, on the other hand, kept getting in each other's way.
Kyle stepped left—Eleanora stepped right.
The rope tangled around their legs.
"Oof—"
They both went down in a heap.
Kyle hit the ground first, his back slamming against the padded floor. Eleanora landed half on top of him, her elbow digging into his ribs.
"Ow."
She pushed herself up quickly, her face flushed. "This isn't working."
"No kidding" Kyle muttered, rubbing his side.
Nexus's voice echoed through the room. "Training paused. Would you like to adjust difficulty?"
Eleanora shook her head. "No. We will figure this out."
She stood, offering Kyle a hand. He took it, letting her pull him up.
"Okay," she said, brushing off her training robes. "We need to be in sync. No more random movements."
Kyle nodded. "Right. So… what? We take turns attacking?"
"Not exactly." Eleanora frowned, thinking. "We need to anticipate each other's movements. If I go left, you go left. If I step forward, you step forward."
"That sounds easier said than done."
She shot him a look. "You got a better idea?"
Kyle exhaled. "No. Let's try it."
They reset their stances. The mana puppets reactivated, falling back into their ready positions.
This time, Eleanora took the lead.
"Right side!" Eleanora called out.
Kyle pivoted just as she stepped right, their movements finally beginning to sync. For three glorious exchanges, they flowed together - parrying, striking, anticipating each other's footwork. The blue mana puppets pressed their assault, but for the first time that session, Kyle felt they might actually-
His combat instincts flared. The lead puppet's guard dropped a fraction too low.
"Now!" Kyle shouted, lunging forward without thinking.
The sudden movement jerked Eleanora off-balance mid-swing. Her blade went wide as she stumbled sideways, barely managing to avoid the second puppet's counterattack.
"Damn it, Kyle!" she hissed through gritted teeth, scrambling to regain her footing.
Kyle backpedaled quickly, the rope between them snapping taut. "Sorry! Saw an opening!"
The puppets didn't give them time to recover. They advanced in perfect synchronization, their blunt training swords cutting through the air with mechanical precision. Kyle barely raised his tachi in time to block a strike aimed at his ribs, the impact vibrating up his arms.
"Switch!" Eleanora commanded.
They attempted to rotate positions, but Kyle misjudged the distance. As he turned, the rope wrapped around his ankle. Eleanora's next step yanked him off-balance, sending them both careening into each other. Their shoulders collided with a painful thud, weapons tangling awkwardly between them.
"You're pulling too hard!" Eleanora snapped, trying to untangle their blades.
"I'm trying not to get hit!" Kyle shot back, struggling to free his tachi from where it had caught in the crossguard of her estoc.
The lead puppet seized the opportunity, its training sword arching toward Kyle's unprotected head. Eleanora's eyes widened a fraction before she reacted with lightning reflexes.
Her shoulder slammed into Kyle's chest, knocking him clear of the strike. But the sudden movement destroyed what little balance she had left. The rope went taut as Kyle stumbled backward, dragging Eleanora with him.
For one weightless moment, they hung in the air together - Kyle's arms pinwheeling uselessly, Eleanora's expression caught between fury and resignation.
Then gravity took over.
They hit the ground. Hard.
Kyle hit the floor first, the impact knocking the air from his lungs in a quiet 'oof'.
A heartbeat later, Eleanora crashed down on top of him, her knee accidentally digging into his thigh as she struggled to catch herself.
For one frozen moment, time seemed to stop.
Her face hovered mere inches above his, close enough that he could count the faint golden flecks in her crimson eyes.
Her breath came in short, startled puffs against his cheek, lips slightly parted in surprise. A strand of her pale blonde hair had come loose from its tie, brushing against his jaw like silk.
Kyle's brain short-circuited.
'H-how did I even get into this situation?'
The warmth of her body pressed against his, the scent of winter roses and steel—something distinctly Eleanora—flooded his senses. His pulse was already racing from their failed spar, kicked up another notch.
Then, just as quickly as it happened, Eleanora shoved herself upright scrambling off him with uncharacteristic clumsiness.
A faint pink dusted her cheeks as she straightened her robes with sharp, practiced motions.
"We are terrible at this," she muttered, avoiding his gaze.
Kyle sat up slowly, rubbing the back of his head where it had smacked the mat. "Yeah," he agreed hoarsely, then cleared his throat. "No argument here."
Nexus's calm voice echoed through the training room. "Training session concluded. Would you like to review performance metrics?"
Eleanora exhaled through her nose, her shoulders tense. "No. We know what went wrong."
Kyle groaned, flopping back onto the padded floor and throwing an arm over his eyes. "We are gonna get destroyed in the exam."
Silence stretched between them, broken only by their still-uneven breathing. Then—
A hand appeared in his line of sight.
Kyle lowered his arm to find Eleanora standing over him, her expression unreadable.
"We will figure it out somehow" she said, her voice quieter than usual.
Kyle stared at her outstretched hand then up at her face. The usual regal composure was there, but something else lingered in her eyes—determination maybe.
Or frustration. Or... something he couldn't quite name.
After a beat, he took her hand, letting her haul him to his feet with surprising strength. Her fingers were warm against his, calloused from sword training but still undeniably delicate. She released him the second he was steady, turning away to gather her discarded Estoc.
"Yeah," Kyle said, brushing off his training clothes. "We will."
They had to.
Because the alternative—failing spectacularly in front of the entire academy, chained together like a pair of clumsy idiots—wasn't an option.
Eleanora slid her blade back into its sheath with a quiet 'snick', then turned to face him fully. "Tomorrow. Same time. We are not leaving until we can move in sync."
It wasn't a request.
Kyle nodded. "Tomorrow."
As they left the training room, the weight of their impending exam—and the memory of that fleeting, breathless moment—hung between them, unspoken but undeniable.
They had a week to get this right.
And neither of them planned to lose.
***
Author's Note:
Dear awesome readers,
Guess what?
Drumroll… I finally got contracted! 🥳
A huge "THANK YOU" for your support so far—now, how about tossing some Powerstones my way to keep the celebration going? (Or, you know, gifts. I won't say no to gifts. Wink wink.)
Let's keep this party rolling!
—Newbie_Author18 (who may or may not be floating on cloud nine)