The Tower King

Aria, who seemed to have understood who the secret asset was, laughed quietly for a few moments. "Do you really think your Obsidian rank can be a secret asset?"

Jarek, unperturbed, looked at her calmly, as if the question didn't affect him. He took another sip of his beer before replying in an almost nonchalant voice. "Give it three months and you'll see."

"Fine by me, we'll try to make sure we get those 3 months." Aden replied, rising to his feet. "We don't need to worry, Jarek never jokes if his life is at stake."

Aria looked in turn at Aden, who seemed confident on the surface, then at Jarek, who wore a satisfied look on his face. She then addressed the other members of the group. "You all agree, of course?"

Ulrich, the massive warrior, nodded gravely. "No problem. If you trust him, I accept. And honestly, I can't wait to go up against this guy." His deep voice carried the certainty of a man accustomed to violence.

Lyra, the smallest of the group, seemed more pensive, her piercing gaze observing the surroundings. Finally, she nodded silently, her smile stretching slightly. "I agree. I like this kind of challenge."

Jarek watched them all, smiling slightly. He had understood their logic. They were willing to play their own game, and that suited him perfectly.

"Well, if we all agree, it's time for us to go." Aden reflected as he stepped away from the table. "I'll be in touch when I know more."

With a simple nod, Aria, Lyra and Ulrich also stepped aside before following Aden out of the tavern.

The atmosphere around Jarek was now much quieter. He took a few moments to finish his mug of beer in silence before giving serious thought to what he was going to have to do for the next 3 months.

He'd just embroiled Sora in something totally beyond him, he didn't know if he'd accept, but, knowing his perpetual desire to improve himself, Jarek had little doubt that he'd accept without too much reluctance.

"Ahh... I'd better be serious for once." He reflected before finally leaving the tavern in his turn.

...

The next morning, Sora awoke with a slight stiffness in his muscles, a remnant of the previous day's training. Sunlight filtered through the curtains of the small room he rented in the Mercenary Order wing. He sat up slowly, stretched and let out a sigh.

Today, he had planned to go to the training ground to perfect his techniques, but an unexpected visit would upset his plans.

A sharp knock sounded at his door. Frowning, Sora got up and opened it. Jarek stood before him, looking as casual as ever, an enigmatic smile hanging on his lips.

Sora stared at him, slightly surprised. "Jarek? What are you doing here?"

"Let's get down to business, kid. Grab your stuff and let's go." Jarek replied, gesturing for him to hurry up.

Sora stared at Jarek, still a little numb from sleep. He had no idea what the other was up to, but the mercenary's serious look told him he wasn't kidding.

"Where are we going?" he asked, grabbing his sword along with the rest of his equipment.

Jarek began to make his way up the stairs to the Order's main hall before stopping to answer him. "I can't explain everything to you, but let's say you've got three months to improve."

Sora frowned. Three months? That was a very specific deadline. His instincts told him that Jarek wouldn't tell him anything more for the time being. Resigned, he checked one last time that he had all his belongings and followed in his elder brother's footsteps.

Once in the Order's main hall, they both headed for Nerris, who looked different from usual. She was still behind her counter, but she wasn't working; she seemed to be waiting for something or someone. Even her clothes were not those of the Order's hosts or hostesses. In part, these clothes resembled those that Jarek or Sora might wear.

When she noticed them, she stood in front of her counter in silence. "Well, I heard about the proposal Nerris made to you a few days ago." Jarek replied, a serious look in his eyes. "I think you're now competent enough to accompany him on this kind of mission."

Surprised, Sora hadn't really expected this kind of thing when Jarek had come looking for him a few minutes earlier. "What about you? Aren't you going to train me anymore?"

"That's not quite it." Jarek replied, keeping the smile on his face. "I'm going to be busy for a while, so Nerris will train you. But before all that, you've got one last challenge to overcome."

Sora raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Jarek's words. One last challenge?

He turned his gaze to Nerris, who was wearing an enigmatic smile. She was no longer the cheerful receptionist he was used to seeing at the Order's reception desk. Today, she exuded a different, more serious, almost intimidating aura.

"A challenge?" repeated Sora, crossing his arms.

Jarek nodded. "Before you go on a mission with Nerris, we need to see if you're ready. I'm not going to throw you into a real fight without being sure you can stand up to it."

Sora felt a pang of excitement rise up inside him. His instincts were telling him that this wasn't going to be a simple test, but a real trial. He turned to Nerris, who was staring at him mischievously.

"Follow me," she said simply, before turning away.

Without hesitation, Sora followed Nerris' lead, leaving Jarek behind. They exited the Order building and headed for the training grounds, but instead of stopping at the conventional areas, they continued on towards a more secluded section.

After a few minutes' walk, Nerris stopped at the edge of a circular arena surrounded by high stone walls. This was an advanced training area, reserved for seasoned mercenaries.

"Here's your challenge," she declared, turning back to him. "If you want to come with me on a mission, you have to beat me."

Sora's eyes widened slightly. He'd expected a test, but not a duel against Nerris herself.

"Seriously?" he asked, swallowing.

Nerris smiled as she drew her short sword. "Of course I do. If you want to survive where we're going, you've got to prove you can defend yourself. No holding back, no excuses."

Sora gritted his teeth, then slowly drew his weapon. He knew Nerris as a cheerful, friendly person, but he didn't forget that she was an experienced mercenary. This fight would be anything but easy.

He knew that if he wished to beat her, he'd have to fight her with all his might, but even so, he wasn't sure he could beat her. However, having to go all out meant revealing part of his system. And right now, Sora wasn't sure he wanted to do that. Especially as he hadn't exercised his Piercing Teeth skill for a few days.

But for now, he preferred not to think too much about it.

Jarek approached the edge of the arena and leaned against the railing. "Come on, kid, show me what you've learned. And Nerris, be nice, don't break it too quickly."

Nerris burst out laughing. "I promise nothing."

Then, in a flash, she pounced on Sora.

Her sword whistled through the air and Sora barely had time to raise his to block the attack. The impact knocked him back several steps. He gritted his teeth. Nerris was fast, much faster than he'd imagined.

"Concentrate, Sora," she told him, preparing her next attack. "If you're distracted, you're dead."

Sora took a deep breath. This fight was going to be a challenge, but he had no intention of losing. He tightened his grip on his weapon and stood on guard. He had to prove he was ready.

Sora straightened up, gritting his teeth under the pressure of the fight. Nerris' every move seemed to take him by surprise, his speed and agility far surpassing his own. He took another step back under a particularly violent blow, but instead of letting himself be overwhelmed, he concentrated.

Sora could already imagine the taunts Jarek would hurl at him if he ever lost. These words spurred him on to concentrate, forget his doubts and give his all to this confrontation. He had to find a way to surprise Nerris, to force her to leave herself vulnerable, even if it meant risking revealing everything.

Nerris attacked again, this time with a series of swift, fluid strikes. Sora managed to dodge one, then another, but the last one hit him on the shoulder, a sharp pain shooting through his arm. He winced, but didn't give in. The pain only rekindled his determination.

He already knew that he would be inferior to her in speed and strength, but he hadn't expected the difference in level to be so great. To try and reduce this gap, he decided to change his stance and be as unpredictable as possible; with a bit of luck, he might hit her at least once.

Nerris noticed the change in Sora's attitude in front of her, but it didn't seem to destabilize her more than that. She lunged forward again, launching a series of new strikes, aiming at his torso as well as his legs. Sora decided to step back quickly and waited for her to regain her footing before charging straight at her.

He deflected Nerris's blade as it came straight at him, and just before launching his attack, swung around to find himself at her back. He swung his sword at her legs, but just before his blade reached her opponent, Nerris leapt into the air and dodged the attack.

Just before she landed back on the ground, she attacked Sora from the air with a dagger from her pocket. Sora had no time to stop her and the blade left an open wound on his left arm.

He stepped back reflexively and watched Jarek for a moment. He was leaning against a fence, watching the fight with the same haughty, superior gaze that only he can muster.

Sora thought for a few moments before coming up with a single solution to try and defeat her: he had to use his skill. He noticed that Nerris was watching him from a few meters away; she didn't seem to want to attack first, which suited him, as it would be some time before he could launch his attack.

He took a deep breath and concentrated, letting the Ushi from his weapon flow into his arm. After a few moments, he channeled this energy into as precise a point as possible and launched his attack with a great sweep of his sword.

A veil of white crossed the training area before turning into a great cloud of dust as it reached its target. For a brief moment, Sora felt a surge of excitement. Had he succeeded?

He stood still, breathless, adrenalin coursing through his body. His attack had been precise, fast and powerful enough to reach Nerris. He'd given it his all, and for the first time since the start of the fight, he thought he'd gained the upper hand.

But as the dust settled, his expression changed. His gaze scanned the space where Nerris had been just seconds before. A spherical silhouette slowly appeared in the dissipating mist, standing untouched.

Sora's eyes widened. It couldn't be.

Then he saw. Before her, a strange shield stood untouched, as if her attack had only grazed it. An indescribable sensation emanated from Nerris. A frightening sensation crashed over him, less powerful than Jarek's, but oppressive enough to make him uncomfortable.

When the shield shifted, she stood there, an amused smile on her lips, her sword still in hand.

"Not bad." Her voice was calm, but tinged with a hint of admiration. "Really not bad at all, Sora. But..."

She raised her free hand slightly, and that's when he realized it. This enormous shield was simply the manifestation of her Ushi, or at least part of it.

Before he could react, an invisible force pulled him backwards. He landed on his face and was dragged for several meters. A searing pain shot through his body.

"Gh...!" He gritted his teeth and struggled to his feet, sword still in hand. He pointed it at Nerris, but he knew something was wrong.

"Do you want to know?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "Very well, then. My Ushi is a control type. I can control the surrounding plants at will and manipulate them to defend myself as well as to attack."

Sora felt a shiver run through him. Floral control... She had fashioned a shield using the wood around her, blocking his attack without suffering any damage. When he realized this, his gaze dropped to his feet, where he saw two branches of wood still clutching his ankles, having dragged him to the ground.

"Well, shall we continue?" she asked with a teasing smile.

He had no time to reply. In a second, Nerris disappeared from his field of vision and reappeared right in front of him. A violent sword stroke struck his side, followed by a second. Sora tried to block, but every time he moved to stop a blow, a wooden vine deflected his sword. His breath became shorter, his vision wavered.

He tried one last attack, putting all his energy into a sideways thrust. But before his blade could reach him, a wooden rod pushed him back again. His back hit the ground hard.

He could do no more.

Lying on the ground, he stared at the sky above him, panting, unable to get up immediately. Nerris slowly approached him, sheathed his sword and held out a hand.

"That was a good fight, Sora."

He hesitated for a moment, then grabbed her hand and struggled to his feet. His muscles screamed in pain, but deep inside, a strange feeling ran through him. It wasn't frustration. It was... excitement.

Jarek approached in turn, arms crossed, a smirk on his face. "You lost, kid, but... you managed to touch her. That's something."

Sora looked up at him in surprise.

Nerris nodded. "I admit I didn't expect you to be so dangerous. That attack... if I hadn't stopped it, it really could have hurt me."

Sora felt his heart beat faster. He might not have won, but he had proved something. He wasn't just a mercenary of Obsidian rank. He had potential, a real force within him.

And they'd seen it.

"Well, I guess I was right." Jarek murmured, looking at him. "Three months will be more than enough."