Heroine Creation: All My Summons Are Custom Made

”You want me to spar with you?” he asked her, unknowingly giving her a once-over.

”Yes,” Astensia said, her smile still present. ”How else would I know that you’ve learnt anything if I don’t see you use it in combat?”

Lancet pouted his lips as he thought for a while.

”Don’t worry,” Astensia noticed his silly fear. ”I won’t use my full power on you, Master.”

Lancet pretended to not have been concerned about that. He straightened his shoulder and puffed his chest. ”Worry? I wasn’t worrying at all.”

Astensia’s smile widened. ”Of course not, Master.”

Lancet picked up his sword and stepped into a circle that had been drawn with chalk. Astensia stood across from him. The Blessed Blade looked humbler in her hands than it had any right to.

Lancet’s sword on the other hand felt like a long-limbed animal he was trying to convince not to bolt.

His stance and his hold hand reached near perfection, at least for a learning human. But a Platinum Awakener like her? No one matched her stance and hold.

”Have you ever had a spar before?” she asked him.

Lancet downturned his brows. ”That obvious, huh?”

”No,” she chuckled. ”Not at all. I was only asking so I could measure your experience.”

”You want to know how hard you should go?” he asked. ”Well, give me your best and don’t hold back.”

Lancet bent his knees and clenched his grip on the hilt. Astensia knew she couldn’t do that and he didn’t even mean it anyway. But she wasn’t going to be completely docile or take it too easy on him.

She hadn’t yet found out why her master was so determined on learning how to fight. But for now, she was fine with making sure she completed the task he gave her.

Teaching him how to fight.

”Remember,” she said, ”I am not your measure.”

Lancet sighed, wondering if she had read his mind. ”I know. But if I touch you just once, then I win.”

Astensia smiled. ”I wonder what it is you would ask for as a prize.”

Lancet’s eyes suddenly widened. ’Is she... teasing me?’

”I didn’t know there were prizes,” he smirked. ”Now I’m for sure going all out!”

He opened briskly with Rising River, the blade coming up from low to high with a cut meant to catch her under the guard. Astensia slid aside, light as a rumor, and tapped his knuckles with the flat of her sword.

Lancet grunted and tried Serpent’s Cross across her midline. She stepped in, stole his space, causing his own guard to trap his elbow.

Then she spun around and pointed the tip of her blade on his stomach.

”This is humiliating,” Lancet said, breathless.

”But... again?” she asked, smiling.

Lancet peered into her eyes, seeing she was enjoying herself. ”Again,” he concurred.

And so they sparred for minutes, their sweats mingling with the air, their swords clashing and their hearts beating.

Lancet lost every exchange. But on the sixteenth one, he feinted West Wind and twisted into Angel’s Needle, a short, mean thrust.

But Astensia vanished from his line, so quickly he barely tracked it. When he spun to find her, she tripped him, causing him to lurch.

However, Lancet pulled the unexpected move of snatching her elbow and pulling her with him. Both of them went down together.

With a thump, Lancet’s back hit the ground and Astensia fell on top of him.

OOOOF!

Astensia’s hair smelled like sun-warmed leather and spice, and her eyes were just as blue as heaven. Her breasts were squeezed on his chest, and her left knee was angled in between his legs.

His sword might have skittered away, but his other sword was still present... and very firm.

Quickly, Astensia raised her head and their eyes locked almost instantly as they realized their proximity.

They stared at each other for a while. Lancet could feel heat rising to his cheeks as he stared at her face of ancient beauty. Then she started to giggle.

”Heh heh heh”

Lancet nervously followed and together, they both erupted to playful laughter, their shoulders bouncing as their shared camaraderie filled the air.

When it ended with happy sighs, Astensia stood in a smooth, graceful surge and offered him her hand. He took it.

When he was on his feet again, they gazed at each other, wind blowing, time seeming to slow. Lancet was certain he had seen Astensia drawing close for a kiss. Or maybe he was imagining it.

”Can you tell me something, Master?” she asked, her eyes searching his face.

”Uhm... okay?” Lancet replied, heart pounding.

”Why are you so steadfast on learning how to fight?”

Lancet was frozen by the question. He didn’t truly know how to answer it because he was doing this for many reasons.

Firstly...

”I want to keep up with you,” he said. Astensia’s blue eyes raised a bit, surprised.

”Back in the Orc Dungeon,” Lancet continued, ”to be honest, I didn’t like staying behind while you and Renan fought the Orc Shamans or the High Orcs. You share something with someone when you are both in battle and I watched you almost share that with Renan.”

Astensia half-gasped. She understood now, it made complete sense why he suddenly acted that way after they had dealt with the Orc Shamans.

It might not have meant anything to her, but to him, she saw how he could have felt left out and replaced by someone who was even a rival.

Astensia’s heart ached.

”I’m sorry, Master,” she pleaded. ”It was my actions that made you feel this way.”

”No, no,” Lancet waved his stretched hands. ”It’s not your fault at all, it was bound to happen. And besides, you’ve already apologized and you got me the Orc’s Heart. It’s up to me now to get stronger so I can fight side by side with you, not just yell commands from the back.”

Astensia smiled warmly. ”Should we do just that then? You said there are simulated monsters beyond this castle, yes?”

”Yeah.”

”Then why don’t we go battle and kill them together?”

Lancet’s lips stretched to a small smile. ”Let’s do it,” he said, gripping his sword’s hilt with conviction.