Chapter 26

Nash woke up early at 4 am to prepare a small breakfast and the food they will bring. She kept yawning while trying to stay awake.

"Too tired..." she said as she sat in the dining chair after she completed preparing. It's 5:30 a.m. already.

"You're early," Aidan was the first to enter the dining room, followed by the others. They're all set to leave.

"I prepared breakfast. Let's eat first," She said.

She yawns a lot when eating.

"What time did you sleep?" Aeries asked.

"1 am, I think."

"What time did you wake up?" Idris asked after.

"4."

"You might pass out while training," Aeries warned.

"I'm used to this. After we leave I won't be sleepy anymore," she answered.

"If that's what you say"

"Haa..." Nash let out a yawn. They are currently on their way to the stables to retrieve their horses.

She stretches her entire body before riding Frey to wake up her body. She slapped her face in addition.

"Let's get going," Yjhan said, and he was the first to move.

...

"Haa..." Nash yawned again and slapped her face.

"Did you even sleep?" Nash looked to her side and noticed Ren approaching her. Ren was being followed by the other squad 13 members.

"Yes, three hours... I think."

"Is that even a sleep?"

"For me, it is"

"Nash!" Yjhan shouted from a distance.

"Leader is calling me. Bye!" She dashed towards squad 15 and came to a halt in front of Yjhan. "Are we going to duel again like yesterday?"

"Yes. Aidan will be your partner." She looked at Aidan who was watching Kane's training with Idris.

"Okay," She walked towards Aidan and slapped him on the back. "We're partners!"

"Ouch!" He groaned.

"Oh... Sorry," she smiled.

"At least be sincere."

"I am sincere. Now let's go!" Nash stopped when she realized something. "Shit!"

The whole Squad 15 looked in her direction.

"I forgot my sword!"

She grabbed her hair in disbelief.

'What the hell?!' she thought to herself.

"Idiot," She glared at Kane.

"I heard that!"

"What do you have?"

"Dagger," she said, pulling out her dagger from her sleeves.

"That will suffice." Aidan drew his dagger from his belt. "I'm also skilled with daggers."

Nash exhaled a sigh of relief. She takes up a position. "All right, let's get started. I'll take the lead."

She cracked her neck and knuckles first before charging forward and pointing her knife at Aidan's face. Aidan was able to avoid Nash's attacks. When he saw an opening in her side, he raced rapidly to Nash's side and prepared to attack, but Nash kicked Aidan's leg, causing him to kneel.

Nash was about to stab him when Aidan grabbed her wrist and stopped her. With his other hand, he grasps Nash's other arm and throws him away with all his strength.

Aidan has returned to his knees, as has Nash. Nash wiped the blood from her temple.

"Wait! Are you okay? What happened?" Aidan asked when he saw the blood.

"HAHA, my head hit a rock," she joked before returning to her concentration. "Shall we keep going?"

She ran towards Aidan, and tried to hit every side of Aidan. Nash's wielding method was quick, so he had no choice but to block or dodge it.

"You should always look in the eyes of your opponent," she stated as she sought to strike Aidan's head. He dodged down, "Wrong move"

Nash leapt to his back and pointed the dagger into Aidan's neck.

"You should also be aware of your opponent." Aidan spoke in hushed tones. Nash took a glance beside her and noticed the pointed dagger at her chest. "If you want to ask, I'm quite flexible."

Nash and Aidan both put down their daggers. They both take deep breaths and then chuckle.

"I had no idea you could jump so high!" Aidan burst out laughing. "I mistook you for a monkey!"

"Huh!?" Nash said, annoyed.

"Wait, not monkey. Monkeys are lightweight," Nash struck Aidan on the head.

"Are you saying I'm heavyweight?"

"Hmm... slight?"

"Really!?" Nash looks excited. "I knew it, see I'm getting fat! Look!"

Nash showed her slender arms to Aidan.

"It's the same as it was before." Aidan wiggled Nash's slender arms.

"No it's not! Look carefully."

"Nope. It's the same," Aidan shakes his head, his expression blank. Nash rolled her eyes and pouted.

"Who says you can stop?" Yjhan cut them off in their conversation. "Continue!"

Aidan and Nash continue to hone their dagger skills. They attempted to train their physical combat skills in addition to their dagger battles.

"Yjhan," he turned to face the person who had called him.

"Ren," Yjhan said when he saw who called him. His squad members are standing behind him. "What do you want?"

"We want to have collaboration training with your squad," Yjhan squinted his eyes, finding them suspicious. "Don't think too much. We just want to have someone to fight other than ourselves. It's fine, right?"

"I'll ask them,"

"Sure, we'll be waiting"

Yjhan approached his members who were undergoing training. "Gather here!"

Squad 15 approached him.

"Is there a problem?" Aeries asked.

"Squad 13 wants to have collaboration training with us. Is that alright with you?"

"Sure." Idris answered.

"No problem." Aidan said.

Yjhan looked back to Ren and nodded. Squad 13 walked towards Squad 15.

"Pleased to meet you, I am Ren and these guys are my Squad 13. Introduce yourselves"

"I'm Yves," a gray haired guy with an eye-patch in his right eye.

"Hans," a yellow-haired guy with a smug expression.

"I'm Kris, he's Bris. Obviously, we're twins," they look completely identical to each other. The only difference is that Kris has dark blue hair whereas Bris has indigo hair. They both have long, wavy hair that can be tied behind.

"Cool! We're twins as well!" Nash jumped up and wrapped his arm around Aidan's shoulder. She looked at Aidan and laughed.

"Really?!" Says Kris with a big shock in his face.

"No. We just happened to have a similar appearance," Aidan said and smacked Nash's head and chuckled.

"Ehhh? So lame" Kris pouted. Nash stuck her tongue out to tease him.

"I'm Jin," he has a deep voice but looks innocent. He has blonde hair.

'He reminds me of Jaxael,' Nash thought to herself.

Nash looked at his side to glance at Jaxael. Jaxael raised his right brow when he noticed her. Nash shakes her head and smiles before returning her gaze to squad 13.

'But you're way too much better,' Nash thought to herself.

"I'm Yuri," a guy with brown hair and brown eyes. He holds a bow in his hand.

"So they're a seven member squad too," Idris murmured.

"Do we need to introduce ourselves as well?" Idris asked.

"No need. We won't ask for a collaboration training if we don't know who you are," Hans said, still with his smug face.

"That guy's face is annoying," Nash whispered to Aidan.

"I'm used to that kind of face, you look like that sometimes." Aidan laughed. Nash slapped his butt. "That's sexual harassment!"

She just rolled her eyes.

"So, may we choose our opponent?" Ren asked Yjhan. The squad 15 nodded to agree with their decision.

Nash took a step behind Aidan.

"What's wrong?"

"I couldn't keep insulting them in front, so I stepped behind," Aidan laughed, "They've got thick skin. They're the ones who want collaboration training, and they're still the ones who choose their opponent?"

"Nash," Yjhan scolded her quietly.

"Oops... sorry," She put out a peace sign to offer, but Yjhan didn't care.

"Then we'll start choosing our opponents, and I'll go first," Ren said and grinned, 'This will be fun.'