226 Smackdown! (2/2)

”See,” Darah called. ”Dean's getting delirious… he actually thinks I might let him go.”

”Let him go, general,” Luca warned.

It wasn't very convincing as even I could see his hands shaking while he held his claymore aloft.

”Make me,” Darah countered.

Luca charged with his claymore raised high.

Einstein said that doing things over and over again and expecting a different result was the very definition of insanity. If that was the case, then my little brother was clearly insane.

This was his fifth attempt to charge Darah from the front, the last of which, caused me to rescue him and get myself pinned down for my efforts.

So color me surprised when instead of getting right into Darah's range, Luca opted to fling his claymore right at her.

Even Darah looked momentarily thrown back, although it was easy enough for her to parry the flying greatsword with just her fist.

I saw it, the build-up of arcane energy flowing into her fist just at the moment before its impact with Luca's weapon.

However, in the time it took Darah to swat the claymore away like it was nothing more than a gnat, Luca had already slid under her guard.

He'd used the claymore as a feint while he performed a sliding tackle aimed at the leg that held me captive.

It was a good idea, and if it were anyone else it might even have worked. But Luca failed to take into account the fact that Darah had two fists. And as he slid forward to rescue me, Darah's other fist came slamming down his back in a wallop that made me grit my teeth to watch.

”And this is why you lost to Garm,” Darah said with a shake of her head. ”You're both brilliant in warfare but you lack experience in duels.”

She kept us both pinned in that awkward position while she explained what we did wrong against her and what we should have done instead.

And just to be a rebel, I said, ”I can see your underwear…”

This earned me another smack in the head, of course.

And while the pain reverberated across my skull, I heard Darah say, ”Looks like you haven't had nearly enough training… we���ll go again.”

It was nearly an hour later when Commander Unna accompanied by Aura appeared in the training hall. By that time, both Luca and I were so battered and bruised that I imagined Berrian's healing potions would have little effect on us.

Aura knelt at my side with a face that was equal parts concerned and amused.

”Are you okay?” she asked.

I sat up. ”Now you arrive… after I look like this?”

”I was under strict orders not to interrupt the great general's playtime,” she answered in an amused tone.

Aura dabbed a wet towel over my brow. It was nice. Sadly, this dream-like situation was quickly interrupted by her aunt.

”Get yourself cleaned, Dean,” she ordered. ”I want you in the meeting with me.”

”Meeting?” I asked confused.

”Ah, yes,” Aura answered for Darah. ”It seems like my aunt invited a very important guest tonight… I wish she'd told us. We could have made the tower look more appropriate…”

”Yes, it'll be a sore spot for him that this place is such a mess,” Darah laughed.

”Who's here, Aura?” I asked worriedly.

I could only imagine what kind of monster did Darah invite into our home this time.

Aura sighed. ”Lord Rah's here…”