Flippant

[Illuvia]

Luvi was in her back yard practicing some acrobatic maneuvers. She was dressed in her scale mail and had runes along her body that signified that she was working with enhanced strength. That much would probably be obvious to anyone, even if they didn’t know what the rune of strength looked like, since she was performing flips with that much weight on her body.

Her flips were simple and not particularly flashy. They were simple rotations that usually ended with her trying to balance herself in mid-air before awkwardly landing. Without runes, she could typically pull a flip off by taking a running start. Jumping high enough to do a stationary front flip was too difficult for her because she didn’t have the momentum from the run to help rotate her body.

With runes, however, she could jump high even with armor on. The difficulty wasn’t so much achieving height or even rotating in the air. Rather, the difficulty stemmed from timing. Tucking and rotating too fast was a surefire way to flip too many times and land on her back. Additionally, a small error in her rotation would be amplified by her additional power which could send her toppling to the side.

Her morning had already been filled with failures, none of them had injured her yet though, thankfully. She was half decent at acrobatic maneuvers which made it easy to fail correctly instead of breaking her neck. She was making notable progress by mid morning, able to pull off a simple front flip about half the time.

She pulled off her helmet and tossed it to the side when she started to get tired. She took a swig from her flask and appreciated the springtime breeze while she could. It wouldn’t be long before doing anything in heavy armor would become annoying due to the heat.

[Goku]

Goku approached Luvi’s backyard with a determined stride, ready to fulfill his promise of sparring with swords. As he neared, he noticed her performing acrobatic maneuvers, her armor gleaming under the morning sun. He admired her strength and agility, understanding that the runes she used amplified her abilities significantly. Watching her flip effortlessly with all that weight made him smile, a mix of admiration and excitement for their upcoming spar.

When she paused to take a drink, Goku seized the moment to call out to her. "Hey, Luvi!" he shouted, waving as he walked closer. "I'm here to spar with the sword, just like I promised. That is, if you're not mad at me for chickening out the other day."

He stopped a few feet away, giving her space to catch her breath. Seeing her in action reminded him of how intense their last match had been, and he felt a pang of guilt for pinning her down so firmly. Despite that, he was glad to see she didn’t seem to hold a grudge.

Goku adjusted the practice sword slung across his back, feeling its weight and balance. He was eager to see how he would fare in this new challenge, especially against someone as skilled and determined as Luvi. The sparring match with fists had been a learning experience, and he was ready to take on the next test.

"I've been looking forward to this," he said with a grin, trying to lighten the mood. "I've been practicing a bit with the sword, but I'm definitely still a novice. Think you can go easy on me?"

Goku took a few steps back and drew his practice sword, feeling its weight in his hands. He assumed a basic stance, trying to remember the pointers he had been practicing. His muscles tensed with anticipation, his mind focused on the upcoming spar.

[Illuvia]

Type under here

Luvi looked to see Goku approaching and smirked at him. “So, you finally decided to face me. It’s about time! I thought you wouldn’t show.” She wouldn’t have really cared if he had decided not to spar with a sword. She knew that he was the type who didn’t like conflict and wouldn’t fault him for that… even if she did think it made little sense to be a cowardly hone mage. If anything, having bolstered strength should increase one’s confidence, in her opinion.

She stretched out her arms a little before clearing away some things in the yard so that they would have enough space at the center to do combat. Once that was done, she would grab her scythe and hold it out in front of her.

“You don’t mind if I use this, do you? I admittedly don’t know how to use it very well, but if you’re a novice with the blade then we might be evenly matched. I promise not to hit you with the blade… if I can help it.”

She gave him a confident smile while adjusting her grip along the large polearm. When it looked like Goku was ready, she would take a step forward and bring the weapon down overhead, grunting even with the added strength she received from her magic. It was a slow attack, awkward and obvious as would be expected by someone who hardly knew what she was doing. The other end of the Scythe had a spear tip, so either that or the pole itself was likely to make contact with Goku if he didn’t dodge out of the way or try to block. Afterwards, she would try pulling the weapon back and thrusting it at him, though if he was in a vulnerable spot she would try not to actually hit him.

[Goku]

Goku watched as Luvi prepared for their sparring match, noting her confident demeanor. He respected her spirit and was determined to give his best effort. He activated the strength runes on his arms, feeling the familiar surge of power coursing through his muscles. Holding his practice sword firmly, he nodded to indicate he was ready.

As Luvi swung her scythe down in an overhead arc, Goku braced himself. He raised his sword to block the attack, feeling the impact reverberate through the blade. The force of her strike, despite its awkwardness, was powerful enough to dent his sword slightly. Goku gritted his teeth, maintaining his grip on the weapon. It was a low quality weapon meant to be damaged during his trainings so he did not mind at all.

With the spear end of her big weapon coming right towards him, Goku quickly sidestepped to avoid being skewered. He kept his eyes on Luvi’s movements, aware of her intentions. Moving swiftly, he aimed to strike her polearm to the side, hoping to create an opening for himself.

As he approached, Goku tightened his grip on his sword and swung it towards the polearm, aiming to deflect it. The clash of their weapons echoed in the yard, a showing of their enhanced strength. He saw an opportunity and moved closer, shifting his weight to his front foot. With a quick, precise motion, he aimed to tap Luvi’s leg with the flat of his blade.

Despite the intensity of the spar, Goku was careful not to hurt her. He wanted this to be a learning experience for both of them, a way to test their skills and improve together. He maintained his focus, ready to react to her next move, but hoping his tap would signal a temporary advantage in their match.

[Illuvia]

Type under here


Luvi was impressed with Goku’s ability to block her attack and even launch a counter attack. She debated twisting the scythe as he approached, thinking it might be able to hit him… but she decided against it. She lifted the entire weapon, intending to swing it at him, but she didn’t have time. By the time she’d swung it back, Goku had already closed the distance and tapped her on the leg.

“Got me,” she said, holding out a hand to show that she gave up. “This thing is just so big… it’s going to be hard for me to use it if I can’t keep people at bay.”

She jumped back several feet, landing awkwardly due to the heaviness of the weapon. She had to wave her free hand and lean on her scythe to stop herself from falling over. “That’s a lot easier to pull off when I’m using katana, I swear,” she said with a giggle. “Again then?”

If Goku readied himself, Luvi would try twirling the scythe – badly. The sharp end would dig into the ground and require her to pull it back out. She sighed then said, “maybe you should come at me this time.”

She tried to think logically. If she had such a large weapon then her only chance against a more agile opponent was to keep them at a distance. Goku had demonstrated just how easy it would be to slice open her tendons because she’d missed. Perhaps she needed to be a little more aggressive and wild with her swings so that there was no way he could safely approach? But that hardly seemed like the kind of thing she ought to be practicing against someone who wasn’t even wearing heavy armor. The last thing she needed was murder charges brought against her.

[Goku]

Goku allowed Luvi a moment to prepare, watching her wrestle with the unwieldy scythe. He couldn't help but suppress a laugh when he saw how awkwardly she was handling the large weapon, realizing she hadn't yet mastered its use. He knew he had to stay cautious; a single misstep and the massive blade could cause him serious injury. As she struggled to maneuver the scythe, he took his chance.

He jogged toward her, closing the distance quickly. Seeing her fumble with the scythe, he made a swift move to slash down at her. He thought she might block that attack so if she did he would follow up with a swift kick aimed at her stomach. The force of the kick was controlled, enough to push her back but not to injure.

However, the kick was awkward. Goku's timing was off, and he felt himself losing balance. His body lurched forward uncontrollably, and his footing slipped on the soft ground beneath him. In the struggle to maintain his balance, he lost his grip on his sword, and it tumbled to the ground with a dull thud. Goku's arms flailed for a moment, desperately trying to steady himself, but the momentum carried him forward.

He stumbled, nearly crashing into Luvi. At the last moment, he managed to twist his body to avoid colliding with her, but in doing so, he landed awkwardly on his side. He quickly rolled to his feet, a bit embarrassed but chuckling at his own clumsiness. He retrieved his sword, shaking his head with a grin.

"Well, that didn't go as planned," Goku admitted with a sheepish smile. “Let's keep at it. This time, I'll try not to lose my balance." He nodded towards Luvi, ready to continue the sparring session. He was having fun fighting for once.

[Illuvia]

Type under here


Luvi might not have been fully prepared, but it didn’t take a genius to know that she needed to stop Goku’s blade from slicing into her head. She held the scythe with both hands and lifted the weapon above her head to intercept the blow. The feeling was jarring as she’d extended her arms a bit too far. She winced and drew her arms back in, allowing the sword to drop a few inches.

She twisted her torso and tried to whack her opponent away with the butt of the scythe, but Goku had already lifted his foot at that point. She was kicked right in the stomach, pushing her away which also made her swing miss wildly. The polearm wielder spun twice before she dug the tip of the weapon into the ground to stop herself from moving.

“That can’t be good for the edge,” she said as she pulled the tip out of the ground. She looked over to Goku who had fallen which made a smile play at her lips. She thought it was funny how hilariously bad they both were at this. If her swordsmanship teacher had been here, he would have probably yelled at them both until they went deaf.

“Alright, one more round then,” Luvi said as she slowly stepped towards him. She held the scythe a little more confidently this time, waiting until she got several paces away from him before considering how she wanted to attack. She twisted the weapon so that the blade was facing away from Goku then swung it low at his legs. If he was quick he would be able to jump over it, though she doubted blocking it would be an easy feat with the weight difference between their weaponry. Her intent wasn’t to break his legs, rather to knock him over… though she couldn’t guarantee that getting hit by it wouldn’t have that effect.

[Goku]

Goku saw Luvi's move and tried to jump over the sweeping polearm. Unfortunately, he misjudged the height, and the heavy scythe clipped his legs, sending him toppling over. He landed hard on his back, letting out a massive groan as the impact reverberated through his body.

"Ugh, that hurt," he muttered, slowly getting to his feet. "Maybe that's enough for today. I think my back is going to hurt for days." He gingerly rubbed his lower back, wincing at the soreness already setting in.

Goku walked over to a nearby seat and sat down heavily, catching his breath. "You should practice a little without me," he suggested, looking up at Luvi with a tired smile. "I saw you jumping when I arrived. You're pretty good at it, but you might want to try allowing your legs to absorb more force when you land. It'll help reduce the impact and keep you balanced."

He stretched his arms, feeling the strain from their sparring session. "I'll watch and give you some tips if you want. Just be careful with that scythe; it's a beast to handle." This was exactly why he hated fighting. Injuries would make it harder for him to make money. He might have to cancel his job for tomorrow. He did not blame Illuvia, however.

As he settled onto the seat, Goku reflected on their practice. "You know," he added, "even though I'm terrible at this, it's kinda fun. And I'm happy to learn, especially when it's with a friend. Just keep practicing, and we'll both get better together." He gave her an encouraging nod, eager to see how she would improve her technique and hopeful that their training would make them both stronger. He knew that she wanted to take part in magical combat so it was much more important for her to learn how to fight than it was for him to.

[Illuvia]

Type under here

Luvi was pleased to see that she had knocked him over, but she didn’t like that he’d gotten hurt by the fall. Being somewhat used to combat, she knew how to fall without injuring herself more often than not. It didn’t seem to be that way for Goku, however, who appeared so hurt that he couldn’t continue practicing.

“Sorry about that,” she said sheepishly, “learning as an adult can be difficult. I learned when I was young, when injuries weren’t so tough to recover from. Actually… why don’t you use the rune of regeneration? Or does that not work for this sort of injury?” That was the obvious answer to her, but she wasn’t sure about the specifics of that rune’s applications. His answer would help her learn one way or the other.

When her friend gave her some jumping advice, she tried it out. She hopped around and focused more on letting her legs bend a little more to soften the impact. The difference was quite notable and she grinned at him to show how pleased she was. The man couldn’t fight with a weapon well but he clearly knew how to apply his muscles better.

When she got tired of hopping, she picked up her scythe again and started practicing basic swings. She had been getting better at it, to the point where she was fairly confident that she could seriously injure or kill someone who wasn’t trained in combat. Though, it was somewhat tiring to use even with her runes. She supposed she could always start increasing the strength of the runes, but she always liked to keep a good amount of ether available at all times in case she needed to switch things up.

“Want to go get a bite to eat?” She’d ask when she finally tired. This seemed like as good stopping point as any. “I know a good place down the street.”

[Goku]

Goku considered her suggestion and nodded thoughtfully. "I could use the healing rune, but I want to give myself some time to see just how bad the injury is first. Sometimes, it's better to let the body do its thing naturally before jumping to magic. Besides, using more energy than necessary could affect my job performance tomorrow. I need to be sharp and ready."

He watched as Luvi practiced her jumps, noticing how she focused on letting her legs bend to absorb the impact. Her movements became more fluid, and she grinned at him, clearly pleased with the improvement. "See? You're getting better at it. Just takes practice and a bit of technique."

When she got tired of hopping, Luvi picked up her scythe and began practicing basic swings. Goku observed her closely, noting her increasing proficiency with the unwieldy weapon. Despite the awkwardness, she was managing to control it better than before. Her determination and progress were impressive, even if the scythe remained a challenging weapon to master.

Goku smiled and nodded when she offered to go eat, carefully getting up from the bench. "Sure, that sounds like a great idea. Some food would be nice right about now." He stretched his arms, feeling the strain from their sparring session but also the satisfaction of having pushed his limits.

They reached the place Luvi had mentioned, a cozy little eatery down the street. The smell of delicious food wafted through the air, making Goku's stomach rumble. They found a table and sat down, ready to enjoy a well-deserved meal.

As they waited for their food, Goku thought about how they both had a long way to go, but with each other's support, there was no doubt they would get stronger and more skilled. This journey, filled with its challenges and learning experiences, was just the beginning of their growth as fighters and friends.