Chapter 103 - Spar To Clear Your Mind

Chapter 103: Chapter 103 - Spar To Clear Your Mind

Later that morning, Vincent sat cross-legged outside the backyard garden with his eyes closed and his breathing steady as he meditated.

Try as he might on focusing, his mind would keep flickering back to the vivid remnants of his lust-filled dream.

Step.. Step.. Step..

Light footsteps rustled through the grass. Vincent opened one eye and looked up to see Roxa standing over him. Her shoulder-length, dark hair swayed in the breeze and her icy-blue elven eyes narrowed as she locked her gaze onto his face.

"What’s up, Roxa?" Vincent asked, breaking his meditative posture.

"Care to explain your behavior at the breakfast table? You were acting like a thief who just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar."

"Heh. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I wasn’t being weird at all. I’d say I was pretty normal. Extremely normal, even. Didn’t you see me talking to Toby earlier? That was a super normal interaction we had."

Roxa squinted her eyes, turning her gaze dangerously sharp. She didn’t buy a single word of his excuses.

"Oh my. Would you look at that? Toby’s having fun with the kids. I’m gonna go join them." Desperate to escape her, Vincent abruptly stood up and headed straight over to the other side of the lawn.

Roxa reached out for him, but he was already gone. "Vincent–! *Tsk*..."

Out on the green grass, Eugene was running a serious boot camp for the two young cat-beastman children.

He was hopping on a wooden stump, puffing harmless orange flames into the air as he struck exaggerated "dragon martial arts" poses.

"Alright! Form up, recruits! If you want to master the Way of the Destroyer Flame, you must first harden your spirits! Now, strike the first dragon stance I taught you!"

Leo and Zally completely ignored his orders and lunged forward to pull on his scaly cheeks.

"WHA–?! UNHAND ME, PEASANTS I AM IGNIS THE DESTROYER, NOT SOME KIND OF PLUSH TOY!"

A sudden idea struck his mind as Vincent walked over.

Tapping into his newly mastered divine resonance buff, he focused his intent, sending a thin thread of golden divine aura flowing from his finger.

The golden light enveloped Leo, Zally, and Eugene, and instantly, the two children’s feline ears and fluffy tails spiked straight up. The divine power surged through their young veins, granting them a burst of incredible speed and vitality.

Leo and Zally dropped to all fours, glowing with a faint golden light as they zipped across the lawn like lightning bolts, chasing each other at blistering speeds.

"WHOA! TOBY! LOOK HOW FAST WE ARE!"

"TOBY! LOOK! LOOK!"

Eugene, for the first time ever, flew the highest he’s ever gone into the air. "Gahaha! My ancient dragon power has finally awakened! Tremble, mortals Tremble before me!"

Toby watched his younger siblings running around the yard with pure happiness. He let out a soft breath and stepped up beside Vincent.

"This honestly feels like a dream, Vincent..." Toby murmured softly to him. "Back in the slums... every single day was an awful battle of adventurer’s requests just to pay for a loaf of bread for my sick siblings. I never thought I’d live to see the day Leo and Zally could run around so carefree and safe."

He turned toward Vincent, offering a heartfelt, sincere bow. "Thank you. Truly... Thank you and Princess Maelle for giving us a home, a future, and a life."

"You’re welcome. You guys belong here. This is your home now. So you gotta make sure that you three grow strong for Maelle in order to someday pay her back, alright?"

"Yes!"

.......

As the morning transitioned into afternoon, Roxa made multiple attempts to speak with Vincent.

However, he would always casually and expertly dodge her at every turn.

Growing frustrated by his endless evasion, she decided to abandon words entirely.

As Vincent walked down a quiet, secluded stone corridor near the back of the manor, Roxa executed a silent ambush from behind. She lunged forward, sweeping her hand toward his neck to corner him.

"Huh?!"

But that’s when Vincent’s instincts kicked.

Without looking, he caught her wrist mid-strike, using her own momentum to pivot and smoothly pin her against the wall with his forearm pressed across her collarbone.

Standing face to face, just inches apart, Vincent’s eyes locked straight into Roxa’s. From this distance, he couldn’t help but notice all her striking, close-up features – the high, elegant curve of her elven cheekbones, the soft, rosy parted line of her lips, and the rapid rise and fall of her chest.

At that moment, the vivid image of hot springs and pink mist flashed through his brain.

Vincent’s face flushed in a slight shade of crimson. Realizing who he had just forcefully manhandled, he gently pulled his hand back and apologised.

"Sorry... I didn’t mean to– I gotta go."

Before he could take a single step away, Roxa reached out and grabbed his wrist in an iron grip, stopping him dead in his tracks.

An amused smirk touched her lips as she looked at his flushed face.

"Now that I finally have, there’s something I want to say."

"... What is it?"

"I want to fight you, Vincent."

"... Huh? A fight?"

"Yes. I want to properly gauge your power, as well as test my own limits against someone as powerful as you... And perhaps a proper bout will take your mind off whatever is making you act so jumpy today."

"Nothing is making me jumpy... But if you want a beatdown... I’m more than happy to oblige."

Hiding nearby, Leo and Zally were secretly watching with wide, excited eyes.

The second they heard the word fight, they turned around and ran off like little ninjas, screaming at the top of their lungs.

""TOBY! LORD EUGENE! VINCENT AND ROXA ARE GONNA FIGHT!""

Ten minutes later, they stood in the backyard.

Up on the second-floor balcony overlooking the lawn, Toby set down a tray of fruit juice. Beside him, Leo and Zally bounced excitedly on their toes, still buzzing with faint traces of Vincent’s shared divine energy.

Eugene sat squarely between the two children on the ledge.

"Show her how a true dragon’s disciple fights, Bluey! Don’t let the elf beat you!"

Down in the yard, Vincent stood casually in his human form, wearing a simple dark training tunic and trousers.

Across from him, Roxa wore matching dark training clothes, with her dark hair tied back into a short ponytail. She stood in a perfectly balanced battle stance as she locked eyes locked onto her target.

"Ready when you are, Roxa."

They stared at each other with a respectful smile passing between them as the breeze rustled the grass.

Then–

SWISH!

There was no formal bow, no countdown, and no hesitation. The second the breeze shifted, Roxa unleashed a full offensive assault.

In a near-instantaneous motion, she unslung her recurve silver wooden bow, nocking a blunt, training arrow with terrifying speed.

TWANG!

A blur of wood streaked through the air.

Vincent merely tilted his head by an inch – letting the projectile whistle past his ear and burying itself deep into the thick trunk of the tree behind him.

*Tsk* Roxa drew and fired three more arrows in rapid succession.

TWANG-TWANG-TWANG!

Moving with quick agility, she circled the perimeter like a hunting predator while maintaining a relentless rain of fire.

Vincent kicked into high gear, weaving, ducking, and sidestepping the barrage.

His reflexes were razor-sharp, and with a swift flick of his arm, he parried an incoming shaft with the back of his forearm, sending it spinning harmlessly onto the ground.

"Nice try!" He called out with a smug grin, dodging another shot. " But you’re going to need more than archery practice to catch me!"

"Keep talking! I haven’t even started."

Instead of nocking another arrow, Roxa swept three arrows into her fingers at once. With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed a fan-spread volley that forced Vincent to leap high into the air.

"Missed me again!"

Seeing an opening, she smirked. "No. I got you."

While Vincent was airborne and unable to easily shift his momentum, Roxa smoothly slung her bow across her back and drew her two elven daggers from her hip harness.

She exploded off the ground and rose to meet him mid-air.

SWOOSH!

She swept both blades through the air in a devastating cross-slash.

Vincent’s eyes widened. He crossed his forearms in front of his chest and channelled a micro-coating of divine power over his skin just in time.

CLANG!!!!!!

The impact hit him down hard, sending Vincent skidding across the dirt as he landed.

"Whoa!" Leo yelled from the balcony, bouncing on his heels. "Did you see how high they both jumped?!"

"Ha! I bet I can fly higher with my new power!" Eugene boasted.

"Get him, Miss Roxa!" Zally cheered.

"Feeling motivated yet?" Roxa teased, twirling her daggers through her fingers with effortless mastery.

*Yawn* "Not even a little. Come on then, show me what else you’ve got."

"Gladly."

Roxa pushed off her back foot, her body transforming into a dark blur. She closed the distance in a fraction of a second, thrusting her right dagger straight toward his ribs.

Vincent parried the strike with a flick of his wrist, but Roxa immediately used the momentum to spin around, driving her left blade in a sharp reverse arc toward his throat.

"Not today!"

Vincent leaned back at an impossible angle, feeling the rush of wind as the blade whistled inches above his nose.

Before he could recover his footing, Roxa drove a swift front-kick into his chest.

THWACK!!!

"What–?!"

"Heh, heh, heh."

He caught her foot against his palm.

"You’re fast, Roxa, but too predictable!"

He slid forward to counter-attack with a swift jab to her shoulder, causing her to take a step back after he let go.

"Predictable? I’m just warming up!"

She swept her leg low to take his ankles, forcing Vincent to hop into the air. The moment his feet left the grass, Roxa spun upward, striking at his guard with a whirlwind of five continuous dagger slashes that forced him into a pure defensive guard as he blocked each blow with his arms.

On the fifth block, he felt the sting of the blades against his forearms. He let out a low laugh as his green eyes burned with excitement. "Okay, now we’re talking!"

Vincent stepped into her space, executing a rapid-fire combo of strikes aimed at her centerline. Roxa shifted her feet gracefully, parrying his fist with the flat of her daggers while weaving her head back and forth like a seasoned duelist.

"Is that all you’ve got, Vincent?" She taunted with each dodge.

"Oh? Is that a challenge?"

Upping his speed, his fists became a blur of motion, forcing Roxa to step back continuously as she barely managed to parry every strike.

The sheer pressure of his advance kicked up a swirling storm of loose leaves around their boots.

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!!!

Roxa gritted her teeth as her hands started aching from the density of his blows even through his suppressed state. Recognising that trying to parry him head-on was becoming a losing battle, she decided to unleash her full arsenal.

"Let’s see how you handle this!"

Leaping backward, Roxa channelled her native elven magic.

Wind swirled around her body. In an instant, her physical speed, reaction time, and agility doubled as her elven bloodline fully ignited.

"Haha! Yeah, Roxa! Now that’s what I’m talking about!"

FLASH!

She vanished completely from sight.

Vincent’s ears twitched. He shifted his weight to the right just as three distinct afterimages of Roxa materialised around him simultaneously.

One struck from his left with a dagger thrust, one swept low from his right, and the last lunged straight down from above with both daggers aimed at his shoulders.

Unable to dodge all three attacks, Vincent stomped his boot into the ground, flaring a newly dense shield around his body.

BOOM!!!!!!

The collision of her wind-infused blades against his mana shield created a miniature shockwave that blew the surrounding grass flat.

Roxa’s real body rebounded off his shield, flipping twice in mid-air before landing smoothly on her feet. Without wasting a single millisecond, she pushed off the grass again, blurring around him in a continuous circle.

SWISH! THWACK! SWISH! THWACK!

She struck from every conceivable blind spot – slashing at his heels, striking at his ribs, diving behind his back, and forcing Vincent to turn and parry at neck-breaking speeds.

"What’s the matter, demigod?!" Roxa’s voice echoed from every direction as her afterimages blurred around him. "Is this humble elven warrior giving you a hard time?!"

"I’m not even sweating!"

"Are you sure about that?"

She appeared right in front of him for a split second to drive a devastating knee toward his chest.

Vincent crossed his arms, absorbing the knee strike, but the impact launched him backward across the yard. He skipped across the grass, catching his footing and panting slightly as the leaves settled around him.

Roxa stood a few feet away, her chest heaving and sweat glistening on her forehead and neck.

"Yield, Vincent." Roxa smirked, raising one dagger in a playful challenge. "Or do you need to summon those pretty angel wings of yours to handle me?"

Wiping a single line of sweat from his forehead, Vincent looked at her with deep admiration.

Yet, behind his relaxed exterior, his mind was reflecting on the fight.

’No doubt, Roxa is insanely skilled... But... it’s not enough. To find the trigger that’ll help me reach my Celestial Form... I need something wilder. Something terrifying... like Roosevelt.’

Deciding it was time to wrap up the bout before fully exhausted herself, Vincent let out a long, quiet breath and focused.

"That was a fun time," Vincent said, stepping forward. "But I think it’s time to end this."

"Try it!"

BOOM!!!

Roxa vanished again, streaking across the lawn like a meteor for one final, decisive strike.

She leaped into the air, spinning her wind-coated body into a drill-like double dagger thrust aimed directly at his chest.

Not retreating, nor generating a shield, Vincent simply waited for the exact microsecond her blades reached his space.

SWISH!

With god-like precision, he moved his hands upward with lightning speed and caught both of her wrists mid-strike.

Roxa’s eyes widened in shock as her momentum instantly stalled.

Before she could process the counter, Vincent swept his leg between her ankles, tripping her forward, which he then proceeded to throw her over his shoulder and to the ground.

THUD!

She hit the grass hard on her back. Vincent then dropped to one knee beside her, placing his right fist lightly against her collarbone.

"Don’t move. Trust me. You don’t want to feel this one-inch punch."

The backyard fell dead silent as the wind rustled through the trees, scattering loose leaves across the air.

Up on the balcony, Eugene stood frozen for a second before throwing his tiny claws into the air and screaming at the top of his lungs! "GAHAHA! THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT! DRAGON DISCIPLE WINS!"

""VINCENT WON! VINCENT WON!"" Leo and Zally chanted, jumping up and down with pure excitement.

As she stared up at the blue sky, her chest heaved heavily as she caught her breath, processing how fast – and how effortlessly – he had dismantled her final, maximum-effort assault in a single move.

A second later, a genuine and incredibly beautiful laugh escaped her lips.

"Ha..Haha. Ahahaha!" The stern warrior aura vanished from her, replaced by a relaxed, glowing smile.

Vincent offered her a cool grin as he extended his open hand down to her. "That was a good spar if I do say so myself."

Roxa looked at his open hand when her eyes glinted with a sudden, mischievous light.

She reached up, took his hand firmly – and instead of pulling herself up, she yanked him down with all her strength.

"Whoa–!"

In a split second, Roxa rolled over him, straddling his waist on the ground and looking down at him with a triumphant smirk.

"Lesson number one, Vincent..." She leaned down close until her face was inches from his. "Never let your guard down around an elf... even after the battle is over."

Stunned and red in the face from her elven beauty, Vincent stared at her smile for a brief moment before bursting into a laugh that echoed across the sunlit yard.