Honkai Impact 3rd: Don't Die For Me/ Book 1: Promise

Chapter 14 Pride

<Fienre Family Courtyard>

Fred Kaslana really wanted Will to be wrong about the seventh. He really wanted an amiable chat with a misunderstood maiden. But the Lance was not misunderstood at all, Will's interpretation of Adrienne Fienre was spot on. Upon introducing himself as a Kaslana, Adrienne immediately requested a duel and brought him to the back courtyard of the Fienre Family estate. Their estate was rather old but there were signs of renovation and new life. It was not overly lavish and a bit humble compared to the Kaslana family estate he grew up in.

Fred was not one for lavish gatherings or parties, he preferred a quiet lifestyle. His best friend Will was always the one dragging him to places where he had to interact socially. Fred wasn't particularly bad at interacting with people, it just wasn't his cup of tea. Though he did have a knack for falling in love easily with women. His confessions were modest and forthright but due to his own deficiencies, the ladies labeled him as a playboy. It didn't help that he was a Kaslana and his family name was rather overbearing in many situations. Will of course had the same issue with his family name but his cheerful nature and ease when speaking with people earned him a place in the hearts of many girls. Though he didn't fool around with any of them, in fact, he became a priest to escape from the troubles of having an entire fanbase within the noble faction. Will swore off love, as to why, well only he knows.

As Fred walked to a position opposite of Adrienne, Adrienne readied her lance. Her injuries from the bridge had long healed but the wounds to her pride were still lasting. She felt the urge to improve like never before but with Holy Maiden escaping from Europe she struggled to find an opponent stronger than her to improve her own skills. She placed her hope on Fred, cousin of Kallen and a carrier of the Kaslana blood and stigmata.

"Ready when you are." Fred announced as he drew his rapier and took a fencing position. Will was watching with amusement as his friend seemed to become a little more serious than his normal self. Adrienne nodded that she too was ready and Will let them at it. "Start."

Adrienne immediately went on the offensive, charging forward with all her might. She was testing the man in front of her. The base of all fencing was in the footwork. It was a sword skill that boasted a tremendous amount of precision and accuracy. The minimal movement focus in fencing was what appealed to Fred's personality along with a minimal effort to achieve the best results. Needless to say, Andrienne knew about the strengths and weaknesses of fencing, she had after all tried to master her family's prided sword skill at an early age. Fencing was ineffective when it came to head-on collisions of tremendous power; a side step was often employed to dodge powerful attacks. That's why when Fred parried her charging spear she reacted in shock and surprise. Fred immediately capitalized on this moment and closed the distance. He unleashed a flurry of slashes and stabs trying to end the duel as fast as he could. A thrust, a slash, two slashes, parry, riposte, Adrienne was pushed back not from his strength but his skill. As soon as Adrienne realized Fred's physical strength was weaker than hers, she immediately started to counter Fred's hits with unyielding strength. Blow by blow Fred's arms soon felt numb from the shock of colliding with an unstoppable force. A few more parries and exchanges forced Fred to retreat, sidestepping here and there while keeping his steady footwork. Parry! Riposte! Sidestep! Lunge! Sidestep! Sidestep! Retreat! The rhythm within Fred's mind remained steady and calm despite the ferocity of Adrienne's attacks.

'She's a monster.' He thought with a cool head. Though Fred didn't really care for his duty as a Kaslana, he still was a Kaslana. He had been given the best training possible to fight Honkai beasts and had been born with the famous stigmata of the Kaslana family. After dedicating so many years of his childhood to his abilities Fred had developed his own sense of pride in his skills, not his family. Skills that were being stomped by brute strength alone. 'She's improving too. Just my luck.'