Family by Blood

Chapter11:Out of Touch

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Ranboo

Ever since Technoblade had left the manor, it felt like it was being held together by a wire that could snap at any moment. Ranboo felt like he was only an observer, watching it all crumble to pieces.

"Thank you, Ranboo," Wilbur said as he accepted the lighter that he requested Ranboo get for him.

"Of course." Wilbur pulled out a sort of little stick from his pocket and lit the end. "What is that?" Ranboo asked out of curiosity, the stick did not smell great.

"Don't worry about it." Wilbur told him as he stuck it between his teeth. Ranboo watched as he blew a puff of smoke in the air.

"Okay." Ranboo said. Though something told him not to listen he did as he was told and promptly forgot about it. Ranboo ran up to his bedroom and fished out his new helmet and sword out of his chest. He strapped the shimmering purple armor to his body and teleported to the front ground of the manor that was now occupying combat practice.

"Third, fourth, fifth, Nikki, you want to focus on your push pull motion." Punz lifted her blade higher to a proper upward block.

Ranboo tried to step in line with the others without anyone noticing but it didn't help when there were only a few people outside in the first place.

"Ranboo, what did I say about being late?" Punz reprimanded. "Even Tommy was on time."

"Hey, that's one time." Tommy complained. "Phil wouldn't let me go without eating breakfast first."

Punz rolled his eyes. "That counts like a problem. None of you are talented enough to get away with this crap, so get in line."

"Sorry." Ranboo apologized and stood ready in first position.

"Crap." The handle to Tommy's wooden sword fell off again. Sam was sending them the armor as it got done and only about half of them had armor. They could have given Tommy one of the spare swords even if it would not be balanced properly. The reason he had a wooden one was the last time they gave him a real sword, Fundy got stabbed by accident.

Punz tossed him another sword they had on hand. "Now that we are all here, I am going to carry on and teach you a disarming technique. Nikki, I want you in the upper block position I showed you."

She came forward and held the position so Punz could slowly slide his sword forward so they were locked together by the cross guard of the sword. "Then grab the blade about a hand or two away from the tip." He closed his gloved hand around the sword and with these two grips, pushed downwards. "Now your opponent has two options, expose themselves in an effort to keep hold of their blade, or drop their blade."

Surprisingly, Punz could be a really good teacher as long as Tommy didn't interrupt too many times.

Punz demonstrated the move in one fluid moment that the group asked to see a few more times.

"Now break up into partners and spar, try to get that move in naturally as you fight. Try not to rip each other's arms out of the socket though." Punz said in a way that suggested he didn't care either way.

Ranboo moved to partner with Nikki as he usually did but found Fundy had made his way to his side. "Will you partner with me?" He asked.

"Sure." Ranboo agreed easily. Raising his blade, he let Fundy make the first move and quickly blocked it. Fundy was not as graceful and smooth as Nikki was, his moves were jerky but more powerful if not predictable. Fundy made an upward cross and Ranboo took a step back to block it.

"So how's guarding the prisoner going?" Fundy asked between breaths.

"It's going." Ranboo used his height advantage to push down. "It kinda sucks but it's fine."