Blooming Vendetta

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One month later

The sounds of metal clashing resonates through the halls of the Vollino household. The sounds would ring loudly, as LaRissa dueled against a male with long black hair, sharp amethyst eyes, and a frame that looked sculpted like a Greek statue.

His strikes were powerful, precise, and always seemed calculated. As if he was studying his opponent at every move. His blade was curved, and almost looked like a long dagger rather than a sword, as even its hilt had a curved grip to it. Despite doing all she can to keep up, LaRissa couldn't handle the relentless pressure of his swordplay.

Just as they were about to clash once more, the male suddenly changes his grip into an underhand grip, dexterously working his fingers around the hilt of his sword. He would then push her away, pivots, and switches grips again, swinging upward in a crescent motion. LaRissa knew this technique. It was the very same that her mother had taught her all those years ago.

Unable to get a good grasp of her weapon after his parry, she made an attempt to block, only for her weapon to be knocked out of her hands as soon as the blades made contact. The metal clash rings loudly, as LaRissa's sword stabs itself into the wall behind her. With his opponent now unarmed, the black haired male puts his sword away fluidly. "Thank you for this opportunity." He would say with a bow.

LaRissa would fall to her knees, both exhausted and ashamed. How? How could she have been bested? By her own technique, at that?! She looks up at the man and glares at him. "Just...who are you...?!" She asked.

"I'm just a wandering swordsman, aiming to learn all sorts of techniques. That is all." He answered simply, turning his back to her.

"A wanderer...?! Don't make me laugh! That underhand swing you just used...! That was taught to me by my mother!" She shouts, clearly enraged.

The man looks back at her, seeming interested. "Is that so...? No wonder why your style looked to familiar to me. Though there were a few differences, now that I think about it. For starters, your form was much too...how to say this...? Basic? Yes, that's the word." He says.

"You dare insult my mother's swordsmanship?!" She shouts, getting back to her feet to try and attack him with her bare hands. Just before she could make contact with him, however, another man gets between them, as this male dark elf held their sword up to her neck.

"No, I would never say that about your mother's swordplay. I'm saying that about yours. From the way I see it, your style is merely a cheap imitation of what she could perform." He clarified his point, making LaRissa's eyes widen in shock.

"Hey lady, don't get all mad about it." Another male says, this time it was an oni with soft red hair. "I couldn't beat him when he challenged me." The oni says. "So here I am, sticking around and trying to get him back."

"I couldn't agree with you more on that one, oni." The elf says, putting his jagged sword into its sheathe (somehow).

"Heh. Guess we have that in common." Said the oni. "What's your story?" He would turn his head to the blue haired scientist woman in the room with them.

"Me? I'm just here to study him." She replies. "Swordplay isn't my thing. But when he came into my lab and struck down all my proto monsters so effortlessly, I knew there was something about him that needed to be explained." She says.

"Huh. Can't say I understand anything you said, but I can guess he caught your interest too?" The elf grins.

"That's one way of putting it." The woman nods. "I've already got all the research notes recorded for this fight..." She starts to murmur to herself as she turns her attention back to his tablet screen.

As LaRissa stood by and listened to their banter, she starts to relax, and grabs her sword from the wall. "Very well then... If this is what fate wishes...then I will follow you as well." She says. "Perhaps watching you will help me find my own "style"."

"Hm?" This confused the black haired man, but he would smile nonetheless. "Very well. You're more than welcome to tag along, LaRissa Vollino."

"Before we depart, there are some arrangements I must make. And also...I wish to know your name. If we are to be traveling together, I must know the names of my comrades." She says.

The man turns his whole body around now, making eye contact immediately and extending his hand to the moth woman. "Shannan." He says simply.

Hesitantly, LaRissa reaches out and shakes his hand, nodding. "Lord Shannan, then... Thank you for having me be under your tutelage."