If I Don't Compromise
Seeing the way they looked he shook his head, "You feel like it is unfair for me to berate you, isn't it?"
They didn't answer.
With a sigh he continued, "I am berating you as your leader. And I will repeat it again, we are aiming to become better knights. We will face more people that we wouldn't get along with. But that doesn't mean we would walk out on them."
He looked at them seriously, "Don't use your emotions too much. In a battle there are times you'll have to kill even those whom you have deemed as friends, in certain circumstances."
They knew what he was referring to.
He was referring about the hero 10 years ago, whom his father and the kind helped in dying with the enemies.
"Now give me a valid reason for you to walk out like that," seeing that understanding of his words finally appeared in their eyes, he asked again.
"I just don't want to start a fight with her so I decided to walk out. Her words are still too unreasonable," Feena spoke on her defense.
"I didn't agree with her either so I followed Feena," Karen followed.
"The same goes with me," Hideyoshi looking away from Raven.
They all defended themselves but Raven's words still hit them pretty hard. It is indeed true, they are doing everything to become knights and it is essential to harden yourself for this.
"Actions not suitable for a knight," the three of them looked at him with shock.
"Did you listen to her reason? You know very well that from the very beginning, she rarely opens her mouth. Unless it was about something she knew could help."
Thinking back it is indeed true.
She says things that others won't understand and finds it infuriating but her next words would always explain it.
"After you guys left we heard her reasons and they were reasonable enough, that your actions are too inappropriate," Mamoru added reprimanding them.
"What are her reasons?" Feena asked as if being reprimanded was too much.
"Ah, so they are here. I have passed the arrangement already."
Before Mamoru could answer Eureka spoke behind them.
"What is your reason?" Feena this time faced and asked Eureka.
Eureka faced Raven and Mamoru before facing the other three.
"Well..."
She then explained what she had just said to Raven and Mamoru.
"Is that even possible?" Hideyoshi asked not knowing whether to laugh or to cry.
"It is."
But instantly closed his mouth when she replied with a serious face.
"How will that happen, you already said so yourself it is a never before seen method," Feena asked, weighing in her mind Eureka's words.
"First why don't you and Hideyoshi stand by the lake facing each other?" Eureka instructed.
The two of them followed her as the other three watched from the sidelines.
"I can guide you for the first two days but you have to remember the feeling of it in order for you to do it on your own," she started instructing them.
"If it is not executed properly you would hurt each other. If executed properly well there would still be pain and it might drain you but not as much as when it fails," she added.
She needs to tell them the pros and con of this move.
She then waited for their reaction whether they would not want it or not.
Weighing their chances, in a battle getting hurt was inevitable, so Feena and Hideyoshi nodded at each other.
Plus, they wanted to get to the top of the squads. This is a good thing to push them ahead.
"Okay, so what are we going to do?" Feena asked with resolution.
"First create a ball of each of your ability. Strengthen it little by little just as I instruct you," Eureka started.
The other two did as they were told.
"A little stronger Hideyoshi. Okay, Feena, lessen it a little."
They kept changing the strength of each of their own ability balls following Eureka's instruction.
"Maintain it. Now send it to each other."
An explosion was what they expected but it was not what came after they have released it.
They can still feel the repulsion from each of their energy but nothing more.
"This is…" Karen took a sharp breath seeing what was happening in front of her.
"Now direct it towards the lake."
Once it was released towards the lake, each of them were utterly shocked.
"Wha-"
"Are you serious?"
"This..."
"That's what we will practice for the next few days. It's a gamble but I suppose I trust that you will be able to do it," Eureka said facing the other two, who are still in the state of shock.
*****
"How did you come up with that?" Raven asked as he and Eureka spar with each other that night.
"Not using any ability, I have to find a way in order to survive in the academy and become a knight. If I don't compromise I won't last long."
"My fighting agility and high sensibility won't be enough if I am to be in one of the squads I have to be someone who is useful in a team battle," she added as she defend from one of his attacks.
"Then why did you put yourself as my partner?" he asked, jumping backward to avoid her side slash.
"This might be the one and only time I'd do something for this group, for you," she said after a sigh.
They allowed her to take an easier path in graduating by inviting her in their team. She wasn't someone who does not repay the kind ness shown to her.
Raven stopped attacking and looked at her confusedly after hearing her words.
"Nothing, I just felt like we have more chances of winning if I tandem with you and let the other two battle in the individual battle. I suppose I should really apologize for not consulting to you at all," she admitted that that was hasty of her.
But she lived her life making decisions for herself, even during battles that she took it as a habit to make decisions on her own without consulting anyone.
"No, I think what you did gave this group a better chance of winning this competition and be chosen by the squads from 1 to 3. Showing something new would give us higher chances of being in squad 2 than just winning," he shook his head brushing off the confusion in her words.
"Not aiming for squad 1?" Eureka asked as she wipes the sweat in her forehead.
"Nope, have you noticed all those who graduated we're on squads 3, 6, 9, and 12. Not even once did a group enter the higher squads upon graduating. So aiming for squad 2 is already high enough," he put back his sword on its sheath.
"I suppose you're right. I'm leaving how about you?" she nodded her head in agreement as she thought back.
"Without any companion, I don't think I'd enjoy that kind of practice."
As they leave the training area.
"By the way, you have to train the other two boys on physical fighting and make them memorize the chants of the four elemental abilities, that would greatly help them in the future battles."
Chants are done by those who have lesser control over their powers. But ince you are able to use it freely then chants are no longer necessary.
Sometimes these chants were only done by students.
Once they enter a squad, the control over their powers were further developed that they no longer need it.
"Hmmmm are they not good enough? As for the memorizing, Hideyoshi would surely have difficulties," he answered thinking about the capabilities of those two.
"No, not at all. They rely too much on their ability. I already told you a while ago the technique we will use would drain them but if they are already out of energy in the first place they won't be able to execute it," she explained.
"And so I'll do my best to train the other two girls as well. I have advised them to memorize the chants already, I just don't know if they have done so already," after some thoughts, she added.
"It seems that you thought about this farther than I have," Raven complimented.
"To be a knight is my goal after all," she replied half heartedly, something Raven didn't notice.
"But what if we didn't invite you and another group would. What will you do then?" he asked out of curiosity.
"That would be another matter, I'll think about that if that happens. But since it didn't, there's no point of using my brain for it. I'll just use it for something more productive at the present time," she shrugged and waved him goodbye after saying so.
"We didn't notice that the two of you have become quite close," from the side, Mamoru spoke.