CHAPTER 52: But Harder On Yourself

She was a monster indeed.

'But it really still feels like it was lacking,' Black Tortoise commented.

The same goes for Basilisk and Roc.

'With her capability, the eight years should have given her strength that could be on par with at least three captains, when she don't use her power. And she could have landed more solid attacks.'

The three looked at one another, their beasts have said the same thing.

"It could be the effect of losing an inborn beast. Your strength would be greatly reduced," Nixon commented.

The other two nodded their heads.

The beasts didn't know if this was the truth for they have not yet died in any way.

It was always their host who will die first before them and they will just have to wait for the next host.

If ever it would be Vermilion Bird who experienced it first.

But how can they ask him when they didn't even know if he will be reincarnated or not?

That's when they heard laughs coming from where Saphira was having her battle.

She was now on her knee and was obviously out of strength.

"So what now? You were so sure in asking us for a spar yet look at you now, out of breath. Just go back to your parents princess. You really might not suited for this," one insulted.

But the first three whom she battled were not thinking of the same thing.

"She had battled six captains, three at once each time. And you laugh at her? Aren't you the laughable ones?"

The voice was commanding and when everyone looked towards who spoke, it was the general of the East Order, Hedley Camden.

His orange eyes made them bow down in submission due to the authority it exudes.

"We greet general Camden."

Saphira stood up and salute at him as well.

"What do you think?" Hedley looked towards the first three whom she battled.

"Are you going to insult her with your current condition?" he asked again.

They were obviously tired, just as tired as she was.

But the difference was truly great.

Saphira had battled six captains while they battled one third of a person.

Who would be proud of such?

Only the second three who thinks so highly of themselves.

They who didn't bother thinking before throwing their insults.

It was obvious that they just wanted to insult her.

"We apologize for our incompetence," they said at the same time.

Because of this the second three were even more ashamed at the way they spoke because they were so sure when in reality they were defeated by her in a different sense.

"I say, you are quite something. Hard on your squad but harder on yourself," Hedley looked at Saphira and spoke.

"If we really want to become stronger then our only choice is to keep on challenging ourselves," she replied with respect.

Hedley nodded his head, "How about training with this?"

He asked opening his palm and creating a fire.

He was speaking of her ability.

"I am far weaker than back then sir."

She understood he was referring to them sparring with their abilities.

This was another fact that made the six captains lose their face. She was not using her ability while they were using theirs.

"Are you now?" Hedley was testing the water but she admitted it readily.

"My beast died, I couldn't do anything about that."

Her answer resounded in everyone's hearts because she never spoke of it before.

Or did they hear others talk about it.

After what happened, everything was all about her sister being a traitor.

The other happenings were neglected.

Now that the person involved spoke of it with great sadness, they couldn't help but to look away.

"That's right everyone was talking about you being part of your sister's plan. But it seems they all forgot you were the most injured and even lost her beast," Hedley commented glaring at everyone.

He stayed away from her after what happened not because he thinks that she was also a traitor.

But the Fiamma Dukedom were completely condemned.

He weren't friends with them and so he didn't want to get involved.

All he wants was to protect the Empire and the people within it.

But since she had shown her strength the day before.

He knew despite everything she was still that hardworking young child he trained back then.

And hearing her words now, he couldn't help but to point out one thing that everyone was not speaking of.

"Is it possible that you-" he started.

"Sir, we can still train I think. I may be weaker but I didn't neglect my ability training," Saphira interrupted.

She has no desire to speak of such things in the presence of people who will only listen to the bad things and not the story as a whole.

And she was no longer close with Hedley for them to speak as if they were old friends.

Though he was double her age.

Hedley's eyes shifted, he was the one who stepped away from her back then. What right does he have to show concern now?

"Are you no longer tired?" he askeed instead.

"My physical body still has great regeneration, I can fight with that much of rest."

Hedley laughed, "Let's go then."

The moment the last word escaped his lips, a fire whip came from Saphira's left side.

She back flipped three times before jumping up and throwing fireballs towards Hedley who attacked her with the whip.

The fireballs were easily shielded by his fire before he attacked her the same way.

Throwing fireballs towards her.

Saphira knew she couldn't shield against this that she instead used her own fireballs to explode the incoming attacks.

After getting down, she rolled to the side to evade the fire burst on the ground that Hedley created just as her feet landed.

There was no time for her to breath as she run around the place when more fireballs were thrown at her.