Lin Shuang stared at the long sword beside her, blinking slowly, almost obediently.
She raised her hand and gently pushed the sword aside.
"Well... you see, we don't really have a proper place for this. How about we save it for next time?"
Lin Shuang was now quite sure that, despite Acheron calling it a "practical exercise," there was more to her intentions than she let on.
This person was not being straightforward.
What was said and what was meant were often different, especially now.
Lin Shuang couldn't shake the feeling that Acheron might suddenly pull out her sword and strike her.
But she knew that no matter how hard she resisted, it would only excite Acheron further.
"It's better to do it now than wait. In a place like Penacony, the stronger you are, the better. Let's go."
Acheron let go of Lin Shuang and pulled her up with a piercing gaze from her bright red eyes.
Her silence was enough to convey her meaning.
"…"
"…"
"Fine, fine, just practice. Stop staring at me like that."
Lin Shuang pushed Acheron's shoulder and shoved her into the portal.
…
They arrived back on the desolate planet where they had first met.
However, Lin Shuang didn't feel any joy in returning to the old place.
As soon as they landed, Acheron's scabbard came crashing down on Lin Shuang's head with a sharp whistle.
Boom—!!!
Lin Shuang barely managed to summon her greatsword in time, raising it to block, but the force sent her flying, crashing through several ruined buildings.
"Ouch... are you serious? Hiss..."
Through the smoke and dust, Lin Shuang struggled to push herself up.
Before she could gauge Acheron's next move, suddenly—
Clang——
A sharp, crisp sword sound rang out, and Lin Shuang felt as if the entire world turned black and white.
Time seemed to freeze, leaving only a blood-red flash rushing toward her with overwhelming force from the Nihility!
"——?!!"
Holy crap, is this for real?!
The blood-red sword light was so fast, Lin Shuang barely had time to react.
All she could do was unleash the illusory power from the full bottle she held.
Violent flames erupted from her body.
Sensing the threat from the Nihility, her Herrscher's Core began to beat wildly.
The flames, charged with destructive force, flared out in a steady stream.
Lin Shuang concentrated the flames onto the greatsword. The surrounding space warped under the intensity of the heat.
The music in the greatsword grew faint from the pressure.
"Hyap--!"
Lin Shuang yelled, raising the sword with both hands and delivering a powerful horizontal slash. A whistling flame slashed through the blood-red blade light with fierce force!
Clang——!!
The overwhelming force, coupled with the Nihility's erosion, spread from the greatsword, but the resistance from Destruction and Permanence held strong.
Lin Shuang was pushed back, the ground beneath her cracking and breaking as she retreated.
Until finally...
The blood-red blade light shattered into two, splitting apart at Lin Shuang's position.
The shockwave left deep scars on the ground, stretching for kilometers.
Lin Shuang gasped, glancing back. Thankfully, Acheron had been holding back her strength.
She could barely feel any residual Nihility energy in the massive sword mark.
At that moment, Acheron appeared beside Lin Shuang, her unsheathed sword gleaming under the dim light.
She looked like a white-haired devil, an embodiment of death itself.
This was the first time Lin Shuang had faced Acheron like this, and a chill ran through her.
But realizing Acheron was holding back, Lin Shuang's hesitation faded. She picked up her sword and, with a loud burst of music, charged at Acheron!
Acheron watched the flames rise and nodded with satisfaction, offering no words.
Her approach was a form of tough love.
She was pleased with Lin Shuang's progress.
Despite her usual banter, when it came to action, Acheron never hesitated or avoided responsibility.
It was for this reason that Acheron was eager to teach Lin Shuang her techniques, pushing Lin Shuang's swordsmanship to new heights.
…
Time passed.
The battle between Lin Shuang and Acheron was nothing short of earth-shattering.
Fortunately, there was nothing of value in this forsaken place, so the two didn't mind the damage to the surroundings.
In the nearly destroyed ruins, Lin Shuang, panting, slumped into Acheron's arms, no longer concerned with appearances.
The greatsword had been discarded, forgotten in the wreckage.
Acheron had already sheathed her sword, and it had returned to its usual blue hue.
"Hiss... Mei, I knew you were being cruel on purpose."
Lin Shuang rested her head against Acheron's soft side, lifting it to complain.
Acheron removed her gloves and ran a hand through Lin Shuang's white hair.
"This is to test your progress. Haven't you been slacking off lately?"
Acheron knew well that Lin Shuang had been distracted by other matters.
Compared to before, Lin Shuang spent far less time on her sword training.
But Acheron had noticed it without comment, not wanting to disrupt Lin Shuang's focus.
Still, Lin Shuang didn't buy it.
She pouted, mumbling, "I don't believe it. You're just getting back at me. How could you cut off my inspection assignment from the start?"
Acheron smiled but said nothing. The two matters weren't mutually exclusive.
There were things Acheron couldn't explain, things she hadn't experienced in a long time. So, she often chose to let her actions speak instead.
When Lin Shuang pushed her too far, Acheron would naturally express her dissatisfaction.
It wasn't that she hated it, but when Lin Shuang teased her, she wouldn't hesitate to pick up her sword and give her a few taps.
However, Acheron's smile made Lin Shuang's eyes widen.
"...Did you just agree?!"
"No, I didn't."
"Of course you did! You were laughing the whole time."
Hearing Lin Shuang's accusation, Acheron took out her phone and started typing.
Then, Lin Shuang's phone rang.
She checked it and saw it was a message from Acheron:
[Acheron: [Acheron cries]]
"…"
[Lin Shuang: What's this about?]
[Acheron: Didn't you say I was always laughing?]
[Lin Shuang: ...]
"Did I mean for you to send an emoji?"
Lin Shuang's question went unanswered. Instead, Acheron changed the subject.
"Alright, it's almost time to head back. After a short rest, take a shower and get some sleep."
--+--
T/N: Enjoy your 5 chaps for the day.