Ria took a deep breath. She found herself facing the ground on her knees.
Slowly raising her head, a pair of humongous flats came into her view.
She looked up more and saw two gigantic pillars of cotton.
The two pillars moved away from her, one at a time. Ria felt her heartbeat being overshadowed by the silent sound of Hikari's flats touching the ground.
Ria knelt upright and tilted her head back further. From this angle, she could see the full view of Hikari's usual cold expression.
"Are you alright, my lady?"
Ria's heart pounded against her chest at the sound of the giantess voice.
She was unable to move a muscle, or process her thoughts before the overwhelming presence that towered over her.
Thud. Hikari tapped her foot gently, causing Ria to flinch.
"Yes, I'm fine." Ria slowly got up from her kneeling position and dusted herself off, wobbling as she stood.
Hikari walked past her. A white wall of cotton briefly covered the entirety of Ria's view.
Ria's eyes followed as she reached her corner of drill hall where her training gear was.
She unloaded her claymore and leaning it against the wall. Then, she picked up the spare pair of shoes and began burning gratings on the soles with her finger before changing into them.
She put on her arm and knee guards and began her stretching routine. Shoulder stretches, triceps, neck, followed by hamstrings and the calves.
Once the stretching was done, she picked up the claymore, holding it steady with just one hand in an uncomfortable stance for minutes before switching hands.
She began the workout proper, starting with simple vertical strokes. She raised the claymore up with both hands, holding it over her head and swinging it downwards, halting it before the tip touched the ground.
Ria felt a slight gust brushing against her hair from the shockwave of the swing from across the drill hall.
Like clockwork, she repeated the exact same movement several more times.
Ria stood on the other half of the drill hall and watched. It was an incredible sight. From where she was. It felt as though the sheer force behind them could shatter the gates of fortresses.
Then the air changed. Hikari began channeling her mana. It was Hikari's mana form, reinforcing her physical strength even higher. The overwhelming build up of energy pierced Ria's skin.
Horizontal sweeps, the full half crescent, followed by a whirlwind of slashes, using the constant spinning momentum of the blade.
The next stage, a dash from one end, executing a whirling sweep in the middle, followed by a full sweep at the end of the dash followed by a sudden backward dash into a sweep in the other direction, ending with turn sweep, finally landing in the middle.
She paused.
Ria could imagine how an army charging her from all directions would be completely obliterated by that display.
Relaxing her stance, Hikari leaned her sword back in the corner. She stood straight, took several deep breaths to calm her breathing.
Then she bent down and picked up a water tank the circumference of a village well.
Ba dum! Ba dum! Ria's heart pounded against her chest.
As the giantess gulped down its contents, her ruby red eyes turned to Ria.
Ria blanked out for a brief moment as her eyes met the piercing gaze.
Her mind stopped, she felt as though she was completely smothered inside in the damp cotton prison.
When she came to, a pair of pillars of cotton filled her view. She lifted her head up slightly and saw a pair of humongous muscular thighs covered in beads of sweat that were perhaps the size of her eyeballs.
The overbearing stench of the sweat Hikari accumulated over the course of her workout, squishing below her foot in her flats, escaping into the air whenever Hikari scrunches her toes, filling Ria's nostrils.
Ba dum! Ba dum!
"Face to the ground…"
She heard the echo in her head. She blanked out.
When she came to, she found her forehead on the ground again. Her eyes looking into the pristine marbled ground of the RazenHeir drill hall.
"Please stand" Hikari's voice came from above.
After struggling for a full minute, she was able to stand straight.
Hikari's knee socks diagonally to the left and right of her.
She lifted her head up and met Hikari's eyes.
The latter had bent over, allowing Ria to get a full view of her face.
"Huff* Huff*"
Ria dusts herself off. She had yet to drill much and yet her shirt was soaked through until it sticks to her modest body.
She took a deep breath. Gradually, she was able to gain some level of composure in Hikari's presence.
"Ahem.. That was quite an impressive display. That sword of yours must be heavier than a full mounted knight. My heart could barely take merely just watching you swing it like a feather duster."
There was still a slight stutter in her voice, but she was able to put together several sentences.
Hikari tilts her head in confusion. Her face was hovering above Ria in her bent forward position.
"Mmm?"
"That looked like a display of force one might find in the spire colosseum. It's no wonder those cultists were no match for you."
Ria's words picked up pace.
For a brief moment, the corner of Hikari's mouth lifted.
"Your training?"
Ria suddenly remembered that she was supposed to be training.
"Erm! That's- well-. I had originally come to get some training done. You know-. If you hadn't been the one to escort me, I would have certainly been carted off to some freakish ritual."
Hikari squatted down, the air that she displaced pushed Ria down onto the ground, landing on her back.
Her ruby eyes was fixed on Ria, moving very slightly to scan her.
"Would my lady like some instruction?"
Ria's eyes lit up, pleasantly surprised at the suggestion.
"From you? That'll be most welcomed. A knight of your calibre. I only fear I might not be the most competent to receive your teachings."
"It's just some basics."
"That sounds about right for me. What do you have in mind?"
Hikari stops to study her.
"She looks so cute and frail. I could probably carry her in my shoe. But what can I actually teach her? "
Ria got into an upright kneeling position.
"The physical?"
"That's a great idea!"
Ria felt odd at her quick reply. She hates physical exercises with every fiber of her being.
Hikari continued pondering for a bit.
"Crawl"
An outrageous suggestion.
"Umm…! That's Interesting. But isn't that quite., uh… unfitting for a knight. Knights are supposed to stand tall and proud, like you Hikari."
Ria protested.
Hikari responsed with only her piercing glare.
Ria was silent.
Hikari's voice, her imposing stature and her piercing gaze seemed to command a sense of absolute obedience.
She assumed her position on her hands and knees.
"You are quite right. I had been arrogant. I will follow your teachings from now on."
Hikari stood up.
Ria began crawling. It wasn't as strenuous as running or sword drills as she only has to contend with a fraction of her meagre weight.
Meanwhile, Hikari walked alongside her. Pausing after every step until Ria was level with her foot again.
They made it to the end of the drill hall and back. Ria was panting, her arms and legs were already sore from one round.
"How did I do?"
"Too slow."
Hikari allowed her a brief rest.
"Continue."
Hikari's foot swing forward. Ria felt as though she was dragged along towards the shoe.
They reached the starting point again.
"Continue."
And another round, and another.
"Continue."
Ria's arms were feeling soft.
She feels like fainting, but she continued. Hikari's voice echoing in her head.
Then, Ria collapsed flat onto her stomach. As she rested, she felt something press down on her back. A warm energy flowed into her, dissipating the fatigue in her arms and legs.
"Continue."
Ria got back on her hands and knees. As she started crawling, Hikari's massive shoe swung forward.
"Too Slow." Ria scrambled to catch up to the shoe. Then it swung away again, moving way ahead of her.
She worked her tiny arms and legs as fast as she could.
"Faster."
The order came from above, the strides widened as the pauses shortened.
Hikari reached one end of the hall, while Ria was already three steps behind.
Just that short sprint drained her energy again as she limped towards Hikari's shoe.
"Pathetic, I just healed you."
That scolding pierced Ria's heart like a spear. She had never been so brutally humiliated before. She looked up at Hikari's displeased face, her piercing glare thrusting another spear into her heart.
But it felt good. Really good, arousing even.
"I'm sorry Hikari! I'll do better!" She tucked her arm in and bowed her head.
"Tsk, Tsk, looks like my lady need more training. "
"Yes, Hikari!"
"How does my lady expect to survive out there if my lady can't even keep up with my feet?"
"I'll try harder! I'll give it everything!"
"Move"
Hikari's shoe flew right over her, landing with a loud thud. It was markedly different from her usual foot steps where she took care to conceal her sound.
Each time she steps, Ria could feel the vibrations in the ground.
"Move"
Ria scrambled after Hikari's feet.
But she plowed forward, in spite of the aching in her arms which was turning into numbness nor the nauseating stench of foot odor emanating from the gigantic pair of flats she was chasing.
"Move"
Hikari's voice echoed in her mind. Ria could no longer feel her arms. But she continued crawling.
At last, Hikari turned around, allowing her to reach her feet and collapse from exhaustion.
"That is all."
—- Ria —--
Physique : 6 -> 6.5