In the afternoon, as the sun began to dip westward and bathed the courtyard in orange light, the second session began. This was the session Calian anticipated the most, yet was also the most wary of: Sparring.
Calian held a wooden sword modified with weights, while Wolvin stood casually ten meters in front of him, holding only a tree branch instead of a sword.
"Attack me with the intent to kill, Calian. Don't hesitate," Wolvin challenged.
Calian didn't need to be told twice. He focused his concentration. Between physical training, he also trained his Time Loop for combat.
Calian darted forward.
Stati—
He wants froze the air around Wolvin's feet to lock him in place. However, just before the spell fully activated, Wolvin was no longer there.
Woosh.
Wind rustled beside Calian's ear.
Calian's eyes widened. He didn't see it. He didn't see Wolvin move. The Beastfolk seemed to vanish from point A and appear at point B without crossing the space in between.
"Too slow, partner." a voice whispered behind Calian.
A light tap from the tree branch landed on the back of Calian's neck.
Calian dropped his sword, his breathing ragged not from fatigue, but from shock. This had happened countless times. Wolvin's speed didn't make sense. Calian had seen elite knights train, but their movements could still be followed by the eye. Wolvin's movements were different and almost invisible to the naked eye.
Calian turned around, staring at Wolvin who was stretching casually. Wolvin's clean, flawless face looked calm, as if he had just taken a stroll in the park, not moved at supersonic speed.
"Wolvin..." called Calian, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.
"Hmm?" Wolvin turned.
"Why can you move so fast?" asked Calian seriously. He stepped closer. "Even though I don't know the technical details, I can see clearly that your movement is unusual. There's no muscle buildup, no hard impact on the ground. You move like a ghost. What ability do you actually possess?"
Wolvin froze for a moment. His stretching stopped. He slowly lowered his hands, then looked away, avoiding Calian's inquisitive gaze.
Silence fell...
In Wolvin's heart, fear began to creep in. I want to say it. He has the right to know. But... if he knows, I'm afraid he'll be wary of me. I'm afraid he'll see me as a killer monster, not as a friend.
"Why are you silent?" urged Calian, seeing the hesitation on his partner's face. "Just say it! I already told you about my time blessing! We agreed there are no secrets in this pavilion. Now it's your turn to be honest!"
Wolvin looked at Calian's face. He searched for signs of rejection, but all he found was pure curiosity. Wolvin's feelings were unsettled. But he knew he couldn't hide it forever.
Inevitably, he sighed in resignation.
"The B-Blessing I received..." Wolvin began, his voice hoarse and hesitant, contrasting with his usually confident cute face. "...is T-T-True Assassin."
Wolvin closed his eyes for a moment after saying it, bracing himself to hear Calian step back. True Assassin. The Blessing of the True Killer. The class most feared, hated, and considered a disaster.
"Amazing!"
The exclamation exploded in the air, making Wolvin open his eyes with a start.
Instead of being wary or afraid, Calian was grinning broadly at him. His purple eyes sparkled with admiration, like a child who just met a storybook hero.
"I didn't save and choose you for nothing!" Calian exclaimed enthusiastically, stepping closer to Wolvin. "Your Blessing is the best! The class rumored to be the strongest assassin in history! A Blessing rarely possessed by anyone, perhaps not appearing even once in a century! No wonder you can move without air friction!"
Wolvin, still looking down, now widened his eyes, then looked at Calian's face in disbelief.
"A-Are you not going to be wary of me?" asked Wolvin to confirm, his voice trembling slightly. "Calian, listen... this is a killer's blessing. People say I'm dangerous. I could kill you without you realizing it."
Calian chuckled, shaking his head.
"For what?" asked Calian, relaxed yet firm. "I already chose you, Wolvin! And you wouldn't be able to move if caught in my [Time Loop] anyway. And most importantly, we have both shared our biggest secrets. I am the time controller considered a godly and forbidden power, you are the feared true assassin. We are the same. Why should I be wary of you?"
Calian slowly walked closer, then leaned his face in until they were only a hand span apart. He stared straight into Wolvin's golden eyes.
"You are the best partner and the person I have chosen! Our abilities complement each other perfectly!" said Calian full of spirit. "When you are tired of slashing enemies, I will carry you away by stopping time. When I am tired of thinking, you will protect me with your speed! Aren't you and I inseparable, Wolvin?"
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
Calian's voice thundered, not in the backyard, but in Wolvin's heart and mind.
The phrases "inseparable", "best partner" and "the person I have chosen", smashed through Wolvin's emotional defense walls until they shattered into pieces. All his life, he was only considered a weapon. Only now was he considered a whole part.
Wolvin's face, which was naturally smooth, clean, and had cute features behind his fierceness, suddenly turned bright red. The blush spread quickly from his cheeks to the tips of his black ears.
He became incredibly awkward in front of Calian.
And unable to be controlled by his Blessing, his bushy black tail behind him began to react honestly. The tail wagged vigorously left and right, sweeping the grass enthusiastically, creating a woosh woosh woosh sound that broke the silence.
Calian, who was a genius in magic but very blunt and insensitive about the emotions of living beings, frowned seeing Wolvin's bright red face and held breath.
"Why is your face red like that?" asked Calian worriedly. He even placed the back of his hand on Wolvin's smooth forehead. "Your temperature rose drastically. Do you have a fever? Does using True Assassin burden your brain?"
Calian's cold touch and innocent question were the last straw. Wolvin's embarrassment exploded.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!"
Wolvin reacted in panic. He pushed Calian's chest with slightly excessive force until Calian fell sitting onto the thick grass.
"S-Shut up!" snapped Wolvin, covering his forehead with both hands. Although his mouth snapped, his tail behind him was still wagging fast, betraying his feelings. "Who has a fever?! I am an elite warrior! If I'm sick, you just have to return my physical condition to prime again, stupid partner!"
Calian blinked, digesting the logic while rubbing his butt. "Ah... you're right too! I almost forgot about that. Simple solution."
Hearing Calian's flat, simple response without a shred of sensitivity made Wolvin even more annoyed and half-dead with embarrassment.
"That's not what I meant, idiot!" shouted Wolvin in frustration, his voice almost cracking.
"Then, what do you want?" asked Calian confusedly.
Wolvin couldn't take it anymore. He had to leave before he did something even more embarrassing.
"Forget it! You genius humans are annoying!" complained Wolvin annoyed.
He turned around with a dramatic movement. "I want to bathe! My body is sticky! Don't follow me!"
Wolvin walked fast, half-running, leaving Calian, hiding his still bright red face, while Calian just sat on the grass, tilting his head in confusion watching the beastfolk's back slowly entering the pavilion.
"What a weird beastfolk!" mumbled Calian. "He's angry, but his tail is wagging here and there. According to the book, if the tail moves like that, he is feeling happy. But, instead of happy, he is angry at me. Is the attitude of beastfolk different from what is in the book?"
Calian shrugged, then followed Wolvin and walked into the pavilion.