Chương 1719: [1616] – Y07.116 – Hearts of Fire VI

Under the purple sky, the cups of wine passed from hand to hand, the warm breeze carrying a promise, and the gentle music was accompanied by the greatest music of all.

"You are so cool, nano! So cool!" the children all beamed at their greatmother, the woman pausing a moment as they threatened to swarm her, and inhaled, flexing her muscles, and with a breath, the colour returned to her skin, her breath no longer so laboured.

"I am glad you enjoyed the fight," Murlot said, her lips forming the most gentle of smiles, reaching down to accept their affection, the children squealing excitedly.

"Nano! Nano! I can kick like that too!" Jirot with childish glee jumped up stiltedly and kicked the air after she landed, and within her mind she executed her greatmother's spinning back kick with utter perfection, though she hadn't even spun.

"Of course," Mulrot stated, allowing the children to whisper the words, and continued, "for you are my greatdaughter, and my brother has taught you so well."

"Babo can do it too?"

"It is the way of the Fev family, so he can do so."

"Whoa! Babo, you are so cool too!" Jirot declared, holding up a thumbs up towards her greatuncle. Malfev smiled and made to respond, but was the girl so merciful?

"Not as cool as nano, but you are so cool too!" Malfev blinked.

"I want to learn to fly like nano," Kirot said, staring up towards the old woman, who brushed the girl's hair gently, causing her tail to sway.

"You will learn to fly so naturally, and you will gain a greater flight, for you are your father's daughter," Mulrot informed, considering how their father's flight was far truer than her leaps.

"Nano, I want to learn from you too," Karot said, his eyes peering up towards his greatmother, who hugged him tight.

"Should I steal you away from my brother?" Karot blinked. He smiled. Mulrot smiled in return, for he was his sister's brother, and the two hugged tighter, Karot's tail swaying gently behind him.

"Grandmother, did you really have to disrespect her like that?" Adam asked, his lips awkwardly forming a mixture between apprehension and a smile.

"Did I disrespect her?" Mulrot asked.

"I mean, you kno-, Jirot, you need to let daddy speak so he can explain himself, and you should be hugging your greatmother for her amazing fight before you tell daddy off!" Adam stated firmly, causing the girl to form a tiny circle with her mouth, having been caught, and she rushed up to her greatmother, hugging the woman, turning back to face her father with bewilderment.

"I meant what you did right at the end."

"If she did not wish for me to strike her so, she should have not left her back open," Mulrot replied simply as she pinched Jirot's nose. Adam blinked.

"Did you always banter like this?"

"Did you think I seduced this fool through meekness?" Mulrot asked, jabbing her husband, flooding him with her ki, though the old man fought it off. She hadn't wielded the technique against the half dragon, so shouldn't she be able to at least dance so in the battle?

"I had no idea you were this cool," Adam admitted, flushing slightly, realising he hadn't given his grandmother much of his attention.

"I had to show off, just a little bit, to my grandchildren and greatchildren." Mulrot peeked aside to little Lanarot, whose brows remained furrowed, and then to Nirot, who also furrowed her brows in a similar manner, neither of them realising their grandmother was so skilled. They knew she had surpassed the realm of a Master, and though she had stepped into the realm of a Grandmaster recently, after her business within another Realm, had they ever seen her fight?

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Even Nirot, as a small girl, had only seen the woman reveal some of the Fev family techniques, though she had been enamoured by her mother's techniques, and so Mulrot only taught her how to step lightly, something which the Rot family was well versed in too, though not quite to the extent of a Fev or Ool.

"I would like to fight too," a figure said, stepping forward, a young Iyrman, whose tattoos were so, to the point that even though the half dragons seemed displeased by his youth, after seeing his tattoos, they did not seem entirely opposed.

"Are you one of Hadi's descendants?"

"I am Tanagek," the boy confirmed, and with that, he drew his blade. It was a beautiful blade, formed of silversteel, and all could see the guard was formed in the shape of the sun, and upon the pommel, an etching of a rose.

"I will face you," the youngest said, drawing her greatspear, and she spun it over her head, pointing the spear point towards Tanagek.

"I will show you mercy, young man, for I am a Master."

"I, too, am a Master." The woman blinked, and with that she widened her stance, gripping her spear tighter.

"I thought you were but an Expert. My apologies."

"I hope I do not shame myself," Tanagek said in return, and with his shield ahead of him, he waited, staring at the woman. The two glared between one another until the tension burst through the air, and their steel sung.

"Oh ho! You are a Master indeed!" the woman said, leaping away from his terrible blows, wincing, Tanagek having claimed victory with the first clash.

'His magical blade strikes so heavily!' As they clashed once more, their magical weapons, one of silversteel, the other of dragonglass, screamed in the air in a wicked haze of bloodthirst, Tanagek stepped back, finding himself at the mercy at the tip of her spear. However, as he thought of wielding his family's techniques, he decided against it.

He stepped forward, prepared to face his defeat, for his heart yearned for a true bout, and though the woman held back, she hadn't held back as much as he, and in that, he could find solace in defeat.

Even so, he burst forward, forcing the woman back, who inhaled deeply, barely able to keep his sword from claiming her head, until, finally, as his sword slipped through the air, threatening to take an eye, her spear slipped through the tiniest gap in his armour, and pressed against his neck, her heart pounding violently.

"I hadn't expected you to be so skilled," the half dragon admitted.

"I wish to thank you for holding back," Tanagek said, unstrapping his shield.

"Can I say I held back when you did not display your family's techniques?"

"I apologise, but my blade is greater than yours, so I could not wield my family's techniques so freely," Tanagek returned.

"Is your blade so grand?" the half dragon asked, and the young Iyrman offered the blade to her, allowing her to hold and admire it. She had already thought it was a beautiful blade, and at the end of its tip, she felt how vicious it was, but as she swung it once, she fell into a great silence.

The air was so full of magic, she hadn't gathered its scent, but now that she held it, and her heart had calmed from the bout, she could feel the greatness of its magic within her hand, sending such deep shocks into her, deep into her core. Except… What was that?

"Is it… Greater Enhanced?"

"It is." The half dragon raised her brows in surprise, still holding the weapon tightly in hand. She raised the sword, swinging it once, and with that, she understood. Even the spear, granted to her by her grandfather, a Greater Enhanced longspear, was not as great as this blade. In fact, even the Legendary Enhanced weapons belonging to her elder siblings were not as good, in her estimations.

"What is its name?"

"Heart of the Silver Son."

"A good name," the woman said, and she bowed her head, returning the sword.

"If you had used your family's techniques, it would have been my loss."

"The spearplay of the Ash family was a delight to behold," Tanagek returned, for he agreed, but then, if they both wielded a typical weapon, who would have won?

"That spearplay, I wish to see it too!" the Iyrman snarled, leaping onto his feet, and he raised his blade, which was similar to the blade Tanagek wielded, though the blade was a touch thinner, a touch longer, a touch prettier, but that was to be expected.

"My sword is even greater, for-," Tanagek held Chosen's eyes, with a look full of disappointment.

"No," Chosen said, realising his mistake.

"It is equally as great, for the blade was designed by our dear nephew."

"You must be a Sen, then," one of the half dragon's said, slightly older than the previous half dragon who had faced Tanagek.

"I am Ch-,""No, no," the woman said, holding up her spear high.

"You have yet to earn the right of speaking your name. If you are able to warm me up, I will allow you to state your name proudly before I beat you down." Chosen smiled, and with that, he raised his shield and sword high.

"Karot! Do not look away! I will claim victory, for I am your favourite papo."

"Jurot is his favourite," Tanagek stated. Chosen held the woman's eyes with an annoyed glare. He was annoyed because Tanagek had put him in his place twice. He could not allow himself to lose.