Chương 7: Master the art of defense

Mochi slowly pushed open the training room door. The large room was filled with wooden dummies, cracked practice targets, and training equipment gathered over decades. At the center of the room stood Amelia. Sweat dripped from her forehead as she repeatedly cast barrier after barrier.

"Magic Skill: Cracker Wall!" A wall erupted from the floor.

"Again!" Another wall.

"And again!" Another. The previous barriers shattered into crumbs as she continued training relentlessly. Mochi couldn't help but smile. Even after everything... She never gave up. Amelia noticed movement near the door and turned around.

"Oh." Her expression immediately flattened.

"It's you." Mochi rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"Hi." Amelia crossed her arms.

"I thought you went home." Mochi shook his head.

"No, I can't do that..." The room became quiet. Amelia waited. Mochi took a deep breath.

"I came here to apologize." That got her attention. Mochi looked down.

"I was wrong." Amelia remained silent.

"I was scared." His fists tightened.

"And instead of facing that fear, I tried to run." Amelia's expression softened slightly. Mochi continued.

"Especially after the promise I made." He looked directly at her.

"To you." Then toward the village outside.

"And your people." The room fell silent. Mochi suddenly smiled.

"So..." He pointed at the training equipment.

"To make it up to you..." His grin widened.

"How about we train?" Amelia blinked. Mochi raised a fist.

"So we won't lose." For a moment Amelia simply stared at him. Then she tapped her chin dramatically.

"Hmmm..." Mochi immediately narrowed his eyes.

"Huh?" Amelia began pacing.

"Should I accept your apology..." She paused.

"Or not..." Mochi groaned.

"Amelia."

"Hmmm..."

"Amelia."

"This is a difficult decision." Mochi threw his hands into the air.

"Come on! Don't leave me in suspense!" Amelia finally burst out laughing.

"Okay okay." She smiled.

"I forgive you." Mochi sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness."

"... On one condition." Mochi froze.

"... There's a condition?" Amelia pointed directly at him.

"You have to learn a defensive move." The room went silent. Mochi stared.

"Defensive?" Amelia nodded.

"Defensive." His face looked like she'd just asked him to eat dirt. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Why?"

"Because." Amelia poked his forehead.

"You have exactly zero defensive abilities."

"Offense is the best defense."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Okay maybe a little." Amelia smirked.

"Thought so." She walked toward the center of the room.

"If we're going to beat Drago, we need more than attacks." Mochi listened.

"Every time he lands a hit, we're in trouble." She held up one finger.

"So if we add another layer of defense..." Then a second finger.

"We survive longer." Then a third.

"And surviving longer means more chances to win." Mochi reluctantly nodded.

"... Fine." Amelia smiled triumphantly.

"Great." Mochi scratched his head.

"How do I even begin learning a defensive move?" Amelia thought for a moment.

"Hmm." Then she snapped her fingers.

"A barrier."

"A barrier?"

"Yeah." Amelia pointed toward his hands.

"I think that suits you." Mochi looked at his palms.

"A barrier..." He began pacing around the room.

"Maybe a wall like yours?" He immediately shook his head.

"Nah."

"Too basic." Amelia laughed.

"You just don't want to copy me." Mochi nodded"Yeah, I need to be unique." Mochi continued thinking.

"What about some kind of reflector?" He imagined attacks bouncing back.

"Hmmm..." A few seconds later he shook his head.

"Too complicated, that would take too long." Amelia sat down nearby.

"Then keep thinking." Mochi stared at his hands. The hands that always attacked. The hands that always punched. The hands that had carried him through every battle. Suddenly his eyes widened.

"... Wait." Amelia looked up. Mochi slowly raised both hands in front of him. His grin returned.

"Yeah."

"I know what I want." Amelia smiled.

"What?" Mochi clenched his fists.

"A defense that uses my hands." His eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Not a wall."

"Not armor."

"Something I can physically block attacks with." Amelia stood up.

"Great." She pointed toward the practice field.

"Now comes the hard part." Mochi cracked his knuckles.

"Which is?" Amelia grinned as she pointed at him.

"Actually bringing it into existence." The room suddenly filled with determination. Mochi stepped forward. His hands began glowing with orange energy.

"Alright then." A familiar smile appeared on his face.

"Let's make a defense worthy of blocking any attack Drago throws at us." The training room echoed with the sounds of Amelia rummaging through a pile of practice equipment. Mochi stood in the center of the room with his feet planted firmly on the ground. His hands were held out in front of him. Determined. Focused. Ready. Amelia picked up a small wooden ball.

"Okay." Mochi nodded.

"Okay."

"I'm going to throw things at you."

"Okay."

"Use your new defensive skill to stop them."

"Okay." Amelia narrowed her eyes.

"You don't actually know how to use it yet."

"Details." Amelia sighed. Then threw the ball.

"Here it comes!" The ball flew through the air. Mochi thrust both hands forward.

"DEFENSE THINGY!" BONK. The ball smacked him directly in the forehead.

"... Ow." Amelia immediately burst out laughing.

"Defense thingy?"

"I panicked!"

"Clearly." Mochi rubbed the bump on his head.

"Again." Amelia picked up another ball. This one was slightly bigger.

"Ready?"

"No." She threw it anyway. Mochi focused. Energy gathered around his hands. For a brief second, something began forming. Then vanished. THUD. The ball hit him square in the stomach. Mochi folded in half.

"Why..." He wheezed.

"... would you throw it there?" Amelia shrugged.

"Combat realism."

"You're evil." A few minutes later. Amelia grabbed a wooden crate. Mochi's eyes widened.

"Hold on." She tossed it.

"DEFEND YOURSELF!" The crate spun through the air. Mochi focused harder than before. His hands glowed. A tiny orange shape appeared. For half a second. Then disappeared. CRASH! The crate exploded against his face. Wood flew everywhere. Mochi staggered backwards. A piece of wood slid off his head.

"... I think I saw something." Amelia nodded.

"Me too."

"What was it?"

"No clue." Mochi sighed. An hour passed. Then another. The objects got bigger. And bigger. And bigger. Mochi's success rate remained exactly zero. A bucket. A chair. A tire. At one point Amelia somehow found a.

"WHERE DID YOU EVEN GET THAT?!" Mochi said suprised"You focus on your training and less on where I get these items from!" She threw it. Mochi yelped. The table won. Eventually Amelia rolled a large wooden barrel into the room. Mochi stared.

"... No." Amelia smiled.

"Oh yes."

"You can't be serious."

"I am." The barrel was nearly as tall as him. Mochi slowly backed away.

"This is crazy..."

"Ready?"

"Bring it!" Amelia kicked the barrel. The giant object rolled toward him. Fast. Very fast. Mochi's survival instincts activated.

"OKAY OKAY OKAY!" He thrust both hands forward. Orange energy erupted from his palms. Something began forming. A shape. A structure. A defense. Amelia's eyes widened.

"It's working!" Mochi grinned.

"It's working!" Then the energy vanished. The barrel hit him. ACK! Several seconds later. The barrel slowly rolled away. Mochi was embedded halfway into the wall. Only his legs remained visible. The room fell silent. Amelia stared.

"... Oohh, are you okay Mochi?" A thumbs-up emerged from the rubble.

"I'm fine."

"Totally fine" Amelia couldn't hold it anymore. She collapsed laughing. Mochi pulled himself free from the wall.

"This isn't funny you know, I'm trying my best here."

"It absolutely is, the way that barrel sent you flying was gold." Mochi groaned. Hours later, both sat on the floor exhausted. Mochi had bumps on his head. Bruises on his arms. A bucket stuck around his neck. And somehow a chair leg tangled in his shirt. Amelia wiped tears from her eyes.

"I can't believe you've failed every single attempt." Mochi pointed at her.

"You're not helping."

"But you're getting closer." Mochi paused.

"Huh?" Amelia smiled.

"Every time you try, that orange energy appears a little longer." Mochi looked at his hands. Sure enough... The energy felt more stable than before. Still incomplete. But closer. Amelia stood up.

"Let's stop for today." Mochi sighed in relief.

"Finally." Amelia picked up another barrel. Mochi immediately jumped up.

"WAIT WAIT WAIT!" She grinned mischievously.

"One last throw..." The barrel rolled toward him. Mochi instantly dodged out of the way as the barrel shattered as it hit the wall. The training room had finally fallen quiet. The floor was littered with broken crates, shattered barrels, dented buckets, and enough destroyed training equipment to make any instructor cry. Amelia sat on the floor, exhausted. Her eyelids felt heavy. She let out a long yawn.

"I think we should get some sleep and continue in the morning." Another yawn escaped her.

"Don't you think?" Silence. Amelia blinked.

"... Mochi?" No response. She looked over. Mochi was sprawled across the wooden floor. One arm stretched outward. The bucket was somehow still around his neck. And he was completely asleep. Amelia stared.

"... Are you sleeping already?!" Mochi responded with a loud snore. Amelia couldn't help but laugh.

"Seriously?" Another snore. She shook her head.

"You're a strange person, you know that?" For a moment she simply stood there watching him. The same person who had almost given up earlier. The same person who had somehow managed to bounce back within an hour. The same person who could get flattened by a barrel and somehow still smile afterward. A small smile formed on Amelia's face.

"Really strange." She quietly left the room. A few minutes later she returned carrying a blanket and a pillow. Carefully, she knelt beside him. Trying not to wake him, she gently lifted his head and slid the pillow underneath. Mochi mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep. Amelia froze. Then relaxed when he didn't wake up. She unfolded the blanket and carefully draped it over him. The room was silent. For a moment she simply looked at him. Then her smile softened.

The loneliness she'd carried for so long felt a little lighter now. After all these years... She finally had someone fighting beside her. Someone who hadn't run away. Someone who chose to stay. Amelia turned toward the door. Before leaving, she quietly whispered:"... You still being here means a lot to me." A brief pause followed.

"... Thank you." Then she stepped out of the room. The door softly clicked shut behind her. Silence returned. Or at least... It seemed like it. Hidden in the shadows near the hallway entrance stood James. He had watched the entire interaction without either of them noticing. A small smile rested on his face. His gaze drifted toward the sleeping Mochi. Then toward the hallway where Amelia had disappeared.

"You two really are good kids." His smile slowly faded. A hint of worry replaced it. James reached into his pocket and pulled out an old folded piece of paper. The edges were worn with age. His eyes lingered on it for several moments.

"I appreciate your help." His voice became quieter.

"But..." The paper trembled slightly in his hand.

"I have a way." He looked toward the night sky outside the window. A determined look entered his eyes.

"And if this works..." His grip tightened.

"... then this place can finally find peace." The room fell silent once more. Only the moonlight remained. And unknown to either Mochi or Amelia... James had already begun preparing for something neither of them knew about.