Yun-Jin, gathering her strength, conceded with a mix of defiance and begrudging respect, "Fine... I admit defeat... Only because you took a cheap shot at me. Next time we fight, I will make sure you die, though." Her attempt to maintain composure thinly veiled the frustration simmering beneath, her cheeks flushed with the heat of her anger.
Ty, unfazed by the tension, offered a serene smile and a respectful bow. "I look forward to our rematch then, Lady Yun-Jin," he said, acknowledging her as a worthy opponent and perhaps, unwittingly, a teacher in the art of combat.
"Wh-whatever," she muttered, her pride wounded but her spirit unbroken. Turning to the Lieutenant, she offered her services for future sessions. "Just let me know if you need any other assistance with training or sparring. I haven't been pushed this far in a long time anyway!"
The Lieutenant observed the exchange with a contemplative gaze, then spoke, "Sure, I would appreciate it if you find time off guard duty to come assist with his training. He's a bit dimwitted about how the world works. I think you beating information into him might actually help."
Yun-Jin, with a confirming nod, turned and left the dojo, her exit silent but charged with the unspoken promise of a future confrontation. Ty, left in the quiet aftermath, reached for his side. He summoned a wisp of flame, carefully directing it towards the small wounds inflicted by the arrow. The fire, under his controlled command, fused the skin back together.
Ty winced momentarily, a brief acknowledgment of discomfort. "I miss the skeleton body a bit," he confessed softly, recalling a time when physical pain wasn't part of his battles.
The Lieutenant approached, offering a commendation for Ty's resilience. "Good on you for being able to fight and keep up with her. Don't mind her strong emotions of hate toward you, she has a troubled past to begin with."
Responding, Ty balanced respect with his sense of injustice. "Well, with all due respect, I think I have every right to be upset. Someone I never hurt... well, before this, had a problem with me. It was also a bit of pent-up anger I took out on her after the whole booing and showing off of me before I fought Fernando."
"Great question," the lieutenant responded. "Before she came here, I talked to you about the three skills that everyone in the Kingdom is born with. Tell me and give me a full breakdown of what Yun-Jin's skills are and let me know if you think she's unlocked her third skill yet."
"Oh, um, let's see then. The first skill is something like just being really strong or having really good vision. It's nothing outward like pure magic, correct?"
The lieutenant nodded but cautioned, "Don't have such a narrow mind on this. It could be much deeper than being strong or seeing better. You will meet many people born with unique skills that, unless you pay perfect attention."
"You won't be able to discern what it is. For example, my teacher was born with the skill of telepathy and could communicate without ever uttering a word, and another was born with the ability to walk on any surface."
Ty nodded as he pondered further. She hadn't read his mind or done any unusual walking, so he thought he could rule both of those out. As he recalled when he had begun summoning the bow, she was able to perfectly counter his attempt to match her bow. "Does she possess some type of cognitive ability to always know the best path?" he asked.
The lieutenant responded, almost approvingly, "Correct, not bad for only a short scuffle, but I thought you would have pulled a more direct memory of when you attempted that headbutt and she instantly had a solid counter. Her ability from birth is, in fact, Precision Decision Making (PDM) for short," he explained.
On the surface, it might not seem like much, but she has mastered it to such an extent that the only times she ever loses fights are if there are no decision-making moves that could lead her to victory or if she loses control of her emotions and ignores what the PDM is guiding her toward. "Which, after you very expertly landed that kiss, did happen."
"That was entirely an accident," Ty retorted. "But hey, it did leave a wide-open shot, and I'm not the type to go all gushy because an accidental kiss happened. But after that, her ability must be light manipulation with those arrows, right?"