The children cheered as Aleph faced up against his three students. He was unarmed, but his disciple hesitated. Same goes to his friends beside him.

"There will come a time when you must face someone much stronger than yourselves. This exercise serves as your lesson."

He watched them stand close to each other, bracing themselves.

"Hmm, sticking together is indeed a good tactic." He closed the distance instantly,sweeping all three and making them fall. "But only if you cover for each other."

Aleph struck a pained Lacey who was on her back. Rayse blocked his stomp, allowing her to scramble out of the way. The rest formed up once again, this time more on guard.

"Good. You are three against one, preserve that advantage. it would be much easier to find an opening with the three of you."

He charged once again. This time Lacey and Brandon met his charge. One struck high while the other low, hoping one of the attacks would at least land. Aleph jumped sideways into it, dodging both. He took them both down an instant later.

Their communication is improving… Or is it one adjusting to the other? He had no time to lecture as Rayse finally used his spear to attack, almost bashing the shaft over his head in an attempt to defend his friends. Aleph couldn't dodge as the two on the ground held onto his limbs, preventing him from escaping. Aleph used his crystal, commanding the spear to stop in place.

"Taking advantage of the opening your companions have created. Good. It was too bad you opted for a strike instead of a thrust, or else you might have won."

Aleph pulled the spear out of his hands with the crystal, thrusting him with the blunt end and sending him flying.

Aleph created some distance, twirling the spear in his hand. 

"Now your companions are down, and you are disarmed. Would you like to continue?"

To his surprise, Rayse charged at him, going straight for the weapon. Aleph kept him at bay with sweeps of his spear, but his distraction gave his companions time to recover. He was surrounded before he knew it.

"Good. This is how you use your numbers. Always have one stay in my blind side, prepared to attack."

Brandon charged back in with Lacey in tow, once again attacking in tandem. They focused on thrusts so that Aleph couldn't  close the distance as before. They used the spear's reach effectively while adjusting their positions, preventing Aleph from attacking them from a different angle. The position reached a stalemate, with Aleph on the defensive. He tried pulling at the spear shaft, using his superior strength to pry them away from his opponents.

Suddenly Rayse was behind him, his massive arms wrapped all around his waist.

"Do it!" He shouted.

The two didn't hesitate. They thrust the spear at Aleph, heedless of the injury Rayse might suffer. Aleph pulled the spear out of their hands too, this time using the crystal in his arm. He spun around, throwing Rayse over his shoulder towards the two in front of him. He trained their own spears upon them, floating menacingly above them all.

"Now you're all disarmed. What do you do?"

"We… Run away?" Brandon asked.

"Escape is a valid option. Your life is far more precious than victory. But what do you do if you cannot run?" Aleph raised the spears even higher, giving them more time to gain momentum when he finally sent them at Rayse and his friends.

"Guys, get ready to catch the spears." Rayse warned. As if on cue, the spears fell from the air, allowing the three to catch them and use them once again.

Aleph looked at the crystal on his forearm. The crystal was dim. It seems Rayse aimed for it all along, absorbing the mana within. Upon seeing this, Aleph nodded approvingly, signalling the end of the spar.

"Wonderful! If you cannot win by force, think of a way to render the opponent unable to fight. Well done!" He started clapping, with the children following suit.

"But mister, you're still able to fight." Lacey protested. 

"That is correct. But I had exhausted my trump card while you three are still relatively unharmed. In a real bout, eliminating an opponent's advantage is enough to stop the conflict. In my current condition, I am certain of victory, but it will cost me. And that cost is too steep to pay for a mere sparring win."

Lacey thought about it and began to smile. Aleph was glad too. His pupils had grown so much with a few weeks of training. He sent them home with the children, commending them for the day's work.

I think they're ready for a real fight, he thought as he waved goodbye.

_________________________________

The three walked home victorious. The neighborhood kids had scattered, each to their own homes, while Rayse invited Lacey and Brandon over for dinner. Aleph gave him a bunch of fish, as apparently, magic spears made fishing trivial.

"Oooh man, I can't believe it, that Aleph actually acknowledged us!" Lacey said as she stretched from beside him.

"Don't let your guard down. He entered that fight unarmed and gave up far too easily. He was clearly holding back." Rayse said.

"But still! He's so strong! Whoever we fight is not ever gonna be that strong. Have you ever seen anyone drop three people with a single leg sweep?"

"Master is just too amazing. We're very lucky that we get to fight someone on his level while being relative beginners. I can feel myself improving every moment with him." Brandon added appreciatively.

Rayse brought up a good point, but he felt good about the win either way. He was able to make a difference there, and it allayed most of his misgivings about his place in the war.

The spear that protects, huh? He thought as he looked at his sisters who were merrily chatting away. Sheila turned at that moment and gave him a smile.

"Mister Aleph is fun! Can we go there tomorrow?"

Shae nodded vigorously in agreement. Rayse made a show of thinking it over and said,

"Hmmm… But if you're there with us, then… Who's gonna protect the neighborhood?"

He almost burst out laughing when he saw the twins fretting over it.

"He's right, Sheila. Remember what mister Aleph said: heroes use their gifts for the people!"

Brandon went up to them solemnly and said, "Sheila the brave, Shae the mighty, can we leave the town's safety to you?"

The two nodded seriously and stood up straighter. 

"We'll do our best, Bran!" "If Bran said so then…" The two answered at once, causing Brandon to smile widely. He looked forward, waving at the old woman next door to Rayse's house. It seems they'd gotten home before realizing it.

"Auntie's calling you two, so go on then. We'll catch up soon." He said. The twins agreed, running to the aunt from next door with the fish Aleph gave us. Suddenly, there were only the three of them in the street.

"So Brandon, what's this about?" Lacey said.

Brandon turned to the two with a serious look on his face. Then to Rayse's surprise, he bowed deeply and said, "I'm sorry!"

The pair was silent as Brandon bowed to them. 

"When I lost my mother, I was so angry. At my dad's cowardice, at the invaders that ran all the way here just to destroy my life, at the army's uselessness… I was angry at them all. I sought to become a mage, but when I read about how rare the materials to become one was, I despaired. I fell in with a bad crowd, using my father's influence to at least be strong in the city. The plan was to run away and join the army at some point,-"

"Dumb plan," Lacey interjected. 

"Yeah, I know… But it was all I had. I would have gone, too, except that I know you fools would follow me, or at least try and stop me. Especially you, Rayse. And once you've gone, Lacey would have no choice but to follow too. Lacey's one thing, but Rayse, you didn't give up on me until the end. All I could think of was to get in between you two, so you'd naturally stop hanging out with me. And…" Brandon hesitated.

"I guess I am a bit jealous of how close you guys got."

They have gotten closer now than before they met Aleph, but there was enough distance that Rayse felt they would never be best friends again like when they were kids. This was the first time Brandon had ever addressed the past since they've gotten on speaking terms again. Learning about why Brandon changed left him conflicted.

"When master took me in as a disciple, I told him that I have driven you away by choice, so I could run away without you going after me. The truth is, I was young and dumb and angry and… you both caught the brunt of it. I'm sorry."

"It sounds like one dumb decision to another, Brandon, not gonna lie." Lacey sighed. "You were right though. I would've let you die in a trench somewhere, but Rayse would definitely follow you."  Lacey stood beside Rayse.

"Well? What do you think?" She asked him.

Rayse was silent. He remembered the beating that he suffered at the hands of Brandon and his lackeys, and was filled with emotion. It was mostly sadness. He felt betrayed, but Brandon was his biggest benefactor when he himself wanted nothing to do with the world. He walked towards Brandon and struck him with all his might.

Brandon fell to the floor in pain. 

"That's it? I owe you more than that, Ray. You can keep going." He taunted from the ground.

"Shut up, Bran. That's all you get. You don't get to take a beating and then feel like we're even. That's too easy."  Rayse said, sitting down next to where his friend lay.

"I know you still look out for my sisters. Even while you were avoiding us. You even paid that auntie from next door to help around the house. You let me stay and work at your dad's too. If anything, I owe you."

Tears welled up as Rayse laid his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"You're asking if I forgive you? Forgive you for what exactly? For being dumb? But… you've always been dumb. Just like I am. We just gotta pull each other up whenever we fall down. If you really feel like you owe me, then take me out the next time I do dumb stuff. God knows I'm due."

The empty street was quiet for a moment, save for a couple of sobs.

"Ugh. What am I gonna do with you two?" Lacey sniffed from the side after a while. She pulled up her friends and led them toward Rayse's house.

"C'mon, guys. Dinner's gonna get cold." 

Rayse Laughed from the side and said, "Bran, your eye's swollen like hell!"

"Whose fault do you think that is, doofus?" Brandon laughed with him.

"Eh, just tell them we fought a bad guy off. They'll get a kick out of it." Lacey said, snickering from between the two. Their cheerful voices trailed off in the night, just like when they were children.