It was a cloudy day, and Nobara had challenged me to a sparring match. We stood in a small clearing, the sounds of the forest surrounding us. She grinned, her fingers tapping rhythmically against the cursed tool in her hand.

Nobara lunged forward, her movements fast and precise. You dodged, narrowly avoiding a swing of her hammer. You could tell she was holding back a little, but only just. You threw a light counter, hoping to catch her off guard, but she twisted away with a laugh, clearly enjoying herself.

This time, you didn’t see it coming. Her fist connected with my face—a little too hard, a little too fast. You staggered back, the blow sharp enough to make my vision blur for a moment. Before you could steady yourself, a warm trickle of blood dripped from your nose.

“Crap, I didn’t mean to do that!” Nobara suddenly panicked, putting her hammer and nails away. She’d never hurt or injure you— but seems that she got too serious in the sparring session.