Chapter 353: When Steel Isn’t Enough

Orion’s gaze never left Sophia and Dren as he answered Brynhild.

"I noticed it too," he said quietly. "Dren isn’t using his wolf."

Brynhild turned her head slightly toward him, not seeing his face but hearing the weight behind his words. "But why?"

Orion exhaled through his nose. "I’m thinking it’s because of me, most likely. I focused heavily on weapons. Footwork. Control. Precision. I drilled it into them that steel is discipline." He paused. "Maybe I did it too well."

Brynhild nodded. "Maybe that’s why they are so good at using weapons right now. Weapons matter," she said. "But they are not the only things that matter."

She raised her voice slightly, sharp and carrying. "Dren."

Dren snapped his attention toward her, spear still in hand, breath coming harder now that he had stopped holding back. "Yes, Captain."

"You are still not giving a hundred percent," Brynhild said sternly. "And if you keep fighting like this, you will die in the forest. That’s a fact."

Dren was taken aback by her words. Even Sophia was shocked by how strict and stern Brynhild seemed right now.

The other trainees nearby paused in shock and turned from Dren to Sophia, then back to Brynhild.

Garron told them sternly to get back to work.

"I want you to fight like this is life or death," Brynhild said, not minding the fact that others were staring at her. "Not like you’re sparring with a friend. Not like you’re afraid of consequences. Put in more effort."

Dren swallowed, then nodded. "Yes, Captain."

They resumed.

This time, Dren didn’t hesitate.

Sophia barely had time to reset her stance before he came at her again, spear thrusting with real intent now, his movements faster, more fluid. She twisted aside, one short sword snapping up to knock the shaft away while the other slashed toward his wrist.

Their weapons rang across the training grounds, joining the sounds of countless others clashing nearby.

Sophia had no idea how long they fought for. Perhaps it was only minutes. At one point, Dren came at her with his spear, and she missed her step trying to move out of his reach. But Orion had taught her to use her clumsiness as a weapon, and she did—taking advantage of the misstep to swipe in low for an attack.

Orion had taught them to read and understand people, and right now, Sophia and Dren were reading each other.

Brynhild listened closely to the sounds and vibrations. Sophia’s swords sounded strange against Dren’s spear.

Brynhild turned to Orion. "What type of weapon is Sophia using?"

Orion smiled. "Ones made with Skylur fangs."

Brynhild stared in shock. "Really?" she asked, and Orion nodded.

"Mary wanted to try using them, and it came out well. They’re light too, so they wouldn’t drain Sophia too much when she’s fighting," he told her.

"You had them made for Sophia, didn’t you?" Brynhild asked.

Orion nodded. "Yes."

Brynhild smiled at him. "Love suits you," she told him.

Orion coughed. "Don’t let Sophia hear that I fell in love with her first. She wouldn’t let it rest."

Brynhild laughed at that and shook her head. "At least you aren’t denying it."

Orion shrugged. "There’s no need to deny it. I’m sure it’s obvious to everyone."

"Are you sure it’s obvious to Sophia?" Brynhild asked.

Orion considered this for a moment, then sighed loudly.

"Honestly," he said softly, "I’m not sure. Sophia can be really dense when it comes to certain things."

Brynhild nodded. She had to agree.

"Anyway, we can talk about this later," Orion told her. "I’m sure you only have a few minutes to stay here before Lysander comes marching through the training grounds—and he’s scary when he’s angry."

Brynhild laughed. "That he is."

They turned just in time to see Sophia best Dren.

Sophia moved on instinct, daggers flashing as she slipped inside his reach. She ducked low, rolled across the dirt, and came up behind him. One blade hooked the spear’s shaft while the other struck hard at its base.

The spear flew from Dren’s grip and skidded across the dirt path.

Sophia beamed proudly, thrilled that she had beaten Dren.

For a split second—just a split second—she rejoiced, even imagining herself doing a little dance in her head.

"I did it. I did it, yeah!" she sang quietly.

But that moment was all it took.

She turned, ready to tell Dren that she had beaten him, but then she froze. The fight wasn’t over after all.

A dark brown wolf stood where Dren had been—massive and solid, eyes sharp and focused entirely on her. The shift had been seamless, muscle flowing into fur, power rolling off him in waves. The wolf’s lips pulled back slightly, as if in anticipation of what was to come next.

It growled lowly, making Sophia pause in shock.

Orion chuckled quietly. This was not the way he had expected Dren to fight.

Brynhild also couldn’t believe her ears. They both noticed Sophia shift back into a defensive stance, but before the fight could continue, Brynhild spoke up, her voice cutting through the moment.

"Pause, both of you," she said.

The wolf stilled immediately. Dren shifted back, breathless, a smirk on his face as he looked at Sophia—who looked two seconds away from wiping it off.

Brynhild stepped forward, her expression calm. Every trace of the friend Sophia knew vanished, replaced by a stern teacher.

"You did good," Brynhild said. "Both of you."

"I’m sensing a but," Sophia said.

Brynhild nodded. "That’s because there is a but."

She faced Sophia fully. "Sophia," she said, "just because you dislodged his weapon does not mean you won."

Sophia swallowed.

"You were too quick to rejoice without checking if you had fully bested your enemy—without checking if he would rise again. You didn’t check at all," Brynhild said. "In the Forest of Nirvana, you do not win because a beast misses a step. You do not win because it stumbles or because it’s lying on the ground, sleeping."

She continued, voice steady and unyielding. "You win only when it no longer stands. You win only when it is no longer breathing—when there is no sign of life left in it. You win only when its heart is no longer beating, and only when you are absolutely certain."