Compared to a year and a half ago, Leo had become far better at Divine Obstruction.
The truth was, Divine Obstruction was a powerful skill, but timing was everything. It only lasted for a split second. To use it successfully, you had to read the enemy’s move exactly.
With that very skill, Leo had met the Rime Ring head-on and hadn’t been pushed back. Liora never expected a move like that. That was why she lost.
If Liora had used her magic equipment, or been more careful from the start, Leo would have barely been able to hold on. After all, bonding with the Spiritual Stove had used up a big part of his Inner Spiritual Energy.
But Leo’s young age had fooled Liora. On top of that, he had used that divine counter skill. As a result, Liora was left in terrible shape.
Mira was surprised too, seeing how skillfully Leo had used Divine Obstruction. But she didn’t know it was the result of his daily hard training with Corvin.
Two hours of real fight practice every day had made Leo able to read an enemy’s move correctly, just by instinct.
Seeing stunned, flustered Liora, Mira snapped out of it and burst into laughter.
"What do you mean, impossible? Do you have any idea? Someone who can’t beat my little brother shouldn’t even think of challenging me! Come on, you lost, now honor your bet!"
Then she giggled. "Haha, that was fun!"
And she grabbed Leo in a big hug and squeezed his cheeks.
Leo was stunned. In the next moment, his handsome face turned red with embarrassment.
Mira couldn’t stop laughing.
"Little brother, you’re so cute when you blush! Though you look cooler when you fight. Come on, let’s go back and eat!"
With Liora gone, Mira’s mood was perfect.
The two of them had a wonderful meal together. They had ordered a lot, but Mira ate far more of it than Leo, even though Leo was the one still growing. Together, they cleared almost everything off the table.
"Wow~, I’m stuffed, little brother! If we eat together every day from now on, your big sister will definitely gain weight!"
By now, Leo had recovered from the shock of that sudden hug.
For just a moment, her warm hands had held him. That warmth was brief. But the feeling sank deep into his heart.
It was the first time since his parents left that he felt the warmth of family.
*How nice it is to have a big sister...*
"Big sister, what exactly happened to make you and Big Sister Liora so tense around each other?" Leo asked curiously.
Mira made a face.
"The second I hear her name, I get angry! When we were little, we didn’t talk much, but we were good friends. About five years ago, we both liked the same boy. He was from the Mage Temple."
"He wasn’t as handsome as you, but he was nice looking. And talented. Liora and I were still good friends then. When I found out she liked him too, I was ready to step back."
"But the boy came to me and said that Liora had used her family’s power to force him to stay with her. For his future, he had to bow. After that, I never saw him again."
Her voice grew bitter.
"Then I went to Liora to ask about it, and we got into a fight. She called me a liar, called me low, called me who knows what. The more we fought, the angrier we got. Then it turned into a real brawl. Since then, our relationship has been just what you saw today. Now who’s the low one..."
Leo said hesitantly. "It could just be a misunderstanding. Big sister, I think you should talk to Big Sister Liora about it once more."
"A misunderstanding? That boy disappeared! She must have done something to him."
Mira waved her hand.
"Forget it, let’s not talk about this anymore. Remembering the past just makes me irritated. Anyway, this Liora, as bad as she is, keeps her word. Haha, we won big! The Daybright Aegis will be perfect for you. Even if you reach the fifth rank as a knight, it’ll still be useful."
"You... you’re giving it to me?" Leo was a little startled.
"It’s all for you! Why else would I bet with her? I don’t need her things. You want to be a Guardian Knight, right? What kind of Guardian Knight doesn’t have a shield? You won’t get a good shield from Moonhaven Hall. But with this Daybright Aegis, your defense will go up a lot!"
Suddenly, Leo felt his heart fill with warmth.
He had never imagined that the fight Mira had stirred up and the bet she had made were all to win a good shield for him.
Mira twisted her fingers, a little shy, and sighed.
"It’s all my father’s fault. He refused to give me more pocket money. Otherwise, I’d have just bought you new gear. Why would I have to do it this way?"
"Big sister..." Leo’s voice came out soft.
Mira smiled.
"What’s wrong? Why are your eyes red? Wow, what an emotional little boy! Come on, let’s go back. School starts tomorrow, and your big sister still has some advice for you."
When they reached the gate of Moonhaven Hall, a middle-aged man was waiting politely, holding a large bag.
"Miss Mimi, my mistress ordered me to give you this."
He handed the bag to Mira and left.
Mira laughed as she watched him go.
"I can’t imagine how much Liora regrets this. Looks like she doesn’t have more pocket money than I do!"
Back at Moonhaven Hall, Mira followed Leo all the way to his room.
"Little brother! Look! This is the Daybright Aegis!"
She opened the bag in great excitement and placed the shield in Leo’s hands.
It was a round shield about 0.83 meters wide, a medium size. The whole shield was dark silver, which made it look a little old.
In the center was a round gem the size of a pigeon’s egg. A faint golden glow came from it. With the gem as its center, a sun was carved on the shield, its pattern spreading out to the edge.
The shield didn’t look very heavy. But it gave off an aura of pure light.
"Hurry, try it on!"
Leo didn’t refuse. He never turned down a gift from someone he counted as family. And he was always ready to give everything for them.
When he took the shield, he noticed that behind it there wasn’t just an ordinary handle. There was something like a glove, a gauntlet.
He slid his left hand inside. The gauntlet was a little big and covered his whole forearm. His hand reached all the way in and gripped the metal handle inside. That way, the shield covered his whole arm. You could say it fit him perfectly.
Leo felt a deep calm from the shield, especially from the faint glow of light coming off it.
Mira stepped forward and began adjusting the gauntlet. Inside was a row of buttons that could fit its size. After she adjusted it, Leo moved his arm again. It felt like he and the shield were one thing.
The Daybright Aegis wasn’t very heavy. The moment Leo lightly moved his arm and felt how light it was, he grew attached to it immediately.
Mira began to explain.
"The Daybright Aegis can, by itself, stop direct attacks from enemies with less than 300 Spiritual Energy. If you pour your own Inner Spiritual Energy into it, it gets even stronger."
"The aura of light from the shield can protect against the bad effects of most magic spells. Like the freezing effect of Liora’s ice magic. And when you combine it with certain Guardian Knight skills, it’s incredibly powerful."
"Look at this gem. It’s a Mending Crystal. Because of a crystal like that, unless the shield takes a huge amount of damage, it repairs itself."
"It might not be the strongest shield below the fifth rank. But it’s definitely the most useful magical shield!"
Leo turned the shield over, admiring the sun carved into its face.
Mira stepped closer and lowered her voice.
"Little brother, one more thing. Liora is proud, but she isn’t stupid. She saw what you did with your Divine Obstruction. She’ll want to know how a boy your age could use it. Be careful who you tell, and don’t be surprised if she comes looking for answers."