Yes, Lady Funina!

“No problem.” Ying’s eyes flashed, and she readily agreed.

"I happen to have some questions I'd like to ask Miss Clorinde as well."

"……Eh?"

Clarinde couldn't understand what about herself was worth asking the gods for advice; perhaps it was just an excuse?

'But if it's true... then I'm pretty amazing!' Clarin thought.

It must be said that Clarinde and Ray movies have many similarities: both are cold on the outside but warm on the inside, both have the same "thunderous" attribute, and... both have the ability to unite people's hearts.

Outrageous statement: Clarinde – We in Fontaine also have our own God of Thunder!

Since the purpose of the fight is to confront the shadow, the venue obviously cannot be the exchange meeting. It's not that we're worried about the loser looking bad, since the outcome was already predetermined from the beginning. We're just worried that the fight will be too noisy and might injure the tourists watching from the sidelines.

Clorind didn't think she could really defeat the God of Thunder. Even if the other party controlled his power to the same level as her, the experience he had accumulated over thousands of years was something that she, a dueling agent who had only lived for twenty-odd years, could not compare to.

I haven't lived as long as others have practiced martial arts, and my talent is definitely not as good as theirs, so how am I supposed to compete?

As for a fight between people of their caliber, it's actually far less entertaining than a melee between novices. For ordinary people, their eyes might not even be able to keep up with the speed at which Clarinde and Shadow make their moves, so there's no way it's entertaining at all.

The Shadow was quite satisfied that Clarinde had chosen a private place, as some of her questions would inevitably involve privacy and could not be asked in public.

That being the case...

"Why don't you come and sit in my Pure Land of One Heart?"

There is no more private place than this Pure Land of the Heart.

Without the Shadow's permission, even a god could not enter this space.

And it's obviously the perfect place to ask Claurind for technical advice, without having to worry about being disturbed by others. It's the perfect location for a private coaching session.

Hmm, perhaps it can also be used for some other things...

“The Pure Land of One Heart is…” Before Clarind could finish speaking, she found that the surrounding environment had changed, and it was like entering a completely different world!

But Clarinde was not alarmed. Fukaros had used similar methods before, so this was probably an ability that all gods possessed.

"This is a pure land where no one can disturb us. Please rest assured," Ying said.

"I see." Although she knew Ying didn't mean anything by it, why did her words sound a little strange?

It gives you the feeling of 'Go ahead and scream, no one will come to save you even if you scream your lungs out.'

Besides, they are just having a friendly spar, so it wouldn't be a problem if someone came to disturb them, right?

Perhaps... this is Lei's pursuit of martial arts in movies?

Thinking of this, Clarinde took out her sword. It's normal for a secretary to carry a pistol and a sharp blade, right?

It's worth mentioning that the weapon Clarinde is using is the Tenmoku Kage-katana that Richard brought back from Inazuma.

However, the Tenmoku Kageu sword that Richard gave to Clarin was not the Kageu sword forged by the Tenmoku Blacksmith Shop currently on the market in Inazuma, but one of the Kageu swords of the famous sword "Hakuen Manko Tenmoku". Legend has it that this sword is so sharp that it can even sever a person's fate.

When Richard said he wanted to find a good knife to give as a gift, Shadow took this knife out of the armory and gave it to Richard.

Now that the knife is in Clarinde's hands, Shadow feels that some things are actually quite clear.

"Before the competition, may I ask a question?" Ying asked.

"Please speak." Clarinde temporarily sheathed her Heavenly Eye Shadow Blade.

“Just call me Shadow, no need for honorifics.” After saying that, Shadow pointed to the knife in Clarinde’s hand and said, “This knife…”

"It was Richard who gave it to me."

"Well, that's right."

"Is there something wrong with this knife?" Clarinde asked curiously when she saw that Ying had specifically asked about the blade.

"Oh, no problem. This knife is the one I gave to Richard before."

"..."

After hearing what Ying said, Claude broke out in a cold sweat. She shouldn't have asked that question!

What should I do? Am I going to be silenced?

No wonder Ying said before that no one would bother them here. To put it another way, it means that even if they killed you here, no one would know!

Shadow seemed to sense Clarinde's nervousness and explained, "Of course, when Richard asked me for this knife, he said it was a gift, so don't worry about it. Besides, that's not what I'm asking about."

Oh, I see. Then it's alright.

Clarinde's heart sank to the ground.

"So what do you want to ask me?"

"Ms. Clorind, did you sleep with Richard?"

Clarinde's heart sank to the bottom.

Why do I always like to talk so much?

"I was just curious, and of course, this question is indeed a bit impolite. If it's inconvenient for me to answer, just pretend I didn't say anything," Shadow said understandingly, seeing that Clarinde hadn't spoken for a while, assuming that she didn't want to talk about these things.

Ying really didn't mean any harm; she was just a bit studious.

Moreover, she does have other options, don't you think, Yae no Miko?

"I did do it, but why are you asking this..." After seeing that Shadow didn't intend to kill her to silence her, Clarinde mustered her courage and asked.

"Study," Ying replied immediately.

"Learn, study?" Clorind never expected Shadow's answer to be like this. Was this something that needed to be learned before?

“Hmm.” Ying nodded affirmatively, then thought for a moment and said, “In exchange, I can teach you the secrets of martial arts. You can tell me what you want to learn.”

Clarinde's expression was complicated. She never expected that the experience of such a thing could be exchanged for the opportunity to be personally taught martial arts by a god.

Has the world gone mad, or is Clarinde simply out of touch with the times?

Is there really no problem with such a deity?

Clarin thought for a moment and realized that Frynn seemed to be in no better shape. Besides, she had previously heard Frynn mention the Wind God, who was said to be a bard and a heavy drinker...

Looking back at the shadows here... it seems there really isn't a problem?

"Is that not allowed?" Shadow asked.

“Yes, that’s possible.” Claude indicated that even if Shadow didn’t teach her martial arts, she could share her experience with Shadow free of charge.

It's not that Clarinde is particularly selfless, but rather that she genuinely needs a like-minded partner to share the hardships with.

In terms of combat power, Lei, being a god, is far stronger than Maomao.

According to Clarind's estimation, even if she and Lynette fought side by side, they probably wouldn't be a match for Richard, but if it were Shadow... maybe they would win?

"Thank you, you're a good person," Ying said sincerely.

"It feels a little strange to be thanked for something like this..." Clarind muttered unconsciously.

"Is...is that so strange?" Ying felt that no matter what it was, since she had accepted help, it was only right to express her gratitude, right?

Claude finally understood that Shadow was a very pure person. For this type of person, they often have their own unique set of logic for doing things, and ordinary worldly concepts cannot be applied to them.

“No, it’s not surprising. I misspoke.” Clorind shook her head.

Ying nodded and didn't say anything more. She then asked, "Let me see your strength first, so I can customize a special plan for you."

"Aren't you going to ask a question first?"

"We have plenty of time."

After all, defeating Clorind doesn't actually take the Shadow too much time.

Ying didn't say this, worried that if she did, her teacher, Clarind, would get angry and stop teaching her how to do it properly.

Most of the time, Shadow is quite clever.

The difference in strength between the two sides was greater than expected. Although Clarind had guessed the outcome beforehand, she did not expect that even when she used her weapon, she could not even touch the hem of Ying's clothes.

This was all under the condition that Shadow focused solely on defense without attacking and did not use any weapons. In other words, the opponent simply used positioning to deflect all of Clarind's attacks.

To be honest, the feeling of always being just a hair's breadth away from hitting the target wasn't pleasant, but it also made Clarinde realize the gap between her and the gods.

“Your foundation is good, but you can use the Eye of God, so don’t worry about it.” Ying Weiwei dodged Clorind’s thrust with ease, all the while continuing to speak.

After her attack missed, Clarind did not pursue, but took two or three steps back, took a deep breath and resumed her stance, this time using her Divine Eye.

Fine purple lightning appeared around Clorind and gradually spread to the weapon she was using.

Clarinde's speed increased.

Clarinde's special attack has increased.

Clarin rushed forward!

Clarind's attack missed!

Clarind typed GG!

The sparring session ended there, with Clorind completely defeated. It could no longer be called a sparring session, since she hadn't even touched the hem of her clothes. How could this be considered a sparring session?

Compared to Clarinde's defeat, Shadow gained a general understanding of Clarinde's strength. She was at the pinnacle of human power, but still a bit short of touching a demon god.

Although none of the opponent's attacks hit her, she was the Goddess of Thunder. It was perfectly normal for her not to be touched by Clarind while only defending and not attacking. Her combat experience accumulated over thousands of years was not to be underestimated.

Furthermore, there are differences between demon gods. The Salt Demon God is a demon god, and the Rock Demon God is also a demon god. Although they are pronounced the same, can you say that their combat power is the same?

Although Clarinde is now very close to becoming a demon god, her strength is still not at that level. Even if she were, it would be difficult for her to compare with a top demon god like Shadow, who fought his way out of the demon god war.

Perhaps once Clorinde breaks through her current limitations, she'll be able to go toe-to-toe with Fucarus?

After all, Fukaros is the kind of demon god who doesn't rely on strength. Of course, this is on the premise that Fukaros doesn't use the power of the Seven Gods. Although Fukaros has been living in seclusion at the Prophecy Machine for many years, it doesn't mean that she hasn't gained divine power.

In a sense, the people of Fontainebleau's belief in justice is equivalent to their belief in Fucarus, and the two can be transformed into each other.

The power of the Seven Gods is negligible for demons like Balzebub and Morax, who are known for their strength, but for gods like Fucarus, who don't have much self-defense ability, the boost is considerable.

Moreover, each of the seven gods has its own special authority. Oh, Fukaros's authority over water has been stripped away, so it's alright.

"Well played, but there are a few things to keep in mind..."

Putting everything else aside, when Shadow was a martial arts instructor, he was quite professional. He pointed out several problems with Clarinde, each hitting the nail on the head and providing relevant solutions.

Those plans could be said to be tailor-made for the integrated development of Shadow and Clorind, and just hearing about them could have a good effect.

No wonder he's such a great teacher who could produce Richard! He's amazing!

The more Clarind listened, the brighter her eyes became, as if she had been enlightened by his words.

She made the right choice coming to this private coaching session!

“During the match just now, I noticed that you seem to possess another power? This power doesn’t belong to you, but it seems to provide you with a continuous source of stamina during the battle, and… it feels somewhat familiar.”

"You mean protection, right?"

"Protection?"

"Hmm, although I'm not entirely sure, it seems to be one of Richard's abilities. It helps me restore my strength while subtly enhancing my physical attributes. I think it also mentioned preventing wear and tear and prolonging my life..."

To be honest, this was the first time Clorind had used this blessing in a real battle. Previously, this blessing was usually used in... somewhat embarrassing situations.

This led Clarinde to believe that Richard thought she was too weak and was using this buff to prolong her life, much like how "middle-aged people have no choice but to soak goji berries in their thermos."

"Avoid...wear and tear?" Ying paused, her eyes filled with disbelief. Could even something like this be done?

Shadow did not doubt the truthfulness of Clarind's words. Since the other party said that Richard said it himself, it meant that Richard did indeed have a way to avoid wear and tear.

But... this is just too unbelievable.

To avoid wear and tear, Ying secluded herself in a sanctuary of tranquility, meditating all day long. Only through this seclusion could she barely offset the wear and tear that time had inflicted on her.

And now Richard has managed to prevent the wear and tear on Clarinde, a mere mortal, with just a single blessing... To be honest, it's only because Shadow has unconditional faith in Richard that he's capable of doing so. Anyone else who knows anything about Richard would probably doubt the veracity of his words.

For Richard, Ying was someone who believed him first, and then trusted him.

That kind of almost indulgent trust once made Yae no Kamiko jealous. She was jealous of both Richard and Kage. How can you say that she was jealous of both?

“Well, not only me, but Lady Funina and the others also have some. If nothing unexpected happens, you should get one too,” Clarinde said after thinking for a moment.

"You don't seem to mind?"

The "shadow" refers to the matter of sharing Richard. Logically speaking, those who get on the bus first will more or less have the idea of ​​welding the doors shut to prevent others from joining.

But seeing that Clarinde seemed to have no such idea at all, Shadow couldn't help but be extremely curious.