Haircut
I thought I was going to get some answers. But instead of answering my questions, Gilda just stood up and gestured towards her door.
"Please leave, Willie. I need some time to get ready."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
She had a coldness in her eyes that I wasn't accustomed to seeing. But her tone was as polite and matter-of-fact as usual.
"Your physical condition has deteriorated due to lack of training in the real world. Training in the simulations is useful up to a point. But you will ultimately not be fighting in simulations, so your physical skills need to improve greatly as well."
"Okay, sure. I was planning on doing that at some point anyway, so that's fine. But what about answering my questions?"
"We will do both at the same time. I am more than capable of multitasking. If you are going to keep up with me, you will need to accelerate your training and learning at the same time."
Well crap. It looked like Gilda hadn't actually agreed to be partners in her own mind. She still wanted to be in control, but since I stipulated she wasn't allowed to use manipulation, she'd decided to beat me into submission instead. Well, whatever... I was a lot stronger now than I had been before. I was sure I could deal with whatever she could dish out.
"I see. Okay, I'll go get changed and meet you in the training room."
She didn't respond at all, so I just left her room. It would take some time to get used to this new colder attitude from her. Maybe this was the real Gilda, and how she was treating me before was all just an act. That thought made me more sad and anxious than I would've expected.
Once I changed into one of those skin-tight bodysuits, I went back to the training room and started warming up. It took longer than I expected for Gilda to appear. However, when she finally showed up, she looked very different. Her previously feminine long flowing hair was all cut off. Her new hairstyle was short and boyish. She still looked damned good, but I was definitely more partial to her older hairstyle.
"You cut your hair... it looks good."
"Thank-you. I cut it because it is time to get serious and long hair is not practical for intense fighting."
That sounded like an excuse. Gilda was plenty capable of fighting with long hair.
"Time to get serious... so you're saying you haven't been serious up to this point?"
"Correct."
No change in her expression. She obviously meant what she said. Gilda had always beaten me when it came to non-magical sparring. If she wasn't seriously giving her best at that point, then what exactly was her actual ability level?
"Okay. So what's your plan for training?"
"You have lost some physical conditioning because of the excessive time spent in the simulations. The first order of business is to increase your physical abilities. Your ability level as a warrior is composed of an interplay between three aspects of your being: the physical, technological, and magical. Your magical abilities have greatly improved. However, your low physical capabilities will continue to leave you vulnerable in combat."
"Sure, I guess I agree. But what about answering my questions?"
"I will answer your questions as we spar. Ask whatever you want as you have the time and energy to ask."
"Riiiiight. Multitasking. Okay, let me know when you are ready."
Gilda's expression changed for the first time since she entered the room... to a slightly sinister smile.
"I am ready now."
Without further warning, she launched herself at me. Her attack speed and power were totally different from anything she had shown me before. I was immediately blown across the room and crashed hard into the wall. However, she didn't wait for me to get up, she kept coming, and I accidentally activated my impact absorption magic by instinct. She stopped kicking me and gave me an ice-cold glare.
"Willie, you will learn nothing about purely physical combat if you rely on your magic to save you."
"Yeah, easy for you to say! You're seriously trying to hurt me here!"
She tilted her head slightly as she turned away from me.
"Do you think an enemy will not seriously try to injure you? What will happen when you face an enemy who has superior physical combat ability and can either negate or penetrate your magic?"
As I picked myself up off the floor, she leisurely strolled back to the center of the room with a graceful lightness to her steps. Then she turned to face me again.
"Your physical conditioning has deteriorated more than I thought. Perhaps you will find it easier to attack me instead. Go ahead and come at me."
Now that sinister smile was on full display. Honestly, it was getting under my skin.
"Fine, let's do this."
I spent the next hour trying my best to land even one decisive blow on her. Her speed and strength were on par with the strongest of magical creatures I had faced in the simulations, and her combat skills were far above mine. Every time I thought I had her cornered, she would find a way to escape and deliver a devastating blow or throw me. Many times she would then go into grappling submission holds until I tapped out. All in all, it was pretty humiliating. I was out of breath, drenched in sweat, and so thoroughly outclassed that I couldn't spare the time to ask questions. Right around that time, she rubbed some salt into the wound.
"Willie, this is pointless. While you have been struggling to even keep up, I have been processing additional information the entire time. You need to work much harder."
She delivered that line with a slightly satisfied look. There was no doubt she was enjoying this beat-down. Some part of me was thinking back fondly on how things used to be.
I let out a dry chuckle.
"I liked you better before."
"I cannot help what you like, Willie. This is what you asked for. It is too late now to complain about it."
She delivered that line with a bright smile, masking a fierce intensity. She had every intention of beating me into submission. I had foolishly thought our conversation meant she was willing to give up control, but I had been dead wrong. I needed to kick it into another gear if I had any chance of getting her to treat me as an equal.
Then a thought occurred to me: She knew my moves, so she could counter them with no problem. A possible way to break through is to change things up. Do the unexpected.
To accomplish that, I needed information on more fighting styles. Luckily, the computer had information on thousands of fighting styles, both from Earth and from various alien planets. I had only learned a small fraction of even the Earth styles. I had never tried to download information at the same time as fighting, but it should be possible for me to handle. However, I decided to lower the download bandwidth to one-tenth of regular speed to help keep me from getting mentally overloaded while I fought.
Gilda was immediately aware of what I was doing and actually seemed to be okay with it.
"If you think I will go easier on you because you are multitasking, think again."
"You've turned into a real bitch, Gilda."
That actually made her laugh. A genuine laugh. Probably the first time I had seen her truly happy in a while. But then she promptly attacked me again with a furious series of kicks.
All I could think was: women are such a mystery.
