Out of the Summer Garden [Cyrus, Arcadia]

In but the twinkling of an eye, gone was the Affectionate Flame, and in its place now was the Holiest, that aspect which carried itself with unilateral confidence. Cyrus' gentle touch became firm, his hands tensing as what little mastery of blut he knew came forward, his arms strengthening before they simply lifted Arcadia up in her entirety. Not an easy task, in his weakened form, but still achievable.

"I will certainly not weep over that. I am at least thankful to have had such a beautiful first obstacle. If I cannot overpower it, I will simply move it. I will walk forward regardless of what chooses to stand in my way."

And he set her aside, frankly unconcerned about whether or not she came back to press him down again. This had never been a matter of literal strength, after all. Both of them knew that, right now, she could easily have detained him indefinitely. But he had made his point, and he flexed his hand idly as he felt the unfamiliar sensation of the blut through it. In a way, it might almost have been funny, how foreign it felt to use the Quincy arts he had long ago been so proud of.

The sudden application of blut was certainly something that she had not been prepared for, it made her eyes widen in surprise at his usage of Quincy powers which she had never really seen utilised beforehand and though she pushed back he had already lifted her and dislodged her leverage. She moved with ease.

"Heh... Ehehehe."

She chuckled to herself at the simplicity of the whole thing, it was just too amusing to her while she laid on her back and stared up at the ceiling to his side. That those things which he had always had and never used, overshadowed by his divine power, would be used.

"Well done, my love. It seems you did in fact overcome me."

"In time it will come more easily. But every step on this path is a vital one, and it would only be right that I give thanks to every obstacle for testing me."

Smirking ever so slightly, Cyrus leaned over Arcadia now, his hand moving under her chin as his gaze met hers. She was truly exceptional, both in mind and body. He was blessed to have her, and that much he knew for certain.

"I will be quite busy for the foreseeable future. I was once among the greatest of Quincy, and it will be no easy task to once more reach those heights. But I will always have time for you, my love. Now, how shall I show you my thanks?"

Now she was the overshadowed one with him floating above her, her amused expression shifting ever so slightly to grow a bit more in delight at his renewed vigour and confidence reminding her of the qualities of him that she fell in love with. Every step he took towards reclaiming those parts of himself were as meaningful for her as they were for he.

"However you see fit and decide to show that appreciation, I doubt I could overcome you in light of that trick you have just shown me."

Arcadia teased from below, maybe she could in fact still best him in strength but she was hesitant to say the least. The reiryoku he had was still greater than her own and she had gathered he had somehow used it to empower himself in some form of Quincy technique.

"I guess you might say..."

She lifted herself up just a bit so that she could whisper into his ear, just quiet enough for only him to hear regardless of the fact it was only the two of them here.

"To the victor, the spoils."