The hoarse sound of someone's snore elevated throughout the room.
Displayed on his face was a bubble-like sac filled with mucus pumping out of his nostrils waiting to be popped off. Aran changed his position by twisting his body on the left side of the bed, overlapping his left leg with his right leg, and then grabbing the cushion.
The noise of his snoring resounded, sleeping soundly as if there is no tomorrow. Aran is sure taking his time to be sleeping while the rest of the gang is already outside waiting for him.
"This is the reason why I don't want to excite you so much. After all of the things we have done, you are going to spend the rest of your time sleeping which is stupid and out of hand." Shamelessly kicking Aran in his back, William huffed in distress while trying to wake him up.
The ball of fluid popped off and Aran immediately stood up from the excruciating shock and pain, rolling his body further to the left until it smacks on the wall.
"Come on! Get up, you're the one who told us that we should be early..." William furiously reminded him.
"Ah! I'm sorry! What time is it now?" He asked in a panic state as he fixed the bed and himself.
"Nevermind that, just go get dressed and if you are hungry, Veldrey prepared a loaf of bread and tea on the table. Just don't be slow and finish your thing quickly and come outside. We still have a lot of training to do. And if you are going to slack then I will kick your ass, am I clear?" William glared at him.
(Heugh! Scary! He is scary!)
"Yes! I'm really sorry! I will be coming out in a few minutes!" Aran's body profusely sweats as he shook himself from the fear and shock he received earlier. He struggled to stand up with his knee and it took him some time before he can even reach the table.
"We will be waiting for you..." As he finished his sentence, William headed out closing his door on his way back leaving Aran in the small room dead in silence.
He looked at the window and opened it to see the overwhelming sunlight and feel the fresh air in the morning.
The wind blew really hard. It streamed from the left side up to the right. Birds chirping in the sky can be heard and while the rest of them are staying on the branch of a tree, their song of hope and flapping of wings echoed throughout the clear blue sky. The white clouds stood above the rest, it is the perfect morning to start the day with training.
William walked slowly outside until he reached the peak of the hill. On his way, he saw Lisa doing her usual routine with her sword while Huck is performing a deep synchronization of attacks with his fire elemental abilities. On the other end near the tree, Veldrey is collecting yet again another part of twigs and some stones for later uses.
The two noticed William's presence as they immediately stopped their training to confront him.
"So, is he up?" Huck asked.
Sighing really deep, a stressed expression elevated from his middle-aged face. William was expecting an early breakthrough of their classes but Aran slept like a log.
"Yeah, it took him a while though. I had to burst him in order to wake up." He answered.
"Well, that is Aran for you. Can't blame him though, he suffered a lot of injuries yesterday and he ran out of mana. I think it is essential for him to take a rest." Huck replied with a chuckle.
"For me, that ain't the reason." William made a remark.
Finally, Aran came out of the house and closed the door. The three saw him and they started waving at him. Seeing the wave, he stretched his arms and legs first and then started running uphill with moderate speed. By the time he reached the peak where the three is standing, he began breathing very fast. He is already exhausted just by running upwards
"I... I... sorry... I'm sorry... I can't..."
"It is okay, Aran. Just breathe for a while and try to relax. You've just woken up." Lisa said as she approached him.
"Right, sorry I am late... I just couldn't sleep last night." He defended himself.
"Wait what? Why can't you sleep last night? Are you in pain?" She became agitated, learning that Aran may have been sick for a long time because of what happened yesterday. Little did she know that a part of her is actually the reason why Aran couldn't sleep last night.
"N-no, not really that, I mean..." Uneasy about what he is trying to say, Aran's cheek glowed with a touch of a reddish color. Drawing her even further as she worries about him, he made the situation more embarrassing than ever.
"Tell me, Aran. Why can't you sleep last night?" She insisted on knowing the real reason why. Aran twitched, realizing that he cannot get himself out of this situation anymore. Both William and Huck are also listening to him, endeared to hear what he has to say so he can act safely thereafter.
"A-Actually... I uh... Um... I-It is a little embarrassing to say this but... First, I am not in pain last night. I'm just kinda... uncomfortable." He pressed his body backward as he averted his gaze from Lisa.
"What do you mean by uncomfortable? Did you find the weather not reassuring last night? Did the coldness get into you?" Huck tilted his head.
"N-No... that's not it..."
"Then what is it?" Annoyed by his intact secrecy, Lisa asked him one more time, this time her face is pretty close to him.
"Um... To be honest, I'm not really used to having someone near me, like sleeping next to me... It just makes me... I don't know how to describe it, it just makes me nervous and that is the reason why I cannot sleep last night." Aran averted his gaze from Lisa even further while his cheeks flustered in a deep red color.
Additionally, she is pretty much close to him when she slept.
Realizing what he has said, Lisa's cheeks became red as well. Her heart suddenly sparked with joy or perhaps, love and embarrassment? Her face tells them all. Cloudiness in her head become to form as she squirmed.
"Ehhhhhhhhh!" She squeaked.
"Huh? Why did you scream all of a sudden? Isn't it normal to be like that? Like I used to sleep with my father but then I find it cringe." Huck told them.
"Hey! That hurts you know? I and your mother love to sleep with you every night..." Veldrey heard what Huck said and joined in as well. He is a laughing barrel full of comedic acts. Though he can't actually deny the fact that his fatherly love is top-notch.
"What's wrong, Lisa?" William asked, concerned.
Lisa was caught off-guard. She stepped back for a little and pressed her chest with her arms crossed. Aran chuckled for a little bit, he knows that is pretty mortifying for her but she is the one who insisted on it.
William can't take the awkwardness anymore, he walked towards Aran and sighed.
"Enough of that, let's focus on what is more important, shall we? We are wasting time right now." He jotted down.
The three of them instantly removed their feelings towards the situation. Aran prepared himself, shuffling and rustling his body. He made a small jumping jack to pump himself up.
"We're going to follow your instructions, right?" Huck asked.
"That's correct. Aran, Listen up. About yesterday, do you remember the reason why you suddenly passed out after calling your Spiritual Form?" William asked Aran straightforwardly.
"Yes! I think the reason why is because my body cannot handle the pressure?" He said but his tone is in a form of a question.
"Are you asking me or telling me?" William asked again.
"Uh... telling you?" Aran replied.
There was a slight silence after he replied. Lisa facepalmed herself in the forehead, not satisfied with Aran's answer. William on the other hand made a steered laugh.
"Haha! You're very funny, Aran. But yes, you are right. Your magic molecule is far from your physical attribute. You have infused most of your magic power in calling your own Spirit. It created distress in your body and thus, you cannot alleviate the pressure. Once you used your magic power, your body also pays a price by obtaining the sequences and intaking the impact. Since calling your own Spiritual Form is difficult, you need to strengthen your physical attributes first and do some core exercise." William explained as he walked towards the field.
"I think I get that, but what exactly do I need to do in order for me to strengthen my core?" Aran raised a question as he followed William behind him. Huck and Lisa also did the same.
"Well, the first thing that you need to do is train your legs."
"What? What do you mean by training my legs?" Another question.
"You see those obstacles there?"
Various kinds of obstacles can be found far from their position. Starting from big rocks, some vines to climb, and a bridge to pass on. There's also another course on the other side of the river, where a circular hole can be found, and also some branches to jump on.
"Yeah, what about those?" Aran gazed around.
"Obviously you and Huck are going to be training your legs by going over there and passing those obstacles," William answered.
"Wait what? Me and Huck?"
"Yeah, as you might have not known, Huck is also training his agility in order for him to become nimble as much as possible. Agility is also very important to you because you require a lot of speed when interceding with your own vector. You move a lot, correct?"
"Yeah?"
"Well then, you need to improve it even further. Agility is something like a hack in order for you to win a match. When you beat Huck in his impasse on hits, it is your speed that made it possible. By being quick and nimble, you don't excess too much force on your legs and thus you can twist anything without any pressure. Executing a certain movement involves force, but if you infuse it with speed powered by your legs, you can ultimately back off and use it as a springboard to get back in your stance. And that plays the same rule on your magic power as well. We need to start from the bottom core first, then work our way up." He continued.
Huck and Aran head on to the field. Aran noticed that the path has tampered with many configurations. From their position up to the other side of the hill. There was a vague structure of stones stretching from the center field and on the end line of the river.
"What is this? A path?" Aran asked. William and Lisa followed them on the starting line.
"Yeah, and so I want the two of you to go through that obstacle course and dash your way until you guys reached the end of the river," William answered.
"The two of us? Wouldn't that be a hindrance?"
"Excuse me?" Huck intervened.
"No, I don't mean it like that. Like, there is only one path right here. If we are going to go together then there wouldn't be enough space to reach it. Fundamentally speaking, it is going to be hard to take turns on each course or so to say." Aran made a point.
"Not unless you guys race..." Lisa stepped in.
"Eh? Race?"
"The reason why we made the two of you go on that course is that we need a particular objective. In order to balance the course, you guys need to race. The course extends for about three to four kilometers from here. And then you guys will need to go back. Aran, your mission for this training is to beat Huck. He has no reason to fight you, but you have a reason to fight him. Your track will determine your core and if you managed to beat him in the race then we will proceed on the next training." Lisa explained.
Satisfied by her explanation, William agreed on her suggestion.
"Miss Lisa is right. The way you guys are struggling, I can say this is definitely a win-win situation. Aran, you heard her. You guys will need to race. But of course, there won't be any necessary strategy to use. Just do whatever you guys can to reach the finish line. You will be doing this until the end of the week. I'd say you need to do it at least two to three times per day and count the time." He said.
"Aran, even if you beat me in a fight, I won't hesitate to take you down in a race." Huck made a declaration of battle as he stretches his legs diagonally on the ground with his body balanced upward. Aran stepped his leg foot on the grass with a slight force, paving his shoes on the grass.
"Yeah! I'm in with this one then!" He agreed.
"Alright then, seems like you guys know the premise now. Once you hear my signal, I want you to run as quickly as possible and start the race. I forbid any cheating or hurting each other. We need to make your body adapt on its own nature." William instructed them as he heads back on the center field.
"Yes!" Both of them responded while heading towards the first line, where the obstruction of many stones is displayed in an array.
Aran stretched his legs, providing a foundation to launch his body forward. Doing the same is easier for Huck as well. As they both made a stance, William raised his arms on the sky. They both gazed at him, waiting for the signal to come off.
"Oh! So they are finally doing it, huh?" Veldrey finished his gathering and made his way on the center field as well.
"Yes, they really need it after all," Lisa replied with a smile on her face. She seems to be in a good mood after that embarrassing situation.
"Ready... Go!" As soon as he shouted the go signal, William clapped his hands in sync.
"OOHHHHH!!!" The two started screaming at each other as they ran across the identified path.
Without any restriction aside from the cheating, Huck slides himself down instead of running to gain momentum. He beat Aran on the first punch. He gritted his teeth and did the same.
The hill is inclined so there's not that much friction and the grass doesn't have that many obstructions on the first area.
"Aran knew what Huck is planning, that's a great call," William observed their movement.
"Eh? How did you know?" asked Lisa
"The moment Huck did the slide, it was followed by Aran in a mere one second. Normally, if you don't know what the enemy is trying to pull off, you're given a time of at least ten seconds to think of a counter. But Aran immediately responded to Huck's strategy. He really is good at reading the situation, and I am impressed." He explained.
After a few minutes, they finally reached the vined area where they need to use the strength of the green ropes to leap on the other side of the path.
The whole area is packed with mud and quicksands, the only possible way to reach the other side is if they swing themselves using the ropes or vines. That being said, both of them are equally faster.
"Aran, I won't lose to you!" Huck instantly made a call even while running. This struck Aran and he slowed down.
"What!?" He shouted. Seemingly distracted from what he had heard, Huck used the advantage to jump on the early side of the area where there is only a couple of vines to use.
(This is bad, I won't be able to reach him if he keeps on using those vines near the tree. There are no hanging vines on the other side, which means my only option is to grab those near the mud.) With his quick thinking, after he reached the muddy area swallowing itself on the land, Aran made a long jump to grab the dangling vine on the right side. Doing this, he managed to catch up with Huck who's struggling with his power to focus because the vines that he uses are pretty short to swing.
Aran smirked at him.
"You may be the Iron fist but I think you are having trouble with gripping things!"
"What did you say?!" He huffed.
The two continued to clash with their race. Sooner or later they will reach the end of the muddy lake and they will now go into the bridging course where they need to step on the stones that are elevated from the water. It is quite dangerous up ahead since there is a variety of spikes made from the rubble, falling will be a lethal condition for them.
Meanwhile, William gazed at Lisa who's also watching them.
"Lisa, I think it is about time." He made a call.
Lisa unsheathed her sword and made a stance.
"Mr. William, I will be in your care from now on..."
"Wait, what are you guys doing?" Veldrey questioned their actions.
"Ah, this? Well, Lisa asked me to be her training partner for her swordsmanship. I think it is a good way to kill the time since those two might take their time for quite a while." William answered.
"Yeah, I know, but why are you guys using such lethal weapons?"
"Don't worry about that, we're not entirely hurting each other, you know? We have our limits, and this is just a mere spar."
"Now that you mentioned it, Mr. William, you don't have any weapon?" Lisa asked.
"Well, actually, I have one..." Grabbing something from his back, a medium-sized knife that is beaten up.
"Wait, that belongs to Aran!" She exclaimed.
"Yes, I got his permission anyway. I will be using this, crossing with your sword." He said.
The intensity of his stare at Lisa is contributing. He had that much confidence in taking Helianthus with a pretty beat-up knife.
"Heh! You seem to be rather confident with that..." Lisa was annoyed for a second, leaning herself down and making a fighting stance.
"Oh, do not misunderstand. I'm taking you seriously..." After he gave a reply, Lisa suddenly forced her way in front of him. She shortened the distance quickly.
(She's fast!) He was surprised but William managed to dodge it by stepping back.
"That was a close call–"
"Don't get distracted!" Lisa didn't give that much time to William to recover. She made another swing with her quick reflexes. It didn't take that much time before she can land a blow to William's dagger.
That one strike starts it all.
Lisa stepped back. She is preparing to launch another attack. William raised the blade with his arm.
"I'll give you a prize for the sudden break. I will not use my other arm. I want you to try and hit me with all of your strength." He provoked Lisa. He placed his right arm crossed on his back and he only raised his left arm while holding Aran's knife.
"Tsk! I'll push through!" Lisa sprang.
She made a triple-waving slash in a circular motion, forcing William to create another distance with a large step. Followed by that, is a thrust in which William managed to parry by quickly twisting his hand, hitting the bar of the blade.
After doing a lot of swings, none of them hit.
"I have no choice, I need to use it." She finally made a call.
"Heh... So you're finally releasing it eh?"
"Alliere Sunflower Sword Technique: Inflorescence!"
By making a call, Lisa stood back and then launched herself near William. The moment she got closer, a sudden quick thrust of her blade began to coordinate within the area. For about seven thrusts has been made and all of them have been dodged and were countered by William's speedy movement.
Negating everything including her attack, she was forced to stand back and retreat from a certain distance.
(It didn't work even with my grandfather's technique?)
"Hmm, Himawari's sword technique, huh?" He mumbled.
"Y-You know my grandfather?" Lisa asked him.
"My my, what a surprise that you are actually the granddaughter of the Master swordsman. However, that technique you did earlier didn't manage to hit me, do you know why?"
Lisa bit her lip in frustration.
"It is weak. Pathetic attempt at your own style. I know how powerful Master Himawari is when he does his technique, but you, on the other hand, couldn't attempt to make the full blow. Do you know why?" He continued to ask her.
"It is because you are still not compatible with it." He answered his own question.
The silence was brought upon the table between the two. Lisa's eyes were full of remorse and hopelessness as she stared blankly at him. She couldn't justify the idea that her current state cannot bring out the full power of her own Technique.
"The thing is, perhaps your grandpa already told you this, and you can't actually perceive the real meaning of his words. That's why sought a fight. Bloodthirsty as it is, even if you tried so hard to swing your sword every day and improve your physical fitness and quick reflexes, your Sunflower art won't give you the power that you need." William continued.
After that slight disappointment, she finally stands by herself. Her eyes went back from the same stance as before.
"Well then, can you please teach me?" She asked calmly but with intense determination. William was not expecting it. He dropped his jaw the moment Lisa asked him.
And then he shrugs it off by saying...
"Of course... That will be my pleasure working with the granddaughter of the master." He bowed.