The mellow, golden sun rays peeked out from the clouds as new dawn emerged.
Asahi's boots forcefully slid across the colossal mountain through a winding stream while mud and droplets smudged his face.
Adrenaline coursed through his every vein, developing this urge to continue.
"Remember, focus. As Joshilyn said."
He threw his body into the air and exchanged attacks with a figure who had also wielded a blade.
(CLANG)
Loud clangs of iron and lumber echoed over the forest as the sunlight flickered on and off from the flying, emerald treetops. His shadows cast the mist, and he kept his eyes adjacent to not the face of the opponent but the hilt of their blade.
(Focus.)
The surreal feeling Asahi felt as he swung his wooden blade matched that of the birds that followed him; Swift and nimbly advanced, but also solid and charismatic like its soft wings. Easy enough to slip through the attacks like butter.
The birds flocked and made way for the two, such as the wildlife roaming here as a whole.
"Errr…"
As they felt their body cradled and carried away by the weightlessness of their thin weight, they cartwheeled and tumbled across the sea of pine trees toward a somewhat blocked area.
The thick and lush vegetation gradually closed on the two, forcing them to draw their blades closer to each other.
Asahi was regarded with exulting pride as he noticed how high up he was. He felt his presence was at the top of the world when he saw everything beneath him swirl in constant motion.
"Agh!"
Asahi divided his wooden blade into two, crossed and climbed a thick mushy green hill, and used the thick green vines to wrap around the opponent.
"Don't think that this is over." A girl with dark hair and purple eyes sneered at the boy, then pricked the edge of his shoulder with her silver blade, retreating away. Asahi gritted his teeth with frustration but kept his genuine smile while his feet flew downward.
He used both his arms to keep his grip on the ground and clenched tightly on the dirt.
Despite the heavy onslaught of attacks, Asahi's mouth remained sealed.
His fierce and noticeably lively eyes scanned the girl's legs vault across a group of thick roots toward an opening from the forest.
In an instant, Asahi cut his blade through thick cyan bushes, pierced through the scarlet leaves, and flashed his eyes from the golden sunlight that flooded in from the vanishing mist.
"This fight is only getting started."
A powerful fresh gust of wind pushed his white hair tied in a bun, a different hairstyle opening an opportunity for activity.
The fresh scent of cold mint and warm citrus passed on his clear skin. While he felt his entire body falling down, his sight was greeted by the expansive view beneath him.
A rapid feeling of playfulness flared in Asahi as he dived down toward the open waterfalls across the bridges. A tingling sensation that matched the hyper-attitude given from sweet caffeine; had stimulated his legs and surprisingly solid muscles.
He felt the handle of his blade hover over his pale hands.
But then he closed his grip and chased the girl down a thin turquoise stream.
As he advanced across a thin turquoise stream, Asahi focused on the silhouette and threw his blade into the air. He observed it soar into the open space of blue like a spear, then barrel downwards and bash across the head of the opponent.
"Ah, curses!"
(BONK)
With her being stunned, Asahi could take full advantage, and with his relentless speed and agile attacks, he showered the opponent with a barrage of attacks, pummeling and cutting wounds deep in her skin. The girl wore herself a painful cry.
"Augh, even with The Perfect Darkness resonating inside me, it still isn't enough to reflect my attacks?!"
Asahi shook his head and released a cocky smirk. He threw his wooden blades down toward the girl's wrist and grasped the sharp silver edge of her sword.
"Your presence looked so powerful days ago. What happened?"
The girl raised an eyebrow.
"What the hell do you mean?"
"Oh-- you know…."
Before Asahi could reply, the wicked girl catapulted herself down a natural bridge made of brown earth. She tumbled down a slope of thorny roses, piercing her body through what seemed like endless pain before she was paralyzed among a field of active water geysers.
An abashed feeling dawned on her pitiful move. She grumbled.
"N…No…"
Asahi released a chuckle and facepalmed.
"Ha, that's what you receive when you don't keep your calm under control."
The brilliant, wise, and energetic boy, surprisingly known as Asahi, hopped up in the air like a kangaroo and flew across the vein of thorns before he weighed his feet down on the dirt.
Although one thorn was attached to his heel, Asahi treated the event as just another obstacle and threw it away.
The sardonic smile plastered on his healthy and cheerful face couldn't have been more energetic, as if his previous mood was tarnished and tossed away into oblivion.
A purple streak suddenly flew toward his knee and battered it mercilessly, forcing his body to topple and tumble to the ground.
"HA! You have been fooled!"
As she saw her "surprise attack" deflect from the patient boy, her face scrunched and shriveled into one of fear.
"Impossible."
Lamia was so shocked and awe-stricken that even after all the strong attacks she made to counter and injure the boy, not a single blistering wound was seen anywhere in his body.
This quickly terrorized the defenseless girl, knowing she had been defeated no matter what she could do.
As she saw the white-haired boy push himself up and laugh at her little attempt, she squirmed her leg, curled her fingers, and whispered to herself.
"H… How? What happened to you? I thought you were as cold and serious as ice, but now… you're the opposite. My my my, what or who had changed you since our last encounter?"
Asahi released a sigh of apprehension and chuckled.
"The world changed me."
"AGH!"
Lamia's body was numbed by the feeling of defeat. Nothing else she could have done would force her back to her initial state.
Asahi, on the other hand, felt a sweeping sensation of relief fly in him, as though after all he had experienced, he finally could understand what Ubel and Chloe meant when they said, "If the mind is willing, the flesh could go on and on without many things."
When he saw Lamia resort and reached out to the essence of magic, Asahi knew he had won this battle. He detected they were not even a quarter down the mountain, which had gone against Joshilyn's orders.
Although this may be true, instead of slaying the woman in pure sight after all that she had done to Asahi, he took the necklace containing The Perfect Darkness and held his hand for her.
. . .
A silence emerged in the misty, humid, and damp area.
After a long descent, the intensity of battle finally ceased, and the wave of peace now washed among the shoreline of fighting.
As Asahi's white-haired messy bun flew with the wind, he knelt over and breathed, whispering as the fresh scent of mist entered his nostrils.
"Even the finest sword plunged into the cleanest water will eventually rust. I know you may have been defeated, but that doesn't mean you are absolutely evil...
Asahi took a deep sigh and turned toward the glittering azure sky,
"These five days have been absolute torment for me. I have experienced the absolute worst when it comes to my own. But the moment I finally grasp my senses, I feel and can connect to the world. I can understand the electricity that sparks among each person."
He gulped and looked over at the glass.
"I've gained an ability to read anyone I encounter, but it was at the expense of losing all my powers. So get up, and run away. I don't want to resort to killing you."
Lamia answered quietly.
"O... Okay..."
Strange.
How could Asahi, a short-tempered, serious, and absolutely stern boy, suddenly transform into a highly-witted, healthy, strong, and intelligent young man in just one minute?
Well, that's because this event wasn't the beginning of his training but the end. It was the outcome, A vision that defined emergence.
* * * * * * *
"I'll hurt you!"
This was the actual present, days before that vision.
A loud, grave chuckle sounded out. "You wish." And struck her blade against the splintering wooden one, tossing it into the air and knocking Asahi down.
His body felt weightless among the slopes as if every corner of his struggling body had been splintered and injured by despair's poison.
At the strike of dawn, Asahi's group was already ambushed by someone. This was what sparked the beginning of his proper training.
A mysterious figure encircled the clouds. Their legs struck across the air and pierced through the stone. Asahi raced into the carriage and clutched onto a wooden blade. But as he rushed downstairs,
(CRUMBLE)
A woman scrambled down the mountain with her new form, bounced from wall to wall, and plunged downward to Asahi to engrave her imprint of revenge. The entire ground trembled before her presence.
But as her legs were about to batter at Asahi's head, Joshilyn tossed her floating spoon, refracted the attack, charged at the tall silhouette, and snapped her fingers.
"Hey, who said you could mess with my recruits?!" She said as she chased the purple trail left behind the mysterious figure. "Don't think you can escape! RECRUITS! FIGHT NOW!"
Canyon pressed his feet, sprung up, and unleashed a barrage of ropes from his palm, clinging onto the branches of trees and dragging Asahi from the purple piercing strikes.
(BAM)
(SWOOSH)
[It was apparent that Joshilyn only used this as an alternative for her planned training. It was so quick that I couldn't even catch my breath from the attack.]
The gray-haired boy swung from branch to branch like a monkey, wrapping ropes around as his figure juggled around the hills.
"Just who are you to attack us amidst awakening?"
His agility was so quick that the only thing the mysterious figure could see was a blur flashing back and forth. The woman clutched on a sleek black dagger and struck it across a spoon flying at her, deflecting.
(DING)
"Pathetic."
Joshilyn threw her magical spoon into the air and scooped golden remnants from the dust.
Mist enveloped the area soon after.
A deep throaty voice came from above as she closed her eyes and forced herself to levitate in the air.
"Ha! Just who do you think you are for intervening in my ambush? Don't you know better than to drop your stupid spoons, fool?!"
Joshilyn's mind was scattered with a rampant rush of ideas.
"I can't think."
But then, a metaphorical light bulb sparked above her head.
"I have to use them."
Joshilyn dashed toward the carriage and threw the door open. Her eyes darted to the several swords on the wall.
"Yes."
She used all her power in a sudden storm and forced each sword to float. Then in a swift command, Joshilyn ordered all spoons and wooden blades to strike at the figure.
"Go, now!"
Spoons and bolts shuffled and splattered across the green mountainous terrain.
"Just where do you think you're going?"
Suddenly, as Asahi even thought of escorting everyone, a kick forced him several meters through the brittle ground, spewing out dirt fragments and shredding bushes.
His body flew and tumbled several meters downward Linuxinia Mountain, transferring from the highest mountain peak to a dark, mist-enveloped area secluded deep under a waterfall. Though he wasn't the only one who followed him downward, Asahi still felt alone without his sister beside him.
"Dang it, not even my silver wolves can accompany you! Asahi, whoever you are… I will find you!"
Despite falling down, Asahi threw his blade into the air and dodged a strike from the head. Rush, speed. There were no words that could describe it. He clashed his knife and jumped from boulder to boulder, slashing and striking the solid metal sword against it. It was only his instincts that led him to this.
Each pebble flew and struck the stranger before pummeling and disintegrating into the ground.
Just as he could see who it was that was hitting him, suddenly, he was forced unconscious by a heavy punch.