*CLINK!*
"Wuah!"
With a cry, Akogare fell on his butt violently, his sword dropping to the ground, rattling softly. Towering over the blonde boy, his blue-haired instructor sighed while looking down at his student.
"You have to keep your eyes on my whole body. Close combat is tricky—the smallest movement can be all that's needed to win." Mr. Oshieru informed, sticking his hand outward.
Picking his sword from the battle grounds floor, Akogare grasped onto his instructor's hand, being hoisted up in seconds. "Yeah, I know… Tanjo always had the upper-hand with these types of things."
Mr. Oshieru's eyes softened, backing up slightly. "You do have one thing, though: aggression—you don't hesitate, and that's a start. You two were quite even for a bit. Tanjo may have been knowledgeable in a lot of aspects, but he was wary of everything he did."
"That's because one wrong move for him could've killed me with how out of control his power was." Akogare mumbled, glancing at his blade curiously, then retracting it to his side.
The instructor shook his head. Assuming a stance, Mr. Oshieru eyed his student, parting his lips to speak, "Before you can get any farther, I want you to try inducing more of your Aura Sense into your attacks. All swordsmen do it; heightening the power of your swings."
Akogare blinked, copying his instructor's stance. The blonde was unsure of this claim. Sure, the boy believed Mr. Oshieru—but he still had his doubts. He wasn't quite ready to implement his magic into sword fighting like that yet.
"Couldn't I damage the sword if I swing too hard? Like, cracking it or something?" Akogare asked, concerned.
"Only if your magic is out of balance," Mr. Oshieru said, "Warriors usually store magic in their swords for two reasons: it helps them slice through objects and foes, and it makes them more durable—like another coat of steel, but hotter."
That eased the blonde's mind moderately. "How do I know how much to push out?"
"Your magic?" Mr. Oshieru asked, arching an eyebrow. "I'll tell you something I did when starting—leveling your bodily Aura Sense with your sword's. If you do that, your swings are harmonized with your body. You won't swing too hard, and you won't be exerting too much, either. Mr. Akushon knows how that feels…"
Chuckling at his instructor's jab at the red Aura Sense teacher of Class 1AR, Akogare bent his knees a touch lower, his legs parting even more. He then angled his elbows. "I'm ready!"
'His stances are improving,' Oshieru noted internally. 'His feet are aligned with his knees, and he's distributing the weight of his foot like a professional.'
Mr. Oshieru released a small grin, a gentle warmth spreading through his heart. "Alright… Commence round thirty-four!"
Akogare smiled brightly, despite the small anxiety plaguing his mind. Within three seconds, Mr. Oshieru resumed.
"Begin!"
XXX
'Collect the ring colored in green…'
Perched on a tree branch, dried blood staining his black kimono, Yuso thought back to his master's orders.
'Head back to Furusato,' Master's voice rang through Yuso's mind. 'Instead of procuring the curse, you only need to steal the ring of the rogue you encountered. Do this and I'll let you continue your own aspirations of becoming Lucifer's successor.'
What could be so valuable about the green ring? The redhead did notice how his master had obtained various-colored rings, one for each finger—but why would a mere rogue possess something of Master's interest? What power did the item harness?
All of this was for nought because Yuso intended to use the ring for other purposes, including his temporary freedom to carry out his future plans. Yuso had also never had the choice of having his master's control over him end, even for a limited amount of time. With that, his missions wouldn't be hurried and he could quickly gain a greater understanding of his abilities, especially his rapidly increasing power.
In mere weeks, Yuso had supposedly quadrupled his power. Not once had the redhead used it all, but sooner or later, he wouldn't have much of a choice. It won't be long before the three nations crumble under Yuso's might—one way or another, he will prevail.
"I better get moving, then." Yuso mumbled, an uncharacteristic smirk tugging at his lips.
In the matter of moments, Yuso vanished with a single jump, traversing through the woodlands faster than the naked eye could see.
XXX
"Giving me no time to prepare, huh?"
Sighing in an irksome manner, Asami looked at Tanjo for the hundredth time with the same look of rising ire. "I told you before, I'm having you assist me on some errands. Is that too bad? At this point, you can handle yourself against a simple bandit or two, right?"
"Yeah! Trust me with the uncanny ability to obliterate large masses of land against bandits! Asami, I'm serious!" Tanjo barked, his eyes darting to the woman worriedly.
Asami's shoulders sagged. "Jeez, I don't run into bandits every time I go out for an excursion, you know. The academy makes you guys so high-maintenance now-a-days."
Tanjo struggled to retort, observing as Asami sighed for the umpteenth time since he'd known her. "Look, even though you don't trust yourself, I do. You managed to keep your Aura Sense in moderation all this time, even when we did run into bandits! You'll always be set to lose if you adamantly believe that you can't fight in the first place."
The teenage boy stood silent, contemplating his next set of words. Asami was right: he needed to keep his morale high, or the thought of saving Mizuki was practically inconceivable.
"Fine… Where are we going, anyways?" Tanjo conceded, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.
Asami swayed her head from side to side. "Oh, I don't know… Maybe Shanti?"
Tanjo jolted upon hearing the name of one of the three nations, his eyes broadening mildly. "What!? That far!?
Asami waved her hand flippantly. "Relax, Tanjo. We'd basically be at the border for the majority of the time. I just need to collect some money from there and bring it back!"
"You're smuggling money through the borders?" Tanjo questioned, his energy draining at the thought.
Asami shrugged. "I need it. Shanti's laws are different from Adonai's, and it isn't all that hard to sneak through the borders—only three distinct villages reside on each side, and the first one on Shanti's side is all we need to reach."
That was true. Remembering the last time Tanjo glanced at a map of the three nations, the borders only had three prominent villages erected in both nations—acting as monitors for those who attempted to enter through either side.
"How long would it take to get there?" Tanjo asked, craning his head to the side.
Asami thought back to her past travels. "Obviously, a trained warrior could go from one side of one of the three nations to the other without even noticing the border, but going that fast will only get you caught and detained. Traveling at light speed through governed land isn't the best option. But, since we're not warriors, I'd say we'd be there in a few days if we took it slowly."
That was basic knowledge. Due to their need to dodge beams of light shot by their adversaries, it was imperative for the base speed of a high-class warrior to be faster than light itself. But, going at such speeds is still detectable by other warriors and is highly illegal.
"Alright, but we better make some stops to grab food—the last thing I've eaten was that chocolate bar, and I finished it back at your house."
XXX
Man, the lack of motivation is real. It's good to see things get set into motion even further! How will Yuso get Doryoku's ring? Why does his master need it, despite having all the rest!? Will Akogare master the sword? And will Tanjo and Asami successfully make it Shanti, revealing another nation for the first time in this entire novel!? Stay tuned for more!
Have a Great Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_