– Where the hell am I?
Hikaro woke up because of the wild screams coming from all directions. He felt damp earth beneath him. There was nothing around but dense forest. Tall and wide trees covered the sun's rays with their branches and foliage. The guy could not understand what kind of place this was, why he got here, and most importantly, that it was screaming so much. The scream was really creepy. It was like slaughtering demonic buffaloes.
Because of his curiosity, the guy decided to take a chance and went to the sounds.
– What is this?!
A dozen soldiers fought with three huge buffalo–like creatures standing on two legs. The veins pulsed with flame, the eyes burned with devilish fire, and the horns on the head were the size of their legs. The torso looked incredibly strong, as if covered with layers of steel plates. The strength of these animals is so great that with one wave of their hand they crushed thick tree trunks.
«I need to help them!»
Looking at the warriors jumping from side to side to no avail, Hikaro decided he couldn't stand aside. He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers to simply erase those creatures from the dream in one motion.
«Does not work?! Why? – he repeated the movement again – At least give me a sword! What the hell?!»
The guy periodically looked out of the bushes and, thanks to his clumsy movements, attracted the attention of one of the monsters.
– R–a–a–a! – it stretched its neck in his direction and, opening its mouth wide, splashed out a huge wave of flame, directing it to the right, then to the left.
«Damn it!»
Fortunately, the guy quickly reacted and jumped behind the tree.
«Well, fuck it! – Hikaro snapped his fingers, clapped his hands jerkily several times, but never got any result. – Damn it!»
The fire was getting closer. The bark of the tree ignited, the young man felt the approaching dangerous heat with his skin. Picking up the moment when the monster slowed down, Hikaro abruptly jumped out and ran in the opposite direction from the monster, not particularly understanding the roads.
«Where did they come from? I didn't invent them!»
There was a sense of fear in his eyes. He ran with all his might, not looking back, but the screams did not move away. On the contrary, it always seemed that at least one brute was about to keep up with him. The guy did not look much where he was going, and constantly stumbled over small stones and pits, because of which his clothes got wet and a little smeared. After a few minutes of continuous running, the screams disappeared. Hikaro began to think that the monsters were behind him, but did not slow down the pace. And it just so happened that behind a plantation of violets and a couple of thorny bushes, he did not notice a huge log through which Takigami flew epicly and crashed straight into the mud with his face.
«That's really lucky» – the guy wanted to get up, when he suddenly felt someone's heavy boot on him.
– What the hell are you?! – the red–haired youth barked, holding his foot on his back. – Knit him quickly!
Hikaro was not allowed to utter a word – they immediately took him by the arms and twisted him with a rope. These were the same warriors who fought the bulls. Most of them wore the same uniform that the soldiers of his army wore in all his battles, but two of them were very different. The one Takigami was holding was not exactly red–haired: medium–length hair fell slightly to the side, one half of the head was black, the other red. He dressed in dark robes, covered with well–polished silver armor, and wore a long torn cloak with a hood to match the color of his hair. The second was with spiky red hair. Dressed in a brown combat cloak, under which chain mail was visible. His face seemed much nicer than the previous guy, and for some reason he was smiling all the time. But what particularly distinguished them was the fact that they were under two meters tall, and their bodies were so developed that it seemed that the muscles were about to tear their clothes.
– Let's go to Ehrenrise. They will decide what to do with this asshole, – the red–haired one ordered, giving a kick to Hikaro.
– Easy with him, – said the redhead. – We don't know who he is.
– That's exactly what we don't know, – he answered rudely. – What is he doing in the forests of Ehrenrise? – he has no mark on his arm. Maybe it was he who sent the toruns and other dirty tricks to our lands?!
– So you try to ask him, otherwise you scared the kid half to death that he was afraid to shit out of himself, – the guy jumped out in front of Hikaro and began to walk backwards to communicate with him. – Tell me, did you summon the toruns?
Hikaro had no idea what he was talking about, so he just shook his head.
– You see, he has nothing to do with it.
The red–haired man made a disgruntled face, but said nothing.
– By the way what is your name?
– H–hik–karo Takigami, – the boy stuttered absurdly.
– It's nice. I am Mido Betsay, – he held out his hand to Hikaro, but he could not shake it, because he was bound. – Oh, sorry, I didn't think of something. Well, this disgruntled face is called Raph Ikimori. You don't have to ask for the names of the others. They are seins. These hoods look the same.
After a while, the warriors emerged from the dark forest into a free area under an orange sky. The path passed through meadows of yellow and pink grasses that swayed gently in the breeze. In some places there were single trees, mostly oaks and spruces. These lands were already familiar to Hikaro. In the distance he could see the city in which he once managed to visit. As he understood, they were heading there.
«These two seem hefty compared to the rest. Although, they are small compared to me. Wait. It seems that I have become a little taller ... And a lot more muscular!»
And so it was. The guy did not differ much in complexion from the squad leaders, except that he was half a head shorter.
– May I ask? How did you deal with those bulls?
– Are you talking about thorons? Mido asked. – Yes, we have their left, right, – he began to wave his hands back and forth. – Then they were beheaded. Now we are transporting meat to the capital, – the guy pointed to the wagon behind, which was being dragged by four soldiers. – Of course, at first they fed a couple of comrades, but what can you do, such is life.
Hikaro was a little horrified by those words. Mido's fun seemed crazy enough to him.
Upon arrival at Ehrenrise, the warriors passed through a huge wooden gate with an equally huge gold–colored magic scanner that passed through all the towers around the city. The nearest patrolmen immediately ran up. Those who met with a glance and a slight bow quickly greeted the others and immediately pointed to Hikaro:
– There is no mark, but the gate says he is a citizen of Ehrenrise. It is noteworthy that there are no signs of removal of the mark either, but he definitely has kaito abilities. Who is he?
– We found him after a fight with the toruns, – Raph replied. – You say, ours, but there is no mark? Probably another witcher with new tricks. Now even the gates have learned to deceive. I'll take him straight to Moxey's. He will deal with it.
–Wait, – Mido interrupted. – The gate can't be wrong, can it? I want to show it to Master Sudoshi. Give it to me.
– Why would you? – The red–haired man snapped, pushing Takigami aside, thereby preventing Betsai from taking his hands. – Or do you think he really is our kaito? Just took one and fell off the moon, right? His place is in the dungeon with the rest of the bastards!
– Please don't be stupid, – Mido tried to reassure him. – Let the highest ranks decide.
– If you judge like that, then you have no right to control his fate at all! – Ikimori laughed.
– You and I are only one rank apart.
– And this difference is very important! Moreover, at least I didn't sit in seins for years! And has never been downgraded to such rubbish!
– And you don't know what it's like to climb up the ranks with hard work, – Mido smiled.
Raph froze in cold silence for a few seconds, after which he boldly pushed Hikaro in the back, throwing him into the hands of Betsai.
– Get the bastard.
– Thank you! Mido laughed cheerfully and slightly stupidly.
Takigami walked along the streets he knew. All the same stone roads, small openings between houses, strange variability in housing: either small pagodas, or wooden huts with thatched roofs, or stone houses, or even towers. However, this time the guy was very surprised by the behavior of others.
«This is no longer an ordinary crowd. They all live their lives».
Indeed, the market was full of trade. And not only in the market. Literally on every corner you could find a flower shop or meat departments. Blacksmiths were also sitting everywhere in every way. There was no aisle in the eateries. In the yards of the housewife hung linen. The children were playing catch–up. There was a full–fledged life, and not a rectilinear movement like extras.
Mido stared at Hikaro all the way, which scared him a little.
– Okay, if you want a thank you, thank you for not letting me take you to Moxey, whoever he is.
– Uh–huh, – he replied coldly.
After some time, they came to the so–called «Walk of Glory», in the middle of which stood a fountain with the image of the sun, and along the edges – human stone statues.
– Who are these people?
– The great kings of the Sunlight Lands from the very first first to the hundredth. The hundred and first will appear here soon.
Seeing the last statue, the boy abruptly wanted to stop and braked with his feet, preventing Mido from leading him forward. Surprisingly, he did not insist.
«If you do not pay attention to unusual clothes, then this is ...»
«Himitsu Okada» – the inscription under the statue.
The boy's mind immediately went blank.
«Damn, I… killed Himitsu! How could I do this?! What kind of a monster am I?! And Tsukisuke killed me. Did he even manage to survive? I hope that wound was not fatal ... Nothing is clear! Does reality still exist? Or can I forget about her? In any case, I ended up here without power. Perhaps this is my punishment. No. This is salvation! Dying in a dream, you wake up in reality. The opposite happened to me. A very good outcome. Hmm , could it be that the Himitsu of this world was the head of an entire kingdom?»
Is this king also dead?
– Right.
« Having died there, he died here. Perhaps our worlds are connected? Then, Emily too… Is it even worth living without her?»
– Hikaro, – Mido interrupted the boy's stupor. – Do you happen to remember this sword? – he pointed to a golden blade with a luminous sun near the guard in the hands of the first king, but the guy shook his head negatively. – Hah, really, why would you remember him, – the red-haired kaito suddenly began to untie Hikaro. – Take him.
– Why? – the guy was surprised by the act of Betsay.
– Just take it. «Incredible».
Hikaro grasped the blade with both hands and held it out in front of him.
– And now what? Fight, shall we?
– No… Master Sudoshi, do you see this too?
«What the heck?»
Something touched Hikaro's shoulder. In less than a second, the guys were in the middle of a huge dark room. Near them stood a dark–haired adult man with a scar on his face. He went ahead and ordered sternly:
– Behind me.
«Um, what?! Although it looks like anything could happen here. But who is it? It feels like I've seen it somewhere before».
They walked fifty paces through the void. The temple was so huge that every step sounded like an anvil blow under the influence of the echo. And even a drop of blood from the cut wrist of a stranger sounded loudly, in contact with the floor. Finally, they came to the illuminated area.
On an old, but seemingly expensive armchair, a bald, gray–bearded grandfather in a white coat fit, in appearance – about ten times older than the chair. He sat in the lotus position, and the beard was so long that if he ran down the street with it, he would probably stumble and kill himself to hell. On either side of him in small easy chairs sat a black cat and a dog.
– My respect, Mr. Uranachi! – Sudoshi said with the same strict but respectful tone. – Let me ask you to check this young man. My student and I suspect that...
– Yeah, it's definitely him. I already feel its huge, strong and at the same time different energy for us, along with ... cursed dreams. What is your name?
Mido nudged Hikaro to answer.
– Hikaro, venerable old man, «God, what am I talking about», Hikaro Takigami!
– Oh, – the sage sighed. – I would not call you that, of course, but what name was given, such was given. Nothing to do about. My name is Uranachi Mittei. See what beautiful animals I have? Pretty rare cute creatures these days. I do consider them saints. If we were a little smarter, their species would live longer ... Well, that's me. So, you were able to subdue the God of Light?
– God of Light?
– The God of Light is a cursed blade of the element of light, which can only be touched by the hand of the heir of its true owner.
– And for me, a sword is like a sword, – after such a phrase, the guy immediately received a cuff from Mido.
– Once upon a time, thirteen great warriors with unimaginable strength put an end to wars and destroyed the most dangerous creatures in Yumegen. In order to resist the temptation of their own power, they put their power into blades and scattered them around the world. They wanted their heirs to once again save Yumegen from destruction, if there was such a threat. The irony is that as soon as they died, the world immediately left us. People have ceased to be errand slaves to monsters. They got rid of the fear of being eaten. Feeling freedom and power, they wanted it more and more. For centuries, wars have been waged between kingdoms, towns, people. And the monsters are gradually returning to this world. More and more heirs of the cursed swordsmen appeared, but instead of the expected harmony, they brought only new destruction to this world. In my lifetime, the cursed swordsmen never got together. And there were no more than five of them individually. But a vision came to me that the swordsmen would gather together again. And a person from another reality will also come to us, who will be able to take possession of one of the thirteen swords and put an end to it: either save Yumegen or destroy him. So here it is, – the old man finished wearily. – Hey, who are you?
«Oops, here come the clichés. I am the chosen one whose destiny is to save the whole world. My strength will be limitless, all opponents will fall from the first blow, and people will consider me a hero. Boring things. I would never follow a story like this. But still, let's see what happens. After all, I am the main character of the whole story, and it is up to me to decide in which direction to move it».
– This is Hikaro Takigami, – Sudoshi replied. – The same one.
– And it's you. Once upon a time, thirteen great warriors...
– I've heard that before, – Hikaro interrupted. – So you know that I came from another world. Can I get back somehow?
– Hmmm, – the old man thought, lightly scratching his beard. – The power of all thirteen cursed swordsmen can open a hole in the entire universe, but this is just an assumption. In any case, you're not going anywhere until you change Yumegen...
«That's how it is… It turns out interesting…»
– ... Sudoshi, it is desirable that in addition to this red–haired boy ... Who is he, by the way? Hey, it doesn't matter. And besides the king's entourage, no one knew that he was from another world, so do not spread unless absolutely necessary. Although, no one will believe, so do as you know. I would also like you to look after him yourself. Wait, or are you the new king?
– No, it will be Seido Shiharu. As for that, I promise I'll take him under my supervision.
– So Seido… And I always wanted you to get this title… Hmm… Or Kazuki?
– I am a worthless King. Seido is well suited for this role. In general, we have to go, Mr. Uranachi. Thank you for accepting us.
– You don't need to crucify yourself in front of an old prisoner. May you keep your sanity.
Sudoshi put his hands on the shoulders of Mido and Hikaro, after which the latter again felt the speed of movement.
– Here you will live, here is the key.
– Thank... Okay, – Takigami didn't have time to say thank you before they were gone. «Not a bad house». From the outside, the building actually looked good: a two–story white stone building with a red roof. The guy went inside: there was no hint of modern technology, and furniture as such, too. A couple of chairs, a table, a bed. And, of course, all this was under a thick layer of dust. – Cleaning up here certainly wouldn't hurt.
***
– Why couldn't you think of a bathroom? It's not like people, pfft.
After work, the dissatisfied Hikaro still could not wash himself, using only water from a bucket, a small ladle and a wooden bowl found among other junk.
– Usually, the inhabitants of Ehrenrise bathe in baths and yard showers.
– Bitch, – the guy fell to the floor, covering his personal belongings. – How did you get here?
On a huge stove, right next to the brushwood, sat none other than Magatami.
– That's it, – the man raised his hand, which went through the ceiling, and lowered it back. – As you can see, we met even earlier than I thought. You can not hide behind, I'm not impressionable.
– What do you want from me?
– Yeah… I just wanted to make sure you weren't dead yet.
– Really? Hikaro sneered arrogantly. He quickly wrapped himself in a towel and grabbed the sword that lay a couple of meters away from him. Without thinking, Takigami pointed his blade towards Magatami.
– I do not advise. Nothing will happen to me, and you can get hurt.
– Emily died because of you!
– Because of me?
– You gave me that damn ability and didn't tell me how to control it! Why did people sometimes ask permission for something, then do it themselves? But when I ordered them something, they still did not listen to me!
– It makes people want to do something they don't do every day. The strangest and most unusual. This is the power of the subconscious. Has it ever happened to you that you are talking to a person, and suddenly you want to spit in his face or slap him? Or take something away from someone, throw it away. It's just like that. It's stupid, after this thought you consider yourself a fool, but this happens. Literally for a moment, but still... This is what happens to people under the influence of this ability. And they will ask only what they doubt, but you cannot influence their choice by force. I wanted you to learn one thing: nothing should obey you just like that. Great power is not a toy, especially in the hands of an inexperienced boy. Don't worry, you don't have that ability anymore, like the rest of God's power.
– I already noticed this...
– And you must have realized that you are locked up here forever.
– Just the same forever?
– Yes. This world was not originally your dream. It's just that Yumegen has completely swallowed up your world. Of course, there are a few flaws in it. You are among them.
– So there might be other people from my world?
– I didn't say that. Although, who knows, – Magatami spread his hands. – Well, I think you'll get the hang of it soon. I advise you to get stronger. You love power, don't you? Listen to Sudoshi in everything, he will help you. Someday I'll be back to check on you. Just don't tell anyone about me, okay? Otherwise, I'll be forced to kill her.
On that beautiful note, Magatami disappeared.
– Wait! Ah–ah–th.
«I didn't have time to ask him about Tsukisuke. Does this idiot know about him?»
***
Wonderful quiet morning. For Hikaro, this is not sunny, but a cloudy sky with a grayish–blue color. A cool breeze blew, adding to the atmosphere of the day. The sun has just risen. The rooster, one of the birds of Yumegen, has already managed to wake up all the inhabitants of Ehrenrise. Only Takigami, who was tired after cleaning, was still lounging in bed.
– Ku–ka–ri–ku–u–u–u, – the cry of a bird was heard.
– Damn roosters, get down already, – he muttered displeasedly, rolling over onto his side and putting his head under the pillow. After a couple of seconds, his eyes opened. «Where from…»
– Damn it! He jumped, realizing that he was still in Yumegen. Am I really stuck here?
Someone knocked the door.
«Who else is this?»
– Wait, now.
– Hikaro, – a rough voice said. – Get ready for training. I give you a minute...
«Damn, Sudoshi. What a fucking minute, I haven't even eaten anything yet» – guy briskly began to dress.
– The time has come!
«Is he serious?! Why couldn't they have warned about this?!» – the guy hastily took a sip of some water and sat down on a chair to put on shoes. As he finished, he felt a light touch on his back, and when he raised his head, he saw that he was in the middle of the training field. Looking around, the guy realized that it was not Ehrenrise. The city was visible below. A path led to it along the gently sloping part of the rock on which they were. In the middle of the stones and tall grass stood a small barracks.
This time, Hikaro was able to see his mentor better. He looked about thirty–five or forty years old, hair blacker than coal, a little shorter than average length, combed to the right side. Blue eyes, under each of which was a terrible dark scar. One of them, on the left, ran from the very eye to the chin, crossing the lips. The man was even slightly taller than Mido, but the muscles seemed not so massive, but very dry with veins that stood out brightly against the background of pale skin. His torso, excluding the press, was wrapped in a dark cloth, resembling either a scarf or a bandage. On the back, the fabric turned into a kind of cloak, torn at the knees. There were also many bare areas on the hands , where the scars simply lay one on top of the other. Sudoshi's shoulder pads were fastened below the shoulder joint, forming sharp angles along the shoulders. Similar steel uniforms were attached to the elbows and hands to increase the effectiveness of attacks with hands. The color of the armor was black with a bluish border on the cutouts, under which one can see a wound black bandage. Black trousers were held by a leather belt, on which a tightly stuffed bag with an abundance of pockets and fasteners hung on the right side. On the left side hung a scabbard with a sword. Boots up to the knees, with many straps. Plates were attached to the knees, similar to those attached to the arms, only thicker and sharper, bulging forward.
– I see you have a more or less suitable form. So, according to the rules, you should first take a six–month course at our kaito academy. However, you are a special case with us, so consider that you have already been awarded the rank of rank five kaito. You will receive the brand with the designation a little later, – he raised his left hand, where on the back of the hand there was a black tattoo of the sun, and inside it was the sign « I «. As you probably already understood, my name is Sudoshi Kantake, and today I will teach you basic dream control.
– No need. I know everything about the control of dreams: the whole difficulty is in realizing that you are sleeping and everything around is rainy ...
The mentor gave the student a cuff on the back of the head, which shut him up.
– Not that. I don't know if you know this or not, but in our world dreams are considered clues to your destiny. These are some portals between worlds and times. Thanks to them, you can sometimes see the future death of a loved one or your distant future and past. Often people forget their dreams, and then remember when they are repeated in reality. This is also called deja vu. Kaito, on the other hand, do not see dreams, as they move from a mental to a physical state. Strength, speed, jumps, endurance – all this is much better developed in us than in ordinary people. We are taller and better built. Temperature sensitivity is also slightly reduced. There is no regeneration. In battle, it is of no use, but the wounds after it are still healed faster than those of ordinary people. But the main feature of kaito is the ability to use the power of the elements. Basically, a person has a predisposition to one particular element from birth. My, for example, lightning. I can pour it into the blade, thereby strengthening it. Or you can use some skill. Each skill is invented by the owner through numerous training, trial and error. But you can also study other people's abilities if your dream elements match. They are controlled primarily by the power of thought and trained concentration. Sometimes there are difficulties with the latter, therefore, to facilitate the task, some skills are given names, when pronouncing which the brain automatically reproduces the task given to it, if it has already been used more than once. In addition, dreams are contained in the blood, and skills can only be used when there is at least some bleeding. More precisely, the power of your skills depends on the level of hemorrhage. And with this you need to be extremely careful. Not only will the dreams end incredibly quickly, but you can still die from blood loss. On this, perhaps, everything. Let's quickly run through the ranks: from the first to the fifth. The fourth–fifth ranks are considered beginners and are under the mentorship of the first–second ranks. The third ranks are considered worthy of kaito, they can already issue orders to the lower ones, but they cannot hold managerial positions in city services, which is inherent in the first or second ranks. However, there are not so many kaito, therefore a full–fledged army cannot be assembled from them, and someone needs to do the dirty work. Therefore, there are seins – warriors of Sunlight who are not able to use the power of dreams, but they are quite good at handling swords and other weapons. They have only two ranks: higher and lower. They are considered higher in status than ordinary residents, but even the most inept kaito will be more important than even hundreds of these cRaphtsmen.
«At least take a sheet and write it down. It's all so weird».
– Enough theory. You should be appreciated. Let's start, perhaps, with a fistfight, – Sudoshi immediately stepped back with his right foot, leaning his body weight on his left, and raised his hands with open palms. – Attack!
Takigami looked into his mentor's eyes and swallowed his saliva in slight fear. The guy jumped back, swung, made a couple of jerks forward from the left, right and sent his right punch to the face, but Sudoshi just tilted his head to the side.
«What? How is he so fast?»
Hikaro almost fell, but managed to turn around in time and swung his leg over his back. The teacher, in turn, jumped, as it seemed to Hikaro, about two meters.
«He couldn't see...»
The guy hesitated. Sudoshi noticed this and pretended to want to kick in the head, but deliberately directed the kick a little to the right. Hikaro just twitched but thought he could dodge.
«Wow! So I can do it too!»
Takigami gained confidence and ran into his opponent with a series of blows, but the mentor stepped back, preventing Hikaro from hitting him.
– Faster! Kantake shouted, hoping to see something more worthwhile.
«Yes, I'm trying! But it's already annoying me».
The guy realized that it was impossible to continue like this, so he considered it necessary to kick the side of the head in a jump. And so he did. But instead of putting the opponent on the ground, he fell himself, because he swung too hard and missed.
– And it's all? Sudoshi sighed, placing his left foot on the student's chest.
– Huh, – the boy couldn't catch his breath. – You are too fast.
– Don't try to justify your own failure with someone else's advantage. I don't move fast, you react slowly. Get up, – he removed his leg. – Try to pose less and supposedly concentrate power in the blow. This is not at all what we call dream control. Concentration, first of all, in your mind, and the body must move freely, otherwise you will be cut down the second you start to do your epic swing. Now take out the blade.
– Okay, okay, – Hikaro's face showed obvious displeasure.
– So easy?
– What is special about this? – the guy did not understand the surprise on the part of the teacher.
– Here's what – Sudoshi confidently reached out to the edge of the blade and lightly touched it with his finger.
– Crap!
The blade sparked and shocked Sudoshi. The newly invincible teacher was already lying on the ground with frightened eyes wide open.
«To think, a small touch did such a lot of damage to him, while I can hold this sword without any consequences».
The guy gave his hand to the mentor, but he turned away and stood up on his own, trying not to show weakness.
– He hits right into dreams, destroying them, – Sudoshi barely said, swaying a little from side to side. – Only you can handle it. And no one else as long as you're alive.
Hikaro did not bombard the exhausted teacher with questions and simply listened.
– Let's move on, – Sudoshi took Hikaro's hand and they moved closer to the rock. There were several mannequins and a pile of swords, one of which was taken by the teacher. Kaito doesn't change his weapons. Here, swing the God of Light at me.
– Master, but you…
– Don't worry, I'm fine.
– Ah! – Hikaro hit Sudoshi's blade and simply shattered the blade to smithereens.
– See? Now try it with my blade.
He took out from the scabbard almost the same sword. Takigami delivered an equally powerful blow, but this time there was not a scratch on the blade.
– Cool. How it is?
– The longer you practice with your sword, the more it becomes filled with your dreams, and in one moment it just becomes an extension of you. Taking any other weapon will make you vulnerable. As I said, in combat, I often enhance the blade with lightning, but to do this with another sword, I would need at least a week of daily training. Therefore, remember: you and your God of Light are one. Now show me on the mannequins how you control it.
– Okay, «probably not» – although Hikaro imagined that there was a person in front of him, he still did not think that he could move. He simply waved his sword from left to right, and allegedly pierced the heart.
– The sword really doesn't bother you in any way, but I wouldn't go into battle with such a technique. Now fight me. Don't be afraid, I won't even attack you, I guess...
«Damn, this is going to be hard».
Sudoshi and Hikaro held their blades tightly with their hands and moved in a circle without closing the distance, due to which they were constantly opposite each other.
– Relax. You must constantly control your body. It must be free, otherwise you will freeze tightly when you take a hit.
«Whoa, that's easy to say».
– Watch your feet. Never keep them too close to each other. They are your support. The more the sole touches the ground, the more stable you are and the stronger your attacks. Watch your opponent's movements. Try to understand when he attacks. You can dodge, block or attack early. Depends on the situation, so you have to soberly assess your strength and the strength of your opponent. So no heroics. You understood me?
– Of course, I will try. «Even though he annoys me a little, he seems to give good advice. I wouldn't have thought of it myself» . – Ah–ah–ah! – the guy took a sharp step forward and swung at Sudoshi, but the blow was immediately blocked. «Stronger, you need to outweigh his power! Ah, it's harder than it used to be».
Sudoshi released his left hand and grabbed the guy by the neck, after which he tripped his right hand and laid Hikaro on the ground.
– Do not forget that you have not only a sword, – Sudoshi released the guy and he got up. – Now I'll just take one hit. To dodge, all you have to do is guess which direction it will go. If the blow is horizontal, back off. Vertical – jump to the side. Three, two, one.
Hikaro watched the teacher's every slightest movement intently.
«He raised his sword, so I'll bounce to the left, – the guy took a step to the side with his left foot, but did not take his eyes off Sudoshi's blade. «Damn, the edge of the blade changed angle, he decided to redirect the blow in my direction as soon as he realized where I would retreat. I have already created a support on the left, there is no time to jump to the right, which means ...»
Jerk. Hikaro accelerated his movement in the same direction, but also jumped, having previously turned the body so that with his right foot he flew further and was already behind Sudoshi.
«Damn it!»
The mentor also turned to Hikaro and continued the same swing, but this time the guy could not dodge ... But he managed to block the blow.
– Stay strong, don't give up! You must be stronger, because your life is at stake!
«A–ah–ah! Damn it! I don't have enough strength!»
– Ah–ah–ah! – from the hopelessness of the situation, Hikaro had to kick the teacher in the stomach with all the foolishness. He did not retreat, but weakened the pressure, because of which the guy was able to jump back.
– Always be ready. Don't believe everything you hear. Prove that what you have seen is not false, – Sudoshi said abstrusely, brushing off the dust from his trousers. You are a fast learner, well done.
Hikaro was confused. He did not think that this strict, brutal, terribly scarred man was capable of praise.
– Thanks.
– There is nothing to thank me for. Now proceed to a clear development of a series of strikes on dummies. You should have enough of them. Through this training, you will be able to master the blade more, plus you will begin to understand what kind of blows you are better at, so that someday you will make your own combination.
– A series of blows? Hikaro exclaimed in delight. He did not notice how from the aggressive young man he tried to appear to be, he became almost a child. – Cool! Are you good at that? You can show?
– My combo is quite long and requires magic attacks. Hence, the high cost of dreams. You'll see sometime later. And yet, it is more necessary to adapt to the opponent, and not stupidly repeat the learned movements.
– Um, do you not use dreams because you are afraid that they will run out, and if someone attacks, you will not be able to defend yourself? And how long do they recover?
– Dreams are not just a resource for elemental magic. For a kaito, this is like another vital organ, only it's not an organ, but a blood enzyme. If the dreams end, you will die. Any expenditure of them brings discomfort to the body, and in order to restore them, no matter how ironic it may sound, you need to sleep. Preferably seven or eight hours. During wakefulness, recovery also takes place, but ten times slower. Okay, practice hitting. I'll be back in the evening. And look, do not filon, otherwise you will be left without dinner.
– Already in the evening ?!
Hikaro never had time to express his dissatisfaction directly, because Sudoshi was already gone. A full day of training without food and drink is not for everyone, but Takigami understood that this test was especially for him, and high hopes were placed on his shoulders. In addition, this world gave the guy an extraordinary interest, because everything here is even better than he made for himself. The game has become more complicated: no God's control, only self–improvement through sweat and blood.
Hikaro honed his punches as best he could. What only did not occur to him: various turns, turns, sometimes he even managed to fall and almost hurt himself. But he never managed to come up with something worthy. This requires a real battle, a real battle experience, and fatigue made itself felt. Sometimes he made small pauses, but the guy was not going to mess around.
«Yes, the teacher left, but it's a damn teleporter. So he sits on a tree, and you won't even notice».
Takigami knew that Sudoshi was watching him from time to time. Yes, and « there is nothing to filon, you need to feel like them» – so Takigami thought.
The sun was about to go below the horizon. This meant that the grueling training was coming to an end.
– That's enough, – Sudoshi ordered, after which he touched Hikaro and they moved to a square a level higher on the rock. It was rather small and more dangerous, because instead of a gentle descent there was now a steep cliff. But even more territories are visible from here: forests, rocks, even the territories of the neighboring kingdom across the river. And the orange sunset gave a magical atmosphere. – And now…
«He won't even ask me if I was able to achieve something?»
– …let out the light.
– In terms of? How?
– Do you see the sun? Point your blade at it and imagine that it is your energy. Feel it in your veins and release it through the edge of the blade. Make the sun burn even brighter!
– Fu–uh. It will be difficult, – the guy tried to do everything the way the teacher asked, but nothing worked out for him.
– Do it before the sun touches the horizon, otherwise you won't get dinner.
– What?! – Hikaro fell for the provocation of the teacher and began to try even harder. – A–a–a–a! «Almost, almost! Come on! Soon!» – He stared at the blade and at the sun, trying to connect the energy between them. – Ah–ah–ah–ah–ah! Crap! It doesn't fucking work! I can't feel this energy.
From the sun, only parting rays remained. The guy gave up and sat on the edge of the cliff. Sudoshi settled down beside him.
– Sorry, – Hikaro said, looking at the teacher with a puppy–like look, to which Sudoshi smiled slightly and handed him a tray containing a bowl of fish soup and one large rice ball. – But you said...
– Don't believe everything you hear...
– Ha, – the guy already extended his hand, but stopped when he remembered the continuation of the phrase. – Prove that what you saw is not false. I don't deserve this food.
– So should I throw it away?
– No no no no!
– Then let's eat!
– Thanks.
The guy immediately began to eat.
– Tasty though?
– Of course. Here's another cup of coffee...
«He has strange tastes, but okay».
Before the dust had risen, Sudoshi had already handed him what he wanted.
– Fuck off! After all, you are not as ancient as I thought.
Hikaro had already forgotten about reality. Now he lives here and can really start over. A banal cup of coffee brings extraordinary joy after a hard day. And incredibly pleasant goosebumps from the fact that the sun heats less and less, and the wind cools more and more. But the sun will never go out. It will surely return to give life to all who need it.
– And what is your world like?
– You probably won't understand. There, everyone drives iron cars and does ... the usual routine. No one has any superpowers, and wars are fought with such things that they can kill from a great distance with one shot.
– Bows?
– Not. Pistols and machine guns. The principle of their action is similar to bows, but they are much faster and more deadly.
– That's it, it's interesting. What about you? How did you live, did you have parents?
– My father died when I was five. Frozen in a snow storm, protecting me. Mom grieved for a long time and, even when she recovered, did not look for a new man. She raised me well, I never needed anything. But life in that world was too boring, so at the first opportunity I ran away into my dreams, which eventually turned into ... that's it. I'm glad I'm here, but to be honest, I already miss my mom. Do you think I can find her in this world? Let it not be just her, but still ...
– What were the names of your father and mother?
– Dioshus and Ellen Takigami. I don't think my father is alive. It seems to me that those who died in my world also died here. But I would like to find my mother ...
– I didn't hear her name in Ehrenrise. So either she is somewhere else, or she has a different name in Yumegen.
– I don't think the same people will have different names in different worlds. She probably really lives somewhere far away from here. Thank you. Everything was very tasty, – the guy handed the tray to the teacher and for a second it seemed to him that his eyes were slightly watery, seeing off the last ray of sunshine. «What is he? And yet… who does he remind me of?»
– Please. As you understand, in this way you will still have to train often, and already without my control. You must take care of yourself. When you return to Ehrenrise, always study here when you find the time.
– On your return? Am I going somewhere?
– Yes, tomorrow the Sudoshi team is going on a mission to Danasawa. I'll tell you the details along the way. I'm waiting for you at seven in the morning outside the gates of the city, and ... – at that moment, the mentor touched Hikaro and teleported to his house. – Better sleep. Come on.
The boy reflexively slightly raised his hand to say goodbye, but of course the teacher had already disappeared.
– Yeah, ha!
An unusual period began in the life of Takigami. He did not think that every new day would give him new surprises. And one of the most important he will receive tomorrow.