The battle shortly after comes to a close, our side having won a crushing victory once Lector rejoined the fray. Honestly, the ease with which we won with his power is somewhat absurd, a magnificent display as to the unfair nature of this world and the power of my master. While I am glad that I will be fighting under the command of such a character, that such power is in this world is a great reminder of the struggles I will be sure to face on the battlefield, a place where such powers reign freely.
After the battle, I make use of the free time to practice integrating my magic and swordsmanship. Deciding to focus on one thing at a time, I start off only by practicing using wind to aid my motion. Due to my practice with flying over the last couple of weeks, using wind elemental particles to make precise movement switch my body has become quite natural, to integrate it into my fighting style in a way to maximize effect is far more straightforward than I would have expected.
And the effect is certainly great. Through the implementation of wind magic, my speed increases by over thirty percent, and the speed of my attacks can be made to double. If I could have these bonuses in a duel with Reinhart, assuming he doesn't use his legendary blade, my victory would be all but guaranteed. Not to mention, future practice with this method is sure to only make me more capable.
Wanting to make as much progress today with improving my abilities as a magic swordsman as possible, I then begin to work with the earth elemental particles to aid in my footwork. Here, I immediately run into some problems. I am far weaker with the earth element than with air, and I don't have nearly so much experience with using it.
Still, I persist. After a few hours, I begin to understand the changes to make to the earth at my feet, changes with the goal of pushing and moving me in whatever direction I desire. Say I want to take a step back; by making the ground firm beneath my foot before using it to push me away, I can push off of it with far more efficiency, decreasing the energy consumption and increasing the accuracy of the move. Of course, I am sure that most would immediately realize how difficult this is to do, especially when it must be done several times a second. If only I had a way to slow down my perception of reality, to increase the speed of my brain's function…
But of course! After the first large-group training session a couple of months ago, I resolved to figure out how to use lightning mana to increase the speed of my reactions by speeding up the electric signals within my nervous system, a move definitely not copied from a fictional character or another. However, after practicing in my meager free time for a week or so, I had set aside the idea. Progress was simply too slow, and I had so many other things to focus on, not to mention the inherent dangers of using lightning mana to artificially enhance the functionality of the nervous system. After only a week of practice I had already given myself a handful of shocks that, if any worse, could have permanently debilitated or even killed me. Combining my lack of time, my lack of actual need, and the risks involved, I had moved it to the back burner then.
However, now I have a need. The number of actions I must take in a battle has been greatly increased with the introduction of various types of mana into all of my motions, and my brain simply can't easily keep up anymore. Sure, with enough practice the actions may become as natural as sword fighting already is to me, and at that point I will be able to smoothly integrate them without much mental strain, but I have not the time for such practice.
[So, it is definitely the case that I have a need for this ability now. However, how am I to train it safely?] Immediately, an answer comes to mind: [with Lector of course! Lector has much greater control over mana than I do, so if he sees something going wrong, he will be able to help, to ensure my safety!]
Deciding to go find Lector, I take a break from my practice with integrating wind and earth elemental manipulation with my swordsmanship. I had been practicing in an empty field near the edge of the city-center complex, but only a short time is required to make the long flight to Lector's house, where I expect to find him.
And find him, I do. As I expect, he is inside his residence, creating more potions. "Preparing for tomorrow's departure?" I ask him, as way of announcement of my arrival.
"Ah, I assumed it was you," he says, not even bothering to turn to me. "And yes, I figure that an extra batch of healing potions won't be a bad idea on the battlefield. Is there a reason as to why you are interrupting my work? I am rather busy at the moment, as you can see."
"Actually, yes," I say, ignoring Lector's hint to get lost. "I need some help with training."
"What kind of help?" he asks, still not looking away from his work.
After briefly explaining what I intend, he finally looks at me, a bit of surprise upon his face. "Use lighting to increase reaction and thought speed? Where did you get such an idea?"
"Well, I've heard that the body uses electrical impulses for the brain to send messages around. I'd actually assume a mage with such a high level magic sensory skill as yours would be able to sense it."
At this, he shakes his head. "While it may be true that the body communicates with electricity, something I have never heard of before, I would not be able to see it even if it was the case. The same force that prevents me from igniting your internal organs with fire mana also prevents me from seeing into your body. For that reason, I would be unable to monitor this method as you wish me to, and would also be unable to intervene. Perhaps a mage capable of pure mana manipulation could aid you, but I am far from that level. The only person incapable of pure mana manipulation that will be able to move mana within your body is you, I'm afraid… though this is actually a very good thing, considering that a single powerful mage could wipe out armies even faster with this ability. Or maybe not, as even those capable of pure mana manipulation don't generally do such things… Well, whatever the case, this idea sounds interesting but I am unable to help you with it. My apologies; now, I must return to my work."
[Well, I guess I'll be throwing safety out the window today], I think as I go to the open area in front of his house. [Now, time to begin.]
I start off small just imagining microscopic and tiny orbs of lighting elemental particles, even so small as individual particles, forming in my brain and spinal cord. Due to their miniscule sizes, my frequent failures go unfelt. As for my successes, well, they at least prove that the concept will work, for which I am relieved. I am working on a very small scale, but nonetheless I occasionally get a strange feeling of the world slowing down around me for a tiny fraction of a second, barely enough to be noticeable but still definitely there.
I work on this until dinner arrives. While I would much prefer to train than to eat, attendance is compulsory without a valid reason for not doing so. While I could possibly get Lector to excuse me, I reason that there might be something worth hearing tonight at dinner considering that I am leaving tomorrow. So, wishing for nothing more than more time to train, I go with Lector to dinner.
He seems rather intrigued when I tell him about my efforts with my method - definitely not 'thunderclap impulse,' such a name would be a trademark violation! - from which I deduce that such understanding of the brain's functionality is not known here. I explain my idea, carefully hiding where my basic understanding of nervous system functionality comes from, until we reach the dining hall.