The next day, I woke up with the first rays of sunlight sneaking through the window, hitting my face. I opened my eyes and stretched, resisting the urge to lie back down and go back to sleep. I knew today was going to be a busy day, so I forced myself to wake up. I threw the covers aside and got up, stumbling my way to the bathroom, still groggy from sleep. After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I heard some movement at the door. It was Ayako, who apparently had just woken up too.
Ayako: "Oh, good morning, Kaimmy!" she said, stifling a yawn. "Did you sleep well? We have a long day ahead, so it's good that you're well-rested."
Kaimmy: "Good morning, Ayako! Yes, I slept well; the bed was quite comfortable," I replied, feeling a yawn coming on as I was infected by Ayako's own.
Ayako: "Hmmm, I see you're getting ready. Do you want me to help you with your hair?"
Kaimmy: "Yes, please!" I've always enjoyed having someone else comb my hair; it gives me a sense of comfort and intimacy. My mother usually combs my hair every day when I'm at home, so Ayako's offer is very welcome.
With gentleness, Ayako took the comb from my hand and began brushing my hair. Her sleepy expression quickly turned into one of satisfaction, as if I had become her new doll. I could feel her waking up with each stroke, which became more agile as she separated my hair into two parts. The sensation of the strands being brushed gently was very pleasant. In the end, my hair was tied back into twintails. We headed to the kitchen, where Hiroshi was already finishing up breakfast.
Hiroshi: "Good morning, Kaimmy! How are you feeling today, ready for your second day of training?"
Kaimmy: "Good morning, Hiroshi. I'm a little nervous about today's training, but I think I'm ready." In truth, I'm a bit nervous about what kind of training Ayako will want to put me through today. Despite her lively and energetic personality, I felt she was serious when she said she wanted me to become her pupil.
Today's breakfast consists of onigiri with fried fish and tea. It seems Hiroshi acquired a taste for this type of meal from his former master's dojo and decided to keep his old traditions alive. Hiroshi got up from the table a bit earlier and headed to the dojo, preparing to receive the students. Alone with Ayako at the table, I couldn't help but ask:
Kaimmy: "Ayako, what kind of training are you going to put me through today?" Curiosity evident in my expression.
Ayako: "Well, well, it's a secret, but I can tell you we're going to test your limits! I'll also give some demonstrations; I guarantee you'll like what you'll see!" she said confidently. "But first, I promised to leave the warm-up to Hiroshi. Come on, it's time to go."
After we finished clearing the plates, we headed to the dojo's courtyard. My heart raced as I remembered that I had promised myself I would introduce myself to the other students. It might sound exaggerated, but my shyness has always made it very difficult for me to approach and talk to other people. It seems the time has finally come.
Hiroshi was welcoming the students, greeting them as they arrived. When he noticed my presence, he gestured for me to come closer and said:
Hiroshi: "Ah, you're all here. Everyone, this is Kaimmy. You saw her yesterday, but she arrived a bit late and missed the introductions. Her parents are old friends of ours, and they had to leave on a trip. We're taking care of her while they're away, so she'll be joining the training for a while."
With a gentle push from Ayako at my back, she encouraged me to step forward.
Kaimmy: "Um, hello, everyone. I'm Kaimmy, and I'll be here for the month," I said, scratching the back of my head. A small wave of relief washed over me as I finished speaking. I looked at each face in the room, one by one, waiting for their responses. Yuki was the first to smile and speak with a friendly voice:
Yuki: "Hi, Kaimmy. I'm Yuki. We met yesterday, but it's nice to see you again."
The twins Yui and Mei waved and smiled, one of them speaking after the other:
Yui: "Hi, Kaimmy. I'm Yui."
Mei: "And I'm Mei. Yui and I are getting ready to become adventurers, so we decided to learn a bit about martial arts before applying for the guild test."
The older man gave a gentle smile and waved his hand:
Kaelan: "Ah, hello. You can call me Kaelan." Putting a finger to his chin and assuming a thoughtful expression, he continued, "What to say... well, my little girl was just born, so I felt the need to learn something to protect her in the future, so here I am!"
I felt my facial expression soften at Kaelan's words and tried to respond with a gentle smile. Yui and Mei seemed surprised and exclaimed simultaneously, clearly enthusiastic:
Yui/Mei: "A daughter? Wow, congratulations!"
Kaelan: "Hahaha, thank you! I'll do my best for her!"
It was all so quick yet so challenging for me. I felt my heart lighten once the introductions were over, no matter how simple and brief they had been.
Hiroshi: "Alright, let's start with the warm-up. We'll begin by jogging around the courtyard."
After a while, Hiroshi observed us running with a thoughtful expression and muttered softly:
Hiroshi: "Hmm, this is too monotonous..."
Ayako: "How about something to warm up their reflexes too? What do you think about playing some kind of game?"
Hiroshi: "Ah, that could be fun! Everyone, stop running. I want you to split into two teams. Kaimmy, Yuki, and Mei go to that side, Ayako, Kaelan, and Yui go to the other!"
As we positioned ourselves, Hiroshi brought some ropes and a basket filled with small fabric balls. He used the ropes to create a circle around each of us, with Ayako's circle being very tiny, and continued:
Hiroshi: "Let's wake up your reflexes. None of you can leave your circle. I'll throw this ball at you, and I want you to do your best to dodge it. Are you ready?"
After a brief nod from all of us, Hiroshi, with a mischievous smile, immediately threw one of the balls with all his strength at Ayako, who had to contort herself in place to dodge it.
Ayako: "Bhwa! Hey, my circle is too small!"
Hiroshi: "Hahaha, well, that was a good demonstration of what you should do! Don't worry, I'll only go hard on Ayako. Don't feel sorry for her when you need to throw at her."
Ayako: "Hey!!! It's not fair; step into a circle too!"
Hiroshi: "I can't, it would leave the teams with an uneven number of players, right?"
Ayako: "Don't use that as an excuse! You planned this from the beginning, didn't you? Ugh, fine, let's do it your way..."
Each of us had to dodge a few throws from Hiroshi until he nodded and placed a small stack of balls in front of each of us.
Hiroshi: "Well, I think you've all figured out what you need to do, right? Hit the members of the other team and avoid getting hit. If you get hit more than 5 times or step out of the circle, you're out. Alright, begin!"
It was chaotic, with cloth balls flying in all directions, and Hiroshi running back and forth to gather the balls to replenish us. We switched teams several times, creating various combinations. I got hit several times but returned the favor by eliminating many opponents. I did my best, and in the end, I was satisfied with my results. I think Hiroshi is trying to make the training more dynamic and less monotonous, and between us, he's doing a good job, managing to get lots of laughs from the whole group, even from me, as shy as I am. What drew the most laughs from the group was the way Ayako clumsily tried to dodge the balls in that tiny circle, where her feet barely fit side by side. It was simply hilarious but also very impressive. Satisfied with the outcome, Hiroshi signaled for us to stop and proceeded to instruct the students to do stretches. At that moment, Ayako approached me, excited.
Ayako: "Alright, warm-up completed! It's finally time, Kaimmy! Come on, let's start our training! Hiroshi, I'm taking Kaimmy with me. She's only staying for a month, so I want to make the most of our time."
She said the last part more to the other students than to Hiroshi, as if apologizing for separating me from them.
Hiroshi: "Okay, but bring her back every once in a while; it'll be good for her to interact with the other students too."
As Hiroshi continued to instruct the students in the courtyard, Ayako guided me to the tatami-floored room. As she stretched, she began:
Ayako: "I never really showed you my fighting style, did I? As I mentioned before, my specialty is delivering precise kicks while evading. At first, I tried to learn the same style as Hiroshi, but my constitution isn't as robust as his to block or redirect heavy blows, especially if the enemy is a monster or a magical beast, so I ended up focusing more on evasion. It's easier to show you than explain in words. Watch!"
I nodded, sitting in the corner of the room to observe. She moved to the center and remained still for a few moments, adjusting her breathing as if preparing. Balancing on one leg, she made the first move. She executed it slowly and gracefully, raising her leg high into standing split, in a motion that could easily be mistaken for a dance move. Suddenly, the slow motion transformed into a swift spin, delivering a kick at the end of the rotation. She continued with a sequence of kicks, almost as if performing a choreography, with each kick's final movement seamlessly leading into the first movement of the next, flowing smoothly and pleasing to the eye of any observer.
Suddenly, each kick movement intertwined with acrobatics. Somersaults of all kinds, cartwheels, aerial flips, each connected with rapid kick movements in a deadly dance. Her dexterity, balance, and control over her own body were evident. Her body's mobility seemed limitless. Every pose, kick, and acrobatic move demanded an extremely high level of flexibility, but she executed them as if it were no trouble at all. With her final move, Ayako landed in a perfect straddle split, concluding her performance. Then, while still in the split, she leaned forward until her navel and elbows touched the ground, using both hands to support her chin and directing her gaze towards me.
Ayako: "So, what did you think?"
Kaimmy: "That was... incredible!" At this moment, if I could see myself in a mirror, I'm sure my eyes would be shining so brightly they could be seen clearly in the dark. There was an evident look of triumph and satisfaction on her face as she gazed into my eyes.
Ayako: "Aha, I knew you'd like it! How about we start with some stretching? I'm sure you've noticed that you'll need to dedicate yourself to this to follow my style." As she finished the sentence, Ayako turned to the left, changing from the lateral split to a forward split and bending her back until her head was below the line of her rear thigh, touching the ground with a provocative look. The ease with which she did this impressed me even more. I wonder how intense her training was to become capable of such a thing. Just thinking about it gave me goosebumps. "Let's first test your limits, come closer!" she concluded.
Following her instructions, I approached.
Kaimmy: "Okay. What do I need to do?"
Ayako: "Humm, let's first test how far you can go with each type of stretching. First, let's test your legs. Come, sit here. Keep your legs together in front of you and slowly lean your body forward. The caterpillar position, remember?"
I did as she asked and began slowly bringing my body closer to my legs. As my head approached my knees, I began to feel the muscles in my legs being stretched more intensely. I held the position for a few seconds, then Ayako went behind me again and pushed me gently forward. But this time, she did something different. Using her own body to push me, she extended her hands and touched my leg. I could see a greenish aura overflowing from her hand and being absorbed by my leg.
Ayako: "This is where my secret comes in. You see, aura can be used in many different ways. One of them is to accelerate your body's natural recovery." Changing her excited tone to an explanatory one, she continued, "Using aura for healing is one of the most advanced techniques and is quite challenging to use; even Hiroshi hasn't quite mastered it yet, so I'll save that for teaching you in the future." I felt Ayako increase the pressure on my back, making the stretch even more intense. Ayako's aura played a crucial role in helping me reach this point, easing my discomfort and preventing any kind of injury, even when pushing beyond my body's current limits. "Of course, not everyone gets results as good as mine, after all, this is my individuality, so consider yourself lucky!" Looking at her curiously, I wondered what individuality I would awaken in the future. individualities are unique abilities that individuals awaken after rigorous training and can be incorporated into both magic and aura manipulation. It is said to be so difficult to awaken your individuality that many highly skilled magicians and martial artists fail to do so, and when someone succeeds, that person is automatically recognized as a master. "You know, when we were still an adventurer team, your mother and I took turns healing our teammates. Despite my individuality improving my recovery ability, it's not the kind that can be easily used on others, so we had to combine our efforts to compensate. There, I knew you had potential; you're progressing so fast that it seems like you were made for this. Uhuhuhu, we'll explore this thoroughly in the coming days."
Certainly, using aura for healing seems to be quite useful. I need to add that to the 'things I want to learn' list and I'll pester Ayako to teach me when I'm more confident in my aura control.
Ayako: "Let's try this one next!" The next position involved extending one leg to the side, bringing my shoulders toward the knee, and trying to touch my foot with the hand on the opposite side. Ayako effortlessly demonstrated the exercise before encouraging me to give it a try. I managed to get quite close but not close enough. Once again, I felt Ayako getting closer, placing her hands on my leg and waist. Soon, I felt the pleasant warmth of her aura running through my muscles. Another gentle push, and I was now able to touch my shoulder to my knee and reach my foot with the other hand.
After a variety of stretches, all yielding the same results and allowing me to achieve positions I wouldn't normally be able to, I noticed a few beads of sweat forming on her forehead. I gave her a questioning look. Apparently, using aura in this way was quite draining.
Ayako: "Well, well, you noticed? Yes... using aura like this isn't just tiring; it's exhausting. I'm only doing this because I like you and have always wanted a pupil. Well, I won't be able to keep this up for much longer. Shall we move on to the last exercise then?" Her tone of voice made it sound like a child playing with her favorite toy. "This is my favorite position. Why don't you give it a try too?"
The position was a split, just like when she finished demonstrating her fighting style earlier. Legs stretched out to each side of the body, the navel touching the ground, and hands supporting the chin. Timidly, I positioned myself to try to imitate her. Obviously, I stopped much earlier. I always thought I was flexible enough, but apparently, I'll need to work harder. As had become customary, I felt the sensation of Ayako's aura penetrating my muscles, accompanied by a slight pressure on my back. This technique will really save me a lot of time. I can't help but get excited thinking about how much progress I'll make by the end of the month. I soon found myself thinking that I wanted to stay here a little longer... Maybe I'll ask for permission from my parents when they return? I wonder if my mother will think that Ayako really managed to make me give up the path of magic to enter the martial arts... Never, I won't give up magic. But maybe... I can try to follow the path of a magical swordsman? No, I don't like swords. Maybe I'll follow Ayako's style but add magic to my kicks? I think that's a possibility. Which reminds me of something I wanted to ask Ayako:
Kaimmy: "Ayako, I have a question."
Ayako: "Oh, go ahead, what is it?" she said, in a curious tone.
Kaimmy: "Yesterday, while studying magic, something occurred to me. Why are there so few magic swordsmen? Coating a sword with your aura and adding a layer of mana on top of that wouldn't make the sword even stronger? I know there are some out there, but they're so few..."
Ayako: "Aha, so you're thinking of combining your aura with magic? Well, I can't say it's a bad idea, but have you tried it?"
Kaimmy: "Actually, no... I wanted to learn to control my aura a bit better before trying that..."
Ayako: "I see. Well, definitely using aura and magic together would make you a formidable opponent. The problem is that it's extremely difficult to do so. The most advanced techniques always require impeccable concentration, and maintaining two high-level techniques at the same time isn't for everyone. Especially when they involve opposing energies in the sense that one is generated by your own body, and the other must be absorbed from the environment. I personally was never good with magic, so I never even came close to achieving it. Magic swordsmen, or anyone who combines aura with magic, are scarce because it's so difficult that very few people can do it efficiently. There are some who claim to be able to do it, but instead of combining high-level techniques with advanced magic, they can only combine simple techniques with basic magic. If, instead of using two weak techniques combined, they used any advanced magic, without the use of aura, the results would be much better, and it would be easier than combining the two. Only true masters can combine aura and mana into extremely advanced techniques, which is why they are so rare."
Kaimmy: "So that's why... I thought I could do it, but if it's this difficult... maybe it's better to give up..." she said, feeling disheartened.
Ayako: "Whoa! No giving up that easily. Without a doubt, you'll need to put in the effort if you want to do this. But who says you won't succeed just because it's difficult and few people can do it?" As she spoke, I felt the pressure on my back gradually increase. "You have an excellent magic master, who happens to be your mother, and between you and me, I consider myself a great teacher too. If that's what you want, you have my full support, and I'll teach you everything I know. I know you can do it if you try." As if to reaffirm her final stance, she gave me one last push, with all her strength. I felt my hips touch the ground, and my muscles screamed in pain. When I looked around, my feet were perfectly aligned with the ground in a split position just like Ayako had demonstrated earlier. I wasn't sure if I should be happy for achieving it or cry from the pain. Ayako sat on my buttocks, preventing me from getting out of the position. I suffered in silence for a few minutes before she finally got up, with a mischievous smile on her face, punishing me for thinking of giving up without even trying.
Ayako: "Great, I think we've had enough stretching for today!" Springing up, Ayako reached out her hand towards me.
Kaimmy: "Ugh... that was quite... intense..." I said as I accepted her help to get up. My cheeks turned as red as a tomato. "I wasn't expecting that last one..."
Ayako: "Hahaha, it just came to me on the spot when I realized you were considering giving up. Don't you dare do something like that again near me, or you'll suffer the consequences, muahahahah."
Kaimmy: "Eeek!" Ayako's malicious grin frightened me even more than her words. I better be more careful with what I say when training with her...
Ayako: "Jokes aside, it will take some time for your body to get used to this type of exercise, but don't worry, my technique will greatly shorten that time. I'm sure that by the end of the month, you'll have made a lot of progress!"
Kaimmy: "Just don't go too hard on me, please, hahaha..."
Ayako: "Ahh, I'm not sure I can promise that... You see... you're going to need to work very hard to learn my style. So, are you ready?"
I paused for a few seconds to think. I can clearly visualize her movements in my head. They were so incredible... I really want to be able to do those moves someday. I wonder if I could achieve something like that in the future; it seems so unattainable... But wait, I just learned that I can't give up without trying! I need to do my best! With a renewed sense of determination, I looked directly at Ayako and said:
Kaimmy: "Please, train me!"
Ayako: "Perfect!"