Night had finally fallen, and under the starry sky, I positioned myself in the center of the courtyard. Slowly, I began to focus on the mana around me, gathering all the water mana I could sense in the environment and mixing it with the mana stored in my body. Imagining a water sphere, I made the mana materialize as a crystal-clear water bubble around me. Following my thoughts, the water started to swirl around me, creating a violent vortex capable of protecting me and causing harm to anyone who tried to approach. With a quick movement of my hands, I directed this vortex in the form of a powerful wave towards one of the training dummies, which, despite being made of stone and metal, easily toppled upon the impact of my magic. The conjured water soon dispersed and returned to the environment in the form of mana. Phew, I did it! This is the most powerful magic I can conjure at the moment, but... it's slow... very slow. I spent so much time gathering the mana that I can't imagine using this effectively in battle. My mother doesn't need more than 3 seconds to perform a move like that, and here I am, spending almost a whole minute trying to imitate her. I can only think that I still have a long way to go... but that's exactly why I need to practice even more! Determined to continue, I began gathering lightning mana around me.
...
Leaning on the balcony railing, Ayako watched the scene in the courtyard.
Hiroshi: "Hmmm, wasn't that the same move Sakura used to use?" Hiroshi: "It was a bit slow, but definitely just as powerful as hers!"
Ayako: "Yes, it was the same move! Ah, she seems to have quite the talent for it, and Sakura must have taught her very well. Hmmm, here comes the lightning!" With a flash of light illuminating the night, a bolt of lightning shot from Kaimmy's hands and found its way to the fallen training dummy.
Hiroshi: "So, what do you think of her? I was surprised that you wanted her as your pupil all of a sudden; I don't recall you mentioning that before."
Ayako: "Well, I had never come across someone who caught my attention before, but it had always been in the back of my mind. It seemed like a good idea to make my best friend's daughter my pupil, and her personality attracted me. She's like a cute little animal; you should have seen her face when I was testing her limits."
Hiroshi: "Hahaha, I remember looking in your direction and witnessing a bizarre scene where you were sitting on top of her while she struggled to get out with all her might. Her face at that moment was truly priceless. I know you enjoy this kind of thing, but try not to overdo it; she's not used to it yet."
Ayako: "Ufufufu, don't worry, you know I have the means to do it without hurting her, and I'm trying to hold back. Oh, look, it seems she needs our help!"
...
Heavy! No matter how hard I try, I can't lift this dummy... what should I do? I don't want to bother the two of them with something so trivial... Lost in thought about what to do, the sound of footsteps behind me almost made me jump in surprise.
Ayako: "Hello! Working hard, as always, huh? I must admit you're much more diligent than I thought you'd be. Good girl!"
As she stroked my hair, I looked towards the dummy, and then back at Ayako, not knowing what to say, while my cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Ayako: "Ara, having trouble lifting the dummy?"
Kaimmy: "...Yes," as I averted my gaze and scratched my chin guiltily, Ayako chuckled and said:
Ayako: "Well well, this looks like a good opportunity! Why don't you put into practice what you learned this afternoon?"
Kaimmy: "I guess I can try..."
After freezing for a few seconds, I hurriedly replied. It hadn't crossed my mind, but maybe now is a good time to try! I closed my eyes and focused my aura on the muscles I needed to lift the dummy. Using the same idea of 'feeding' my muscles with my aura, I attempted to lift the dummy all at once. It moved! But... it wasn't enough. Lifting the dummy halfway, I began to feel unbalanced, and the dummy started to fall again, but I was rescued in time by Ayako, who effortlessly put the dummy back in place.
Ayako: "Saved! Hahahaha, don't worry, you'll get the hang of it!"
Kaimmy: "Uh, thank you."
Ayako: "You're welcome. That was quite a spell you cast there, I was watching. Taking down a dummy like that is no small feat!"
Kaimmy: "Ah, I just imitated my mom... but I was still too slow; I have a lot to improve."
Ayako: "Even the greatest masters always have much to improve; don't be too hard on yourself and take pride in your achievements!" Earning a grateful look from me, she suggested, assuming a thoughtful expression: "Humm, since you're training in magic... have you tried combining your magic with aura? I think it might be a good time for you to try. I'm here to help you!"
Kaimmy: "No, I haven't tried yet, but it sounds like a good idea. I think I can give it a shot!"
Ayako: "Great! Let's start with something basic. Can you coat your fists with aura, just like we did before?" Nodding, I focused on my fists, channeling my aura into them until they began to emit a faint blue light. "Your primary affinity is with water mana, right? Now, try adding a layer of mana along with your aura."
Increasing my concentration even further, I attempted to coat my fists with a layer of mana over my aura, but I was surprised by something. The moment I began to focus on controlling the mana, I lost control of my aura, which dissipated, leaving only the newly formed layer of mana on my fists. I tried again, but this time, reversing the order. Starting with a layer of mana and then attempting to add my aura on top, but the result was the same. The moment I tried to shift my focus to the other, I lost my concentration on the first, and it dispersed. After many attempts, I finally managed to maintain a thin layer by combining mana with my aura, but goodness, this is difficult; I can feel my head frying, I wouldn't be surprised if Ayako said she saw smoke coming out of my ears now!
Ayako: "Hahahaha, I think this will keep you busy for a while. Unfortunately, I can't help you much with magic, but whenever you want tips on aura manipulation, feel free to ask me! You can stay here and practice a bit more, but between you and me, I think you've done enough for today. Remember, you also need to rest. Tomorrow is the last day of training, and then we have a two-day weekend break. Of course, you can still practice on your own during those two days, but I want to use that time to do other things with you!"
Wondering what kind of strange training or task she would assign me this time, I couldn't help but ask:
Kaimmy: "Other things? What kind of things?"
I could see the familiar gleam forming in her eyes, and her facial expression once again became that of a child about to play with her favorite toy.
Ayako: "Of course, clothes! What else? As my pupil, I want to use this weekend to buy you clothes identical to mine, so we'll match, and everyone will know that you and I are related! What do you think?"
I was taken aback by the sudden change of topic. Clothes? Until now, I hadn't really given it much thought, just choosing the most comfortable outfits for training from what I had brought. Come to think of it, Ayako's clothes are quite stylish... She always wears a black kimono with elegant, flared sleeves that expose her shoulders. Is there a reason her sleeves are so long? Around her waist, she sports a beautiful green and gold sash, and on the bottom, a short skirt with slits on both sides, presumably to facilitate movement. Black 3/4 socks give her a refined yet sexy look, but what surprises me the most are the shoes she usually wears. They're obviously quite heavy, with thick soles and wedge heels made of metal, a lot taller than I would feel comfortable wearing. Getting kicked by someone wearing shoes like those must be equivalent to getting hit by a war hammer. Ouch, just thinking about it hurts! If she can wear those shoes without a problem, it's no wonder she specializes in kicks. With my eyes gleaming with anticipation, I began to imagine how I would look in such attire...