"Too Slow."
"Dam It."
It's been a week of nonstop training. Currently were in the sparring building with the glass roof. Looking at the ceiling I could tell it was night time but I wasn't allowed to go home until Burke here felt like it.
He quickly dashed opposite of me after dodging my last flurry. My kakugan should be ready again, let's not break it this time. I reached my right hand out forming my kakugan. A simple sword with a cross guard nothing cool.
"Trying that again."
" Tch"
He still had a cigar in his mouth. Every time he spoke I could here the years of smoking exit his mouth through the sound of his voice. Even with that though, he was incredibly strong. I dashed in full speed swinging my kakugan.
The sound of it hitting his arm sounded like slamming a rock off of metal. He has immense shrine energy, he can block my full power with ease. He tossed my kakugan off and went for a kick aimed at my head. I ducked and dashed to his left trying another swing. He took a step to the side last second causing my swing to cut only air. Before I could pull it back he grabbed my kakugan, spun me around and threw me to the other side of the arena
I hit the ground rolling. I had to regain footing, if I don't he'll get a free hit and this dude hurts. Digging my feet into what I could seeing as we were on white tiles, I slid to stop bringing my kakugan up in defense. . . Shit he's already gone. How fast is--Behind me.
I sensed his shrine energy leaking from his body. I immediately swung behind me hopping to stop him from landing a free hit on me. I saw him for a moment as my kakugan was cutting towards his neck. But he quickly moved out of the way. I looked down to find him directly to my left with a clear shot on my ribs. "BOOM"
There's no way my ribs aren't broken. He landed a clean punch right on them with his full strength. . At least I think that's his full strength, if it isn't then that's scary. Sending me straight into a wall.
" Your still slow kid." He took his cigar out his mouth and a ash trey I had seen him use many times now usually signaling the end of training. . . But I wasn't done yet. " You still need to improve your speed and reaction time. I'm moving at about the speed most out their will be." The cloud of dust from my impact cleared. " Oh."
I don't know if he was impressed or not but I had my shot. I used that cloud as cover for a flank. He seemed to let his guard down thinking we were done. I was behind him and he hadn't noticed yet. I had a clear shot with my kakugan still in my right hand. He's fast, I have to attack now.
I thrust my kakugan forward aiming for the dead center of his back. The hell. Their was a resistance, like multiple layers of ice were being broken the closer I got slowing my blade down slightly. Still I can break them and he still hasn't seen me. I can land a hit. Finally pushing through. the resistance was gone. "FWIP"
"Shit"
Right before my attack landed he jumped backwards over my blade and me. As he was above me he extended his hand and grabbed my kakugan.
" That was a good move kid."
Picking me up off the ground with his momentum as he fell back towards the ground he lifted me above himself and slammed me into the ground. The impact shook the floor and sucked all the air from my body.
After the building stopped shaking from the impact and the dust had cleared. He looked down on me with a different face. Usually it was neutral or one of disappointment. This time he had a slight smile.
Getting up gasping for air. I noticed it just before he turned around grabbing another cigar from his pack in his pocket. Lighting it and smoking it.
" What are you smiling for. It's creepy." He turned around revealing he still had the smirk, now wrapped around his cigar.
" You actually impressed me today." So the reason he doesn't smile is because I suck. That's nice to know.
" How so. I feel like I got my ass kicked all the same."
" Yea. You still got your ass kicked." . . Thanks. . . " But you showed growth."
" How so?" We both started heading for the exit, puffs of smoke leaving from Burkes cigar.
" First. I really thought you were done after that hit. I put a little extra behind it."
" Yea. I could feel that extra part." Still hurts.
" Second. Using the dust kicked up as cover to flank even after that hit was cleaver. Actually caught me off guard." I knew he didn't expect it. Then how did he. . . ?
" Third. You had the intention of killing me."
". . .Huh. Really. . ."
"Your kakugan was aimed for my heart and you had no plan of retracting it. If I didn't dodge I'd be dead." . . Shit. I really tried to kill him. Why. It's not like I don't like him, I mean he does kick my ass all the time but I didn't want to kill him.
" I'm-Sorry."
" Don't be. That's the mindset you need if you're gonna be out in real battle."
" Still. This isn't life or death. We were sparring." There was a short pause where Burke put out his new cigar. We were standing at the door right in front of the lockers were my bags were.
" I have trained lots of people like you. They all were afraid to go for the kill. They say when the time comes they can do it but. . . Then they get their shot and they always hesitate." His voice was lower and had the tone of someone thinking back on something. " The one's who are willing to kill me in training are the ones who survive. So I think you'll be one of the good ones."
" Huh."
" Why are you looking at me with that stupid face for."
" Uh. Nothing but you said you've trained lots of people like me."
" Yea. That's kind of my job."
" I thought a prodigy only appeared every hundred years or something."
" . . . Are you really that stupid."
" Hey. That's what I heard from a friend."
" And you believed him. Did you happen to ask where he heard that from."
" Uhhh. No"
" There's no way your grades were good enough to get in this school." He brought his face into his palm and started shaking his head in disapproval. . . Zaldos is an idiot, why would I believe him. Actually it's my fault. My ego wanted that to be true because It would make me more special.
"So how many have you trained."
" Hundreds. Any one they consider to be high in potential come to me." So I'm not special. But they said I was a prodigy. " I get them ready for actual battle. Usually it's a bit easier since their Juniors or Seniors. Not freshmen."
" Then why did they send me to you."
" . . . I never said you weren't a prodigy." Oh. Neverminded I am special. " Don't look to happy. You've got lots of work to do to catch up to them.
" How long will it take for me to reach their level."
" I'd say at the earliest. . . Five months."
" Not to bad."
" I said the earliest."
" Yea I heard you."
". . . You think you'll be ready by then."
" I know I will be. I'm a prodigy."
" Don't bank to hard on that. I've seen so called prodigies die on their first day to many times. Don't be the next one to join them."
" I'm different. I won't let my self die. I've got something to achieve."
" And they didn't?" Yea they probably did. But they didn't strive hard enough to achieve it. If you have a goal as important to you as mine. You won't let yourself fail.
". . ."
" Sho. Everyone has a dream or a goal. If you think yours is better than theirs or means more to you. Go ask them and see what they say. I guarantee they'll say theirs is better or more important then yours. All dreams are equally important across everyone."
" If that was true they wouldn't of died."
" Watch your mouth."
He's pissed. Looking into his eyes which were usually dull and relaxed now had a fire after I said this. There was something relating to this subject he didn't want brought up. I could see it. He's hiding something.
" Sorry" He already could kick my ass when he's normal. I can't imagine when he's pissed.
He paused and let out a large sigh with smoke exiting his mouth as he did. He put his cigar out and threw it in the trash. I went into the locker room and grabbed my bags. We started for the exit, today we trained from 4 to 9pm. Each day feels longer and longer and I feel like I'm not improving at a fast enough rate. . . Still the fact that they had me train with this guy means I have the potential to be great. And if I reach the peak of that potential I can move my family out of that shit hole.
" Your confidence." We were just outside the door with street lights shining down on us when Burke stopped a gazed into the stars.
"Huh."
" Your confidence is a good thing. It's something everyone needs a certain amount of." We started walking again are faces dancing between light and darkness as we passed under the street lights. " If you have no confidence you'll never grow. You'll except where you stand a strive for nothing more."
" Is this going to be a lecture about me being over confident."
" No. . . Kind of. . . You have a fire in you. One that keeps you striving for more. And you have the confidence to believe you can achieve that." Yea I am confident in my abilities. I believe I am the strongest Freshmen. . . Because I am. " But. When in a fight. You need to understand where you stand in comparison. If you are overconfident in your own abilities while fighting a stronger opponent. You'll be dead."
" Is this about."
" Yes. That last move you pulled on me. When you attacked you felt the resistance right."
" Yea. But I believed I could break it before you could react."
" Did you have any reason to believe I wouldn't be able to react."
" . . ."
" In a real fight you would of died. When you felt that resistance. You should of expected someone of superiors skill than you to have some way to counter you." He didn't have to say superior like that.
" Hey. I believe-" Oh. I see.
" Over confident." He was right. I take pride in my skill and am confident that I can beat any opponent. But in a real fight, I still should respect that parsons skill level in comparison to me. Be that superior or weaker. If I don't, even if I massively out skill them. I could die. " At the same time though." He's still talking. " Don't lose that confidence."
" What do you mean?"
" One thing worse than not believing in your own skill. . . Is to have that confidence shattered, broken." He took out another cigar and lit it. I can't believe he smokes them so much. And cigars aren't even supposed to be addictive. At least not like cigarettes'
". . ."
" If that happens. You'll even start to doubt the things that you already new you could do. The things you were good at and the things your bad at become one. . . You don't trust yourself. That will lead to a quick death in battle."
" I see. Have you witnessed this happen."
" . . ." He's hiding something. I can see it in his eyes, they keep sinking into his skull like he's thinking back on something.
" . . . Who's that." I followed his eyes to a figure standing at the entrance of the school. It was a thin girl with long hair. I couldn't see the color but I feel like I knew. Her and Zaldo had been meeting me here since I can't hang out with them as much so we just walk to the dorms together.
" Alys." Burke shot me a weird look I didn't think I'd see from him. Adding a smirk to it as well to freak me out more.
". . .I see."
" Huh. See what."
". . ." Doubt your girlfriends wants to see the man who kicks your ass all day"
" Huh. Hey she's not my-" To late he was already walking off. I don't need that shit from him. Neither did I expect to get it from him. That's feels more like something some one less mature would say not a big tough 40 year old.
I walked over to the entrance where she was waiting. I kicked what Burke had said out of my mind. I don't want to be someone who lets statements like that enter my mind when I'm around someone I don't see that way. It can lead to delusions I would rather not have.
" Alys."
" Hey Sho." I took a second to scan the surrounding area for Zaldo possibly waiting to scare me or something. Wouldn't be the first time. But I couldn't find anyone or anything out of place.
" Where's Zaldo"
" Oh um. He's with Cilca."
" Oh really." I wonder if.
" She held him up after school and asked him to come with her to meet up with his other friends"
" Oh."
We began walking between the street lights. The sky was clear and the night was warm. For the past two weeks it had been weirdly cold for May but tonight felt way better. Like summer should. I looked at Alys who was waling seeming fixated on the ground. Was she nervous. She was always quiet but this felt a little more awkward. Is it because it's just the two of us. I have to say something or else it's gonna get worse.
" So."
"Huh."
" You can see what's going on with Cilca and Zaldo right."
" Ha. Yea I can. Cilca has been hanging out with us a lot more lately."
" And the one she talks two the most is Zaldo. Plus some of the comments she makes towards him which she says are. " Jokes".
" Yea. But I'm not sure Zaldo shares her feelings though."
" Well Cilca seemed kind of stubborn and mean even with him when I met her. Zaldo didn't really seem to like her then."
" Yea but she's been trying to change. Being nicer to him."
". . . Can't believe she thought you two were together."
" Uh, Shut up.
" I could see it."
" . . .Stop it."
We talked about Zaldo and Cilca a little more and then about what I missed in my classes which I was being forced to make up which I find stupid. We reached the dorms and Alys decided to walk with me up to my floor before going to hers. As we climbed the steps she became quiet again. I tried to break the silence but she didn't seem to hear me.
I reached my floor and she was still silent. I said goodbye and wave but still nothing. The hell. Did I piss her off or something. I'll just ignore it for now. I began to walk away from the steps, the sounds of crickets echoing in the night.
" Sho."
Behind me the voice of Alys called out in a timid tone. I turned and she was right behind me. She had walked with me all the way to my dorm with almost silent footsteps. Creepy.
" Uh. Yea."
" . . . Please. . . Don't die."