Jaylen and the rest of Libra class 1, stood in neat rows within the practical room, awaiting Miss Xirenia's arrival.
They had been told that their final class of the day would be here but that was it.
The class's expressions varied. Some appeared focused and determined, ready to tackle whatever challenges awaited them in class. Others seemed distracted, perhaps still lingering on the events of the day.
But none of that mattered to Jaylen, who appeared absent-minded. His eyes were duller than usual, and he would mummer random words that seemed of no relation to one another.
One minute, he would grit his teeth and curse someone; the next, he would look on with a questioning gaze, wondering how something worked and how he could do it himself.
While this was going on, the door to the practical room finally opened, and Miss Xirenia entered with her usual fiery demeanor.
She soon began giving instructions as she walked back and forth in front of the class. "It's good to see you all again at the end of the day, I hope you've all enjoyed your second official day of school. But it's not over yet."
"Today for class, you all will just be doing some basic training. I'll point out any mistakes or guide anyone that needs it."
"Um... Miss Xirenia," a timid voice spoke aloud, causing everyone's eyes to shift to the speaker, who seemed to shrink back.
"Go ahead, Shirley," Miss Xirenia encouraged her tone firm but not unkind.
"Yes.. um, will we have practical class every day?" Shirley nervously asked her words barely above a whisper.
"No, we won't. The practical class will only be every other day, so for this week Tuesday, and Thursday. The other days will be dedicated to other subjects to ensure you can graduate on time," Miss Xirenia clarified, stopping her pacing as she addressed the question.
"Is that the only question? If so, you may begin training. Orpheus, you're with me," Miss Xirenia finished, her tone carrying a sense of finality, while also snapping Jaylen's mind back into place.
Everyone began going their separate ways, each embarking on their individual training routines.
Jaylen followed behind Miss Xirenia until they arrived next to a random training doll.
Turning to Jaylen, Miss Xirenia spoke, her voice carrying authority and knowledge. "Jaylen, because you can't use mana, I'll instruct you differently."
"First, you need to come to a better understanding of the sword, but that will take some time. So, I'll teach you a sword technique that will help you improve and strengthen your basic sword techniques"
"This should hopefully lay the groundwork for you to create your own techniques."
After explaining her approach, Miss Xirenia paused, inviting questions. "Any questions?"
"No, Miss Xirenia, I'm more than willing to learn anything that may help," Jaylen responded, shaking his head in denial.
"That's a good mindset to have. Just be cautious of what you learn," Miss Xirenia advised, her tone tinged with pride.
Refocusing on the task at hand, she continued, "The technique you'll be learning isn't my own, as I don't use the sword. It was given to me by the past Martial Saint. I wasn't keen on learning the sword, so it's just been collecting dust.
"Here, try to learn it. I'll come back to check on you after ensuring everyone else is training properly." She finished, handing him a worn leather manual.
As Miss Xirenia walked away, Jaylen's attention gravitated towards the aged manual. Its leather cover bore the marks of countless hands that had turned its pages before him.
Cracking it open, what was revealed was a weathered parchment adorned with faded ink.
"To the soul who happens to be reading this," the text began, its words etched with the weight of centuries.
"It seems you have chosen the path of the sword. If that is the case, the path of the swordsman is not one for the soft-hearted. Stand tall and be prepared to face all that stands in the way of your will as a swordsman."
"Hmm," Jaylen murmured, absorbing the sage wisdom of the previous martial saint.
"It seems the old Martial Saint was indeed a martial fanatic." Jaylen acknowledged with a soft chuckle while shaking his head.
'but he is right. I've been treating swordsmanship too lightly. I should try and learn as much as I can.' He thought, tightly clenching his fist as he remembered his fight with Miss Xirenia.
Not only had he lost his weapon, but he even blamed his weapon as the reason he was losing. He was indeed a failure as a swordsman.
His eyes trailed down to the next page, where the script continued its sagacious counsel. "Hopefully, this technique can help you on your journey to figure out why you wield your blade. First, for this technique, mana is not needed, only pure swordsmanship."
With a sense of determination, Jaylen turned the page, a lingering hope to grow stronger and surpass his perceived weaknesses.
"In the art of swordsmanship, there exists a delicate balance between strength and speed, between offense and defense," the manual elucidated.
"To master Lightning Blitz is to transcend this dichotomy, to meld the lightning-fast strikes of offense with the steadfast resilience of defense."
Jaylen paused, contemplating the profound implications of these words. In his mind, he envisioned a dance of steel, where each movement flowed seamlessly into the next, blurring the line between attack and defense.
'It's similar to Dragon's Road but not as overbearing and offense heavy.' he thought as he compared the movements of Dragon's Road to Lightning Blitz in his mind.
"The key lies not in brute force, but in finesse," the text continued.
"Channel your inner lightning, swift and unpredictable, yet guided by precision and control. Let your blade become an extension of your will, a conduit through which the energy of the storm surges."
As he absorbed the teachings, Jaylen felt a stirring within him, a yearning to embody the principles of Lightning Blitz.
It was more than just a technique; it was a philosophy—a way of life for those who dared to walk the path of the swordsman. It was different than relying on understanding what makes a dragon a dragon to utilize his techniques.
Retrieving a practice sword from its resting place, Jaylen positioned himself in front of a worn wooden post, the ancient diagrams of Lightning Blitz etched into his mind.
His muscles coiled like a spring ready to be unleashed, and he took a deep breath, Focusing on the sound of his heartbeat calming and entering a steady rhythm.
Jaylen began to move. His practice katana sliced through the air with precision, but just as he attempted to transition to the next stance, his movements faltered, the rhythm disrupted.
As he tried again and again, frustration began to gnaw at him. Each attempt was met with the same result.
Despite his best efforts the fluidity of the technique continued to slip through his grasp like smoke on the wind.
As the minutes stretched into an hour, Jaylen's frustration deepened with each failed attempt. Where his previous techniques flowed like a steady stream, Lightning Blitz was a tempest he could not control.
"Arrgh!" Jaylen's frustrated grunt rang out, followed by his next words. "What am I missing? I don't understand."
"The key fundamentals of the technique are to move like lightning to understand lightning," Miss Xirenia's voice echoed from behind.
"What do you mean by that, Sensei?" Jaylen asked turning to face her.
"What I mean is, have you ever really questioned or thought about what lightning is? How it moves? What it feels like?" She explained.
"Huh? No, I never really thought about it," Jaylen admitted.
"Fair, not many do. Most live day by day, seeing lightning, be it as magic or a natural phenomenon, and never question the secrets behind it."
"Even in magic class, I bet your teacher didn't even bring up such an idea, and she would have no reason to do so. It's not commonplace to try and understand the secrets behind everything. In fact, only the truly strong do so," Miss Xirenia elaborated.
Miss Xirenia pointed towards Jaylen before continuing. "But you need to do so if you ever truly wish to reach higher heights."
"So in the remaining two hours left in class, try to understand a bit more about lightning," she finished as she walked away.