As the first light of dawn kissed the horizon, I found myself standing once again in the familiar embrace of the training grounds, the crisp morning air alive with the promise of a new day. With each breath, I could feel the anticipation building within me, a restless energy that begged to be unleashed upon the world.
Under Darwin's watchful gaze, I embarked on my daily routine with a fervor born of determination, each movement fluid and deliberate as I worked to hone my skills to razor-sharp perfection. From the grueling exercises designed to fortify my stamina to the relentless onslaught of sword swings that followed, I poured every ounce of my being into the pursuit of mastery.
But it was when Darwin introduced the concept of the Absolute Area technique that my curiosity was truly piqued, a technique shrouded in mystery and whispered tales of its unparalleled efficacy on the battlefield. As he demonstrated its intricacies, I couldn't help but marvel at the elegance of its design, the delicate balance between offense and defense that lay at its core.
"It's called the Absolute Area technique," Darwin explained, his voice carrying the weight of years of experience. "It's not just about striking your opponent, but about defending your territory and conserving your stamina in the process."
I nodded, absorbing his words like a sponge as I committed the movements to memory, each step a testament to the unwavering resolve that burned within me.
"I'll keep practicing until I master this technique," I vowed, my voice ringing with determination.
"Good," Darwin replied, a hint of approval in his gruff voice. "Practice every day until you truly master it."
And so, as the sun climbed higher in the sky, I threw myself wholeheartedly into the training, the clang of steel against steel echoing through the air like a symphony of war. With each passing moment, I could feel myself growing stronger, more attuned to the ebb and flow of battle that awaited me on the horizon.
But even as I immersed myself in the rigors of combat, my thoughts inevitably turned to my father, a distant figure in a world torn asunder by conflict and chaos. 'Is anyone looking for me now?' I wondered, a pang of guilt tugging at my heartstrings.
The realization that I had been summoned to another world in the blink of an eye was a bitter pill to swallow, a twist of fate that had upended the fragile balance of my life. And yet, as I gazed out across the sprawling expanse of the training grounds, I knew that I could not afford to dwell on the past.
With renewed resolve, I cleaned myself up and changed into fresh attire, my mind buzzing with the promise of exploration and discovery. As I made my way through the labyrinthine corridors of the palace, I encountered a nobleman unlike any I had seen before, his regal bearing and piercing blue eyes marking him as someone of importance.
"Ah, hello," he greeted me with a warm smile, his voice a melody that danced upon the air.
"You must be Higarashi, right?" he continued, his words tinged with a note of curiosity. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Felix, and I am the heir to the throne of this kingdom."
My eyes widened in surprise at the revelation, my mind racing to make sense of the implications. 'So, he's a prince?' I thought, a flurry of questions swirling in my mind like leaves caught in a gust of wind.
Felix, sensing my confusion, offered a simple explanation for his absence the day before, though it did little to assuage my doubts. "Ah, it seems you're surprised," he remarked, a wry smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Yesterday, I wasn't in the palace because I had to attend a meeting between kingdoms as a representative of my father."
His words sparked a flicker of intrigue within me, a hunger for knowledge that burned brighter with each passing moment. And as Felix led me on a tour of the palace, regaling me with tales of ancient alliances and sworn oaths, I couldn't help but feel that my destiny was inexorably intertwined with the fate of this kingdom.
"I see, that explains why I didn't see you," I remarked, my voice carrying a note of understanding tinged with curiosity.
'Meeting? Is it about forming an alliance?' I pondered silently, the gears of speculation turning in the depths of my mind.
As Felix guided me through the labyrinthine corridors of the palace, his words painted a vivid tapestry of the events that had unfolded in the world beyond its walls. Tales of the Demon King's relentless reincarnations and the ever-growing shadow of his influence weighed heavily upon my thoughts, casting a pall of uncertainty over the future.
"What is the interval between the Demon King's reincarnations?" I ventured, my voice betraying a hint of trepidation.
Felix's response was solemn, his words echoing with the weight of unspoken truths. "We don't know. His revival happens randomly, and that's why we haven't had time to prepare defenses against his army's attacks."
'This is quite difficult,' I mused, the gravity of the situation settling like a lead weight in the pit of my stomach.
"I haven't asked the king about this yet, but... why did you call someone from another world to defeat him?" I pressed, the question lingering in the air like a challenge waiting to be met.
Felix's response was measured, his gaze steady as he met my eyes. "...according to legend, the person summoned has great potential to become the strongest and receives a blessing from the gods."
'I haven't felt any blessings since I came here,' I remarked silently, the bitter taste of doubt lingering on my tongue.
"And how did you defeat the Demon King in the past?" I inquired, my voice barely above a whisper.
"As I mentioned earlier, the Demon King became stronger due to continuous reincarnations. The strongest people in this land can no longer fight against him," Felix explained, his words heavy with the weight of untold sacrifice.
I fell silent, the revelation sinking in like a stone thrown into a still pond, sending ripples of realization cascading through the depths of my consciousness.
"By the way, you mentioned the blessing of the gods. What is it?" I asked, my curiosity piqued by the mention of a power beyond mortal comprehension.
"I don't fully understand it either because only people from another world can experience it," Felix replied, his tone tinged with a note of resignation.
'Wait, doesn't that mean there were others before me who were summoned to this world?' I wondered aloud, the pieces of the puzzle slowly falling into place.
Felix remained silent for a long moment, his expression unreadable as he weighed his words carefully. "...yes, there were. One of them managed to defeat the Demon King, but he fell in battle due to severe injuries."
"I see," I replied, though the implications of his words weighed heavily upon my mind.
And so, as the day drew to a close and I retreated to the solitude of my room, I couldn't help but feel the weight of destiny pressing down upon me like a burden too heavy to bear.
***
The next day dawned with the promise of new beginnings, the sun casting its golden rays upon the training grounds where I stood poised for battle. Under Darwin's watchful eye, I embarked on the next stage of my journey, each movement a step closer to unlocking the secrets of the Absolute Area technique.
"Start by knowing your reach," Darwin instructed, his voice a steady guide in the sea of uncertainty that surrounded me.
With each swing of the blade, I felt myself growing stronger, more attuned to the rhythms of combat that pulsed through my veins. And as Darwin demonstrated the intricacies of the technique, I couldn't help but marvel at the elegance of its design, the seamless fusion of offense and defense that lay at its core.
"Trainer, how many movements are there in total?" I inquired, my curiosity burning bright within me.
Darwin's response was swift, his words ringing out with the authority of one who had spent a lifetime mastering his craft. "There are seven in total," he replied, his voice echoing across the training grounds like a clarion call to arms.
And so, with each passing moment, I delved deeper into the mysteries of the Absolute Area technique, each movement a testament to the unwavering resolve that burned within me. For in this world of swords and sorcery, strength was the only currency that mattered, and I would be damned if I didn't emerge stronger than ever before.