"Ready?" Mark asked. Fighting beauty was seated opposite to Mark, she was holding a sword in hand.
"No, am not. It's the first time were sparring since we got here" she muttered.
"Awe, come on" Mark held a sword and pulled it from the ground, from which it was stuck. This time no aura was emitted.
"I can't use a sword skill with this sword but I'll try" She held her sword tighter then lunged at Mark.
Mark watched as she approached him, it was as if she was moving in slow motion compared to the last time they faced off.
He stepped to the side and dodged Fighting beauties attack, he formed a fist and threw it at fighting beauty, he made sure to hold back his strength. The punch was too fast for fighting beauty to dodge, she just saw a blur movement coming for her face. The punch hit her and sent her back a few steps.
She smirked and said:
"I have you"
Immediately after her words mark saw multiple of fighting beauties swords around him, the swords approached him fast, but he dodged them with ease. He continuously backflipped escaping the barrage of swords. He landed on his feet after dodging the last swords.
"You seem slower today, what's wrong?" Mark asked with concern.
The sword that mark had been dodging disappeared, Emily looked at Mark surprised and impressed, She has never seen anyone dodge her skill completely, at least a sword or two made contact with the opponents body, but Mark dodged them all.
"Weak, you've just gotten stronger mark. But yet again I feel like you're weaker, I don't get the devilish feeling I got when you first used the sword" she stated, letting go of the sword she had in hand.
"i also think i have gotten weaker, but i dont know the reason why. crazy right?" the stubbed the sword in the ground and walked towards fighting beauty.
mark and emily walked together, after reaching fighting beauties hat, mark lifted his hands wide and stared at her. She stared back at him for a few moments and said:
"what?"
"hug?" he asked with a smile on his face, he watched as her face turned crimson red.
"okay, next time i'll just let her take the initiative" Mark was caressing his right reddened cheek, he had an arm print on the part of the face he had been scratching. He walked further am saw an eldery man on top of the fence, mark got on top of the fence and sat beside the the man.
"girl problems?" the old man asked as soon as mark sat next to him.
"yeah got, some advice old man?" mark asked staring at the old man, with an awkward smile.
"yes, i do, but its not about the girl its about your power" the old man said still looking down on the ground. After hearing what the old man said mark immediately wanted to move away from the old man at the spot, but it was of no use non of his limbs did as he willed them to, he was petrifed. When he realized this a sense of horror filled his mind but he didn't reveal it on his face.
'shit what kinda of situation is this, his not using his aura to oppress me but i cant move. i have felt this before, it was when i wanted to save my mother and father but i couldnt move' he panicingly thought, as he began to sweat.
"calm down young man, i wont kill you" the man said his voice still calm.
Mark said after calming himself down a little:
"okay, i think am calm"
the old man stared Mark and laughed:
"Hahaha, youre a unique young man."
'wow, i can move now this is messed up. he must even be stronger than Mr komi, he might really help with my powers' mark pondered on this for a few seconds then he said:
"sir, no master can your please tell me what whats wrong with my powers?"
"resolve, you have a goal but at what point will you persue your goal? do you really want to pick violence over freedom. is your mental state steady? ask yourself that, make a choice, once you do you'll have control of your power at some extent." The old man looked at him and smiled:
" Anyway goodbye young man it's getting late " the old man said then disappeared to nothingness.
"What the hell, I came to shut my mouth only to listen to the old man blubber on about resolve, I know what I want, I want to stop the bonding system. For that I need power" Mark got off the fence then went back to his room.
The old man's eyes gleamed with a knowing glint as he spoke in a low and mysterious voice that seemed to hide his real intentions:
"This is going to be interesting, with a young man like that in the mix, I might enjoy my final years..." His words trailed off as the four ninjas surrounding him charged forward, their katanas flashed in the light. But the old man didn't flinch. With a subtle movement, he dodged the first ninja's attack, his body bended in an impossible direction. The second ninja struck, but the old man was already gone, his movements were too quick to follow. The third and fourth ninjas attacked him at once, but the old man effortlessly sidestepped their blows one after another, after a few seconds of dodging he then decided to make his move.
As suddenly as it had begun, the attack was over. The old man stood still, his eyes never left the spot where the ninjas had fallen. He finished his thought, his voice calm and collected:
"if I can just avoid getting killed by these fools."
With a loud thud, the four ninjas collapsed to the ground, there bodies lay lifeless. The old man gazed down at them, a smile played on his lips:
"I suppose that's one less thing to worry about. Thank the gods for helping me, an old man like me couldn't survive a fight with the for long" He turned to walk away, his movements very deliberate, as if savoring the moment.