Cassius and Garth continued their training with Nero, making tremendous progress. 2 years have passed, Cassius has swung his scythe 10,000 times every single day during this time. What took him 3 hours to complete before now only takes him 30 minutes. The Siladarian breathing technique has been fully mastered by Cassius at only age 7.
"Well done, Cassius. While you can only use 30% of the technique now, you should be able to use more as your body grows. Garth, you still lack full control. It should come as naturally as you normally breathe," Nero knew his training with both of them was nowhere close to being over.
Garth had not quite perfected it yet, as his breathing would be uneven, and he could only hold proper form for 5 hours of strenuous activity. Cassius, however, could maintain usage at his current maximum effort for 12 hours without stopping.
"I'll train harder dad," Garth belted out.
"I expect nothing less from you."
Nero then looked at Cassius.
"You are ready for the advance movements you saw me do at the start of your training. Do you remember them?"
Cassius' mind played back the time he tried to mimic Nero's movements, and how it caused him immense pain shortly after using it.
"Yes, I remember. I'll give it my best, Uncle Nero!"
"Excellent. Swing your scythe 20,000 times in less than 30 minutes."
"30 minutes!? That's how long it takes me to do it 10,000 times!"
"Once you perfect transitioning power from your muscles in an effective way, you should be able to do this easily."
"I just need to do what you did before, right?"
"As long as you do so while keeping your breathing, yes. But with extra things to focus on, it becomes much more difficult."
Cassius looked away from Nero, focusing his entire self into perfecting this movement. He readied his stance and began to swing. The force from his scythe caused vicious gusts of wind to circle him, slicing insects, dirt, and rocks around him and turning them into particles; making them appear as if they were vapor. During this time, Nero continued to guide Garth with perfecting his breathing. After 12,000 swings, in about 22 minutes, Cassius' body tensed up and he could no longer even hold his scythe. He remained standing, but his body was trembling and swelling up with pain.
"You did well for your second ever attempt," Nero said with an astonished tone.
"Rest for the next half hour."
Cassius didn't say a word. He couldn't. He started focusing everything into breathing as to hopefully keep his muscle pain from worsening. It was already to the point of feeling like his whole body had been cast into a furnace.
During the time of their training, Nero never once allowed Cassius or Garth to slack on their chores. Whenever Fealty needed or wanted help, the two boys were to immediately stop whatever they were doing and help her. Whether it be household chores or farming, they were to continue pulling their weight despite any issues they had during their training. Nero also helped with the work, doing his own jobs as well as helping Fealty.
"Garth, I know you've been a brawler since before you came here and aren't one to use weapons, but you really should consider something."
Nero had been trying to get Garth to train with a weapon since the second day of their training.
"If I beat someone, I want it to be with my own capabilities and not because my sword was longer or better-made."
"An admirable way of thinking, but pride will not benefit you in a battle."
"It might not, but I have it anyway."
Garth remained weaponless, continually refusing any weapon at all. Cassius loved using his scythe and was hoping to have one as amazing as Nero's someday. All he cared about was being strong and not losing; everything else mattered little to Cassius when it came to fighting.
30 minutes had passed, and Cassius had recovered from his whole-body cramp. Garth had stopped practicing his breathing, and both boys waited for Nero to instruct them further.
"Alright, you two are going to spar again. We haven't covered combat techniques beyond the breathing and muscle usage. This will give me an idea of where to start with each of you."
Cassius looked confident, as did Garth. The two got stood in front of each other, 5 feet apart, bowed, and then began to fight.
Garth had taken the initiative and sent a kick straight towards Cassius' head. Cassius reacted with sending his elbow forward to stop the blow while also dealing damage to the foot, but Garth immediately snapped it back. The force swung his body around, and he used his other leg on the ground to jump up slightly. The foot he snapped back had then circled around to the other portion of Cassius' face, the heel of the foot rushing towards it. Cassius reacted amazingly to the second kick, blocking again with his other elbow; however, this created a blind spot. Cassius could no longer see Garth's other leg. Garth then sent the leg he jumped with, full force, into Cassius' stomach as if he was using Cassius' body as a springboard.
Cassius was sent flying back 10 feet, garth the same distance in the opposite direction. Cassius had felt the force from that kick radiate from his stomach to his back. He had not tightened his core muscles in time to cushion the blow and isolate it. His breathing became a little erratic.
Garth landed and then instantly dashed at Cassius again, aiming to land another blow while his opponent seemed rattled. He sprinted towards Cassius and then jumped, pulling his knee up to smash it against Cassius' skull.
"Is it another fake for some other attack," Cassius' mind began to race while trying to discern the situation.
Everything so far had occurred in a matter of 5 seconds.
Cassius feinted a block, but then slipped to the right immediately as Garth's knee made contact with his left arm. He then took his right hand and placed it on the bottom of Garth's foot, of the same leg used for his flying knee, and pushed Garth into the air. Garth flew up 100 feet and forward another 50. Cassius ran to the place where Garth was going to land, thinking he'd have an opportunity open up as he landed and readied himself again.
Garth landed on his feet, in a wide stance to soften the blow on his back, and to ground himself in case of an immediate attack. Dust from the first attack had kicked up around him from landing, and his eyes darted around trying to notice any changes that would signify an incoming attack. Cassius jumped 200 feet into the air, thinking that Garth had already prepared for an immediate counterattack, he decided to use the confusion of the dust-screen for his benefit.
The dust settled, and Garth looked all around him trying to find Cassius. He then heard a slight whistling coming from above, but he did not even look up. He then knew where Cassius was, and what his best course of action was.
Cassius had been using his core muscles to flip repeatedly during his descent, as to pick up more force from his attack. He stuck his leg out, and with conviction he let himself plummet to the ground towards Garth. Garth braced his legs and put his arms above him to take the impact of Cassius' freefall kick.
The kick had made impact, a crater formed around Garth, but Garth had positioned himself in the best possibly way to take the attack head on. The only damage dealt to Garth was slight and in his arms, and so he easily countered by grabbing Cassius' leg after the height of the impact and slamming him into the ground. Cassius' head was injured, blood started spilling out. Cassius still managed to get up, and his face radiated determination.
"Okay, that's enough! You both did well. I'll take Cassius to Fealty so his wound can be treated. Garth, stay here and continue training your breathing."
Nero took Cassius to Fealty, and she bandaged his head. Immediately after she punched Nero in the back of the head.
"You shouldn't let them get out of hand like this!"
"It was standard training, I didn't expect them to fight as seriously as they did," Nero said while rubbing his head.
"You're their parent, you should know them better than that!"
"I promise you I will be more careful from now on."
"Well, it seems you've learned your lesson," Fealty flashed Nero a smile and then continued to examine Cassius for other injuries.
"Be sure to bring Garth here too. I know he's strong, but so is Cassius."
"I'll bring him to you once you've finished with Cassius."
Nero left to return to Garth. Fealty and Cassius remained in the cottage, talking about how training was going. Cassius was reluctant to talk, feeling like an outsider more and more every day since Garth started living with them 2 years ago. Fealty realized something was wrong, and asked Cassius if there was anything he wanted to talk about. Cassius' face began to sink.
"You and Nero love Garth more, he's Siladarian and I'm not."
Fealty felt those words pierce her heart. She never felt more strongly about Garth, they were both her beloved sons.
"Cassius, I assure you that we do not love Garth more than we love you. We love you both the same."
Cassius stormed off to his room, not saying another word to Fealty. Nero and Garth arrived shortly after, and she explained what happened to Nero. He went to Cassius' room to talk to him. He knocked on the door, Cassius did not answer, and so he went in anyway. Cassius was in his bed under a blanket, turned away from the door and covering himself.
"Cassius, Fealty told me what you said. Is that really how you feel?"
"You only love me cause your son died and then I showed up. You and Fealty wouldn't love me if I was raised by my real family."
Those words took the breath out of Nero for a moment. He took a minute, collected himself, and then spoke.
"You may be right. Or you may be wrong. I will never know that Cassius. I know the one that's you, that's here with Fealty and I. And I love that Cassius. It doesn't matter that you're a human.
Cassius removed the blanket that was over him and looked at Nero. He saw that Nero had tears trickling down his face, looking right at Cassius. Cassius then started crying and apologizing over and over.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry dad. I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay, son."
Nero had nothing to forgive, he had forgiven Cassius the moment he heard from Fealty what was said. From that day on, Cassius referred to Nero as 'dad' and Fealty as 'mom'.
"Cassius, don't think this moment we shared will spare you from your training. There's still plenty of daytime left."
"Right! I'm ready for anything!"
"Starting now, we'll be training martial skill at the same time of muscle utilization. You'll become a master of your scythe, as well as in hand-to-hand."
From that day on, for the next 9 years, Cassius and Garth trained their combat skills and adaptability, and Garth further honed his breathing.