The clear sky stretched out, with dazzling sunlight shining over the ruins of the city.
Amidst the destruction, the rubble of buildings and cracks in the ground bore silent witness to their meeting. The gentle breeze lifted the dust slightly, making the atmosphere quiet, yet tense.
El stood tall, his body showing no burden. His hand grasped a wooden sword with one hand, his position relaxed, calm but his aura pressing.
In front of him, Kayo stood in clothes that were already covered in dust due to the intensity of the fight this morning. Her face was full of seriousness, while her fiery red irises radiated unwavering determination.
With both hands, she gripped the wooden sword tightly, raising it high in a sturdy stance. Her body lowered slightly, front stance reflecting readiness and determination to continue fighting.
Without a word, Kayo stepped forward, her breathing perfectly controlled. "Kasumi no Kokyu, Ichi no kata: Suiten Tōgasumi!" she called out sharply.
Kayo launched forward, making a single, powerful frontal thrust. Her body merged with the thin mist that appeared all around, her attack turning into an unpredictable shadow.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
Cold stabs of wooden swords came from all directions, sharp and fast. However, El remained silent. However, El easily stepped right, left and sideways.
Her movements were simple but graceful, dodging the attack without much effort. Then, El raised his sword to the sky, about to launch a horizontal strike in return.
Before the slash was completed, Kayo moved again, her body beginning to merge with the thin mist that appeared in the air. In an instant, she seemed to disappear.
"Kasumi no kokyū, Ni no Kata: Yaekasumi!" said Kayo in a voice that echoed from an unpredictable direction.
As if from a mist, eight slashes rushed at El, swift and deadly, striking from multiple angles. However, El raised his sword with one hand, the blade moving like a measured dance, swinging to deflect every attack Kayo launched
Tak! Tak! Tak!
The boom of wood sounded eight times in a row, each of Kayo's attacks she managed to parry with perfect precision, as if she knew where each slash would lead.
When a pause appeared, El intended to launch a counterattack. However, Kayo again disappeared like a shadow dissolving in fog.
El stopped her movement, raised his eyebrows slightly and showing respect. "Your movements are getting better," he said flatly, but with a tone that could not be hidden, implying appreciation.
Once again, Kayo appeared suddenly, this time from thin air on El's left side. "Kasumi no kokyū, San no Kata: Kasan no Shibuki!" she shouted.
Kayo appeared out of thin air, her wooden sword slash aimed directly at El's left neck, carrying more power and speed than before.
Without panic, El raised his wooden sword, the blade moving quickly and precisely, protecting her neck perfectly.
Ctak!
The slash halted, the impact sending sparks of mist flying. With a push from his sword, El forced Kayo to be thrown backwards.
Kayo's body was blown away, rolling several times before finally hitting the rubble wall, leaving dust scattering in the air.
El remained standing where she was, slightly turning her head towards Kayo who was trying to get up from the rubble. "But, it's still too sloppy and too fast to name the moves," he said calmly, with a meaningful look.
Kayo walked closer to El, her face sullen but still exuding her trademark cuteness. "Ugh... I'll remember that," she said in an annoyed tone, although there was a slight spoiled tone in her voice.
Seeing Kayo approach, El only smiled slightly. "Kayo, you've only mastered three Mist Breathing moves, but you're pretty amazing. You can even maximize it and modify it as needed," he said, giving sincere praise.
Arriving before El, Kayo raised his wooden sword again, clearly intending to continue training. But El immediately raised her left palm, a signal to stop. Without the need for words, Kayo understood the intent and lowered his sword.
El, on the other hand, reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He glanced at the screen for a moment, the time was already 9:00.
Afterward, El put the phone back into his pocket, then sighed softly. His gaze turned to Kayo, who was now looking at him in confusion.
"Kayo, practice is now over," El said calmly. "Go to school. Before that, change your dirty clothes."
Kayo frowned, gripping his sword tighter. "Don't I need school? Besides, I can still continue training," she protested determinedly, the look in his eyes showing dissatisfaction.
El smiled a little, raised her hand, and placed it on top of Kayo's head gently. "I appreciate your determination," she said, her voice full of sincerity. "But, training must also remember time. Don't let your body break prematurely. There is still time before the battle begins."
Kayo slowly lowered his sword, bowing his head slightly. "Alright, I understand..." she replied softly, her voice sounding haggard, indicating the disappointment he was having trouble hiding.
Sensing the scent of sadness emanating from the little girl before her, El smiled faintly to calm her down. "Moreover, Kayo," he continued, "in addition to preparing ourselves, we also need to be good at storing energy for the battle later, right?"
Kayo stared at El for a moment, then nodded reluctantly, accepting the advice despite still harboring the spirit to continue practicing.
El turned around, letting Kayo hide behind a wall of ruins to change her clothes. In this area of silent ruins located near the monolith, far from the city, it was rare for any sane person to visit.
That made Kayo feel safe enough to change clothes in the open. Meanwhile, El stood guard, her gaze occasionally sweeping the surroundings.
If anyone accidentally passed by, he was ready to take swift action to stun the person or do something to make sure they didn't see Kayo.
Before long, Kayo appeared from behind the wall, dressed in clean clothes. She walked up to El and hesitantly tugged at the hem of her clothes. "I've changed my clothes. I'm going to school," she said quietly.
El turned around, staring at Kayo for a moment with a flat look. "Alright, I'm going home," he replied coldly before turning around again and starting to walk away with quiet steps.
Kayo just stood still, watching El's retreating back, an indescribable feeling flashing through her eyes. After a while, Kayo let out a light sigh, turned around, and started walking towards the school with her small steps.
Along the way, El stepped leisurely, though her mind kept spinning thinking about the plans for today. With his eyes straight ahead, El muttered softly to himself, "What should I do, huh?"
"Should I go to the outside area? To reduce the number of Gastrea? But, I guess that would be a waste," he said as he walked.
However, suddenly Sawa's soft and melodious voice flashed through his mind, like a melody that was not easily forgotten.
El paused for a moment, "Hmm, maybe I can introduce the lyrics of the song from My World to Sawa. That girl does have an amazing voice," he thought with a satisfied tone. "Moreover, I'll also go back to asking Yuri to teach me how to play the violin."
Unconsciously, his pace quickened, as if a new motivation had refreshed his mind. El quickened his pace towards the train station, preparing to hitch a ride into the city.
His destination was clear, his home, a place where he could prepare something for Sawa. Silently, El thought of suitable songs for Sawa to sing.
{N/A: I want to speed up the plot again, to save time and for the MC to go to the next world, ehehe~ BTTH, Donghua world}