CHAPTER 40: FINAL TRAINING [2/2]

As if my calculations were right, it reached the mouth of the sculpture just as it was about to shoot its own barrage of attacks.

And...

Just then, a familiar presence brushed against my senses. Just as warm as ever, but unpredictable.

"Muna."

I turned slightly just as she flew into the arena. Her silver swayed in the wind, and her eyes gleamed with a quiet challenge.

A faint smirk tugged at her lips as her hand rested on the hilt of her sword.

"Muna..." I called again. "This was not the agreement."

"In situations of this kind, agreement is void," she said softly. "Father used to say that while his presence lasted."

Before I could respond, she moved. Her sword left its sheath in a flash, infused with mana sparkling along its edges.

I turned quickly to see that the serpent statues had paused, with my sword stuck in the mouth of the statue I had shot.

Then, with a swing, she sent a crescent of glowing energy slicing toward me in diagonals of X-form.

That was her sword skills she made use of.

I braced myself and ran forward, targeting the space the diagonal arcs created. Before the attack hit me, I let myself loose and flung myself correctly enough to avoid the attacks.

"Thanks for showing me that move the last time," I muttered in between breaths, landing softly on the floor.

Muna ignored my gratitude and said instead. "Remember the rules, no magic in a sword fight."

"Very well."

I barely had time to draw breath after those words before Muna appeared before me in a blur, slicing her sword in a diagonal arc of molten sapphire.

My instincts screamed.

I bent backward, letting the strike whistle past my chest. The heat of the mana from her sword singed the air near my face.

’She does want to kill me, I see. My sword.’ My thoughts blared at me to collect my sword from the sculpture.

Pressing my palms on the misty ground, I flipped backwards, landing in a crouch several meters away.

In my crouch stance, I didn’t waste time.

I didn’t wait for a second breath once my feet touched the ground, and I moved. With great effort, I circled Muna, leaving her dazed as she calculated to detect my current position.

In that moment, I took out my hand, and the sword that was stuck in the sculpture shot out, returning to its master.

That was when I realized how unthoughtful that decision was.

My sword, stuck in the mouth of the statue, had been what was preventing its attacks.

As soon as the sword landed in my hand, the serpents surged to life again.

This time, they spat volleys of sword, converging on me from all sides.

Even when Muna was in the arena, the attack was still targeted at me. Wonderful.

Still, I couldn’t hold back.

I moved before thinking further, channeling every drop of my energy into my sword’s blade until its edge began to vibrate faintly with restrained energy.

"Deep Current, second form: Interval."

The world around me seemed to slow as I focused on my pulse’s rhythm.

One... two... now.

I swung my sword horizontally, then met its arc with a vertical slash.

A barrel of light shot forward, shattering and piercing through the storm of incoming attacks.

The moment it approached and hit the sculptures, a burst of suppressed force exploded outward, collapsing the sculptures one after another.

A tremor ran through the ground as the statues landed and shattered into fragments.

From the edges of my eyes, I could see the bright smile on Muna’s face once she saw my move. But even she didn’t think it was the end.

She raised her blade again, but before she could strike, I steadied myself and drew a deep breath.

"Breath of Calm, first form: Sparring Pause."

I exhaled, slowly, then struck my sword again into the ground.

Rippling waves of grey mana in the form of smoke spiralled outwards from the impact of the sword.

The last sword skill I used was not an offensive art, nor is it an attacking skill. It granted a state of stillness that allowed one to bridge the gap between chaos and clarity.

Put simply, if used correctly can be used correctly to announce one’s victory.

Muna’s sword froze mid-swing, her eyes widening faintly. She hadn’t expected such an attack or such a sword skill.

The oppressive force she had unleashed a moment earlier dispersed into harmless notes of light.

Then, silence.

Linda and the trio began to jam their hands again into applause.

I slowly straightened, lowering my sword.

"Just when it was becoming fun, you decided to end the fight with silence," Muna said, half-teasingly, half-admiringly.

I chuckled quietly, wiping the mist from my sleeve. "And you always have a knack for turning training into near-death duels."

Her eyes softened. "If I didn’t do it, you would not become stronger."

"Then learn to expect any form of attacks from your fight," I said, reaching closer to her, then whispered into her ear. "I could have struck you in between raised hands if this were to be a real attack."

"I wouldn’t hold back if it were to be me," she raised her voice as if speaking to someone far away.

"Just make sure it’s you during the tests."

For a moment, neither of us spoke. The circling barrier that had bounded the arena disappeared.

The training was over.

A training that had pushed me to the edge.

The last time I’d train before getting into a real test.

I left the arena and looked down at my blade. Then motioned my hand for it to vanish.

Linda ran into my embrace as soon as I stepped out of the arena, flanked by the trio.

She let herself loose and muttered. "You must be tired. We can carry you home."

"Save your strength for the food you will prepare once we get home. My favorite at that."

And so, Linda vanished back into my shadow while I walked side by side with the trio and Muna. On our way home.

[Hey everyone, so, this is where Volume 1 will be coming to an end. Thanks to you who joined us up till this point. Trust me, the next volume will even hold more surprises.

Also, tell me what you think of this Volume. Arigato.]