by TurtleMe
I nodded in agreement. In my previous life, a majority of my fights were in the form of duels since that was the custom there. Wars were rarely held, and even if they were, Kings were not to directly partake in them. After all, our lives were too valuable to risk.
“Since asuras are not allowed to partake in this war, their descendants, the mixed-bloods, will be their strongest forces. Your primary duty in this upcoming war will be to take care of those mutts that the Vritra Clan will send as generals or as special teams. You are incredibly strong, Arthur, but so are they, and do not think that they’ll line up and take turns fighting you. Expect to be put in a situation where you will be surrounded by enemies with asura blood coursing through them,” Kordri affirmed as he calmly circled around me with his hands behind his back. “Of course, unlike now, you will not have the restriction of mana usage placed on you so you would be free to wreak havoc. However, you will also have to take into account that there might be ally soldiers or even civilians nearby. What will you do then? When it comes down to it, physical combat, laced with proper and precise mana usage, will be the most efficient and dependable way of disposing enemies. Especially if they are on a much higher caliber than the mages you are familiar with.”
“I understand.” I got into an offensive stance with my leading hand relaxed and my right hand curled into a fist by my jawline.
“The first lesson I had taught you was how to stay alive. More specifically, you were to get a grasp of fighting at higher speeds while trying to dodge a set routine of attacks. While I won’t tell you how much I have restricted myself when fighting you, I would say that your agility has improved to a level that I deem adequate. Your lesson, after that, was fighting under conditions of substantial pressure. Combat under the effects of my King’s Force, or killing intent as you call it, has strengthened your tolerance a considerable amount these past few months. There is room for improvement in both areas, but for now, it is time for the third segment…” Kordri’s voice trailed off as he came to stop in front of me.
“Your field of vision is too narrow, too focused.” Kordri’s voice resounded in my ears as if he was right behind me as I watched the figure of Kordri I had been concentrating on wisp away.
Realizing that it had been an afterimage, I whipped my head back but I was too late. A clean blow to my back sent me tumbling forward, causing me to take in a mouthful of grass. It was at nonsensical times like these that I couldn’t help but admire how realistic the soul realm was. The chunks of grass and dirt in my mouth tasted exactly like how I had imagined they would.
I stood back up, groaning as I stretched my back. “I thought we weren’t allowed to use mana,” I said, spitting out the grass in my mouth.
“I didn’t use mana. Remember, my physiology is fundamentally different from yours. I will restrain myself but it is inevitable that I will be naturally faster, quicker, and stronger than you. Now come,” he instructed, beckoning me with his hand.
I immediately propelled myself towards my instructor, putting professional short distance sprinters to shame as I got within range to attack. I could definitely feel that the mechanics of my body had improved while training with Kordri. My rear foot rotated as I spun my hips to create as much momentum as possible into my strike. Unleashing my right fist, I could feel all of my muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones working in harmony, like a well-oiled machine. Without even relying on mana, I was able to generate enough power in my punch to surprise Kordri.
As he dodged my blow in the last second, I could see a Kordri’s lips curl up slightly as he unexpectedly ducked underneath my right arm. All I had felt was a light tug at the leg and a gentle push on my hips but all of a sudden, my face was half buried in the ground.
Never had I been thrown so swiftly, so helplessly, and so painfully as that moment. As I coughed from having the wind knocked out of me, Kordri held his hand against my neck as if it were the edge of a sword. Squeezing my own ribs in fear that it would crumble apart if I didn’t, I heard my mentor’s voice.
“I have to say. That was a very nice punch, Arthur. How much strength do you suppose you used releasing a strike of that power? Do you think you can do that for two days, three days straight? Can you do that for hours on end without pause and little sustenance in your body to give you that energy?” Kordri kneeled down to assess the damage on my body. “How much energy do you think I spent tossing you? I have to say, because of how powerful your strike was, the less energy I had to expend.”
Gritting my teeth to bear the pain, I sprung back up to my feet and took a stance.
“Energetic today, aren’t we? Good,” he replied, beckoning me once more.
Heeding his gesture, I approached and took a posture as if I would launch the same punch as I had done just before. Instead, I used the punch as a feint and jumped up, launching my right knee to his jaw.
Again, Kordri’s movements were different from before. I had been used to exchanging strikes with the asura, but this time, Kordri used his left hand to gently shift the direction of my launched knee, pushing himself to my right side simultaneously. In a quick, fluid motion, my mentor grabbed the collar of my shirt behind my head and executed a drop throw, propelling me to the ground, head first.
The world turned black for a moment and my ears rang fiercely when I woke up. Carefully, I stretched and massaged my neck, surprised that it hadn’t snapped cleanly in half from the force of his toss.
Maybe it was because of the blow to my head, but I suddenly recalled this type of combat art. aiki...do, yes, it was similar to aikido. It was ancient form of combat that was lost due to a decline in traditional martial arts after contemporary forms of combat became more widely used. After becoming a king in my previous world, I had access to numerous archives pertaining to martial arts and the art of dueling. I had glanced briefly through a book on the art of throws but took little interest in it besides the concept of capitalizing on the momentum of one’s opponent. Of course, I made much use of that knowledge, but did little to learn the art of throwing; it seemed too inefficient at the time.
“We had talked about proper conservation and distribution of mana when in prolonged battles, correct? Well, it goes without saying that it should be the same for your body as well. No matter how much mana you have flowing within you, it cannot act as a battery to power up your body. Mana, just like a sword, is a tool to control and utilize. Your body is the centerpiece that brings the tools together to create a true warrior. Now, you are healed, yes? Come,” Kordri commanded.
Wordlessly, I got back to my feet and dashed once more towards my mentor.
“Your body holds the capabilities of being all kinds of weapons,” Kordri explained, getting into an offensive stance. “For example, your fist can become a hammer or bludgeon, powerful enough to destroy walls,” he said, throwing a simple punch.
Dodging his first strike, I lowered my center of gravity and released a punch towards his solar plexus.
In a smooth, liquid motion, Kordri pivoted himself, wrapping his own arm around the arm I had just attacked with and redirecting my fist with the flick of his wrist. “It can also become a whip that locks and deflects the opponent’s attack.”
“Your hands can be blades, your legs, axes, all depending on the user,” Kordri said as he whirled around and placed his palm on my back. “And it can also be a cannon, capable of blasting your foes to pieces. Defend yourself with mana, Arthur. I will allow it,” he instructed.
I wrapped my body tightly in a coat of mana, focusing more on the area where Kordri’s palm was placed.
The deafening blast of the sound barrier being broken almost distracted me from the pain that spread throughout my body as I hurled through the air like a bullet. It was impossible to tell how many bones I had broken, how many organs had collapsed as my vision darkened and I felt my body being sucked out of the soul realm.
When I opened my eyes, I was in the familiar cave again, drenched in the mysterious liquid as well as my own sweat
and probably my tears. A wave of nausea then hit me as if Kordri had actually just punched a hole through my sternum as I buckled forward and heaved out whatever was in my stomach.
“Ugh,” I moaned, trying to collect myself. Kordri was still in front of me, giving me an expression of what I guessed was sympathy, but shifted his gaze behind me.
“Ah, you’re here,” he said, standing up.
Turning around, my vision passed the sight of Windsom and focused on the figure of someone I didn’t recognize. A boy, standing over five feet tall, looked to be about seven at most, took a step toward us and bowed respectfully in my direction. His head was also shaven like Kordri’s, but he only had two, nut-brown eyes. He was skinny but not sickly so, with a nice, toned body that didn’t match his childish face.
“I’m sorry for my lateness, Master,” the boy said, lifting his head, before tilting it as he regarded me. I could see his eyes giving me the once over and, when he locked eyes with me once more, shot me a look of haughty derision.
It seemed beneath me to get angry at a kid who was younger than my sister, so I just raised a brow and turned back to face Kordri.
“Who’s the kid?” I asked unassumingly.
“Arthur, I’d like you to meet Taci… your new training partner.”
Chapter 111: Good Night
“Training partner?” the kid echoed before I had the chance to respond. “Master, I thought you told me to come here so that I could get a chance to finally receive some individual training...”
“Taci, you will also be training as you spar with Arthur here, now come here so we can begin.” Kordri gestured toward the obviously dissatisfied child.
“Master, what benefit will come from training with this… lesser being?” he grumbled, shooting an annoyed look at me.
I thought of it as odd, hearing a child haughtily complain using diction and syntax that didn’t suit his babyish appearance or undeveloped, tenor voice.
“Arthur”— Kordri stressed—“has been receiving special training from me. Sparring with him will help with your development. You also have the rare honor of training using the Aether Orb, yet, you dare complain?”
“N-no, I would never defy your instructions, Master. This pupil only finds it beneath Master to waste your time training a mere human when the Thyestes Clan has many pupils awaiting your mentorship,” the child named Taci clarified, lowering himself to another bow.
I didn’t want to stoop down to his level and be offended by the child, but I had to admit he had a rather special knack for pissing people off.
Letting out a defeated sigh, Kordri continued, “Taci, you are one of my most talented pupils, but it is your arrogance that will hinder you. Windsom, will you be okay keeping up the Aether Orb with an additional person?” Kordri turned to Windsom who was seated on the other side of the pool holding the orb.
“Three people won’t be a problem,” the asura nodded in response, shaking his head as well at the child in front of him.
Keeping my immature thoughts to myself, I returned to my meditating position inside the pool. The child jumped in as well, ignoring me as he sat down so the three of us formed a triangle. Once again, we were inside the same grassy setting as we had been since the beginning.
“Arthur. While the Pantheon race all differ in their utilization of what you call ‘force-type mana’, Taci here has been training in the special arts of the Thyestes Clan. Like I showed you a few times recently, one of the components of our combat art lies in swift, precise strikes, coupled with throws that take advantage of momentum and center of gravity. By relying on our senses to perceive where the opponent is distributing their weight and momentum, we match our attacks to properly take advantage of their strengths. By doing this, we use little effort to dispel their attacks, and conserve our strength for when we attack,” my mentor explained.
Taci had his arms crossed besides Kordri, not taking his eyes filled with contempt off of me.
“When learning this, even our own disciples are forbidden to use mana until they can properly display the basics of our techniques. I am not saying this to boast, but our clan’s fame came from the deadliness of our combat art. When looking at a master, you will see that our form of fighting is both fierce and fluid, like a deadly cyclone. I have only shown you a glimpse of this, Arthur, but I want you to train by fighting against Taci,” Kordri continued as he turned his attention over to the child. “Taci, you are to use your full strength to fight against Arthur; do not worry about fatal injuries or death here.”
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at the blatantly delighted smirk on Taci’s face as he was told this. However, his smug expression immediately disappeared by what his master said next. “Arthur, you are not to use any mana. I will not be applying any pressure on you as of now, but expect it to come later on. You are also not allowed to attack him at all, but simply block and deflect. The only form of offensive maneuvers you are allowed to make are throws.”
“M-Master? This doesn’t make any sense?” Taci stuttered, shocked. “Shouldn’t you be placing restrictions on me instead of the human? By doing this, do you mean to say that, without these handicaps, he would be able to defeat me?”
“Taci, I am growing tired of your pitiful whining. Are you doubting me?” Kordri’s eyes grew sharp as he spoke. There was no mercy shown in his expression, immediately shutting Taci's mouth as he frantically shook his head.
I never had the chance to indulge in this feeling… this satisfying sense of victory over a cocky kid when his parent unexpectedly sides with me.
“Now, begin.”
KORDRI’S POV:
Simply saying that I was surprised would be a lying; no, the more accurate word would be astonished. I had a feeling that it might end up this way, but not this soon. Arthur Leywin… what a truly mysterious individual.
Taci, while only seven years of age, displayed an unusual amount of talent from the beginning. He had covered the basics of our combat art in a quarter of the time it took for the rest of his class. His mana distribution was still rough but improving at a rate that even the clan elders couldn’t help but admire. He was to be the next generation’s star. Yet even with all of the restrictions placed, Arthur was still holding on—no, it was more than that now—Arthur was slowly beginning to keep up.
In the span of only a few days inside the soul realm, Arthur had begun to match Taci. He, who had not even learned the true combat art of the Thyestes Clan, was absorbing knowledge like a starving beast and making it his own.
Despite the speed and power of Taci’s attacks, Arthur was able to persist against him. Through each punch, kick, slash and throw that Arthur faced, his steps, his shifts, his movements… they were all becoming faster and sharper as if his body was instinctively shaving away unnecessary movement. His improvement was at a speed that could be easily discernible even to one not trained in combat. How is this possible? What sort of past did he experience? How many people had he fought in order to develop this aberrant level of perception?
In my years as both a warrior and mentor, I had never come across a feeling like this before. I have trained hundreds in the art of combat, from young to old. I’ve nurtured pupils that had later become leading figures in the Thyestes Clan, but even then, training this boy, Arthur, had introduced me to a sensation that I’ve never felt before.
Constantly, as I taught him, I had noticed the feeling of excitement, awe, and pride welling up; emotions that I did not even feel towards myself. It was similar to that of unearthing an unknown, yet obviously precious, gem. Arthur was still dull and rough, but with each buff, he shone brighter and brighter. There was no telling what the final product would look like, but it was this longing to find out that made it so exhilarating, yet regrettable. Was he going to have the chance to develop to his full potential? Or will he run out of time first?
Had he been born an asura, he would be a prominent member amongst even the highest echelons of power. However, the gods have placed him to b
e merely a pawn; utilized until no longer needed.
Such a pity.
ARTHUR LEYWIN’S POV:
This arrogant brat. If it weren’t for these restrictions, I would’ve painted the grass with your blood and tears.
These past few days had been filled with nothing but frustration and resentment at myself for the fact that I was unable to do anything against him. Taci, obviously annoyed by his master regarding him so lowly, coupled with the innate condescension he had over my race, led to me being tossed around like a rag doll and eating too many strikes for my temper to contain.
While his attacks weren’t on the level of Kordri’s in terms of fluidity and compact precision, due to his attacks and movements being reinforced with mana, they were at a level faster than I was used to.
I almost lost my life on the first strike, but was able to dodge only from the fact that his body gave away his next attack. With the amount of experience that I had with fighting and dueling from my past life and this one, I was able to somewhat anticipate what the opponent would do next based on his posture and movement. This skill worked less depending on how capable of a fighter the opponent was, but Taci, while well-versed in his clan’s form of martial art, was still lacking in fighting experience.
Unlike fighting with Kordri, who had no openings or flaws in any of his micro movements, Taci was basically telephoning his next move. Dodging, however, was a whole different problem. While his attacks had openings, they were still at a level above anyone that I have faced. If it wasn’t for the amount of experience I had over the kid, I would’ve been thrown out of the soul realm already. The power and sheer speed of the onslaught could make any S-class adventurer curl up in utter subjection.
The force of his strikes caused the air around him to whistle and every time I parried his blows, my arms would throb in pain.
Clicking my tongue, I ignored the pain and persisted. It wasn’t enough to just be fast. I needed to be faster than him. In order to do that, I needed to lessen my movement. The only way I could dodge successfully without using mana was to cut down my maneuvers to the bare necessities. If I couldn’t do that, I would soon be overwhelmed.