Chapter 235: Ragefire Act |
How exactly... did I get in this situation? Let's see... I travelled from Tartarus to here by searching for it by asking people about it in different kingdoms... I got stopped by the ninjas of the village... But once I revealed I just wanted to help Mizuki by showing the Flower of Zeratria, they let me in and I showed the same thing to Mizuki so that I'll be giving away this petal as a bargaining tool for her or someone to teach me about swordsmanship.
Mhm. Mhm. Everything sounds good and that's how exactly how it happened.
So... what part led up to Mizuki being on top of me in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!? "Uh... Mizuki?"
Mizuki didn't say anything but she immediately went in for the kiss. I immediately pulled away from her and I could see her blushing. "Uh- uhm... Teleport!" I then find myself back at Izgoy.
I teleported at the very top of the castle so I'm pretty sure no one would notice me. I laid myself down and looked at the sky. "What?" I was just... confused. Well, I can't back out now. I used up a petal of the Flower of Zeratria so I have to continue this until the end. "Mass Teleport." I waited for eight seconds and I was back at that room and that place.
Mizuki was wearing back her clothes. "First time getting rejected, its a bit painful."
"What was that about?" I was just confused.
"Well... you're the first man I've ever accepted with a gift. And here, its a sign of marriage. Do you not know that?"
"I didn't-" I had no clue they're living like this. Haa... this just made things complicated. "Look, I only came here to use the Flower of Zeratria as a bargaining tool. Remember when we talked back at the trials? I wanted to learn about swordsmanship."
Now there will be an awkward moment every time I see her. How can I forget that...
Mizuki then returned and I was about to greet her but she had a sword in her hand. She immediately rushed up to me and I felt like I'm being rushed by six people.
Six katanas appeared like an illusion, "Come, Demon Sword Acabar." A single small flame then manifested into my sword. I raised my guard up trying to protect myself but I didn't notice that she was attacking in front of me.
She's already behind me.
Even though if she went full force, I wouldn't have been scratched by that. Its the techniques I needed to learn. "What was that about?" I asked.
"Hmph." She then looked away and went out of the room. "My father will be the one teaching you. Goodbye."
I felt like I angered her somehow. But I guess I found an instructor.
The next week was spent when the whole kingdom was celebrating the recovery of Mizuki's power. I didn't felt like I was there and I desperately wanted to leave but that old man has been dragging me to drink with him. "I didn't think that I'd be allowed to live again." We were secluded in a room where no one could hear us except us. The outside were everyone partying and just having fun. "I'd like to give you my best appreciation. Pick an item in our treasury, I know it won't be enough but please, I'd like for you to get anything. Just in exchange of bringing that medicine."
"I didn't do much." I reasoned since I only came here to learn swordsmanship.
"No, I insist. You really saved me. Mizuki is still... young. She's still not ready to seat in my position and out of all my children, she's something exceptional. All my sons left the village because they didn't value tradition and wanted to just fool around. Well, I can understand them..."
"I see."
"Sorry for rambling to you, I just wanted to say how thankful I am. I still have the rest of my life leading this kingdom as an emperor. I can't place that burden on her. She still has her life there."
"That's great of you."
"Anyway, I heard you rejected my daughter?"
"Ah... haha... yeah..." Don't tell me he's that overprotective father because I will run away right now.
"I see. Well, you did just came here bearing gift not expecting that so I can understand. But try to get to know each other. I don't mind giving her to you seeing how you manage to complete the trials of the sky island. And the people would love to be with you since you did save their emperor's life."
"I'll... think about it." I have never thought that much of love but there's a war that's nearing. So... I won't be able to experience that for a long time.
"But enough of that, is there anything I can do for you other than the gift in the treasury? I know you didn't come here to ask for my daughter's hand in marriage because I'm willing. But you rejected her so that's out of the question."
"I need to learn swordsmanship. I'm not using my sword right as I'm just swinging it and the only thing that's good about me is my strength."
"So you need to learn techniques?"
"Yes. That's all I need."
"Inventory." He then pulled out a katana. He equipped one for himself and gave one to me. "Swing it once so I can get a gauge of your knowledge."
"I see." I held the katana with both of my hands and swung it in an overhead slice. The wind that I created managed to destroy the wooden planks on the floor and the table in front of us were flying everywhere.
"Horrible. Absolutely horrible." Is what came out of his mouth. "You do have power yet you're not using it correctly. You can multiply your power further more if you just know how to swing your sword. But you're not. You're flailing it around." He let out an exasperated sigh, "It seems like this will take a long time."
"So, will you teach me?"
"I will. Having a student as powerful as you is incredibly rare. Now, just to refine your horrible stance and technique will be amazing. By the end of this month, you must be able to do this. This will be something that you need to practice everyday." He took a stance and suddenly, the atmosphere around the room changed. He raised his sword and it looked like there's afterimages following him. But he's moving incredibly slow. I didn't know how that happened. He the swung in the same overhead slice and six after images of his hands followed and the ground pulsed violently. "Now, let me teach you all about this."
I spent the next month learning this move and all I can say is that it was incredibly difficult. And this is just for me to practice to increase my strength and speed. I can say that it was working. Two weeks in and I could only do two pulses.
It gives an incredibly huge strain on my hands as I was always vibrating. It was a surreal sword art but when I tried to use it on my other skills, it was absolute perfect. I used the skills from the legendary swordsman and implemented it.
My arms were literally burning after I tried it and I couldn't use my hands for an hour since my bones broke from just using it. But it did work. I nearly made a mess of the training ground but it somehow worked.
So I continued on grinding and grinding trying to master this and as the first month passed by, I went up to four pulses.
The old man was surprised on how fast I got to four pulses so he immediately set me up for the next training.
He said that since I'm a man, I'll have to use their Ragefire swordsmanship and the Moonlight swordsmanship can only be given to women. Like Mizuki. I just agreed and he immediately showed me the first art of that.
"First Act: Calm Rage." He then disappeared and reappeared and thousands of cuts where everywhere all around the ground. He then showed it again but this time inside of a room. "First Act: Calm Rage." Thousand cuts went through the entire room and it seems like he didn't even move. The whole room was flaming down.
He said that its a defensive spell when enemies get too close. And I can see why.
He then showed me the next one.
"Second Act: Illusion of the Flames." Twenty slashes on the wall but it didn't cut through. But then a second later, it all exploded and has been cut cleanly like it was nothing. "Its a delayed spell that you'll be able to stack if you continue to release this act again and again."
I'm finally honing my swordsmanship.