29 Finishing the Trial?

"Huf!" "Huf!" Allen panted after running 20km.

"Good, next one!" Tomoki ordered, leaving close to no rest.

"Ya!" "Ya!" Allen took out a heavy wooden sword and started swinging, not stopping until he reached 1000.

"Great. Now let's start sparing."

"Paf!" "Paf!" With bare hands, both of them started fighting, Allen taking the offensive side while Tomoki blocked and avoided him, hitting him when he revealed an opening.

"Paf!" "Straight up your back!" "Paf!" "Lower your posture!" "Paf!" "Be aware of your feet" "Paf!" "Never stop looking at the adversary".

...

One month had passed since Allen reached Inazuma and started the trial to be Tartaglia's subordinate.

The training regime was like this, 20 kilometers running, 1000 swings and finally sparring with Tomoki in close combat.

He was used to running such a distance, being part of his normal routine at Snezhnaya, but somehow it became incredibly difficult, his energy being spent at a greater pace. The first days had been horrible, barely being able to move, but thankfully, after some time, he got used to, making it possible to continue the training.

Then it was free time where Allen could do whatever he wanted while taking care of the normal chores like cleaning and cooking, however, there weren't many options.

Being locked to the hidden dojo, his options were quite limited. A part from the main room that would be the dojo there was a bathroom, a kitchen, three bedrooms and a locked door that he really didn't know what it hid, Tomoki also not telling him.

So he usually spent his free time with his own training, trying to improve his swordsmanship, applying what he had been taught when sparring with Tomoki with bare hands, thinking about how to improve further.

The truth was that Allen was reaching his limit of boredom and anxiety, really wanting to go outside.

...

"You must be getting bored. Let's do something different" After their usual spar, Tomoki came with a new idea. He threw one training sword to Allen while he took one for himself.

"Come" Tomoki said while perfectly positioned defensively.

"Yes!" Allen charged toward Tomoki, slashing at him.

"Clank!" "Clank!" "Clank!" Both swords clashed, Tomoki defending, parrying and avoiding every of Allen's strikes similar to the duel a month ago. However, there was a big difference.

Allen's movements were less refined, lacking a clear style, making them weaker, not performing any of his learned techniques. However, the combat was a lot more fluid, Allen's reaction time increasing exponentially, being able to cope with Tomoki's attacks and feints much better, Tomoki's hits rarely landed on his body and Allen did not fall to the ground even once.

After one month, Allen clearly knew that it would impossible to even hit Tomoki and he clearly was aware that his style was lacking, his posture being imperfect and having much to improve, but in the end, it had only been one month.

Thanks to the running, he felt his stamina had reached a new level, being able to push himself harder in the training. Thanks to the swings, his familiarity with the sword had increased, his grip strength and posture improving as a result. Due to the spars with Tomoki, his battle senses sharpened, gaining experience and improving his reaction before unexpected situations.

And finally, thanks to his free time of pondering and trying to improve, Allen discovered that the "Cleave Style" that he had learned from the bandit's leader was utter trash, better to be forgotten.

Wide moves difficult to chain and easy to avoid, leaving oneself completely open to the enemy's attack, even Allen was unconsciously able to take advantage of it and kill him. It was a style mean to overpower the weak. But there was any need to overpower the weak? It was a simply show of his own vanity.

The bandit's leader's swordsmanship was worthless, the only little thing useful about him should be his feet play that wasn't so trashy, but even so, it wasn't comparable at all with Tomoki's.

That's why Allen spent most of his firsts weeks trying to completely forget about that style, taking it out of his repertory and movements, being able to accomplish it after two weeks. Due to that, he might become a little weaker and lack a clear style, but he had increased his potential.

"Here I come" Tomoki swung his sword, attacking for the first time. It was a completely normal swung that lacked any style, but Allen felt amazed seeing it, how such a light swing could contain so much experience.

"Clank!" The swords clashed, Allen's sword flying away from his hands.

Allen looked at his hands thoughtfully, opening and closing them "I have a lot to improve."

"Yes, you have" Tomoki nodded "But for now, why we don't you accompany me outside?"

Listening him, Allen's eyes went wide with excitement "Have I passed? You accept me as your subordinate?"

"Let's see how it goes, for now simply come with, prepare yourself a little."

Allen followed his words, he went for a shower and then wore an already prepared blue hakama by Tomoki. When he was about to take his Cool Steel, he was stopped by Tomoki.

"You shouldn't bring the sword" Tomoki ordered "When you go outside, you must follow some rules. First, you are forbidden to bring out a sword or touch one."

"We are at Inazuma, the region of swords for excellency and I am forbidden to use one?" Allen asked confused.

"Exactly" Tomoki nodded "When you are prepared, I will let you, but now it's not the time." He explained "And the second rule, you must never say or show any hint that you are from Snezhnaya."

Allen nodded. That was quite clear, Snezhnaya being a little the enemy of the world it wouldn't do anything good naming as such if it could be helped.

"If someone asks, say that you are from Sumeru and lie your way out, I having been discovered you during my last travel" Tomoki explained "You are a kid, so they wouldn't ask much, simply to satiate their curiosity."

"Okay" 'That should be my specialty.'

"Let's go" Tomoki and Allen left the hidden dojo, Allen finally seeing the blue sky after a month, breathing loudly at the pure air.

They walked a little reaching the coast where a sailboat with some sailors in it was already waiting for them, both of them boarding it.

"Buff" Boarding the boat and seeing it start its voyage, Allen sighed in relief.

"What happens?" Tomoki laughed seeing Allen's face.

"I'm glad to be brought around. I really thought that I should have row my way between islands." Allen explained.

"That would be a good training, you will surely do it one day" Allen's face fell down "Unfortunately, we have some official matters and we must be at least presentable. It would be bad to go all sweaty."

...

"We finally arrive at Narukami Island" Tomoki said as we reached a big island. Narukami could be considered the most important and main island where the Shogunate and the three commission's headquarters were.

Landing in a harbor, Allen was able to see a city in front of him. It was quite big, but it lacked tall buildings, all of them being houses around a wide street that gave that feeling of a vintage Japanese city with a big castle over a cliff at the end of it.

"This is the capital of the region, Inazuma City" Tomoki explained as they crossed over the main road while Allen looked all around like a kid, completely in awe and excitement.

'This is Inazuma City. Finally, I am able to see it after waiting for a lifetime, my desire from my previous life finally being accomplished.'

Allen really wanted to go all around and explore what the city had for him, but unfortunately Tomoki didn't let him "You will have time in the future to sightsee, we are short of time, so let's finish it quickly first."

They walked directly towards the big castle "This is Tenshukaku, the Raiden Shogun's residence."

"Are we going to visit the archon?" Allen said with a mix of fear and excitement"

"Of course not, why should we?" Tomoki negated it quickly. Entering Tenshukaku, they didn't go towards the main and highest building where the Shogun stayed, instead, they turned to the right with a big building like a manor stood with a line of soldiers surrounding the path to it.

The soldiers lowered their heads a little seeing Tomoki passing by. Arriving at the doors' manor, they were opened by some servants, inviting them to enter and guiding them to a private room.

In the room, an old man sat behind a desk. He had short hair and a quite short beard with a little mustache, all of it acquiring a gray color due to age. He wore gray kimono with a black hakama and a red haori.

"So this is the boy" The old man looked attentively at Allen with sharp eyes, trying to see over him.

Tomoki acted, stepping in front of Allen, blocking the old man's gaze "Yes, he is. Don't put him in your ambitions, old man". Tomoki said coldly "Will you make it difficult or will you firm it quickly?"

"Haha" The old man laughed "We haven't seen in a long time, so we at least should have a little chat, Tomoki."

"You always with such uselessness, Takayuki" Tomoki turned to Allen "We have something to talk about between adults, you can walk around on your way, don't go further, stay inside the Tenryou Commission."

Allen was a little upset being treated as a child, but the fact that he was a child was unavoidable, so he nodded and left the room guided by a servant while another servant brought some sake to Tomoki and Takayuki.

"How rare for you to take someone. I thought that you were a free spirit that really didn't care about the clan's matters at all." Kujou Takayuji said "Have you finally decided to step up? The Kamisato are at their weakest, it won't be difficult to take their position with my help."

"I have already told you uncountable times that I won't. I don't have that kind of ambition." Tomoki answered.

"It's truly a pity" Takayuki sighed "You are the few than I could trust with it, knowing that you will keep your borders and not bite the hand that feeds you. But I suppose that your lack of ambition is what truly makes me trust you. What an irony."

"Let's stop with it. Will you firm it?" Tomoki demanded annoyed taking out a parchment "Or should I use more forceful methods?"

"Calm down. I will firm" A servant came to the room bringing a pen and a stamp. "But think about my proposition." Takayuki firmed the parchment with his name and engraved the Kujou's stamp with it.

"Good" Tomoki took at the signed parchment and stood up, preparing his leave.

"We have not seen in such a long time, shouldn't we spend some time together" Takayuki stopped him. "Could you tell me about your last travel?"

Feeling the ambient, Tomoki wasn't able to negate. He sighed in resignation "Take it as a payment for the quick firm. I will finish quickly."

"I'm looking forward to" Takayuki smiled with a shrewd smile.

...

Allen walked outside the big manor and loitered around, passing servants that ignored him and not seeing anything that truly caught his eyes. Finally, he reached what seemed like a training camp.

In it some soldiers were practicing, most of them using spears. Seeing them train, Allen thought about using this time to train, wanting to consolidate what he had learned in the last sparring with Tomoki using swords.

Approaching where the training tools were, he was about to take a wooden sword, but remembering Tomoki's rule to not wield swords, he choose otherwise, taking another weapon, a little wooden bow and some arrows.

Having a bow after so long, it created a strange feeling, but nevertheless that familiarity still was there, having spent months training with it.

He went towards the shooting area with dartboards and positioned himself at the 150 meters marks.

"Bbbb" Allen breathed loudly as he draw the bow, charging the arrow "Buf!" He shoot the arrow that deviated a little from the objective, failing to hit the circle by an inch.

"I really don't have talent with it but it certainly relaxing." Allen charged a new arrow. The pace, the silent, the focus... He had always find shooting with the bow kind of relaxing, even when he knew that he wasn't good with it, he really like the weapon, letting even clear his head, relax and organize his thoughts.

"You are holding it wrong" Just as Allen was about to shoot another arrow, someone appeared from behind putting her hands over Allen's arms "You should relax more the posture and aim a little higher." That person expertly moved Allen's arms and shoulders, improving his posture.

"There's no need to run, calm down" The voice said "Close your eyes, forget about your surroundings."

Allen followed the sweet and calm voice, calming himself "Now slowly open your eyes. There's only the objective in front, nothing at all."

Allen opened his eyes, focusing on the objective as if there wasn't anything more, only the dartboard and him in the universe.

"Now, let it go"

"PAM!" Allen let go his fingers, shooting the arrow, the arrow perfectly piercing the middle of the objective.

"Wow" Allen was surprised, being the first time that hit the middle of the objective at such a distance.

"Thanks" Allen turned around seeing the one that helped him.

She was a young and beautiful woman that should be about Alina's age. She had beautiful golden eyes. She had long shining indigo hair tied into a ponytail that reached her middle back.

Her attire was primarily black and white, with hints of mauve, red and gold. A crest with three circles within one bigger one adorning various parts of her outfit. The most characteristic of her outfit was a red tengu's mask that resembled a crow's face and a violet gemstone, clearly, a Vision, tied with a yellow bow at her hips.

"You're welcome" She smiled brightly.