Sparring

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[Flashback]

In a house, on a farm, an elderly couple looks at the calm and peaceful passage while holding their hands together, and they talk about this state of peace and harmony.

"Leo, we are already old, but you are still squandering youth."

An old man, but whose time seems to have no effect, besides the white hair and wrinkles on his face, his body is still strong, and with his tall stature, he still shows respect with his presence.

"And you, even as you get older, don't lose your gentle and loving smile, being more than ..."

Feeling a chill down his spine, he saw a frightening smile forming, and remembered once again never to speak of his wife's age.

"Having gone through so many things together, it is even sharper and more decided when we met"

As if it looked like an illusion, when looking at it a second time, the smile returned to be gentle, as if the cold of seconds ago was just an illusion.

The woman next door, whose face is being overshadowed by the sunshine, with a loving smile on her face, talks to her husband.

*

*

"You know, if i die first, can you promise me something?"

With a serious look, the woman looks into the eyes of the man in front of her, and despite the difference in size, she does not seem the least bit intimidated.

"Why are you talking about this now? You know that I don't like to talk about these matters of death. "

With a frown, the man looks at the woman and responds.

"Will you promise me?" even so, she asks again, with more strength in her eyes.

Looking serious in his wife's eyes, he accepts.

"I promise. "

"No matter how sad you may be, or how broken your heart is, you will not stop walking, even if I am not on your side."

She puts her hand on his chest.

"I will always be here, in your heart"

With tears pooling in her eyes, she concludes.

"When we get married, we become one person, so even if I'm not with you, we'll always be together, because we are one, because your life also means my life, so if you give up moving on , it will be the same as denying our union "

With tears streaming down her face, and her voice was already a little hoarse.

"So, if I leave first, also promise me that you will keep walking, because your life also means mine."

As I wrap her in my embrace ...

"Of course dear, we will always be together"

"Always, it's our promise"

[flashback end]

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I finally open my eyes and get up after almost 80 hours of training.

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[Training time completed]

[Proficiency increase:

Perception - High / level 1 >> 5

Hand-to-hand combat - intermediate / level 4 >> High / level 6

Ax Mastery - Beginner / Level 5 >> Weapon Mastery - Intermediate / Level 1

Footwork - intermediate / level 2 >> High / level 1

Parkout - beginner / level 1 >> 3

Stealth - beginner / level 3]

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Looking at the increase in the mastery of skills, I realize how much I have adapted to my strength.

I was able to increase my perception due to observing the opponent and the surroundings, not just focusing on the fight, more on the battlefield.

The level of combat has improved dramatically, mainly because I am used to using the strength of youth.

Ax Mastery became Weapon Mastery, I decide to use weapons every 10 fights in the arena, but only the main ones, baton, spear, sword, axes, daggers, bow and arrow, and in addition to the fists, I also used the baton Military Tonfa style, although not very common, is a good option for defense and attack.

Although I preferred to fight with my fists, due to the physical difference, it is kind of impossible, as to inform me, right in the initial training, up to 6 opponents I managed to remain undefeated, but against 7 at once, it was difficult, after dying some times against 7 corrupt, I finally came up with the idea of ​​letting them kill themselves using their own speed, as we were in the arena, running near the wall and using a little parkout to avoid the attacks allowed me to win against up to 10 normals

More after that, when I tried to fight a corrupt with strength increase in 2 times, I didn't even realize how I died.

Just reviewing the fight that I realized, when the corrupt, with twice the human strength unlocked, kicks the ground in one direction , I couldn't even notice him while he was behind me, while a part of me was missing, it was like watching Acnologia finish God-Serena in one-hit, one-sided.

Martial arts don't make much difference if basic physical skills are absurd.

If a faster human runs 100 meters in less than 10 seconds, a corrupt without limiter, in an onslaught, travels 100 meters in less than 5 seconds, but with twice the physical force, pushing the ground, decreases to less than 2 seconds , 100 meters in 2 seconds, I don't even know what speed it is.

They are real monsters, with my normal senses, without strengthening, I can only fight the normal ones from my experience, and enjoy that they are running, and not investing, if all these monsters can do that, it would be problematic.

Now that I think about it, the corrupt ones that I fought the day before were much slower and less flexible.

'Cortana, why are the corrupt in training faster than the ones I fought before?'

[The corrupt in the training room, represents the corrupt in their strongest form, who are just after those who were contaminated, transform themselves, when their bodies are still in full energy, different from the corrupt ones that the host fought, who are already with bodies in a state of dehydration and lack of energy, the longer they pass the weaker they become, this is the reason for the corrupt to attack and devour other beings, to replenish the energies necessary to maintain the operation of the body, because the corruption that turns them into killing machines, keeps them running, but has no means of replenishing the body's energy by itself. ]

"Well that explains a lot"

While I brush my teeth, with a kind of brush without a handle, and a paste that I don't know the precedence, I fill the water barrel behind the house, after all, taking a shower in the morning is always good.

With the sky clear, I say this is still at dawn, it must be around 5 pm, I don't know what time I went to sleep, but it wasn't too late.

After eating some fruits that Maia left at the house,

I decide to look around the village, as I am not familiar with the place, it would be a shame to run around the village as training, at least for today, doing the recon of the terrain will be the best.

*

*

Even though it is early, many are already awake, as expected from country life, work starts early.

Going towards the gate, along the way I realize that in addition to the houses, and warehouses, they also have a forge, that can help me get a weapon.

Arriving at the gate, I meet my friend Thomas.

"Big Brother, hahaha"

After we talked yesterday, he decided to call me a big brother.

With a big hug, we greet each other.

"Did you spend the night on guard, little brother?"

"After yesterday's attack, we cannot be left unattended."

"So, how about a quick workout?"

*

*

In the middle of the morning, I, using a wooden staff that is slightly larger than my size, look at my opponent, who has a shield in one hand and a sword in the other.

As we face each other, I, in simple clothes, with a piece of wood, and on the other, with leather armor, shield and sword, it seems incredibly visible that it will win ... if they were normal people.

"Are you sure you don't want to put on a protection or use a sword too?"

"Do not need, but do not forget, without strengthening, just fighting skills."

"clear"

Thomas approaches carefully, with the shield in front, body diagonally and the sword ready to attack.

I, as the principle of self-defense is patience, I take up position with the tip of the stick down.

"Aahhh"

As if to break the gaze game, Thomas advances in my direction.

Even with a shield, he opens up a little to attack me.

I look at him, waiting for the moment he arrives to attack.

Going for the attack, which is generally a wrong move for a shield user, after all, when you use a sword and shield, the right thing is to expect to receive the blow, and then counterattack, because from the moment, attacks, it opens a breach in defense, changing positions and changing the center of gravity of the body, making it easy to use momentum and attack to destabilize the opponent.

He takes a lot of momentum from the swing, making him lose time in the attack, and wasting energy, and as the attack starts from right to left ...

* Tun * Making a silent sound, the tip of the staff strikes the side of the sword, pushing it to the left, towards the ground.

And with a little twist, without even having to leave the place, using the swing of the stick, I already bring the point towards Thomas's face.

"You lost bro"

* Gulp *

"incredible"

With sweat running down his forehead, after realizing what happened, Thomas looks at me with stars in his eyes

"If you want to use a sword and shield, you have to learn to be patient and know when it's time to attack, defend, and retreat, fighting beasts is different from fighting humans, right at the beginning, you lost your patience and left straight into the attack, if you were a espadashin, you could have deflected the blow, but the shield and the strength you put in the sword prevented you from deflecting the attack that came right after the deflection. "

* Clap ** Clap *

* Clap ** Clap *

When I look around, it looks like we have a small audience,

Without me realizing it, we have just become the center of attention, after all, as it is not a very large village, those nearby came to see it.

"Come on Thomas, you have a lot to learn yet"

"Yes"

"This time just come with the sword, you need to get used to moving your feet while fighting"

Assuming the posture again, but this time, without the shield.

I deflect his attacks or redirect them, while I talk about the points he should improve and what he cannot do.

It may not seem like it, but teaching someone who wants to learn is a lot of fun.

And it turned out that the others also joined the training ...

*

*

After more than an hour of training, what remains is the guards exhausted on the ground.

"Mr. Leon !!"

I look to the side and find Winry waving at me.

"Hi Winry, since when are you there? "

"It's been a while, but I didn't want to interrupt your training."

"Big sister asked to call you for breakfast"

With a bright smile on her face, Winry takes me back to Maia's house.

*

"You are late, Winry why did you take so long, don't you know that the food will get cold?"

Leila, who usually prepares coffee, speaks in an older sister tone.

"Leila, I'm sorry, I was busy training with the gate guards and Winry didn't want to disturb me, so she was waiting for me to finish. "

"Ahh, *sigh* let's eat, it's still hot."

What is on the table, are eggs, bread, and tea, the smell looks great.

While we eat ...

"Leila, isn't Maia going to eat too? "

"No, she ate earlier, she went to tell the others that we will have a meeting later, and she needs to prepare for this"

"Meeting? "

"Due to the frequency of the attacks, we may have to leave the village if we cannot get help from the army for protection, our group may be stronger than the others, but we have limits on how much we can take. "

I am thoughtful, after all, this decision affects not only everyone's work, but also the future.