Chapter 3: Resolve/Time has Come
"Jeez Kiddo....your really giving it all you've got. Color me impressed..." Daisuke said with a curious expression plastered on his face, he didn't have a single scratch on him minus the one wound Dante was able to lay on him earlier, the Sun had changed positions it's as if they had been out here for hours "we're on Round 5...yeah feels like 5? And yet you haven't been able to lay a strike on me again. That must've been luck on your side before because I have never seen anyone fight so many times and not lay another hit. Your basically a one hit wonder.." his eyes stared forward unamused by the sparring session that had just occurred, their was a lot of big talk coming from Dante before and that burst of Mana was even enough to convince the Veteran maybe he wasn't bluffing but so far, it didn't seem like it amounted to Much. "Is that all you have?..your body can't compensate when your throwing Mana at me like that. You're tired..Fatigue hitting you to quickly. A proper user, doesn't just throw their power around...they fight with it wisely. You may have a huge amount of Mana naturally.. but since you've refused to practice with it. Your not used to the output. I suppose I'll have to disqualify you for now. Next Final Entrance exams won't be for another year at least.."
"Shut up!....this isn't all I have!...Viejo!!.." Dante was breathing heavily, scratches all over his body and armor. The Forest around them was covered in wear and tear from their long sparring session; the blue eyed male couldn't help but stare at Daisuke as he got lectured for never taking into account how much his body could take. "I'm not done! I'm not letting you disqualify me..."
"Your an idiot...at this rate. You'll pass out...Let me tell you something about our family. That makes us special..." Daisuke sighed having grown tired of all of this wasted time, and finally telling Dante something more important "Our genetics..down to our DNA..we've always been considered special. We've been blessed with a huge pool of Inner Mana individually and our bodies can quickly adapt with the more times we fight. That's why I've gotten to my position as a Knight....your father was even more special. You see...since birth, Kisuke Kudo...was capable of utilizing as Much mana as he needed without any adaption Necessary. He was born with the level of a prodigy. He could take our entire units of soldiers from other countries. No enemy could best him..nobody was a match for him because of his natural talent and gifts. They called him...The Perfect Warrior. It's thanks to him and his gifts that the War between our Nation and the Nation of 'Aragoto' ended in our favor.."
"Our Genetics?." Dante questioned softly looking down at his hand, thinking on it for a while "that's why...I can use Mana so effectively and why I have so much?...Dad really was Cool..
"He was the Coolest...I looked up to him. He was the older one of us..." The Veteran Knight reminisced slightly as he shook it off, and looked at his Nephew Seriously "Your not a bad apprentice. In fact...these past several years of teaching you. Your an incredible Swordsman, and you have a massive amount of Mana in you just like your father. I'm sure you can pick up and learn through experience. Unfortunately, you've let your stubbornness overcome your Talents...you've let out many bursts of Energy but none of it is concentrated..it's just blind fury. A Knight must always fight with a clear mind..level headed and think before acting. Right now. All you've shown me is pure aggression, you haven't really stood there and thought about how to best me. You only think about winning..so you swing your blade as hard as you can with no conviction. Actually think Dante...think about your Mana and how you want to use it."
'Dammit. He's right, I've been using my Mana to just back up my attacks but I haven't really used it wisely...' The white haired apprentice finally paused and really soaked in the information his uncle gave him, before an idea came to mind and small smirk appeared on his face "I've got something for you...and this should show you that I'm ready!..." extending his left foot back, and handling his Sword by his left side; an Aura covered his body once again 'Agh!...I've used so much Mana. It's straining my muscles..I can almost feel it to my bone. I can't keep going after this, I have to make this one count...' he thought as his eyes glowed a neon hue and his Mana intensifying the more he concentrated.
Daisuke raised his eyebrow he didn't really feel threatened but was definitely taken aback 'A regular person with an untrained body...isn't able to release so much mana in several bursts like this. His muscles should tear up..and bones crack from the constant pressure and stress being placed. Actually...he shouldn't be able to stand after the first Two...but we're on the fifth round and somehow he can still fight.. The Apple doesn't fall far from the Tree, Kisuke was even more resilient but he's inherited his durability....but what could he possibly do?..this amount of Mana isn't crazy. If he plans a swing I can simply counter it...wait...that stance. He's planning to put momentum in his swing- does he plan on using a blast technique?! That's not possible. No Beginner should be able to do that!...he'd have to at least trained a Month with pure Mana control. Was my theory correct? Did he inherit our Adaptability?..'
"Okay then..you wanted me to show you what I can do....to prove it!...where here it comes...Uncle!..." Dante's gripped his Blade harshly, as he slowly began to raise it high toward the Sky "Rock the World.... ryuu no ikari!!" Mimicking Daisuke's movements earlier, the young apprentice slashed downward forcefully slamming his sword into the ground, an extremely large torrent of blue energy erupted from his blade like cannon fire, it rocketed toward the Veteran Knight tearing through the ground like a rampaging drill and causing a burning after effect.
'He copied my move!....no-...he didn't see me do it. Did he just improvise what I did?-...that would make sense....I didn't start off on that stance of his.....I get it. He imagined how I used it...and used his own style of swordplay to do it!....that amount of Mana..it's not as big as mine but it's dangerously large!...Tch...what a kid...' Daisuke scoffed to himself, as a green aura covered his right hand and he aimed it at the incoming blast, a barrier like field covered as his palm extended.
The blast hit his Mana Barrier furiously, he could feel the weight behind this attack. It was certainly incredible but not quite enough to destroy his barrier, or so he thought as he could hear a slight crack "what's this?....just how much strength is in his Mana...I underestimated the extension of his energy!..." his barrier destroyed just as the blast subsided, leaving a cloud of snow and dirt 'impressive but not enough-....' The veteran knights thoughts we're interrupted, moving his head to the side His Nephew's sword Ryuu no ikari was milliseconds away from cutting his cheek; Daisuke was far to experienced to be caught off guard twice but his blade grazed strands of hair cutting them clean off.
"That's just..incredible. You really did outdo yourself...Dante..." as he spoke a trickle of blood seeped down, his cheek was cut after al even after dodging with seconds to spare lifting his free hand and touching the small bit of blood, his green eyes widened 'Mana....I thought he used up that burst of Mana. But he kept a small sliver in his Blade...so that even if I dodged, the concentrated energy could still hit.....Thats...unrefined but-...astute...' he thought truly impressed turning toward his Nephew to congratulate him, a thud hit his chest looking down it was simply hilarious "he knocked himself out...after five bursts of Mana. For someone untrained..I'm not surprised. Well...guess I'll tell you In the morning.."
Daisuke chuckled, moving his hand on Dante's shoulder to keep him leveled 'took you long enough...to finally listen to me. And learn...but you did it...Eh...kiddo...' he thought preparing to take the unconscious apprentice back home.
"You pass...Dante....you can take the Entrance Exam...."