Chapter 23[Training]

{A/N: I am alive, physically at least. I apologize for not uploading, and I will increase the pace soon. I am sorry.}

{A/N: I was going to gloss over the training, but I will give you all some training glimpses so it connects better to the overall dynamic of the story. Enjoy}

[Third person POV]

Clash! Clash! Clash!

Bang!

"You are getting better at recognizing the true death. It's only been a week, and your improvement is remarkable." Fiona complimented Kaizer as she rushed with her sword, aiming at his neck.

The training area was filled with different weapons scattered across the field.

The weapons range from long-distance weapons such as bows and guns to short-distance weapons such as swords and spears.

The training area under Skylar Household boasted a modern infrastructure with vast training facilities and equipment.

The spar between Kaizer and Fiona was approaching its end.

'Fiona Liebert, although the world knows her as the crimson sword master, her main talent is a Weapon Master. She can skillfully handle many weapons, switching weapons swiftly amidst combat.'

"Ughh." Kaizer groaned as he rolled towards the side, avoiding the incoming slash.

Instead of the usual training focusing on the basics, Fiona rushed towards sparring.

'Although I was skeptical about this training style, I can realize its merits.'

Kaizer deflected the incoming arrows with the spear Fiona shot after increasing the distance.

'A spar has been the main highlight of my training, the actual death, which means recognizing the deadly strike among the feints. Unlike the trained Awakeners with a head-start, I need to catch up. This means that even if I catch up, if I don't have experience, I will die before I can even swing my weapon.' Kaizer repeatedly picked up weapons while running simultaneously to deflect the arrows with all his might.

'The arrows coated with mana boasted a strength unparalleled to my meager application of mana. Yeah, I can somewhat apply mana to my weapons. Although my skills are subpar and my understanding of mana is a far outcry from someone as masterful as Fiona.' Kaizer monologued again and picked a short spear in his left hand and a katana in his right hand.

'Fiona's training focuses on building up my experience. If I realize the difference between a fake and real death intent, I can save my neck from disadvantageous situations.'

"Ahhh!" Kaizer ducked as Fiona's figure momentarily blurred in his eyes, only to release a piercing scream as he clutched his arm.

"You have the gall to space out during combat. Eyes on your opponent at all times. Don't you forget that? Hmm?" Fiona yanked Kaizer's arm as she dug into the momentary gap.

"Your intuition worked well, but you can't expect to dodge with your intuition if you are spacing out. You are struggling when I am suppressing my rank." Fiona spoke calmly as if stating a fact.

'Damn, she closed the distance in a split second.' Kaizer tried to pull away his arm but got struck with a punch to his stomach.

He sat on the ground, holding his stomach and shoulder in pain.

'It's astounding to see him fight. I have never seen someone with this level of adaptability and reflexes. Even his premature use of mana, which he picked up himself, is scary.' Fiona organized her thoughts while staring intently at Kaizer.

"Here, apply this and take a break." Fiona tossed an elixir towards Kaizer while sheathing her katana.

"You are improving at a breathtaking rate, and now you can block two out of my hundred strikes when I suppress my rank, which is a tremendous achievement considering your late start." Fiona addressed Kaizer as he applied the elixir.

Even though her confident stance of her strength was arrogant, her serene, calm, clear eyes didn't hold any hint of such emotion.

At her level, it's not arrogance but confidence, which is justified.

"Only two strikes? I was expecting more. This hurts." Kaizer clutched his shoulder in pain as he replied to Fiona's words.

"Are you so weak? Should I pick you up?" Fiona stretched her arms towards Kaizer playfully.

"Seriously?" Kaizer gave her a deadpan look as he stumbled to stand up.

"Let me give you a princess carry." Fiona stretched her arms again as she leaned forward.

"Don't you think you are getting carried away?" Kaizer questioned as he weakly backed away.

"It's a joke. Geez, you are so boring." Fiona dropped the topic as Kaizer fell to the ground again.

"So, what's next for today?" Kaizer questioned Fiona.

"What's next? Do you know how long you have been training?" Fiona stopped in her tracks and replied.

"A week? Maybe?" Kaizer answered her question with puzzled feelings.

"If you know that much, you should know that you have been training like that with only 4 hours of sleep. And that time is also when you faint from my attacks. Are you insane or a masochist?" Fiona retorted his questions with anger.

"I don't have enough time to relax and am already falling behind," he responded.

"Haa…I was going to go hard on you, but I am the one suffering." Fiona sighed and lamented his serious nature.

'Although I can understand her perspective, as I can feel the intense training taking a toll on my body, regardless of this situation, I can't necessarily stop at the expense of my body. Besides, I am familiar with far more intense training in the Nexus facility.' Kaizer weakly picked a short sword as he tried to perform horizontal swings.

Fiona shook her head as she sighed and stopped Kaizer.

"If you are so invested, observe this," Fiona said as she pulled out her exquisite katana and ran towards the center of the training ground.

The white, shining, polished blade glistened under the light.

"Kaizer, what do you think martial arts and these awakening powers are for? What's their significance?" Fiona questioned as she elegantly stretched her arm forward and took a graceful stance.

"For combat or rather killing, I guess?" Kaizer replied promptly.

"Well, that is true, but I wasn't asking in that sense. I want to say that the martial arts you practice are incorporated into your everyday life. Making them the way in your life will make you reach the high ground. Watch this:" Fiona performed a sword dance with a breathtaking stance.

Her movements were fluid and precise, seamlessly blending athleticism and artistry. Each step was deliberate, each gesture imbued with meaning. With the skill of a master, Fiona manipulated the sword with breathtaking dexterity, weaving it through the air in intricate patterns.

Fiona executed a series of dazzling maneuvers, each more astonishing than the last.

Kaizer observed this breathtaking performance intently in surprise and wonder.

'Truly mesmerizing. Each stroke of her sword corresponds to a dedicated movement. Is this the famous crimson sword art of hers?' Kaizer wondered as he stood still, starstruck.

Fiona eventually stopped the sword dance and tried to observe Kaizer's reaction, only to be shocked to see hazy golden-hue eyes in his deep purple eyes.

"A trance? What the hell is he?" Fiona muttered in bewilderment as she gazed intently at Kaizer's still figure.

******

[1 month later]

Clash! Clash! Clash!

Bang!

Clash! Clash! Clash!

Fiona and Kaizer rushed toward each other with swords in both hands.

The confrontation was exponentially intense compared to the month before.

The tremendous wind pressure from the clashes pushed them, but they rushed towards each other without stopping.

"What a monster!" Fiona shouted as she blocked another sword attack while swiftly pulling her left leg back to protect herself from the other sword aiming for her leg.

"I don't think you have the right to call someone a monster when you are this strong," Kaizer replied as his attack didn't end there. He swiftly dropped the sword and threw three daggers at Fiona's arms.

"Is that so? Can you not say that after breaking through my Crimson Sword Art using your unique style of using everything?" Fiona deflected the daggers with her swords as she backed away to increase the distance.

"You aren't going anywhere!" Kaizer shouted as he followed her direction and slashed his swords simultaneously.

"You are at F+ rank in a month and deny being a monster?" Fiona blocked the follow-up attacks and swiftly pointed her sword at Kaizer's neck.

"There's a difference between humility and ignorance. Don't be ignorant of your strengths and achievements. Have pride in what you have accomplished." Fiona said as she sheathed her swords.

"I thought the spar would be longer. Besides, that speed was definitely above what an ordinary F rank would have." Kaizer enquired as he ignored her suggestion.

"I won't be able to train you for the next few days because of an urgent call. Until then, you will be free, but don't slack off on your training. Don't miss me too much." Fiona replied as she playfully teased Kaizer.

"Finally, Good Riddance. I will have some peace." Kaizer replied exasperatedly with a deadpan expression.

Fiona's playful demeanor quickly changed as veins bulged at her forehead.

"Oh-ho-ho, you think so?" She sarcastically laughed as she grabbed Kaizer's face.

"Hahaha," Kaizer broke into a chuckle after seeing Fiona's face.

"You!" Fiona fumed as her face turned red from anger and embarrassment.

She stamped her feet on the ground as she released his face.

"You better be prepared when I will be back," She warned in an icy voice as she turned around and left calmly.

"An urgent call at this point? Is it about the prison or the crack in the dimensional border? No, it could also be about the new irrational patterns displayed by the invaders."

[Aren't you so well informed? I guess you don't need me anymore, considering you already have Fiona and your 'Oh so intelligent brain.']

"Grade, are you jealous?" Kaizer questioned as he picked up a nearby katana on the ground.

[Not necessarily, rather than jealous, I am pissed because you have been ignoring me for a while now.]

"I don't think you need to feel useless. We also have some work to do in this free time."

[Work? But aren't you too weak? Even though you are hiding that you are already at E rank from Fiona, you are still far too weak.]

'I am not hiding it. It's just a precaution.'

[I think you would have hidden it from me as well if I didn't know your stats.]

"It's a good thing that you already know that. I would have definitely hidden my feats from you."

[You know, you could have denied that.]

"I'd rather be honest with you than deceive you, who knows everything about me."

[So, what's the work you were talking about?]

"We will train first," Kaizer said as he mirrored the Crimson Sword Art he witnessed with the katana.

[Every time I see it, believing you copied her is difficult.]

"It's just an imitation, a far outcry from the real thing. I can imitate her exact movements but can't imitate the enlightenment and body muscles she developed while perfecting her sword art."

[Well, it's definitely something though.]

"I appreciate the compliment." Kaizer continued performing the sword art as only his katana's swinging sound overtook the training room's silence.

******

[A/N: I am sorry for not uploading. Feeling down lately, and about the story, I will be skipping a majority of the training arc because, well, It's building up the relationship and trust between Kaizer and Fiona, which will be shown gradually over time, like you can see the way they address each other changes over the span of a month or weeks. From the next chapter, we will dive into some fun.]