The Wise Magician: Chapter 2

Asakura's mansion, a place where most traditional and historical environments are preserved. The building with old design can be traced back from the Edo period, and combined with the Sakura tree surrounding the mansion, the sight of the Asakura's mansion will stun every passer-by. Early in the morning, the sound of a small and tiny footstep can be heard at Asakura's mansion. A 3 years old Asakura Hina sprints her way to wake up her brother.

" GOOD MORNING KAZU-NIISAMA! IT'S MORNING! TIME FOR MORNING PRACTICE!" Shout Hina while bursting into Kazuhiko's room and trying to wake him up with her tiny hand.

" Hurmm? Hina?" said Kazuhiko half-awake, laying in his futon.

Asakura Kazuhiko, 19 years old, weighs 67kg and 175cm height. At the age of 18 years old, the world recognized him as the sixth S-Rank Magician, putting Japan in the 'safe zone' period from world war

" Kazu-niisama, it's time for morning practice. Everyone is waiting for Kazu-niisama." Hina is trying her best to wake her brother up.

" I see. You always wake up early huh? Hina, thank you for waking me up." Said Kazuhiko while patting Hina's head.

" Hehe. Is Hina really a good girl?" Hina grinning proudly.

" Of course, Hina is my proud little sister. Is everyone finishing their warm-up?" Kazuhiko continued praising his little sister.

" Yes. Hurry up Kazu-niisama! Hina wants to see Kazu-niisama's swordplay." Hina tried to rush her brother.

" I see. Then, let me wash my face first." Kazuhiko washed his face, then headed to the dojo where members of the Asakura household train. Asakura's dojo starts their morning with morning practice before they begin their day. The dojo's members not only consist of Asakura's household but some chosen outsiders as well.

" GOOD MORNING KAZUHIKO-SAMA!" The dojo members greet Kazuhiko when he comes into the dojo. The main Asakura dojo has only eight disciples and Kazuhiko, as their master. Although most of them are older than Kazuhiko, they respect him as their master.

" Kazu-chan, did you sleep late because of reading old books again? Geez, that's not good Kazu-chan, it will affect your skin, you know." Advised Kenji with an alluring tone. Over 14 years, Kenji is the one who changed the most. From a rowdy to a tender personality and with a little makeup on his handsome face, he is what we call a graceful woman… BUT he is a man!

" Hmph, at least that's better than a certain Okama[1] bastard wasting his time for makeup at night." Teased Asakura Kana, the eldest daughter of the Asakura household. She is Kazuhiko's older sister. Her personality and appearance is the opposite of Kenji. She is what people usually call tomboy.

" Oh my, oh my. Jealousy is an ugly thing, especially when it comes from a FEMALE GORILLA! Hohoho." Kenji rebuts back at his sister. Unlike Kazuhiko and Hina, Kenji and Kana are like cats and dogs.

" Both of you, please stop that! You're in front of guests." Asakura Nagisa scolded her children. She is a very loving and gentle mother that rarely raises her voice. Even if she did, only her gentle voice and tone can be heard. Kazuhiko's gentle and soft way of talking comes from his mother.

" Please don't mind us. We're here to congratulate Kazuhiko-kun for entering Magic Academy. Oh by the way, this is my daughter, Hana. She is one year older than Kazuhiko-kun and also a student at Magic Academy." Tousaka introduced his daughter with the hope that she will get along with Kazuhiko.

" Hello, I'm Yoshimura Hana. Nice to meet you." Hana introduced herself briefly and politely to Nagisa while observing Kazuhiko preparing to start training. "(So that is Kazuhiko that Dad always bragged about, also the only S-Rank Magician in this country. Hmm, he doesn't look intimidating like any other strong magician… More like, I can't read him at all with his facial expression like that. Well, whatever, let's see how strong he is.)".

" Oh my, what a polite girl. Ah, I just think of a good idea. Kana, why don't you become friends with Hana-chan? That way you can learn from her a proper etiquette for a lady. Besides, Hana's name almost sounds like Hina-chan, it's like Hina-chan got a new big sister, right? " Said Nagisa to Kana. Although Kana is almost 30, to Nagisa, the children will always be her little boy and girl.

" New big sister? Then, can I call you Hana-oneechan?" Hina looked at Hana hoping to get an answer.

" Yes, of course. Then, this big sister will call Hina, Hina-chan. Nice to meet you, Hina-chan." Hana started to pamper Hina.

" Nice to meet you, Hana-oneechan!" Hina answered eagerly.

" Mom! I'm not a little girl anymore. I can make my own friend." Said Kana while sulking.

" That's right mom. Gorilla can only make friends with another gorilla. That's their nature. Ohohoho." Kenji keeps teasing Kana.

" What did you say!? You damn okama bastard!" Kana trying to pay back Kenji.

" Ken-niisama! Kana-oneesama! Keep quiet! Kazu-niisama is trying to focus." Shout Hina at her brother and sister with her small angry face. Although she is angry, her squishy cheek is still cute.

" Uh-oh. Right. Sorry, Hina-chan." Seems like both Kenji and Kana can't win against Hina-chan. Then, they both start to focus on Kazuhiko, who is sitting in front of some disciples.

" Uhmm. What is he doing?" Hana is curious about what Kazuhiko is doing.

Kazuhiko sat in Seiza position in front of his disciple with his eyes closed, controlling his breathing's rhythm. Seiza can help him maintain posture as well as blood circulation ultimately improve his focus. As for the disciples standing still in front of him without making single noise while waiting.

" Well, you can say that it is a simple meditation before training. Every time before he starts training, he spends a little bit of time to clear his mind and strengthen his conviction." Answer Tousaka, who sometimes observes Kazuhiko training sessions.

" Strengthen his conviction? Why is that?" Hana showed her interest.

" 'Every bit of human's behavior is the result of intention combined with conviction. It's what pushes us to do some kind of action, be it because of human basic needs like hunger or other needs like entertainment. The stronger our conviction, the stronger it will push us to materialize it through action or behavior. When a behavior comes from a strong conviction, it will force its way through any wall that stands its way until he achieves his goal, the strong will to 'never give up'. Therefore, hold on tight and always strengthen your conviction every time before you start your training. Let it burn your hearts and push you to your limit as you train.' That's what Kazu-chan always said. Simply put, do your best and always keep in mind why you want to become stronger. Do you understand now, Hana-chan?" Kenji passes Kazuhiko's word to Hana.

" H-Hana-chan? Y-yes. I understand. Thank you. (Is that really what Kazuhiko said? That's quite philosophical for someone who just reached 19 years old. The way he thinks and doing things is so thoroughly.)" Hana was impressed by Kazuhiko's way of thinking. The way he starts things from its roots, the meditation to improve the efficiency and outcome of the training.

Hina took a piece of cloth and slowly walked toward Kazuhiko and then she wrapped it around his brother. " Can you see Kazu-niisama?" She blindfolded Kazuhiko and made sure that he couldn't see.

" No, I can't see. Thank you, Hina." Kazuhiko thanks Hina and pet her head.

" Hehe, you are welcome." Hina smiles proudly.

" Ermm. What is Hina-chan doing? Why she blindfold Kazuhiko-kun?" Hana was confused by Hina's action.

" It's a handicap for the disciples. Without it, the training will be over in an instant." Tousaka answered his daughter.

" H-handicap? Is it because they are too weak?" Hana asked curiously.

" Weak? Even the weakest among them is almost as strong as me, Second Commander of the Magic Division in the Military. It's not because they are too weak but because he is just too strong." Tousaka explained proudly to Hana. Although it makes him look weak, as someone who always looks up closely to Kazuhiko's growth for years, he couldn't be more proud of Kazuhiko.

" Wh-what!? ( As strong as father!? Th-then, that means every single one of them here is stronger than me!? Now that I look closely, some of them are top rankers in Japan Magician Rank. Even then, he needs to give them a handicap!? Amazing!" Hana bewildered knowing someone like Kazuhiko exists.

Kazuhiko stands up and slowly takes a few steps forward. The disciples opened the path and surrounded him. He then stops at the centre between his disciples.

" Bind No 20: EARTH CHAIN!" Kenji cast a binding spell on Kazuhiko's right leg. A chain warped around his leg tightly, restricting him from taking steps.

" W-what is this? Don't tell me this is another handicap?" Hana was caught by surprise one after another.

" That's right, a blindfold and binding spell. This may be physical training but even with all this is not enough you know. He is just too strong, you know? I think Kazu-chan will add another handicap soon. Geez, just how strong he intends to be." Said Kenji, in charge of Kazuhiko's second handicap.

" Oh! This is the first time I see this. Kazuhiko-kun never fails to amaze me. This is why I am always looking forward to his growth." Said Tousaka with a big smile on his face.

" ( Bind No 20, it is a binding spell aimed to stop enemy movement. The more movement made, the tighter it gets while draining their stamina away. If not careful, this bind can easily crush the bones. I know that S-ranks are strong but… this is… All of this for just physical training? Wh-what if he uses magic as well!? Ugh… I can't even imagine how strong he'll be. Is all S-rank magician are like this!?)" Hana was dumbfounded by what she was witnessing.

After a few moments, the disciples start to take their stance with their Shinai[2] aiming at Kazuhiko. While Kazuhiko is blindfolded and his right leg binds with chains, he remains calm, his breath is stable, his concentration is sharp as if he can see everything surrounding him. Then, the disciples take the first deep breath synchronously and while holding their breath, three of them dash towards in three different directions. While the other five maintain their position and wait for their chance to attack, three of them keep attacking Kazuhiko relentlessly without giving chance for Kazuhiko to counter. On the other hand, Kazuhiko easily dodged all of their attacks while maintaining his position. Swiftly using his left leg to slightly change his body posture, a footwork which utilizes one leg to dodge. When dodging is not possible, he uses his Shinai to parry the attack towards one of their teammates. Kazuhiko keeps repeating this combination without a single mistake that the other disciples can use as a chance to attack.

" Th-this is beyond amazing. Their combination and teamwork are perfect that even their breaths are synchronized perfectly. Not only that, I can barely hear their footsteps when they dash towards Kazuhiko-kun. The only sound I can hear is when their Shinai clashed. Their footwork combination is flawless. I can tell that each one of them is at the level of a master but… Even with all of that, they can't even land a single blow on Kazuhiko-kun. Eight of them against Kazuhiko alone with handicaps, and yet he still has the leeway to treat them like a child. Is he even human?" Hana started to admire Kazuhiko and his disciples.

" As expected Kazu-niisama." Hina keeps supporting his brother.

" No matter how many times I see it, it always fascinates me." Said Tousaka while his eyes focused on the match.

After a few minutes, the first three attackers step back and stabilize their breath. They exchange roles with other disciples and continue their attack while increasing their momentum. They keep repeating this cycle, sometimes four or five attacks while others look for a chance for Kazuhiko to make a mistake.

" Reiji! Your breathing is starting to disrupt! Control your breath, don't rush your strike! You will destroy your combination with your teammates! Hiroshi! You're letting your killing intent run wild! If you can't even control it, then don't even dream to lay one hit on me. Ryohei, try to predict my movement. Look at the movement of my hand, leg, and every joint in my body. Predict the movement of your teammates. Predict even if one millisecond ahead. Otherwise, you will always fall behind." Kazuhiko gives his disciples advice while dodging fierce attacks from them. For more than an hour, Kazuhiko didn't even once attack back. The disciples slowly ran out of breath and started to collapse exhausted one by one. The intense training ends when all disciples fall to the ground, unable to stand up anymore. Kazuhiko, the only one who was still standing, sweating like he just finished warming up.

" Alright, next is… Hina, want to try it?" Kazuhiko asked Hina to train with him.

" Yes yes! I want to train too! Can I do it together with Shiro?" Hina enthusiastically answered.

" Huh? Shiro? Well… Sure, you can do it together." Kazuhiko was confused as he never heard of Hina's friend named Shiro.

" Alright! Let's do this Shiro!" Hina summoned a white bird with a long and beautiful tail. With its red eyes and shining wings.

" W-what!? Is that spirit!?" Everyone was stunned by the sight of the mystical birds.

Okama[1] Refers to very effeminate males.

Shinai[2] Bamboo blade used in martial arts.

To be continued….