Training Arc

"Sorry about that. I was-"

"No need for that, Rose already told me Everything." Tom interrupted. "Let's leave before time's up."

We hurried to the collection ground. I sat down looking for injuries, I had few, but they already started healing. 'Why were you looking for me?' I remembered the question Rose asked.

{Indeed, why?} Tom is also close to her, but he didn't look for her. {Why did I leave? why? What made me look for her?} I had several questions but no answers. I was already at my house before I realized. My body can now fly on its own, and it's been only a month since I started flying regularly.

"you're late." Mom was at the door, "something happened?"

"Yeah, something did happen. I'll explain later, first let me eat. I am starving."

"get changed first. I'll get the food out." Mom ordered.

I explained Everything to Rita and mom at the dinner table. They both were surprised, a little bit.

"You have friends?" Rita asked. {Why won't I?}

"Of course he does." mom said, "tell me ray, honestly, okay? Why were you looking for Rose?" Mom asked me the same question.

"I don't know. I had this question in my head for some time, but still had no answers." I told her. she just chuckled in response to my answer. Rita was smiling but kept on eating. Both of them were acting weird. On top of that, I had to answer the damn 'why?'

After eating, I went to sleep. I still haven't reached a conclusive answer to the 'why?', and slept for a few hours. Dad woke me up, "get to the lawn, we need to talk." he said and left the room.

"You sent the entire group to the infirmary by yourself." he said as I got out to the lawn. " pretty impressive."

"I just hit once."

"The one you hit, the girl leading the group, her forearm bones were shattered like glass, and the fractures reached her palm. I had to give her plaster. It took me hours to make her able to move her arm." his voice got harsher at Every word. "You know that calls for some sort of penalty."

"I know."

"But, you didn't know your own power, which is partly my fault. So you are free of charge."

"Really?"

"I heard from everyone, the girls admitted their fault. they tried to injure you, so you don't need to be penalized."

"Thank god."

"but you are still getting training. you need mana usage and attack accuracy to be polished," he said and launched a punch at me.

I barely dodged and flew over his head to avoid him. He stopped just when I flew above, and turned to me. "pretty good reflexes, and being able to fly in casuals is no easy feat. your training begins next week." he said and walked back in.

I fell and caught my breath. We had a week-long break from school starting next week. today was the last day of school, which means break starts Tomorrow. {well played dad.}

***

"wake up kiddo. time to train." Dad removed my covers. I rubbed my eyes, then looked out the window.

"It's still night." I groaned.

"I know." he threw some clothes at me, "get ready and meet me outside."

I looked at what he gave me, it was a tracksuit and a pair of gloves. I changed and looked in the mirror. {not bad.}

"Not bad, pretty boy," Dad commented from the door. "Let's go."

We jogged up the mountain for thirty minutes. As the sun started to rise, dad picked up speed, I tried to keep up with him. we ran until we reached flat land. "this is a training ground that I used. I used it to gain mana, you have enough of it. What you lack is control." Dad walked in and a wooden log rose from the ground. "Try kicking this one."

I kicked the log, and it shattered into a thousand pieces.

"This is bad." Dad sighed, "You have zero control. Try to break other logs, and keep pieces to a minimum."

So began my week-long training. He gave me several tasks, and I finished them all. I made a record of stuff I did.

[splitting log in exactly two parts - 2 days]

[multiple target hitting- 2 days]

[mana and body balancing- 2 days]

[faster healing- 1 day]

"for your test," dad created a row of logs, "cut six of these in two parts, no more, no less."

I kicked the first log. The impact cut it in half, followed by the next five logs, which fell as soon as they got cut. The rest were left untouched.

"Not bad, you got this much control in just a week. your direct output now has physical effects, keep that in mind. your healing also improved, at least you won't die of blood loss anytime sooner.'' Dad made some ominous comments. "Go back now, your school starts today."

***

I reached the collection ground, it was mostly empty. {Maybe I am early?} It was probably due to the training, but I got here faster. I sat down, waiting for others to arrive.

"Ray?" Tom arrived, "you are here early today." he sat down beside me.

"Yeah. I trained during the week, forgot I was faster and got here earlier than I wanted. But what about you? you usually get here just before we leave."

"I just got up earlier than usual." he chuckled a little.

We talked like normal until we got near the school. When the building came into sight, Tom suddenly got up. "I have an idea." he forced me to stand, "let's race. I also did some training, so why don't we test it out?"

We waited for the gate to become visible and took a stance.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah."

"3...2...1, Go!" Tom took off.

We flew as hard as we could, but he won in the end. However, we were seen by teachers and brought to the principal's office.

"You two know that it is not allowed for students to leave the collection ground and fly on their own. So why did you?" the Principal asked us calmly, he had a bunch of school rulebooks on his table as always.

"Sir, it is not given anywhere in the rulebook." Tom argued, and I nodded along.

"is that so?" principal smiled, "if that's the case, you two are free to go."

"Really?" we both said at the same time.

"But sir, this is really dangerous. They could've gotten hurt, or might have fallen into the valley." the teacher who caught us argued. {Just let us go, the principal said it's okay.}

"But they didn't." the principal said sternly, "if i remember right, both of them are at the top of their year's air battle team. They are also related to senior staff at our school. they will be fine."

"but-"

"no further arguments please. you two, get to your class. don't be late, that is written in the rule-book." principal ordered.