Spar

[ January 13, Year 772 ]

"Concentrate... don't lose focus!"

"You need to feel as if you are one with the water"

Mabel said, she stared at the young man before him as he balanced himself in a stack of stones between the river.

Kazemi nodded earnestly, he moved his body as if he was the river itself. Feeling the air brush past his face as he concentrates on hearing the movements of the river.

"Good... now, use your magic power on the river to control it"

Kazemi did as he was told, he followed a set of movements and released his magic power unto the river as water floated up in the air. He waved his hands as the water followed his maneuver and danced with it while balancing himself on top of a stack of stones.

(N/A: He's movements are like that of a waterbender from avatar)

After a few minutes, he stopped as the water dropped back down on the river. He jumped away from the stones and landed on the ground beside Mabel.

"How was it?" Kazemi asked.

"It needs some work, but overall you did just fine" Mabel answered and praised him.

Kazemi was feeling a bit saddened after hearing that but shrugged it off in the next second as his eyes looked determined to perfect his control.

"You've been working on your water magic for a while, I think it's time we change things up"

Mabel stated and took out a katana as she threw it towards him. He catches it as he grips it in his hands, Kazemi unsheathed it and looked at the reflection of himself on the blade.

"A good sword" Kazemi commented in approval.

Before he could react, Mabel had already dashed and slash at his neck. Kazemi stopped moving as the blade was right next to his neck and gulped in nervousness.

"Never lower your guard"

Mabel commented, she put away the blade and sheathed it. Kazemi nodded earnestly at that advice as sweat dropped like bullets on his head.

"This time... I won't stop so you better get ready"

Mabel stated as she walked a few meters away from him. With her sheathed blade, she pointed it at him, implying he should strike first.

Kazemi nodded in response, he unsheathed his blade and perform a zigzag maneuver as he dashed towards her.

"Water Breathing..."

"First Form: Water Surface Slash!"

Kazemi slashed at her using the momentum he created while the blade whistled as it cut through the air. Mabel was a bit surprised as in all her years of spending time with him, she hasn't seen him perform such swordsmanship once.

The blade was about to come into contact with her neck due to her sudden distraction but with her experience as a sword master, she immediately regained her calm and took a step back as the blade barely missed her.

With Kazemi expecting that to fail, he instantly changed his posture to accommodate his next form.

"Fourth Form: Striking Tide!"

Kazemi stated, he launched consecutive slashes at her multiple times as she smoothly dodge all of them with her footwork. Mabel's movement was as if she was a fish in the water while a hazy image of a mermaid seems to form and correspond with her.

Kazemi was in awe of her movements as he halted for a split second. Mabel saw that and used the chance to parry his strike which broke his form, he gritted his teeth when he almost dropped his sword due to her immense strength.

'For someone who looks weak, she sure does have a lot of strength in her' Kazemi thought.

He took a step back to adjust his posture and switched the way he grip his blade to accommodate his next attack.

"Ninth Form: Splashing Water Flow, Turbulent Effervescence"

Kazemi rushes forward turbulently and unleashes numerous flowing water slashes from all directions while creating levitating bubbles all around her.

Mabel had a serious look and unsheathed her blade as she blocked every slash he made, she noticed levitating bubbles all around her and made a note of it in her head.

'It's time...'

Kazemi thought, he jumped away from her as the bubbles started to pop, releasing a heavily pressured burst of water spewing in all directions.

Mabel jumped high and saw as the ground beneath her had cracks due to the pressured burst of water.

"Quite a fascinating technique" Mabel commented with an intriguing look.

Kazemi saw that she managed to evade his attack and changed his posture to that of an 'Iai stance' as he stared directly at her.

"Ninth Form: Splashing Water Flow, Flash"

He rushed forward as he vanish for a second and instantly appeared right in front of her and delivered an uppercut-like slash.

Mabel flicked her blade as it intercepted his attack and cause the blade to fly off his hands, she brought down her blade to his neck again.

"You lost" Mabel stated.

Kazemi was breathing heavily due to the strain of using consecutive attacks with a 7-year-old body.

Mabel noticed that as she put away her blade and took a pill from her sleeves which she brought it forward to his mouth.

Gulp~

He gulped the pill and felt the strain in his body slowly go away as he felt re-energized.

"It's a rejuvenating pill"

"Do you want to have so-"

Mabel stated, she was about to ask him if he wanted to keep some but was interrupted immediately by his shout.

"Yes!" Kazemi shouted.

Mabel stared at him with one of her eyebrows raised. Kazemi was embarrassed by his outburst just a few seconds ago, he knew how important this is for his training and it was the reason why he was so excited.

"Well... since you really want it then here"

Mabel said, she gave him a bottle full of pills as Kazemi put them away happily. She stared at him with an amused look at his antics knowing what he will use it for.

"Hmm... let's go" Mabel stated.

"Huh? go where?" Kazemi asked.

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard her. Kazemi couldn't help but questioned her in doubt, he knew there isn't anywhere in this forest to go except their wooden hut.

"You'll see..." Mabel said with a smirk.

Kazemi couldn't help but shiver when he saw her smirk, he had a feeling that he would be using a lot of rejuvenating pills.