The Villain's Story

The physical combat had taken a while to get used to, but I think I did quite a good job, I learnt everything Alan tried to reach me, although i must say…

‘It hurts.’

He had not landed a single hit on me, but I had, and let me tell you, punching what appeared to be titanium for skin is not a harmless endeavour. Even with all my enhancement, my legs and fists throbbed with pain.

I had learnt a great deal, although I still had yet to make it perfect. To my disappointment, he hadn’t emphasized on hand to hand combat a lot.

He had forced into me proper footing, stances and a multitude of ways to respond to anyone who got too close for comfort, even wrestling, though with my frame that may be impossible.

I simply copied him, everywhere, to the best of my ability. The ability to memorize everything didn’t equate to talent in physical combat.

Well, it did, but not in the way most would expect. I could perfectly imitate whatever Alan showed me after a modicum amount of effort, but the real challenge lay in living upto what he showed me.

Physical combat evolved the moment mana enhancement was introduced, before similar fighters had an equal chance to kill one another, but once mana came into the equation, finer control over it stumped amount of mana focused on enhancement.

I could never hope to match Alan’s control over mana, it was simply impossible. He moved each granule with such precision even though he didn’t plan to do so.

The perfect amount of mana in the fists, to both fight against the opponents mana, and to unleash a devastating strike. I could only hope to copy it to a lackluster degree.

But then again, behind that godly control was a sea of near infinite mana. He had both quality, and quantity. The greatest of both.

I felt fear for whoever was in his way, really. Hand to hand combat against Alan was a nightmare no fighter would want.

And he had not used a single granule of mana whilst he was teaching me. What was I hitting? His normal skin, with no sort of mana enhancement at all.

Of course, since he was a dragon, there would always be mana there, but the point was he was not consciously enhancing himself with it. His raw strength was so great it was unbelievable. In a moment of desperation, I did a vile act and struck his privates with my foot.

‘Balls of steel too…’

Yes, instead of him on his knees it was actually me, close to crying.

Regardless, the pain in my hands and feet wouldn’t go away no matter what. He called it growth. I called it irritating.

Without giving me even a moment to rest, he gave me the Ame-No-Sakahoko and told me to brace myself.

I could tell he was still a bit mad about my… Actions, and thus did as he said.

I took the proper stance, and steadied the heavy spear, he also used a weapon, a spear made of ice, similar to the Ame-no-Sakahoko.

But there was a clear difference, my heart skipped a beat when he lunged at me, and although it was deliberately slow enough so I could see him approach.

“Hiek!”

I was succesful in evading the strike, retracting my spear and pulling it back along with my head, the target. The spear of ice clashed with the Ame-No-Sakahoko and bristled past.

Just as a small moment of glee rushed into my head, I heard his voice, through the Astral bond.

[What do you think the purpose of a spear as a weapon is?]

Despite being taken by surprise, I answered quickly, certain I was correct this time.

[Thrusting, piercing, and every other thing a bladed edge can do.]

Alan closed in on me, abandoning his spear of ice, and his hands reached out towards me. But it was a feint.

[Your mostly right, but you missed one thing.]

His feet knocked me off the ground, my stance, one that I had done my utmost to enhance had been broken in a second, and I fell.

But before I did, he grabbed my hand, stopping my descent into the hard platform made of bones beneath me.

[It’s to keep your opponent at bay.]

“Oh…”

Maybe I really aren’t cut out for physical training. I don’t think I will excel in this at all…

“Again.”

He said, and I reluctantly fixed my stance once more.

Hours passed, but I failed to land a single, solid hit.

____

Whilst Sabrina and Alan continued their training, with Alexander and Kazikato scoffing to the side at how easy Alan went on her, the rest of the group was busy on other things.

Emma was busy practicing, Maxwell was occupied with work, whilst Olivia and Edward were meditating.

An attempt to calm their bodies down, as they vividly remembered their deaths at the hand of the fragment of Kizmal.

It was something recommended by Azmakul, the ancient dragon who never once stopped gazing at the sea. If they were not focusing on him, they might have even missed his words of advice.

Kazikato and Alexander were also meditating, albeit their preferred method of calming themselves down was a light spar, a full on hand to hand combat spree where Alexander held the upper hand.

The only one not really doing anything was Alice… who was simply staring at all of them, one at a time.

‘…’

She felt so useless, she wasn’t a combatant, evident by the smell of herbs and other materials that always seemed to linger no matter how much she tried to make it go away…

She tried learning how to be a proper awakened, but unfortunately her talent was a major wall.

The only thing she could do was make good food, food that would perhaps take their minds off of whatever they had faced in their. Everyone seemed reluctant to talk about what had happened in the trial.

Could she blame them? They had suddenly appeared screaming their lungs out, and according to them they had died brutally inside.

“There are a wide variety of potions.”

“Huh?”

She cocked her head, looking everywhere she could.

“Who said that?”

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