Many things had happened over the course of his travels so far. All of which pointed to the need to get stronger. He had come to better terms with his new magic but it wasn't ready for all that was to come. He knew this all too well after coming into Fiore and seeing all the powerful mages and warriors around.

Now more than ever, he needed strength to uphold his responsibility as a knight and a protector, with demons threatening the land.

He was not the only one that felt a need for more power. His ally Haru sought to improve his skills with the blade and the two of them decided to meet at a more secluded place to push each other to new heights. Although with the power of the Lieutenant, Kazimir doubted just how much he could benefit him.

He marched through the open field. It was big enough for a proper training area and the forest nearby offered the prospect of a variety of terrain. It was important to be prepared for any scenario.

He stood in the middle of the field. A large boulder was the only object within it. Placing his bag down next to it he grabbed a final bite to eat as he awaited Haru to arrive.

He began to stretch lightly and took the scarf off from around his neck and stuffed it in his bag. "Gonna be too hot for that."

While stretching he contemplated the techniques he wanted to develop. his focus was to expand the size of his offensive techniques, after all, they were essentially going to war with extraplanar creatures and to defend the innocent he had to destroy the threat. An easier thought than using it on other people.

He finished his warm-up as the sun was still high and it was almost time for Haru to arrive. He took a couple of deep breaths wanting to feel the wind around him in preparation.

He could already sense the churning power ready to be harnessed and unleashed. He needed to unlock the next level of his skill. He toggled three spell ideas in his mind trying to get a clearer image of both of them.

word count 370/6000

Having finished checking the equipment in the armoury with Judina, Haru remembered that he had made plans to train with Kazimir at noon. It was a tense moment throughout the town. The uncertainty as to when and where the rift was going to appear had left many Knights shaking. The Lieutenant knew these were men and women who wouldn’t think twice before throwing themselves in front of a fatal attack to protect the innocents and he was proud of them all. But he was also aware that those courageous decisions were made in a split second, when they had no time to think it over. Telling them they will have to fight monstrous demons soon and making them wait for those demons had only made half of them doubt their decision to ever join the force. And Haru didn’t blame them. In fact, he was scared himself and he would call anyone who wasn’t a naïve fool.

For Haru, the best solution to counter that fear was to train and engage in physical activity. He didn’t wish to go all out and exhaust himself before the fight, but sitting idly wasn’t going to prepare him mentally for the imminent fight either. So, as planned, he made his way to the decided spot to meet with Kazimir and train together until they were called. Besides, he was really interested in seeing the full potential of his abilities. He knew the wind mage could handle the everyday riff-raff of the streets without breaking a sweat. But the fight ahead of them would definitely test their limits, and as a Lieutenant, it was his duty to ensure he wasn’t sending the man into a suicide mission. He wanted to be sure.

The chosen training grounds was barren, except for a boulder in the middle, and was bordered by the dense forest trees. As he entered the vicinity of Kazimir, Haru smiled and waved at him, quickly apologizing for his tardiness. “Sorry! Was held up at the armoury for a bit,” he said, as he removed his cloak began his warm up routine. It was a quick one, as he didn’t expect to exert himself too much. When he was done, he pulled out the hilt and nodded at Kazimir, a gesture to indicate that he was ready to begin.

Haru had decided to not even attempt using his magic but rely only on his sword. He had been meaning to try and gain at least a modicum of control over his magic, but he knew it was too much of a risk given the circumstance. If he ended up hurting Kazimir or himself accidentally, that would be a terrible blow to the town’s defence when the demons invade. Whenever Kazimir was ready, Haru would activate his lightsabre and take a defensive stance, leaving about five meters between them.

Haru approached only a little behind schedule and met him with a smile and friendly wave. He apologized for his tardiness to which Kazimir replied, "Not a problem, I had to finish my stretches anyway."

They finished the ending of a brief warm-up together and Haru moved into a battle stance. He held the handle of the still strange weapon to Kazimir and it was pointed in his direction. He remembered him using it when they were in Hargeon but never got to see it in its actuality. He should have been more wary about the weapon but he was more excited that he would encounter something new. A chance for him to face varying challenges and improve himself especially against a skilled opponent.

The two stood five meters from each other and Kazimir stood with his feet a little further than shoulder width apart showing he was ready to begin. As he did the lightsabre sprung to life with an intimidating hum. While he was curious how the weapon cut he had no intention of trying to find out.

"I see. Seems like it packs a nasty cut," he said with a smile, knowing that Haru wouldn't actually cause him any lasting harm with the vibrant weapon.

Judging by the distance between them, Haru didn't plan on using magic, still a problem with the seal he spoke of. Instead, he was ready to engage in melee. It would be an interesting moment as Kazimir preferred long range and Haru would most likely be dashing into him as he did with the thug at the Turning Tide. He wondered just how fast he was, gauging the speed he used before, he could easily charge the distance faster than Kaz could retreat, Nonetheless, it was time to begin.

There was a stillness to the area. The only motion was the gentle sounds of the forest and rustling leaves behind them. Kaz waited until he heard the chirp of a bird and lounged backward 7 meters. Hopefully, this would give him at least a little time to think.

As he lounged backward he swiped his arm upward at a 90-degree angle and sent a slash of wind towards Haru, cutting through the area between them. He strained to widen the blade of air to a new level, his arm tensing, but it stayed at .25 meters. He was fairly certain the Lieutenant would cut through it or dodge it but he was interested in how he would do it. Kazimir's eyes followed Haru as closely as he could his eyebrows furled. His expression showed he was more curious about Haru's reaction than the spell landed, like a boxer throwing a jab the first round of a bout.

He felt a rush of excitement trying to anticipate the counterattack that would follow. If Haru's goal was to practice with the sword then he would try and give him a mobile target to chase after.

WC 826/5,400(10% INT reduction)
Training C-rank Spells

Even though he once hated the lightsaber and was so paranoid that he believed it was possessed by a demon that wished to take control of him, Haru had grown past that nonsense and had come to really love his weapon. So, when he saw Kazimir’s expression upon seeing the wind blade, and heard him compliment it, it made him grin proudly. “It does! I would never use it offensively against a comrade, however. Only to defend,” he said, holding it up in front as though it was a shield.

Haru’s combat style was typically about counter attacking, and exploiting the moments between the opponents attacks to pin them down swiftly. A masterful and efficient tactic that he learned from the King’s Sword himself. However, that afternoon will see very little of that, and more of him trying to assess the potential of the wind mage. Besides, he wouldn’t be surprised if he learned a thing or two from this training. After all, there was always room for improvement.

Haru stood there, looking straight at Kazimir, waiting for him to make the first move. The moment the bird chirped, he saw the man move. The swordsman quenched his instinct to react immediately. He noticed that Kazimir put some more distance between the two of them, and also sent a spell straight at him while in the middle of his lunge. That was both a strategically smart move and a skilfully coordinate one. He was a mage, and he had no reason to fight a swordsman at close range where they excelled. It would seem Kazimir was aware of that.

The moment the twenty-five centimetre long arc came within his reach, he struck it down with his lightsabre. The blade hummed when he swung and crackled on contact with the spell, but it stopped the spell with ease. Immediately after, Haru lunged straight ahead towards Kazimir to cover about five meters, skid to a halt momentarily, and then lunge again slightly diagonally so that he could avoid any spell thrown straight at him. At the end of his second lunge, he would be a mere meter away to Kazimir’s left. Once there, Haru would again stop himself from going on the offensive and would simply put his sword up to defend from any spell, while keeping his left hand ready to block any physical attack.

Haru changed the direction slightly midway to get to Kazimir’s flank, mostly to see how he reacted to sudden changes in the middle of the battle. He wanted to see if the wind mage would go on the defensive again, use the opportunity to blast a spell at him in point blank range, or maybe do something entirely unexpected. A point blank offense would be reckless, but also effective if pulled off right. The Lieutenant’s lips curled into a slight smirk out of curiosity.

Haru had sliced through the blast like cutting a leaf in the wind. Kazimir had a better idea of the strength in that sword to easily dispatch his gale slash which cut with more power due to his tempest. It would seem that even with this next tier magic there was still a large gap to fill.

The sword-wielding warrior dashed forward and lounged to Kazimir's left. The distance between them shrank instantly. He could see just how lightning fast Haru was and knew if he was an enemy this would have been the end of it. The sword was 1 meter away from him but instead of striking, Haru simply looked alert and ready.

It was that brief moment and his Haru's reaction that defined the tone of the battle. Haru knew that Kazimir wanted to practice offensive magic and he was giving the wind mage the opportunity to do so. It seemed that Haru's focus was on defense and being able to get angles down. A style that was befitting of a man who was once a pacifist that still valued life. A smile donned on Kazimir's face with the thrill of battle going on, knowing that with what was established, he could try and go all out and truly explore his abilities while still helping Haru.

The close proximity was a problem and it made him aware of his shortcomings already. If he wanted to use his magic for offense and defense the time it took for him to reuse them was a problem as his immediate reaction was to do another gale slash. Instead, he contemplated the benefits of an area-type explosion of wind from this range. His options were limited to run and have him close the distance again or get a bit aggressive. He made a circle with his hand trying to conjure a new spell and blast it forth but nothing happened but a brief sputter of wind.

A failed move that was easy to see but he had a backup. It was a simple hand motion and one he hoped wouldn't impede the timing of the next attack too much.

Haru had a solid defense, his sword was in his right and his left hand was ready for defense. So Kazimir decided he would go low after he failed casting the spell, he dropped straight to the ground with his left hand catching him and his feet aimed at Haru's left leg. He thrust his hand above him causing a gust of wind to shoot him straight toward Haru's leg at his lunging speed. It was more of a baseball slide as an attack than anything else.

Hopefully, he would connect and throw him off balance or miss but still be moved 5 meters behind him.

mana 657/720:

WC 464
Total 1284/5400

Haru noticed that Kazimir had not cast a spell at him immediately after he started his first lunge. A wise move, and the swordsman was very impressed that he wasn’t hasty with his spells. The swordsman watched as the wind mage attempted to cast a spell after he had closed the distance. He had expected that, and frankly had no counter to it. He planned on blocking as much as he could with his sword and tanking the rest. At that range, dodging spells was near impossible.

Unfortunately, however, Kazimir seemed to have attempted something new and it didn’t work. All Haru experienced from that spell was a gentle gust. The Lieutenant mentally gave Kazimir full credit for trying something new. After all, that was what training was for. If he mastered this attack, it would be a great addition to his arsenal, especially when he has to deal with those who would like to get too close for his comfort.

Haru’s eyes widened in surprise when Kazimir almost immediately improvised when his spell didn’t succeed. He watched as the wind mage dropped down and cushioned his fall with his left hand while extending his feet towards Haru’s leg. Smart! Knowing that Haru had a solid defence to protect his upper body, he was aiming for his leg to throw him off balance. If that hit, the swordsman was going to be stumbling and vulnerable to subsequent attacks. A sound strategy.

It might have worked on Haru if he was the same man he was two years ago. But sparring with Zade almost every day for a year had made evading such manoeuvres second nature to him. The moment Kazimir put his hand over and cast his propelling spell, Haru jumped up high and swung his sword below him. He was extremely careful with his sword swing. It was merely to defend against any spell that Kazimir might cast while he was right under him. At worst, the blue blade might nick his clothing, but he would make sure it doesn’t pierce skin. If there was any danger of his sword dealing significant damage to Kazimir, Haru would pre-emptively deactivate the blade before it hits him.

While in the middle of his jump, the swordsman would turn his body so that when he landed he was facing the wind mage who would have dashed past him by then. He would wait for Kazimir to get back on his feet, keenly interested on seeing how quickly and elegantly he pulls that off. Once he was ready again, Haru would nod with a smile, indicating that it was time for round two.

As expected of a seasoned combatant. Haru launched himself in the air evading the spearing attack on the ground. Even though his body was kept to a tight upper defense, his mind was able to process and react to other attacks or maybe he was so used to combat he moved on instinct.

Kazimir slid forward, the warmth of the saber was only mir inches from him. The flowing Gi robes he wore, fluttered upwards and the blade's point connected above Kazimir's naval. He continued the slide as the blade grazed his clothing and the heat passed over his face.

If he wanted to Haru could have made contact with the mage and sliced him more grievously than a simple wardrobe redesign. A lesson he learned about reckless behavior, but still felt it one of the better choices to take until he perfected the spell he intended to cast.

Now Haru hovered in the air above him getting ready to land back down as Kazimir was still sliding along the grass. This was his chance. Perhaps a brief moment he could take advantage of and no doubt one that was far and few between. The wind mage stayed on his back and made a circle with his arms as Haru was still in the air. If he had rolled over his arms would have been limited to perform the spell. A risk but an exciting one.

Below where Haru would land a white seal appeared as a harbinger of the wind magic to follow. Kazimir tried to pump more mana into the attack, focusing on a larger technique but it was not yet ready. Instead, the usual whirlwind of energy formed.

Kazimir thrust his hand forward to the point Haru would land at if he hadn't already, a 2-meter diameter whirlwind formed sending slashing wind swirling around that area.

Kazimir was still on his back but would have to take care of that once the spell was cast. His next move would depend on how Haru handled the area attack of wind. Although Kazimir did not know the full extent of his swords capabilities. Could it cut through an area attack as well? he asked himself deep in thought. Even so, Haru was a man of many tricks and a keen mind.

Even launching that move from this angle made Kaz realize how important it was to manage distance with his spells, especially if he aimed to conjure even bigger storms.

mana 632/720:

WC 411
Total WC 1695

Happy that his sabre only got the robes of the wind mage, Haru pulled his sword back up after the swing. He was in mid-air and was had turned halfway to face the direction where Kazimir had skid towards when he saw the large magic circle under him. The swordsman should have expected this. He had underestimated his opponent’s capabilities and he was going to pay for it.

Haru knew there was no way out of this. He didn’t dare rely on his magic. The last time he had attempted to cast a defensive shield, it had blasted right away, injuring him instead of protecting him. So, he decided to take whatever the wind mage had in store for him. Just as he landed, a strong vortex shot up, with its eddies cutting him from all directions like tiny razor blades. Haru put his arms up in front to protect his face; beyond that, he couldn’t do anything else except let the spell run its course. The vortex was far more powerful than what one would expect for its size. The spell completely ripped his headband off and dealt significant damage to his cloak. Once again, Kazimir had proven that he was far better than anyone else who was in the same rank as him. The man possessed a powerful magic and the brains to utilize it effectively. The realization made Haru grin widely.

“That packed a punch,” he said. “What else you got?,” he added. What Kazimir had displayed was already leagues apart from what he should be expecting from a Page. But Haru knew that was merely a title given by the higher-ups and held no say on how powerful someone could be. He was excited to see what else the mage had up his sleeve. One thing was certain, however. His worries about whether Kazimir could handle the upcoming fight against the demons were for naught.

Having witnessed the wind mage in action, Haru was now confident that he didn’t need to treat him like delicate glassware. He would not be helping the man get better if he was too safe with him. So, the moment Kazimir finishes his slide and gets back up, Haru would dash straight ahead, with his sword on the ready to strike down any spells thrown towards him. The swordsman’s speed would allow him to close the distance in a fraction of a second.

Once he was in melee range, the swordsman would thrust his sabre towards Kazimir’s left hip, hoping to force the mage to make a defensive move. Immediately after, he would go for a second thrust towards his left shoulder. With both the thrusts, he would simply aim to make minor grazes, which he hoped Kazimir would find a way to dodge. This was mostly an attempt to engage him in defensive motions and either stop or delay him from casting another offensive spell. Haru was curious to see how he reacted when he was bombarded with quick successive attacks at close range.

Kazimir stood up, surprised at what happened next. No tricks or secret techniques. Haru simply landed fully in the area attack, he had landed his first hit but something was off. The experienced knight was engulfed by it and landed on his feet. When the wind cleared his headband had come off and his clothes were tattered. However, the man himself was unharmed and ready to go.

Seeing that Haru was physically unscathed, the wind mage was settled and his confusion gone. Standing before him was a knight unafraid of enduring the minor bumps, bruises and cuts from his attacks. It was a well-laid attack, and Haru had no need to dodge it if he was able, which certainly he could have. Instead, he was secure in the fact that he could take it head on without a second thought.

'Is this what it means to be a Lieutenant. That kind of power,' Kazimir thought to himself and it only reinforced his passion to strive to go higher.

Haru spoke with a wide grin on his face. Maybe he was enjoying himself after all, which only served to invigorate Kazimir. The wind mage felt things were about to get more serious and shrugged off the Gi he wore revealing the white shirt beneath and dropped his scarf on top of it. "Not nearly enough," he joked, "I'll put it all on the table." He was still impressive how formidable Haru was even without his magic. What was he like with it?

As soon as Kazimir shrugged of his GI, Haru dashed forward at the same time the clothes hit the ground. It was much faster than his movement before.

'No,' Kazimir thought to himself, 'Not faster. His intent is different. More directed.' Haru was taking things more seriously now. Kazimir had proved he could handle a bit more than just a light training bout and now he felt he was actually going to benefit Haru to some degree.

The saber came at Kazimir's hip. No longer did Haru play at a purely defensive game. It wasn't a deep attack but the speed coupled with the surprise of the sudden offensive left Kazimir without enough time to properly respond. The blade grazed his hip as he stepped out toward his right side by pushing off his left foot and pivoting. He got a closer feel of the warm hum of the blade now.

Immediately Haru followed it with a thrust toward his left shoulder. His clan had done close quarter combat drills in the forest and practiced with the wind but the tempo of this combat was far different. This is what it means to face an opponent with such a varied style than one is used to.

The blade cut close to Kazimir's shoulder. He gathered his mind more clearly now as he felt the change in rhythm of the battle and the new offensive surge of Haru. The blade once again grazed the wind mage as he rocked his body back avoiding it as best he could, leaning his weight on his back leg.  

Time slowed in that moment and he felt the wind around him change as if he could hear the whispers of the white wolf. It spoke its secrets to him and the surge of power through his body. One that was stronger than anything he had felt before. A whirling tempest within.

Haru had given him the answer. A double thrust to throw your opponent off and keep on the pressure. Two consecutive attacks. All those things raced through the mages mind in an instant forming the wind around his arms and the clear picture in his mind like still water.

"Howling Wind Slash!" He yelled out as he swiped his right hand in an arc from Haru's left hip to his right shoulder sending blade of wind slicing forward. As soon as that wind blade was released, he swiped his left arm horizontally from Haru's right hip to his left hip sending a wind blade aimed at his abdomen. If the blades missed they would go 20 meters passed Haru before disappearing.

The two spells rushed forward and Kazimir lunged backward, giving the two of them a bit more space from each other and landed with a swirl of wind around him and two sizzling pieces of clothes lingering from the saber's attack.

mana 582/720:

WC 729
Total WC 2424

Haru had been either sparring with his master—who was toying with him most of the time for he was far more powerful than the Lieutenant could imagine—or he was fighting the criminals on the streets, with whom the fights never went this long for him to worry about getting hit. However, now that he was sparring with Kazimir and wished for the encounter to last longer than a couple of seconds, the swordsman was finally feeling the handicap of not having a magic. While Kazimir was powerful, Haru knew that there were others out there who were far stronger. If, say, this had been a spell from his ex-partner, Akira, it would have done more than just cut his headband off. Not to mention, it wouldn’t be long before Kazimir was capable of similar things with the way things look.

The swordsman realized he could not afford to fall back and needed to do something about his broken magic. But he swiftly pushed that thought aside and focused on the task right ahead. If he went into a daze, he was going to be nothing but a boring target for his sparring partner.

So, he pounced ahead and started off with two swift thrusts, both aimed at the same side of Kazimir’s body. His attacks connected; simple grazes like he intended. Haru had expected the wind mage to go on the defensive and use a spell to protect himself, but he had simply attempted to dodge the thrusts. His next course of action wasn’t too hard to predict. Cast a spell and put some distance between them again. If Haru was in Kazimir’s shoes, that’s what he would have done; play to one’s strengths. However, what the Lieutenant didn’t expect was two almost simultaneous spells. Haru brought his sword arm down, crossing the blade in front of him to defend against the first arc sent towards him. The wind spell collided with his blade, causing another loud crackling noise. He swiftly attempted to lower the blade even further to block the second arc as well. However, the impact from the first attack staggered him slightly, slowing his reaction to the second. The horizontal arc struck his arm instead of the blade.

The long sleeve of his cloak shielded him from the attack, thankfully. A couple of direct hits from such a spell to his arm would deter him from using his sword effectively. That would be pretty bad given that they were expecting a huge fight against the demons that very day. There was a newfound appreciation towards his cloak right then.

Tanking Kazimir’s spells served to get his adrenaline pumping. The Lieutenant was truly enjoying the spar. Now that he had seen how Kazimir reacted to attacks that came straight at him and to those that were from the side, the next direction was obvious. Just as Kazimir lunged backward, Haru immediately dashed diagonally to his left, and then again towards where the wind mage would end his lunge, but slightly behind him. With Haru’s superior speed, he would reach the location at the same time as Kazimir, despite the longer distance he had to cover.

As Kazimir ends his lunge, Haru would attempt to kick his left side with his left leg. He wouldn’t put too much force behind the kick, but just enough to throw him off balance and make him fall, if it connected.

Kazimir had leapt backward away from Haru hearing the sizzle of his wind against the lightsaber. He sliced the first one in half, sending the remnants of the wind rushing to the sides around Haru. The second one struck his arm, but it seemed as though there was once again more to the lieutenant than met the eye. The sleeve of the cloak seemed to take the brunt of the attack. Even his close were of a special breed.
 
"Really," Kazimir inadvertently whispered to himself. Although he was relieved because this was just a spar and he also didn't want to cause Haru any unnecessary injury especially with all the situations arising now. And given that his main focus was on his blade now. This moment gave him an idea though as to another means of attack and maybe he could begin to test Haru's defensives and put him on the fence a bit. 
 
Before he could formulate his plan, Haru dashed at an angle covering the ground between them in the blink of an eye. His speed never ceased to astound Kazimir. How could a man move so quickly? In an instant, Haru surpassed Kazimir and made it almost behind him. The wind mage tried to follow the movements, but it was as if all he could see was the waving blades of grass trailing behind his opponent. 
 
Haru thrust a kick toward Kazimir's side. He tried to think of a counter for the moment but with the speed of the attack, he was only able to bring down his arm, tucked into his ribs to take the brunt of the attack. He planned to try and withstand the hit and cast an offensive spell immediately upon getting hit.
 
The blow hit him with much more force than he anticipated. It took all his attention to resist the overwhelming force of the kick with a grunt as the wind was knocked from his lungs. His feet dug into the ground to brace himself but only survived to get pressed in deeper for a second before the blow took him completely off his feet.
 
Seeing the look on Haru’s face and his movements, Kazimir knew that there was much more potential behind that kick than he put into it. Likely It would have broken his arm if not also damaged his ribs. As it was now, Haru pulled back enough to only cause bruising. Haru could easily tell how little Kazimir focused on strength training.
 
Kazimir careened toward the ground and knew that if he hit it, Haru would likely close the distance again. An aerial attack was out of the question, but he had to think of something. He then realized this may be his chance after all. The kick, while painful also acted as a way for him to gain a little more space.  He fell toward the ground with his right side and at the same time swung his right arm across his body, twisting slightly and sending a blade of air slashing upward.
 
The blade of air was targeted at whichever forearm he primarily used to hold the sword. His goal was to see how Haru would react or adjust knowing that Kazimir targeted his sword fighting ability instead of direct hits on him. Although the wind mage’s aim wasn’t to cause anything close to damage that would impede his ability. He knew Haru would be able to take some minor cuts and bruises. It would be disrespectful for him to hold back, being the one with the least experience. Or so he believed anyway.
 
He let his body come close to hitting the ground and thrust kicked downward at an angle with his foot the instant after he released the wind blade. A gust of wind shot out launching him five more meters away.
 
As he flung himself through the air at a slight angle, he hit the ground and rolled up to land on his feet in a crouching position. He still felt sizzle of the two grazes that Haru landed. If they had been true strikes, he would have gone down easily. He was already trying to formulate the next stage of his offense. And would take as deep a breath as he could in preparation for inevitable close-range encounter coming. This was the first time he had faced off against someone of Haru’s skill in close combat. All his experience so far was against dedicated mages, not sword experts.
 
There was something about the thrill of being in close range and having to think quickly and react that gave Kazimir excitement. He had never tested his abilities this way before even though he had trained for it in the eventuality that it happened. Already he was able to see all the holes and places to fine tune his craft.
 
 
He breathed heavily, still recovering from the blow but with a smile adorned across his face. Ready for the next step and calculating the spells he had yet to conjure forth. He could fill them stirring inside even more now. The stronger is focus on combat and the heavy the pressure became the more he felt his power blowing to the surface. 
 
 
WC 869
Total WC 3293/5400
 
 

mana 519/720:

The kick connected and did what Haru intended it to do. It threw Kazimir off his feet and the swordsman was once again impressed to see how well the wind mage reacted. Most sorcerers Haru met panicked when they faced someone who was fast enough to close the distance and force them to fight in close range. They typically begin to throw spells hastily to deter the incoming threat. But this one was different. Despite the pressure, he had kept his head about him and conserved his mana.

What’s more? He used the momentum from he attained from being kicked away to his advantage. Even as he was falling down, he had the quick thinking to shift his body such that he could send another one of his slashing wind towards him. This one was particularly targeted at his right arm with which Haru wielded his lightsabre. He quickly pulled his left leg back and put it behind him. His right side—with the sword in front of him—was angled towards the incoming spell. Once again, he used his weapon like a shield as he cut the spell. His sabre cut the spell, but the sudden impact made him lose his grip on it and the weapon flew away a couple of meters behind him. He had been using the sword recklessly with how he threw it in front of every spell coming at him. If he kept at it, the sabre wouldn’t last for long. It also reminded him that the weapon would become useless rather quickly if he employed the same strategy against more powerful spells.

As he was defending against the spell, it gave Kazimir enough time to put some more distance between them. Haru saw the excited smile on Kazimir’s face and was glad that he was enjoying himself. “You know what’s coming,” he said with a grin before dashing straight ahead, without picking up his sword. Seeing how his lightsabre had been knocked away, maybe Kazimir didn’t expect him to charge forward without his weapon. But… half way through his dash, he would point his hand towards the fallen weapon and it would fly to his hand. He would grip it tightly and slash horizontally at Kazimir’s torso the moment he gets into range. Once again, he would only aim to cut the fabric of his robes and ensure his blade doesn’t touch his skin.

The Numbers:

He caught his breath as Haru sliced through another gale slash. The distance Kaz obtained was already more comfortable although a part of him began to revel in the thrill toe-toe combat. It pushed him to think and use his spells in much more creative ways than he had in the past. It couldn't help but think this was what she felt like when she fought. 

The saber was finally knocked from his hands spiraling to the ground behind him. He would have another moment to evaluate and plan the next attack as Haru retrieved it. That wasn't so, however, because instead of reaching for the weapon Haru charged forward without it. A move that Kaz didn't anticipate since Haru didn't use magic he naturally assumed he would continue to rely heavily on the weapon. Haru's quick comment was all to true. Kaz was getting used to the fast dashes. 

It was difficult for him to keep his original plan of keeping distance against the superior speed. He had to think of other ways and try and manage the spacing as best he could. "Let's go," he retorted as Haru closed in. he spoke although he had no idea yet how to counter the attack.

He closed the distance hastily once more and Kaz wasn't completely ready to react as he just braced himself from his landing. Having just thrown a slash he wasn't able to conjure the wind in the way he wanted to heave them out as a quick defense. He knew he needed more power and diversity in his attacks. He had given himself to the offensive force of the white tiger and needed to fully embrace it. 'more power, 'more attacks,' he thought to himself.

To his surprise, Haru pointed his hand toward the blade and it almost imperceptibly flew to his grasp mid dash. He only noticed because it was slung around to slash at him horizontally. Revenge no doubt for the horizontal blade of air he fired at him before. He couldn't think fast enough about another option to defend as Haru's blade homed in on his torse. 

The pressure was starting to get to him as he ran low on spell options and the one he did have ready would engulf him too. That whirlwind needed more set-up but was the only one that did any damage so far. 

Kaz gasped, his balance had yet to fully return as he barely gained his footing while the slash was coming in. The blade cut into his robe. As it made contact Kaz felt an animalistic instinct pressing on his mind. The pressure flooded his body and coursed in his veins. An adrenal response kicked in from some innate fear of being slashed open. His mind flashed back to the time his chest was torn asunder.

The blade passed by his torso leaving singed fabric behind. Small threads twisted in the air. Haru could see a flicker of something different in Kaz's eyes. Like his body almost reacted on auto-pilot or something else moved him. He had sucked in his gut with his hands held above the area targeted, and as the blade passed by, Kaz made two quick circles with both his hands. He thrust them forward at Haru with them overlapping each other.

A magic circle appeared in the small space between them. Through it Kaz's eyes were more focused and disconnected than they had been before. A faint white outline of a tiger surrounded him. Instantly a 4-meter diameter whirlwind rushed out from Kaz's hands at Haru. 

Once the spell was thrown, hopefully it would give Kaz enough time to jump backward. As he moved away again the pressure he felt flowing through him ceased. He stood aware of what happened and shook his head quickly to regain himself. He was back to his regular look excited, about the battle, as if nothing was out of place from what just happened. He was ready for another dash at him and placed a hand on the freshly torn shirt he wore, "I'll need to go shopping after this." He knew if that was a serious strike, he would be almost split in two. He had to move faster, think quicker, and learn to become stronger. 

He spoke lightheartedly but in his mind he wondered how he cast that spell. He felt like he knew it now, but not how. A bit of confusion he kept to himself.

WC 744
Total 4037

mana 474/720:

The swordsman always enjoyed the surprise in people’s eyes when they saw him summon his blade for the first time. There was a childish grin on his face as he slashed in front of him, carefully cutting only Kazimir’s clothes. He did expect the wind mage to retaliate. After all, he had reacted really well even when he was attacked from difficult angles. This one was a direct attack; so, he expected nothing less and was ready to either dodge or tank any spell thrown at him. However, there was something different about Kazimir this time. His reaction speed was even faster than before and it was as though he was possessed for a moment. For that fraction of a second, it felt like it was no longer a friendly spar.

Haru noticed Kazimir move his hands in a circle. Just as he was about to put both the hands together to cast the spell, he shifted his weight towards the side and kicked off, dashing away to his right. However, he was too close to the origin of the spell and couldn’t dodge it entirely. The four-meter wide huge spell hit his left side of the body as he was dashing away, making him stumble to a halt. His cloak did protect him from any serious damage, but he knew he couldn’t rely on it much anymore. There was barely any fabric left of it.

As Kazimir dashed away, the Lieutenant didn’t follow. He stood where he was and watched him. The wind mage was back to his old casual self. Haru found that small shift in his attitude in the middle of the battle quite interesting. He figured Kazimir had a strong ‘fight’ response when under threat and didn’t think much else of it. “You want to shop together?” he asked, pointing at his own cloak, which was in tatters. “We can talk about girl troubles,” he added, chuckling at the rather crass stereotyping of the opposite gender.

Even though he had convinced himself that it was just a momentary adrenaline response from his sparring partner, he was curious to see under what conditions did he turn that way. So, this time, he decided to push it a little further. He dashed straight towards Kazimir, this time getting even closer than he had ever before. Immediately after, he slashed vertically down, aiming at the mage’s left shoulder with the middle of his blade. He wasn’t going to let the attack connect, but he wanted Kazimir to think he was in real danger. So, just a moment before the blade was about to touch the wind mage, Haru would press the button on his sabre, deactivating the blade, but finish the swing anyway, making it look like he struck him down. The swordsman braced himself for a serious counterattack and was very curious to see Kazimir’s reaction, especially if it was anything close to how it was the previous time.

Bringing himself back to his senses, Haru let him dash backwards without a chase this time. He wondered if in that momentary laps it made Haru question what happened but he didn't bring it up. The blast had taken a few more bits of his cloak however. 

Kazimir opened up the newly  established hole in his own robe with a one sided smile, "That sounds like a good idea," he paused but  only for a second, "Both of those would be rather enjoyable." His voice carried a cheerful note. ' Shopping and talking about girl troubles huh.' He couldn't remember the last time he had taken time to just unwind like that. 'did either of them have girl troubles, he thought. Although his outfit was a rather odd one in these parts. 

The tranquil lapse in combat was cut short. Haru rushed forward. A new intensity poured from him. His intent saturated the air. One heart beat was all it took for Haru to stand with blade aimed at Kaz's shoulder. It was much closer than the safe distance he had been striking from. The immediate charge following the casual conversation combined to throw the wind mage off. He let himself become to relaxed. 

The angle of the blade meant to tear through Kaz's shoulder. Normally he  would have moved as soon as he saw the rapid dash towards him. Something kept him in place. Feeling the danger from Haru his heart raced and that same pressure from before returned. It clawed to the forefront of his mind, overtaking it. 

His soul roared and his body moved on instinct. Meeting the intensity behind Haru's blade. Kaz's stare was more animal than man. He swiped his hand upward like the claw of a tiger launching a 'howling wind slash' at the blade of the weapon. Hoping that it would slow it down or knock it off balance. He rotated his body to the right to try and avoid the slash or lesson its potential deadly slash to his shoulder. 

He kicked off the ground casting a spell that sent him backward at an angle with a gust of wind. Before he landed he made another circle with his arms. This time it was bigger than  the last. And just like the last time it came from an instinctual place. One that was foreign to him though. 

He thrust his hand forward where Haru was and conjured a whirlwind that was 4-meters in diameter. A heavier more aggressive wind billowed around him as he cast the spell. The faint outline of the white tiger loomed transparently around him. 

If Haru evaded the small tornado it was clear that Kaz had emotionless eyes. Kaz stood only a meter from his erupting spell. Even with his actions happening nearly on their own, he was still alert, tugging at the conscience of his own mind. A part of him still knew that Haru would not be phased by it. 

Unlike before, Kazimir did not immediately snap out of his animalistic trance. With a quick deep breath he pushed the invading presence back. He remembered all the meditative exercises from his youth. 

He would owe his training partner an apology after this was said and done. But he wondered what thoughts led Haru to such a threatening attack. He  could only think it was from his own strike. Is this what he wanted? To escalate the battle to an even greater height. It did tell Kaz something about himself. Not since he acquired this new magic had this phenomenon happened to him.

Gathering himself, "Sorry. I got carried away a bit there," he would not normally apologize as it was all a part of training but those actions were not his own, whether Haru knew that or not.

He spoke while standing ready for the next attack. This time he would stay in control. Especially now that he saw Haru's forcefulness rise.

"Keep it coming though. Attack me with that intensity again," his words  resonated with hopeful resolve. He assured himself this time it would be himself that reacted. He bent his knees, lowering into a combative stance. The wind in his heart was still. His breath was heavy. sweat chilled his face from the cold weather.

His hands were ready to cast,  but after the last series and his request, he needed to be ready for anything. He wanted to see a serious attack though. He could learn a lot from it, as long as he didn't lose control. It was as much a test for that as well. 

Judging from the last attack though, he felt a bit sorry for any who had crossed paths with the lieutenant as an enemy.   

WC  781
Total WC 4818

mana 349/720:

His ‘serious’ strike was countered well. Far too well, in fact. The spell staggered his slash, which gave Kazimir enough time to twist his body and evade the attack. The blade took the damage once again and the hilt began to spark, indicating that it was near its end. However, when Haru realized he was not in any danger of causing real harm to Kazimir, he decided not to switch off his blade. He might need it now that the target had dodged the attack and was now in a position to counter it.

The moment Kazimir dashed away, Haru knew what was coming next. His cloak had done what it could and if he was pushed it any further, he was going to risk being injured. So, tanking whatever spell the wind mage was going to sling at him was not an option anymore. Without waiting to see what the spell was, Haru lunged swiftly towards the right the moment Kazimir moved away. And just as he expected, in not more than a second, a violent gust of wind was shot where he was.

Haru didn’t dare take his eyes away from Kazimir. This sudden and aggressive retaliation was quite surprising. Looking at the aura around him and his emotionless eyes, Haru feared if this could be more than just strong survival instinct. He wondered what was causing it. The prime suspect would be the magic. His wind spells were particularly powerful and Haru had seen how strong magic always had a strenuous effect on the caster; Akira was prime example of that with her Lunar magic.

The Lieutenant wasn’t one to suppress such power, but he wanted to ensure Kazimir wasn’t going to lose the sense of ally and enemy in such scenarios. This was particularly hard to confirm given that it was just the two of them there. Besides, this wasn’t something he wanted to discuss right then. They were going to fight demons that day and if this was what Kazimir had in store for them, then more power to him. Haru simply hoped his squad mates had the brains to not interfere with him when he gets this way.

But… It is a conversation Haru would definitely have to have with him, eventually.

For now, he was just glad that Kazimir was back to normal and was ready to go again. The moment the wind mage asked for another round and took his stance, Haru nodded and dashed forward again. He wanted another intense attack like the one before and that was exactly what he was going to get. The swordsman wished to show what an experienced melee fighter might do to a mage who liked to keep their distance. So, the moment he closed the distance, Haru put his right foot on top of Kazimir’s forward foot and attempted to pierce his thigh. He knew he was playing a dangerous game here, but he could always shut his weapon down before he causes any injury.

As Kazimir had dashed away from the strike his counter spell did knock the blade of target but not far enough to leave his clothes in tact. his sleeve was severed at the top and the warmth of the saber was even closer to burning him than it ever had been. It was a more deadly strike.

Haru didn't comment about Kazimir's momentary lapse. Something that was both relieving for the wind mage and concerning as the fellow knight's thoughts on the matter were still a mystery. At least for now. eventually he would have to face that. For now though he wanted to focus on his own magic and engaging Haru in a more earnest bout like they had started with. he would not succumb to whatever presence haunted him.

The Sword master effortlessly evaded the whirlwind. His blade flickered a bit and his clothes were only slightly tattered. Without missing a beat, Haru answered Kazimir's request with a dash towards him. The force of his lunge rippled the grass beneath his feet, almost like he could control the wind.

Now the wind mage's heart thumped. 'had he been to hasty in his request,' he thought. Haru closed the gap just as fast as he did before. This time there was no strange pressure looming in Kazimir's soul. He couldn't keep up with the motion, he planted his feet ready to lunge backward. He shifted his weight to his front toes. Attempting to lunge backward for more distance.

His toes were crammed deeper into the ground. As his body coiled to spring away, Haru stepped down on top of the wind mage's foot preventing any escape. "Crap!" was the only thought he had. Panic reverberated through his body seeing the blue blade.

The searing blade was thrust toward his hip. He only had one spell ready to cast. He brought his hand back to let loose the gale slash but the grip of fear was too great. Haru's attack was to close and rapid for him to launch a counter to it or safely hit him with a spell without being pierced.

For the second time this battle he felt Haru's deadly presence. This time it felt more intense than the last coupled with the inability to do anything. Kazimir desperately tried to shift his hip searching for a safe place to avoid getting impaled to no avail.
Kazimir had to try something no matter how far reaching it was. He gathered wind in his hand but not fast enough. The blade made its way inches from his hip and as he shifted to avoid the deadly technique his blade of wind fired of near Haru but passing by him without threat.

This is what it truly meant to face off against a melee expert. Kazimir was no professional at combat but he was no novice. Even so Haru was on a different level. And this is him without magic to aid him. A fearsome man on the battlefield. It was no wonder he was promoted so quickly. He understood the words he spoke about embracing offense and forgoing pacifist ways.

It was also concerning to think about what had the rune knights done to take a pacifist and term him into such a proficient fighting machine. Regardless of what happened, Kazimir admired his strength. His goal was to reach higher and gain that power.

The blade would strike true. If the blade was shut down before impact Kaz would fall to his butt breathing heavily.

He let out one final sigh of relief. He looked up at Haru’s damaged clothing with a bit of remorse at the fact he lost himself out there but had not mustered up all the words he could say about it. “Thank you,” he said looking the man in the eye as he sat on the ground. Appreciative that he was shown some of Haru’s strength and that he knocked him back into reality.

WC 661
Total WC 5,479/5400(10% reduction from INT) ( trained C-rank Spells)

Just as he expected, Kazimir attempted to dash away, and he prevented him from doing so by pinning his foot with his. He looked at his sparring partner’s eyes carefully as he attempted his pierce. It was going to connect. The tip of the blade was close. Too close. And yet, that aura didn’t return this time. Haru switched his blade off and angled his hand away, finishing the swing but missing Kazimir.

Haru had pushed the boundary for a third time. Sure, he did it again upon Kazimir’s request, but he would be lying to himself if he didn’t accept the fact that he also did so out of curiosity to see more of the wind mage’s trance and aggression. The Lieutenant was a little ashamed of his choice there. The person he was sparring with was not an experiment. If anything, he should be helping him not get into such a state; not induce a scenario where it will happen.

Thankfully, it did not happen this time. In fact, after all the well-thought defences and counter attacks throughout the fight, Kazimir shocked Haru with the lack of coordination on this one. His spell entirely missed the target. Maybe he is trying hard to not get into that state, which is throwing him off, he thought. Haru’s facial expression was that of concern, but he didn’t show it long enough to worry Kazimir. Besides, they have been at it for a while now and his blade did get too close for comfort.

When Kazimir fell on his back, Haru quickly tucked the hilt away and offered a hand to help him up. He patted his back when he thanked him. “Don’t mention it! You did really well. And... Don’t spar with other Pages like this. You’ll kill them,” he said, grinning. It was a compliment, and a very true one. This one was far better than any Page he had seen. Heck! He was better than most Apprentices and even some Seated Knights. If it was up to him, he would have promoted him already. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

Haru wished to talk more. Ask if Kazimir was okay and if he had accidentally injured him anywhere. But, they weren’t given that time. The siren wailed. It was the signal. Haru’s eyes widened; both in anticipation and a bit of fear. “It’s time! Make the Demons cry,” he said, looking at the wind mage straight with a dead-serious expression.

“Let’s go!”

Kazimir did not know himself whether the end of the battle was by his inexperience or some lurking fear of loosing himself that rattled his psyche. In all reality it was mixture of both. Haru was a masterful swordsman and Kaz did not want to dive deep into what this looming beast was around him. not yet anyway.

Haru helped the wind mage to his feet with an encouraging pat on the back. He mentioned the other pages and Kaz had rarely spent time with any of them outside of the headquarters and his initial training. Back then he was still using defensive magic and in the past two years is was out of the region. He doubted many of them even knew of the change. "Thanks," he gave a pause with a smile, "I'll keep that in mind, I'm do for a promotion soon...although I rather enjoy being a page. its less..." his sentence was interrupted by the wailing siren.

The moment they had trained for finally came upon them. He only hoped he still had enough mana to deal with whatever demonic scourge poured in from the tunnel. It was a tense moment and Haru gave a more serious expression than he had ever seen, "We'll send them back to the abyss," as he picked up his Gi and slung it back on.

With a nod he replied to Haru's summons to leave and engage the demons. The two marched out of the filled bodies primed and ready to go. If nothing else this was more than enough of a warm-up and something told the wind mage that sparring with Haru was much more difficult than facing down a demon would be. Especially the ones they sent the page's after.

-exit-