A strike.

"I trained every day until my muscles screamed in pain!"

Another strike.

"I've watched my family die before my eyes!"

Another strike.

"I, have suffered, and I have worked myself to the bone-!"

Yet another strike, even harder than the last.

"-Threw my entire life away to be here!"

The hardest blow cut his sword in half, forcing him to jump back far away.

"I didn't do all of that, just for you, to think it's right to call me weak!"

I grip my sword tighter than ever, the peach haired stranger behind a mask seemingly stunned.

"Who do you think you-!"
A hand grabs my arm, lowering my blade, and I turn my head to see Makomo, her smile gone, but her eyes the same as ever.

"That's enough."
I calm down slowly, the guy from before now sitting on the boulder with his back towards me while Makomo healed my hand.

I'd learned that his name was Sabito, that him and Makomo were orphans raised and trained by Mr. Urokodaki.

He spoke no words, nor moved a muscle as I kept training my waterbending with Makomo, and I had improved a lot thanks to her, but she always insisted she wasn't the one I had to choose as my master.

When they had to go, he only said a single sentence to me before leaving.

"You aren't weak, you're just afraid."

His words stuck with me for a long time, but he came back, teaching me how to use my sword better in practice, while Makomo, alongside bending, helped me correct my flaws.

From posture to proper holding of a sword, she went over everything Urokodaki taught me and elaborated.

After another half a year, Sabito came to train with me again, but now he held an actual sword.
He told me to give it all I've got, and thus began our fight.

The both of us used bending alongside our swords, and I instantly felt overpowered.

He brought me to the ground in an instant, pushing his sword into mine so close to my throat I could barely breathe.

It only kept going further down, and I wasn't even able to push him off of me.
For a moment, I felt ready to call it quits and train harder...

.

《•|•-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-•|•》
.


"I can do this!"

"That's right! You can do it, there's nothing stopping you!"

.
《•|•-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-•|•》
.

In that very moment my legs managed to kick him off of me, only for him to come right back and strike.

I suddenly felt stronger than ever, and every hit of his meant twice of mine.
We kept fighting for what felt like eternity, until I shut my eyes and land the strongest hit I ever have, opening my eyes soon after.

We kept fighting for what felt like eternity, until I shut my eyes and land the strongest hit I ever have, opening my eyes soon after

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My body feels immediately weak, and as I fade in and out of consciousness, I can see Sabito and Makomo looking down at me, Sabito's mask removed, a proud smile on both of their faces.

When I awoke, Sabito and Makomo had vanished, but my eyes couldn't believe the sight before me.

I-I...
I had cut my boulder...

Right down the middle.

《 •|• 《♡》 •|• 》

End
● Chapter 12 : ●
● "Down The Middle." ●

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