Hello, long time no see. You see, I am out of ideas on how to continue this. So if you wish for this to be continued, please comment..
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Room of Records
"Hiiragi, just how much did you read this past few weeks?"
Sylvie, who saw dozens of records and books scattered on the floor and table asked him. This past few weeks had been uneventful. Nothing much happened.
Everyone except Hiiragi and Miyuu were training hard at the training ground. Their strength were increasing day by day. They started to understand how to use the blessings.
Meanwhile, Hiiragi and Miyuu were practically spending most of their times in the Room Of Records. Hiiragi was reading all he wants while Miyuu was getting bored. Miyuu and Sylvie knew each other after when Hiiragi entered the room the second time. They chatted while Hiiragi was reading the books and records.
Right now, Sylvie was surprised by Hiiragi's reading capability. Not everyone could focused on reading boring history and books for a few weeks without getting bored. Moreover, dozens of them.
"I stopped counting after fifty."
Hiiragi answered while still reading. He was completely focused on reading the records.
Although he had found what he wanted, he still read everything that interested him which was approximately everything.
Miyuu who understood his mindset, couldn't do anything to retort. So she said.
"Sylvie-san, why do you live here? Don't you want to go out once in a while?"
Miyuu asked Sylvie out of curiosity. She simply wondered why did Sylvie had to live in this dark, solemn room.
"Well........"
Sylvie was reluctant to answer as she was not ready to tell Miyuu her circumstances yet. She was thinking how to explain it to her without saying too much.
Suddenly, Hiiragi closed the book he was reading loudly. This surprised Miyu and Sylvie as they were not aware of him.
"Yosh, let's walk around the castle. How about we watch Eiji-san and the others?"
"Eh, but won't we bother them?"
"Not really. But I want to tease Haruto at the moment. Moreover, since I pretty much had read most of the documents in this room, I didn't have much to do except napping or dreaming."
"Well, okay. Do you want to join us, Sylvie-san? I'm sure it will be fun."
Miyuu asked Sylvie who was standing quietly.
"Thank you for the invitation but I think I will stay here."
Sylvie politely refused. She was forbidden to get out of the room without the king's permission.
Miyuu was disappointed but accepted it.
"I understand, then see you later Sylvie-san."
Miyuu followed Hiiragi who was already walking. Hiiragi waved his hand at Sylvie signaling his goodbye at her. Sylvie replied back with a smile.
Then, as they walked Miyuu asked Hiiragi a few questions.
"Nii, why did Sylvie-san live in that room?"
"Well, she has her own circumstances."
Hiiragi only answered vaguely as he knew that he wasn't supposed to expose others' privacy.
"You're always like that."
Miyuu pouted because she wasn't satisfied with Hiiragi's answer. Hiiragi who saw this, pinched her cheek.
"Hai hai, I know but let's just wait for her to tell you that."
Then, they arrived at the training ground. As they arrived, they were greeted with a scream.
"Wahhhhhh!!!!"
"Don't run and counter it!"
"How the hell am I supposed to counter that!?"
Apparently, it was Eiji who was screaming before. Grayson was training him using a big and long heavy broadsword while Eiji was wielding a longsword.
Meanwhile, Haruto was almost having no time to breath to defend himself from the swordmaster, Jea who was wielding his stick with great speed. His clothes were having cuts all over.
Finally, Yukari was having a spar with Catherina. They were left alone at the corner of the training ground. Since they were fighting with magics and swords, their place need more space than others. Yukari and Catherina was about the same level but obviously Catherina would be stronger with experience and magic understanding. This put her in tight spot.
Thus, Hiiragi and Miyuu was left astonished even after they watched it for many times
"Well, let's rest since it has been 3 hours already."
Grayson said. He noticed Eiji's and the others' strength had improved at rapid pace. But their experience were still at amateur level.
Eiji, Yukari and Haruto fell on their back as they were exhausted from the rigorous training.
They panted roughly. Then, they got up and walked to the entrance. There, they saw Hiiragi and Miyuu was waiting for them.
"Good work keeping up."
"Thanks for your hard work."
Eiji showed a tired smile while leaning against the wall. Yukari and Haruto were lying down on the ground. Sweat were flowing from all over of their body.
"These days were like hell..."
"You guys were amazing to keep up with them."
Hiiragi praised them.
Eiji started a conversation with him. At the same time, he asked Hiiragi some advices.
"Hiiragi-kun, anything that I can do to improve?"
"Why are you asking me everytime after training? I'm not some expert."
"Well just feel like asking you."
Eiji answered. Actually, he had some suspicious of Hiiragi's true ability.
Flashback
During the night of the ball, Eiji visited Catherine's room. He silently knocked on the door while announcing his presence.
"Catherina-san, it's me."
"....Please enter."
Eiji opened the door and entered. Then, he saw Catherina in her night gown. Eiji was enchanted by her beautiful appearance.
Catherina was wearing a white one piece dress with her luscious blonde hair being let down making her appearance godly. She had a bewitching smile on her face.
Eiji was red on his face as he averted his face.
"Ara, is this a night visit? Do you wish to make love with me, Eiji-kun?"
Catherina teased him with an innocent face. Eiji hurriedly denied.
"Of course not!!! You're the one who called me here!"
Catherina giggled as she was amused by his reaction. Eiji who noticed this quickly asked.
"Why do you call me here, Catherina-san?"
Then, Catherina's face immediately turned serious. She wanted to know something.
"Actually, I am curious about something."
"What is it?"
"Do you know something about Hiira-kun?"
Eiji was slightly surprised when he heard her. However, he didn't seem to mind it much.
"Why do you want to know?"
"After we sparred, he stopped your strike with his magic didn't he? Doesn't it make you curious?"
Catherina seemed to think about the incident before because she knew that the blaze magic wasn't a normal one.
Usually, a fire sword could not be materialize with a normal sword. However, Eiji was successful in doing it and it was a strong one.
Unfortunately, Hiiragi was able to parry it with only a strike with a magic opposite of his magic.
"Well, I am curious but I won't inquire about him as I have a principle of respecting one's privacy."
Eiji said as he didn't want to investigate about Hiiragi's information. He likes Hiiragi as his friend and he will protect him as long as he could.
"I'm not asking you to investigate but at least watch his action and try to know more of him."
"I'm not going to sell my friend here."
Eiji sternly stated as he hated to expose any secret. Catherina understand this behavior and negotiated.
"Then, I just want to know only general things about him as long it is not something secret. My wish is not to know all about him but only about the danger if he is to attack my country."
End of Flashback
"I just want to hear your advice. Maybe I could figure out something if I hear from your point of view."
Eiji said. Hiiragi was absentminded by his statement but regained himself and thought for a moment.
Then, he pointed out a few things.
"Firstly, I think you should see your landscape. You should think of how to make the battlefield as your advantage. As your magic is water and blaze maybe you can heat some place on the ground to disturb your opponent's step. Next, maybe you could observe your opponent's stance everytime he moves because human usually uses the same move after trying various attacks. Try to remember how they move at every style. After that, don't use too much power in every slash and block. Instead, try to divert the direction of the attack and counter. You are too focused on how to defend and attack. You should try to make the opponent attack make your strike stronger. For example...."
As he talked, he picked up a worn out wooden sword and held it.
"Eiji-san, try to strike me in any way."
"Eh...?"
"Just try it."
Eiji who still in confusion, held his sword and be in his stance. He stood with his legs opened a bit and his sword pointed at Hiiragi while Hiiragi was holding his sword one handed like a kendo trainer.
Then, Eiji dashed at Hiiragi in full speed and tried to slashed him vertically. The slash was as fast as lightning but as it was about to touch Hiiragi, it was blocked. However, it was not a simple block but Hiiragi diverted the sword direction to his other side while he spin his body with his sword in hand and finally Hiiragi's sword was moving towards Eiji's neck with great speed. Luckily, the strike was halted before it could reach him.
Eiji's face was in disbelief. If this works a real fight, he could have died. Meanwhile, Hiiragi was looking like he had just shown something normal.
"You need to use the opponent's momentum and make your blow heavier. Lastly, if you're fighting to death, try to attack vital point like this. Do you understand?"
"Y-Yeah....."
"Well, it's only my point of view. No need to mind it much."
Hiiragi released his sword and went to Miyuu. Eiji on the other hand was standing as he had just been struck by lightning. He was shocked by how he could do much better than he was. At the same time, he also realized how easy he could die if he was in a real battle.
Dumbfounded, Eiji stared at Hiiragi who was walking to Miyuu with thousands questions.
How strong are you?
He silently thought. Meanwhile, Haruto and Yukari were waiting for him as they wanted some advices to improve themselves.
"Hiira-kun, what about me? Anything I can try?"
Haruto asked first as he really wished he could defend against the swordmaster's blade.
"Heh, the Ice Prince in asking me for advice~. How rare~."
"Just tell me!"
Hiiragi joked around with Haruto while he retorted him. Hiiragi made some choices.
"Whether to defend or attack, which one you choose?"
"Can't you just tell me both?"
"Nope"
"Then, tell me how to defend. I can't stand my clothes getting damaged everyday."
Haruto sighed as he currently packing some suitable clothes as his training suit. Hiiragi felt pity with him.
"Then, rather than following the sword's direction, try to look at your opponent's line of sight and hand's movements because normal people always moved according to their sight. That's why rather than predicting their next move, try to predict how they will move. Don't focus of where they will attack but how they attack instead. Then, move your sword until it meet your opponent's sword. After that, figure out how the next one will come. Whether horizontally, vertically, with a stab, slice or strike. Don't think where they attack but how to meet their attack. Well I think what I said were just nonsense but it's your choice to heed or not."
Haruto thought over and over about them and imagined how he could realized it in real battle.
Meanwhile, Yukari's turn arrived. Hiiragi sighed as he felt like was being and advisor for some sport.
"What do I need to improve to be stronger than her?"
Yukari was determined to surpass Catherina as she wanted to be someone who could protect rather than protected.
"Try to use magic which can defeat her magic. Don't focus on casting magic too much but concentrate on figuring how you can utilize your sword and magic one by one. And don't forget to increase you mana and usable magic. You are good enough, you just need to be flexible in every aspect. As for swordsmanship, you need to get used on how to move better. Relax your grip yet hold it tightly. Slash strongly at the same time defend hardly. Move fast yet slow to trap the opponent. Be yourself yet imitate others. That's it."
"...You speak too philosophical. But thanks."
"You're welcome."
Hiiragi then headed towards Miyuu. Miyuu was not surprised by this as she already expect it.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"Why are you saying it to me? I didn't even do anything."
Miyuu only smiled happily as he noticed that his brother had changed slowly.
Hiiragi who knew his sister's intention looked away while scratching his head.
"W-well, let's go see the others."
"I know, I know."
Along the way, Hiiragi was feeling awkward as her younger sister was smiling happily as she was joyful of his changes.
When they had just arrived, they were forced to face a powerful wave of mana.
The room was filled with mana. At the same time, numerous magic was fired. The figure of royal mages sitting at the corner of the room were seen to be scared.
Then, there were few beautiful girls who were seen running around while casting many high level magics.
A red haired girl was chanting steadily while dodging the magics.
"Fire who has been my friend, show your power with your overwhelming heat as you attack my enemy with your full strength without restraint. With my mana as your energy, bring disaster with you as your power. Tornado Flare!"
The girl pointed her cane towards the golden haired girl with a tiara. Suddenly, a big flame appeared forming a hurricane. It moved towards the golden haired girl with full speed.
However, she dodged it as if she already expected it. Then, another golden haired girl casted three different spell at the same time. Fire, earth and wind.
"Fire form yourself as a rain and blast my enemy with your flare. Raining Fire. Earth, form yourself as sharp blade and stab my enemy with powerful force, Earth Blade. Wind, you are a powerful existence. Spin around this space and bring everything to non-existent. Whirlwind."
All three magic were formed at the same time and united. They become one existence.
The whirlwind headed towards a pair of twin. The twin ran separately to dodge it. Then, a little boy who has yet to reach maturity, stood at the center of the room. He silently chanted.
"The protector of mine, become solid to be a barrier of mine, Safehouse."
Earth steadily formed. It was the shape of cube which surrounded him.
With this, his safety was better.
Then, a very beautiful black haired girl casted a magic which make all other magic disappeared.
"Light, you are the one which can light all of the world. Make everything become nothing when you exist. Non-existence."
A bright light flashed through the room then, all of the magic disappeared. The girl said with a tired face.
"Everyone, I think this is enough for today. We have been training for 5 hours straight. Look, Hiiragi-kun and Miyuu-chan visited us."
Then, all magic had stopped. All mages there stared at the door where Hiiragi and Miyuu were standing.
Miyuu hid behind Hiiragi as she didn't like attention. Hiiragi only sighed at this sight.
Hah.... I guess this will be another day where everything seems normal.
Hiiragi thought.
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Okay I guess this will be a boring chapter. Nothing actually happened.
Anyway thanks for reading.
✓{^~^}