I stood at a distance, gripping my wooden sword, watching Rathen.
Breathing steady.
This time—
I covered my entire body with dark aura.
He noticed.
A smile formed.
"Good," he said. "You've learned."
Then his expression sharpened.
"Let's take it up a notch."
He disappeared.
Not completely—
but to my eyes, he became a blur.
I activated my sensory field fully.
I could feel him—
but seeing him was another matter.
He moved fast.
Too fast.
I braced myself.
Left leg back.
Right leg planted firm.
Sword raised.
Grip tight.
The sensory field flared—
Right side.
I turned—
just in time to see a horizontal slash coming.
I tried to bend low—
to counter—
He vanished again.
Left side.
A vertical strike came crashing down.
I didn't think.
I raised my sword above my head—
angled—
to deflect.
Impact.
My arms shook.
My knees dropped to the ground.
The strike didn't slide.
Didn't redirect.
It held.
Pressed down.
Rathen applied more force.
My wooden sword creaked under pressure.
What do I do…
Then—
I moved.
Instead of resisting—
I rolled forward.
His force carried through.
The strike clipped my left foot—
pain flared—
but his balance broke slightly.
I hit the ground and rolled.
Forced myself to move.
My left foot screamed in pain.
I couldn't stand properly.
Before I could recover—
another attack came.
A wide horizontal slash—
aimed at my back.
I dropped flat.
Face to the ground.
The blade passed just above me.
I planted my palms.
Tried to push up—
A stab was coming.
No time.
I gathered everything—
focused all my dark aura into my right leg—
And kicked.
A sharp arc—
aimed at his wrist.
Impact.
Rathen stepped back.
Just a few steps—
but enough.
I forced myself up.
Barely standing.
Left leg weak.
Right leg shaking.
At the same time—
pain exploded.
He had punched my calf during the exchange.
Rathen had said it before—
"Hands matter."
"But legs decide everything."
Movement.
Balance.
Escape.
Attack.
And now—
mine were failing.
Pain spread through both legs.
I stopped.
Moving is useless.
Instead—
I stood still.
One position.
Feet grounded.
Body steady.
Breathing controlled.
I closed my eyes.
No vision.
Only sensation.
My sensory field expanded.
Pushed outward.
Listening.
Waiting.
Then—
I felt it.
Not from the side.
Not from behind.
From the front.
A direct approach.
Fast.
Straight.
No feint.
No hesitation.
A killing line.
My grip tightened.
This is it.
I didn't move my feet.
Didn't adjust my stance.
Didn't retreat.
Everything—
focused.
Compressed.
Aligned.
I moved only once.
First Manual — Sword Form: Point Stab.
A straight thrust.
All power gathered into a single point.
Released at once.
Perfect timing.
Perfect line.
No escape.
Or so I thought.
No impact.
My eyes snapped open.
Rathen stood in front of me.
Close.
Too close.
His body slightly twisted.
Just enough.
My blade had missed.
His hand moved.
The wooden sword handle struck my head.
Pain burst through my skull.
At the same time—
his foot hooked mine.
My balance broke.
I hit the ground.
Hard.
Before I could react—
his blade pointed at my throat.
Silence.
My chest rose and fell.
Heavy.
Uneven.
Rathen looked down at me.
Not smiling now.
Not relaxed.
Focused.
Then—
he exhaled.
"You've improved."
A pause.
"You're not weak anymore…"
His eyes locked onto mine.
"…just incomplete."
The words hit deeper than the strike.
He lowered his sword.
Sat beside me.
Placed a hand on my shoulder.
"From here…"
he said quietly,
"…you either grow right—"
"or break."
I lay there, staring at the sky.
Body aching.
Mind racing.
I couldn't hit him.
Even when I read it…
My grip tightened slightly.
I'm close…
but still not enough.