{Through the next five months everyone trained to become proficient in their weapons.
Everyone except Luka who refused to awaken from his slumber.
Lucky ones that had regular weapons could be guided by the commanders including Lana and the supreme.
People like me who had odd weapons were left to train alone, using techniques from similar weapons.
The first day it was hard moving the weapon around without cutting myself.
I could hardly swap it between hands without injuring myself, I got multiple cuts; they hurt a lot.
One week through; I regressed, I had gone back to the basics and started with little swings, over time those swings would turn to movements.
A month later the staff felt a bit like an extension of my body, I wasn't perfect but I could now do intermediate movements.
Around that time I started sparring with Karius, though the halbred was different from the staff he used his like you would a staff for our spars.
It was less of a spar and more of a guiding act, he wasn't just the one giving as I had also been guiding him in the ways of flame aether control.
Over the months he could finally use the aether itself and not just the aura, even using it on his foot techniques.
Each movement, each pattern, they became engraved into my body and by the final months we had started having serious spars.
He even disregarded using his halbred as a staff.}
-
[Clang clang clang] One strike, two strikes, three, four, five, they exchanged strikes at incredible speeds.
Karius would stab and Leo would guard with the blades on his staff, twisting it up and down, or spinning it when necessary.
The sparks from the clash of their blades was intense, the sounds echoed through the area.
Going at each other with everything they had with blades infused with aether.
"You can read my mind can't you, why are you finding it so hard…" Leo thought.
They ran side by side now, with minimal clashes, Leo planted his staff on the ground in a precarious manner.
With his two palms gripping the middle section and in one swift motion he used the momentum from the initial run to spin around launching his body in the air.
With his two legs in the air infused with aether Karius had no choice but the block the kick with his halbred.
Leo then launched himself off the halbred pushing Karius back and falling with a crouch.
He tried to grab his weapon with haste.
Karius launched himself forward and went in for a stab on the unarmed Leo.
!
He stopped the blade at his head, nearly piercing his eyes.
"Damn it…I thought I could win this time" Leo sat on the floor and looked up.
[Thud] Karius sat on the floor, letting go of his weapon.
"You almost did…" Karius sighed.
"As if it's not hard enough trying to read your thoughts because they aren't clear, you're also very nimble.
Others go 'I'll strike the left, right or go under' while you go 'what if I try this…'
Try what?!" Karius ranted in frustration as the halo on his head gradually faded.
[Huff, huff] They were both sweating and breathing heavily, both were out of breath but still burst into laughter.
"How many does that make it, sixty, sixty-one?" Karius asked.
"Tch…se..venty" Leo looked away and said faintly.
"What's that I can't hear you?
Did you perhaps lose your voice" Karius teased.
"Yeah yeah, the moment I win it all changes doesn't it?
Enjoy your last victory." Leo replied.
He was carried away by the clash in front of him, as the scene was too enticing for him.
"Hmm, what are you looking at?
[Karius turned his head to the direction Leo was looking at.]
Oh?" He was interested as well.
It was Fiona fighting fighting against Caesar, their clash brought quite the audience, all eyes were on them.
-
Both of them exchanged clashes with their swords.
The more clashes they exchanged it was a bit noticeable albeit blurry, Zefroth was the better swordsman.
"...But why can I not win…" Zefroth thought to herself.
In less than a second she could strike once, Caesar could hardly compare, he had defaulted to blocking.
He threw a punch infused with aether from that position.
"I could see it before you even thought to use it, do you think I wouldn't be able to dodge?…" She thought.
!
[Woaaahhh] The crowd went wild.
Zefroth fell to the floor.
The punch he threw connected, she could see it coming but it still hit her.
"What is this…how?" Zefroth could hardly see, the punch had put her thoughts in disorder, as she bled a bit from her nose.
-
"What?
How did he win?" Leo asked Karius.
But Karius looked as shocked as Leo did.
"I'd like to know that as well…" Karius said, he looked even more shocked as time went on.
{Karius has been called Zefroth's natural enemy for as long as we've gotten the gifts.
So I guess it's understandable since his rival was defeated by someone other than him.}
"You think you could win Zefroth in a fight right now?" Leo asked Karius.
He seemed to be zoned out.
"Oh well…" Leo shrugged.
"Everyone gather around!
The supreme is here!" Ren's voice echoed from the distance.
Everyone left what they were doing and started evacuating the place.
Leo gave Karius two light taps on the shoulder, he looked at Leo.
"Come on, let's go" Leo gestured by using his thumb to point.
-
Heimer stood at the front of the two wagons as the wind blew against his long beards, it was a shame he had no hair.
This time unlike the other times he was in casual attire.
"I had made some promises nearly six months ago.
Promises I'm yet to fulfil, you all might've been enrolled but you're still merely cadets, not even privates yet.
...
[He scanned through their faces]
In two weeks the expedition will set off and army rules exempt cadets from missions.
That puts us in a bind you see…
[Heimer dragged his palm through his face, from top to bottom]
So in light of this you'll have to go through the promotion ceremony that is coming up in two days.
Normally you would have had to pass the military's training scheme over the past six months, then just get welcomed in.
But since I took you all in as a special squad, they'll be doing things differently this time.
Prepare to fight." Heimer had a face filled with seriousness.