Duel or Play

"Come!" Tomoki stood still, his sword lifted leaving no opening in his defense.

"Ya!" Allen charged forward, if you don't find an opening, create one. Allen lifted his sword, swinging it down creating a wide arc "Cleave!"

Tomoki twisted his sword, pointing it downwards, perfectly parrying Allen's sword, guiding it over its edge and forcing it to hit the ground, completely breaking Allen's posture.

Allen was just barely able to keep his equilibrium and not fall, quickly jumping back and creating some distance.

"Really? That's how you fight?" Tomoki said increduly while he kept a defensive position "You are a child, far shorter and weaker than me, how can you try to overpower me with a downward swing?"

Allen gritted his teeth, thinking it logically, he was right. His advantage was his low stature and that attack didn't make use of it, on the other hand, completely destroyed it. Moreover, he was aware that the duel could have already finished with that one move, he himself having been left completely open to a fatal attack, not being hit being Tomoki's mercy.

"Ha!" Allen charged again, swinging his sword laterally from left to right.

"Srrrr!" Tomoki reverse gripped his sword with his right hand, stopping Allen's sword to just step forward, following Allen's sword and dispersing Allen's strenght.

Allen wasn't able to counterattack, Tomoki reaching next to him and extending his palm, hitting him on the stomach.

"Baf!" Allen was sent out flying over 3 meters, but strangely, it has been a very weak hit, letting him safely land with his two feet.

Allen lifted his head, looking straight at Tomoki and found that his posture had relaxed, the same as his eyes.

"I have a lot of respect for swordsmen, weak or strong, it doesn't matter much. But..." Tomoki looked straight at Allen "You are not a swordsman. Looking at you is clear that you didn't really put your soul in it, not even your hands are prepared to wield a sword. You are a simply child that learned two moves. Return to your home, boy"

"I won't!" Allen shouted "I haven't lost yet"

"As you prefer" Tomoki sighed as he stepped forward, swinging his sword at Allen.

Tomoki was sure that with Allen's bad grip, his sword will fly away, losing instantly the duel. However, his eyes went wide seeing Allen's move.

Allen lowered his posture, twisting his sword and pointing it downward, it was exactly the same movement that Tomoki made to stop his first strike. Not only that, the posture was perfect.

"Clank!" However, in the end, it didn't matter how perfect the posture was, Allen lacked experience and strength, being unable to parry Tomoki's sword, clashing his own sword and throwing him over 2 meters.

Allen fell to the ground but he didn't let his sword. He stood up with his body hurting from the hit, but he could keep fighting.

"So that's your talent?" Tomoki said calmly, having already recovered from the shock and coldly analyzed the situation.

"Yes" Allen nodded "Would you take me under you now?" With this little spar, Allen was able to learn that Tomoki was really a great swordsmaster, he being able to completely play with him. It was to the point that it couldn't be compared with the bandit leader that he fought.

Moreover, Allen really wanted to learn from him. Seeing from his attacks and posture, he seemed to focus on defense and counterattack and this style would be the perfect one for him. If Allen was able to defend, he would be able to learn from the opponent, copying his techniques and style without receiving any wound.

"Of course not, boy" Tomoki shook his head "You are looking down at swordsman and their effort, your sword lacking soul and understanding. You are able to copy a sword technique just seeing it? Sorry, boy. But I have no need for an encyclopedia that only shows styles."

Tomoki left his sword pierced over the ground and charged toward Allen with his bare hands, extending his right hand, trying to catch him.

Allen lifted his sword to block, but it was all a feint, Tomoki putting weight over his right foot and extending his left hand.

Allen stepped to the left, but Tomoki quickly reacted, stopping his left hand and again throwing his right.

"Pam!" Allen tried to avoid it and swing his sword, but he found his feet interlaced due to the bad posture, falling to the ground without even being touched.

Once he was on the floor, Tomoki stopped "Stand up or surrender"

Allen stood up again, holding tightly his sword and charging again, but as before it was useless.

Avoiding by an inch each swing, hiding over Allen's blind points, avoiding the positions where Allen's known styles would be useful... Tomoki was able to exploit every opening of Allen, pushing Allen flying when he didn't react and throwing him to the ground without touching due to his incorrect posture.

Allen could feel that he was in the palm of the enemy, Tomoki completely playing with him letting him no way to counterattack, even not using a sword for him to not learn anything.

"Have you finish yet?" Tomoki asked lightly.

"No!" Allen clenched his teeth and charged once more, swinging his sword laterally. However, this time there was a change, he lowered her body, targeting Tomoki's legs 'I need to take advantage of being shorter, going towards lower area.

"So you changed a little" Tomoki said seeing the strike come, but keeping his cool "It's still useless" He jumped lightly, stepping on Allen's sword, forcing Allen to let go the sword unable to resist the weight. "Your grip and posture are wrong to start, if it's not already copied, the movement it's useless, you really don't have a talent for fighting."

"I know! So what?!" Allen shouted angry "I have always been the weak one, always relying on her and when it's finally time for her to rely on me, I'm not up to the task. I even thought of abandoning the futile dream to become strong, following Pantalone in becoming a merchant, but I have a gift!"

"I have talent with the swords! So what if it's only copying?! This is enough for me. I reached where I am today using my head rather than strength, I will continue doing it so. I will going forward, using my mind and strategies to take up from my lacking battle progress."

"If you don't want to help me, it's ok. You have played with me after a single month of training. Wait 5 years and we will see again, I will even defeat you with my strategic swordmanship."

Allen shouted very decided, if he can't have a good teacher, he would create his own routine, learning about the different styles and learn the best for him, adapting to any situation.

Listening him, Tomoki blinked in shock "Wait a minute, did you say that you have only started 1 month before?"

Allen nodded "Yes, Pierro recommended me using the sword one month ago. I trained everytime that I could, even when traveling here. So what?"

"So what?!" Tomoki shouted "This change everything!" He said with a big smile over his face. I thought that you sucked and only could copy, but it was only the lack of foundation and training."

"I really don't like to say, but thanks Pantalone how quickly he acted. If you were left alone or under bad guidance, you will be a lost cause, purely relying on copied movements. But with you, I can work!"

"So you will accept me to work under you?" Allen's face became brighter.

"That would depend on your talent, effort and development. For now, I will take you, but you are on trial" He declared "It would be a hard training, are you up to?"

"Yes, I am ready!"

"Great. For the time of the trial, you are forbidden to leave the dojo" Tomoki looked around and smiled "For now, you can start cleaning it."

'Oh, fuck!' Allen cursed in his mind, doubting this was the best.