Chapter 130 : The Two Strongest (Part 2)

"BUHAHAHAHA!!"

As the festival went on, the fight between Rei and Bavog ended with ease. Doldain was laughing loudly after witnessing such a scene.

"Do you see that my King, even Bavog who known for his stubbornness and his strength got beaten up in one shot!" Doldain proudly spoke.

Ignia, who sat beside him and drinking wine on her glass, couldn't help but smile. "Indeed~ well I think he is still pretty long way to go~ I wonder how much is he gonna grow in the future~"

"But..."

"It seems he needs to adjust to a new style." Ignia spoke.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Doldain asked as they observed Rei who is being surrounded by the crowd.

"Heh, this might be interesting... I wanna see how will he transform into after the training with us~"

"I am looking forward to it~" Ignia mumbled.

The festival continued, and they had so much fun drinking together.

******

The next three days, Rei recovered well and his injuries are getting better. He had enough to exercise his body and eat well.

So today's the day where his training began and the training schedule had been specifically designed for him.

The first three days of the week will be with Ignia to train his weaponry technique.

On the second day after Ignia, will be with Doldain to train and teach him his axe skills and blacksmithing to increase his mastery level.

Now in the Training Hall, Rei's sitting there with Ignia standing in front of him.

Ignia wore a simple outfit for training, a shirt and pants so it made it easier to move around.

"Now then, for today and the next two days it will be me who will be teaching you." Ignia spoke to him.

"So you must listen to what I said and what I order, since this is your request and I deemed you worthy to to learn my teaching~"

"Are we clear?" Ignia spoke.

"Yes." Rei couldn't help but accept her words, since this was the only way he could become stronger.

"But before we start, pick out your sword and make sure you are ready with your other weapon as well." Ignia told him while she unsheated the sword in her hand.

"Huh?? Sure?" Rei then stood up while taking out his sword from his [Inventory].

When Rei finally held onto his sword...

Ignia smiled.

*SWOOSH*

Then she suddenly appeared right in front of him.

"Huh—?!"

And swung her sword from above and downwards at him.

*TING*

Rei suddenly reacted to her sword, by lifting his sword immediately and blocked her strike.

"W-what's with you all of sudden!"

"Heh~ this is my best way to teach, by learning it practically and listening to my lecture." Ignia spoke as her sword clashed against his.

"That's crazy!" Rei shouted out, 'This isn't a virtual world like in my mind with Houston!'

"You think so? But first, what do you know about swords?~" Ignia asked during this situation.

"About sword?—"

But before Rei could ask her again…

*TSKKK* *TING*

She pushed her sword to deflect his sword.

"—?!?" Rei was surprised when Ignia did that.

Followed with her swinging her sword towards his right side.

*TING*

Rei reacted quickly again and pulled his sword back to block her attack again.

"Kugh—"

He was confused by the question she just asked, but there was one thing that he knew…

'Dammit...to think she played me like this, she only uses one hand and her strength...is enough to push me back.' Rei thought.

"Yes, about sword~" Ignia continued her words then she purposely did the same thing.

*TING*

"What is a sword?"

As she asked while deflecting his sword and swung her sword to his left side.

*TING*

"What is the purpose?"

While Rei blocked her strike, his sword got deflected to the side again.

*TING*

"And how do you use it?"

Ignia asked him again and swung her sword again just to deflect his sword to the side again.

"Ugh—"

"Don't know? Well I can answer it for you~" Ignia then changed her stance all of sudden as she lifted her sword and aimed the blade at him.

"Sword is a tool, which has two purposes." Ignia suddenly swung her sword at him with an intent to stab him at his face.

Rei widened his eyes when the sword was just about to get near to his face, but he quickly swung his sword and deflected her sword aside.

*TING* *TSSSKK*

Yet he still hadn't escaped her since her sword managed to graze his right cheek.

"Kugh—?!"

"One is to protect."

Then Ignia pulled her sword back,

"And...."

*SWOOSH*

She leaned closer to him and swung her sword to perform another stab at him and aiming at his abdomen.

*TING*

Rei quickly deflected her sword aside until their face was close to each other and their eyes met.

"...one is to kill." Ignia spoke while she smiled.

"Ugh—" Rei couldn't help but freeze when she said that.

"Tsk..." But Rei clicked his tongue and immediately backed away to gain some distance away from her.

While Ignia just stood on her spot and smiled at him.

"But despite knowing its purposes, we don't know how to use it properly."

"The most basic part on how to use a sword is to slash, cut, and stab your enemies." Ignia explained.

*SWOOSH*

As she lifted her sword and aimed it at Rei again.

"But there's more than that what a sword is capable of." After that...

"Especially...."

She clad her sword with a red aura.

"For someone who capable to use aura~"

Rei who saw it immediately raised his sword and clad his red aura on his sword as well.

"I will show you, how to use aura now~ so..."

*CLINK*

Ignia aimed her sword at him, "Make sure you dodge this!~" But then she remained where she stood.

"Huh??"

Rei was confused, until she suddenly had a stance in her spot and then....

Her aura spiked up on her sword, after that...

'What is she—'

And from that distances...

*SWOOSH*

Ignia swung her sword at such unimaginable speed.

*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*

'[Dragon King Arts:...Moon Fang].'

Her sword created three energy waves of aura from her sword and flew towards Rei's direction.

The waves were so fast and Rei almost let his guard down.

*TING* *TSSSKKK*

As Rei lifted her sword and blocked the three strikes that were thrown simultaneously.

Causing him to back away, 'T-this is...'

"Kugh—!!"

*TANG*

With his strength he managed to pushed away the sword energy that was thrown at him away and dissipated immediately.

'What's with this heaviness!?'

But that wasn't the end of all, since Ignia immediately appeared right in front of him then swung her sword at high speed again.

But this time, her sword direction...

Went to right...

Turned to left.

Went up.

And down.

Creating swirl of dancing sword that made him couldn't follow her speed with his own eyes.

'What—?!'

Her sword movement and her body, it was like she was dancing with her sword in such a beautiful and fierce way.

'[Dragon King Art :....Nine-Heads Dragon].'

With just an ordinary sword, she created a 9 sword energy path that was striking in all directions within just a second.

And the sword paths...

Turned into dragons heads.

Rei widened his eyes at what he just witnessed, but at the same time...

He was too late to raise his guard up because of that and closed his eyes.

"Ugh—?!"

*BAM* *BAM* *BAM*

But...

When he opened his eyes, the sword path didn't hit him and instead...

'Huh??' Rei looked behind him, as the strike from before...

Managed to carve the training floor into a large face of dragon's head by her sword strikes.

Rei gulped down from the sight and never imagined he could see such a thing like this after living in this world for two years.

When Rei looked back at her.

*CLINK*

Her sword aimed just right in front of his face, while Ignia smiled at him..

"What kind of skill...is this?"

"This is not a skill..."

Ignia answered then pulled her sword and sheath it, "This is a technique, which required hard work of sweat and blood."

"A technique?..." Rei repeated her words.

"Yes, and the differences between these two are simple." Ignia then flicked his forehead with her finger.

"Ouch..."

Then Ignia turned around, "[Skill] is something that we could attained from we've been born with it or acquired it."

"When you use skill it will activate naturally without any action that needs to be performed."

"But a [Technique], is an action that needs to be performed, applied and used for one purpose." Then she explained while walking towards the edge of the arena.

"Whether to protect your allies..." Ignia then took a weapon which is being displayed on the edge of the arena.

"...or kill your enemy." Ignia ended her explanation.

"Now, do you get it, what are you lacking now?~" Ignia spoke while lifting this one weapon that Rei's familiar with.

"Yeah, I get it." Rei was amazed by it and couldn't stop from looking the dragon's head carved on the training ground right now.

'It's like I'm in the manga and story that I used to read...'

Rei thought and put his sword back to his [Inventory] and took another weapon which is similar to what Ignia's holding now.

*CLINK*

Which is...a Spear.

Then Rei blinked for a moment.

"Wait—do you know how to use a spear?"

And realized she was holding a spear now and he was caught in the mood when she changed her weapon.

"Hm?" Ignia then lifted her spear and smiled at him.

"Nope~"

Rei blinked his eyes, "Huh?—"

*SWOOSH*

Then Ignia dashed at him with full speed.

"How about I try it first~" Ignia spoke while thrusting her spear.

*SWOOSH*

Rei immediately reacted by tilting his head aside to dodge the hurling spear of her.

"Kugh—again?! Without warning?!" Rei shouted in anger.

Ignia smiled and giggled, "Fufufu~ can you blame the enemy if you die in the battle?~ so try to dodge this again~"

Then Ignia then pulled her spear and once again thrusted her spear at him with full speed.

"Kugh—!!"

Then Rei swung his spear against hers.

*TAK*

Stopping her spear and lowering her spear down.

'How....' Rei thought of it this time, 'How was she able to use a spear?!'

'Her strength, her posture, even just a few strikes...I don't think someone can use a weapon this easily.'

'Since...' Rei gulped.

"Since it is a taboo for someone to use other weapons that they aren't meant to use, am I right?~" Ignia spoke during their moment here.

"Ughhh...don't read my mind like that!"

"Well I can't help it~ since your face looks confused like a puppy who just understands what their master said~"

"Don't treat me like a puppy!—"

Then during their conversation,

*CLINK*

She lifted her spear up and pushed Rei back a little, "—Huh?!"

"I shall answer you this, I am not a person...but a Dragon~" When Ignia spoke like that, her eyes began to sharpen like lizard eyes.

Then her strength increased once more causing him to be overwhelmed by her.

"Kugh—"

"And~"

After that...

*TAK*

Ignia swung her spear aside causing Rei to fling back.

"Ugh—?!"

"Sword and Spear don't have any differences." Ignia spoke while lifting her spear.

Rei froze for a moment, "No difference?"

Ignia smiled as she made him piqued interest towards her words that she just mentioned.

"I heard from Doldain that everytime you change your weapon, your body trying to adjust to match with the weapons right?" Ignia reminded him about his conversation with Doldain.

"Yeah..." Rei lifted his spear.

"Then, I have an easy solution for that." Ignia answered him.

"Huh?? Really?"

"Of course~ it is quite simple actually~ and that is..."

"And that...is?" When Rei asked.

Ignia clad her spear with her aura.

"Heh~" Then she suddenly spun her spear as she approached him slowly instead of dashing towards him.

"That is...." After that...

Before she continued to her words...

*SWOOSH*

Ignia vanished from his sight.

"—?!"

Rei widened his eyes when she suddenly disappeared.

'Where is she?!' Rei looked around as he couldn't feel her presence.

From right, left and his back.

He couldn't find her, until....

*SWOOSH*

He heard a sound...

"—?!"

There was something approaching him ans that came from...

'Above!'

Rei looked up seeing Ignia still spun her spear from above and when she stopped, she thrusted her spear down at him while falling down from mid air.

Her aura spiked up, causing a large strong force on her spear as she descended from the air.

'[Dragon King Arts:...Dragon Descend].'

Seeing such a strange pressure coming from her spear which her aura transformed the shape of it into the head of a dragon.

Rei immediately made a run for it but...

'I can't move—!?' He felt his feet heavy and as if his feet were stuck in the ground, 'Is her pressure making the gravity denser!?'

*RUMBLE*

As her spear approached him closer, the ground began to shake and the pressure became heavier and heavier.

'Ugh—I feel like being crushed!' But Rei lifted his spear and clad it with fire.

'I had enough—!!'

Ignia, who saw his struggle, whistled at the end. "Fuu~"

Then Rei spun the fire around his spear, and instead positioning to throw his spear.

He gripped the shaft with his two hands, then thrusted his spear head on towards hers.

'[Spear Arts : Gungnir]!'

Finally...

*BAM*

Their spears collided.

*TSSSKK*

Causing sparks of the two forces trying to overwhelm one another.

"Kughhh—?!!!" Rei looked struggling.

"Haha~" while Ignia looked like she's enjoying this fight.

*TSSSKK*

"Ughh—?!!"

As the spinning fire became more intense.

Rei thought of something.

"—?!"

When suddenly his fire turned redder and denser as it flared up even more.

Ignia who saw that, could tell, 'Yeah...this is his talent, that is to evolve during the battle~'

Yes, during this moment, he added one more thing to his skill.

'[Blacksmith Flame]!'

As it increased the heat of the fire he spun, it caused a devastating heat that was enough to scorch the ground around him.

*TSSSKK*

.

.

.

.

.

*TWINGG*

Until finally...

*BOOM*

It created an explosion, forcing him to be pushed back as his spear broke apart.

"Ughh—"

And avoided the danger.

Rei panted heavily during this fight, "Haahh...haahh..." His fatigue point had reached its limit.

Ignia landed down after that explosion completely unharmed and approached him slowly, her spear was broken as well.

"Good job~ you managed to dodge it~" Ignia spoke while clapping her hands.

"Good job my ass...you almost killed me again." Rei cussed as he sat down on the ground.

"Well I pulled back some punches~ but nevertheless you managed to avoid it and show that you learned from mistakes~"

Then Rei laid his back on the ground, "...and that is?"

"That is, you didn't throw your weapon this time and instead, faced my strike with the skill that you always use to throw your weapon~" Ignia spoke.

"Huh?? But...I sometimes always use it close-range."

"But not often~ look how you damaged this spear? This spear had more density than the others and especially yours that is more fragile."

'Fragile?' Rei looked at his broken spear.

"So I managed to destroy a weapon that wasn't supposed to be destroyed?"

"Correct~ and not only that, you used something unusual in the fight as well~"

"You noticed?"

"Of course~ I lived longer than you~ and the fact you use [Blacksmith Flame] that is supposed to be used for smithing." Ignia explained.

Rei looked up towards the high ceiling above them, "That's true...but wait! You haven't finished the words you're gonna say!"

"Ahhh, about that? Are you still curious about it?"

"Of course! I need that to answer my question!"

Ignia giggled seeing him struggling, 'How cute~'

"Well since you managed to blocked my attack and surprised me with it, I shall answer you~"

Rei nodded and sat up immediately.

"The easy solution that I mentioned...is that."

"You must treat your weapon as equal and not different." Ignia answered him.

"Equal?" Rei muttered.

"Like I said before, a Spear is just like a Sword."

"A Spear is just like a Sword? How is that even possible?" Rei asked.

"Curious?" Ignia asked him back while smirking at him.

Rei couldn't help to nod to find his answer.

"Well as you can see, a sword and a spear are different yet also the same." Ignia answered him.

"But what made them the same?"

"Can you notice it?~" Ignia asked him again this time to guess it of what she meant.

But Rei looked confused even more and shook his head.

"The answer is...that that the spear had the same component which is the grip and the blade of the sword~"

"H-huh??"

"Yepp~ so basically spear is a sword that have a longer grip and smaller blade~ which is great with mid-range combat." Ignia answered him.

"W-what kind of logic is that..." Rei couldn't believe of what she said, 'But at the same time...it does make sense.' He thought of it.

"Well did you noticed that the technique that I use...was not a spear arts but a sword arts?~" Ignia explained to him.

"H-huh?? It wasn't?!"

Ignia giggled, "Fufufu~ yes it wasn't~"

"The technique that I use was [Dragon Descent] which is originally a sword art technique~"

"H-how can it be?" Rei still couldn't believe it.

Ignia still smiled and giggling seeing his confused looks.

"And not only Spear, but also a Bow as well." Ignia then walked to approach the edge of the arena again.

"For a Bow, you must not treat it as a different weapon as well, especially the arrow~"

Rei then looked at her, "Why the arrow?"

"Because you need to know that an arrow is a small spear that was meant to be thrown at high speed~" Ignia came back to him with a bow and an arrow.

After that she put the arrow on the bow and positioned herself.

"Treat the bow as your limbs."

*TRUTT*

Ignia pulled the string, "And the arrow, as the spear that you would throw to your enemy."

Then she clad the arrow with her aura, after that...

'[Dragon King Arts:...Dragon Strike].'

*TAK*

Then she released the string and shot the arrow

*SWOOSH*

With the aura that shaped into dragon's head.

*BOOM*

And created an explosion that caused a hole on the wall.

"The same as the spear, I treated the arrow as a sword that was meant to strike down my enemy with a stab~ but from distances." Ignia explained it again.

"Easy right?~" Ignia answered him.

Rei widened his eyes after hearing her explain it.

'Fundamentally...that's true, a sword consists of the grip, the hilt and the blade itself.'

'So treating a spear like a sword but longer...are the same, and a bow treating like a smaller spear that can be thrown far and fast.'

'Are also the same...' Rei gulped as he finally realized.

"So...instead of treating them as a different set of weapons, I need to treat them as one weapon?" Rei asked him.

"Yepp, there's a calling [One with Sword], [One with Spear] and [One with Bow], but for you...I think it will be, [One with All Weapons]." Ignia answered him with a smile.

"Huh??" Rei was confused about what she meant.

"Treat your spear like you are using a sword, treat your bow and arrow like a spear." Ignia explained.

"So the thing that I will be teaching you is that you! need to understand the weapons you use and including that shield of yours." Ignia pointed her finger at him.

"And acquired [One with All Weapons]! And you will become stronger and worthy for the reward that you needed to finish the quest that your God's bestowed you~"

Rei looked at her while seeing the raging aura behind her back.

A Dragon figure formed from her aura.

"Now then, we shall continue the training again~"

"I hope you keep it up with me, Other Worlder, Kiritsuka Rei."

Rei gulped as he smiled, "Please be gentle with me...ma'am."

To be continued...