Stronger then you think

"Don't lower your stance!" My brother was a harsh instructor when I was younger. Back then he had a buzz cut, he really loved his dark red eye's and his tattoos; He taught me not only martial art's but also how to wield different kinds of weapons, especially bladed weapons. I tried to copy his techniques but he'd get mad and tell me "you'll never be able to copy my techniques not until you master my teachings"

Many of his teachings were very extreme especially the fact I was 5 when he started teaching me. One of his teaching methods was to run up a mountain and then run down or to run through the woods that were full of bear traps with a stick within 10 minutes or to be on a handstand with one hand balancing on a thin sheet of wood. That was only a few things he made me do, but I always asked him to teach me more or to make me even stronger, but he simply said to me "if I did I'd just be pushing you near the brink of death".

He really loved me, he always made food for me before going to school. Whenever there was a ceremony for parents he'd come instead. Even when I got into fights with boys he just look at me with a smile saying "you really showed them who's boss huh?".

My brother always was my guid in life, he'd taught me many things but now he's gone I'm not really sure what to do. It's not like I'm scared, I'm simply worried especially since my brother never taught me how to hold back. I hope I don't hurt him.

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When the two opponents got to their stance, the hero got into quite a weird position. It wasn't the same as the people of the sun who had an elegant pose, but instead a similar pose of elegance that showed years of experience of wielding weapons. 

"Shiroi the hero is quite the extraordinary person indeed" when I turned back to see who said that, I saw the king sitting on a weird chair with wheels on it as the princess pushed him along while his son came with.

"Welcome your highness, what could have intrigued you to come here my king?" Without a second thought, I bowed to his highness. "I've never seen how otherworlder fights, this should be exciting right?" 

This was my first time I ever seen the king be this excited since when the second prince became a royal holy knight and his first son managed to bring peace and dismantle the discrimination and hate between the humans and demi humans. 

I never thought he would make this expression even when her highness died in front of him. And what does he mean 'how otherworlder fights' the duel hasn't even begun.

In the amist of my confusion I heard the fist wood clash, I missed the fight.

"Ah! You really should have seen it then worrying about other things" his grin was ear to ear. That's when I remembered his majesty younger ages always wanted to be a hero but because he never really saw a hero in his life, he never knew how to act or how much power he needed the only lead he ever had to become closest to a hero was books. He wasn't excited about a fight, no he came here to see the hero to witness the hero in his lowest before she becomes the strongest being in the world. It kinda got me excited to witness the hero's lowest, to brag about being able to see the strongest being in its weakest form. 

But I missed the fight, why was I thinking of pointless things! The king maybe injured beyond repair but he is the king! He cannot look weak in front of his subordinates, never! 

"Hero, you showed a wonderful fight, a magnificent fight!" I could hear the joyful and childish tone that the king made, when the soldiers saw him they bowed. As for the soldier who lost his hand a face of shamefulness for that he apologized to the king for dueling with the hero "don't you worry young one, your fighting was also splendid you have great potential it was obvious you'd lose." "Thank you my king, I'll cherish your words and use them as motivation for the up and coming fights" "do as you wish, and as for you hero. The way you fought was beautiful; it was as if you were a leaf from a cherry tree dancing in the wind. With each step and technique beautifully executed without ever stopping to catch a breath, matter of fact not even a sweat has appeared on you has it? Who taught you all this?" "It was my older brother who taught me how to fight" her older brother taught her how to fight? If he was in this world he'd be a renown teacher!

"Hero Shiroi, if you may, can you fight my son Henry. I wish to test my son and evaluate his strength to you" If I could have wished anything in this world I would wish to understand my king for making the hero which isn't even in her primes fight against his own son. "Yea, sure I wanna know how the so-called strongest knight strength is"

"ARE YOU READY SHIROI!!" The startling yell came from behind us. His highness came with training gear fully ready to duel. I didn't understand why they want to put someone with experience with fighting men with someone who never did. 

"You're still underestimating Shiori?" "What do you mean, my king?" ever since I was with my king he always been able to estimate someone's strength and their potential. "Simply watch her fight" I don't really understand my king but if he believes she is as strong as his highness then I'll believe his majesty then myself.

As the battle began to start I noticed that his highness had his blad pointing at the hero while his legs were ready to dodge in a semi crunch position and focused eyes as fierce as a lion. It looked more of a defensive stance than an offensive stance but why. Why was his highness being so cautious? 

When I looked at his opponent the hero had a completely different stance instead of a stance that resembled that of a martial artist's stance with a blade up to her lower eye and the point of the blade pointing at her opponent. It was more different so different you thought she'd make a stances up because what I saw was far too majestic because instead of a crouching stance she was standing up straight holding the blade with one hand unlike she did with the first stance, standing by her side while her bladed edge was pointing at her opponent. Her eyes fully focused on her opponents movement, his breathing, his eyes and minuscule twitching muscles, her breathing was still and calm as if she was the predator higher than the lion himself, she was ready to hunt.

How I was able to notice the little details was beyond me. "You thought the Shiroi was an amateur with little training right? Watch carefully alright"

I couldn't understand what his majasty meant but my body did. I felt stiff, frozen in place anticipating the fight as my hands jittered, they twitched for what was coming next.

I FELT EXCITED

The hero went for the first strike aiming at his head with a swift, smooth it wasn't slow not at all it was simply too fast where I can only see a blur of the blades path. As quickly she striked, as quickly she retracted her sword before she went for a pierce attack, yet it was quick, with one thrust she was able to put her whole body, twisting her whole top half all the way to her arms while her feet helped her with a reach. After that she striked one after the other; she was not giving his highness no room to breathe, making him push back more and more. The more she striked the more I notest her foot work, her poster, her strikes. It was all a dance not one with her opponent, not one with herself, not one with nature or her senses, no it was one with her blade she was dancing with the wooden sword itself. 

But why, why does she have a face of frustration when she is easily winning this fight? Why do you look like you're struggling? Until I remembered she changed her stance, her brother was her teacher. She isn't struggling in the fight, she's struggling to copy a technique. It sent shivers down my spin seeing a technique as beautiful and faithful to the blade as that being the imperfect version of it.

Then when I least expected his highness managed to counter attack her with the opening he had. But that was not good enough to defeat her. She dodged the highnesses attack and counterattack him with one fatal blow to the neck. "AH! I DIDN'T MEAN TO HIT YOU THAT HARD!" hit what do you mean 'hit you that hard'? There was no way she was holding back, absolutely no fucking way!

"Ha! Not only did she defeat him while holding back but also used a copied technique we indeed summoned the right hero!" what the king said only terrified me more, shivers went back down my spine thinking that the hero only has more to grow.

So how much potential does she have?

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