The Path 034

Arriving at the sparring room, a 25x25x10m cubical chamber covered in durable yet easily replaceable tiles, Will found Madeen in the process of stretching. Flexibility was vital for those who pursued the Martial Path, so while her ability to perform a deep straddle split with her head and chest resting on the ground was impressive, Will didn't bat an eye as he asked, "Need a few minutes...?"

Rising to a seated position, placing the soles of her feet together, and raising herself onto her palms, Madeen replied, "I've been ready since I arrived. You're the one who keeps stalling..."

"Yeah, yeah..." intoned Will, walking to the opposite end of the chamber before pulling out a training spear with a durable but flexible rubber tip. He wasn't particularly fond of fighting those weaker than him, but as he had benefitted greatly from facing stronger opponents, he felt obligated to return the favor by assisting those with a genuine desire to improve.

"Since there's a two-stage difference in our Grades, you have the right to impose a handicap," reminded Will. "What will it be?"

As it wasn't her first time sparring against a stronger opponent, Madeen didn't hesitate to respond, "You can't use Aura offensively. That's my only request."

"That's reasonable enough.." replied Will, giving his spear a flourish before adopting a low stance with his left foot forward, knees bent, and his right hand clasped around the rounded pommel of his spear. His left served as the guide and fulcrum, positioned precisely at the spear's center, allowing him to freely aim the tip in a roughly 80-degree cone favoring his left side. Madeen was right-handed and wielded a training sword even longer than she was tall, so unless she managed to slip behind him, she would have a difficult time breaking such a stance without taking risks.

Showing no hesitation, undoubtedly as a result of the fact she was blind, Madeen charged forward with her oversized sword angled away from her body, trailing behind her. Such a posture made it difficult to see the angle of her sword, but it also limited her to sweeping strikes using her left foot, arm, and shoulder as rotational axes.

Fully aware of this limitation, Madeen caused Will's brows to rise as she slammed her left foot down just outside the range of his spear, leaving a visible footprint in the ground as she leaped up, spinning sideways in the air like a bladed top.

Though a typical child might be daunted by such a display, compelling them to evade, Will maintained a relaxed expression as he followed the trajectory of Madeen's body with the tip of his spear, allowing the flat of the blade to touch her stomach as he rotated his body on the axis of his left foot, slipping under her and allowing her blade to pass within just a few centimeters of his head.

Landing on her right foot, Madeen attempted to twist her body around for a follow-up strike but stopped when Will thrust forward and held the tip of his spear to her throat, saying, "Even if you have a layer of Aura protecting your body like armor, going all-in with an attack you can't even control is a good way to end up dead..."

Furrowing her brows, Madeen argued, "You're stronger, faster, and have greater reach than me. What else am I supposed to do?"

"Do you genuinely want me to answer that question, or would you rather figure things out through trial and error?" asked Will.

Instead of responding with words, Madeen attempted to bat aside Will's spear and slip past it. Unfortunately, while she succeeded in the first part, smacking it with the flat of her blade, Will simply stepped and pulled back on the spear, retracting it faster than she could step forward. The length of her weapon made it unwieldy, even with the benefits of Aura, so while she was still fighting against its momentum for a follow-up strike, the tip of Will's spear was impacting the center of her chest, causing a metallic clang to echo throughout the sparring chamber as she was pushed back.

Rubbing the spot where Will's spear had struck, Madeen grimaced and grumbled, "I hate spears..." in a sulky, ill-tempered tone.

"Even more of a reason to get used to fighting against them," countered Will, adopting a relaxed posture, this time with his right foot forward and only his right hand on the spear, using his forearm, elbow, and the side of his body to stabilize it. It was a highly impractical stance and limited him to only three forms of attack, but now that he had a feel for what Madeen could do, he had plenty of leeway to try new things...

Sensing Will's Aura abruptly vanish, Madeen opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something but failed to find the words. She had learned that skilled individuals could mask their Aura during her training with her Grandfather, but she never expected someone her age to be able to pull it off. Fortunately, she knew at least one countermeasure.

'Not bad...' mused Will, sporting a relaxed smile as he stood his ground and watched Madeen release her Aura in pulses, much like sonar. It was far from the most effective means of sensing someone who had masked their presence, but it was a step in the right direction.

Zeroing in on Will's location, Madeen charged forward and, once again, stopped just outside his range. This time, however, she didn't attempt to slip past him and instead swung her blade at empty air, producing a gust as she swung with the flat of her sword and infused it with Aura. She was still a long way from being able to produce sword beams and the like, but as she relied on broadcasting her Aura to see, she was far more skilled in its usage than a typical First-Grade Beginner Warrior.

Though Madeen's attack forced him to adjust his stance, shifting back his left foot, Will managed to launch a counter, grasping the end of his spear with his left hand and pushing, making it appear as though the tip surged forward on its own, striking her left shoulder. The impact forced her body to twist, but she managed to avoid stumbling by releasing her left hand's hold on her sword, balancing atop her left foot, and thrusting forward with her right hand.

"Not bad," said Will, this time outwardly as he transitioned from a thrust to a swiping attack, averting Madeen's attempt to stab him in the face. The force of his blow allowed her to transition into a pirouette, but as it was fairly telegraphed, Will was able to step forward and past her faster than she could turn and swing her sword in a broad arc, striking her shoulders and knocking her off balance with the spear's shaft.

"Broad and flashy attacks like that are useless against an opponent who's faster than you," said Will, resting his spear on his shoulder as Madeen sat on the ground, slumped over with a frustrated look on her face. "You need to prioritize your footing and minimize your movements. I know it's not as cool or exciting, but in a life-or-death battle, the only thing that matters is coming out ahead..."

Gritting her teeth, Madeen rose to her feet with a start before turning to face Will, this time holding her oversized sword in a proper middle guard stance. Because of her blindness, she hated being on the defensive, not because she struggled to react and party attacks but because it allowed her opponent to dictate the pace of the battle.

"Relax your mind and focus..." said Will, his voice low and carrying a faint resonance. Madeen was taken aback by how pleasant it sounded, but instead of thinking something was amiss, she interpreted the change in Will's inflection and tone as an attempt to placate her.

Inhaling several deep breaths through her nose and exhaling through her mouth, Madeen forced herself to calm down before tightening her hold on her sword and stating, "Ready..."

"We'll see," replied Will, following his words with a swift thrust aimed at Madeen's head. This made things easier for her, as the Aura she emitted originated from there, but as he had already demonstrated the difference in their strength and skill, he didn't mind shifting gears to match her pace. She could become a powerful ally if nurtured properly, so while he had no intention of being the one to groom Madeen into a future Sword Saint, he didn't want to wound her pride or cause her to harbor any grudges toward him...

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Too exhausted to even stand, Madeen lay sprawled out on the floor of the sparring chamber, staring at the ceiling as her brain and body tingled from the influx of oxygen flowing through them. A typical spar only lasted a few minutes, but as she wanted to land at least one blow against Will, she had pushed herself to continue for nearly an hour.

"You good...?" asked Will, similarly fatigued but managing to appear calm and composed thanks to his Innate. Madeen had nearly seven times the amount of Mana and Aura he possessed, so while he was able to keep up with her thanks to his physical conditioning, his body felt sore due to the sequelae from her strikes.

Inhaling a deep, steadying breath through her nose, Madeen pointedly remarked, "Instead of asking such a senseless question, you should be a gentleman and help me up..."

"Who said I was a gentleman...?" countered Will, grinning as he shifted his gaze to the room's entrance and added, "Your Grandfather will lend you a hand and see you safely back to your estate. I'm off to take a cold shower and a long nap. See you at the opening ceremony."

Without waiting for Madeen's response, Will returned the training spear to his bangle and made for the room's entrance. The former forced herself to a seated position and followed him with her gaze, but instead of calling out and trying to stop him, she sat sulkily and muttered, "Jerk..." under her breath...

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'This is starting to become tedious...' thought Will, walking with his hands in his pockets and sporting a half-lidded expression as he made his way to one of Estwarden's many guest lounges instead of his bedroom. All he wanted to do at that moment was eat himself into a food coma, but as he got out of the shower, Ryza was waiting to inform him that he had several guests.

With the intention of annoying the hooded figures positioned throughout the hall, Will made a show of half-covering his mouth to stifle a protracted yawn before opening the lounge's door. Inside sat that familiar quintet of Lyra, Delphina, Claire, Emily, and Theo, but as he had effectively ghosted them the day before by departing the Nebula Nexus Arena on his own, he wasn't particularly surprised to see them.

Preempting Lyra's greeting, Claire, with wide eyes, remarked, "Wow, Will. You look terrible. I mean, you're still handsome, but you look like you just finished running a marathon or had the soul sucked from your body."

"That's not entirely off the mark..." replied Will, sporting a cheeky smile as he added, "That being said, mind if we do this another day? I feel bad for having you come all the way here, but, as you can see, I'm clearly not in a condition to entertain guests."

Making it clear she had no intention of leaving, Delphina pulled out a tiny vial of shimmering red liquid, saying, "Drink this..." in her usual, apathetic tone. Will's left brow twitched ever so slightly in response, but instead of making a fuss, the corners of his smile curled upward as he pulled out a nearly identical vial and remarked, "You girls are going to be the death of me..." before downing its contents, alleviating his fatigue within seconds...

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