The Dummy

For each type of weapon, Leopold gave a detailed explanation on how the students should go about doing this training. Brandyn wasn't that interested in everything that he had to say since there were various weapons types but he did go on to explain what should be done for the type of weapon that he possessed. A dagger.

"Finally, for those of you who have chose to wield a dagger in my weapons training, I will go over what I want you all to focus on. Across this room, I have several throwing charts to help you improve the accuracy of your dagger throwing, since this will most likely be a part of your arsenal if you choose to use this weapon."

"Also, for close up combat, there are dummies to take out from that room across the hall, which you can use to practice the different ways in which you can attack and cut your opponent. I will be here for more advice but to get you going on your first day of training, you should be aiming for cuts to the chest, the neck and the side of the abdomen."

Brandyn listened to every word that was said and he did so with focus. He made sure to try and gain as much knowledge from this guy as possible since that he knew that he had quite a lot of knowledge on weaponry. If he wanted to get stronger, he'd have to listen to his new teacher attentively.

The students all departed to begin their different forms of training and Brandyn went to the small room, which was filled with these grainy-coloured dummies.

"Okay. So here are one of the dummies." He said to himself, pulling one of these dummies to a corner of the hall to begin his practice.

Each dummy weighed around 15 kilograms, which wasn't a problem for someone like Brandyn. It was made of mainly materials like straw and grain to give it that more human, bouncing feeling. Also, it had two appendages that stuck outward, which were made in an attempt to replicate arms.

Firstly, Brandyn wanted to try and practice cutting his opponent from up close. This type of training seemed much cooler to him and he didn't exactly want to be fighting at a range since he wasn't equipped for that type of battle.

Brandyn, awkwardly, walked up to the dummy that was positioned ahead of him and gave it a quick slash to the neck. Due to his power, he was able to leave quite a deep cut in the neck area of the dummy, which surprised him quite a bit.

"That's good if that's all it takes to cut someone. However, I need to be able to use this safely so I can't get hit back. Ah! I just have to mix in mixed martial arts into my following attacks." He deduced, making his stance as he approached the dummy.

Making slow and steady steps to help himself think more, he started with a slow but skilled jab before slipping under the right arm of the dummy. As he did so, he flipped the dagger so it rested in his hand in a reverse grip and he exploded upwards with a slash to the neck. Finally, he snapped out his left fist for a punch to the head. Once he finished this combo, he lifted his dagger so it acted as a defensive weapon in between him and the supposed target.

"I can't really think of anything else. I'm gonna have to ask a few questions because I don't have much of a foundation to work on." Brandyn realised, returning the dagger to an ordinary grip from his reverse grip.

Brandyn slowly walked over to his teacher, who stood completely still on the platform. The only thing that moved was his head and his movements looked quite eerie from afar, as it looked like he was some form of reanimated corpse.

"I don't really know how to use this dagger with my martial arts? What should I do?" Brandyn asked, holding the kunai up ahead as he talked about it.

"Ah. You don't have any family techniques do you?" He replied, swivelling his staff so that it ran up behind his back again.

"Yeah. I have an ability that makes me more physically strong but that's pretty much it. I can also punch really hard for one time." He replied, trying his best to try and cover up the ability that he possessed.

Judging from the face of confusion that his new teacher had, it was safe to say that he was doing quite a poor job.

"Right.. It also gives you claws and fangs, I believe?"

"Yes. I can use that for slashes but I don't use my fangs for anything. It feels weird to have human flesh in my teeth and I'm sure it would taste really bad." He explained, seemingly talking as if he could do so endlessly.

"I haven't been a fan of daggers. They are useful tools for agile people but I'm not exactly that agile. Here, let me show you a few things." He said, chucking the staff for Brandyn to catch it.

It was a sudden movement but Brandyn didn't seem bothered at all. His reaction time was incredibly swift and he was able to catch the staff with simply the movement of his arm and nothing else. He didn't even have to track the staff as it approached him. In reaction to this, Brandyn then threw forward his wooden kunai replica and Mr Maximilian seemed to perform some weird swivelling technique with the dagger after he caught it.

His speed with the weapon was immense and it seemed to make small gusts of wind with every swoosh through the air. To conclude the movement, the dagger was tight in his palm and he proceeded to approach the dummy that was right beside him.

Brandyn tracked him with eagle eyes, analysing every step that he took towards the dummy. His teacher seemed to prioritise efficiency and didn't make any movements that didn't serve his purpose in the battle.

Firstly, Mr Maximilian swung out at a range and began from upwards. With a downwards swing, he sliced right down the torso of this dummy. The wave of air from his swift movement was insane and Brandyn was lucky to be able to see this with his newly improved vision. Finally, he pulled back his dagger into a reverse grip then charged forwards but at a slight angle. This allowed him to breeze right under the dummy's right arm, leaving a large slash across its abdomen.