Sand Chapter
Episode 3: 30 Hours!
So here I was standing in my own soul space or magic zone as Baku called it. It reminded me of the place that Ichigo went to when he first met his spirit Zangetsu, except my space doesn't have buildings. It's just a sky... I felt an invisible platform under my feet but there was no ground visible under me. I also noticed something else, I was wearing my full suit...my black suit with the white button up and black tie with black shiney shoes. All of my scrapes and burns were gone!
"Now that your up to speed with what your magic zone is, let's get started on training immediately. There is no time difference in here as to the real world...so you still have 2 Days to train in here." Baku announced.
"How am I suppose to get any REAL training done in 2 Days? Almost sounds impossible." I said with a shrug.
"The key word is 'Almost', there are several things you could learn in 2 Days...in day one you will learn a series of moves and in day two we'll work on improving your Rokushiki." Baku explained. "There are several more variations of Rokushiki you have to learn."
"Hmm heh...but what's the first day stuff all about? All you said was series of moves." I said with a shrug.
" Think about your battle with Jin, there was one thing that gave Jin an edge in battle. What was it?" He asked.
" Uh...the Fire Fox sealed in his body?" I asked.
" No...well yeah that but there was something else...he had a weapon. His naginata, made it easy for him to cast spells by channeling his magical power to the blade and launching it at you." Baku explained. "So your first day in here will be how to use a weapon."
"A WEAPON!? SWEET!" I shouted punching my fist into my palm. "A weapon would kind of make things easier..."
" Before you start talking about weilding weapons you first will need abit of training which is why I have this." Baku said opening his pages revealing a page I've never seen before in the Summoning Section of the book.
SACRED TOME SUMMONING GUIDE:
Teachers and Instructors: No mage is perfect, even experts can stand to learn afew things. If your having trouble in any subject use this summoning spell to summon up yourself a strict teacher to whip you into shape.
Swordsman Teacher: Shin Auron
Black Magic Teacher: Shin Lulu
Dragon Slayer Magic: Shin Steiner
Hand to Hand Combat: Shin Tifa
"Ok...I see so let's summon up one of these teachers." I said clapping my hands together and rubbing them abit. With that I placed my palm infront of the pages and a small magical seal appeared before my palm and light blue aura melted into the pages. With that a seal appeared before us about the size of a small swimming pool and appearing out of a white flash was a dark figure.
Standing before me was Auron from FFX?! Well it looked like him but I wasn't sure...this looked more like an evil Auron. His kimono robe thing wasn't red and blue it was all black, his skin was sort of a light blue drowning color and his hair was silver and spikey, on his forehead was a japanese kanji for 'Evil' or 'Shin'. He had the same ol' shades and everything but his kimono was dark looking it was almost scary.
"So this is Shin Auron?" I asked with that Baku shut his pages to glare as well.
"And you must be Kelvis." S.Auron said walking up to me, he stopped only two feet infront of me and stared down at me. I looked up at him determined, I mean he was scary as shit but I still didn't faulter. He turned away from me walking around while looking off into the distance of Sora. "Why have you summoned me? What is my purpose here?"
" I was wondering if you could train me on how to use a sword in 24 hours?" I asked standing still and watching him walk around the room.
"What is my purpose here?" He repeated looking at me with somewhat of a double take. His voice seemed abit more surprised.
" I want to learn how to use a sword or some type of weapon in 24 hours? Can you do it?" I asked.
" Learning the ways of the blade isn't something that can be taught in 24 hours..." S.Auron said looking up with his back turned to me.
" Damn..." I said silently to myself while looking down. I knew it, I knew we didn't have the time for this shit.
"...but 30 hours, I believe we can make a capable swordsman of you within that time." S.Auron said turning to face me. With that Baku and I, our eyes grew wide and we looked at eachother then back at S.Auron. " I can teach you how to use a sword in 30 hours. But to learn in such small time you must do everything I say without fail...you will work throughout the entire day with 5 minute breaks."
"Eh...ok." I swallowed and nodded. With that S.Auron pulled out a shinai from literally NOWHERE and threw it at me. I caught the shinai and was instantly brought down to my knees. This thing unexpectedly weighed about 200 pounds. "You will spend the next 4 hours swinging that until you get used to it...until you've gotten the hang of it is when we'll move on."
Appearing over in the distance was a television and a couch with alot of snacks and food placed on a small coffee table in between the TV and couch. Auron and Baku sat down on this couch and started to eat snacks while watching TV. "Well?...get to it." S.Auron said looking over at me.
"Right." I said turning my back to them holding the shinai with two hands. 'Damn...is this the weight of a sword?' I thought holding up the blade far over my head. I swung it down once and with that my entire body jerked forward from the immense force.
"Don't let the sword pull you. Remember, the blade is the weapon...you are only the weilder." S.Auron's voice said from behind me.
"Hmm." I nodded and grasped the hilt of the shinai again. I held it up feeling my muscules flex, damn I was getting worn out already. This thing was so heavy, I swung it down again feeling my body jerk forward until I stepped down hard with my right foot stopping my body from moving forward. I stood with my knees bent grasping onto the shinai hard with my body sort of squinting from swing.
I grasped the shinai hilt and swung in horizontally to the right, then downward again. My body spun and went forward but I had to catch myself. The strain by just using the first couple of swings was completely exhausting me. And I have to keep this up for another 4 hours?! No I can't give up now, if I wanna do this then I have to get through this training. It's the only way for me to get stronger!
"HA!!" I swung the shinai downward. Feeling myself once again step forward, I pressed down with my right foot stopping myself before I could jerk too far once again. And that's how it continued for the past 2 hours, me swinging and being pulled by the force of the blade. It wasn't until that 3rd hour came around did the shinai stopped pulling me and I was standing still with every swing.
I swung the shinai, up, down, left, right diagonally. I was getting used to it.
By the 4th Hour I was spinning the shinai on one hand swinging it around like I was from Kingdom Hearts. I tossed it up into the air spinning it then caught it and slashed downward.
"It seems you have gotten used to the weight..." S.Auron was standing right infront of me.
"Uh yeah...it's really easy to use now. Like a feather." I said swinging it down with my right hand over and over again.
"I see...now onto your next session." S.Auron said holding up his right palm with that a small marble sized bead appeared floating in his palm. The marble floated up infront of me up and down. "You have the power now it seems you need to work on the accurancy. Being a swordsman isn't all about swinging swords, you must be able to counter and strike accurately and effiecently. Try to strike this marble with your shinai...once you've hit it we'll move on to the next portion." S.Auron said while walking away.
"Easy..." I said. S.Auron left and I swung downward but the marble moved off to the side easily. "Huh? It moved!"
"Of course it moved...you didn't think it'd be that easy did you?" S.Auron said just before sitting down.
I swung horizontally at the marble but it moved up this time, I quickly swung upward to hit it but it moved aside. It was like a dancing feather that you just couldn't grab. I swung up in all different directions in a rapid fire flurry of attacks. "YAH YAH YAH YAH!!" I screamed over and over again swinging the shinai around. I swung downward on last time and the marble moved dodging the attack.
I slouched over putting my hands on my knees while taking in deep breaths. "Got...dammit.." I said inhaling and exhaling. I stood tall after taking afew more breaths and grasped the shinai in both hands. I stomped down hard swinging the shinai like a baseball bat, the marble floated high into the air. I stopped off of the ground flying up at the marble and swung to the right then left then downward and diagonally then upward again and the marble flew off into another direction.
I flew off in the same direction swinging in all different directions again in the rapid fire. This marble dodged every one of my attacks with ease like it knew where I was gonna swing next.
I flipped down and landed on the surface with invisible ground the marble floated down infront of me as if provoking me somehow. I stabbed the shinai forward quickly with the speed of a Shigan attack but it still dodged.
Time had passed... I don't know how long it's been but it's been more than 4 hours and I was still stuck here swinging at this marble with no success in hitting it even once. Seconds turned to minutes...Minutes turned to hours...and hours turned to more hours.
I hadn't an exact count but it has been over 13 hours since I started the accurancy portion. I picked myself up off of the ground, I laid there abit for alittle break and now I was gonna get back at it. I spun the shinai in my right hand like a propellor before grasping it and standing like Zack from Crisis Core. I can't believe how long I've been trying to strike that stupid thing.
I don't feel like I'm any closer to hitting it either...I wish he'd give me a hint or something...wait asec.
"Being a swordsman isn't all about swinging swords, you must be able to counter and strike accurately and effiecently."
With that I me glared at the marble for like 10 seconds staring at it hard as if looking for a weakpoint in it. I held the sword up with both hands like I was in kendo and stared at the marble longer. Instead of striking to hit it just for the sake of striking it...I'll strike to cut it in half. I stared at the marble with my eyes unflinching. "Soru!" I phased out and for 3 seconds...everything slowed down.
I slapped the marble cutting right through it with the dull shinai and with that everything got back fast again. I appeared sliding along the ground with the sword down at my side like I was a professional. The marble cracked in half exploded much to my surprise like a bomb. I stood up straight to see S.Auron standing where the explosion had occured. It didn't surprise me in the least bit to see him.
"Very well...it seems you have gotten the accuracy and power. As for your third and final portion..." S.Auron said pulling out a shinai as well. "You must defeat me." With that his shinai broke apart revealing a plain katana underneath. My broke apart as well revealing the blade of a katana. "You must strike as if to kill." S.Auron said.
"Huh?" I said staring at the katana.
"I will not spare you...this is now a duel between swordsman. Only one can leave alive...these are the circumstances a swordsman is often faced with. I will come at you with all of my might. You must strike back to kill me as well...if you aren't completely serious..You will die!" With that he ran at me grasping the katana with his right palm. He was dragging the dull end of his blade along the ground.
I held my kendo stance and stared at S.Auron.
"Soru." I said phasing out.
S.Auron phased out at the same time I did and we both appeared in the center clashing swords. Auron was swinging upward with his right hand and his left hand tucked away into his robe. I was swinging downward and our eyes met. We both pushed away from one another but Auron stayed in the game running towards me, he swung his katana downward with so much magical force that it caused a minor explosion. I slid away from him and spun around with a mary-go round slash.
With that I connected blades with him again and a strong magical force that felt like an air pocket rumbled the magic zone. S.Auron reached his left hand out of his kimono and placed his palm over my face. With supernatural strength he pushed me back...REALLY FAR! I went sliding around atleast a mile until I stuck my blade into the ground to stop me from sliding.
A magical seal appeared under S.Auron's feet with a black aura covering his body. " Zangestu-Ha !" He shouted slashing out a huge black wave of energy at me. It looked like a Rankyaku blade kick but it was only black.
"Rankyaku!" I shouted slashing my left foot upward kicking the wave at the Zangetsu-Ha. With that the two blades combined in an explosion, cutting right through the smoke was S.Auron. I took off running towards him with my sword held up near my upper right body. S.Auron and I clashed swords again and stood there trying to force eachother back.
SACRED TOME TECHNIQUE GUIDE:
Zangetsu-Ha: A swordsman technique that takes up about the same amount of MP as a 3rd level magic spell. This technique's attack depends solely on the attack power of the weilder.
"Like this you'll never be able to defeat me." S.Auron said looking at me while holding both of his hands on his katana now. It felt harder to move, I can't budge him back like I used to. "Until you come up with your own technique you won't be able to defeat me."
"Hm?!" I raised an eyebrow and with that Auron kicked me in the stomach sending me flying up into the air. He grabbed my ankle and slammed me down head first. With that he stepped over me raising his sword with both hands as if to stab me.
"Noway..." I said to myself. "Inu Inu no Mi."
With that black fur appeared all over my body with brown fur appearing on my neck and chest. I transformed using the Inu Inu no Mi (Dog Dog Fruit). I became a Doberman. I pressed down hard flipping back from S.Auron with my katana in hand. I dunno for some reason when I held the swordi n Inu Inu no Mi form I feel...different. Like I'm stronger somehow. I held the sword with my right hand while I kept my left palm open showing my claws.
"Hmm? What's this?" S.Auron asked raising an eyebrow.
"Soru!" I phased out and appeared just infront of S.Auron with my sword raised up. S.Auron brought up his katana quick and I quickly slashed downward scraping his blade sending mental sparks to fly off into the air. I slashed upward knocking the sword out of his hand causing it to go flying up. With that I held the sword to S.Auron's head then dropped it as I transformed back to human mode.
"Hm...not bad." S.Auron said with a nod abit of a laugh.
SACRED TOME TRANSFORMATION GUIDE:
Inu Inu no Mi: (Dog Dog Fruit), Kel transforms into a Doberman. In this form he isn't as strong as the Giraffe, Cheetah or Ox form but he is more accurate. With his hieghtened since of smell he can smell the steel of a blade and predict how fast it's coming or where it's going to hit. Which makes this form ideal for weapon fighting. As far as Rokushiki goes, he can use sword and blade forms of Rokushiki like the Zangetsu-Ha(blade form of Rankyaku).
It was several hours later that S.Auron stood infront of me and I stood straight like I was graduating or something. "Here I want you to have this." S.Auron said holding out a black saber. Well it was katana with the hilt shield of a saber. The hilt was red with black diamonds sown in, the shield was gold, the sheath was black with little red and black "yin and yang" symbols going down both sides. I grabbed the blade by the hilt and drew the sword just slightly to see the back metal was colored black but the blade was red.
"This blade is known as the 'Kuromune'...it belongs to you now." S.Auron said handing it to me. I grasped the sheath of the sword.
"What...kinda sword is this?" I asked.
"It's a cross between an english saber and a japanese katana. Kuromune, has the hidden ability to bring out the true potential of it's weilder." S.Auron replied. "When you find yourself in trouble...simply apply all of your magical power, every last drop into this sword."
"What'll happen?" I asked.
"For 50 seconds..." S.Auron said walking past me and that's when Baku floated up.
"For 50 seconds what?" I asked.
"You will become a true Million Magister. For only 50 seconds though...roughly a minute" Baku replied.
"What? Become a true Million Magister?" I asked looking down at this sword.
"I'd love to sit around and explain but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it...right now we've got more training!" Baku shouted.
Author's Note: Well that's the end of this chapter. "Kuromune" looks alot like the new sword Zoro got in One Piece in the Thriller Bark arc. And Kel will use Kuromune but not that much. He's more of a hands on fighter so the most he'll probably do with Kuromune is for quick kills, techniques or flashy moves. Most of the time he just keeps it on his back. But when he's in Dog Mode he'll use Kuromune so much you'd think it was attached to his arm. This is because most of Inu Inu no Mi's moves are sword techniques. Anyway the things Bruno and Kel learned over the course of the two days is as follows: Kel Bruno
Learned the Gomu Gomu no Mi Gear 3rd.
Learned all Earth styled Magic
Learned Tales of Grave Spell
Learned to Summon Titan
Chapter Trivia:
What was the point of the first exercise?
A.) For Kel to learn how to swing properly
B.) For Kel to adjust to holding a sword.
