Tale Of A Knight

Second slash, coming towards my stomach, strike back, and repel!

Third and fourth slash coming at almost same time, have to reflect them back one after another!

As Sword Lord was casually sending out one air slash after another, Bakit struggled to keep up. At least now he could deflect them, though doing so while using one hand was anything but easy. But if he hoped to emerge conscious from this drill, he had to dodge or deflect all of them.

Coming at me from overhead, can"t dodge, must make strike them back!

Bakit countered the large air slash coming down at him. Yes, he could feel the minute changes in the air, how the attack came closer and closer at a rapid pace. Yes, while the air slashes are almost imperceptible to the naked eye, Bakit developed his senses enough for him to clearly see the air slashes.

Now it was a matter of striking those air slashes head on. There was no time to think, it was time to act. With the wooden sword clasped tightly in his left hand"s grip, Bakit blocked the air slash. It was stronger than the previous ones, so much pressure in a single slash.

Sword Lord, that guy truly is a monster. If the air moved by his sword has this much pressure, there is no telling what will happen to someone who gets struck directly by his sword.

With his fatigued muscles, Bakit pushed himself to his limit as he stood his ground, and with a brave cry he repelled the mighty air slash.

Not waiting for another air slash to come at him, Bakit instinctually slashed at the air, aiming the trajectory of the slash towards his teacher. He did so out of instinct without knowing what would happen next.

To his surprise, his sword sent out a wave, no, it was an air slash, much smaller than Master Zen"s, but it still was an air slash.

Sword Lord countered his own reflected air slash, sending it towards the tree to his left, but then he realized that Bakit somehow managed to produce an air slash of his own.

"Bravo, you finally have done it, lad." Sword Lord smiled as he blocked the air slash instead of parrying it. He did so in order to measure the strength of the air slash. With his feet planted on the ground, he let the air slash push him back. He was moved back only by a few inches.

Bakit"s air slashes were not strong, but the fact that he actually learned how to do this technique, sending an air wave to slash an enemy who is far away without using any mana, it was impressive enough.

Sword Lord smiled, it was a smile filled with pride, pride that his only student managed to master this skill. He had no issue training anyone who wanted to learn, but nearly every person he tried to train ended up quitting shortly after. But this brat, he just might have what it takes to succeed.

As he watched Bakit panting heavily, Sword Lord lowered his wooden sword.

"Bakit, I think that is enough for today." He now walked towards Bakit.

"Master Zen, was that…did I really just…" Bakit seemed to not have completely grasped what he just accomplished.

"Aye, that was an air slash. You finally mastered it, congratulations."

"I am so glad! I finally did it! All that training was not for nothing!" Bakit cried out in joy.

"Indeed. Now the real training can start."

Bakit"s happy moment now quickly turned silent. Trembling a little, he turned his head to face his teacher.

"The real training? Then you mean all of this was…"

"A prerequisite. You can only start learning true art of swordsmanship after you master the skill of air slashes, sensing, countering and producing them. Now you can do all three."

"But that means…"

"Indeed. Your true training as my apprentice can finally begin. And we will not be training here. Starting next week, we will go to a territory I own, it is a large area that is protected by barriers. None except the Sword Lord or people he permits can enter. So, make sure to ask your Knight Master for a day off on that day."

"Master Mekros had been going easier on me since the day I beat him in a duel. He even promoted me to a squire."

"Well, isn"t that nice! Way to go, lad!" Sword Lord playfully tapped Bakit"s back. But the tap was enough to cause a lot of pain to Bakit"s overused back muscles, making Bakit collapse on the ground.

"Ouch!" Bakit cringed from pain.

"Muscle pain is natural, learn to embrace it. Don"t worry, body adapts to changes, eventually such pains will become trivial."

"Easy for you to say master. I can"t move a muscle in my body."

"Then eat this." Sword Lord handed Bakit a piece of what seemed like a candy.

"What it this?"

"Condensed fatigue relief potion. It does not restore used up energy, but it does make pain somewhat more bearable, you should be able to stand up a few minutes after eating this."

"Thanks." Bakit proceeded to eat the fatigue relief potion.

The effect was not instantaneous, but gradual, allowing Sword Lord and Bakit have a little chit chat.

"Master, everyone tells me that you are the one who won the war when the demons invaded, is that true?"

"From a certain perspective yes, I did what I had to do. I am not proud of it."

"Why not? Aren"t you a hero?"

"A hero for some, but a fiend for others. Demons have their own lives, families, loved ones, children…War spares none, not even the innocent." Zenjuro Tamaraki sighed heavily before continuing. "I used to be naïve, thinking that what I was doing was for the greater good, but I ended up becoming the very monster I was trying to protect humanity against."

"I see." Bakit nodded.

"Though, not everything was bad." Sword Lord took off his black ranger hat with three feathers on top of it. "Twenty years ago, when I have just started out as a Sword Lord, I fought against the toughest opponent I have ever met. His name was Ymit Karatengu, he was also a demon."

"A demon!?" Bakit cried out in surprise.

"Indeed. A demon. Back then I thought of demons as sc.u.m of the earth that needed to be exterminated, but he, he proved me wrong. Fighting against him, I could feel that he was not just fighting for survival, he was fighting to protect something precious to him; that alone made him different from what I thought of demons back then."

Sword Lord continued.

"We fought each other for what seemed like days, neither one able to land a critical blow. Our swords clashed, our intents collided against each other. That is when I realized, even though we were on different sides, we were the same, both wanted to protect what was dear to us. We might as well have been the same person."

"After both of ours swords shattered from the final clash. We fought each other bare handed, but even that was a draw. In the end, neither one of us was able to overtake the other. That is when he said "Buddy, neither one of us can win, so how about we call it a draw?" Reluctantly, I was forced to agree. Neither one of us had any more strength to fight."

"As a sign of respect, we exchanged names and our hats." Sword Lord pointed at his heart. "I promised that I shall wear this hat until the day I can have my rematch with him. He was the strongest demon I have ever met, no, the strongest individual I have ever met. I have never met anyone like him since."

"Sounds like he was only one who managed to best you, Master." Bakit remarked.

"He was the only one whose strength was equivalent to my own, the only one whose strength I respected. Because of him, my view of demons changed, albeit slowly. Regrettably I never encountered him again, but I hope one day I do, until then my hat shall be perched on my noggin."

"Wow." Bakit could only exclaim in disbelief. Someone whom even Sword Lord acknowledges as his equal, even if he was demon, he was impressive in Bakit"s eyes.

"It seems you can move now." Sword Lord remarked as he saw Bakit stand to a sitting position. "Go back and rest. You have pa.s.sed your first test. Don"t hesitate to be a little proud of yourself. Your real training starts next week. Until then, make sure to replenish your strength. You are going to need it."

"Yes!" Bakit could only cry on the inside.

He said real training again. Then everything I have done was not real training?! I am afraid to imagine what he has in store for me next!