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Chapter 44 — Fire and Wind Training
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Scene 1 — In a Ruined Place (Future)
Destruction filled the place.
Rocks were scattered in every corner, and flames danced over them in an unnatural way. Blood was splattered everywhere, as if the war had never ended.
Kiyora walked out from within the flames as if they had no effect on him, moving with slow steps, his head tilted to the right.
His eyes were red. Twisted black lines decorated his face. Half of his teeth were exposed and elongated, and the entire right side of his body was completely gray.
The nails on his hands and feet were terrifyingly long, like natural weapons.
Guards holding long spears rushed toward him, but suddenly… they turned into scattered pieces in the air, and the surroundings filled with falling blood like heavy rain.
Kiyora walked forward, murmuring calmly and coldly:
Kiyora:
(I will take revenge?... I swear… I will take revenge.)
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Scene 2 — In the Basement (Present)
Kiyora raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth in shock.
Kiyora:
(Ten… thousand?!)
Then a forced smile formed on his face, barely hiding his exhaustion.
Kiyora:
(Haha… maybe this is just a joke. I didn't know you were this kind, Master… you're kind with your jokes.)
Kazu looked at him coldly, his voice calm as usual:
Kazu:
(I am not joking at all. Start now, and if you want to rest… stand up and run.
You have one day to finish this training.)
Kiyora:
(How am I supposed to rest while running?)
Kazu:
(Figure that out yourself. If you stop training, the number will double and the time will decrease.)
Kiyora:
(Alright… I understand.)
And he began his training.
Rinion looked at him with admiration.
Rinion:
(Kiyora will become stronger with this training.)
Then her expression suddenly changed. She covered her mouth, trying to hold back her laughter.
Rinion (muttering):
(His facial expressions… I can't… it's too funny.)
Kazu turned and heard her muttering.
Kazu:
(Rinion, you… ummm… train… uhhhh…
I don't know, you used to train with a tree trunk. I could make you fight dummies, but I want to change the training a bit.)
But Rinion ignored him and kept laughing to herself.
The veins on his forehead bulged, and he raised his head with a tone of disgust mixed with suppressed anger.
Kazu (with suppressed anger):
(I hate being ignored… I can't punish her harshly because she's a girl.)
Rinion heard him, brushed her hair away from her ear, and smiled mischievously.
Rinion:
(Of course… I'm a beautiful girl, and everyone should love me.)
Kazu:
(Go to Krosta.)
Rinion:
(What do you mean?)
Kazu calmly:
(In Krosta, they worship cows… so that's the perfect place for you.)
Rinion froze, trembling, her words breaking apart:
Rinion:
(Uh… d-does that mean… I'm a cow?)
Kazu:
(Yes. Come here for your training.)
Kazu stepped away slightly from Kiyora, but she didn't move. She kept trembling.
He returned to her, grabbed her hand, and threw her away.
Kazu (angrily):
(I don't have time to babysit a spoiled girl. Do you understand that?)
Rinion fell face-first onto the metal ground. Her nose turned red, and tears filled her eyes.
Rinion:
(Why are you doing this to me?)
Kazu:
(Can you fly?)
Rinion:
(Don't change the subject.)
Kazu:
(Do you know that a Rokimi, if they put in enough effort, can fly?)
Rinion looked directly at her body.
Rinion:
(I'm not fat, but I can't fly…
But I can generate wind and let it carry me.)
Kazu:
(Alright. Your training will be flying without thinking.
Humans fly while thinking about using— but I will make you fly without thinking.)
Rinion:
(But… isn't flying with thinking the same as flying without thinking?)
Kazu:
(No… it's the opposite.
If you think and fly, you won't be flying using your own mana, but using the mana particles in the air and the particles of space around you.
There are three energy sources: your mana, mana particles in the air, and mana particles in the space around us. These three sources make you fly at a medium speed with high efficiency.
But if you use your own mana… you fly faster, you can move anywhere quickly, and maybe defeat an enemy stronger than you… but the energy consumption is high.)
Rinion (coldly):
(I'll be honest…
Your explanation is long, and it might take some people time to understand it, so try to shorten it.)
Kazu smiled excessively.
Kazu:
(I knew your brain, which is like a goose's brain, wouldn't understand…
To simplify: three energy sources mean more energy but average speed and lower mana consumption. One source means high speed but high energy consumption, and this method has risks, like excessive energy loss… and death.
Do you understand now, goose-brain?)
Rinion:
(Yes, knowledge-head.)
They began arguing, but suddenly—
Zokimoshi descended, swaying toward them with strange steps.
Kazu stopped and looked at him in shock.
Kazu (thinking):
(How is this possible? I put him into a coma… he shouldn't wake up until he's properly revived with lightning.)
He got closer…
But it turned out that half of his body was awake. One eye open, the other closed… half moving, the other still.
Kazu (calmly and coldly):
(What…?)
To be continued…
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