Volume 1 Chapter 3: Part 5: The Start Of Their Training

Onyx quickly backs away from Vargar, putting distance between the two. Seeing this, Vargar smiles,

Interesting. Seeing how Onyx moved away from him, Vargar knows he's thinking now.

If I attack him head-on again, then he'll just block me. I have to take him by surprise! Onyx charges at Vargar again. The expression on Vargar's face hardened.

So he hasn't learned. Vargar shakes his head. He expected much more from Onyx. As Onyx's sword's right in front of his head, he flicks it away again.

But something was different!

Only the heavy sword got flung away!

That was Onyx's last-ditch effort! He was not going to beat Vargar in a sword versus sword battle. That's why he has to change it to hand-to-hand combat.

He was so focused on using the sword that he didn't think of other ways to fight.

But the kick of sand to his eyes made him remember it. Since Vargar was fighting dirty, then he will do the same.

While the sword's in the air, Onyx charges at Vargar's body, ready to take him down. Onyx thought he got him. But,

Eh. Why isn't Vargar budging at all? There was no movement at all! When Onyx tackled Vargar, the latter didn't move from his spot! Onyx used all of his strength possible. Yet, nothing happened. Vargar's feet were rooted to the ground.

Onyx didn't have any time to think about why he could move him as the next second, he got flung away like a kite! His body smashes into the castle walls, causing rubble to fall down on top of him!

"You get a C for effort. But pretty good. That last move would have worked on anybody." Even he was surprised by Onyx's move. But,

"You just forgot the person you're fighting is stronger than you." Vargar wipes off the dirt on his chest, not affected by Onyx's tackle. In front of somebody stronger, it doesn't matter what kind of dirty tricks they pull. They will power through it like nothing.

But that was good. Vargar smiles. The last move Onyx pulled was surprising, at the least. Onyx's thoughts hit the mark. Vargar's mind only focused on the sword, not expecting Onyx to pull something else out.

"..." Can you not say something like that! Do you not realize he's under the rubble?! The knights could only stand there with their mouths gaping. That's because Vargar is treating Onyx like he's there. But the kid was under a pile of rocks!

"What are you guys standing here! Quickly get the stretcher!" The only person who screamed out was a pale-faced Frederick.

"Don't bring the stretcher. The kid's fine." When Vargar says this, Frederick turns to the pile of rubble and sees Onyx getting up from it.

His body was covered with dirt and blood.

"Can you still continue? No, the question should be: will you still continue?"

Onyx slowly walks over to the heavy sword and picks it up from the ground. And turns back to Vargar. He has a big smile as he says, "Of course!"

He couldn't give up now. He was so close to attacking him.

Just a little more.

"Then come at me!" Vargar shouts with a smile on his face. Onyx charges in without care about his injury. The only thing he wants to do is to land a hit.

...

"Ughhh." Right now, Onyx was wobbling back to his room as he grumbled. His clothes and face were covered with dirt. Vargar and he kept sparring all the way till dusk. And Vargar kept beating him like no tomorrow.

It was a one-sided slaughter. Onyx couldn't do any defending as he was tired out. He was already tired out from smashing into the castle wall. It was his pride that kept him going.

But strangely, despite the many cuts and bruises on his body, Onyx wasn't sad about what happened to him. Instead, he was glad that this happened to him.

I want to be like him. It just made Onyx want to strive to be as strong as Vargar. Vargar was the definition of strength.

When he walks into his room, the first thing he does is flop down onto his bed! All the stamina he had before was nowhere to be found. Even though he felt pain as his body made contact with the bed, he didn't care!

Onyx's body begins to melt with the bed. His mind starts to become mush from the relaxation.

But Onyx can't relax just yet. The ball of sunshine came running into his room!

"Onyx! What happened to you?!" At the end of her practice with Walter, a knight had come over and told them everything. Nobody needed to say anything else. Irene rushes into the room and blows the door wide open.

Irene walks over to Onyx, picking him up from the bed.

That is her first mistake.

"Arghhhhhhhhhhhh!" Onyx screams out in pain.

"Kyaa! Sorry!" Irene lets go of his arm, hearing him scream out in pain.

That's her second mistake.

"Arhhhhhhh!" Onyx screams out again as his arm drops to the bed.

Even if the bed is soft, the contact of the bed makes him feel pain.

"Please don't-"

"Don't move me! If you keep moving my body, I'm going to die because of you. Just let me rest." Onyx doesn't say anything else.

"No, let me heal your wounds!" Onyx was going to ask how she would do it, but a white aura surrounded him. His body feels lighter and less tense. Onyx's cuts and bruises on his body slowly disappear from his body.

Onyx's eyes turn wide. He gets up from the bed and moves around. All the fatigue he had before was nowhere to be found. Instead, Onyx's body is filled with energy.

"What did you do?" Onyx looks at her confusingly.

Irene makes a light smile, "I healed your body. This is one of the light magic I learned."

"..." Onyx doesn't know what to say to that. It was like a giant anvil fell down on his head again. He was getting left behind.

Not realizing what Onyx was thinking, Irene adds with a bright smile, "You don't have to worry about your body being injured anymore! With me around, I will heal all of your wounds!"

DUD DUD!

A couple of more anvils come down onto his head. Onyx could feel the burden falling down on him more. But a smile forms on his face as he rubs her head again,

"It should be me doing the protection."

"Eyy! Not again!"

The two kept messing around on the bed.

...

As the two mess around: in the courtyard,

Swing! The sound of a sword slicing through the air can be heard. Vargar was still outside, practicing with his sword.

The light of the moon shines down on him. His form looks so majestic and celestial that anybody would be spellbound.

"It's late. Why are you still swinging your sword?" One person calls out to Vargar, breaking the scene. Walter was still there. He has a sword and shield in his hands.

"If we don't hone our skills, we'll become rusty later on." Vargar continues to swing his sword without looking at Walter.

"Then how about we have a spar." Walter begins to stretch his legs.

Vargar stops swinging his sword and looks at him,

"Are you serious?"

"Why not? It's been a while since we spar against each other."

"...Alright then." Vargar was a little hesitant. But decides to do it. The two stand at the ends of the training ground. Walter takes out a gold coin,

"The moment this coin drops to the ground, the battle will start."

"Mmm." Walter tosses the coin up into the air. As the coin flips through the air, silence surrounds the entire area. Vargar has a calm and serene expression, while Walter has a light and happy one. The moment the coin drops to the ground, making a sound,

The two disappeared from their positions! They reappear at the center and,

BOOM!

When Walter's sword clashes with Vargar's, it creates a shock wave! If Onyx was here, his mouth would be gaping. The shock wave caused by the two shattered the ground!

Vargar and Walter continue to attack each other. Their attacks are lightning quick. If anybody saw it, they would just see their hands in a blur. As they were fighting,

"So why did you fight so dirty against Onyx?"

"Shouldn't you be focusing on our spar?" Vargar glares a bit at him. He knew Walter wouldn't have a spar with him unless something else was involved.

"I'm doing fine, and we're not going all out unless you want the whole castle to be destroyed. So answer my question, why are you being so hard on Onyx?" When Walter heard about the sparring between the two, it was a problem.

"Worry about your own disciple. And shouldn't it be the opposite? You're being too soft on Irene." Vargar says as he slashes Walter at the waist. When he saw Irene running towards Onyx's room, her body was clean.

Especially her clothes.

Walter blocks it with his shield. However, the force of the slashes was intense as he got pushed away. His face turns stern, "They're beginners. We shouldn't be treating them so rough. Do you really want to break them?" He charges toward Vargar and swipes his shield at him!

Vargar uses his sword to block the shield strike. But he's getting pushed back this time.

"Do you think we should be babying these kids? That'll just make them overconfident in their abilities. They need to be brought down. So they have something to strive for." The reason why Vargar was so hard on Onyx was to make sure he wasn't overconfident. He wanted to show Onyx the difference in power to give him a goal to strive for.

And it worked.

Vargar pushes him back and then slices downward at Walter's head.

"And you think fighting dirty would be a good thing for him to learn?" Walter sidestepped, and the sword broke the ground even more. But it doesn't matter to Walter as he charges at Vargar and slices at him.

"It's because I don't want the boy to die!" Vargar screams out and swings his sword again to clash with Walter's blade!

From the strength of the blow, Walter loses his grip on the sword, dropping it. Before he had time to think, Walter was already on the ground. And what's in front of him is Vargar's sword aimed at his throat. Vargar continues,

"That boy has to become strong. Stronger than anybody else."

"...Is it because of that?"

"..." Vargar stays silent. The silence gave a confirmation.

Walter sighs, "I feel the same way too. The two have to become strong to protect themselves. But you can't just beat on him and expect him to come out of it unscathed. Onyx is still a child and has time, so give him time to learn."

"...I will keep that in mind." Vargar takes away the sword and extends his hand.

Seeing how this is the only thing he'll get from him, Walter sighs and takes his hand. But then he jokes,

"You should be more careful of Irene too. She was a demon when she heard you beat up Onyx. I think she'll be out to get you." Remembering the expression she had, even Walter shivered from it.

"..." Vargar doesn't know what to say. But then he decides, "Please control her."

"You are asking the impossible!"