POV: Verdia Solarion
While I had been using Magic for the past hundreds of years, I never paid much attention to the mental image.
For me, the basis had always been theory, the chants, and the staff that was used.
But, apparently, if I wanted to use it without relying on words, then the mental image was the most important thing of all.
"Internalize and imagine, internalize and imagine" — I repeated several times in my mind, while my hands remained raised in the air, pointed at a sturdy tree before me.
Lightning... it is nothing more than electrical discharges resulting from the clash between clouds loaded with opposite charges.
I concentrated on that thought, imagining intensely the process of lightning formation in my mind.
And then, I opened my eyes, letting slip the word that guided my focus:
"Lightning!"
As I had imagined, the electric bolt sprang with a crack from the small Cumulonimbus clouds and traced its path in an almost straight line, striking the tree in an instant flash.
A strong smell of burnt wood and ozone filled the air.
"Phew..." I exhaled. Only then did I realize how tense I had been while trying to contain the violence of Lightning Magic.
Learning to use magic directly, without chants, had not been as difficult as I thought thanks to Rygar.
He guided my mana countless times, helping me feel the natural flow of Magic, until I could recognize it myself without relying on external formulas.
Still, it was as if I had walked my whole life with my hands, and suddenly was forced to walk with my feet.
The initial learning was painfully hard and strange, but obviously I knew that, if I could master it, magic would become much more natural, more instinctive.
With that thought in mind, I took a deep breath and continued practicing.
It was then that I noticed the sound of very close footsteps, which had suddenly arisen around me.
There were not many people who could approach me so silently, but I soon recognized who it was by the voice.
"Verdia."
I turned immediately, still releasing the tension.
"Ah... Ghislaine? I thought you were training with Rygar today."
I remembered the conversation the two of them had that morning.
Rygar had said that she was on the threshold of becoming a Beast Emperor, and that he would personally train her so she could surpass that barrier. It seemed too important to be postponed.
Ghislaine only nodded, serious as always. Her eyes were not very expressive and did not show much emotion.
But after living more than a year beside her, I learned to recognize the subtle signs hidden behind her rigid posture.
Now, I was noticing a certain anxiety. Light, almost imperceptible, but it was there.
"Rygar established some requirements to grant the title of Emperor in the Beast God Style." she said, raising three fingers.
As she lowered them, she enumerated: "They are: completely mastering all the forms and changes of the Wild Dash, the Savage Slash, and the Prediction technique."
She then turned her gaze to me.
"I have already mastered the first two, but I'm having difficulty mastering Prediction."
Her heterochromatic eyes fixed on mine.
"Rygar said I lack sensitivity in combat." she continued, crossing her arms. "That was never a problem for me. My senses have always been my strong point... but, to improve this, he said I should try to understand how elven swordsmanship works. Can you help me with that?"
Even with that impassive expression, I noticed. Her tail was slowly wagging from side to side, showing that she was curious and interested.
I smiled as I became a little excited at the prospect.
"Of course!" I answered without hesitation.
Inside, I also felt even more relieved.
In the past year, I had taught various things to Eris and Ghislaine, but almost always teachings related to theory or culture.
In terms of combat, I depended on them.
My swordsmanship was in the process of recovery, and I often asked the two of them for help.
Knowing that, this time, I could teach something in return, that could be useful for Ghislaine to improve as a swordswoman, genuinely made me happy.
So, without delay, I began to teach her.
Of course I understood more or less the reason why Rygar had asked Ghislaine to seek comprehension of elven swordsmanship.
She was different from all the styles known today.
My predecessors were the creators of that style — but over time, little by little, everyone who practiced it ended up perishing, until only a fragmented memory of the art remained.
Elven swordsmanship was not like conventional styles.
It was, in fact, like a dance — a dance where every step, every turn and every lunge had to be in harmony not only with the body, but also with the spirit.
You needed to understand yourself and, at the same time, understand the opponent.
It was an elegant and beautiful swordsmanship to watch, but behind its lightness there was a cold and merciless lethality.
I raised the sword and began to demonstrate movements in the air, fluid, measured, as if accompanying an invisible melody.
Ghislaine watched attentively as I rotated my wrists, advanced and retreated in a tempo that resembled a dance.
My legs moved in short circles, the blade described graceful lines that closed and opened like the petals of a blooming flower.
With last year's training, I had recovered a good part of my old skill with the sword.
At the time of the Laplace War there were no classifications like "Saint" or "King" disseminated.
Only the classification "God" remained as the absolute symbol of the top.
For example: the Armored Dragon King Perugius, who became known by the title "King", but possessed abilities that certainly, by current standards, would be above any King or Emperor.
The same applied to some Demon Kings of old.
If I had to classify myself by current standards, I would say I'm at the Saint level.
I fare well against the Water God Style and have a certain advantage against the North God Style.
But comparatively, it is relatively easy to beat me with the Longsword of Light of the Sword God Style.
Of course, that is only considering the swordsmanship itself — without taking into account my magical items or Magic.
Upon finishing the sequence, I breathed deeply and began to explain.
"Elven swordsmanship is firmly based on feeling. It's not enough to just calculate or anticipate. You need to feel the combat, feel yourself and the opponent's intent, as if both were entwined in an inevitable dance. That's exactly why I can't deal so well with the Longsword of Light... They don't dance. They simply attack in a direct, fast, and overwhelming way. There is no lyricism, only a lethal martial intent."
Ghislaine paid attention to every word and every movement.
After a few moments, she spoke with interest:
"This elven art could be much more powerful if it had been developed to its limit. Why did no one do that?"
I smiled with some melancholy before answering:
"Thousands of years ago, one of my ancestors reached a very high level in this style. But the elves, in general, were never really adept at swordsmanship, and therefore there are not many practitioners. We, as a race, have slender, light, and agile figures — and so this art suits us well. But for other races, conventional styles always seemed more practical and direct. Over time, it was lost."
Ghislaine nodded, understanding.
"I understand now why Rygar sent me to look for you." she raised the sword and began to repeat the steps I had demonstrated, rigid at first, but gradually more natural.
"The Prediction of the Beast God Style... When elevated to an extreme level, it allows you to feel the opponent's heart."
I was surprised by the statement. Rygar had never mentioned that while teaching me.
But Ghislaine continued, concentrated as she imitated the dance:
"It's not just predicting movements or seeing where the attack will land. It's something deeper. It's like... reading the enemy's mind. Or maybe not the mind, but the heart. I always wondered how Rygar seemed to know what others were thinking... I guess now it makes sense."
I watched her closely, noting how focused she was on the exercise.
It was impressive how she could instinctively comprehend something so subtle, something that had taken me decades of training to convey.
For a moment, my mind wandered:
'Could Rygar very well have taught this directly to her...?'
Perhaps yes. Perhaps he had purposely chosen not to.
And then, looking at Ghislaine practicing that dance, I perceived a possibility.
'Could he have wanted us to grow closer this way?'
It seemed plausible knowing him.
A slight smile escaped my face, while Ghislaine, totally immersed, continued her lethal dance, trying to feel herself.
While I reflected on Rygar's motives, Ghislaine and I kept training without rest.
And as we talked between exercises, I perceived more clearly something I had long suspected: the old rumors about her were deeply mistaken.
I had already noticed this in our daily life, but only after spending so many hours alone with Ghislaine did I really notice.
In the past, they said she was just an uncontrolled beast, a brat incapable of acting rationally, someone who acted more like a beast than a person.
Even after learning swordsmanship, while venturing through the world or when serving as Eris's bodyguard, she was still labeled as someone who only had muscles, but no brain.
The most curious thing was that she herself used to describe herself that way.
Maybe because I didn't know her back then, but those notions sounded ridiculous to me.
I even asked Eris about it a few times, but she always replied that she did not notice a particularly big change in her Master.
It was Aisha who gave me more clarity on this point; according to her, with Rygar's help, Ghislaine flourished through martial arts.
She learned magic, mastered reading and writing; I myself recommended books to her, and it was curious to see how she became interested in ancient stories of heroes and legendary warriors.
I may not have noticed immediately, but the Ghislaine I met was very different from the one others had known before.
Talking with her was never boring.
I talked a lot, and she was an excellent listener.
To me, Ghislaine was an impressive woman — her dedication and mentality toward life were traits I deeply admired.
She had a firmness that I did not possess. After all, I had wasted so many years wandering without purpose, while she always sought to perfect herself.
Time passed without us noticing.
When the moon was already high in the sky, we were still there, training and talking.
And then, finally, at some point, Ghislaine finally mastered the Prediction technique.
From that moment on, Ghislaine Adoldia was, officially, a Beast Emperor.
Combined with the speed she demonstrated with the Sword God Style, I knew there were very few opponents in this world who could stand before her.
Silently, I made a vow to myself.
Eris kept evolving, her strength growing every day, almost reaching that of her Master.
As Rygar's wife, I could not fall behind those two. I needed to strive harder.
We both celebrated together, testing the mastery of Prediction again and again.
With her more familiar with elven swordsmanship, our fight was like a perfectly synchronized dance.
And after sparring a few times, we returned home side by side.
---
Meanwhile, in the shadows, a presence hid among the trees. Watching his two wives in silence, the figure remained motionless, only a slight smile curving his lips.
"I came because they took too long... but it seems I had nothing to worry about..."
And without making any sound, he vanished like a blur in the night.
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