My body moves in a semi auto pilot like state as a split my focus in two ways. One in controlling my actions, the actions of utilising new techniques in a practical action while incorporating them into my fighting style slowly. In the other controling my mana in a variety of 'complex ways' to create different effects.
One such effect would be a singular burst of speed. Shooting forward into the 'group' of shadows, I slice the second one charging at my previous location. Using the corps of the second as a distraction I dodged the firsts sword strike and used it as a shield from the arrows flying my way from the back.
I parry the follow up chained attack from the first shadow once more, before promptly creating another effect. Sheathing my blade and getting into a low stance, I charge a dense cluster of mana into my arm and shoot it forth. The burst of mana allows my arm to pull my sword out of the scabbard in a swift cut, blurred and almost invisible to the naked eye, and chop my opponents head of in one clean strike.
Then for the final effect in need of training. I use the technique to give a single full buff to my entire body, spreading out the effect evenly and enhancing all aspects of my body. In a speed much slower than my initial charge but faster than my base speed, I sprint towards the last target. The shadow pulls out a dagger after dropping the bow due to the futility of its close combat capabilities, before charging right back at me itself.
It throws a stab aiming at my heart which I swiftly dodge using my superior speed to its right side, slashing at its now vulnerable arm and amputating it in one clean strike.
As a follow up using the temporary opening my attack created as well as the foreword momentum I already created to spin around and sheath my blade straight into its Adam's apple in a reverse grip.
"Haaaah"
Letting out a sigh of fatigue I allow the mental opponents corpses to dissipate, while sheathing my sword for real in its scabbard.
Due to the constant full-body buff the last technique creates, my body gets exhausted a lot more quickly. This is because of a variety of reasons. Number one being the most obvious, lack of proper long term training with muscle and endurance. Number two being that my body isn't used to being forced to strengthen itself by this new energy added to my body merely a few months ago. Lastly due to my overall mana pool, due to its fairly small size and the amount of constant mana drainage the technique needs to be kept active, it can't be used for long. For five minutes give or take, but that's only considered without using skills and other techniques which is completely unlikely in a real fight.
So that's the things I've been working on recently in these trainig sessions. Number one and two I mean, as even without them I still need to grow my mana pool due to the skills anyway, so that was already on the agenda.
Physically training to get my endurance up, to get my strength to a higher level and getting my body to adapt to the action of fighting itself. So far it's been going great, my muscles mass grow at a acelerated pace compared to my previous body and it absorbs all the knowledge of fighting skills into it like a sponge.
And magical training with constantly giving a even smaller buff to my whole body as long as my mana and body allows to get it to adapt completely to the energy now flowing through its veins. This training to is going well to.
"Hmmm~?"
I'm dragged out my thoughts quickly, due to the feeling of a piercing gaze directed at me. Quickly forcing my body to stop breathing heavily and to stand straight as to not appear weak to any potential enemy, I turn around calmly.
Scanning the surrounding of the training ground and well as the windows nearby, I'm met with….. no one?
Realising my sight is useless for now I focus on my hearing and spread the sense outward to the surrounding calmly in a slow and confident manner.
Utilising my hearing, I swiftly locate the sound of breathing and an erratic heartbeat. This narrows down the potential suspects to three. One would be Mary with her hobby of watching and staring at my figure as she passed by, two would be Arina who has a similar hobby but is less bold and more shy with her actions and lasty would be an unidentified person that is… either aroused by my apprance in training? Or preparing for an attack both equally bad. Though I think I can forget about that considering where I am, though it would be wise to keep the option open.
This narrows the list of suspects to two. Another clue to go on would be the blantant staring without a care in the world which is usually Mary's style, so unless she has fallen over this can also be cut down from the list. This leaves one more person of suspicious…
Just to make sure my theory is correct, not to pull my blade and jump to conclusions of one answer cut from the list, I active my skill.
'{dark vision}'
The mark on my hand glows in a soft light as my vision slightly shifts into another perspective. Looking over to the presence I felt moments ago hiding beneath the window, I stare through the wall and see the outline of Arina.
'Fheeeew. Didn't not how they would see me if I just killed someone like nothing, well that is if they view death the same way as people from earth. And the body would of been a pain to despose of.'
I think to myself in relief at my suspicions being correct and not having been forced to potentially ruin the relationships I've grown to cherish of this life.
So I once more look back at the silhouette behind the wall, seeing it breathing heavily and staring back at me as if she too can see through the wall like a predator stalking its prey with a hungry gaze. But no, she does not posses that ability as far as I can see.
Walking up to the window she has ducked under, I see her trying to peek while poking her head up to look at me. So I open the window and finally decided to address my apparent stalker.
"Uhhhh… Arina, what are you doing?"
I call out to her crouching form while staring down at her. She flinched though as if not expecting to actually call her out, but quickly stands up and dusts off phantom dust from her clothes. She gives a cough, trying to hide the blush that is quickly spreading on her face and failing miserably.
"Oh my! Azrael… what a coincidence to meet you here, huh." She pauses at my unconvinced gaze, practically telling her with my eyes that I don't believe her even a small bit. "Anywayyy….. since we are both here and I wanted to see you anyway, come with me I want to show you something!"
I nod to her after she finishes talking, curious about where she was planning to take me. Too tired to actively coming through the window that's taller than me, I just decide to teleport through.
'{blink}'
Finishing the blink, I disappear from my previous location and appear right next to Arina and catching her by surprise for a second before she just gives me a blank look while remberinh the previous time I used this on her.
Though she quickly shakes that off and forgets. Grabbing my hand and interlocking her fingers with mine and pulling me along with her.
From along the mansion, the garden and to the wall with a hole which we had to crawl through and into the woods outside. Finally after 5 minutes of walking we finally make it.
"Tadaaaa! I found this while exploring, what do you think? Nice yeah!?"
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