The auras clashed without exploding.
They met in an eerie silence, as if the world had held its breath, waiting to see which one would break first.
My feet sank into the ground, and the pressure I faced wasn't crushing... but exactly equal.
A force pushing me, and I pushing back. No retreat, no advance.
Dian's eyes didn't gleam with surprise, but with pure focus.
He raised his sword slowly, as if acknowledging that carelessness was no longer an option.
We exchanged the first blow.
It wasn't stronger than I expected, nor was it weaker.
A spark of collision, a recoil in the arm, a step back from both sides at the same time.
A clear draw.
Dian smiled faintly, without mockery.
"Good... this is what fighting is like."
I clenched my fist, exhaustion creeping in, but my determination remained steadfast.
If one of us fell, it wouldn't be now.
I smiled and said without realizing it, "I'm really starting to enjoy this."
Dian smiled and said, "Oh, kid, that expression doesn't suit you at all, you know?"
As soon as he finished speaking, we charged at each other like fiery arrows. Dian revealed his fangs, and the veins on his face bulged as if they were about to burst. He threw a straight punch, and I thought about dodging, but it wouldn't be a good option given its speed. I ducked down and formed a defensive stance. Dian struck, and I struggled to deflect his heavy blow.
"What about it, kid? Are you finished already?"
I focused on Dian's stance and discovered a weakness. I angled my sword slightly, allowing Dian's sword to slide, and before he could recover, I used a sweeping leg movement to knock him to the ground and pointed my sword at his neck. However, Dian rolled away quickly, avoiding my attack.
"Hey, kid! Are you serious about killing me?!"
Despite his words, his expression suggested a mix of happiness and enjoyment. As soon as he finished speaking, he charged towards me quickly without warning, but suddenly threw his sword at me, distracting me. Then he disappeared.
"What?! Where did he go?"
As I realized what was happening, it was already too late.
"Dammit!..."
Dian was underneath me, jumping up and throwing a powerful punch towards my face. I flew back a bit and then regained my balance. "Tsk, he tricked me." My face was already swelling.
"Come on, kid. Let's go."
Following his words, I charged towards him enthusiastically. Dian looked surprised for a reason unknown to me. Ignoring him, I threw a horizontal blow with one hand, putting all my weight into it. But for some reason, Dian struggled to deflect it.
"Agh..."
Huh? What's wrong with him? I retreated quickly and prepared for another attack, but Dian interrupted me.
"Alright, that's enough for today."
I noticed his gaze and looked around. We were both in a miserable state.
"Yeah, you're right. Thanks for the training today."
He smiled and said, "Let's head back now."
We headed towards a nearby rock, wiped off the blood, and Dian said, "Alright, let's head back."
"Oh, no, I have something else to do," I said.
He looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"What is it?"
I didn't answer.
"Wait a minute! Don't tell me you're heading to the waterfall? Do you still believe in that story? Hahaha."
Dian noticed the determined look on my face and stopped laughing. "Alright, kid, but be careful not to catch a cold."
I replied respectfully with my head bowed, "Alright, goodnight."
"Yeah, you too."
As soon as he left, I headed towards the waterfall, took off my clothes, and stood under the waterfall. I had started to get used to the coldness. I focused on the flow of the waterfall and then on my inner self. Suddenly, a familiar voice broke my concentration.
"But, kid, don't you feel cold from this?"
What?! Didn't he leave already? I replied with my eyes still closed:
"If I complained about the cold, would I warm up? Of course not. If I kept quiet and endured, it would be better for me."
"I never thought I'd hear such words from a kid your age. You know?"
"Minds aren't measured by age. There are many wise kids and many foolish adults."
"What's this? Have you become a poet? Hahaha. Anyway, I'll wait here for you. Do you mind?"
"Do as you please."
After silence fell, I focused on my own matters while Dian sat quietly. After a while, I got out of the waterfall.
"Kid, you're back. Do you know how long it's been?"
"Hmm... about an hour and a half?"
He smiled and said, "No, it's been two hours."
A small smile appeared on my face. Dian noticed it and smiled too.
"Anyway, let's head back now."
After that, Dian and I returned to the castle. I headed to my room, jumped onto my bed exhausted after taking a bath, and thought for a bit. "Ugh, I'm really tired. I've missed sleeping."
It seemed that the bully had stopped tormenting me. I didn't know the reason before, but I noticed him stealing glances at me when I trained. It seemed he had realized his limits. Well, that's good.
Immediately after that, I fell asleep...
"Huh... ah, ah... hey, Daniel. How far are we running today?"
"Uh, I think it's 20km."
"Ugh, damn it. This is annoying."
The distance had increased by about 5 kilometers. It had been two months since...
As we were eating lunch after strength training, William suddenly said:
"Hey, Daniel, come here for a moment."
William dragged me to the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, taking off his shirt.
"What are you doing, you idiot? You'll catch a cold."
"This doesn't matter now. Look! Look at my muscles. How big they've become!"
He flexed his muscles like an idiot, but his body had really developed. His muscles were bulging, and he had grown taller too.
Without warning, he approached me and pulled off my shirt, revealing my bare chest.
"What are you doing, you idiot?!"
"Look at your muscles! They're more toned and swollen than mine. And why are they glowing?"
I pushed his face away in disgust and said jokingly, "Sorry, but I'm not interested in men."
"What are you saying? I like women too! Ugh, I'm starting to feel jealous. You're so handsome, and your body is amazing."
I retorted, "You're handsome too, you idiot."
"Yeah, I know. But not as handsome as you."
What?! Has he become narcissistic?!
"Anyway, I have training now, so I'll leave."
I headed to the training hall, and the training passed uneventfully. William and I had dinner together, and after that... it was time for my training with my master.
"Oh! You're here, kid?"
"Yes, Master."
"Hahaha, it's been three months, hasn't it?"
He paused for a moment and added:
"So, shall we start our final week's training?"
What?!...