Chapitre 82: Learning
"Where in the world is she?!"
Sebastian wanted to rip his hair off. He had secured food and water then made a makeshift camp to stay for the night. During his searches, he found no trace of Mile at all.
There weren't any footsteps, broken branches, or any sign of blood.
About four hours had passed and it was already noon. The trees here weren't as densely packed as the forest near Argenti, he didn't understand how he could evade his eyes under the sun.
"She's even better at hiding than a snake..."
And he meant that literally. He had found a snake hiding under a stack of leaves waiting to bite him once he passes. Needless to say, he had taken care of it as soon as it left its hiding spot.
Sebastian munched on some of the fish that he had caught. When he used lightning on the water, fish just began rising up.
He wasn't allowed to use flames but he knew how to start a fire.
With that, he managed to secure his daily necessities.
'Though I'll only be here for a couple of days.'
If the condition were something like Sebastian having to defeat Mile, then he may need to last more than a year in this place. However, since the condition is to hit and not to defeat, it was a thousand times easier.
Even throwing a tiny pebble at her would count as a hit.
Sebastian finished eating the fish and discarded the bones. He licked his lips, stood up, and picked up the spear.
"Well, there's no use dwelling on it. My energy is about full anyway."
Instead of spending precious time doing something he couldn't do, he decided to train.
"She moved like this..."
Sebastian closed his eyes and tried his best to replicate her movements. He did it slowly and got a feel for each stance she had done before and during the attack.
After around ten minutes of repeating the same set of movements over and over again, Sebastian opened his eyes.
"Lightning God, 1st Form: Death Throes."
Lightning crackled around Sebastian's body. He did his best to mimic Mile's movements and initiated the technique.
"..."
Sebastian made the exact same movements and used an ample amount of power but it ended the same way as before. He simply thrust his spear faster.
"Death Throes most likely targets an opponent's vitals and sends them to death."
Whenever Mile used it, she targeted Sebastian's throat or chest.
Sebastian closed his eyes and tried his best to simulate Mile.
"...Death Throes."
Sebastian tried to attack Mile in his mind but as expected, she had dodged him and countered with his own. Sebastian stepped back a few steps in shock.
"To think I'd get pushed by a delusion."
It felt a little too close to reality and Sebastian had unconsciously took a few steps but it wasn't like he had gotten hurt.
Sebastian shook his head and focused. He had confidence in his memory but if his body couldn't keep up, what else could he do but continue to train?
"She goes through four stances when using Death Throes. I'm trying to do the same but I can't do it as fast..."
After a few more unsuccessful attempts, Sebastian decided to rest for a bit and think.
"What am I missing?"
He knew it wouldn't be easy. As a testament to that, only a few of the ones who had trained had been able to use this technique's inferior version.
Sebastian was attempting something many times more difficult but the thought of giving up never even crossed his mind.
Sebastian stood up and repeated the movements.
One time, two times, ten times...
For hours, Sebastian silently repeated the movements. If he couldn't get it once, then he just had to do it twice, and if he still can't get it, then he'd do it as many times as it takes.
"Death Throes."
BOOM
Finally, on his nearly hundredth attempt, Sebastian managed to successfully replicate the movements. Although the power was still several degrees inferior to Mile's, what matters the most is that he had finally taken the first step.
Sebastian's knee gave out as he finished and he had to take a break.
Though he usually swung and stabbed with his spear thousands of times a day, a lot more strain was placed on his body for trying to learn the technique.
Sebastian planned to use his stigma so he would be able to sleep without anything approaching his camp but since he was limited to only lightning, he decided to just stay on alert.
An assassin needed to learn how to rest without fully sleeping.
Sebastian leaned on a nearby tree and began dozing off. He would wake up in a few more hours and once he did, he'd begin to search for Mile in earnest.
...
"Sana, are you sure you're alright?"
"Nn!"
Sana nodded her head a few times to emphasize it.
"I get that you want to get better at healing for our sake but remember that first and foremost, you have to take care of yourself."
"I will!"
Sana energetically used her powers again. When she had healed Sebastian and Amy, the feeling had come to her naturally but she nearly collapsed once she finished.
Amy had told her that it was because of her energy. She didn't have enough energy to maintain her abilities.
Amy trained herself while watching Sana. During it, she had unintentionally closed her eyes and remembered her battle with the Adept.
"Grand Judgment!"
Amy had used one of her strongest techniques.
"Do you think that'd work?!"
The Adept simply charged through the beam of light and forced her to evade. With her wings, dodging should be easy but the Adept's speed and battle experience were superior. Whenever she flew, he would throw rubble and if he was close, he'd use his ability's strength to attack her.
Amy knew that an Adept was way above her capabilities, but, she didn't expect to be so helpless in front of one. It was true that she had defeated one once before, but it was just a series of coincidences and luck.
This Adept hardened his body to a point that Amy's attacks couldn't pass through.
'If only it were night!'
The House of Luna's true power emerged in the night when the moon is out. Until that time, her power wouldn't even be half of what she can truly use.
Her father was capable of overcoming that weakness. He could use his power in nearly equal strengths whether it be day or night.
"Crescent Light!"
Amy swung her sword.
The Adept swung his arms and destroyed the light easily.
"Ahak...!"
Amy was hit and her body crashed into the wall.
"That boy should be nearly dead by now."
"...!"
Amy trembled. She was so focused on defeating her opponent that she had forgotten. Sebastian wasn't in his best condition.
She flapped her wings to try and get back to his side but the Adept stopped her and landed several more hits.
Amy tried her best by using light on her sword and body to block the attacks but still suffered several bone fractures in the process.
"Haa... haa..."
Blood dripped from Amy's forehead down to the floor.
"Get out of my way!"
However, even if she couldn't open her on eye with the blood covering it, her mind was set on rescuing Sebastian.
She ran forward to face the Adept.
"Do you have a death wish?"
The Adept laughed and charged forward as well.
Just as his arm was about to reach Amy's body, she crouched and thrust her sword at his abdomen.
"Moon Piercer!"
It was an attack that used half of her energy.
"AAGH!"
Her sword got through his ability and stabbed into his abdomen. It was deep, but it wasn't fatal.
"You bitch!"
The Adept grabbed Amy and sent her flying with a headbutt.
Amy's vision blacked out for a second but she quickly regained herself and launched a few more Crescent Lights.
They were enough to cause wounds all over the Adept's body, but it wasn't fatal.
"Die!"
The Adept used all of the power in his body to launch a punch. Amy fortified her sword and used it to block.
BOOM
Amy was sent flying through the wall and next to Sebastian.
She couldn't forget the sight of him being so badly injured out of her mind.
"I can't stay weak."
Even Sana was doing her best to be useful for them even though it hasn't been long since she had met them.
'I've been cherishing my time with Sebastian too much.'
Save for the time she worked and played with Sana, she spent the rest of her time with Sebastian. Though she passively trained herself by expending her energy, it was still different compared to actively training like Sebastian.
It was the moment where the most talented of Alteria's youth decided to train in earnest once more.
...
"Death Throes!"
"Hoh..."
Mile admired Sebastian's technique. It had only been a little more than half a day since he had first seen it but he could already execute its beginning stages.
"Death Throes."
Unfortunately, it wasn't nearly enough. Mile redirected Sebastian's spear and hit his throat with the back end of her spear once more.
"Kahak kahak..."
Sebastian's knees buckled and he coughed a few times.
"You're amazing, you've really learned the technique so quickly."
"Thank you... for the compliment!"
Sebastian stood up and swung his spear a few times while accompanied by the power of lightning. He was faster than usual but Mile didn't seem to be outpaced at all.
"Just like water, lightning flows through the body naturally."
Mile pointed two fingers at Sebastian.
"Bang."
BZZZZZZT
Sebastian's eyes widened as he bent his body backwards. A beam of lightning brushed past him. His back was drenched in cold sweat.
If that had hit, he would suffer fatal injuries for the best case scenario.
"Though you use the stigma, you should still be able to feel your energy. You use abilities too forcefully and end up using more energy than it should."
Mile conjured more lightning to wrap around her spear and forced Sebastian on the defensive.
"Agh..."
Because they weren't fatal spots, Mile used the blade of her spear to cut Sebastian here and there.
"Death Throes!"
"Death Throes."
Once again, Sebastian failed the exchange and was hit in the throat. Mile paralyzed his body with lightning as she retreated.
"You're on the right track. You should be able to use Death Throes normally after the two weeks is up."
"No...!"
As Sebastian saw Mile leave, he was filled with despair. He faced hell trying to find her and not even ten minutes passed and she had already ran away!
Once Sebastian regained control of himself, he grit his teeth and stood up.
"AAAAAGHHH!"
He yelled as he began his chase.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone