Chương 6: Against the Beast

"Faster, faster! You are slowing down a lot.

"Watch your guard! Don't let down your guard or you're a dead man."

"Keep swinging. I want a fucking thousand from you."

Gana sprawled on the ground as his dominant hand threw away the training sword. His breath was ragged as his muscles and limbs were sore. 'Fuck, what a fucking militant."

"Oi, oi you are done already, young man?" Shiki grinned while leaning against a tree.

"Do you always do this?"

"When I was your age? Yep."

"All of this, is it necessary?"

"It's on you, pupil. Want to reach the peak? Do you want excellence? Greatness? I'm your man."

Gana crossed his legs before steadying his breath. His mind then replayed the spar repetitively. After a few moments, he spoke.

"Sometimes I think you are bullying me, you have no openings whatsoever."

Shiki laughed," I'm just showing you the gap of our prowess. I'm more impressed with you."

"Huh? Why is that?" Gana asked in confusion.

"You're blind yet you are still able to handle a sword. Capable enough to be a soldier in an army."

Gana stood up while grabbing the nearby training sword," Let's go, sensei. I do not wish to be a simple soldier."

Shiki chuckled as they both went into their stance. Day by day, Gana would help her mother in the fields, then went to train with Shiki until sunset. At the end of the training session, he would bring hunting gains that to cover up the tutoring he received. Ziri would never have thought that Gana was going to be a swordsman. She thought her son was just hunting the whole day while sharpening his body.

Gana could feel that he's getting more and more accomplished with the sword. Two years, he rigorously trained under Shiki's tutelage. The 15-year-old boy now faced his teacher on a pivotal day.

"Are you ready, my pupil?" Shiki pulled off his usual grin.

Instantly, their swords clashed. Gana let himself be pushed back by the force as he somersaulted against a tree. From there, he disappeared into the thicket of leaves. The fighting ground soon became soundless. Shiki stood calmly as his eyes wildly searched for Gana's traces. Cunningly, Gana dived from above after launching himself from a branch.

Gana swung his training blade downwards only for it to hit the muddy ground. 'He vanished without sound and smell?!' Gana was in high alert. Fortunately, he parried Shiki's slash from behind as he countered from a thrust. His thrust only felt air. He cursed, 'He vanished again for fuck sake.'

'Calm down, got to calm down.' Gana stabilized his breathing while raising his sword horizontally above his head. 'Feel the air, hear the wind, smell the sweat.' Gana focused all his senses on finding his teacher.

One tick.

Two tick.

He spun as his sword does a baseball-batting motion. Shiki who was conniving was caught by a surprise as his block got blown. Sensing the window, Gana pressed on with calculated swings. Somehow, even when off-balance, Shiki parry every attack. Gana's advantage was gone after suffering a low kick to the gut.

Shiki hurriedly raised his hand, " Ok, ok. Enough! Boy, you worked me hard today."

"Sensei, are you even human?" Gana sounded annoyed.

"Ho, is that frustration I'm hearing? Haha, well our training is over today."

"Huh? Is not even noon yet."

"Yep, today I want you to kill an elephant," Shiki nonchalantly tossed a short sword to him.

Gana caught it with mixed feelings," Sensei. You. You're joking, right?"

"Hm? Since when I joke about these things. Come along, student. Let's hunt some elephant."

Gana drew a cold breath, 'Who is crazy enough to kill it solo!? Damn, crazy teacher."

They walked side by side while scanning the forest. Shiki took this chance to brief Gana about what to do when facing that gentle animal and describe how he was able to kill one solo. When the Sun was at its highest, Gana decided to satisfy the curiosity that was eating inside him.

"Sensei, why did mom slapped you?"

Shiki came to a sudden stop. Gana just raised his eyebrow at his teacher.

"Well, uh, we got into uh, an argument," Shiki replied awkwardly.

"Did you owe mom something?"

"Er, I mean, er, you could say it like that."

"Is that why you're teaching me? As a sign of repayment?"

"Y-yeah it is, it is."

Gana didn't find Shiki's awkward tone weird at all for he opinionated that people's privacy and secrets should be respected. The walked a few more steps until they arrive at a long grass plain. An elephant was seen bathing itself in a nearby pond. The duo crouched as they carefully approached this majestic, large land beast. Its grey coloured skin glistened under the sunlight.

They are just a few metres away from it when Shiki pat his shoulder, "Alright, just like I brief you, use your speed, aim for the vital points and good luck," Grinning as he vanished without a trace.

'I need to learn that move from him when we get back. Use your speed, he said. Yeah, no shit. It takes twenty fucking people to kill this thing.' Gana just shook his head as he tip-toed towards the elephant. Drawing out his short sword in a reverse grip, his legs sprung as he used all his arm muscles to stab into the elephant's eye.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The elephant raged and screamed. Gana had to spend an enormous effort just to pull out his sword again. Gana rolled away as further as he could from the elephant. The elephant charged towards the young boy. The ground was vibrating and shaking, Gana's lungs could barely feel any air circulating. A testament towards the ferociousness of this elephant charge.

'I need to jump up.' Gana whiffed as he skillfully climbed the tree behind him. The elephant's tusks rammed against the tree that Gana was on. The tree trembled so Gana launched to grab a vine as he swung in from behind. He let the vine go and let his left hand clenched the elephant's right ear. His sword slashed down, ripping its ear out of its head completely.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Gana did not let up for he dispersed from the elephant's sight. Once again, Gana hopped from tree to tree while the elephant below prattled around trying to find the assaulter. Gana flew down to land right on its head. Switching from the handshake grip to a reverse one, Gana rammed his short sword accurately into the elephant's brain. The excessive bleeding became even more extreme as the elephant bolted around the long grass plain. Soon, its legs gave out. The body became lifeless as the elephant drew its last breath.

"Well done, my pupil. That was a good move drawing that thing out to the trees. What do you think? Fun experience no?" Shiki pulled off his usual grin.

Gana just turned his head towards his teacher," I'm just holding back from swearing a thousand words to you, sensei."

"Hahaha! Now, now. Let's skin this one, shall we? Not every day we get to kill an elephant." Shiki withdrew his sword.

"Whatever, I just want to go home at this point."

At home, both Ziri and Gana were enjoying tea inside their hut. Gana felt his mother's eyes was scavenging around his body.

"Mom, are you looking at me weirdly?"

Ziri was taken aback before replying," Son, can't your mother appreciate how strong you grew. Look at those muscles. I bet there will be many women after you now, hoho. Grant your mother some grandchildren, yeah?"

"Erm, we, we shall see about it, mom. Anyways, the land here is not fertile anymore, right? We need to migrate."

Ziri put down her cup and sighed," I suppose, let's do it after the next harvest. Now, go sleep, son."

Gana blew the candle.