Rio lowered his sword, still catching his breath. He had succeeded.
Dany and Kakek Henry walked over, their expressions hard to read.
"How… how did you do that?" Kakek Henry asked, a rare note of astonishment in his voice. "That technique…"
Rio tried to regulate his breathing. "After watching Lisa move hundreds of times, I realized… every time she was about to move fast, the gust of wind around me would stop for a moment." He paused, thinking back. "But I was confused. Why was her hair still flowing as if blown by the wind, when there was no gust around me? Then I realized… the wind around me wasn't stopping, it was being drawn in. Drawn to her feet. By pulling in that much wind, she could propel herself at incredible speed. Somehow… I just… copied it."
Dany nodded, a proud smile on his face. "You could do it because you have a natural talent, Rio. You saw it hundreds of times, your brain processed it, and your body, unconsciously, found a way to replicate it. That's not something you can just be taught."
"Dany is exactly right," Kakek Henry added. "The Gladius family follows the Teachings of the Wind. We believe that every movement, no matter how small, will always create a reaction in the surrounding wind. A Gladius sword master can even know the direction of an opponent's attack without seeing, just by feeling the movement of the wind around their blade. The high-speed movement technique you and Lisa just used… we call it Shunpo."
"I made her fall," Rio said, looking at Kakek Henry. "That means I've met the condition. So, what's the next training to truly master Shunpo?"
Dany smiled widely, this time his smile was full of a terrifying, mischievous intent. "Oh, the fun part is just about to begin, buddy. First, you have to be able to parry fifty arrows shot from a distance of three meters without moving from your spot. Second, you have to walk uphill for one kilometer, against a waist-high raging river current, with both your legs chained to a fifty-kilogram rock. Third, you have to swing a tree trunk the size of your body ten thousand times every day, treating it as a sword, until your hands bleed and form calluses. And that's just the warm-up."
Rio's eyes widened at the list of exercises that sounded like torture. A moment of doubt flashed in his eyes—his rationality screamed that this was insane. But the image of his mother, her screams, and the vicious laughter of the Eaters reignited his determination.
He looked at Kakek Henry, seeking confirmation.
Kakek Henry looked at him coldly, testing him. "Everything Dany said is true. The risk of death during this training is extremely high. If you feel you can't do it, say so now. Leave, and never come back."
The look of shock on Rio's face vanished, replaced by a furrowed brow and a gaze harder than steel. "I can do it!"
Kakek Henry stared at him deeply for a few seconds. Then, a rare, thin smile appeared on his lips. "Very well, then. I accept you as a student of the Gladius family." He then turned to Dany and Lisa. "And with this, I have decided: the two of you will train Rio intensively for the next few months. There will be no hunting Eaters until Rio has mastered the basics of Shunpo and the Gladius sword technique… or until he falls in training." His tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.
Dany just shrugged casually, as if he had expected it. Lisa, after her earlier shock, now nodded obediently, though there was a hint of annoyance that her hunts were postponed. However, there was also a glint of curiosity in her eyes as she glanced at Rio.
Thus began six months of hell for Rio Rosswel. His days were filled with unimaginable pain, an exhaustion that nearly stole his consciousness, and training that pushed him to the limits of human ability. Parrying arrows with his eyes closed, relying only on the sound of the whistling wind. Fighting Dany and Lisa simultaneously in the middle of a storm, where every drop of rain felt like a needle. Meditating for hours under a freezing waterfall to sharpen his sensitivity to the flow of energy.
Every muscle in his body screamed, every joint felt like it was about to come loose. There were nights when he could only lie there, staring at the wooden ceiling, wondering if all this was worth it. But every time that doubt arose, his mother's face would return, giving him the strength to get up the next morning.
Dany, with his sometimes cruel but effective humor, kept pushing him, showing him dirty tricks and how to think outside the box. Lisa, with her uncompromising discipline, honed his sword technique relentlessly, forcing him to achieve perfection in every movement. Kakek Henry watched from afar, giving wise advice at critical moments, and sometimes, stepping in himself to demonstrate ancient, almost forgotten techniques.
Slowly, the relationship between the three of them changed. From the initial awkwardness and skepticism, a mutual respect grew. Rio saw the dedication and strength behind Dany's casual attitude and Lisa's cold demeanor. In turn, Dany and Lisa began to see an extraordinary toughness and intelligence behind Rio's quiet exterior. They became more than just teachers and a student; they became comrades in arms, bound by the same goal and the harshness of their training. There was banter, healthy competition, and moments of silent understanding between them.
Six months later, Rio Rosswel stood in the same spot where he had first fought Lisa. His body was leaner but more muscular, his once pale skin now slightly darker from the sun. New scars adorned his arms, silent witnesses to his harsh training. But what had changed the most were his eyes. His grey gaze was no longer empty, but sharp, filled with confidence, and holding a controlled power.
He had mastered the basics of Shunpo, able to move as fast as the wind, feeling every change around him. His sword technique, though not as perfect as Lisa's or as elegant as Dany's, was now deadly and efficient.
Kakek Henry, Dany, and Lisa stood before him.