"That's perfect, Tuziku!"
"Try to grasp and understand this feeling," Kutcher explained.
"Alright, I'll try…" Tuziku responded.
"When you finally understand it, you should be able to channel your Abyssal ability into the sword at will."
"And after you've learned to channel your powers at will, we can move on to the next step. But for now—try to maintain that flow."
He's actually amazing!
I know I rushed him, but I never imagined he'd progress this fast!
"I think I've got the hang of this now, Kutcher."
He let out a huge sigh as his body began to relax.
Tuziku felt proud of himself.
"Do not get conceited just yet," Kutcher replied.
Kutcher drew his sword and demonstrated how to channel the flow at will, using his Hei.
"You have to be able to do it at will. Since the blade can't hold all of your powers at once, you must learn to control the flow."
He returned his blade to its scabbard.
"After you've managed to pull that off, we'll focus on learning how to release your powers from the blade."
Baffled, Tuziku halted his training and scratched his chin.
"Hold on a minute—there's something that doesn't make sense…"
Kutcher tilted his head.
"Huh—and what's that?"
"I thought the sword would seal all of my powers within itself. Why can't I just channel all my powers into the sword?"
Kutcher placed his hands behind his head as he explained.
"The sword is not capable of sealing all of your powers for several reasons. First, we don't know just how much acid is stored within your body. Second, the sword isn't powerful enough to absorb all of an individual's power."
"Because of this, you have to frequently release the power stored within the sword in order to continuously channel your power into it."
"Otherwise, as the power builds up within you, it is likely to overflow and cause you to lose control again."
Tuziku finally understood the purpose behind his training.
"I get it now…"
"So if that's the case, the next step would be learning how to release the stored power from within the sword, right?"
"Exactly."
"At least you're quick to pick things up."
"You're not such a bad teacher, considering we're around the same age," Tuziku replied.
"I think I fully understand how to channel the flow of my power now," Tuziku said as he tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword.
Kutcher grinned as he slowly approached him.
"Now, since it appears you can effortlessly channel the flow of your ability into the sword at will—it's time to move on to the next stage."
The next stage, huh…
"I'm ready!" Tuziku confidently replied.
"Alright then, let's begin."
"For the next step, you have to release the stored acid within the Sword of Raigan—as a slash," Kutcher explained.
"A slash?"
Kutcher grinned as he patted Tuziku's shoulder.
"Yep, you heard me."
Kutcher took a few steps away from Tuziku, drew his sword from its scabbard, and took a deep breath.
Without a moment of hesitation—he released a slash that severed a giant tree nearby.
The upper half of the tree crashed to the ground.
THUD…!!
The tree was perfectly severed in two. It was an incredibly precise, horizontal slash.
"Amazing…!" Tuziku said, his mouth wide open in awe.
"That cut was perfectly neat!"
"I appreciate the compliment," Kutcher replied, "but that was nowhere near a perfect slash."
"Now—let's see you give it a try."
Tuziku hesitated for a brief moment before walking toward a nearby tree, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"A word of advice—place one leg behind you and slightly bend your front leg. That's the best stance to take," Kutcher advised.
Tuziku took his stance and drew his sword.
He began channeling his power into the blade, causing it to glow once more—this time much brighter than before.
Holding the blade in his right hand, he guided it toward the left side of his body as it released a bright green light.
Then he swung.
A violent stream of unstable acid burst through the air.
The acid splashed on the tree and some nearby plants—corroding the areas surrounding it.
Tuziku panted heavily as he fell to his knees.
"Damn it! That was nowhere near as good as yours."
"Of course it wasn't," Kutcher replied calmly.
"I've been wielding a blade since before I could even speak. Besides—it's your first try."
Kutcher placed his hands behind his neck and gazed into the sky. The sun was beginning to set.
"You've been going at it all day. Let's call it a day—we can continue tomorrow."
"Yeah…" Tuziku mumbled with his head bowed.
"You go ahead. I'll catch up."
Kutcher looked at Tuziku for a moment, noticing the disappointment on his face.
"Alright then."
He turned and headed back to the hideout, leaving Tuziku alone in the forest.
Standing there in silence, Tuziku had only one thought in mind.
I will pull this off.
CHAPTER END