Seeing Missio's smile, Dante couldn't contain his happiness as well. A small chuckle escaped his mouth. Victor – too, couldn't help but be proud. Missio clenched his fist and tilted his to the side in a show of victory.
"He's really grown…" Victor commented, rocking his body. "Look at him, he's so happy about being praised. If it was him before, he would've just shyly shrugged it off."
"Of course." Dante shifted. "Making Bellum train him was the right decision… I'm merely a Master but as a Saint, he can give more insight into Sempiterne Swordsmanship."
Just as they were chatting, Bellum spoke up.
"Now, let's move onto to Form 4." Bellum crossed his arms.
Missio looked at his mentor and nodded.
"Sure. Go ahead."
Bellum smiled and raised both his hands.
"Form 4: Encompass. It's basically the same as Restless but you're now shifting your attention to the entire battlefield or in simpler terms, multiple opponents."
Missio dug his sword's tip into the ground, using it to hold himself up.
"How are you supposed to do that? I know this sword art was created for war and that the first three forms are meant for only one opponent but… fighting multiple enemies at once doesn't seem feasible to me."
"That's a good insight but…" Bellum clasped his hands. "That's exactly where most beginners mess up."
"How?" Missio blurted.
"Your thinking is too shallow. Of course, Sempiterne Swordsmanship was made for the chaos of war. Romulus made it over 3 millennia ago yet it still stands today, how?" Bellum posed a question.
Missio stared at Bellum. He curled his lips inward, smacking them.
"I dunno…" He mumbled.
"Stupid bitch." Bellum muttered under his breath.
"Huh…? What did you say?" Missio raised a brow.
"Nothing – Nothing." Bellum denied with a smile. "But your thinking is too shallow once again."
The commander approached Missio. He placed his hand on Missio's shoulder and sighed.
"Romulus Augustus was a fucking genius. Get it now?"
"Is that… all?" Missio blurted.
"He was the greatest military commander in the Modern Age – a man forged for war since he was a teenager. Because of him, Rome is the powerhouse it is today. Of course, his sword art is perfect for war." Bellum explained.
Missio's mouth opened. "I see."
"Yes." Bellum let go, shaking his hand. "You shouldn't think you cannot fight many enemies at once. You must think, how can I fight all these people at once?"
He stepped back.
"It's also why the first form – Foundational Steps was created. When fighting several people, your mind ultimately becomes your greatest weapon."
"Because you have to keep tabs on multiple people, move around them, make sure you don't get hurt and make sure you don't drive yourself into a corner… right?" Missio rubbed his chin.
"Exactly." Bellum snapped. "Your peanut brain is finally getting it."
"You mother…" Missio stopped himself. "I'm a high-minded man."
"If you do say so yourself." Bellum laughed, pointing at his student.
Missio gritted his teeth. He raised his fist and swung it. He struck the air – a way to release his anger. Unexpectedly, a strong gust of wind pushed Bellum back. The commander blinked in shock. He glanced back, seeing the pushed sand.
'Did this guy just create wind with a punch…?'
He rotated his head forward. Missio cracked his fingers, drawing his blade from the ground.
"Let's get back to training, shall we?"
Bellum began sweating profusely. He raised both his arms in a defensive manner.
"Hey… why the rush? I haven't even taught you Form four properly."
"Go on, then." Missio smiled wickedly. "I'll listen."
Bellum wiped the sweat off his forehead. He drew his katana, holding it in front of himself.
"Form 4: Encompass. Now shift your attention to the battlefield. You no longer fight just one enemy but multiple enemies at once. Predicting, dodging, parrying and countering their attacks on a moment's notice. Blocking is a must, but keep it minimal. Be careful, if Form 4 is broken the rest cannot be achieved."
Missio raised a brow.
"Why is there blocking in this one? I thought you gave up defense in Form 3."
"No – No, you don't." Bellum shook his head. "Parrying and deflecting become your defense, you just give up blocking. Although, in Encompass, you bring back blocking to your array of defenses."
"If I remember correctly, stopping or deflecting your opponent's sword with the same force as them, it's called a hard block but if you parry or deflect your opponent's blade slightly, it's called a soft block…" Missio remembered.
"Correct." Bellum pointed with his other hand. "Hard blocking is removed in Form 3 to ensure that your 'flow' doesn't stop. If you hard block, all your momentum comes to a halt and you have to restart."
"Oh… but when fighting many people, it's not guaranteed that you can parry or deflect all their attacks properly. So, you can block but just don't block too much." Missio understood.
"Now, you understand." Bellum smiled. "Dante get up here."
Dante grunted, standing up. He dusted his butt off and walked towards the duo.
"Give me a sword." Dante reached his hand out towards Missio.
Missio rolled his eyes. A longsword manifested in Dante's arm. The supreme commander grabbed it and stepped beside his friend.
"Now, let's begin practice." Bellum went to position alongside Dante. "Remember, it's the same as Restless, just with extra targets."
Missio lowered his head, exhaling heavily. He restricted his vision.
'If I'm going to master Sempiterne Swordsmanship, I mustn't use my enhanced vision to assist me…'
His head swung up. The commander and supreme commander rushed forward, attacking simultaneously. Missio flashed ahead as well. He noticed a small detail. Dante's movements were much less refined like Bellum's. Bellum swung down vertically. Missio parried it. Dante slashed horizontally from the side. Missio bent his body, barely avoiding the longsword. He rotated his weapon upward, grazing Bellum's shirt.
Both teams passed each other. Missio spun around first. His feet pressed against the ground, launching at his opponents. In that instant, Dante swiveled around. Their blades collided. Bellum spun around next. Dante bound Missio's blade. Missio's eyes widened. Bellum elevated his sword. Missio lifted his head as well. Watching Bellum's katana quickly approaching him, he panicked. He let go of his longsword and immediately stepped back. Bellum cut the air.
Missio caught his breath as his sword fell to the ground. Bellum sheathed his katana and looked at him.
"Well, at least, you've got survival instincts. It's gonna be a long month for you."