The sun is getting visibly a little red, telling my inner clock that it's around 3 P.M.

 

 

 

*Clip-clop, clip, clop*

 

 

 

A horse is stopping in front of the gate, with its body being shadowed by the afternoon, mighty high on us both who is yet again, out of energy, and Father Paul peaks over his head to see what's with us lying down on the ground.

 

Me :" *Panting*. Welcome-*Inhales*, Welcome Back, Father"

 

 

 

*Thud*

 

 

 

Dropping from his horse, He takes Matsukaze to the horse stable, away from us.

 

Paul : "The heck happened while I was away to town, you two?"

 

 

 

Me :" *Gulps*. Ah… We, uh, got ourselves some magic practices, Father". I try to bring my bearings, sitting back up again.

 

 

 

Rudeus :" *Exhales*. Add the word 'Competitive' to them, actually, and these are the results of it". He looks at me with a competing look, again, while picking on me being a rather fast learner.

 

 

 

*Clatter*

 

 

 

There's the sound of something wooden from the stable, and he steps out of the place, bringing something behind his back.

 

Paul : "Right…? Anyway, it's time that you both gets to know on how to slice a rock with these swords". He shows us two wooden swords, fittingly enough, appropriate for our hands to pick and swing.

 

 

 

Handing out one of them to me, I pick it up as I think on how I've strayed from my teachings regarding C.Q.B (Close Quarter Combat).

 

'My first path to take on Swordsmanship… After all these years, who would've though I'd switch gears from having Tactical Knives to Medieval Swords, albeit for practice purposes?'

 

 

 

*Clap!*

 

 

 

We both got awoken from our minds when Father Paul claps his hand with sounds that might heat his palms, yet there's no sign of them being red in the least.

 

Paul : "Alright, Pay Attention, You Two!

 

Starting from tomorrow, we'll be having some light exercise together first thing in the morning before breakfast.

 

Understood?". I look at Rudeus as he said this, in I nod first, and he then follows suits. "Good, good.

 

Secondly, try to slice that boulder, over there"

 

 

 

He points us towards said boulder near Mother Zenith's beloved garden with the trees shading them, and as any sane person would do, we'll be asking : '… Did he just- No, nonononono he did not just say what I thought he said, right?… He did, didn't he?

 

He just asked of us, to Slice… Boulders… With a FREAKING, Wooden Sword?!'

 

 

 

Despite me being in the military, everyone inside our team best can do on their melee training is to do a head-chopping technique to 10 stacks of roof ceramics, and even then, they're not as thick as real boulder which will definitely break our hands were we to try to chop them within the speed of sound. 'Even then, we were above the age of 20, me being exactly just 20 plus 25 days at the month of April, the time of my death, And he's asking us to go on and Slice a Boulder, not to mention at the age of Less Than 4 Years!'

 

 

 

Rudeus : "We'd like to do that, Father, but can you please give us an example of you doing, exactly, That?". My Reincarnate and Blood-brother breaks the silence by stating what's obviously should've been done first : Show Foremost, Tell After.

 

 

 

When he turns to face me, he shakes his head in disapproval of our Father's nonsense, and I give him the approval thumbs up for telling him what was said. 'Nice One!'

 

 

 

Paul : "Well, yeah, just thought that you were having yourself some fun when I get to go and request for an Advanced-level Magician to tutor you two but, oh well, I'll Show It". He guilt-trips on the incidents us twins have caused yesterday, and it's quite effective when I see that we're both lower down our head in unison, sighing together.

 

 

 

He goes back to the house for a moment and grabs his sheathed sword.

 

 

 

*Sheathes*

 

 

 

There is a crystal-clear glint getting out of the sword, showing an extravagantly fine-made black sword with silver parts on them. What I'm more curious though, is that despite bringing that, he's still wielding the bigger wooden sword he doesn't often show to me, who's almost always by his side, spectating on his swordplay and ask of me to hold it for him. 'Why bring this if you're going to wield that one, really?'

 

 

 

Paul : "Witness Me, and Focus on the movements I'll be showing. Especially you, Rudy, seeing that you're not as outgoing as your brother". We follow him as he walks to the boulder near the garden, and he lifts his sword in a straightforward pose, with quite a distance from the target he'll be striking down.

 

 

 

He stated what is obviously harsh, yet that is also the truth, since I'm the more energetic one like a runner since I Am of military, and he's more of an indoor type like an N.E.E.T or worse, Hikikomori. 'Pray be to those poor souls who can't get out over their own harsh world'

 

 

 

 

 

*Chirp-chirp*

 

 

 

Still standing, he steps forward a bit, and within seconds, bolts to the front of the boulder, and strikes down with the wooden sword.

 

Paul : Take It Upon Yourself to Gather Strength In Your Body, And Slash!"

 

 

 

*Crack!*

 

 

 

Unbelievably, the thought happening right in front of us, it really did get sliced in half, and they're such a clean cut that I wonder what's the use of metal swords if you can do such thing with a wooden one. ' *Sniffles*. I… I don't feel as safe now that I wonder if there are many people like him out there'

 

 

 

*Dip*

 

 

 

Father Paul swipes his face off from his sweat, while sticking the sword down on the ground, inch deep.

 

Paul : "Phew, that does it. You know why I'm able to do that? It's not Mana, by the way"

 

 

 

There are sometimes extraordinary fighters back in our world, knows by the names of : Qi Users.

 

They mostly exist within the world of Martial Artist, and I still don't have the gripe on how I can awaken such power within me as I don't recall any kind of time I do much of C.Q.B in any kind of situations aside from a few instances that I'm out of ammo and only one or two hostiles left around the sites of operation, as I don't really know if they're keeping a trick hidden up their sleeves and the likes.

 

Me : "Does it go by the name of Qi?"

 

 

 

Paul : "You mean Touki, Battle Aura, didn't you Eyn?". To my surprise, it is basically the answer I expected, since Qi means Inner Life Force that you can essentially use to strengthen your body and utilize them to your wanting. "I see you've been paying attention to all the time I've showed you 'The Way of the Sword'. Now, either of you, show me what you've got!". He tells us to step forward and do what he did just now, and I stand up first as I try to image on how the process of this Battle Aura or Touki happens, even though I still haven't experienced anything like it.

 

 

 

*Whoosh*

 

 

 

With the calm bracing wind, my mind starts to empty out any kind of wandering thoughts starting from what should I write in my Notebooks at night, what I'll be telling Rudeus of my past at times, what kind of Magic I should learn to better assist Ranged professions in this world, or what kind of stance I should pick right now.

 

All there is to it, is Silent.

 

 

 

I recall the feeling of picking up a Gun for the first time, how wondrous it is that I get to learn something new and exhilarating that day.

 

I recall the tingling sense of the aftermath of pulling the strings and shooting the Arrows on the Bows that I long to draw again these days.

 

I recall the adrenaline pumping while Parrying, Blocking and Attacking when it's time to do Martial Arts some days.

 

And I Recall For The Day, When I Trek Through The Terrains, Embracing This New World. 'Downward Slash'

 

 

*Scratch*

 

 

When I open my eyes, I see that I did almost do it all the way through the boulder… Almost, that is.

 

I walk to the sides to see what damage I just did to it, and it's barely even a quarter of what Father Paul did. 'Ah well, I gave it my best'

 

 

 

Rudeus : "Eyn! How did you do that?"

 

 

 

Me : "This? OK, it's kind of hard to describe but, here's the summary of what I've done". I told him what happened within my mind at the time I've been gathering my mind and body before pulling this off.

 

 

 

Rudeus : "Uhuh, alright then. I'll try to do what you just described like that, so, stand back now, Eyn". I did just that and watches what he'll do, and my guess is that it won't be pretty far from what I've accomplished.

 

 

 

*Thud*

 

 

 

Father Paul sits beside me as he pats me in the back ecstatically, and I felt the stings from that as my skins still is soft as rubber since we're both barely 7 yet.

 

Paul :" *Whistles*. Pretty Good, Eyn! I guess you do have what it takes to learn Swordsmanship And Magic, after all"

 

 

 

Being acknowledge after an accomplishment, I can't help but widen my face and my sleepy eyes since if both of those Combative Arts are allowed, maybe Archeries could be too.

 

Me : "What about Archeries, then?"

 

 

 

*Plap*

 

 

 

His face jolts as he facepalms like last night, though through the gaps of his hand, he looks like he doesn't reject it like yesterday as he's scratching his nape and sighs heavily with a little hint of giving up because of my persistence.

 

Paul : "… Maybe after you got better at Swordsmanship And Magic, yeah?"

 

 

 

*Scratch*

 

 

 

We both turns to see what did Rudeus achieved, as I run to him and check if he's well.

 

Me : "You alright, there?"

 

 

 

He lowers his head down with a grim and menacing aura that I can feel while patting him on the back.

 

Rudeus : "…es…"

 

 

 

His voice is so miniscule that I can't hear what he said, even as a former member of the Faceless elite squad, some of the most remarkable Indonesian Ranger which I don't want to blabber the name of the organization to, who are skilled in our hearing perceptions.

 

Me : "Y-yes, what?"

 

 

 

He puts his empty hand to my shoulder, as he shows his face with an ecstatic look.

 

Rudeus : "Yes, YES!!! I CAN DO SWORDSMANSHIP TOO!!!". He goes around, jumping around like what a normal kid does since our reincarnation. "AHAHA, Ahahaha~, Ahaha…". He lays down, being the happiest I've seen of him for, like, ever.

 

 

 

I take it upon myself to see what he did since he's that happy, and just like I thought when I see the destruction, he's not far behind me. 'Well, looks like we'll be having some kind of Sibling Rivalry, won't we?'

 

 

 

Zenith : "Kids, Paul! Sun's almost down now, come inside!". I hear Mother Zenith's voice coming from the house, and I try to pick up the sword left on the boulder before that.

 

 

 

I shake my hand prior to pulling it up as I'm worried that it'll leave some red marks behind that'll leave me out of the routine for tomorrow, and tries to get it out of the rock.

 

Me : "Ngh, Hghh!". Thought it's easier than done, since the force I've put in undoing the work I did isn't as focused as when I did the striking part.

 

 

 

Paul : "Well, well, let's leave that for tomorrow and munch up some meat for dinner, yeah?". Meat for dinner isn't rare as I thought, though we don't have the luxury of choosing what we eat, so sometimes the elders keeps them in the pots for heating up in the mornings if they're not finished in the night, and I know that meat is important for building up muscles plus the vegetables isn't lacking with all the surrounding gardens.

 

 

 

Me and Rudeus : "Yes, Please! / Can I have seconds after?". I turn to face Rudeus, who I didn't notice was standing just behind us a little.

 

 

 

I lift my shoulder and puts my hand to the farthest shoulder, as I feel that having a blood-sibling, while annoying, have some of its perks too.

 

Me : "Let's Eat Lots, yeah, Rudy?"

 

 

 

He smiled, I smiled, We three smiled as we walk to the stairs leading to the door inside.

 

Rudeus :" *Sighs*. Yeah!"

 

 

 

. . .