I was recovering from the stretches, lying on the floor while Ayako massaged my muscles. I could feel a bit of her aura being injected into my legs to help with the recovery, but with much less intensity than before. I could tell she was putting in a lot of effort too.

Ayako: "I think that's enough rest for now. Let's move on to the next part of the training. Let's see... Hmm... Ah, I've got it. Look, this is a very easy move for beginners! It's called a 'cartwheel.' Do you think you can do it?"

Kaimmy: "Oh, yes, I can do this one!" This was indeed a straightforward move, something I used to do as a child during playtime.

Ayako: "Hmm, excellent! The next step would be to open your legs a bit more, an airborne split would be ideal. It lowers your center of gravity and the leg movement gives you some extra momentum, plus it adds a touch of artistry to the move, so to speak."

Kaimmy: "Okay, I'll try..." I repeated the motion, this time attempting to open my legs into a split. Obviously, it's far too early for me to execute a perfect move, but I did my best.

Ayako: "Very good. A few more days, and you'll have mastered it! Try going to the other side of the room using this move, then come back and repeat it two more times."

Kaimmy: "Ugh! Okay..." It seemed like this training was going to be quite exhausting. I hope I can hold on until lunchtime...

Once I completed the exercise, Ayako wasted no time in encouraging me to try the next move, not giving me much rest:

Ayako: "You did it! How do you feel? Any dizziness? No? Great, let's move on. This is a back handspring! I'll show you how it's done." She positioned herself sideways to me and continued, "First, you need to have your feet about shoulder-width apart. When you jump, you need to shift your center of gravity backward; otherwise, you won't be able to make the rotation. You should use the motion of your arms and your spine to get some extra lift, like a spring. Try to look backward when you start the move, put your hands on the ground to stop your descent, and continue rotating until you've completed a full turn. Well, it's easier to demonstrate than to explain, isn't it?"

As she spoke, she moved without leaving her spot to demonstrate how it's done. However, when she finished explaining, she executed the entire movement, once again giving a flawless demonstration, leaving me with shining eyes, eager to learn. So, I quickly positioned myself exactly as she had demonstrated.

Ayako: "Hold on a moment, this one's a bit more challenging, so I'll assist you the first few times until you get the hang of it." Saying that, she approached and held me by the waist. "First, try to perform the movement slowly while I support you. Don't worry, I won't let you fall, so you can attempt it without any concerns!"

I looked at her and nodded, then tried to replicate the movements slowly. I can't deny that I felt a bit more nervous this time. If I mess up the move, I could end up headfirst on the floor, but I know Ayako will be there to catch me, which makes me a bit more confident to try. I repeated the motion several times, gaining more confidence, always with Ayako holding me to ensure my safety.

Ayako: "Excellent, you're getting the hang of it. I'll stop holding you now, just leaving my arm for you to balance on while you jump."

I continued to follow her instructions until she finally made me try it without any assistance. She stayed close by to help if anything went wrong, but other than that, she just watched me. I was quite tense before attempting it, but after repeating the movement several times, I think I can do it!

Kaimmy: "Hyaah~!" In the end, I managed to perform the rotation without any issues; the problem was the landing. I lost my balance, and the momentum from the jump caused me to take a few steps backward and land on my butt.

Ayako: "Hahaha, that reminds me of myself when I was learning, you know, I also struggled with the landing! But, as you can see, with a bit more practice, I became really good at it. It will be the same for you, don't worry."

The training continued, and she taught me various other acrobatic moves, such as handstands, front handsprings, and even demonstrated a somersault, but I didn't have the courage to try the latter yet. I had to repeat the movements many times to get used to them; after all, practice makes perfect.

It was a fun training session, but I ended up feeling a bit dizzy from all the spinning. That was just the morning portion, which means I still have a long day ahead of me. There's still the aura training in the afternoon, and I need to study magic in the evening. Whew, my day is quite full, but surprisingly, I'm enjoying it. I feel like I'm gaining many cool and useful skills.

Lunch once again followed the oriental theme, with the same dishes Hiroshi used to eat in his old dojo. I found out that today's training with him was quite intense, with lots of physical exercises designed to develop the students' muscles. Personally, I felt relieved as I never liked these types of exercises, nor the idea of becoming a heavily muscled woman in the future. Among adventurers, it's common to find women with athletic bodies and prominent muscles, as if they were sculpted onto their frames, but according to my personal taste, I prefer to have a slimmer and delicate body while still being healthy, just like Ayako.

I decided to rest for a while on one of the garden benches while waiting for the afternoon training session. I simply sat down and relaxed, gazing at the well-kept foliage of the plants and allowing my body to recover from the morning's training, preparing for what's still to come. While sitting there, I began to reflect on what I had experienced in the last two days. Actually, it had only been a day and a half so far... It was something completely beyond my expectations. When my parents told me they were going to leave me at a martial arts dojo, I expected another one of those boring, monotonous, and exhausting training routines. But what I found here was unique, and I can't deny that I'm enjoying everything so far. My initial plan was to participate in the training for one or two days, then claim that I didn't like it and continue studying magic. It didn't happen the way I thought, but it turned out for the better. It's definitely been a challenge, but it's a challenge I'm willing to take on!

Lost in my thoughts, Ayako appeared. Oh, right, she's the one who takes care of the garden! I guess she's coming to do that now.

Ayako: "Ah, hello! Taking a break?"

Kaimmy: "Yes... I'm a little tired... But it's in a good way. I'm actually enjoying being here... Don't worry; I'll get used to it!" I tried to put as much confidence as I could into my voice, attempting to suppress my shyness at the same time.

Ayako: "Aha! That's the spirit! Keep it up!" Stretching herself dramatically, she continued, "Wwaahh, do you like this place? Taking care of this garden is like a hobby for me."

Kaimmy: "Yes, it's a very refreshing place. So, did you get tired too?"

Ayako: "Ara, thank you for asking. I won't lie and say it was nothing; using aura like that is quite difficult and exhausting. But it's all for the sake of my first pupil! A little fatigue like this is nothing! But I can also use it as part of my own training. It takes very precise control of the aura to use it for someone else's recovery, so I can see it as training to improve my control over it. It will be useful for both of us, so why not give it a try?"

Kaimmy: "Ahh, thank you; you've been very kind to me," I said, bowing in gratitude.

Ayako: "Hahaha, it's nothing. I also need to thank you for putting up with me; I know I can be a bit excessive sometimes... hahaha..."

Kaimmy: "Pff, yes, you can be, but you know, I like it..." I said, while stifling a laugh with my hands, and we continued chatting while waiting for the next training session.

I was the first to arrive this time. Hiroshi was already waiting for the other students and greeted me warmly when I showed up.

Hiroshi: "Hey there, ready to continue? This time, we're going to try something new! But before I explain, let's wait for the others to arrive. Come, help me welcome the other students!"

While Ayako prepared the materials for today's lesson, I followed Hiroshi, feeling somewhat shy due to my shyness, to welcome the others. Soon, the twins were at the door, accompanied by Kaelan. We exchanged brief greetings, and they entered the room. Shortly after, I saw Yuki arriving from a distance. His expression, once again, was bitter, as if he were carrying a heavy burden alone. However, as he approached, he quickly concealed the expression and attempted to greet us with his usual cheerful and carefree smile. I'm becoming more and more curious about him. Clearly, something is going on. Could it be related to his family? I know nothing about his parents; I think I'll ask Hiroshi about it later; he might know something.

I must have stared at him for too long without realizing it when we greeted him because he looked back at me with a questioning look, as if wondering why I was staring at him so intensely. My cheeks instantly turned red, and I quickly averted my gaze, awkwardly looking around while trying to disguise it.

When I returned my attention to the room, I noticed that Ayako had placed various obstacles of different heights around the room, including one that was at least 3 meters tall. They were actually just wooden poles suspended on stands, balanced so that a simple touch would make them fall.

Hiroshi: "Is everyone ready to continue training? Today, we're doing something different from cutting apples. I believe all of you have the means to practice that at home, right? So, in today's training, we're doing something new. Do you all remember the first day when, during warm-up, you had to jump over a pole? We're doing something similar today, but we're using aura for it."

Ayako: "One of the most common uses of aura is strengthening your own body. What you need to do today is quite simple. You'll strengthen your legs with aura and jump over the obstacles. You all remember how high you could jump without aura's help, right? Try to surpass that limit by channeling aura through your legs!"

Hiroshi: "I think it's best to give a demonstration, don't you?" He said as he positioned himself in front of the highest obstacle. With a simple jump, he effortlessly cleared the obstacle. "Once you get the hang of it, it becomes quite straightforward. If you train enough, you'll be able to jump so high that you'd hit your head on the ceiling if we kept training here."

Ayako: "Let's start slowly." Pausing between each sentence, she began to explain, "First, find a comfortable position. Feel your aura and circulate it through your bodies. Slowly concentrate your aura in the region of your legs. Start by giving small jumps in place. Pay attention to all the muscles you're using for these jumps. Finally, feed those muscles with the energy of your aura."

Hiroshi: "When you feel ready, position yourselves in front of one of the obstacles and try to jump over them."

I managed to do the part of circulating my aura and concentrating it in my legs quite easily. The problem is that no matter how hard I try, my jumps don't seem to be getting any higher. Hiroshi and Ayako were walking among the students, giving tips and answering questions. I guess I'll have to ask one of them. I raised my hand, and then Ayako approached me.

Ayako: "Hello, Kaimmy! So, how's it going?"

With an awkward smile and scratching my head, I replied, somewhat disappointed with myself.

Kaimmy: "Uh, well... I... I don't think I'm getting it..."

Ayako: "Hmm, let me see you try."

I concentrated again, made my aura circulate throughout my body, and then directed all that energy to my legs. I tried to jump with all my might, but nothing different happened.

Ayako: "Ah, I see now. What you're doing is spreading the energy into your legs and fixing it there. Remember this feeling because it's also essential. The result is that your legs become much more resistant, as if you were enhancing the defensive properties of your body by doing this. Even a sharp blade would have difficulty cutting through your legs the way you are now."

Kaimmy: "So, humm... that seems quite useful, but what am I doing wrong?"

Ayako: "Remember what I said? Instead of just concentrating the energy in your legs, try to use it as fuel for your muscles. It's hard to explain the feeling... just try to make the muscle absorb the energy instead of having that energy protecting you."

Kaimmy: "Okay, I'll try..."

I think I understood what I was doing wrong... I tried to change my mindset and jumped with all my strength again. This time, I really managed to jump a bit higher.

Ayako: "Great, you've grasped the concept, keep it up! Which means I can add one more thing to the next private training sessions I'll give you, hehehe!"

Once again, she stared at me with her gleaming eyes and a wicked laugh, sending a shiver down my spine as I thought about what awaits me in the upcoming training sessions with Ayako...