(Loki’s P.O.V.)

   It has been 5
years since our mana awakening and aptitude test. Our batch has studied many
kind of arts. Mind cultivation art, body movement arts, martial arts, weapon
arts mostly sword arts, mana and aura arts and magic arts. Mostly me, Bern and
MIcia.

   The younger
children also awakened and test their mana however only Feonse has a notable
talent who is currently 10 years old and 2 years younger than us. He got 3
stars in both mana and wind affinity.

   Bern and I is
facing each other while holding our swords tightly. We had few duels in the
past since no one could keep up on us in magic and martial arts. It was mostly
unarmed combat and sword combat using wooden swords.

  Today we are
facing each other using real swords to make sure that no accidents could happen
uncle Gerard will be our referee. Mother Nortia, aunt Maya, Micia, the
caretakers and other children are watching.

   Uncle Gerard
raised his hand

  “Ready START.”

 He lowered his
hand and shouted.

   Bern
channeled his mana in his body to strengthen it. I did the same but not as much
as him. He dashed towards me quickly and slashed me vertically. I jumped to my
left and spin clockwise to dodge and slashed him with my sword he managed to
block it while gritting his teeth. He slides to the right because of the impact.

    I lowered my
sword and rushed towards him I swung my sword towards him but he managed
blocked it again but I still managed to broke his defense as I predicted. I
kicked him at the stomach to dictate the fight.

   “Urgh!”

   He grunted
but he wont fall down so easily. He managed to regain his stance almost
immediately and swung his sword to me again. I dodged and thrust my sword at
him then he jumps backward.

  *CLANG!!*

 *CLANG!!*

*CLANG!!*

  A fast
exchanges of slashes, parrying, countering and  dodging happened. A duel that is supposed to
be above of our age managed to amazed our audience. I could hear the cheering
all over the direction. He slashed at me again. Oops! I better to stay focus.

     I am have a
better agility, control and techniques but he has abnormal instinct and has
better raw strength and durability. He tried to escape from my chained attacks
but I chased him having choice but to defend or counter but I wont let him and
parried it and attack immediately to distract him making his counter useless.

   I managed to
dictate the fight at first but as the time goes by he somehow managed on getting
used to my attacks and responding to them accurately. He’s getting better and
better and growing in the middle of the fight.

 ‘This guy, are
you sure you’re not the protagonist?’

 

(Bern’s POV)

  ‘STRONG! Very strong.’

   I’m
facing the strongest and smartest kid in the orphanage. None of the kid I know
can surpass him in anything that was doing. He’s always calm even if the other
children who is older than us mocked and provoked him. He treated it as a
trivial thing that’s why we called him cool boy Loki.

   When he got
illusion magic affinity after our mana awakening and aptitude test. He got
mocked by older children and even the caretakers are talking about it when he’s
not around.

   Why? Why are
they saying that his magic is inferior? I don’t understand. They’re clearly  praising him before because he is hardworking
and smart. He even got 4 stars in magic which classified him as prodigy.
Although I don’t understand much but I know that only few people who can get that
many stars in magic. His magic is so terrifying and I got beaten by it and I
don’t want to experience that again. So I don’t understand them.

   I could feel
that the other kids are envy at him especially the boys. Sure I want to be as smart
and strong as him but I just have to workhard to be as strong as him right? So
why are they angry at him for being amazing and being praised by adults and other
children specially girls. He is so considerate and kind to them so it’s natural
right?

   It’s not his
fault that he’s better than them. He’s always working hard every single day. He
is always in the library and studying while my head is started hurting when I
heard the word books and study. He’s seriously learning about arts while
they’re just complaining. He’s learning cooking dancing and manners and other
chores while they’re just mocking him saying that those things are just for
girls. Despite all that he was still better than us in survival class that
being taught by the 3G adventurer uncle Gerard.

    However no
matter how amazing you are. No matter how strong you are I will never give up
and I will catch up to you. I will become stronger and stronger no matter how
many times you beat me in magic, martial arts and sword arts I will get up and
train again.

     If 100
swings are not enough then I’ll do it 200 times. If it’s still not enough then
I’ll do it 500 times then 1,000 then 10,000. 
I will continue to train even I can’t count the number of how many times
I swung my sword anymore. I will surpass you, uncle Gerard and mother Nortia. I
will become a 5G adventurer and become the greatest adventurer to become a hero
that saves people with a smile like those in the anime that you showed me.

    “HAAAAA!!!”

 

(Loki’s POV)

 “HAAAAA!”

 He shouted
loudly.

   ‘Ugh!’

  I tried to parry
his attack but it was heavier and stronger than I expected so I was stunned.
His attacks are getting faster, stronger and heavier. His aura (condensed mana)
is getting denser just as dense as he is. If it’s going to continue like this
then I will lose the control of the fight.

  ‘Looks like
ordinary techniques wont work so I had to use that.’

   I jump
backwards to create distance between us. I stepped my right foot forward and
point my sword in his direction and put my left hand on my back. I covered my
self with calm and solid aura.

   I Repeatedly
chanted in my mind. He dashed at me faster than before. He swung his sword to
me but I predicted the trajectory of his sword but instead of parrying it I redirected
and guide it counter clockwise. He almost lost his balance because of a sudden
change of direction of his body, weight and strength. He’s so confuse but I
didn’t waste the chance and kicked him in the stomach again but unlike earlier
my foot was covered with compacted mana and it produced a shock wave effect that
caused a stronger impact. He was blown away and crushed to the ground. Everyone
is surprised a what happened.

  I closed my
feet together and move my heels upward. I straitened my posture. I move my head
upward a bit while my sword is pointing at his direction.

 He was holding
his stomach while grunting. I smiled smugly and said

  “Ho? It seems
that you managed to force me to use my secret technique. Omigoto! (Well
done!)”

  ‘hehe! I want
to say that line since in my past life.’

 (But he didn’t
know how much his cringe words would torment him later.)

(Mother Nortia’s POV)

I
was stunned. Gerard stopped supervising their training after they passed the ‘unarmed
goblin’ subjugation test with flying colors when they’re 10 years old. He would
still teach the whenever they asked or needed.

   Today he
decided to let them have a duel with real sword. Maya wanted to oppose as usual
because she’s worried but she knows that nothing bad would happen because we
will watch the duel and will intervene if there are any accidents so she just
stay silent.

‘Seriously she’s so overprotective to the children.’

   They’ve become silent seeing the duel that’s
happening right now and just watched the fight with enthusiasm. Their 15 years
old daughter Geralyn was the same.

   The fight
becomes more intense because Bern is growing stronger in the middle of the
fight. Micia who was near us has a wide smile on her face seeing her crush’s
growth. This gave her a lot of determination to work harder. I just smiled
softly on how cute she is.

   A dense fiery
aura surrounded Bern as he slash Loki with his sword. Loki jumped backwards and
change his stance with a calm and solid aura surrounding him.

    What
happened next surprised us. Bern charged to Loki with a slash but instead of
dodging, parrying or blocking it. He redirected the direction of Bern’s attack causing
him to lose his balance because of sudden change of direction of his weight.
Loki didn’t waste the chance and kicked him and he was blown away and crushed
to the ground.

    “Bern”

 Micia muttered
worriedly while clasping her hands.

   “These guys
are amazing.”

 Geralyn praised
excitedly.

“These brats are crazy. Bern has crazy instinct in
combat and growth in battle while Loki has abnormal techniques and calculative
ability. To think that both of them are warrior class at the age of 12. Not to
mention that Bern is still growing constantly while Loki is still holding
back.”

    “What!?? So
Loki is stronger than me and Bern will surpass me after this?”

  Geralyn
shouted in surprise after hearing his father. Then Gerard continued

 “Indeed.
However seeing Loki’s current stance I can only feel sorry for Bern kid. That’s
not a stance for 12 years old. As I thought this kid is monstrous.

  “I know right?
I feel bad for Bern for being biased after seeing that stance and movement. I
will still cheer both of them to their best. However madam that stance and
movement. What did he called it? Omigoto? Is definitely- “

    She looked
at me with an excited face. As if a kid who saw her Idol for the first time.
This woman could you at least mind your age?

    I nodded and
answered

  “Yes that’s a
strange name as usual but that’s definitely dancing. A sword dance to be exact.”

    We all
continued to watch the fight.

 

 

(Loki’s POV)

“How
is it? Did I won already?”

I provoked him.

 “How’s that
possible? I wasn’t even serious yet.”

“Hahahaha! Then come at me with all you’ve got.”

“ That’s just what I planned”

“”HAHAHAHA!””

 We laughed
excitedly

He raised his sword over his head and shouted.

“AURA SLASH!”

 He swung his
sword and release a red-orange crescent shaped aura blade towards me. I smiled
and thought of something crazy.

 I was still on
my fencing dance position then I covered my sword with thicker mana. When the
fiery aura almost reach me I swung at it, caught it with my sword and twirl
with it. I spin it with my whole body and thrown it back at him.

 I want to shout
full counter but I thought of something better. I covered my feet wit thicker
mana and suppress it. I ran towards to the fiery aura. I jumped over it and
rode at it as if I’m surfing.  Everyone
was dumbfounded at this bizarre scene but I have no time to pay attention on
others and I can only feel their gazes.

 ‘How’s that?’ I
smugly thought while smiling

  Bern was also surprised but he readied his
sword immediately and covered it with stronger aura. He smashed his own aura
slash. I jumped and flipped over him. A strong explosion of aura occurred
creating a large cloud of dust.

 I landed behind
him the cloud of dust wasn’t a hindrance to us because both of us are
proficient in mana sense. He swung his sword against me. I veered his attack
smoothly again and dance with the sword in my hand. He slashed at me
horizontally the I bent back my body and thrust my sword at him. He shielded my
attack with his sword but he was blown away and roll to the ground.

 He was strong
indeed. He has a very strong instinct in battle. He was able to grow in battles
and the more you beat him the stronger he become. If you beat him 10 times he
would get up for 10th time and fight again. This annoying tenacity is like a
generic protagonist. However he wont be able to defeat me.

'Not here and not now.'

‘Not here and not now.’