Smokeless War - One Piece

(15)

"50 reps in the trees. Think of your sword as an extension of yourself, after that," He paused, eyeing me with an ironically steely gaze. "You'll be facing me."

Immediate fear struck through me but I continued on auto pilot where he told me to go, my arms feeling already like jelly at the thought of facing him head on. I trusted him to a small extent but with my life? With a sword I was aware could cut through stone like butter?

I knew I had to shake those thoughts because the usual muddy landscape and busy forest floor proved to be a tripping hazard for once and I found myself shaking mud off my pants and arm after an embarrassing fall.

Shivers went down my spine as I finally started striking at the air around the trees, the mechanical movements frustrating me until a few reps in when the moves started coming more naturally.

Before I knew it though, I had counted over fifty and I found something that used to come far too naturally at my time in the East, hesitance. I knew what would happen if I went back, and I knew what would happen if I didn't go to where I was supposed to be. The same negative outcome.

As I sheathed my katana and steadily started walking back carefully to the river's edge, I decided something. This time, I could change this outcome and he probably wouldn't hurt me for the sake of just causing me pain. In a way I always felt like he at least wanted me to benefit from the training.

Ignoring a numb pain I felt was anxiety, I tried prepared myself mentally as I stood across from him and took in his daunting figure. The sharp eyes that earned him the name 'Hawk-eye' and the massive sword Yoru.

One of my bad qualities I can say has gotten me in trouble sometimes is how I get the overwhelming urge to smile nervously and it definitely can come across as a smirk which is why I keep my head down most of the time in a situation like this. This time it probably came across as ogling + smirking.

Death by Yoru doesn't sound so bad now.

As usual though, his emotions didn't come across his face but his eyes conveyed something different. It didn't matter after a moment because I'd missed what he said and suddenly instead of examining him I was evading his deadly sword movements.

Struggling to keep at arm's length, I pushed against his blade with almost nothing to show for it as he didn't budge an inch. My muscles ached as I put in my all and he definitely wasn't breaking a sweat anytime soon.

As I backed away from him he prowled around and we fell into a rhythm of circling each other like a deadly dance. I almost caught myself marveling at how our footsteps matched each other's, even with our difference in abilities.

That changed when the terrain did, branches tore at my legs and stones seemed to jump into my path but I never took my eyes off of him. As soon as I did, I found a blade almost always heading for my vital points, my neck, head, chest.

I managed to shove him off briefly but the pain in my gut had persevered to the point that I wondered vaguely through my sweat and the heat of my face though the forest was cool if I was poisoned earlier.

My limbs remained in my control though, and I knew of no other ailments caused by poisoning. After my mind wandered even just this little bit I lost my concentration and he forced me back, to where I looked about wildly to find a clear path.

And it gave him just enough time to swing, really swing. That steel seemed to cut through the molecules of air to create a shockwave that sliced through the trees and had my back to a tree to narrowly avoid it.

My shirt was not unscathed though, and cool air rushed past my stomach. I grit my teeth and continued as fast as I could through the treacherous scenery he had no problem navigating.

Then I heard cool rushing water again which I'd blocked out as soon as the fight started and as he closed in on me I clashed with him once again, trying to force his back to the river. I'd not fall into the river again nor have him save me again in this lifetime if I could.

To my utter surprise it worked! I pursed my lips in satisfaction of what went my way finally. I noticed then he had finally bent his knees and went into a more proper form, like he decided to put more effort into the fight which both flattered and scared me.

Then as easily as one would walk, he sprung up into a large backwards summersault to land on the other side of the river, feet planted firmly and perfectly on the opposite bank.

I must have looked like a codfish in that moment, mouth opened in dumbfounded surprise to which I finally saw a real amused smirk on his face, cheeky bastard.

As he swung again though time flowed by slowly. I felt the sweat drip down my spine, the sweat beading on my temple. The aches in my muscles, joints and assortment of tissues I hadn't known existed though he always worked me to the bone. Then my body moved automatically and I felt energy go through me and through the sword that apparently gave me the power to actually counter the massive strike, to block it.

I couldn't bask in my achievement though and the small smile on my face contorted into a grimace as I felt hot and sticky blood run down my opposite arm, the strike still briefly brushing past my left arm like a scalpel. Just strong enough to peel the skin downwards into a deep cut that made my muscles spasm with pain.

It didn't help I felt blood from somewhere else, completely unrelated to the fight. The sudden pain had me doubled over though and as I felt the faraway pain of the small riverside rocks on my hands, he knelt by my side in an instant.

I held up a hand immediately though, ashamed of my reactions.

"I'm sorry. I truly," I sucked in a breath at the pulsating pain in my arm and lower stomach. "Did not mean..stop our fight."

"Is there something else besides your arm?" He only inquired, dismissing my statement.

"I...yes. But I want to continue." Sitting up and laying back on the riverside I took breaths to ease the pain but found the adrenaline wearing off was only making it worse.

"If that is what you wish, we'll have a break. We resume in an hour." He offered a hand whilst I sheathed the katana and I took hold of it in surprise, definitely not thinking soundly.

As he walked, not in a usual fast pace but one suited for the both of us, I almost chided myself. The blood roaring in my ears though there's no threat for the time being, my racing heart.

I'm not a young girl, and he is not a young man. I had to hold in a soft chuckle before wincing at the pain again.

The silence with him has always strangely been so..comfortable. There is no expectation, that I speak or he does the same. And he doesn't force me to stay silent as he always responds to what I say without too much judgement.

When we got in view of the castle, the girls came rushing down to greet us and shriek over my injury as I never got hurt and usually came back unscathed. And in the midst of my calming them down whilst dealing with the pain simultaneously, I felt it again. His watchful eye on me which I finally put up with no longer as I flashed him a look that hopefully told him to stop worrying, because he does so in his own way.

Without seeing his reply, I let the girls push me inside and hoped the continued practice would go much better.