Crimson Phoenix Guardian- Aspiration to the Heavens: Becoming the Supreme Mage 4

Episode 90: Art of Swordmanship

*Xue*

"Hey, Xue, have you seen An? Dinner is ready," Vermeil said, running over.

I turned off the silver sink knobs and shook my head. "No, but I think he's probably out training.

Vermeil sighed. "By himself? Alex, Kun, and Jude are here."

"Want me to go find him?" With my earth magic, I could easily do so.

She nodded sheepishly. "If you do not mind."

I dried my hands in a white towel. "I do not." Plus, I was curious about what that guy had been up to. As his teammate and rival, I wanted to know how his training was coming along.

"Thank you."

"That said, I'm surprised you haven't done so yourself."

"I have been asking around. But I figure he might be in the forest."

"Are you afraid of the forest?" I asked.

She looked down. "Do not share this with anybody, but a little. Following the war, the forest unsettles me. I feel as if I might be attacked at any moment."

"I understand. My lips are sealed," I said, turning around.

She smiled sheepishly. "Thanks, Xue."

Poor girl. No wonder she had been working hard to become stronger in so little time.

I touched the pommel of my sword.

The war must've made her realize how truly lacking she was. Just as fighting that Hierarchian woman and my possessed liege did for me. Hopefully, Sera would be able to regain its independence one day. My father would often tell me stories about how we were once a great nation before being conquered by a foreign kingdom. He also told me about our people who fought bravely against those invaders until they finally won their freedom back.

"No need to thank me," I said, striding forward.

Once outside, I laid a hand on the cobblestone floor and closed my eyes. Waves radiated from my fingertips like the sonar of a bat. A black-and-white image of my surroundings appeared in my mind's eye. Several people were in the dining room right now. Their every movement echoed against my fingers.

"Need to lock unto An." I sent the waves into the forest, getting an image of all the wildlife in it. Finally, I reached a flat rock. An was there, swinging what appeared to be his sword.

I stood up and rushed forward. In a few strides, I covered most of the space between us. I came to a halt a few meters away from him, causing a strong wind to ruffle the leaves on the trees.

I drew closer. The air around An glistened thanks to the moonlight hitting all the sweat. His hair and clothes were drenched by all the perspiration he'd just produced while swinging his blade who knew how many times.

An stopped his sword as soon as I got nearer. I leaped to the side as he swung his sword at me.

"Xue?" he said, stopping his sword in mid-swing.

I tapped his sword with my index finger, moving it aside. "Nice to see you taking the time to practice your sword skills," I said, smirking.

He rubbed the back of his neck, blushing. "Sorry about swinging at you."

I laughed lightly. "You don't need to apologize. It was fun watching you train. You're really good at it!"

His cheeks reddened further. "Uh... thank you... Uh, want to train alongside me?"

"I would love to, but we should be heading back. Dinner is about to be served."

He turned aside. "That's fine. I'm not hungry."