Loki's Renard

Arc 3 Chapter 10: Training and Meeting

Boy... it's been a while, huh? How is everyone doing? For me...

Not good.

Not good at all.

Well, the training was alright, and I learnt a bunch of things for both my current job and potential future employment in another industry. That was awesome.

Then things started going downhill.

Started with a case of writer's block when trying to sort this chapter out, not fun in any circumstance, then my job got insanely hectic and I've been exhausted every time I got home. Then, I had to get a procedure done on my foot for an ingrown toenail, and I still need to get two more done on separate dates.

And the cherry on top?

My last dog was put down due to old age.

Fuck... that was not a good four weeks, and I've been completely out of it ever since. I had no ideas, motivation or desire to write. I just crawled into my bed, cried and felt sorry for myself. But anyway, I'm back, hopefully to my regular weekly releases, but for now, onto the story.

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Akihide looked down at the practice sword in his hand, before returning his gaze to Alfia, a wooden sword in her own hand. "Are you sure about this, teacher?" he asked nervously, gulping as the level 7 woman swung her sword a few times to practice.

"Are you doubting me, Akihide?" asked Alfia with a dangerous look in her eyes.

"Well... I mean..." muttered Akihide, before the boy looked down in shame. "I can't even walk and use Concurrent Chanting, let alone fight..." he said, looking down in shame. "Months of training, and I've gotten nowhere..."

Alfia sighed. "Training is new to me as well, but we will get through this together." she said, before bringing the sword over her shoulder for a clumsy swing. "Just think about it like this, you haven't had the proper motivation to do better. Now you have to do better or get beaten over the head by the stick." she said with a sadistic smile, one so bad that Ryuu, Airmid and Ardee all flinched from behind her.

"O-okay..." muttered Akihide, getting into his starting stance before sighing, controlling his emotions, before looking at his teacher. "By ember's-"

She gave him no more time and rushed him, causing the young boy to freak out and try to dodge, only to lose the spell he was trying to perform. "Wrong!" shouted Alfia, before the stick came down faster than he could react, bumping him on the noggin, and forcing him to collapse to the ground.

The last things he heard before he went unconscious were "Oops... I overdid it again..."

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About three months ago, Akihide was resting in the medical tent of the Loki Familia camp on Floor 18. He had been unconscious for two whole weeks after the Blood Minotaur incident, when the rest of the Familia had returned from Floor 50 after defeating Balor and gathering all the necessary materials, and extras. When the group returned to Floor 18 for a rest, they were quick to notice how stiff everyone was when Riveria asked about how Akihide was behaving.

The poor woman had the scare of her life when she learnt what had happened, and rushed to the boy's side, who was peacefully resting in the medical tent. The Vice Captain of the Familia refused to leave his side that night, and had set up her own sleeping bag next to him. Oh, how some of the elves had protested that decision, two of them even standing watch outside the tent to ensure nothing 'untoward' happened, which only pissed Riveria off, demanding to know if the two thought so low of her that she'd do such a thing to a boy she saw as a son, which seemed to put the two in their place.