Charming Tails

Chapter 19 - Boot Camp (Day One to Three)

A beautiful April morning awakens the city of Watono. A new month has stepped in.

*Shnnng!*

A leaf cut in half falls to the ground. Rouji stood in the middle of the field with a blindfold covering his eyes.

"Another!" Tatsuko shouts.

"It's supposed to be 'April Fool's Day' right?" he complains.

Three leaves slowly fell down from above and Rouji stood there silently. As the leaves glided through the air, swaying side to side as they went down on the ground, Rouji positions himself and strikes firmly. The leaves got cut off in half with just one swing of his sword.

"Not bad kid. I know you had intense training but I never expected you to be this good with the sword and your sharp senses." Tatsuko walks toward him.

"Yeah. And I also have experience in live combat huh? Haha." Rouji laughs a bit.

"It won't be long until you master everything I have to teach you."

"Hmm I guess. Since April just stepped in today, next week is going to be the new semester and I need to attend school. So I'd rather get this done with as soon as possible." he says.

"You think you can finish this training within seven days?"

"Of course I can. What are you going to teach me anyway?"

"Let me explain to you."

Tatsuko walks in front of him with a bit of distance away.

"I'll be teaching four of my most precious techniques to you as my apology gift for almost killing you. And in each day, you must master the ability because there will be seven all in all."

"Oh.. well, it starts today right? What would it be?"

"Nothing special. You must master how to bend the wind at your will."

"W-What..?" Rouji looked at him with drowsy, disbelieving eyes.

"You need to learn wind mastery for you to learn all the abilities and techniques I will teach you. Just like these."

Tatsuko raises his hands at about waist level and the wind rapidly forms around him, constantly spiraling around his body.

"Shoot me with those fox-fires."

"Oh.. okay."

Rouji trails the blunt side of his sword with his pointing and middle finger from hand guard to tip and swings it from the right with the edge of the sword pointing at Tatsuko. The white flames fly toward Tatsuko and without even doing anything, the flames were deflected off of him.

"This is the wind barrier. Though it's only effective against small projectiles to protect yourself from harm."

"Oh. That's just like the one Katsune put on me when we battled Ayaka-san.."

"That's right."

The wind around Tatsuko quickly dissolves.

"How do I even control the wind? Just like how I can control the white flame within my sword?"

Rouji summons the white flame around his sword. "Tatsuko-san, I call this my Rikishi sword in this form."

"Intruiging.. did Katsune infuse the fox-fires within your sword?"

"Yes."

"So it was true. That she was able to infuse such magic to weapons making the user also stronger." he said as he saw the sword. "Well, enough of this. It's Day One today now let's get to business."