-- Aster --

I was staring at my new training instructor Kerria. A man I was having trouble figuring out. He looked young, yet he had a full head of white hair, and a snow-white handlebar mustache, that almost looked fake. Though strange, that was not what was throwing me off. It was the fact that he was dressed like a stereotypical ninja, complete with split-toed shoes. But he had a massive Zweihander on his back. None of it was adding up. I threw up my hands, "Ok, I give up."

The man raised an eyebrow before sneering, "Early for one to give up in their training. If this is your attitude then why should I care?"

Looking at Kerria, I could see he was serious. Did he really think I would just give up? "No. What is your deal?" I clarified.

The man looked me up and down unsure, "I am here to train you, at the request of Edelweiss. I believe they already told you this." The man said it all while looking down his nose at me.

"Uhhh" I wasn't sure what his issue was, but decided to just try to explain again. "No. What is your story you're trying to come across?" He had to have some story he was trying to do if he was here, or maybe he just wanted to be on the show. But, there had to be some kind of character.

"Pardon?" The man looked genuinely confused.

"I get the ninja thing, but what's the angle? I just can't quite figure it out."

"I am not a ninja." The man said indignantly, as though I just insulted him.

I blinked. I was more confused than ever, "Then what's with the black ninja pajamas?"

"These are my workout clothes. And they're very comfortable."

"Ok then..." They did look comfortable. Seeing I was getting nowhere I asked, "What are you going to teach me?"

"I'm going to teach you to use your sword." The man brushed his mustache, and narrowed his eyes, "I heard of what a mess you made in front of Edelweiss. I'm going to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"But, I suck with a sword," I said plainly. I had spent a long time learning to fight with it, and something about the weapon never fully clicked with me. To the point, my sword had become more of misdirection than an actual weapon.

"Exactly, and I'm going to make you not..." Kerria paused to glare, "suck as you say."

"No, I'm saying it's not my weapon." I tried to explain, but it sounded more like a whine.

"By the end, it will be." He said adamantly.

I shook my head frustrated, "No, you're not listening."

This seemed to anger him, "No your not listening, you will be taught the sword. You will not dishonor the weapon." Kerria drew his massive weapon, "Now draw." Without even waiting for me to pull the sword he lunged towards me. I was surprised but not caught off guard, expecting some stupid shit like this.

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Just because I expected it doesn't mean I could do anything to defend myself. The man was shockingly fast. I didn't know a sword that big could move like that. There was no way I could get the weapon up in time. To block so I moved into the man's swing barely dodging under the strike, and getting into his face.

"The fuck is wrong with you!" I screamed.

Kerria narrowed his eyes, "I said draw." He lifted his knee to try and push me back I just stepped to the side, staying in close to try to stay too close for him to swing.

"Rotting lands, what" I started, only to be interrupted by Kerria spinning around, Zweihander's deadly blade coming for my stomach. I was forced to jump back going low, rolling out of the way.

As soon as I hit the floor, I pull my sword and jump to the side dodging a downward slash. I never stopped moving, as I could only dodge his heavy blows. Kerria smiled, "Finally, now block."

It was like he was aiming for my sword. It was all I could do to block the man's swings. There was no grace no counterattack. Only panic and force my weapon up to block it. I could barely hold onto my sword. With each strike, my hands and arms grew numb.

Kerria sneered, yelling, "You call this blocking. Parry, repost, do anything except what you're doing your treating the weapon like a log."

"I told you" I started to explain the sword wasn't my weapon, but he wasn't listening.

"And I told you, you will learn the sword. Now counter attack!" He yelled.

Kerria intensified in his assault, every attack harder and faster. This revealed a danger I didn't even know was an option. My own weapon began to recoil slamming into my body. I was learning an important lesson about blocking heavy attacks. Some of the recoils turn the blade and I saw red. It happened over and over. Not one of his strikes went through yet I was still covered with cuts and blood.

I had one raging thought. Fuck this guy. I pulled my dagger now longer caring about the training. I threw my sword end over end at him to distract him and then lunged with my dagger. The sword throw was enough to create an opening. My lunge was arched perfectly to the man's heart when I suddenly heard a loud high pitch noise, and my hand spasmed. My body overreached as I dropped the dagger and I spun past the man, nearly falling over.

I didn't have any time to understand what happened, as Kerria angrily yelled, "Don't throw away your only weapon. And it looks like you can't even hold onto a simple knife."

Kerria punched me with the hit of his sword, making me fly across the room.

The rest of the so-called training session was almost the same throughout its entirety. Kerria kept berating me and praising the sword the whole time. And every time I would counter attack or would do something that would put the man on his back foot. That high-pitched noise would hit me, and cause my body to spasm or freeze. This would cause me to fall, or stumble, or drop my weapon, or be hit by the sword.

I knew whatever that sound was, it had to be some sort of skill Kerria was using on me. The most annoying part was that he was refusing to admit it.

"Whatever fucking skill you're using on me stop! Because if you're going to use skills on me during sword training then I will too." I yelled accusingly.

"Do not try to blame me for your incompetence. I have not used a single skill." He said indignantly.

"What kind of fucked up story are you going for? Is it how you were so much better with the sword than a quester, despite cheating." Denouncing his excuse.

"I am not using a skill." Kerria was growing angry and it showed in his strikes.

"Liar." I spat back.

"I am not a liar."

"Fuck you. Your piece of shit!" I spat in his face, lunging forward, and prepared to use one of my words, but right when I was about to speak that high-pitched noise hit me screwing up my speech, and causing me to collapse midair.

The man either didn't see or care, he just kept beating me.

"I didn't know what kind of fucked up game the man was playing, but I would figure out how to defend myself from this fucker. I wouldn't let them try to teach me wrong again.