[30th of May, 1547 PS]
Henry awoke the next day, feeling sore from all that happened today. However, while his body was aching, his mind had felt refreshed ever since he entered that trance during the Sword Saint's Training.
'That stuff is no joke.'
He got up, took a bath and had breakfast. He then did the 10000 slashes quest. He didn't enter a trance this time, but it did feel a lot easier today.
He then polished Dawnbringer. He still didn't believe he had such a beautiful sword. With the blacksmithing knowledge he now had, he had even more reverence for this masterpiece.
He walked to the Cathedral.
"Good morning, Captain."
"Mornin', Hellwalker."
Henry looked around the room and found Joseph training against a sword wielding member of the Demon Hunting Corps using two daggers made of solidified aura.
"So, that's Aura Shaping? I noticed Mr. Joseph used it to make his arrows."
"Yeah, pretty convenient, isn't it? Legends say the Sword Saint never held an actual sword during his later days, and most historians state that he held an invisible sword made of his own aura. You'll get to use it once you become a Sword Knight, so you can try it yourself soon."
"Sure, I look forward to that. Anyways, where is Ms. Hera?"
"She's late today, but she'll be here soon. Anyways, focus today. Magic is the most versatile form of mana manipulation, the only way to uncover the true potential of Mana, the energy that powers the universe. Thus, fighting mages as an aura master isn't easy at all. You must learn as much as you can. Have you fought a mage before?"
"I've fought a few first circle and second circles, as well as sparred with my wife, who was a third circle fire mage."
"I see, so you have experience. Hera is a fifth circle thunder mage."
While they were talking, in walked Hera. She was a blue haired young woman wearing the traditional mage robes of the Thunder Magic Tower, blue with lightning patterns.
"Good morning, Captain. Sorry for being late."
"Good morning, Hera. It's fine. Are you ready for you duel with Hellwalker?"
"Yes."
"Good, into the ring, you two."
Both Henry and Hera walked into the sparring ring in the middle of the training room. Henry drew Dawnbringer and got ready. Meanwhile, Hera pulled out a purple floating book, which started orbiting her.
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'A magic catalyst and a spell book at the same time? Interesting.' Magic catalysts were objects that amplify the mana output of mages, while the really high quality catalysts could even help with the calculations needed to cast spell, severely shortening casting time.
"Begin." Eve gave the permission to start.
Immediately, Henry ran towards Hera. It's not like keeping a distance would keep him safe against a mage, anyways.
Seeing this, Hera started casting, as many magic circles appeared in the air and thunder crackled in her hands.
Henry wouldn't let her cast, so he sped up and went for a stab.
"Fourth circle, Thunder Field." Suddenly, a circle of lightning appeared around Hera, causing Henry to halt inches away from the lightning.
'Hmm...Let's try brute force first.' Henry put a lot of Demon Slaying Energy into his sword, then slashed at the thunder. Normally, this would cause his sword to transfer the lightning to him, shocking him, but aura was very good isolation for heat and electricity,
His slash cut the thunder ring, making a gap big enough for him to enter and slash at Hera. She used a memorized barrier spell and managed to block. She then tightened the thunder ring, making it get close to shocking Henry who was inside it. However, Henry felt the approaching lightning with Mind's Eye and jumped backwards out of the ring before it touched him.
Hera then cast another spell. "Fifth circle, Curse Of The Thunder Tyrant" A large thunder cloud appeared on top of Henry and shocked him. He noticed it but couldn't dodge it. While the lightning created by a fifth circle mage was nowhere near as fast as natural lightning, it was still very fast.
The lightning shocked Henry, who groaned in pain. "Grrh, Dammit!"
Hera, however, wasn't done. "Chain spell: Third circle, Aftershock."
Henry felt the lightning emerge again in his body, this time not hurting, but numbing his body. He couldn't move no matter what he did.
"Let's finish this." Hera started casting another spell, clearly one that needed a lot of casting time, since she opted to paralyze Henry first.
'I'm not just gonna watch! Come on, move, you stupid shit.' While Hera was concentrated on her casting, Henry started circulating his energy in the same direction as the lightning shaped mana was moving in his body. This was a way of expelling foreign energies he had learnt from Commander Burlam, who said he got it from an Esherian aura master. The two manas would blend together, becoming your own mana. However, it took some time.
'Come on, hurry up'
Meanwhile, Hera was halfway done with her casting.
'Gah...come on.' More time passed, and Hera was now done with her casting.
"Sixth circle, Celestial Fury!" The thundercloud above Henry shot tens of bolts towards him.
As for Henry, he had just freed himself.
You have absorbed a limited amount of lightning shaped mana into your Demon Slaying Energy. For one hour, you will have 1600% Demon Slaying Energy movement speed, 300% movement speed when your energy is active, and lightning damage will be dealt with each strike. You will also take 50% less lightning damage.
Henry quickly put a lot of Demon Slaying Energy into his legs and ran out of the lightning bolts' range, but he was still hit by a few. He had never run this fast, even when he had 8-star aura.
'That didn't hurt much. My Demon Slaying Energy also transferred a lot faster.'
"Ugh, you dodged that? I didn't expect an aura master to know the Eastern Qi Absorption method. Well, whatever. Fourth circle, Hundred Lightning Arrows!"
Henry barely dodged the hundred small lightning bolts flying towards him.
'Wait....What if I...? Oh shit, that could work.'
Henry got into position for a sword technique.
"Asura's Wrath Sword Technique, Second form: Asura's Charge!"