Arc 2: A vigorous first month
Road to a Hero
Three chances in another world
Chapter 2: Truly worthy
Gray launches himself at Musashi, trying his hardest to focus mana around his body. Gray swings his sword at Musashi. Though faster than Gray can react he gets hit with the wooden sword that Musashi is using.
Gray: “OH, Dammit!”
Gray gets flung back, hitting the ground. Gray gets back up and this time before he leaps at Musashi, he uses his mana surge technique.
Gray: “I’M FR-”
Before Gray can finish his sentence to activate the mana surge, he gets hit again, though this time a lot harder than the first.
Musashi: “No, no , no. You have to use your mana yourself. If you think you’re worth my time you’ll have to use it on command. So I will not allow you to summon it!”
Gray {Dammit! I can’t seem to be able to use it on command though. However, he probably won’t let me join unless I do it manually. I just have to get lucky and figure it out fast!}
Gray rubs the dirt off his face and begins to stand up again. Holding his sword, pointing it at Musashi, he takes a deep breath and forms a smile on his face.
Gray: “I will join the Leviathan army! I may have won that fight against Jerimiah by pure luck, but this time I will win on my own, I WILL PROVE THAT I’M WORTH IT!”
Musashi: “Then do it, prove it to me, and if you can’t you walk and leave my home!”
Gray grunts his teeth, biting his lip as his mind begins to rush, trying his hardest to think of a plan of attack.
Gray {OK just calm down. Take a deep breath, focus, just focus. Find my OD, then try to focus my mana around my body}
Gray rushes towards Musashi over and over again, each time getting set back. Each time he does this he gets a new bruise or wound on his body. Just like every other time he gets back up, spitting the blood out of his mouth, then wiping the sweat off his face.
Gray {Please, just get a small amount out. Just a bit! I need to, DAMMIT GRAY YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS! HELP ME!}
Musashi: “Are you just going to keep doing this until failure? That’s useless, in a real fight I would have already killed you, be aware of the fact that I’m holding back A LOT! Who are you? Ask yourself that question. You need to understand yourself before you can use your mana. The mask you use, hiding your emotions, trying to force the winner you want to be will only hold you BACK!”
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Gray: “I CAN’T DAMMIT! YOU EXPECT ME TO BE ABLE TO USE MANA SO EASILY!? I HAVE ONLY HAD IT FOR A DAY!? HOW DUMB CAN YOU BE!? I’M NOT SOME PRODIGY, SOME GENIUS, OR SOME SUPERHUMAN! I AM A NORMAL GODDAMN PERSON! Of course, I would use a mask, nobody cares about me, because they don’t know me yet. So even if I’m not this confident or fearless person It doesn't matter because I’m just a guy. I’m prideful, I’m blunt, annoying, stupid, scared, weak, and pitiful. I KNOW I’M ALL THESE THINGS AND I DON’T WANT TO BE THEM! I AM CONNER GRAY KYOJIN! AND I WILL BE WORTHY DAMMIT!”
Musashi smiles at Gray, then Gray once again leaps at Musashi. Though, unlike all the other times he has done this, even with the wounds on his body, he seemed to move faster than even his first leap. More serious and driven than ever before he goes to swing at Musashi. Musashi goes to attack him, thinking nothing of the boost in strength, he swings at Gray, Though Gray could predict the strike, not trying to dodge it normally, he had moved away from where Musashi was going to strike. Aiming for his legs, though Musashi was able to dodge easily. Gray curves his sword into the ground, stabbing into the ground and swinging dirt at Musashi. Musashi blocks the dirt, then Musashi rushes towards Gray swinging at his face and throwing him back.
Rosemary, Soku, and Edward watched in awe as that was Gray's best attempt yet
Rosemary: “No way! He was able to make Musashi move!”
Soku: “Yeah I’ll give him that, it is surprising, I never expected him to be able to swing his sword at him, what about you Edward, what do you think about it?”
Edward stares on, with his attention fully focused on the battle.
Edward: “ Amazing…. For Gray.. for Gray to be able to call the legendary swordsmen dumb, and even get close to him. His drive is .. is …”
Rosemary: “Mesmerizing.”
Edward: “Exactly.”
Soku: “Eh I guess.”
This time, instead of just collapsing to the ground when getting hit, Gray lands on his feet, with his mind blank, running on instinct, and launches himself at Musashi. Even stronger than before, with one leap, he closes the distance swinging his sword at Musashi. Musashi is surprised by this, swinging his sword at Grays. Gray plants his feet on the ground as their swords clash! Musashi doesn't need to put much effort into his swing, though Gray puts all he has into it. He grits his teeth and wipes the blood from under his nose off his face.
Gray: “COME ON! COME ON, COME ON, COME ON!”
Gray starts to regain his composure and feels his OD pounding. Since that first big leap, Gray has been passively pouring mana into his body. Which explains his enhanced strength, speed, and reaction time. Gray pushes and pushes trying to move Musashi's sword back. His entire body begins to ache as all the pain that has been dealt to him hits him at once, causing him to feel as if he's about to collapse.
Gray {NO! I WILL NOT FALTER, I WILL NOT LOSE!}
Gray curves his sword, making Musashi swing down allowing Gray to slip out of the clash.
Gray {PLEASE WORK!}
Gray: “CENIC!”
A black cloud erupts around them blinding the two.
Gray {HERE IT IS MY CHANCE! AS CLEAR AS DAY!}
Gray bolts towards Musashi, putting all his strength into the sword swing. But Musashi stomps his foot, pushing all of the mist away leaving Gray open to an attack.
Musashi: “Hmph”
Gray: "DAMMIT DON’T LOSE! PUSH!”
His OD erupts like his fight against Jerimiah, and Gray's body explodes in power. His bones crack, and his muscles tear, but even with all of this, his focus is still on Musashi, it’s like everything else is dark and all he can see is a blinding light, his target. Their swords clash once more. But unlike before, Gray's sword completes a full slash.
Gray: Did I.. Did I do it?”
Gray looks at his sword. Before when he fought Jerimiah, once he exploded in mana before the sword he was holding crumbled, but and again the he found the same result. But even with it splinterd and broken he finds himself happy. He looks at Musashi and Musashi just stands there, stunned. The top of Musashi's wooden sword falls off, having been cut straight through.
Soku: “NO WAY!”
Rosemary: “YES! YOU DID IT GRAY!”
Edward: “Amazing…”
Gray smirks, standing up, wiping the blood off his face. He stands there confident. Not fake confidence, it’s real, no mask, just him.
Gray: “So, am I worth it now?”
Musashi: “I guesss I can try and teach you something. If you can learn it”
Gray begins smirking before very abruptly, he collapses passing out and falling to the ground. All Gray can hear is a faint voice getting closer. It’s Rosemary's voice trying to wake Gray up
Gray {Hey… is that Rosemary..y, she cares enough to run… over… to... Me... S..eet}
Gray fully loses consciousness, now a student of Musashi, meaning he is truly worthy.
END OF CHAPTER
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