The calm wind breezed through the open field as the sunlight bathed the land.

Woof* Woof*

Davis was flung violently into the giant tree, causing it to vibrate. Gasping for air, his hand on his blade handle, he felt all the bones in his body shatter and begin repairing themselves. He raised his head and stared with a focused gaze at K's leisurely figure and carefree smile among the countless fallen pink leaves caused by the impact.

"Eyes that follow the blade without predicting its movement are nothing but the eyes of a spectator, not a warrior," K calmly stated, holding a stick infused with aura.

K continued with unseen wisdom, "A blade that swings without a purpose cannot be considered swordsmanship, but a blind dance." He shook his head and pointed at Davis. "You have a purpose to fulfill, a goal to achieve, and a dream to realize."

"You sound like some old hermit from a mountain," Davis joked, his breath short. He got up, and with Skye by his side, he raised his blade in K's direction. "I'm going to claim my victory today!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Sparks of electricity appeared on Davis's hand, then moved upward onto the blade. Before long, light blue lightning covered his body and blade. Skye grew larger as the wind around them was pulled into him, morphing into many wind spears.

K scoffed at him. "You think you can win after six days of practice?" He paused and assumed a sword stance Davis had seen all too many times during his training. Suddenly, the stick in his hand crackled with black lightning.

"Then give me your best shot," he challenged.

Empowered by the lightning coursing through their veins, Davis and K charged at each other, resulting in a massive explosion that shook the space around them.

6 days ago…

The day after Davis first entered the recreational sub-space 'Avalon,' he returned early in the morning. K waited peacefully under a tree as leaves gently fell from its branches.

Davis glanced towards the area that K's demonstration had destroyed, but there was no sign of any damage. The place had been restored to its serene beauty once again.

"There's no need to worry, my friend!" K spoke with closed eyes and a calm smile. "In this place, as long as I'm present, no damage or injuries will remain." He snapped his fingers, and a bolt of lightning struck the tree.

Surprisingly, the tree was completely unharmed, the flames on its top disappearing as it returned to normal. "This space is a mix of soul, illusion, reality, and space... Only soul attacks can seriously injure you or me," K explained with a yawn before getting up.

"From now on, you must do 1,000 sword swings, 200 push-ups and sit-ups, a 20-mile jog, and half an hour of mana circulation training," K commanded firmly. Davis paused his mouth agape at the daunting tasks. K tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "I suggest you start with the 20-mile run before doing anything else."

Davis replied hastily, "What? How would I be—" K cut him off with a wave of his finger. "To train in the blade, one must first train the body to wield it." He looked Davis up and down. "Look at you—no muscle, no stamina, no strength whatsoever... and you want to start halfway?"

"Enough talking, get to work." K sat back down as Davis began running around the tree. Skye came to sit next to K. "Uncle K, is Dad going to be okay after that?" Skye's innocent voice piped up from beside him.

"You'll find out soon enough," K said, turning to Skye with a mischievous grin. "Because you'll be joining him in his practice!" Unlike Davis, Skye's tail began wagging excitedly. "Really?" he asked, and K nodded. Without missing a beat, Skye ran to join Davis around the giant tree.

What felt like days had passed in less than four hours. Davis finally finished his exercise and collapsed to the ground, staring at the blue sky. "How much time has it been?" he asked, struggling to breathe.

K walked up to him and looked down with a smile. "Four hours, my friend."

Davis replied skeptically, "Four hours? There's no way I swung the blade a thousand times and did all those other things in less than four hours."

K chuckled. "Time flows differently here, and you must have felt it too. Your stamina and strength are growing before your eyes." He picked up a long wooden branch and walked into a field of dandelions.

"After watching your exercise, I know of a skill that will suit you perfectly," K said as he began to elegantly wave the stick around. "It's not my sword technique I created, but one I've mastered. Watch closely as I perform three of the seven forms from this sword technique."

K stood among the dancing field of dandelions and assumed his sword stance. Davis watched intently as black lightning crackled around him.

Lightning God's Sword Technique, First Form: Sky Piercer*

A burst of lightning shot forward, forming a lightning strike that spread out at first but quickly came together. K aimed the attack upward, and the strike pierced the sky, creating a massive hole in the passing clouds.

Lightning God's Sword Technique, Second Form: Sweeping Storm*

With a vertical swing, a powerful bolt of lightning shot forth, sweeping everything in its path and leaving an electrical residue in its wake. His attack cleanly cut the top of the dandelion and scattered them into the sky.

Lightning God's Sword Technique, Third Form: Flashing Thunder*

He dashed in a straight line towards a lone tree that appeared out of nowhere, moving at an impossible speed. K cut the tree cleanly, leaving lightning in the form of his afterimages before disappearing.

Taking a moment to compose himself he turns around to face Davis, “So, do you think you can master it?” He said with a proud smirk.

Davis stared, his mouth agape. "I-I'm not sure!" K walked up to him and tapped his head with the stick. "Don't ever say that in life. Uncertainty is for losers. In battle, hesitation means death. Remember that, Davis." K kicked the sword at his feet back toward Davis.

"Follow my footsteps, sync to the rhythm of my dance, and let the blade take hold of you," K instructed, stick in hand. Davis picked up his blade and got up, trying his best to mimic K's movements.

Davis's movements were stiff, rough, and unrefined, unlike K, who moved with elegance and precision, as if dancing. "Your movements are too stiff, Davis," K said calmly. "You're gripping the handle too tightly. And you put too much strength into it" He tapped Davis's leg with the stick. "Your legs are too close together, and your hands are too extended."

For the rest of the day and the following day, K remained with Davis helping fix his posture and basic understanding of swordsmanship.

4 days ago…

The two sat cross-legged from one another, with Skye barking in the distance. Each bark was accompanied by a violent gust of wind that blew across the field. K had assigned Skye tasks to help him improve.

"Today, I'll teach you a new way of circulating mana," K said, continuing, "It's crucial for mastering the Lightning God's Sword Technique. Most knights channel their energy through their body and aura heart, while magicians use mana with the help of their magical core or mana heart, whichever you prefer to call it."

He then pointed at Davis's heart. "Of course, the one you’re using is a good technique, but it's not suitable for you. The technique you'll be using from now on relies on mana and aura fusing into one." He drew a picture of a human on the ground. "This technique creates a constant equilibrium of energy in your body which helps you spread it across your body."

"Think of it as combining both concepts into one, allowing you to feel every fiber of your being and every little detail. In other words, your body will temporarily become one with mana!"

K continued, posing a question, "So why is this important?" He didn’t wait for an answer from Davis. "Because mana is everywhere; you just need to tap into it. But your body, the vessel, is the problem. It limits your energy intake and output because too much will fry your circuits."

"But if you become one with energy itself, you can perfectly control and manipulate every bit of energy in your body down to the smallest detail. So, let's start by closing your eyes!" he instructed. Davis followed the instructions and felt K's hand on his chest.

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Davis then recalled the battle and posed a question. "But back then, when you used my body to fight, I didn't have this core, and you were fine. Why do I need it now?"

K chuckled. "That's because every time I swapped my soul with yours, I used my Chaos power to completely envelop your internal body, making it easy for me to use my power. If you could use Chaos Magic, you wouldn't need this core. But right now, if you tried to use Chaos Magic, you'd lose your sanity, and there's a high chance the chaos energy would rampage through you and kill you."

"Now that that's all cleared up, let's begin," K stated, clapping his hands to get Davis's attention

"By the way, it might hurt a bit. Make sure not to faint from the pain, or you'll die!" K mentioned casually before starting. Before Davis could voice his concern, a surge of energy burst into his body, causing him to stiffen as his mind overloaded. "Don't think, just follow my instructions," K's voice echoed intensely.

The electrical energy burrowed into every nook and cranny of his inner organs, causing unbearable pain. "I-I ca-ca-can't," Davis struggled to speak or breathe, his mind overloaded with agony. He felt all of his mana scattering and reforming repeatedly before finally coalescing at the center of his body near his heart.

Darkness slowly crept at the corners of his vision. Davis was about to faint, unable to withstand the unbearable pain. "You've come this far. Are you going to let it all go to waste here just because of a bit of pain?" K said firmly. "If so, then close your eyes and perish. Leave all of this behind." Davis's eyes grew heavy.

But one sentence jolted him awake from the pain. "Leave your loving family behind, alone and afraid." This last sentence gave Davis the encouragement he needed to fight the haze. He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, staring K dead in the eye. "I-I will not fall," he uttered with bloodshot eyes.

K grinned at his resolve. "Then show me, hero, show me your resolve." K no longer held the energy back, releasing every bit of it into Davis's newly created core. Screams of pain echoed across the room, making Skye sit down with puppy dog eyes and lowered ears in Davis's direction.

Ahhhhh*

With one final war cry, a burst of energy was released from Davis's new mana heart. K nodded in exhaustion. "Good, you did it." Both men fell to the ground, one unconscious while the other was in a daze.

Skye rushed to them, sniffing and calling out, but he got no response from Davis. K groaned painfully. "Your father's going to sleep for a while. Let us wait for his core to completely adjust itself."

When Davis woke up, the illusionary sun in the room was starting to set. Skye slept peacefully next to him, and K sat atop the giant tree branches. Davis felt many things happening in his body—pain, rampaging mana—but most of all, strength.

K jumped down from the tree branches. "Good. Now that you're awake, tell me, how does it feel?"

Davis inspected his arm aggressively, then looked up and answered, "It feels amazing. I can feel my body taking in mana with every breath and releasing it, every bit of it."

K smiled, satisfied with the response. "Good. Grab your blade and follow my voice. Now that you can feel your connection to your new core, learning the sword technique will be easier. Just follow my lead. I'll teach you the Lightning God's Footwork and the Breath of the divine Lightning."

K began jumping in place. "There are two types of speed enhancement: acceleration and dashing, with the latter being acceleration on another level," he explained, stopping to point at a lone tree across the pond. "When you mastered the Divine breath, then you will be able to entered the Lightning God state, it the final technique where you can used your power without any drawback" K exclaimed calmly.

"The Lightning God's Footwork is a technique that makes you move like a dash but instantaneously. The drawback is that you must calculate both the distance you need to travel and use the correct amount of energy." Black lightning began to crackle all over his body, and K's body and hair glowed dimly from within.

"If you don't use the right amount, you'll either fall short or overshoot. You can't change direction mid-dash either. Additionally, your body will experience something called mind delirium. Traveling too quickly can cause various problems in your body, like disrupted breathing, exploding blood vessels, and friction burns, as well as ripping and burning of your soul and mind."

Davis was frightened by the explanation, prompting him to ask hesitantly, "Then is there a way to not die when using your technique?"

K giggled at his question. "It's not my technique: I obtained it during my travels on Earth from a Japanese god called Raijin, but most people call him Shogun."

"And yes, that's where the Breath of the Divine Lightning comes in. It helps you balance both inner and outer mana, creating a tranquil energy for you to use... It's just a different way of breathing," K remarked sarcastically.

"But once you manage to use it, you'll automatically understand how to follow its rhythm. When that happens, your body will glow like mine, and you can use all the Lightning God's techniques freely. Just don't overexert yourself."

As soon as K finished his explanation, Davis felt a strong wind, and K disappeared in an instant. He was now on the other side of the pond, leaning against a tree and waving back leisurely.

As if showing off, K began dashing all over the place, leaving trails of electricity that quickly dispersed. Davis watched in amazement, trying his best to keep up with K's movements, but he couldn't manage to do so even once.

"So, are you ready to learn?" K's voice came from above. Davis abruptly turned to see him leaning against the tree with a carefree smile.

"Let's get started," Davis replied with a daring demeanor, unaware of what he was about to go through.

2 days later…

The sound of swords clashing echoed through the space, followed by the rumbling of thunder. Davis attacked with everything he had learned so far, but for every flaw he corrected in his swordsmanship, K exposed another through a painful lesson.

"How many times have I died in this place?" Davis wondered as he lay on the ground, gripping the blade handle as if his life depended on it.

"Your posture is unbalanced," K berated. "If you're going to perform a heavy or wide attack like earlier, then do it fast and precise. Don't think—just do!"

Ever since K taught Davis about the lightning god’s technique, he used his dominion over their reality to implement a new rule: pain and death were no longer restricted. Davis had experienced death many times through his various mistakes.

His first experience of death was horrifying, leaving him frozen like a deer in headlights as K's blade came for his neck. But after a few dozen times, he slowly adapted to the pain and the darkness of death, always reminded that he would only experience it once in the real world before it was game over.

"You're thinking too much," K said, pointing the stick in his hand at Davis. "Overthinking is just as bad as not thinking. Sometimes you just need to follow your instincts. You were a magician before, weren't you? Remember, just because a fisherman holds a spear doesn't mean he's no longer a fisherman."

Davis rushed at K again, lightning crackling around his blade. Their weapons connected with a loud thud as Davis attacked with a downward swing, while two blades formed from wind magic hurtled at K from the side.

Using Davis's momentum against him, K blocked the attack with the center of his stick. As the blade made contact, K rotated his body, guiding Davis's blade to the side, and retaliated with an elbow to Davis's head.

Infusing the stick with lightning, K slashed through the incoming wind blades before dashing toward Skye in a split second.

"Watch what happens when you fail to defeat your opponent," K declared, releasing a powerful killing aura as he hovered above Skye. He swung downward at Skye, but just before the stick could hit its target, a metal blade intercepted it. The light blue lightning surrounding the blade interacted violently with K's dark lightning, forcing him to take a few steps back.

K smiled excitedly as he watched Davis's body become surrounded by lightning. "Well done, boy. You've finally mastered both the Lightning God's Footwork and the Lightning Breath. Now, let's get to the fun part!" K's body glowed a dim black as lightning enveloped him, while Davis's lightning glowed a light blue.

They attacked once again, their movements slowed them as they entered a fighting trance, making everything feel slow. But Skye, watching them, couldn't find any opening to attack; their movements were an unpredictable mix of fast and slow.

With a final thud from their blade, the two were pushed back by the shockwave.

Lightning God's Sword Technique, Third Form: Flashing Thunder*

Davis immediately appeared in front of K, who swiftly blocked with his blade, resulting in a loud bang. Their blades clashed repeatedly until Davis spotted an opening and went in for a stab.

However, K caught Davis's hand as he pushed his blade forward. With a swift motion, K used Davis's momentum to throw him onto the ground, following up with a quick punch to the center of Davis's chest, knocking the air out of him.

"If you attack like that, your center of gravity will be tilted, making your body unbalanced. Only use a forward attack like that if you're sure you can finish the fight," K said with a gentle smile as Davis struggled to breathe.

K clapped his hands and shouted, "Alright, training's over for today." He then transformed into his crow form and hurriedly flew off. Skye rushed to Davis's side, happily rubbing against his back. "Are you alright, Dad?" he asked with a concerned stare.

"I'm fine, Skye," Davis reassured, patting Skye on the head. "I'm getting used to this." He laughed proudly as both he and Skye watched the space vanish, revealing the old training room once more.

Later that night, K in his crow form visited Vincent's place again. "How's the progress?" K asked, his form appearing somewhat translucent and difficult to see.

"Yes, master. I've completed one of your tasks," Vincent reported, gesturing towards a male corpse on the table. Other than being deceased, there was nothing particularly remarkable about the body.

"As you instructed, I've secured a recently deceased body for you," Vincent stated proudly, presenting a ring to K. "This is another piece of the soul's treasure!" K accepted it with a nod, joking, "Don't forget your share, Vincent," and chuckled to himself.

"Master, if I may ask, why do you need this body?" Vincent's gaze shifted to the corpse. K, in his crow form, cawed at the question. "Oh, nothing. I'm just looking for a body I can turn into a puppet."

K then presented Vincent with a beating dragon heart. Vincent was greatly shocked, as dragons hadn't been seen much except for the one in the Academy, 'Wizzie the familial dragon'. He was about to ask where his master got it from but refrained himself.

K calmly said to Vincent, "My soul can't remain in the mortal world much longer, and Davis's body isn't strong enough yet. Unfortunately, one of my old... companions has resurfaced and poses a threat." With that, K flew off into the night once again, leaving Vincent to guard the corpse until his return.