CHAPTER 5
Time flew by, and before I knew it, my fifth birthday had arrived. As I’ve mentioned, in this world, a person’s fifth, tenth, and fifteenth birthdays are highly significant milestones, marking their growth. I half-expected a grand gesture or some surprise from my family, but the day began like any other. No special celebrations, no hints of a surprise—just another day of training with my aunt, Bett. I wondered if they had forgotten or if they were just waiting for the perfect moment.
Bett had once mentioned that my actual combat training would begin when I turned five, but today, our routine hadn’t changed at all.
The only change was that Ela joined us for training—something she hadn’t done in nearly half a year. After mastering the basics and learning to channel mana into her sword, she began training on her own, focusing on incorporating mana into different weapons. Her main focus had been the staff Dad gave her for her fifth birthday.
We started training like usual, starting with the basics—footwork, stance, balance—and then moved on to swing and stab practice. This continued for about an hour, the familiar rhythm of our training a comforting constant.
"Well, that’s enough for the basics," Bett said, her voice stopping our movements. "Since Ela is joining us today, we’ll do some sparring."
Sparring huh? It’s been a long time since I sparred with anyone-almost six years,infact. In my past life I didn’t really hold back when sparring and no one was a match for me then. But now, my body is one of a five year old and I will be sparring with a sword not with fists. Although I trained with the sword more than Ela, I wasn’t sure I would be able to win, after all she can use magic with her sword.
"So here are the rules," Bett continued. "The first person touched by the other’s sword loses."
Alright, so it’s all about speed and reflexes. If I can dodge her attacks, I might stand a chance. The only problem is if she uses those long-range mana attacks. Last year, it took her a while to channel mana. Even if she’s improved, she’d only have cut that time in half, so I can likely strike before she finishes. And with my ability, I can close the distance quickly. But then again, this is my sister. No one in their right mind would hurt their sister, right? Though this world operates on different principles than the one I knew.
"Ready? Start!" Bett’s voice signaled the beginning of the spar.
As expected, Ela assumed the stance she used last year when channeling mana into her sword. She held her sword horizontally in front of her with both hands, and I could see mana beginning to gather around her legs. I didn't move yet because I didn't know if she had been channeling mana but now since I saw it-I charged, hoping to exploit the time it would take for her to complete the process. But as I swung, my sword met nothing but air—Ela had already dodged.
I quickly turned to where she had moved, only to find her sword already blazing with mana. Her mana flared into fiery flames, and with a swift, unfamiliar footwork, she unleashed a blazing arc of fire straight at me. She swung her sword five times, each strike sending a flame hurtling toward me at blistering speed.
To my surprise, I dodged the first three flames, my ability slowing them just enough—a skill I hadn’t realized I possessed until now.
The fourth flame, I attempted to deflect with my sword, but the force sent it flying from my grip. The fifth flame struck true, slamming into my stomach with a force that knocked the wind out of me.
I braced for the impact, expecting to be thrown back, but it was all a clever diversion. The fifth strike didn’t have the same force as it’s predecessors and in a flash, Ela’s wooden sword tapped my side, sealing my defeat.
I knew it would be a challenge, but I hadn’t expected to lose—not like this. Despite my greater experience, her blend of skill and magic had bested me. The realization struck me hard—if I didn’t adapt, anyone with magic would have the upper hand as I grew. This match proved it: without mana, I’d be left struggling. I’d have to train harder than everyone else or I would risk being left behind.
As these thoughts raced through my mind, I found myself lying on the ground, my legs giving out from the sudden exhaustion that overtook me. The toll of using my ability was hitting me hard. I wasn’t sure why, but it seemed my young, undeveloped body struggled to handle it. Maybe that’s why the doctor insisted I hone this ability from an early age.
"Well, that was a good match, wasn’t it, Kael?" Ela said, her voice bright with satisfaction. She offered her hand to help me up, her face practically glowing with pride.
She was beaming, clearly proud of herself for pulling off those impressive moves. Right, those moves she did after infusing her sword with mana—what exactly was that? I took her hand and stood, the question already forming in my mind.
"Master, what were those moves Ela did at the end? You never taught me anything like that," I asked, turning to my aunt—now 'Master' after all our time together. Though we weren’t particularly close, she was someone I held dear.
My aunt walked over to where Ela stood, gently patting her head. With a proud smile, she looked at me and said, "Oh, that’s something I taught your sister in the first few weeks of training—the Fire Sword Style. It’s one of the four sword styles. Although I only thought her the basic forms and footwork, she trained on her own"
Four sword styles? Where have I heard that before? I wondered, trying to recall. Then it hit me—there was a book I’d found while reading through the collection in our house. Its title was The Four Sword Styles. I remembered being intrigued, but I hadn’t read it because it mentioned that these styles were meant for people with mana mostly battle mages—mages who wield a weapon instead of a staff. The four styles were: The fire sword style, the water sword style, the wind sword style and the earth sword style. They were based of the four main types of magic: fire, water, wind and earth. I knew they had different features but because I didn't read the book I didn't know them.
"Your sister here has already learned two of the styles—the fire style and the wind style. It's quite the achievement, after all the average swordsman can only learn only one of the styles and she learned two at such a young age and without being a swordsman. She could be considered a genius. Though she still got a long way until she masters them." my aunt said, a note of pride evident in her voice, clearly pleased with her student's progress.
Quite the achievement indeed. I had also read that it is hard to learn these styles and that even the best swordsman of this generation can only learn and master up to three of these styles. The book clearly stated that there was only one person that had mastered this four styles, one of the old 'JADES' that fought in the historic fight 2000 years ago. Legendary Sword master, 'Arkengo Bladewraith'. He was a half human and half demon and supposedly died some time after the fight. He was rumored to be the one that made the four sword styles and the third strongest from the 10 Jades.
The book had also stated that a person with weak determination can't learn these styles and should give up if they didn't have determination. All these information was in the introduction part of the book so I hadn't got to deep in the book, but it may have been interesting to read about it. It seems since I came to this world I got a hobby of reading. I'm not complaining though, this world's history is really interesting.
This thought's made me wonder how many styles does my aunt know. I deduced she knew the fire and wind styles because she wouldn't be able to teach another person what she didn't know but I wanted to know if she knew the others so I instinctively asked.
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"Oh, I clearly know the fire and wind styles and I know some of the basics of the other two but, because I had learned fire and wind styles first, it will be hard to learn the other two cuz they are the total opposite of the other two. It may take hundreds of years and if you are not from the other four species as they have a long lifespan, it would be hard to learn the total opposite of a style you have mastered"
That made sense. Fire and Water were opposites, as were Wind and Earth. Learning one style would make mastering its opposite extremely difficult, especially if their forms and footwork were fundamentally opposed.
"Is it possible to learn the styles without mana?" I asked, curious if I had a chance of learning them.
Bett put her right hand under her chin and said, "Hmmmm....., I'm not sure. There is no person I know of that learned this styles without having mana but, it may be possible to learn the forms and footwork and use it with other fighting styles"
That wasn’t exactly a no, and that was all the encouragement I needed. I had an urge, almost a need, to learn these styles. Starting tomorrow, I would study them every day and find a way to master the forms and footwork.
After that, we sparred a little more, though I lost every match. I felt disappointment for the first time in a while, but that was how today’s training ended. I was surprised neither of them mentioned my birthday, and even more surprised that my parents hadn’t stopped by to watch me train, as they usually did.
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Nightfall came, casting long shadows across the living room as I sat alone, the quiet settling in around me. The house, usually lively with the sound of voices, felt oddly still. I pulled out "The Four Sword Styles," the book I had started earlier, and began flipping through its pages. I’d been curious ever since seeing Ela’s moves during the sparring match, and reading seemed like the best way to pass the time until everyone returned.
As I turned the pages, I started to absorb the basic principles behind each of the styles. Each of the four sword styles had unique long-ranged techniques, similar to what Ela used earlier. That attack had caught me off guard, and now I could understand why. The styles weren't just about physical skill; they harnessed the power of magic, weaving it into their very structure.
The Fire Sword Style was the most aggressive. Its movements were sharp and precise, designed to confuse and mislead opponents before delivering a fiery strike. Fire magic enhanced its lethality, and I could see how it would overwhelm a less experienced swordsman with its speed and misdirection.
Then there was the Wind Sword Style. Unlike the fire style’s intensity, the wind style focused on agility, using fluid, rapid movements to outmaneuver opponents. Wind magic, I learned, could be used to drastically increase one’s speed, allowing a swordsman to dart across the battlefield like a gust of wind. It was the perfect counterbalance to the fire style, which relied on direct, overpowering attacks. Combining the two, as Ela had done, created something devastating—a move called Ignite. By accelerating using wind magic, the swordsman could amplify their fire, turning even the smallest flame into an inferno.
I paused at that part, imagining what it would feel like to pull off such a move. The synchronization of two opposing forces was not something anyone could manage easily.
The Water Sword Style was different again. Its movements were smooth, almost elegant, and it relied on water magic to grant fluid mobility. While it lacked the aggressive power of fire or the blinding speed of wind, it more than made up for it in adaptability, allowing the user to flow around their opponent’s strikes, always moving like a stream around rocks. In some ways, it seemed like the most graceful of the four.
Lastly, the Earth Sword Style stood in stark contrast to all the others. Its focus was on raw strength. The moves were slower but far more powerful, each strike carrying the weight of the earth itself. Earth magic further amplified this, giving the user the ability to alter the terrain, create barriers, or strike with devastating force. It wasn’t just about offense; it also excelled in defense, with the user becoming an immovable object on the battlefield.
Reading about these styles made me realize just how important it would be to recognize an opponent’s fighting technique. Knowing whether they relied on fire’s aggression, wind’s speed, water’s fluidity, or earth’s strength would allow me to adapt and counter them accordingly. Memorizing the footwork would be key, even if I didn’t have the ability to use magic myself.
I closed the book, content with the knowledge I’d gained for the night. There was still much more to learn, but I’d made a good start. The evening air felt cooler now as I heard the door creak open, my parents finally returning home. I hadn’t seen them all day, and I looked up to see them both carrying supplies—my mother with bags of groceries, and my father holding a mysterious box, his hands full as he helped her with the load.
They were moving quickly, as if trying to sneak in without alerting me. But I’d already noticed them.
About an hour later, they called out to me, along with Ela and my aunt, summoning me to the kitchen. I hadn’t thought much about the date, assuming that the extra food and preparations might have something to do with Ela’s upcoming tenth birthday. It seemed logical—her big day was approaching, after all. Surely, this feast couldn’t just be for my birthday, right?
But when I entered the room, I was greeted with a loud, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" The surprise hit me, and with it came an unexpected wave of relief. I hadn’t realized it before, but deep down, I must’ve feared that they’d forgotten. As much as I tried to act indifferent, this day mattered to me more than I thought.
We celebrated well into the night, the table laden with food, laughter filling the room. My parents, Ela, and my aunt all had something special prepared for me. My parents and Ela gave me a unique gift—a cloak resistant to fire magic, no doubt inspired by our recent sparring sessions. My aunt, always practical, handed me a real sword. It was shorter than what a grown swordsman might wield, but it was the perfect size for me at this stage in my training. I ran my hand along the blade, feeling the smooth, cool metal. Even though it was small, it felt powerful.
For the first time in a long while, I felt truly content. This life was far from perfect, but I had something here I’d never had before—a family that cared about me. They made me feel emotions I hadn’t known in my past life. Back then, I’d been cold and distant, and now, surrounded by these people, I realized just how much I’d missed out on.
As I lay in bed that night, thoughts of my past life crept in. A bittersweet smile crossed my face. This is what my wife had wanted, wasn’t it? She had longed for me to love her and our children with the same intensity that I now felt for my family in this world. If I had been given another chance with them, would I have been able to love them the way they deserved? That question lingered in my mind as sleep finally took hold.
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Fast forward two years, and a lot had happened. Three things stood out the most.
The first was that I finally figured out how to learn the four sword styles, although I hadn’t started training yet.
The second was Ela’s tenth birthday. On that day, she decided to go to a magic school to sharpen her skills. My father said if she was going to go to a magic school, it had to be the best one—Thaloria Magic School, in the kingdom of Thaloria. Thaloria is one of the three main nations on the central continent, along with Arcanum and Celestia.
My father also went to Thaloria Magic School when he was young and even graduated at the top of his class. One of his closest friends from back then is now the principal, so my father wrote a recommendation letter for Ela. The journey from Rivenwood to Thaloria takes four months, even on the shortest route. Ela had to wait almost a year to find out if she was admitted. Just last week, we got the letter saying she was accepted. She wanted to leave right away, which brings me to the third big thing that happened in these two years.
The third was that my aunt and teacher, Bett, decided to leave Rivenwood. She wanted to go search for someone to love. She said she’d been inspired by my parents' love and wanted to find a partner for herself. My parents had originally made a five-year agreement with her when she became my teacher, but now that she wanted to leave early, they asked her to take Ela to Thaloria first. After that, she could go and do what she wanted. She agreed.
This was all just a week ago. Now, the preparations were done, and they were ready to leave. I was sad that two people I cared about were leaving, but I knew it was for their own good, so I didn’t complain. Still, my mind and emotions didn’t quite agree, and before I knew it, I was crying as they got ready to go.
“Don’t worry, it’s not like you’ll never see them again,” my mother said, trying to comfort me. I didn’t want to cry, but my emotions were out of control.
“I’ll come back once I finish my studies, but I’m sorry I won’t be here for your tenth birthday,” Ela said, hugging me tight.
“And I promise I’ll be back for your tenth birthday,” my aunt said, hugging me too.
It felt sad to see them both go, especially Ela, knowing she’d be gone for five years—the normal amount of time students spend at Thaloria Magic School. At least I’d see my aunt again in three years, and that was something to look forward to.
“Don’t slack off in your training,” they both said before leaving. They still had a four-month journey ahead of them.
And just like that, two members of my family were gone, leaving me with only my parents. I made a goal then—to train in the forms and footwork of the four sword styles for the next three years so I could become stronger and maybe even become an adventurer.
CHAPTER END