As the sun began to rise once more, Attila and Sivrit left their tent, their fatigue slowly disintegrated by the sunlight. This was their first day waking up in the woods, though as adventurers and aspiring heroes, they would need to get used to such a lifestyle.

Sivrit’s main goal for today was to reach the port town of Ala-Moss, known for its seafood and traditional martial arts. This was the town that had begun the long tradition, Orchestra being one of the practitioners of this style.

She knew this fact through the magic book she borrowed from the academy library a few months ago, the archive of all heroes. In her second reading, she realized that the encyclopedia might be a religious text, seeing how it was so well preserved and had many references to the Goddess and her servants.

Sivrit wondered who the Goddess was. Of course, she knew she was real like how she knew Avangarden was real, but the true question lay regarding her character. Over the periods, there seemed to be many interpretations of the Goddess. Sometimes relaxed, sometimes ferocious, bringer of death and life. In the modern days, the Church had homogenized her image to that of a mother figure of all life, and the lord and protector of Avangarden. However, after listening to Blodelshein and Reginn about their blazing faith in the Goddess, Sivrit believed that there was more to the ancient stories.

As Sivrit pondered an important question, Attila enjoyed the cool but gentle breeze, the sparkles skipping across a lazuli lake. It had been a while since she left the city, her parents were always busy with something. Over the days, she slowly came to terms with her parent’s death. Sure, it still pained her to think too deeply about it and she still had nightmares about the incident, but she also had the best support anyone could ask for. Hopefully, this journey would heal the wounds of her heart and bring her the strength to commit rightful retribution.

The pair finally arrived at Ala-Moss, the town bustling with people as goods and people were transported all year round in this dense port town. Sivrit bought a map as well as breakfast for the two using the card her father gave her. She was immensely grateful for his continued kindness, and she worried for his safety when her mother would come back home. Hopefully, her mother would be more understanding than usual. As soon as she found a telephone booth, she would call her mother first thing.

Attila was excited to learn more about Acosta, the ancient martial art. While she was not interested in much, she was a big fan of martial arts as well as cool weaponry. If possible, she also wanted a bit of guidance from a master other than Reginn, to take in multiple perspectives and feedback about her fighting form.

Dragged along by Attila, Sivrit was forced to endure a long search for the only remaining dojo in town. Supposedly, it was abandoned for many years before a mysterious martial artist reclaimed the land, tidying up the facility and welcoming all to his new school.

Attila stood confident, bright-eyed in front of the dojo gates. Without warning, she let herself in, dragging Sivrit along with her.

“What? Do children these days don’t even knock before entering?”

“Wah! S-sorry, I was just super excited”

The voice revealed herself, an older lady with white hair and sunglasses. However, she was as tall as Attila and seemed to carry herself with authority and power. She was in an alternative gi, made up of a Shiryu-style dress hanging by her hip and tank tops, but had no belts to show.

“Well, that’s understandable. I forgive you. Anyways, how long are you going to stand there? Come on in, let’s have some tea”

“Yes, ma’am…”

The master led the future heroes through the elaborate building, decorated by wood carvings, painted wall scrolls and sliding doors. It was as if she had brought a piece of the east to this small port-side town.

“So, I suppose you are here to learn martial arts?”

“Yes! Kind of” replied Attila

“Not really… I was just dragged here” said Sivrit

“You guys aren’t from around here. Cadra I assume?”

“Yes. We’ve only been travelling for two days though”

“Hm. Must’ve been a tiring few days”

“It was…”

“Well then, those who wish to rest can do so, but you seem to be excited through the fatigue, young lady”

“Yeah! I’ve been waiting for an occasion like this for a while now”

“Haha, I sure hope I don’t disappoint you”

After entering the tea room, the three sat down on prepared mats, relaxing as the master brewed tea.

“So, I suppose I should introduce myself first. My name is Helen, the 97th hero”

“Wait, what?!” shouted Attila

“I-is that something to tell so casually?” asked Sivrit

“Well, I’m not good at secrets nor do I particularly feel like it. It’s easier to just say the truth. Anyhow, I’ve been resurrected for a few months now”

“How is that possible?!”

“Who knows, but I firmly believe that it is the Goddess blessing me with another chance at life. You see, when I died I was just as old as I am now, but I had a deathly disease no amount of strength could defeat. In the present time, only a hundred years later, the same disease is easily curable by modern medicine, how amazing is that?”

“So you’re telling me that you’re from the past?”

“Indeed I am. Though I don’t mind even if you do doubt my story”

“I mean… It is a bit hard to believe”

“Well, that’s just how some things in life are,” said Helen as she brought the tea over to the table

Sivrit carefully sipped the tea, blowing on it to disperse the heat before doing so. She also had to blow on Attila’s after she burnt her tongue on her first sip. Even though it was an ordinary tea, Sivrit couldn’t help but feel a sense of great relaxation wash over her mind.

“Good tea isn’t it? I remember making tea was a bit more difficult than it is now, today all you need is a teabag and hot water! But in reality, the tea isn’t what matters”

“What do you mean?”

“People drink tea for many different reasons, but for me, it’s the sense of calm and safety that you get from it. It truly warms your heart, like being with your loved ones indoors during a winter storm or having a picnic with your family on a warm summer day, a cool breeze running through your hair. That is the feeling I strive for”

“I suppose it’s a bit like zen isn’t it?”

“Maybe. There are levels to peace of mind. The lowest level would be the feeling I talked about, simply being safe and happy, a core memory. The medium would be something like zen, I suppose. Empty of all desires, calming, emptying. The final level of peace, that I have only achieved a few times. However, I wouldn’t say that it is the most pleasing. To lose all emotions and feelings. To truly empty yourself and become nothing”

“I see, but what does that have to do with martial arts?” asked Attila

“It has everything to do with martial arts. Martial arts is not only a combative tool, but culture and philosophy as well, hence the art in the name. To feel the strength behind every strike is to express yourself, like dancing it has rhythm and like poetry, it rhymes”

“Hmm… I don’t get it”

“Actions speak a thousand words, why don’t we practice with a spar?”

“Ehh?! But I don’t know any martial arts,”

“Don’t worry. Surely as adventurers, you are proficient in at least one weapon?”

“But…”

“Hah! You don’t have to worry about me. I may be an old lady, but I’m still a hero”

The candidates followed the hero into a large dojo, almost as big as the gymnasium at school. Sivrit wondered how she even had so much money to renovate this place, though it was most likely just her old money.

“Well then, I suppose you know the rules of sparring?”

“Of course I do, I attend the Royal Gladiatorial Academy!”

“Hm. I used to attend there myself, though I’m not sure how much it changed since. Let’s see if their training is up to old standards”

Helen vs. Attila

The two combatants stood silent, the air perfectly still with tension. Helen was unarmed while Attila readied her new whip. The dojo lit only by the sun was the witness to many battles and would be for more battles to come. However, it would never again experience a battle like this.

Impatient, Attila made the first move, cracking the tip of the whip, concentrating all its force on the target. However, before it could reach maximum velocity and cause explosive damage, Helen interrupted the swing with her arm, the whip wrapping around it.

The hero pulled Attila, making her lose balance. She continued to hold onto the whip, but Helen did not give up either. Knowing that she would lose in the battle of tug of war, Attila transformed the whip into a puppet snake, her specialty. The durability, as well as the strength of the puppet, was based on the quality of the material. Made of rare demon-snake leather enchanted with magic, this was the most powerful puppet she had created yet.

Helen backed up, still calm in the chaos of the battle. She would need to end the battle quickly if she wanted the dojo to continue standing after this spar. The hero began neutralizing the puppet first, though it was difficult as this was a puppet controlled by magic, not strings. Realizing that the puppet did not take much damage and the fact that she did not want to destroy her guest’s expensive weapon, Helen changed her focus going for the puppet master instead.

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Of course, Attila had anticipated this outcome. Any sane person would go after the wielder, not the puppet. She had planned for this to happen and had prepared the perfect counter. Attila pulled out a short blade given to him by Reginn, who after seeing Attila battle, noticed that she was extremely weak in the melee range.

…

“Every warrior in battle has a ‘winning formula’,” explained Reginn “That would be your habit on how you defeat your opponents. For you Attila, it’d be like your puppet snake, that’s your winning formula. However, there also exists a ‘losing formula’, which is something the opponent will try to solve throughout the battle. For you, it’s the melee range. If a strong opponent closes the distance, you become a sitting duck”

“I see… Do you have a ‘winning/losing formula’?”

“I do. To win, I punch the opponent as hard as I can. For losing… Well, I suppose I’ll lose if the Goddess tells me to”

“Eh…”

“Anyhow, the point of every training must be to enhance your ‘winning formula’ while reducing your ‘losing formula’. Most cannot eradicate their ‘losing formula’, but they can minimize it. Here, take this,” said Reginn, handing a short blade to Attila “After summoning your snake, you’re weaponless. From now on, you must train to control the snake and defend yourself at the same time”

…

Hopefully, Reginn’s ruthless training regiment would finally pay off.

Attila successfully blocked Helen’s punch with the short blade, though the impact still pushed her back. Helen was impressed by the young warrior and her elementary understanding of the battle. However, the hero also had a ‘winning formula’ herself.

Helen quickly ran toward Attila, showing an incredible amount of weak points even a novice could see. Enticed by the offer, Attila turned offensive, thrusting her blade. Helen parried the attack and grabbed Attila’s right arm, then lead through with a punch to Attila’s right hand, causing her to drop the sword.

However, the battle was not yet over, Attila commanded the snake to attack Helen. The hero noticed the rapidly approaching puppet but did not dodge. She waited until the last moment while holding Attila in place, then silently disappeared as the snake tunnelled past where she stood and crashed directly into Attila, creating a large hole in the wall.

“...I really hoped to minimize the property damage, but oh well. Teaching younglings are more important”

Helen looked toward Sivrit, wondering if the hesitant warrior wished for a spar herself.

“...I suppose I got a bit too excited for a spar that I haven’t even asked for your names yet”

“Ah, my name is Sivrit, and my friend’s name is Attila”

“So, Sivrit. What did you come all the way to this small town for? Seeing that you came to me, it doesn’t seem like simple tourism”

“Well… I guess my goal is to travel all across Avangarden to become stronger and…”

“And?”

“And to become a hero”

“Hoh, that is a mighty high goal you’ve set for yourself”

“You aren’t the only resurrected hero. In fact, I’ve met many of them back in Cadra. I made a promise with one of them, the second hero, to become the 100th hero of Avangarden!”

“...I see. Well then, future hero. Why don’t I give you some teaching in action?”

“...I suppose that’d be beneficial…”

“Well then, ready your weapon!”

Sivrit took out her rapier, the blade her father gave her. Helen could tell from her eyes that she was nervous.

“Afraid that I might break your weapon?”

“...A little bit. And afraid of other things too”

“Well, I always make sure to never damage my opponent’s weapon. This is just a spar and weapons tend to have sentimental value to their owner. However, you shouldn’t be too worried about breaking your rapier. Weapons are meant to be used afterall”

“...I’m ready”

Helen vs. Sivrit

As Attila recovered herself from the wall, the battle had already begun. Seeing that Sivrit was a defensive fighter, Helen decided to change up the pace, testing the limits of Sivrit’s defence.

“As you know, the Goddess blesses all of her heroes with a talent, spell or skill. However, my talent is much more subtle, can you tell?”

“N-no”

“The Goddess has granted me my new vision, allowing me to see everything in a battle. The trajectory of attacks, weak points, strong points and even the flow of the battle. There is nothing that my eyes cannot see”

Finally breaking under the pressure, Sivrit let go of her guard. Helen claimed the opportunity with a light roundhouse kick to the chest, knocking the future hero onto the wooden floor.

“And I see your greatest weakness, and that weakness is fear,” said Helen “You play defensively not because you excel at it, but because you are too afraid to move offensively. Behind every move lies brief hesitation, and in the world of life and death, hesitation is defeat”

Helen extended her hand to Sivrit, helping her stand back up.

“You are not yet ready for sparring. However, I will gladly accept your challenge once you learn to accept the pains that comes with a battle, to commit to you attacks without hesitation. Bravery is not the lack of fear, but action in spite of fear. This is something that you must learn before even picking up the blade”

“...Th-thank you”

“Anyhow, why don’t I show you guys the best seafood spot in town? It’s on me for showing me such a good time”

“Really?!” shouted Attila in excitement

“Of course. Now brush yourself off, let’s head there right now”

…

The three were waiting at their table in a small seafood restaurant. It was neither the most famous nor most acclaimed in the area, but Sivrit trusted Helen’s judgement.

In the meantime, Sivrit explained the situation in Cadra to Helen.

“I see… So this Reginn fellow is the one you made your promise to?”

“Yes, he is”

“Well, from the sounds of it, he seems like a total monster”

“He is…”

“I am surprised to hear that there is a hero practicing Acosta though. I was worried that I might’ve been the only one!”

“Huh? Why?”

“Well you see, Acosta may be famous, but after the advent of weapons and simple magic, no one wanted to go through the harsh martial arts training, seeing it as inefficient and a relic of the past. My family was one of the few that upheld the tradition, keeping it from extinction. However, it sseems that it’s been extinct ever since I died, which is why I bought the dojo to try and revive it”

“Well, it is difficult to see the greatness of martial arts as a layman…”

“That’s why I’ve been thinking of other ventures to promote the art. The best ones I thought of so far are ‘martial arts movies’!”

“Martial arts movies?!”

“I’ve only seen a single movie so far, but I believe that incorporating Acosta into one would be perfect for gaining traction for the art! Instead of using classical weaponry like a blade or spear, the main protagonist would use martial arts, maybe even fighting against other martial artists!”

“Wow… I would definitely watch that movie!”

“Thank you, it’s good to see that there are still those interested in Acosta”

“...I’ve been wondering, is Acosta related to Shiryu?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Well, the dojo as well as your clothing seems inspired by Shiryu, so I was curious”

“...Hahah! I suppose you could’ve made that connection, but no. Acosta is completely an Avagardian tradition. However, I hail from Shiryu, which is why my dojo and clothing look the way they do”

“Isn’t Shiryu also famous for their martial arts?”

“Indeed, but when I first moved to this town, I fell in love with Acosta at first sight. It’s similar to martial arts in Shiryu, but perhaps due to its weaker regulation, the art was more free and personal. This was something I wanted to see thrive, and hopefully, with my second chance at life, I’ll finally be able to achieve that goal!”

“We’ll be rooting for you, Master Helen!” said Attila

Suddenly, the sound of a deafening explosion followed by the screams of the townsfolk filled the air, alerting the hero and the candidates. The three walked outside to see a gigantic crab monster crawling out of the sea.

“What is that?!” shouted Attila

“I think it’s a King Crab, but I’ve never seen one this big!”

A dozen more King Crabs began emerging from the foam, overrunning the town.

“This is really really bad, and definitely not normal. Quick, you two should seek shelter”

“No way! How would I be a hero candidate if I ran away from danger?”

“You’re a candidate too…? Anyways, there’s bravery and there’s getting yourself killed. Now go!”

“I won’t let you underestimate me, granny!” said Attila as she began running toward the monster with her whip in hand

“Oh no… Sorry, we’ll be back soon!” said Sivrit, quickly chasing after her friend

“Damn it, kids these days…”

Helen knew that it would be futile to try to protect the candidates from battle. As young as they were, they were chosen by the heroes. The master hoped that the heroes chose well and ran toward the sea to protect her town.

Sivrit & Attila vs. King Crab

Attila was the first to reach a King Crab, this one the size of a house. Fighting them normally would be ineffective, and she needed a new stradegy. Attila tried attacking the monster directly first to no success, her attacks bouncing off without leaving any mark. Their thick armour protect most of their body except…

“Their eyes!” shouted Sivrit to Attila “We should go for their eyes!”

However, the towering monsters they are, their eyes were positioned high in the sky, making it night impossible to reach them.

Sivrit and Attila were forced to dodge the crab's giant claws slamming against the ground, tiring them immensely as the crab continued without hesitation. The two were finally able to rest hiding in an alley.

“Now what?!”

“We have to get closer to its eyes somehow…”

The two peaked over to see why the King Crab had gotten so quiet, realizing that one of its claws was stuck in the ground over a manhole.

“That’s it!” shouted Attila “Okay, here’s my genius plan. First, you’ll distract the crab and try to get its hand stuck into the ground. Then I’ll run up its arm and attack its eyes!”

“...Do I have to be bait?”

“Well, do you want to run up its arm instead?”

“Alright, fine”

The pair put the plan into action immediately as the crab managed to pull its claw out. Sivrit caught the attention of the beast, then began running around possible spots the claw might potentially become stuck in as Attila continued hiding in the alley.

After umpteen minutes of trying, the first claw became stuck, which prompted Attila to begin her segment of the plan. The hero candidate ran up to the immobilized claws.

However, in the last second, before she jumped atop the claw, the crab used its other claw to slam it away onto the wall on the other side.

“C-crap…”

Attila begrudgingly recovered herself, but her troubles were not over yet. The crab continued its focused assault on Attila while Sivrit watched.

“Siv! Go for it!” shouted Attila while dodgin the King Crab

Sivrit broke out of the trance at her friend’s request and remembered what Helen had said.

“in the world of life and death, hesitation is defeat!”

Breaking through her frozen muscles, she jumped atop the crab’s immobilized arm. The King Crab took notice and changed its focus onto Sivrit, but Attila would not allow such a thing to happen under her watch as she wrapped the crab’s arm with her whip.

“Go Sivrit!”

Sivrit finally reached the top of the King Crab’s head, its beady eyes focused on Attila. This was the golden opportunity and throwing aside her worries such as ‘the crab might topple over’ or ‘I might miss’, she charged her strongest spell to reach the beast’s eyes.

“⌈Thunder⌋!”

The single spell managed to attack both eyes at once, critically damaging and blinding the beast. However, the battle was not yet over. The King Crab began its uncontrollable rampage, shaking off Sivrit.

Luckily, Attila was able to catch Attila before she hit the hard pavement, but the King Crab still posed a massive danger to the two and the town.

“What now?!”

“I don’t know!!”

The two hero candidates managed to get out of the King Crab’s range, but its tantrum continued.

Sivrit noticed Helen slowly approaching the uncontrollable beast, her strides confident and filled with power.

She and Attila stayed silent as they witnessed a hero in action.

Helen first used her talent to analyze her opponent, her eyes wandering quickly through the colossal creature. After, finding the target, she ran toward the King Crab.

The hero masterfully dodged the legs and claws of the crab, penetrating the crab’s range of attack. She then jumped through several of its legs, finally landing on its moving head.

Helen readied her form, balancing herself as well as concentrating her strength into a single point on her fist. Her entire body followed through with the graceful punch, its impact reverberating through the entire town. Plumes of smoke emerged as the crab’s body hit the floor, knocked out the moment Helen hit its skull.

“Wow… I wonder if I could be like that someday” said Attila

Sivrit was speechless. However, she was glad that she was able to break through her fear and enter the danger. She was on the same spot on the crab’s head as Helen. Perhaps if she knew a stronger spell or a rapier technique as well as where its true weak point was, she could’ve defeated the crab without causing it to rampage.

“Are you guys alright?” asked Helen as she emerged through the smoke

“Y-yeah”

“...I saw what you guys did back there, Sivrit, Attila. You’ve impressed me. Anyways, we still have some more work to do, follow me!”

The three continued to assist the locals in their battle against King Crabs. In the end, the crisis was averted and the town was safe, but it remained a mystery why so many crabs had appeared.

At the end of the day, the town celebrated the hero, hero candidates as well as other warriors of the town with a great feast of seafood, alcohol and mostly crab meat.

While Sivrit and the others enjoyed the atmosphere, she saw from the corner of her eyes a young girl staring at her, dressed in strange white clothes. However, the moment she blinked, she was gone.

“So, you guys are real heroes now” said Helen

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far…”

“...You know, there are two definitions of a hero in my eyes. The first is someone blessed by the Goddess to be the protector of Avangarden, a soldier of the Goddess. The second is those with heroic deeds and righteous morals, like you guys. I think real heroes should suffice both definitions, so in my eyes, you guys are on good track”

After the party was over, Helen showed them the way to the hotel she considered the best, and the hero candidates ended their eventful day with their first accomplishment as a hero cemented in the town’s history.