GOLDEN LINE

Chapter 10 | Mock Battle

The morning dew was streaming through the window, sunlight filtering into one corner of the dark room after another.

The bed was made and there was Jyu getting dressed in his navy blue tracksuit with black stripes along the arms and legs.

"Water bottle, towel, spare clothes, that should be all," he said as he stuffed the items into his duffel bag.

After checking everything in his bag, he walked to the exit. On the other side of the door, Yuna was waiting for him, so they walked together towards the training centre without waiting too long.

With a quick glance at the surroundings, the calm morning city atmosphere, morning sun covered by skyscrapers, silhouettes lined up neatly reflected in the windows of the hallway he passed, a comfortable sensation enveloped Jyu's feelings.

He asked, "What are we going to practice?"

"Mock battle, because there's nothing I can teach you—Well, other than that it's just learning from experience."

Jyu paused for a moment, still in place, his eyes fixed on Yuna, with an expression that signalled the anxiety in his heart.

"Take it easy. You can do it," Yuna said with a bright smile.

"Okay."

...

When they arrived at the training hall, Yuna put her bag on yesterday's bench near the centre of the field, while Jyu began to stretch his body.

"Start with stretching first. Don't want any stiffness during the mock battle," Yuna said as she noticed Jyu.

Jyu nodded, then started with light stretching exercises. His whole body felt a little tense, probably because of the nervousness of facing his first ever mock battle. Meanwhile, Yuna took a stopwatch from her bag and prepared some training aids.

"Are you ready?" Yuna asked, her tone calm and reassuring.

"I suppose," Jyu replied with a faint smile, trying to calm herself down.

"Calm down. Remember, it's just practice. There's no need to feel overwhelmed. Consider it an opportunity to learn and grow."

Jyu took a deep breath, then walked to the centre of the field. He could feel his heartbeat speeding up as he walked. The field was large and empty, except for the two of them. The room was silent, with only the sound of Jyu's heavy breathing and his steady footsteps.

Jyu nodded again, then began with a series of basic moves he had learnt. Punches, kicks, dodges, and other combinations. He carefully move, making sure that his position was correct and his movements were precise.

Yuna watched closely, occasionally giving small but important corrections, such as, "Try raising your arm higher when you punch," or "Keep your balance when you kick."

After a few minutes, Yuna clapped her hands, signalling a stop. "Good, let's go straight into the mock battle."

Before they started, Yuna asked curiously, "So—What are your powers?"

Jyu took a deep breath, trying to calm the lingering nervousness. "My power, I call it force. I think I can manipulate mana making it a sort of combination of wind and pressure. For example, the one where I shot the dummy. I also tried it in my room yesterday, and the result was the same. The manifestation of mana into a force that can control its output even how small the point is."

Yuna nodded, looking impressed. "Hmm—Interesting. So, you can manipulate mana in that form. It must require a lot of

concentration."

"Somehow—Not really, I didn't feel tired at all during the experiment yesterday. But I don't know about fighting," Jyu replied, rubbing his sweaty neck.

Yuna smiled, encouraging him. "That's cool. Now, let's see how well you can use it in a mock battle."

Jyu nodded again, feeling more confident after sharing about his power.

"Ready?" Yuna asked.

"Ready," Jyu replied firmly.

The mock battle began. Jyu advanced cautiously, trying to read Yuna's movements. With quick and agile movements, Yuna attacked first. Before Jyu could dodge, Yuna's body lit up with a terrifying blue flame, the heat of which was felt several metres away. The flames enveloped her body, moving in sync with each of her attacks.

Jyu dodged, observing Yuna's attack pattern. In one motion, he raised his hand and with a flash, his force power slammed into the air, pushing Yuna back a few steps. They exchanged attacks and defences, each trying to find an opening.

Yuna jumped up, releasing a blast of blue flame from her hand, which travelled straight towards Jyu. With quick reflexes, Jyu directed his force to block the fire attack. The flames spread, illuminating the room with an intense blue light.

"Good, keep going!" exclaimed Yuna, as she launched an even more powerful fire attack. Her body was like a flaming comet, moving swiftly with unpredictable attacks.

Time passed, and Jyu began to feel more comfortable. He was able to keep up with Yuna's attacks, and even managed to make some effective counterattacks. With a single stomp of his force, Jyu sent Yuna staggering, momentarily off balance.

Sweat soaked their bodies, but both kept moving, trying their best. Jyu used his force to speed up his movements, jumping and dodging with precision, while Yuna manipulated her blue fire to attack from various angles.

Finally, Yuna gave the signal to stop. They were both breathing heavily, but there was a smile of satisfaction on Jyu's face.

...

"What did I tell you? You're pretty good," Yuna praised, the blue flames around her body slowly dimming. "Well—There's still some work to be done, but you can already use your powers."

Jyu nodded, a sense of relief and satisfaction washing over him. "Thanks, Yuna."

Yuna patted Jyu's shoulder, the warm energy of her blue flame power still present. "No problem!"

They both chuckled, then sat down on a bench to rest for a while. Outside, the morning sun was rising, bathing the training centre in its warm rays.

"Well—Since you can utilise your force so easily. How about you fight against me with a weapon?" Yuna walked to the side of the building and reached into one of the available weapon racks. She selected a light one-handed sword that glittered under the lamplight. With deft movements, Yuna spun the sword in her hand, testing her balance.

He could only say yes, because Jyu knew it was for his own benefit. Lowering his gaze briefly, he mentally braced himself, "Let's go!" he said in a strong tone.

Yuna returned to the centre of the field, sword in hand ready to fight. "That's the way! I'm pumped as well!"

Jyu took a defensive stance, instantly a vibrant golden aura enveloped around his body. In contrast, Yuna's body lit up with blue flames that were more intense than ever.

Without a single further signal, Yuna leapt forward, her sword hurtling towards Jyu. With quick reflexes, Jyu raised his hand, trying to deflect with his force. As a result, he managed to create an invisible shield the same colour as his aura. The metallic clang of the sword meeting the shield resulted in blue flames surrounding them.

Yuna moved with astonishing speed, her sword strikes coming from various directions, with blasts of blue flame accompanying them. Jyu looked increasingly overwhelmed with trying to use his force to form a shield, so he dodged several times with the help of his power. "Be more aggressive, Jyu! Use your force to attack too!" Yuna exclaimed as she launched a flurry of attacks.

"Calm down! Find an opening!", Jyu concentrated on finding an opening in Yuna's attack.

He began to use his force not only for defence, but also started trying to push Yuna back with a strong mana wave. With a single motion, he stomped his foot on the ground, creating a wave of force that made Yuna wobble a bit.

Yuna smiled, seeing Jyu's progress. "That's it!"

They continued to fight, Jyu using his force to attack and defend with more confidence. Each of Yuna's attacks was met with different tactics, making Jyu more adept at controlling his power.

At one point, Jyu managed to catch Yuna's sword with his force, stopping the attack, and even managed to break the blade using the pressure and vibration of the force, causing Yuna to take a few steps back.

"Ah—I lost," startled, Yuna raised her hand, signaling to stop.