Today is my birthday, and I will be eight years old. But I have a past life where I'm a high school student. I have been reincarnated into this world and now I been living with my master. But…
The wind whistled through the trees.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself.
(Alright… If this is what you want, old man.)
I drew my sword.
And then—I charged.
Suddenly Regis jumped on me with an incredible speed while swing his sword downward.
I block the swing then push Regis.
"Urgh, his attack is faster and heavier than usual."
"Is that all you got brat."
Regis point his sword at me. His expression look gloom. Why he suddenly become like this.
"Come fight me like you mean it!" Regis shouted loudly.
"Oy old man!! What are you suddenly doing this!?"
(This doesn't feel like usual.)
Regis ignored me and before I realized it Regis is already in front of me, he shoots a roundhouse kick.
I received the kick with my right hand, the kick is so heavy that I was blown away and slammed into the tree.
"khak…"
Even though I am in pain, I immediately got up and get into my stance.
"Regis, what are you doing."
Regis just remained silence, suddenly the appearance of Regis become blurred. I feel a glimpse of murderous intent from the side.
I miraculously block Regis's attack, but he shoot his slash in rapid succession. He is slaying, left, right, left, right a storm of flowing movement and precision slashing.
I intercept the slash while slightly lowering it. The arms, hips, and knees are all link without waste, and parry Regis's sword.
Still overwhelmed, Regis's skill, physical ability, and experience are all superior. All this time while training, I realize that he is holding back so that he won't injured me badly.
Although I tried to resist by withdrawing with a quick dash, he immediately chased and caught up.
Collide with each other sword while moving at high speed. Regis keep pushing me back.
I feel a trace of mana from the ground where I just step and suddenly the ground explode. I knelt to the ground.
"kuhak… damn old man you even use magic this time."
"Is that all you got brat." Regis voice is low but I still can hear it clearly, it give me a chill.
"I will end you now." Regis swung his sword and release powerful wind slash towards me.
I didn't manage to avoid the attack, and tore my body diagonally from the shoulder.
Blood gushed from the torn wound.
"Ack ... Guh!"
With so much pain and loss of blood, I lost strength from my legs and I knelt on the ground.
"Is that all you got!!" Regis walk slowly heading at me.
"Stand up Yuuya!! and fight me like you meant it!!" Regis shout while release a big amount of mana from his body.
I use my sword as a medium to help me stand up.
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Regis's POV
(I'm sorry Yuuya, I need you to fight me with your full power.)
(I'm sorry I hurt you so much but this is the only way.)
While desperately hiding such thoughts, I release all my mana from the body. I can see that Yuuya still have the will to fight, he stand up even though he hurt badly.
(Good, that what I expected from my disciple.)
Regis maintain his poker face but inside he feeling very proud with Yuuya.
"Fight me with your full power now Yuuya!! if not, you will die in the next attack."
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Yuuya's POV
"Fight me with your full power now Yuuya!! if not, you will die in the next attack."
My body flinched. The pressure is too high coming from Regis's mana, but there are no killing intent mixed in it. I look at Regis face, his eyes look lifeless. He ready in his stance waiting for me.
Why you look like that old man.
Regis's lifeless eyes remind Yuuya about his life before he reincarnate. He also have a same eye before this. the eyes that already give up with life. Yuuya can' bear the look on Regis face.
"If that what you want, I will grant it."
I charged towards Regis first. That decision was an excellent one since I approached Regis at a speed that couldn't be easily followed with untrained eyes.
Regis easily parried my slash with his sword, stopping the attack just before it connected as he had already seen through my intention to attack him from above.
"Tch!"
I tried to retreat. Noticing this, Regis swung his sword with the intention of crushing my stance but I distract him with firing fireball toward him. Regis retract his and block the fireball using the sword.
I sneak behind Regis while he block the fireball. I try to slash him but he manage to block it using wind shield. I take a step back to make a distance.
I clenches my teeth and endure the pain from the wound
Without hesitation, we both rush at each other and our sword collided. The are no word coming out from ours mouth only the sound of the sword collide can be heard.
We keep exchange blow. All the attack were enhanced with our mana. The amount of mana that has been release were massive that it affect all the mana on our surrounding.
"This is my last attack Yuuya!!" Regis swing his sword vertically.
"I'm will end it right now!!" meanwhile I swing my sword horizontally.
The last attack squeeze all the mana inside my body, my body feel like it might break anytime soon.
When our swords collide, we can hear a shatter sound. Regis's sword shattered into pieces and my sword only manage scratch Regis's chest.
The shockwave from our attack sent him backward, his golden eyes flickering with something like… pride.
What kind of body he made of. I pondered
Regis eyes widened; he shock at the situation he in, He never thought that the sword that he enhance with all his remaining mana will be shatter by Yuuya.
I take the chance while Regis stay still lost in thought. I pointed the tip of the sword at Regis's throat.
"Damn it, its my lose." Regis become like his usual self again. I lower my sword and sheathe it.
"you have grown so much since the first time we met brat." Regis smile.
Then, to my shock—
He reached out and patted my head. His hand feel so big and warm.
"…Good job, brat."
The words hit harder than any of his attacks.
For three years, I had waited to hear that.
A small lump formed in my throat.
(…I finally did it.)
"Did you hit your head or something, have you finally gone crazy Regis." I ask while he stroke my head and suddenly a fist rain down on my head.
"Ouch!"
"You brat, I try to be a good teacher here and then you ruin it." Regis clenched his fist.
"pfht…. HAHAHAHA"
"Damn it, kids this day," Regis look annoyed but he still smiling.
"Anyways I have something important to tell you Yuuya." From annoyed his face change into seriousness. Just what he want to tell me about.
"is Dia-neesan manage to find my home?" I feel really happy. Finally, I can meet father and mother again.
"Sorry, its not about you but me." Regis has a grim expression, what just happen.
"Brat here me out okay? You already grown so much and its already time for you to leave this forest, you already stronger than most of the people."
"Wait Old man, what are you talking about."
Regis just ignore my question and only facing down at the ground
"But you need to know that there are more people that stronger than you, always be humble and kind, always help people that in trouble"
Bam.
I slap Regis on the face.
"What are you trying to do here old man, suddenly talking like this. just tell me what happen!" I was shocked, I can see tear ran down on his face. Just what has happened, I need to know.
Regis wipe his tears.
"Brat, this is my last day." This time instead of grim look he put a smile on his face.
"what do you mean by that."
"I have a curse brat, today the final day." Still smiling, Regis tell me like its nothing important.
"No, no way, stop joking old man. This is prank right? My birthday prank right? HAHAHA." my eyes wanderer around trying to avoid eye contact with Regis. Then my eye caught to something else
I saw Regis feet, it change. It look like rocks.
"You finally realize it huh? This is the curse. My body will slowly change into stone. I don't want you to see the process but look like it happen more faster than I thought."
I grabbed his arm, my hands shaking. "We can fix this—! We'll find a cure—!"
Regis smiled.
"It's too late, Yuuya."
The stone slowly crept up his torso.
"Why are you still smiling like that."
I couldn't breathe.
This wasn't happening.
This couldn't be happening.
(After everything… after all these years… you're leaving!?)
Regis looked at me, his expression unreadable.
"Don't cry." His voice was calm. "You won, Yuuya."
Tears blurred my vision.
(But I don't want to win like this.)