On his side, Hikiri had decided to focus on air and water.
He was trying to improve them, using his swordsmanship.
Standing on the top of the boat, he tried to manipulate the wind with his sword, but he got no results.
Should I use my sword with one hand and manipulate the air with the other... It would be constraining, but with my sword, I could get out of critical situations.
He thought, but he tried it anyway.
Mimicking a fight, Hikiri held his sword in one hand and struck; with the other, manipulating the wind, he created air blades and projected them at his enemies.
But sothing he hadn't anticipated happened: the air blades were heading toward him too.
Dodging the air blades just in ti, Hikiri, who had still been slashed in small spots, felt his blood flowing.
Well, my learning is just beginning.
Trying many tis again, all of which ended in failures.
Hikiri fell into deep reflection on how he should proceed.
You're overthinking it.
Soone said to him. Recognizing the voice, he sighed, wondering what he wanted.
Now you're my instructor, Aconé... Otherwise, just leave, I'm busy, you can go back to your activities.
Grabbing Hikiri by the collar, Aconé said:
You're really dumb, but that's okay, I'll teach you in combat.
Surprised, Hikiri started laughing.
You're challenging ?
Totally, retorted Aconé.
Co on, what would I have to gain by fighting you...
When suddenly, Aconé threw him into the air.
First stunned by Aconé's seriousness, Hikiri stopped moving in the air and started walking in the sky, when he heard a madman yelling nalessly below.
By the ti he looked down, he could see Aconé rushing toward him at full speed.
Still far away, Aconé manipulated flas he had just created; they engulfed his arm.
A fla arm grew, far exceeding a human arm.
You know, Hikiri, I only ca out to fight because I had to test new things, and by belittling , you made even more eager to crush you.
Clenching his fla fist, which could be compared to an extension of his arm, Aconé struck.
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Hikiri couldn't dodge; it was way too fast. He blocked with his arms.
At the impact, he heard his bones break under the pressure that propelled him higher into the sky.
Disoriented, he didn't see that Aconé had already caught up.
Raising his open hand, he slapped Hikiri with such speed and violence
that Hikiri's fall into the sea made a deafening noise.
Bam.
Eyes white, as if to justify his absence, Hikiri sank into the depths.
But in his mind, chaos reigned:
HOW DID HE ACHIEVE SUCH POWER BEFORE ?
HAVE I BECO WEAK?
IMPOSSIBLE, IMPOSSIBLE, IMPOSSIBLE, IMPOSSIBLE, IMPOSSIBLE, IMPOSSIBLE...
I GET IT, AN ENGINE, I NEED AN ENGINE.
At the sa mont, underwater, his body began to heal; a water bubble engulfed him.
CALM WILL BE MY ENGINE, STAY CALM AND SOOTHE YOURSELF AND FEEL THIS FREEDOM.
His hands oriented upward and downward; the bubble transford into a transparent sword.
Grasping it, Hikiri felt he had stopped: he was no longer sinking, he was standing in the imnse sea.
Sensing that his control space wasn't large, he manipulated the water under his body, and powerful and rapid water jets began to form.
Raising his head, he looked at Aconé, and with a hand gesture, the water jets shot toward the surface.
Aconé, who didn't believe Hikiri would go down easily, was prepared for all kinds of surprises.
When he saw water, water jets crashing down on him, despite their great projection speed, Aconé had already anticipated them.
But even so, it seed too easy to dodge, when one of the water jets started moving as if controlled by soone, chasing Aconé.
Very well, if that's what you want, I'll take your attack.
Enlarging his fla hand, Aconé prepared to strike, when out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hikiri erge from the water jet.
Wielding a water sword that easily asured ten ters in width, and which was already striking diagonally.
From his lips, a smile neither joyful, nor hateful, nor even expressive erged and murmured:
You're trapped.
In a situation with no way out, many would have given up, but Aconé had a totally crazy idea.
Demonstrating the progress he had already proven, he manipulated the shape of the fla hand and changed it into a huge fla sword.
With a smile, he shouted:
Let's finish this, HIKIRI!
And struck vertically; he put all his speed into it, imagining the sword as part of his arm, which made the movent more fluid and precise.
But as if their bodies were telling them to stop, they felt a release in the latter; their swords shrank.
The water jet deford and fell back down, carrying Hikiri and Aconé who felt their bodies no longer responding.
On the boat, Simone, Asti, and Dina had followed their confrontation.
For Simone and Asti, both thought that if they faced either one, they would lose easily; their power was still below theirs.
Dina thought differently: she believed she had a chance against them.
But while each of them reflected on their power, Aconé and Hikiri were getting closer and closer to the sea.
Hikiri could no longer manipulate the water, but that seed normal to him: he had exceeded his current limits, with his seven water jets and his huge sword.
When in front of him, the water began to emit gas that moved like a cloud just below them, and stopped them.
Well, I can tell you thanks, Hikiri; thanks to you, I managed to master what I wanted.
Said Darlius, walking in the air as well.
It's you doing this, Darlius... Well, after all, everyone's training hard right now.
Murmured Hikiri, letting himself be carried by Darlius.
Back on the boat, Darlius spoke up:
To start, it's been a month since we left, and in my opinion, we have only one week of travel left before arriving at our destination.
And what do you suggest? asked Dina.
Well, I would like us to all et here in four days, to talk about how we're going to approach this attack.
Why not do it right now? retorted Asti.
Because we're not all here, Simone replied to him.
That's true, he hasn't co out once since we left.
Said Asti, looking at the door leading below the boat.
So please, stop fighting among yourselves; already, now we're only seven, so if soone got injured before arriving on an island where everyone will want us dead, it wouldn't be very helpful... With that, see you in four days.
Declared Darlius, who returned to his room.
Aconé did the sa, but before, he declared:
Hikiri, we'll finish this fight another ti, so don't you dare die.
Hmm, don't worry, dying isn't in my plans.
Hikiri replied to him, who was also going to continue his training.
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