Lila was exhausted after the morning workout. She hated that there was more for her to do today before she was free to do as she pleased.

  “Okay breaks over.” Haruaki clapped his hands to get her attention, repeating the word ‘up’ until she stood up again. “Good. For the first three days, we will be going over evasive maneuvers and counters. These unarmed techniques are referred to as Kitsune no Shippo.”

  “Huh?”

  Haruaki’s eye twitched with annoyance at having to translate it.

  “Tails of the fox.”

  He watched as she slowly mouthed the phrase of understanding ‘ooohhh’

  “Why can’t you just say that Haru?”

  Faster than Lila could react to, Haruaki appeared next to her and smacked her on the head again.

  “Insolent princess. While training you will refer to me as sensei. Now these techniques utilize circular movements to redirect attacks. Kitsune took a lot of inspiration from styles like aikido and tai chi to create these techniques.” He explained as he drew a circle in the ground and signaled her to attack him. He believed it would be best to give her a demonstration, so she understood how effective such techniques were.

  Haruaki thought that the tails of the fox techniques were the most elegant of all fox fist techniques. This was partly due to him being a mage by nature and his dislike of direct conflict. He would rather seize the flow of events and wait for a single moment to strike with everything, usually after his foes have worn themselves out.

  The first attempt Lila made to attack him was a simple lunge. He not only side-stepped her but positioned himself to set her off balance and with a small nudge, she ended up landing face-first on the ground.

  “I believe that you can do better.”

  If Lila tried to kick him, He would throw her like a ragdoll, each time using a different throw.

  Every time she tried to punch him, he would redirect her flow before counterattacking her followed by either throwing her out of the circle or shoving her out of the circle.

  “I believe this should be enough of a demonstration. You ready to start learning?” He inquired after letting Lila try this for about ten minutes. However, her anger was getting the best of her, and Haruaki knew she was up to something as he stared into her silver eyes, watching as they started to shift into red. Yet her sclera was black the second she focused on her movements, regardless if it was the workout or attacking him.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Lila let out a battle cry from deep within as she charged at him going full throttle.

  Her attacks were swifter and had far more power in them than she had before.

  Haruaki kept blocking and redirecting. While he could have ended this at any moment, he wanted to see what her plan was. Why did she think she could win with such a simple barrage?

  It didn’t take long for him to assume that she was just consumed by anger and wounded pride. When he decided to wrap this up he went to grab her, only for her to lock his arms. He could have broken out but what Lila was doing next, but he felt she deserved the reward of letting her follow through just this once.

  The one blow she got to connect on him was a headbutt aimed straight to break his nose. Sadly, with how high his vitality was she achieved nothing more than an annoying flick on his nose with her full-powered headbutt. Despite getting the hit in, she was still flung across the ground with ease.

  “My, my. You surprised me, little princess.”

  He expected her to still be a little upset but was surprised to find her on the ground laughing.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “HAHAHAHAHA!! Look where you are?” Lila kept laughing as Haruaki looked down to see that one of his feet was outside of the circle. This put a smile on his face.

  “Perhaps I should reevaluate you.” His praise did not go unnoticed as her green eyes sparkled with a joy, he hadn’t seen on anyone's face in a millennium. “Still, we should get to your training instead of goofing around.”

  This time instead of teasing her he actually helped her up himself and began to teach her the techniques of the tails of the fox.

  He fixed her stance and her arm positions, while she shadowed his movements. For now, he kept it slow so she could learn the proper body movements. There was plenty of time for her to practice the techniques later in the day.

  Lila was not a fast learner like he had hoped but she was focused. While she was unrefined, he could tell she already knew what discipline was and how to keep herself focused on it. She simply needed a new outlet while she relearned to control her mental and emotional state.

  While he believed she would be more suited for the aggressiveness of the other unarmed techniques he now thought that the evasive techniques were best to teach her to help her find a new center.

  Lila on the other hand did indeed throw herself completely into a new reality of what she is. She still felt some bitterness and emptiness, but instead of wallowing in it pretending everything was okay she decided to use it to fuel her furnace. To reforge who she is as someone who can stand tall and fight back. Someone who will rescue Pops.

  Hammer out the unnecessary impurities and use what was left to help her steeled resolution adapt to the trial ahead.

  Heat.

  Hammer.

  Heat.

  Hammer.

  Heat.

  Hammer.

  This was not the time to quench the blade that would become the will of the monster. A monster who will impose its personal hell on those that stand in its way.

  What doesn’t break you makes you stronger.

  Those that failed to break you will be shattered by you.