Kaizen gripped the Night Sword tighter, feeling the familiar weight of the blade in his hands. The sword seemed to pulse with an energy of its own, responding to his command with precision and speed. He looked at Cephal, who stood before him with his hands raised in a defensive posture. Cephal's expression was serious, his eyes fixed on Kaizen's with an intensity that made Kaizen's heart beat faster.
"Attack, Kaizen," Cephal repeated, his voice low but clear above the roar of the storm. "Let's see what you can do."
Kaizen nodded slowly, his mind finally made up. He couldn't back down now, couldn't let fear overcome him. This was the moment to prove himself, to show Cepal that he was ready to face any challenge.
With a battle cry, Kaizen lunged forward, the Sword of Night slicing through the air toward Cephal. The strike was quick and precise, designed to test Cephal's defenses. But just as the blade was about to hit Cephal's arm, something extraordinary happened.
Cephal's arm hardened, the skin turning to a black, metallic layer. Kaizen's blade struck this impenetrable barrier, and the sound of the impact reverberated across the battlefield. Kaizen stood while Cephal stood still, his arm still hardened by the evolved technique.
"This is..." Kaizen began, his voice trembling with disbelief. "How did you do that?"
Cephal smiled, a hard but sincere smile. "This is an evolved technique," he explained, his voice calm despite the storm around them. "It is a skill that allows you to harden your skin, making it resistant to almost any attack. As I said, a true warrior must be able to rely not only on his sword, but also on his own body."
"H-how?"
"It's not something you learn in a day," Cephal began, rubbing his chin with a calloused hand. "It's more of a feeling... an intuition. You have to feel the energy inside you, channel it into your skin. Imagine your body is like a rock that can be shaped. You become resistant like stone, but still flexible and alive.
Kaizen frowned, trying to process Cephal's words. "Feel the energy within me? To shape my body like a stone?"
"Let's try again tomorrow," Cephal said, his voice cutting through the sound of the storm. "It's a long process, but with dedication you will succeed."
*
In the days that followed, Kaizen and Cephal met daily at the training camp.
The training camp was a vast open space surrounded by hills covered with sparse vegetation. In the distance, the sound of the flowing river could be heard, and the fresh morning air was filled with the smell of damp earth and grass.
Cephal always began his training sessions with a series of rigorous physical exercises designed to strengthen Kaizen's body and mind. They ran long distances, did push-ups and sit-ups, and practiced hand-to-hand combat.
"Faster, Kaizen!" shouted Cephal, watching Kaizen run across the field. "You must be faster, more agile. A warrior must be able to move with the speed of the wind and the force of thunder."
Kaizen ran until his muscles burned, sweat pouring down his face. He knew that these exercises were essential to his preparation, but the most challenging part of the training was yet to come. After the physical exercises, Cephal began to instruct him in the blackening technique.
"Close your eyes," Cephal instructed each day, his voice calm and steady. "Feel the energy inside you. Focus on it, let it flow into your skin. Imagine your body changing, becoming as strong as rock."
Kaizen followed Cephal's instructions with devotion. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to block out all the distractions around him. Gradually, he began to feel the energy within him, a gentle warmth moving through his body. He focused that energy on his skin, trying to imagine it hardening into something solid and impenetrable.
For two weeks he tried and failed. Kaizen's skin remained unchanged, with no sign of the transformation Cephal had described.