The Divine Blades

Soujin led the way to the newly designated training area for Squad 3 with a confident stride and folded arms. He glanced over at Cera, who was now dressed in the squad uniform like everyone else. The transformation was striking; the uniform gave her a more disciplined appearance, though her eyes still burned with defiance.

Cera’s gaze darted around, taking in the sight of her fellow squad members who had gathered to watch the spectacle. Their faces ranged from curiosity to amusement. Her anger simmered just below the surface.

"Yeah, look at the cap actin' all smug. Thinks he knows shit, but he ain't dealt with my ass in a while..." Cera muttered under her breath, her fingers wiggling along the hilt of her blade, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.

She could see the faint hint of amusement in his eyes, which only made her grip her sword tighter.

Then, Bellar stepped forward from the crowd with a slow walk before raising one hand and said,“Box.”

With that single word, the battle began.

Cera didn’t waste a second. In one fluid motion, she drew her blade, the sound of steel slicing through the air echoing in the training ground. She charged at Soujin, her movements a blur of speed and precision. Her eyes were focused, her mind clear. This was her chance to prove herself.

Soujin stood his ground, his arms still folded. At the last possible moment, he sidestepped her attack with a graceful ease that made it look almost effortless. He spun around, bringing up his own sword to meet hers in a clash of metal.

The force of their collision sent a shockwave through the onlookers. Cera gritted her teeth, pushing against Soujin's blade with all her strength.

With a quick retreat, Cera backed off and went for a speed blitz. Soujin barely managed to block the flurry of attacks, his sword moving with lightning speed to counter her relentless assault.

"She's fast," Soujin muttered to himself, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"What's da matter, Cap?" Cera taunted, a smirk playing on her lips. "This is the fastest squad. The Cap shouldn't be strugglin."

Her words stung, and Soujin knew she was right. As captain, he was expected to be the strongest and the fastest. He couldn't afford to show any weakness.

Cera held her blade out, a wild glint in her eyes. "Ignite, Raika!" she shouted, and her sword magic activated.

For the first time, Soujin witnessed Cera's true power. A flaming aura enveloped her body, emanating from her blade. The other squad members watched with awe yet with some familiarity; they'd seen this display many times before, but it never ceased to impress.

With a burst of speed, Cera launched herself at Soujin like a jet on fire. Her attacks came at him with blistering intensity. Soujin tried to block and evade, but she was too fast. One of her fiery slashes grazed his shoulder, leaving a searing mark of flame.

"First blood goes to me," Cera declared.

Soujin looked at the wound, a sweatdrop forming on his temple. He knew he had to step up his game.

"Alright, Cera," Soujin said with a more serious look in his eyes. "You've got my attention now."

With a fierce swing of her sword, Cera unleashed torrents of flames upon Soujin. The searing heat crackled through the air, sending waves of scorching energy toward him. Soujin narrowly avoided the onslaught, his movements swift and calculated.

"I've got to counter," Soujin muttered to himself, his eyes narrowing in determination.

He took a deep breath and called out, "Kaze no Monogatari!"

As soon as the words left his lips, Soujin's eyes glowed green momentarily. A whirlwind of air enveloped his body, forming a continuous protective barrier. The wind deflected Cera's attacks and disrupted her movements, making it difficult for her to maintain her offensive.

The air around Soujin hummed with power. Soujin focused the wind through his blade. With a swift motion, he unleashed powerful bursts of air that struck with incredible speed and force. It tore hrough the battlefield with relentless precision.

Cera scowled and narrowed her eyes in frustration. "I've seen this shit before.”

She launched a series of fire slashes at Soujin, the flames roaring with intensity. Soujin's whirlwind deflected most of the attacks, but Cera was relentless. She condensed her flames into her blade, the fiery aura intensifying as she closed the distance between them.

With a burst of speed, Cera dashed forward, her blade aimed directly at Soujin. She moved with the fluidity of a seasoned warrior, her fiery determination fueling her every move.

Soujin braced himself with the whirlwind around him swirling with greater intensity. He met Cera's attack head-on and they clashed their blades with a resounding clang.

Cera pushed against Soujin's blade, her fiery aura flaring up. "You're not getting off that easy, Cap!".

Soujin's eyes met hers, the green glow still faintly visible.

‘I'm beginning to understand how this power works… combat experience seems to be helping me out.. .’ He thought to himself. ‘Thank you, Cera, for pushing me this far. Despite all the crap you do, you’re making me better right now. I am Soujin, Captain of the 3rd Divine Blade Squad….’

Soujin stepped back, creating distance between them. Cera's eyes flashed with rage."Oh no you don't!" she shouted while closing the gap in an instant.

‘And it’s time I started to be that person on the battlefield!’

He sidestepped her attack, using the power of the wind to create a circular area of swirling air around Cera by directing the wind with the tip of his sword. Cera's eyes widened in surprise. She recognized this move, but never had it used on her before.

With a precise thrust of his blade, Soujin directed the wind energy towards Cera. She was caught in the whirlwind, lifted off her feet, and sent flying back with incredible force. The wind energy battered her, and the collision with the ground left her gasping for breath.

What attack was that? Soujin wondered, watching Cera struggle to get up.

In his mind, Kaze no Monogatari spoke like a whisper in the wind. "Fujin Rasen."

Soujin's eyes widened in realization. He had just unleashed a powerful new technique without fully understanding it. But now, he knew its name and its devastating potential. He looked at Cera, who was slowly getting to her feet.

Cera's uniform hung in tatters, giving her an even more rebellious, delinquent appearance. She scowled, her face twisted with irritation.

"You think you can pull that shit on me, Cap?" she spat out with disdain. "I'm gonna mess you up with my new move!"

Her aura flared, flames licking the air around her, rising higher and higher. With a feral grin, she dashed at Soujin, moving so fast she left a blazing trail behind her.

Soujin's eyes widened in shock. He tried to knock her back with wind strikes from his blade, but she was too quick, evading each attack effortlessly. She closed the distance in an instant, her blade aimed with deadly precision.

Cera jammed her blade into the ground near Soujin. He furrowed his brow, confused by her seemingly misdirected attack. But then he saw it—the mark of fire spreading out from where her blade had struck, encircling him.

Cera's eyes gleamed with triumphant malice. "Ignite, Raika! Searing Inferno!"

The ground beneath Soujin erupted, a gigantic ball of fire surging up from below. Soujin's heart pounded in his chest as he leapt into the air, trying to escape the inferno. But the fiery orb chased him, relentless in its pursuit.

Just as Soujin thought he had evaded the attack, Cera shouted, "Explode!"

The ball of fire detonated in mid-air causing a massive explosion that lit up the entire training area. Soujin barely managed to shield himself with the power of the wind by forming a protective circular spinning shield of air around himself.

Cera fell to one knee, panting heavily. Her sword returned to its regular state, the flames disappearing immediately from around her.

Soujin took a deep breath as he landed on the ground, feeling the heat of the explosion singe the edges of his protective barrier. He emerged from the blast with only minimal damage, but the intensity of Cera's attack left him feeling both impressed and wary.

"That was quite the move, Cera," he said with genuine admiration.

Cera looked down in huge disappointment. She knew it was over. "Nrgghrrgrgrrhrg..."

Soujin racked his brain, trying to find the right words to say in this situation. He wanted them to learn and improve, but he was learning things himself.

‘What do I say? he thought to himself. What's the lesson here?’

And then it hit him.

"Versatility," he said aloud. "Cera, your strength lies in your powerful bursts of attacks. But to truly improve, you should try to learn to use your sword magic in a way where you don't use up a lot of power at once. Versatility is key in battle. You have the potential to become even stronger if you can master different techniques and approaches."

Cera looked up, surprise flickering in her eyes. Soujin's words resonated with her, and she nodded slowly.

"Yeah... I get it, Cap," she said, a hint of respect creeping into her tone. "I'll work on it."

"Now that that's out of the way," Soujin announced, "I want to see the ranked members of the squad in combat."

Cera and Bellar both stepped up. Cera folded her arms with anger.

"So you wanna embarass me some more, Cap?"

Soujin blinked. "What is this?"

Cera's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "Are you stupid or somethin? You made us both the two Lieutenants for the squad days ago."

Soujin's jaw dropped, his eyes widening in shock. "I did?"

Some squad members nodded in confirmation "Yeah, you did," one of them piped up. "You said you knew what you were doing, but the rest of us still don't get your choice."

Soujin's jaw dropped even further. "I did that?"

Suddenly, everything made sense—their attitudes, their sense of entitlement. He had unwittingly given them positions of authority and they had taken full advantage of it.

"That explains a lot," he thought to himself while shaking his head. "Looks like I've got some reevaluating to do...."

Soujin continued to train the squad until nightfall. He pushed each member to their limits and gained a deeper understanding of their individual strengths and weaknesses. He offered guidance and advice which encouraged them to work together and coordinate their efforts for maximum effectiveness.

After the training session, Soujin approached Cera and Bellar with a sigh. "I owe you both an apology. I had no idea I had appointed you as Lieutenants, and for that oversight, I'm truly sorry."

Cera and Bellar exchanged a brief glance, a mischievous twinkle in their eyes.

"It's all fair and good, Cap," Cera said with a sly grin, "but you better remember the other ranked members of the squad by tomorrow."

Bellar nodded in agreement."Of course, you don't have to do that if you leave us in charge of the front lines."

Soujin's eyes narrowed slightly. He caught on to their game. They wanted the freedom to do as they pleased when they went on missions.

“Nice try, you two, but we need everyone to act coordinated out there. I'll make sure to remember all the ranked members, don't you worry."

Meanwhile, in the dark depths of the Senodokidatsu forest, a silence was shattered by the gathering of monstrous creatures. Among them stood a hulking brute of a Senodokidatsu, its muscles rippling beneath its matted fur, jagged teeth gleaming in the dim light.

With a voice like gravel grinding against stone, the creature growled, "Lord Trom suspects that the Divine Blade Society will be here soon. Hehehehe. Rejoice! Our food is coming to us."

The other creatures snarled and hissed in agreement.

"We must be ready," another creature declared with a harsh rasp. "The Divine Blade Society will not be an easy foe to defeat, but we are stronger, faster, fiercer. We will crush them beneath our claws and feast on their flesh!"

The creatures roared in approval with their bloodlust rising with each passing moment. What awaits Soujin and the other’s tomorrow?