On the same night as my great achievement.
Stephen had a party with friends, just the three of us, but it was still fun.
That night we also had the much-vaunted hamburger that Stephen always boasted of being perfect at making, but he never did.
It was really good.
Eleanore spent the whole night laughing while getting drunk, Stephen spent the night telling stories about his adventures in the east of the country,
It was the best night in the past two years.
And to complete that night with a golden key...
That same night:
Stephen: After so much waiting, you finally made it, miss. I'm happy for you.
Eleanore: Hic! This is true, I was about to give up, the few times I taught, you were one of the longest. Hic! If not, the most problematic. Hic!
She was talking sobbing.
Emilia: oh! Thank you! haha […]
Stephen: Rest well, you will need this tomorrow.
Eleanore: that's right! Hic! It is past time for children to be in bed. Hic!
Emilia: Yes, yes... Hey, wait. What do you mean "tomorrow"? more?! Really?
Stephen: Of course, you have already completed the Eleanore and Merlin test. Starting tomorrow you will be training intensively for the last "test", the Championship.
Emilia: Isn't that- [...] heh? Championship? What do you mean championship?
Stephen: that's right, miss. The next test will be a qualifier to finish your training. While you are fighting there, there will be several other championships going on all over the country. This will happen in three months, so training, we don't want you to fail.
Emilia: what if I fail? […] What will happen to me?
Stephen: of the two, one. You choose to wait for another year or you give up.
For a brief moment I was uneasy.
I can't wait for another year.
Eleanore: For me, you are going to sweep the floor with the faces of those idiots, even without having woken Moon light.
Emilia: Calm down, this is a lot to process at the same time. What the hell is this "Moon light?"
Eleanore and Stephen looked at each other for a brief moment, with a confused look. Then they looked at me again.
Eleanore: ah […] well, Moonlight is a Boost of power, in addition to getting stronger, faster and with almost perfect reflexes, you can awaken elementary skills.
Stephen: exactly. An example is Merlin himself, he is known by many as the Ice Emperor, and by name, it can be deduced from the beginning that he mastered the Ice element, derived from the mother ability, Water.
Eleanore: Merlin has done great things throughout its history, even at a young age. One - of his many feats - is that he has frozen a huge dragon with the swing of a sword. It is a legend among hunters, there is only one person who is able to hit him head on.
I understand perfectly! So Merlin is like an anime protagonist Shonen.
Emilia: Hmm [...] And who would that person be?
Eleanore: May Ockman, better known as the Princess of Fire.
Stephen: you forgot her other codename […]
Eleanore: ah […] well, she doesn't like to be called that, but [...] she is also known by some as […] what was she like?
Stephen: Monster.
Eleanore: that's right! Hic!
Emilia: oh! What a terrible code name […] who calls them that?
Stephen: us.
Eleanore: us. Hic!
With an idiotic smile on their face, they pointed at each other.
Emilia: heh-? Heeeeeeh?!
Eleanore raises her arms and starts to swing in the air.
Eleanore: it's a long story! Ehehehe […] hic!
Stephen: eh [...] back to the subject. When these two face off in battle, it becomes a spectacle.
Emilia: Uaaaah! [...] Who knew that the sweet boy I once knew, would become one of the strongest men in the world [...]
Yes, in the two years I spent with them, I ended up talking about me and Merlin. However, I didn't tell you that we already dated. It would be shameful to say that.
With a silly smile on their face they agreed with me.
Emilia: and how do I wake up my Moon light?
Stephen: It is not such a simple task, you have to find out for yourself. All of us who master the moonlight learn on their own.
Emilia: What if someone has already woken up in the middle of the championship?
Stephen: there it would be complicated for you, because the difference in power is ridiculous. But we trust you, we haven't spent nearly three years here with you.
Eleanore: This is true! If you fail, I give up. Hic!
Emilia: Thank you […]
The next morning:
The training started early and we went until the evening. The training was basically summarized in: running, opening small rivers with the weight of the sword (sometimes I even tried to open the waterfall again, but for some reason, I only opened half the waterfall), training my legs with kicks and somersaults, improving more and more my specialty in combat.
All these things at once, left me ridiculously exhausted, that in the first week.
After a week I was finished, I could barely get up. My body was going over my limit, I feel like I was becoming fragile again.
It was at times like this that that damned fairy should show up to help me - after all, fairies are healing experts, aren't they? - but apparently she only appears when she wants to.
So I continued with this for weeks, sometimes I felt something break and at the end of the day Stephen used basic healing magic on me and everything was fine.
I also don't know how they use magic. I only know that a green light appeared in the palm of his hand, so I felt my leg improve.
I still intend to find out how they do it, but for now I'm just going to thank him for what he's doing and continue the training.
But, there was a day that...
I asked for a break of at least a day to rest. After so much conversation and discussions, they accepted. But I don't think I can keep lying to them about my body anymore.
1 month before the championship:
It was late at night, we were around a fire, sitting on wooden logs, talking about stupid subjects. However, for some reason, I felt that this was the time to tell the truth.
Eleanore: then he made BAAAM!!! And his remains spread everywhere, I got all over myself.
Stephen: incredible story. I liked the "baam" part.
She gets excited and opens a big smile.
Eleanore: it's not!!
Emilia: ehehe […] Guys, we need to talk […]
Eleanore: hey hey hey! […] Until now you were laughing, are you serious now? Are you retarded?
Emília: I'm sorry […] but it is important.
Eleanore and Stephen: we are here to hear you […] Hey, don't copy what I say. Aaaah! shut up! [...]
Emília: eh […] There's something I didn't tell you. Ah […] my body is fragile, in the past I couldn't even walk because I was already at risk of breaking something.
Eleanore: Wait, so are you telling us that you trained these last two years with us with this body? Are you retarded, girl? Want to kill yourself? And why haven't you died yet? - I knew that this girl was a problem from the beginning […]
Stephen: calm down, Eleanore. Let her finish talking.
Eleanore: huh?! […]
Emília: eh […] When I turned 16, I felt 100%, however, I couldn't run if I didn't get tired too fast, when I started training with you my body started to weaken more and more, like when you asked me to go up the mountain, I almost died for lack of breath. In the fight against Eleanore I almost died again, it was a miracle that I survived. In the test of the waterfall of the waterfall things have changed. Although my body has already gotten used to training, at the end of the day my hand was always sore, they trembled and it hurt a lot.
I started to stare at my hands.
Emilia: every morning I was shaking with fear just by touching my swords.
My fist closes.
Emília: now in this Resistance and Strength training my body has reached the limit, it hurts a lot for me to adapt, I feel that at any moment my bones can break and- […]
Stephen gets up. His expression carried an air of disappointment.
Stephen: Miss, I thought you told us that you would become a hunter. That it didn't matter what happened, even if it cost your bones, or am I wrong?
I almost had nothing to say.
Emilia: No, it isn't! But Sensei, I- [...] Forget it. I'm already going to bed.
I got up frustrated and went to bed stamping my foot on the floor.
The two stood around the fire looking at each other.
Eleanore: Don't you think you got a little heavy with her?
Stephen: If it weren't for me, it would be the demons themselves in this world. She needs to dominate her own body, she needs to understand that it is she who dominates and not dominated.
Eleanore starts to stir the fire with a stick, an ironic look on her face.
Eleanore: ah, is it? And how do you intend to do that, Stephen Gounelle?
He folds his arms while looking at her.
Stephen: she needs to learn to be a magic user.
Eleanore: so you […] Are you finally going to bring that to her? […]
Stephen: exactly. Tomorrow I'm leaving to get that, I'll be back in a few days, I want you to keep an eye on her for me.
Eleanore: wait, wait! You know very well that the learning process for learning the low level domain requires months of teaching, as you intend to teach it in less than a month! This depends on how long it takes you to get back. How do we do it?!
He winks at her with a lot of confidence.
Stephen: I have a plan.
Eleanore: ah! […] Ok, leave this in your hands, genius.
And so my tiring days continued, everything was going "well" until the last week before the championship.
Stephen returns from the trip he had taken without warning.
Stephen finds Eleanore carrying a dead rabbit - for lunch - on one of the mountain trails.
Stephen: hey, Eleanore!
She looks back and sees her friend. A silly smile grows on his face.
Eleanore: hey! […] Welcome back.
Stephen looked exhausted, carrying a suitcase. What was in that suitcase?
Stephen: where is she?
Eleanore: Emilia? Well, she was exhausted from training today, so I gave her permission to rest. Now she must be at the top of the mountain.
Stephen: thank you. It was good seeing you!
Eleanore: equally […]
He continues up the mountain. Rle seemed in a hurry to see me.
I am in the spot of a cliff, under the shade of this fruit tree more than twice my size.
My training today exhausted me, my vision was even blurred.
Stephen: Miss!!
I hear Stephen's voice.
My heart pounded because I had already gotten used to his presence close by. When I heard from Eleanore that he would have to travel, my heart squeezed.
I missed you…
He is a friend that is certainly needed.
Stephen: EMILIA!!
That's really his voice!!
I look back and see Stephen appear over the trees running towards me carrying a suitcase.
Emilia: Stephen! […] When did you arrive?
Stephen: We don't have time for this, you need to master one of these three spells.
Emilia: Spells? Which is?
Stephen: Look, here we have 3 spells!
He opens the suitcase and there are three glass bottles in it, liquids with varying colors inside.
One had an orange color, another had a reddish color and the third had a greenish strength.
Stephen: these spells are: Temporary force; temporary resistance; and immediate healing. You can only choose to learn just one of them, choose wisely.
Emilia: Will I be able to use magic, really?
Stephen: just pick the damn spell!
Emilia: wait, wait, wait! Can I use more than one spell or just this one for a lifetime?
Stephen: Emilia, we don't have time! You need to learn to master a spell as soon as possible.
Emilia: ah- right! Okay, wait, wait [...] Well, let's see. - The strength will make me much stronger, but if I am in danger, on the verge of death because of my body, strength will not do any good. So I have these two [...] healing is very good, and useful. But if I am in the middle of the battle against an opponent who has above average vigor, healing me will not help, I would be tempted to be hurt again [...] Clearly resistance will be the best choice, maybe I am already dead when I want to use healing. - Stephen, I will want resistance.
He smiled proudly, like a father watching his daughter learn to take his first steps.
Stephen: wise choice, miss. Now extend your hand to me.
Emília: ok […]
I reach out to Stephen. He pulled a brush out of his pocket, and wrote "Teikō" (resistance) in my hand, the mark disappearing making a burning sound.
Emilia: Ow! […] It burns!
I shake my hand and blow.
Emília: Ok, how am I going to do to test this Skill?
Stephen: Simple, the only way [...] is in practice.
Stephen took a few steps back and ran towards me. He spins once, and then kicks me.
Before he made the attack, I defended myself using both arms to cushion the impact
He didn't get it right, nor did he get it wrong.
The shot was saved, but that was not enough for the attack to have another effect on me.
I ended up being thrown off the cliff.
My arms hurt, but it's not as much as it should be. Is there a technique for hitting your opponent with a kick that doesn't hurt so much?
Gyahaha!... Hey, wait, I'm-!!!
I look down and realize that I am falling from a really great height. As if he were falling from a building with 30 to 40 floors, this is due to Stephen's strong kick.
Emilia: aaaaaaarrrrrhhh!!! […] - hey, hey, hey! […] the resistance technique, I need to make it work! I don't want to die like that!!
Already close to the impact against the ground, my heart accelerated.
And from that, a magic fire covered my body and an impact from my body on the ground formed a small crater and an impact sound echoed over the trees.
I survived Stephen's attack.
I also somehow survived falling off the cliff.
However, I slept for an entire week. I woke up the day before the championship started.
What I'll do?! What I'll do?!
Am I in danger? Maybe, and maybe not.
I don't even know how I activated the technique, I need to know how I did it or I will be humiliated in the tournament.
To be continued…