Starting out as a Dragon Slave
Chapter 34: Lightning Kata: second technique

Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Lightning Kata: second technique

Back in his apartment, Isaac slowly pushed open the front door, breathing in the familiar aromas of their modest home. Léna immediately raised her head as she heard him arrive, her face lit up with a broad, warm smile.

- Isaac, at last! You’re looking good today," she said with genuine curiosity.

He nodded gently as he carefully placed the precious textbook on the small table in the living room, giving her a reassuring smile:

- Yeah, pretty good day today. Here, take this.

From his bag, he took out several hot trays containing a hearty, fragrant meal he’d bought just before going home. Léna opened her eyes wide in wonder at this unusual attention.

- Seriously, Isaac, you’re going to spoil me," she said with a merry laugh, immediately opening the steaming packages. This is the second time you’ve done this to me... what’s the secret?

Isaac smiled slightly, touched by the obvious happiness on his sister’s face.

- Let’s just say I’m getting better at my job. We’ll talk about it later, I promise.

They ate in silence, savoring this simple, precious moment together. After the meal, Isaac quickly went up to his room, closing the door gently behind him. He was eager to continue his training.

He sat down on his bed, carefully opening the Lightning Kata manual.

He slowly turned the pages, looking for the second form, the one that naturally followed the first technique he had already mastered. His heart quickened slightly when he finally found the desired page, decorated with intricate designs and mysterious symbols.

He carefully read the title, elegantly engraved on the page in ancient script:

"Lightning Kata - Ogame School: Shinsoku".

Intrigued, he quickly scanned the technical description:

"Shidensen is just the beginning. The real secret of lightning lies in mastering the moment. Shidensen is a simultaneous dodging and counterattack, so fast that it requires absolute control of balance and weight, and millimetric precision of every move."

Isaac frowned as he detailed the drawings illustrating the movements. His mind, however accustomed to martial techniques, immediately came up against the extreme complexity of this attack.

- What the hell..." he muttered, deeply perplexed.

He rose slowly to his feet, gently pushing back the chair behind him to clear enough space in his cramped living room. Taking his black katana in hand, he got into position, mentally trying to assemble each movement described.

"So... first pivot on the ball of the right foot, transfer the weight instantly to the left leg, turn the blade in an inverted arc..."

The more he visualized the movements, the more his brain seemed overloaded by the incredible complexity of this new technique. A slight doubt crossed his mind, but he quickly shook his head to refocus.

- Come on, it’s not that complicated... he murmured to himself to give himself courage.

With a quick movement, he tried to reproduce exactly what he had just read. But no sooner had he begun to pivot than he immediately felt a total imbalance take over, his weight tipping sharply forward. His feet slipped on the old, damaged floor, and he fell heavily, sprawling awkwardly on the ground with a thud.

- Shit!" he swore in frustration, crashing heavily to the floor with a painful thud.

The noise immediately drew the attention of Léna, who hurriedly approached from the other room:

- Isaac? Are you all right?" she asked, worriedly from behind the closed door.

Isaac, reddened with shame as well as frustration, hurriedly answered and struggled to his feet:

- Yeah, don’t worry, I just got my feet tangled up...

Léna hesitated a second before slowly returning to her occupations, still a little worried.

Isaac stared angrily at the diagrams on the open manual on the floor in front of him. The incredible complexity of this second technique had caught him completely off guard.

- Fuck..." he muttered, running a nervous hand through his hair. This is going to be a lot more complicated than I thought.

He breathed in deeply, forcing himself to calm his mind, which was agitated by failure. Then, determined, he slowly got to his feet, carefully positioning his feet again, ready to try again and again, as many times as it took, until he had mastered this bloody complex technique.

Isaac was still standing in his room, katana in hand, body tense from the repeated effort of his training, when he once again felt the familiar, brutal sensation invade him. His body was suddenly drawn out of his world, sucked unceremoniously through the barriers between realities.

In a heartbeat, he was back in Mordred’s painful body, at the heart of the cruel world of dragons. He opened his eyes abruptly, immediately recognizing the dark ceiling and familiar bars of his cell.

He sighed deeply, already feeling the oppression of the place crushing his chest. Around him, other prisoners waited silently, most already awake, prepared for another day of suffering. A few hostile murmurs arose at his arrival, but no one really moved. His victory in the arena against the vulture had given him a certain reputation here, even among the most dangerous prisoners.

Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor. Mordred felt his heart accelerate instinctively as the cell door swung open, revealing two massive dragon-guards. One of them pointed at Mordred with a sharp gesture:

- You! You’re not fighting today, so you’re going back to the mine at once!" shouted the dragon scornfully.

Isaac felt an icy chill run down his spine at the thought of returning to this underground hell, where the daily whippings and humiliations were almost worse than fighting in the arena.

He gritted his teeth, resigned to enduring another hellish day, when suddenly a clear, firm and authoritative voice rang out from the corridor:

- Wait!

Isaac’s heart skipped a beat. He immediately recognized the slender figure striding forward. Akane, still covered in bandages from her recent battle with the wyvern, approached quickly, her determined gaze fixed on the guards.

- Mordred won’t be going to the mine today. I’m taking him with me," she declared in a calm, confident voice, without a moment’s hesitation.

The dragon-guard frowned, annoyed but respectful nonetheless:

- Akane, with all due respect to your rank as a fighter... this slave must...

- I’m using my favor," she cut in coldly, staring at the guard with icy determination. I’ve won ten fights, I’m entitled to use my royal favor today, aren’t I?

The guard hesitated visibly, grunting slightly before nodding slowly and reluctantly:

- Very well... according to royal law, you do indeed have that right. Make good use of it.

Akane gave him a cold look, before slowly turning her eyes towards Mordred. Her expression relaxed subtly, becoming softer, almost benevolent, as she met his gaze.

- Come with me, Mordred," she ordered simply, extending a hand toward him.

Isaac stepped forward slowly, still surprised by this unexpected intervention. He silently followed the young woman out of the cell, under the curious and envious gazes of the other prisoners.

- Follow me," she murmured, gently leading him down the corridor. Today, no mining, no fighting. Just you and me.

They walked in silence through the corridors of the complex, until they reached a small private courtyard, deserted and isolated, reserved for the most esteemed gladiators.

Akane slowly closed the door behind them before turning to Isaac, a gentle but mysterious smile on her lips.

- Why are you doing this for me?" Isaac asked cautiously, staring at her intently.

Akane crossed her arms, detailing him at length with an enigmatic expression before calmly replying:

- Because you intrigue me, Mordred. The way you fight, your determination... You’re different. I want to know what you’re really worth.

Isaac held her gaze, troubled but strangely grateful for her honesty.

- I’ll do my best not to disappoint you," he answered simply.

Akane smiled a light, discreet, almost charming smile, and picked up her sword before positioning herself in front of him:

- Then show me what you can do. I watched you last night. You’ve got potential, but your technique still lacks finesse.

Isaac nodded silently, accepting her criticism without protest, aware that he could learn a lot from her.

They began to exchange ideas slowly, Akane patiently correcting her posture, adjusting each of her gestures gently but firmly. Her mastery of the sword was fascinating, her movements incredibly graceful, precise, sharp, each one revealing years of relentless training.

Isaac was quickly fascinated by the warrior in front of him. Her mastery of the sword was almost a deadly dance, graceful and implacable.

She moved with fascinating fluidity, each of her parries, attacks and dodges executed with almost supernatural ease.

- Watch, Mordred," she murmured, slowly executing a series of perfectly coordinated movements. Every gesture, every position must be calculated. The sword forgives no error, no doubt. Everything must be perfect.

Isaac strove to imitate her every gesture, absorbing every word, every piece of advice with rapt attention. His mind, sharpened by the recent experience of the lightning kata, was rapidly integrating Akane’s technical subtleties.

The hours passed quickly under the pale but soothing sun, as they trained tirelessly. Finally, Akane stopped, satisfied, a discreet smile lighting up her face:

- Not bad," she murmured softly, a slight gleam of admiration in her eyes. You’re progressing fast.

Isaac wiped the sweat from his brow, exhausted but satisfied by this exceptional training:

- Thank you... really.

She approached slowly, narrowing the space between them, her gaze now very close to his, filled with an unsettling intensity:

- I’m not just doing this out of kindness," she murmured slowly. I’m betting big on you, Mordred. Don’t let me down.

Isaac simply nodded, feeling a strange, complex thrill run through his body.

- I’ll do everything I can to live up to your expectations," he answered simply and sincerely.

She backed away slowly, a subtle, intrigued smile floating on her lips:

- I don’t doubt it for a second.

Akane finally took a few steps back, keeping her gaze fixed on Isaac, cold but strangely benevolent. A subtle, mysterious smile still floated on her lips.

- Make the most of this day to train, Mordred," she said calmly, moving slowly towards the exit of the small courtyard. Tomorrow, you’ll need it...

She disappeared behind the door, leaving him alone in the heavy silence, her voice still echoing clearly in Isaac’s mind. He stood still for a long moment, observing the precise spot where she had been standing just seconds before, his heart still beating strangely in his chest.

Isaac inhaled deeply, feeling a mixture of complex emotions wash over him. Akane’s curiosity about him, her unsettling interest, all gave him a strange new motivation.

But above all, her advice was incredibly valuable. The precise, subtle yet perfectly mastered movements she had just taught him resonated strongly with what he had discovered the day before in the Lightning Kata manual.

Without wasting a moment, he immediately set to work.

He began slowly, repeating exactly the series of movements taught by Akane. Each movement was precise, calculated, demanding total and absolute control of every muscle, every joint.

At first, he struggled slightly, his muscles tense, protesting violently under the intense effort.

But with each repetition, his body slowly began to memorize the sequence. His breathing became more regulated, his movements progressively more fluid, more harmonious.

He continued tirelessly, repeating the learned sequences again and again, feeling each movement become more natural, more fluid, more precise. Akane’s advice continually echoed in his mind:

"Perfect control of your body is your best weapon. Every movement counts. Every detail can mean the difference between life and death."

Isaac gradually felt a fascinating sense of mastery growing inside him. His balance became stable, his posture impeccable, his rhythm perfectly coordinated. The more he practiced, the clearer he understood why these movements could become essential to mastering the second lightning kata.

He practiced relentlessly for hours, completely ignoring the burning pain in his muscles, the heavy fatigue. His mind was entirely focused on the perfect integration of every gesture, every precise movement taught by Akane.

Sweat soaked his entire torso, sliding slowly down his tired muscles. His breathing was heavy, panting, but he stubbornly refused to stop.

With each attempt, each repeated series, his body became more agile, more supple, his movements more fluid and natural.

"This total control... it’s exactly what I need to succeed in the second Kata technique", he suddenly realized, a gleam of hope and determination clearly shining in his exhausted eyes.

He repeated the series of movements again and again, completely ignoring fatigue, time or the pain in his battered body. At that precise moment, all that mattered was his objective: to acquire this total mastery, this finesse of control, this absolute precision.

He now knew exactly what he needed to succeed in the second movement of the Lightning Kata. It wasn’t just a question of raw speed, but above all a perfect harmony between his body, his mind and his blade.

"One more time..." he murmured between hard breaths, "One more time, until my body completely understands."

And so, in this small, isolated courtyard of the coliseum, under the relentless sun, Isaac continued tirelessly to repeat every gesture he’d learned from Akane.