Chapter 181: Persistence
"Were you tryna kill me or something? What the heck was that?!" Missio blurted.
"Simple." Dante raised his hand. "It was a two v one."
"That's what happens when someone goes up against more than one guy." Bellum chuckled, crossing his arms. "Your instincts really saved you back there otherwise you'd be in pieces."
"I don't think he would be, Bellum." Dante whispered.
"Shut it." Bellum whispered back.
Dante zipped his mouth as Bellum continued to speak.
"Of course, we had a bit of co-ordination. Some will have no co-ordination at all and some will have perfect chemistry. Now, imagine…"
The commander neared his student, locking eyes with him.
"With Sempiterne Swordsmanship, Romulus could fight hundreds of people at once without getting a scratch on his body. There was once a time where he pushed back an army of chaos incarnates all on his own, while protecting his soldiers."
Missio rolled his eyes. "You really like to glaze this guy."
"He isn't a 'guy'. He's one of the greatest men to ever live, dipshit. Now, understand with that little brain of yours, how can you replicate that?"
"Can you?" Missio retorted.
"Never." Bellum spread his arms, shaking his head. "I could never accomplish such a feat. I fight mindless chaos beasts. He fought an army of chaos incarnates. He's one of the few crowned Monarchs in the history of warriors."
"Monarchs are those who have created their own style of swordsmanship, aren't they…?" Missio guessed.
"Correct." Dante snapped his fingers. "But let's focus back on your training, shall we?"
Bellum scratched his head. "Right… I'll also teach you Form 5 since it is very important."
"By the way, Missio. You are restricting yourself, right?" Dante pointed out.
"Yeah." Missio tilted his head. "You told me to."
Right then, Bellum raised his hands and clapped. It drew everyone's attention.
"Now…" he met Missio's gaze. "Form 5: Persistence."
"Go on." Missio said.
Dante buried his sword's tip in the ground, using it as a cane as his friend spoke.
"Persistence is basically a way to make you more efficient and precise in your attack."
"I see… is there anything else or do I have to do it on my own?" Missio crossed his arms.
"There are two things included in the description for this – A breathing style and Precise, efficient motion."
Bellum drew his katana. "Look at me."
Missio released his vison restriction. He watched as his teachers performed the fifth form of Sempiterne Swordsmanship. Bellum drew a sharp breath, using his diaphragm. His core tightened as his blade swung down. He exhaled as he finished his attack. He raised his sword, inhaling. Then, he swung diagonally again – letting out his breath. He straightened and looked at Missio.
"Did you catch it?"
Missio rubbed his chin, his azure eyes gleaming with immense power.
"You inhale when pulling your sword, exhale when you attack and you heavily engage your core…"
"Right, the breathing style mentioned in the guide for Sempiterne Swordsmanship is dubbed,
Constans Fluxus Breathing – an uninterrupted, continuous breathing that matches the pace of your sword. It's a mix of belly breathing and paced breathing to conserve your stamina and engage your core." Bellum snapped his fingers.
"Mm, Hm." Missio nodded. "Hey, is there still blocking in this?"
Bellum stared at him a stoic face. "What do you think?"
Missio frowned slightly. "I think… it's not there."
"I'm assuming you passed your Stratos exams by just copying your friend's answers." Bellum touched his fingertips. "Because that is further off than I could ever imagine."
"You son of a bitch…" A smile tugged at Missio's lips.
"Blocking is here, it's present. Same as Form 4 but it does get removed in Form 6." Bellum shook his head. "Persistence is all about conserving stamina and perfecting your movements. When you're fighting a battle for who knows how long, you want to keep as much of your energy as possible."
Missio nodded, furrowing his brows. Dante leaned over to Bellum.
"Hey, why are you insulting him so much?"
Bellum leaned over and replied. "I'm just testing his patience. He's doing pretty good so far."
Dante nodded, straightening. Bellum straightened as well, locking eyes with Missio. He gripped his sword and went into a stance. Dante pulled his blade and positioned it head of himself.
"The best way to learn is through practice." Bellum stated. "Let's begin."
Missio firmly held the hilt of his longsword. He restricted his enhanced vision once more. He inhaled deeply and let his breath go the next second. He locked onto Dante and Bellum. He held the sword in front of himself, using the first form. He formed a pattern of attack in his mind, predicting his opponent's response in his mind.
'Use the fourth form… Encompass…'
He took a step forward. He flashed in front of the duo. Bellum moved first, binding Missio's blade. Missio didn't panic this time – he drew his blade. In the process, he also deflected Dante's incoming attack. A massive wave of déjà vu washed over him. His pupils dilated as he entered a flow state. He bent his left leg, bringing his body to the side. He swung down but was blocked by Bellum. He pivoted on that exact leg and stepped between Dante's legs.
He struck his brother with the hilt of his blade. He exhaled when the attack landed, engaging his core. He pressed his feet to the ground. He rotated his head to the side. Bellum's sword came into sight. He backed off, pushing it away with his own longsword.
'I feel…'
He stopped in his tracks – this sword art felt too familiar once more. As Dante and Bellum approached him, he lowered his head.
'…nostalgic?'
He was confused about his own feelings. He felt as if he were relearning this sword art even though he had never heard of this swordsmanship until Bologna. Yet, why – why did it feel so familiar? He grunted, parrying Bellum's katana. He slid his sword across its surface and deflected Dante's sword as well. He took a slight step backward. He raised his sword and swung it diagonally. Bellum lifted his sword, trying to parry.
Missio bound the commander's sword. He tried to make Bellum let go to no avail. Dante swiftly raised his sword and swung down again. Missio's mind raced – how does he counter. He got an idea. Then, instinctively, he entered the fifth form. His movements became more precise than before. He flicked his wrist, flipping his sword to the other side. It clashed with Dante's longsword. The trio continued to fight for a minute straight.
More tourists came to the beach. Eventually, that stopped as the clock struck 9 o'clock.
"That's enough." Bellum pulled his katana.
Dante stopped his attack. "Alright, that was pretty good."
Bellum sighed, sheathing his sword. That was pretty impressive, Missio. You've really got talent for this."
Missio exhaled heavily – not out of breath. He ignored Bellum's praise and stared at his sword.
'This is just so weird… why am I feeling nostalgic…?'