[Two days after the training began.]
That cold morning, Colin and Safira waited for the fairy to return as they stood in the middle of the forest, listening to the wind rustle the trees. Safira could hardly sleep properly, remembering all the wolves she had killed.
Colin was quiet, calm.
"There you are!" said the fairy, flying towards them.
"What took you so long?" asked Colin. "We've been here since before the sun came up."
"What a bad mood, Colin, I was preparing a surprise."
Brighid landed on a rock and clasped her hands together.
Zuoom!
A magic circle formed beneath them, and roots began to grow, taking on humanoid shapes. The eyes of these creatures were hollow, glowing an intense emerald green, as were the grooves and cracks that made them up.
Gasping, Brighid nodded proudly.
"You've fought wolves, and on other days you've honed your physique, but today is special." She raised her index finger. "I'm going to simulate experienced soldiers, and don't worry, they're as tough as men wearing armor."
"And this will help us face the demon?" he asked.
"Of course it will! They're better than ordinary soldiers, faster, stronger, more skilled. You and Safira will have to put everything into practice if you want to do well in this class."
Colin stood up from the stone he was sitting on and took his sword from his waist.
Safira did the same.
Brighid snapped her fingers, and swords, spears, axes, and shields formed from the roots in the creatures' hands.
"Take your time." The fairy snapped her fingers, and the creatures began to move. "If you get hit, you won't die, but it will hurt a lot. Remember, your physique surpasses that of an ordinary adult man, evolve your bodies, your minds, then we'll move on to the next stage."
Colin spun the sword in one hand.
"Inanimate or not, this is just wood."
The creatures advanced, wielding axes, swords, spears, and shields, each movement synchronized like an ancient ballet of destruction.
Woosh!
Colin and Safira split up, and Colin attracted the larger, heavier creatures, while Safira attracted the opposite.
I think I can beat them without too much effort, Colin thought, dodging all those disorganized blows. They're slow, no! It's me who's faster! I can see the movements clearly, some even seem to come in slow motion!
He dodged to the side and lunged forward.
Clang!
Colin only managed to scratch the creature's head.
It's tough!
WOOSH!
He ducked, dodging the arcing blow of an axe, and leapt backwards in an acrobatic somersault.
Taking a safe distance, he looked at his palm.
Such flexibility… the training is really working!
On the other side, wooden axes sliced through the air, searching for Safira, while spears pointed like sharp needles.
I'm doing it! She dodged another blow masterfully and defended herself against the spear with her sword. Miss Brighid was right; after training with the wolves, these creatures don't seem so fast!
It was a chaotic symphony of movements, where the sound of clashing steel against wood reverberated through the forest.
In a feint, she saw that grooves glowed brightly near the creature's heart.
Over there!
Schtick!
With the thin sword, she struck the groove with speed, like the strike of a snake. It wasn't a perfect blow, she only managed to remove a small sliver of wood.
Woosh!
Safira jumped back, bent her knees, and lunged forward. She dodged a spearheading for her eye and, like the strike of a snake, managed to break through the groove, hitting the creature's heart.
Yes!
She jumped back, and the creature withered, turning into a small tree that took root in the ground.
From above, Brighid watched them.
Safira uses her speed and small body to her advantage. She's more of an analyst, while Colin keeps hitting and hitting. Even unsuccessfully, he continues to insist. Doesn't he understand that he needs to change his strategy?
The veins in Colin's arm popped, and he moved his sword in an arcing motion.
SWIN!
Brighid raised her eyebrows when she saw that he had succeeded in severing the creature's head and moved on to the next one.
I underestimated him, of course Colin could do it, he is a creature of the veil after all!
The two of them moved deftly, dodging the creatures' attacks. Each blow was a challenge, a dangerous dance that tested their reflexes and skills. Colin, with his expertly wielded sword, delivered precise blows, using brute force to create gaps in the wooden defenses.
Safira, agile as a shadow, danced between the enemies, sliding her sword with deadly elegance.
The creatures' attacks were answered with calculated movements, graceful deflections, and precise counterattacks.
In less than ten minutes, the fight was over, both had managed to liquidate all their opponents.
"Well done!" Brighid approached, holding out her hand and enveloping them in a greenish aura.
Slowly, their fatigue wore off.
"We're going to raise the level of the creatures, and, as your bodies are rested, I believe it will be easy."
Brighid went back up, clapped her hands, and the creatures were born again, blossoming from the dry, twisted branches they had become.
They prepared to fight.
◊❱───────⸂◍⸃───────❰◊
A forest had grown up where they had fought.
After the continuous healing process and pushing his body to the limit so many times in a short space of time, Colin felt that his body had changed even more.
His arms gradually gained even more rigid muscles, even his height had changed. Safira had also evolved in a few hours, which seemed like months.
It was a different kind of training from the one she'd had with Colin after Bastiat and the others had died. Because they were trained exclusively by a specialist in magic, she felt that their training was much more efficient.
Brighid had left, and the two of them remained isolated in the forest. Colin poked at the makeshift fire, roasting a rabbit with a stick.
He seemed focused, contemplative.
"Mr. Colin…" He stared at her. "If we were as strong as we are now… do you think we could have defeated the men that time…? The men who destroyed my village…?"
Colin turned his eyes to the fire.
"It's likely… but I don't think we're strong enough… The most skilled know how to use magic, and we're only stronger and faster than most." He poked the rabbit's thigh and tossed it to Safira. "With Brighid on our side, we can get even stronger."
Safira nodded, determined.
"Mr. Colin, do you think we'll be able to get into university?"
"If we keep progressing, I have no doubt…"