It was early in the morning in Baska, the sun peeking over the horizon in order to usher in a new day. The morning haze was quickly fading as the warm rays of the sun shone on the area. It was around the time that the city would become more active. Businesses would be opening soon, and the streets would be full. It would be normal for someone’s day to start now.

That wasn’t the case for Ikazuchi. Whether it was habit or dedication, he found himself on the outskirts of town training before the sun rose almost daily. His father started training him at an early age, so he couldn’t remember a time when he skipped out on training. As for the time, he trained earlier in the morning after his father’s passing in order to worry his mother less. It was due to his parents that Ikazuchi would mindlessly find himself training in a similar manner to today.

‘Similar’, that was the only way to describe his training in the past compared to now. He was out just as early, and he was definitely applying himself before his mother passed away. But unlike now, he had plateaued for an extended period during that time. It was only after he found himself outside of his comfort zone that he began to experience the kind of growth that would be expected of someone who had trained for most of his life.

His experiences after becoming a proper Adventurer and Mercenary were nothing like those of the quiet neighborhood of Magnolia that he grew up in. Ikazuchi stained his hands with blood many times since his journey started, and had fought for survival in the Worth Woodsea alone along the way. His strength had increased drastically along the way, and developed a passion that he had lacked when he was younger.  

Word Count (WC): 300

Ikazuchi’s training included facing imaginary opponents produced by his memory, willpower, and focus. He was refining his coordination by going over his past experiences and reflecting on his various options, and how he could have applied himself for a better outcome at the time. He was also checking his growth since then by comparing his current and past self in the process.

This was the kind of training that he had neglected before his mom passed away, and had become the key to his growth. The shift in his mentality and the competitiveness that came pushed him to improve, and his potential continued to explode as a result.

Ikazuchi was also aware of his growth and the cause for it. It took him several months to understand, but he eventually understood that mentality was extremely important. He had a passion for martial arts before his mother passed away that he ruthlessly suppressed. His mental state had been restricted at the time, and he couldn’t truly push himself as a result. He held himself back in order to worry her less, ultimately hindering his growth. That was a painful realization for the young man, and he would happily return to those days if he could. It was only because he knew that he couldn’t do so that he could face the future confidently and apply himself.

After accepting that reality he had an interesting experience. There were times that he felt as though he could sharpen his willpower like a sword, strengthening his mental state as a result. It was to the extent that he would dedicate time to meditation and reflection to improve the mental image of a sword that he was developing. He overcame his aversion to killing and nervousness in battle by ‘cutting’ those feelings down internally. The various forms of negativity that he faced like this served to further improve and sharpen his willpower. It could be said that the reason he could continue to push himself physically was entirely due to how he strengthened mental fortitude in this manner.

WC: 340
Thread Word Count (TWC): 640

Ikazuchi’s morning training eventually came to an end after he finished competing with the shadows he created mentally. His skills continued to improve naturally as he gained experience through real combat and continuous reflection. This had become one of his favorite forms of training, and also what he did at the end of every training session. He came to the outskirts of town specifically because of this training, and the fact that he was unwilling to have others observe him as he trained.

After training for a couple of hours Ikazuchi would work up a sweat, so he had found a spot near a clean and flowing creek that he used to rinse off and cool down. The warmth of his body would make the water feel colder, but that was simply refreshing for him and his sore muscles. He gradually came to enjoy the cold water each morning as it let him start his day refreshed.

Ikazuchi would head back into town around this time if he had any work lined up for the day, but today was a rare free day that he coincidentally ended up with. His typical employers didn’t have anything for him to do, and he hadn’t heard from Aku recently.

“Hmm, I guess I can take some time to properly meditate?” He spoke out loud as if to another, but the only person present was himself. He hadn’t particularly planned to do so, but he couldn’t think of anything else to do. Meditation was the method that he used to maintain and improve his mentality, so it was something he frequently did when he had free time.

WC: 270
TWC: 910

Ikazuchi had been training without his armor or shirt, so he was shirtless after his training. Without any intention to leave the area and a still damp body from his rinse, he chose to find a good spot in the sun and meditate while he dried off shirtless.

‘There looks good.’ Ikazuchi quickly found a spot on a large rock that was dry and flat. He gave his shirt and armor a glance before casually approaching that particular spot with his two swords, one in each hand. Once he reached his goal a small hop placed Ikazuchi on top of the rock. He naturally shifted into a seated lotus position with his two swords across his lap with the sun shining on him.

The mental image that helped him develop his focus and mentality was precisely a sword, so he kept his own close as an aid to the internal vision. Ikazuchi had an easier time with his sword focused meditation in this manner, so he didn’t hesitate to act in this manner after the fact.

He steadied his breathing and gradually closed his eyes to adjust his condition. He could easily remove his random stray thoughts after his several past experiences. This allowed him to quickly enter a proper meditative state. It was a scene that was drastically different compared to his earlier training, but equally important to Ikazuchi.

Truthfully, Ikazuchi wasn’t sure that he could call what he was doing meditation. He relied on the emptied state of mind to delve deeper into his subconsciousness and face his hidden doubts, insecurities, and trauma. He always felt a small amount of curiosity and fear towards what he may encounter as a result.

WC: 280
TWC: 1,190

More than thirty minutes went by as Ikazuchi meditated quietly. The length and rhythm of his breath was enough to mislead others into thinking he had fallen asleep in this position. The only indication otherwise were his furrowed brows and the slight frown on his face.

What Ikazuchi was currently coping with couldn’t be simply ignored and ‘cut’ like most other things. A mix of his fond memories and guilt came to haunt him in the form of his father, someone that he had only seen recently due to a unique situation.

Ikazuchi looked up to his father and loved the man dearly. It was hard to imagine the concept of ‘cutting’ the man that had raised him, even if it was some manifestation of his subconsciousness.

“Hoo? All of that big talk about being a ‘Warrior’ and you can’t even lift your sword?” The familiar voice of Ikazuchi’s father was heard as he faced the man. ‘Shit…’ Ikazuchi naturally felt frustrated by these words as they were his own issues manifested through his father. “What? Can’t even talk back? Where did that bloodthirsty son of mine go? Hm?”

Ikazuchi wasn’t aware, but his body was physically reacting to the manifestation of his father with tense muscles and sweat droplets beginning to form. “If you won’t say anything, then fight me! Let’s see if you’ve improved, I know you’ve been reminiscing recently.” After those words were said, Ikazuchi saw his father’s form shift into his equipped state that had been seen countless times when he was younger.

Ikazuchi felt bitter at the thought of this, but knew that there wasn’t any avoiding it. He had to fight and face his demons if he wanted to improve, and it was clear that he hadn’t entirely resolved certain issues entirely. “Alright…” He finally responded internally, unknowingly dragging himself into a deep state of self-hypnosis that would allow him to ‘fight’ in his mind.

WC: 320
TWC: 1,510

After agreeing Ikazuchi found himself equipped in his usual gear standing in front of the manifestation. He was both curious and confused by this as he hadn’t ever experienced something similar. He accepted meditation as a method to stabilize and control his thoughts, but he didn’t believe that his current experience was normal. Despite that, he insisted on continuing almost entirely for selfish reasons. His ‘father’ was in front of him, and he was being given the chance to face him once more. It was something that he hadn’t experienced in years, something that Ikazuchi missed deep down.

“Let’s get started.” Ikazuchi’s heart felt as though it shook when he heard his father say this. The mockery from before was nowhere to be found as the manifestation spoke and acted in the exact same manner that his father had.

The training was quick to start after that. Ikazuchi was in a defensive position as he gave up the initiative, but he wasn’t struggling at all. The clash of their weapons could be heard constantly within the empty space. The time between them seemed to become shorter as the seconds flowed by.

Ikazuchi couldn’t prevent himself from feeling confused as he experienced that. ‘It’s easy?’ He had expected to get one-sidedly beaten like he had when he was younger, so the lack of difficulty bothered him. It was at this moment that the manifestation of his father lunged backward away from the clash.

“What’s the problem?” The manifestation asked this question with a cheeky grin, an expression that Ikazuchi never saw from his serious father. Ikazuchi naturally wanted to respond to the question, yet couldn’t bring himself to call his father weak. “Oh? You think I’m weak?”

WC: 280
TWC: 1,790

Ikazuchi couldn’t stop himself from quietly sighing in response. “I almost forgot that you’re in my head…” The manifestation smiled widely in response to his understanding and nodded in an exaggerated manner. Seeing that sight frustrated Ikazuchi as it felt like his father’s image was being ruined. “That’s what you’re worried about? A dead man’s image?”

Ikazuchi was angered once he heard that. The fact that the manifestation said that meant that somewhere deep down Ikazuchi thought like that. “Do you have time to think like that?” The sound of a sword suddenly registered as the manifestation unleashed an attack at close range. ‘Shit!’ Ikazuchi had distracted himself for a moment and was nearly caught off guard as he barely managed to block the attack. That was when the manifestation backed off once more.

“Do you want to know the reason why I seem so weak?” Ikazuchi felt as if his ears had opened up in response to that question. “It’s simple. You’re stronger than I ever was.” The manifestation showed him a playful grin as it spoke. ‘That’s not possible…’ Ikazuchi immediately doubted those words after he heard them, he couldn’t accept them.

“You’re faster and stronger than I am, better equipped than I am, and even more skillful than I am.” Ikazuchi averted his eyes from the manifestation at this point as he simply didn’t want to acknowledge it. After a moment of silence the voice of his father could be heard once more. “Why do you doubt yourself? Why are you so insistent on comparing yourself to me?”

Ikazuchi’s attention immediately shifted back to the manifestation at this moment allowing him to see the serious expression of his father once more. ‘I don’t have any other goal…’ Ikazuchi had this thought pass through his mind in response, shocking even himself. The manifestation smiled contentedly at his thought before speaking again. “That’s enough chit chat, let’s get back to the fight.”

WC: 320
TWC: 2,110

The fight resumed and proceeded in the same way that it had before. Ikazuchi remained defensive as he parried the blows of his father’s manifestation, but his thoughts were wandering away from the battle. He had understood something about himself moments ago.

His goal focused on becoming a Warrior, but his ideal was precisely his father. It wasn’t intentional, but he had been restricting himself to his father’s shadow and way of life so far. He found solutions for many situations by relying on his father’s guidance, but he currently felt restricted.

Ikazuchi struggled with guilt over the lives that he had taken when he was alone. He had accepted the necessity of it, yet something inside of him continued to weigh on him despite that. It was only now that he understood that the weight was guilt towards his father for ‘letting him down’.

“I’m not my father…” Ikazuchi spoke these words to himself as he put more force into the clash of their weapons. The hesitation and confusion that he felt faded with each swing of his sword as if he were cutting away the restraints that bound him.

“My father isn’t here anymore.” Ikazuchi clearly sounded more confident as he continued to speak to himself. “I don’t have to live the way that he did, nor do I have anything to prove to anyone.” At some point, the manifestation that he was facing took on the form of himself rather than his father. The clashes between the two gained strength and speed, yet Ikazuchi was smiling comfortably at this moment.

He was finally able to put down the burdens that he had been dealing with since leaving Magnolia with this realization. “I will live for myself, make decisions for myself, and move forward by myself.” Ikazuchi was pushing back the manifestation with each clash. ‘This is the end.’ Ikazuchi swung his swords once more and cut down the manifestation with ease before closing his eyes.

WC: 320
TWC: 2,440

When Ikazuchi opened his eyes next, what he saw around him was the area where he trained on the outskirts of Baska. He immediately took a deep breath and exhaled as he straightened his legs and stretched his body. “I still don’t know what that was…” He moved to the edge of the rock that he was seated on and contemplated the situation.

It was a new experience for him to actually ‘battle’ internally. The results were positive, but he disliked the process. Ikazuchi felt uncomfortable with the situation that was entirely out of his control. He lost all desire to meditate in the near future as a result. ‘I will have to figure out what that was first.’ That was his thought as he checked the sun’s position in the sky. ‘Quite a bit of time has passed…’

His stomach rumbled in response to his thought. He didn’t eat before training, and it was now approaching lunch time. It was only natural that he had worked up an appetite after such a long time. “Time to head back.” Ikazuchi spoke to himself as he properly wore his clothing and armor before making his way back into town.

As for why he wore his armor even when he didn’t intend to work, it was simply for the sake of ensuring he could move comfortably in it. He didn’t want to take a break from wearing it and be forced to readjust as a result. More important than that, he never knew when he may be targeted for his bounty. He wouldn’t intentionally tempt someone’s greed by giving someone the opportunity to easily attack him.

WC: 260
TWC: 2,700

Once he was back in town, Ikazuchi had to settle for a meal at the Inn where he generally stayed. As his bounty went up, he struggled with finding businesses willing to keep dealing with him. He had earned a bit of infamy recently, so he was gradually forced to operate out of the rougher areas in Baska.

The quality of the food that the inn served wasn’t high, but it was at least tolerable. It was only after finishing his meal that he saw a child peeking at him from the window of the lobby area. “Hmm?” About as soon as Ikazuchi noticed, the young boy ducked down to avoid his gaze. What the child didn’t know was that Ikazuchi knew quite a bit about him after that single glance.

He was in a good mood after his training session, so he ended up smiling and waiting for the boy to peek again before signaling with his hand for the boy to enter. Initially there was some clear hesitation, but it didn’t take long for the kid to give in to his curiosity and approach him.

“Hey kid, you hungry?” Ikazuchi didn’t beat around the bush as he assumed that the boy had been watching him due to him eating. It was because of this assumption that Ikazuchi was surprised to see the child shake his head. “What is it then?” Maybe because he couldn’t help but remember his father, but he didn’t want to ignore the boy who was around twelve years old.

“Um…can you teach me how to use a sword?” The boy seemed hesitant to speak initially, but still said something surprising. ‘Kid, this isn’t the place where you’re supposed to look for kind hearted people to train you…’ Ikazuchi couldn’t help but reprimand the child internally. He normally would have said this without thinking, but he managed to hold back and ask the most important question. “Why?”

WC: 310
TWC: 3,010

There was a spot behind the inn where Ikazuchi was currently guiding the boy he met earlier that day. He was slowly going over how to hold a sword and swing it with the boy. It was an act that was almost out of character for him, yet he seemed to be taking it seriously. He had a notebook in his hands that he was constantly writing in whenever he had a moment between the bits of guidance that he offered.

What he was teaching vocally consisted of the basics of swordsmanship. The basic movements and stances were all that he could go over at this moment as the kid was a total beginner. He wanted to help the boy commit as much as possible to memory, and used the notebook to draw sketches of the stances with notes on the key points. It was somewhat tedious, but Ikazuchi seemed to be enjoying himself at this moment much like the boy named Lance.

It had been several hours at this point, but neither seemed to be tiring out at all. Ikazuchi had made several pages worth of notes on the topic of swordsmanship and the footwork required, and was moving onto an actual training regimen to accompany it. The process of doing this was surprisingly helpful to himself as it turned into another form of reflection that helped him understand his own mistakes.

It took him until dinner time to write everything down that he felt the boy would need to know, which was also around the time that Lance started to lose steam. It was a unique experience for both individuals involved. They had an agreement for the afternoon which had been fulfilled, but Ikazuchi chose to treat the boy to dinner before sending him on his way with the notebook and wooden sword that they obtained earlier that day.

Ikazuchi couldn’t help but smile as he watched the boy run down the road from the window of the inn that had become more active. He almost wanted to laugh out loud as he recalled the answer that the boy gave him earlier that day. ‘He sounds just like I did when I was his age.’ Ikazuchi had been reminiscing quite a bit today, and was able to remember what his goals were as a child. It just so happened that Lance had a similar dream, which led to Ikazuchi making an exception for the boy. ‘I want to go on an adventure and become the strongest swordsman, huh?’ Ikazuchi laughed at the thought of that answer, but found himself wanting to pursue it as well.

He felt as though he had been too attached to the idea of a Warrior until now. It didn’t sound too bad to just purely pursue what he was passionate about. ‘Maybe I will give blacksmithing another chance while I’m at it?’ Ikazuchi went up to his room as he accepted his vague goals that were based purely on satisfying himself and living freely.

WC: 500
TWC: 3,510

OOC: Thread Complete