Ash returns to the starting position without wasting any time.
Her rear foot slides backward while the tip of her wooden sword lowers toward the grass.
Now that I understand what I’m supposed to watch for, I focus less on the sword and more on the rest of her body.
Her shoulders remain relaxed, her knees are slightly bent, and almost all of her weight appears to be resting on her rear leg.
For a moment she doesn’t move at all.
Then...
FWOOSH!!!!
Ash pushes away from the ground and closes the distance in an instant.
The motion is still difficult to follow, but this time I manage to see a little more than before.
Her rear leg provides the initial burst, her waist twists as she moves, and the sword only swings after her body is already traveling forward.
She comes to a complete stop several feet away without stumbling even slightly.
"Did you notice anything different?" Ash asks as she straightens herself.
"The attack doesn’t begin with the sword," I answer.
A small smile forms across her face.
"Good."
Raven nods from beside us.
"Most beginners watch the weapon instead of the person holding it," Raven says.
"Because the weapon is what kills you," I reply.
"It can," Raven answers. "But the body tells you where the weapon is going."
That would explain why the dragon caught my blade during the fight.
I focused entirely on swinging faster without considering how obvious my movements probably were.
That definitely explains a lot. He watched my body language and it was more than enough to tell him how to dodge.
"Take the stance again," Ash instructs.
I move back into position.
Rear leg behind me, front foot aimed forward, sword lowered, and shoulders relaxed.
Ash steps closer and places two fingers against my shoulder.
"You’re still tense," She says.
"It feels like I’m leaving myself open," I reply.
"You are," She says.
I look toward her.
"That isn’t very reassuring," I reply.
"The Phoenix Stance isn’t made for waiting around," Ash explains. "You either commit to the movement or abandon it before the opponent reaches you."
"So if I hesitate, I lose?" I question.
"In most situations, yes," Ash answers without hesitation.
That makes the stance sound more dangerous than useful.
But after seeing how quickly she moved, I can understand why it works; the opponent has very little time to react if it is performed correctly.
It just depends on how skilled the slayer really is.
Raven walks over before standing a few feet in front of me.
"Try closing the distance toward me," Raven says.
"You’re going to attack me?" I question.
"Not yet," Raven answers.
She places one hand on the hilt of her sword but doesn’t draw it.
"I’ll move aside when you approach. Your goal is to stop before passing me," Raven instructs.
Ash gestures for me to begin.
I take a slow breath, then I push from the rear foot.
Twist the waist and let the sword follow.
Dash!
I move toward Raven faster than my previous attempt.
The moment I reach her, she casually steps to the side.
My body continues forward.
I try to stop, but my rear foot catches against the grass.
Stumble!
I fall onto one knee before planting the wooden sword into the ground to keep myself from hitting the dirt completely.
Raven looks down at me.
"Dead," She says casually.
I slowly stand back up.
"You didn’t even attack," I reply with a bit of disbelief.
"You would’ve been dead before you managed to turn around," Raven replies.
Ash walks over and lightly taps the back of my neck with her wooden sword.
"Especially if the dragon was behind you," Ash adds.
I let out a quiet sigh.
I already knew this would be a challenge but I didn’t think it would be this obvious.
"Again," I say while returning to the starting point.
Ash raises an eyebrow.
"You don’t want advice first?" She questions.
"I know what went wrong. I put too much strength into the first movement," I respond with a serious tone.
"Partly," Ash answers.
She points toward my front foot.
"You also planted this too heavily," She continues.
I glance down.
"If your front foot slams into the ground, your body has nowhere to send the remaining force. That’s why you stumbled," Ash explains.
"So I need to land lighter?" I ask with curiosity.
"Exactly," Ash answers almost immediately.
I take the stance again.
But this time I don’t rush, I focus on moving smoothly instead of trying to match Ash’s speed.
Dash!
I push forward.
Raven steps aside again as my front foot touches down more carefully and I manage to stop only a short distance past her.
It wasn’t completely perfect but at least I’m standing this time.
"Better," Raven says.
Ash nods.
"Again," Raven instructs.
I return to the starting position.
Dash!
Another attempt, then another, and another.
Each movement feels slightly more natural than the last, though I still can’t move anywhere close to Ash’s speed.
After several attempts, the burning in my legs begins to grow stronger.
It is different from the pain I felt after swinging the sword hundreds of times... almost like the muscles themselves aren’t used to moving this way.
I take the stance again.
~Physical fatigue increasing.
I’ve definitely noticed that without you saying anything. It is kind of hard not to feel it.
~Continued repetition may reduce performance.
That is how training works you know...
~Training while exhausted can reinforce poor movement.
Actually I can’t even argue with that point because you’re right. Not that I’ll always admit that to you.
~Noted.
Ash notices I haven’t moved.
"Something wrong?" She asks with concern in her voice.
"My legs are getting tired," I admit.
"I was wondering when you’d finally say something," Ash responds.
She walks toward me before tapping the side of my leg with her sword.
"The Phoenix Stance puts a lot of strain here. If the muscles become too tired, your balance will collapse," Ash explains before going quiet.
"So we’re stopping?" I question.
"With the movement, yes," She answers.
Ash points toward the ground.
"Sit down for a moment," Ash instructs.
I lower myself onto the grass while Raven takes a seat nearby but Ash remains standing as she looks between the two of us.
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