A delicate silence hung around Nero as he stood alone in the room, a hint of anticipating clinging to his body. He had arrived earlier than usual today to get some practice in. His previous practice sessions and spars were good and all, but through them Neo had realised that he was far stronger than he used to be, so his old tactics and habits while using the spear were no longer useful.
To be specific, his previous habits were still effective in combat, but they were no longer the best way to utilize his full strength and speed. Previously what required his utmost effort and focus could now be achieved by him casually. That only meant he needed to come up with new strategies to make use of his new strength.
At the same time, he simultaneously pondered the growth trajectory of Card Masters. Up until the Arcanist rank, it was common for Card Masters to use weapons in addition to their abilities and cards. So, all the heavy training and practice that all soldiers were given was only relevant for these three levels. At the same time, this is exactly when they needed the assistance of such weapons to stay safe and alive.
However, once they became Mystics, even if their own innate ability was a passive, the Profession abilities granted to them would give them sufficient combat ability even without weapons or Eldrim cards. In fact, in such ranks, normal weapons could no longer keep up with the immense strength that Mystics and above used.
The whole reason spears were more common than swords in Kolar was because in higher levels, spears were less likely to break or snap than swords. Even though swords were easier to use than spears, it would be pointless if the sword broke after a single clash between Arcanists.
Of course, in history, there existed a few weapons that even Mystics and above could use. The Hammer of Valefor, used by General Astarties, a dedicated follower of Emperor Iskunder, was one such example. The Ceremonial Sword given to the Barakus family by Emperor Iskunder was also said to be such a weapon.
Thinking about a day where he might have to give up the spear and move on made him a little emotional. But that was not today. Today, he was going to take his mastery of the spear one step forward.
Once, he commanded his spear with calloused hands and a grip of iron. Now, his hands were soft and supple, as if they had not seen a day’s hardship, yet their strength was only greater, their grip firmer.
The weight of the spear, which once required careful and meticulous consideration to balance and use effectively, was no longer something worthy of consideration at all. Even so, he did not favour brute strength in place of finesse. He only decided to take things a step further, unlocking feats that were previously impossible
Transitioning into a familiar stance, he first began to twirl the spear around his body using only a single hand. He felt his control, felt the wind beginning to pick up around him, felt the spear begin to tremble due to the sheer wind resistance. Nero was memorising the behavior of the spear, learning its ways as it moved with greater force behind it than he had used ever before.
The trembling was not too bad just yet, but it would be an issue as his strength increased. The only way he could think to combat it was to use slightly more flexible spears, but considering the enormity of his strength, he would also have to make sure they remained extremely durable.
Nero added an element of motion to his practice. Though he was still twirling with a single hand, Nero began to move his torso while keeping the spear moving. He felt the wind, felt the currents as they flowed pressed against his body, and imagined a new fighting style.
In one smooth motion, without breaking the flow, Nero took a step forward and brought his second forward, bringing the stationary dance onto a whole new stage.
As the wind whistled around him, as the spear trembled in his hands, as the blood in his body began to heat up, and as the embers of his passion turned to flame, Nero visualised a bold new future.
A card to control the winds - the current a sharp blade when he wished, and a method to fan his flames as he willed. A card to control fire - not blue, not cold, but yellow, with the heat and ferocity of the sun to follow his swinging blade. Then, when the battlefield is set, his blue flames rage across the field, leaving behind only a frozen wasteland.
As Nero danced, his body leaving behind blurry figures as his speed continued to increase, he imagined himself using illusions and mirages of body, making it impossible to find him.
But it wasn’t enough. Not enough.
Nero’s eyes narrowed as his mind recalled the Primal Exarch. Asking him to face such a monster was entirely unfair, yet since when had that mattered? Fair and unfair were concepts of the privileged, the only thing that mattered to him was enough, or not enough, and currently he was not strong enough!
His mind began to race, not only honing his new combat style, but visualising a way to take on such a monster. Older, bigger, stronger, none of it mattered to Nero. When he stepped on the field, he wanted to be the only one called a monster.
He recalled what his father had told him. The legacy of his mothers family was not the Radix Augmentation, but the method by which innate abilities can be manipulated to form Eldrim cards with abilities different from the original. Mastering such a thing would take practice, and knowledge. Fortunately, he was in Fordham, a base researching all new kinds of weapons, so there was a vast amount of knowledge available here.
New ideas began forming in his mind as he continued to exert himself to his utmost, his practice with the spear both a dance and a storm.
At the end of the day Nero was in an army base, not a school gym. Others eventually entered the room, groups of soldiers, and they did not bother hiding their presence. Yet as they watched Nero practice, many of them nodded and even stopped to watch. Who knew if what he was doing was actually helpful in a real fight. It looked cool, though, so they stood and watched. Some even hooted and cheered him on.
Nero noticed, but his focus was elsewhere. In his mind he imagined various scenarios, various attacks, various strategies, but no matter what he did, in his mind, the Exarch remained unharmed. No matter what he did, he could reach the level of power and destruction required.
The more it was like this, the more power Nero used in his practice. It came to the point where the gusts of wind could be felt even by the soldiers standing on the side, and the roar of his spear cutting through the air began to attract attention besides that of just a performance.
Not enough. He had to do better. He had to...
Nero caught a blur from the side of his eye and pivoted. He used the full weight of his body, and the full force accumulated in his spear, and slammed it into his attacker.
Another spear, held by a single hand, right beside a man standing tall, blocked Nero’s. The two spears clashed like a clap of thunder, the recoil nearly knocking the spear out of Nero’s hand.
Nero straightened his posture and looked at Corporal Thomas as he panted and wiped the sweat off his brow. Nero’s full strength had been blocked by the man using a single hand.
Every time they sparred Nero was amazed by how strong the man was, but then again, he was a Corporal, leading a team of soldiers. He had earned his position not only with his time, but through his service and his strength.
"I’ve told you before, practicing alone cements bad habits," Thomas said as he pulled back his spear and grabbed it with both arms. "Come, let me wipe those bad habits out for you."
There was no further exchange. Instead, the two immediately launched themselves into a fight while many others watched.
Such fights were actually pointless from a strictly professional perspective. Weapon combat was always more effective in large teams, and such fights required an entirely different set of manoeuvres. It also required a lot of practice and trust with your specific partners.
Individual combat prowess with weapons would become increasingly insignificant as ranks rose.
Yet many soldiers, even at higher ranks, often kept their weapons besides them. How could they forsake the ally that kept them alive for so long? Humans were not emotionless. That was exactly the same reason why many admired those with tremendous individual skill, just like Nero and Thomas were displaying at the moment.
Nero, though, was not thinking about any of that. Now that he had a proper opponent, his mind became even more active, thinking of ways in which he could improve his fighting style.