Chapter 8: A Mission For The Saint
Azel exhaled deeply, the sound blending with the rustling leaves around the clearing.
The sun had risen high, casting golden rays through the trees and illuminating the practice grounds behind the cottage.
He slid his blade into its sheath with a practiced motion, the leather grip soft and familiar in his hand.
It had been a year.
A whole year since Steven had demonstrated the first form of the Dragon Saint Style.
And in that time, Azel had gone from barely swinging a sword to mastering both the First Form: Star Strike and Second Form: Reversal — the latter being a powerful counterattack technique that required precise footwork and a burst of rotational power.
But more than anything, what had changed was his body — and his control over Aura.
There were two types of energy in this world: Aura and Mana.
Aura was the domain of swordsmen — life force drawn from nature itself. It could be used to strengthen muscles, reinforce bones, even pour into specific veins and organs to heighten a warrior’s physical ability to inhuman levels.
With enough mastery, one could cover their entire weapon or body in aura, becoming a walking fortress of raw power.
Mana, on the other hand, belonged to the mages. An ethereal energy that coursed through the soul and mind, forming spells, illusions, and elements.