Renose

Kingdom Hearts: Signs of Zodiac

Yea, it really is alot of text. Its really, really long.

Kingdom Hearts: Signs of Zodiac

God that took a while to fully post.

But still, totally fun writing that giant monstrosity.

Kingdom Hearts: Signs of Zodiac

11 parts.

Kingdom Hearts: Signs of Zodiac

Renose & Flamelord Collab (Part Final)

Thomas took a second to get his breath back, looking around the arena with some disbelief as Serin totally blocked them off from the outside. "Really," he commented, gesturing about with some disbelief. Okay, this people would probably notice, unless they were blind or something. Strange stone structures didn't just pop up out of nowhere. He doubted it would influence their being able to assist in any way, but still, it wasn't exactly subtle.

He licked his parched lips, able to feel the blackness trickling down the inside of his armor as he reluctantly settled into a fighting stance once again. There was some internal objection to stripping away all those things that Serin said, since he considered being a mage or keyblader more than just a title. But he'd play along. Eyes widened at the sword that seemed to be pure lightning now, as he stripped it away. The titles, the pretensions, the delusions, to see what was underneath. and what he found wasn't motivating, a jumbled mess, a nobody from pretty much nowhere who was trying to be someone, who wanted to live up to the tales of the great heroes that he had read about, and who was afraid of failure, of letting down those he cared in and those who believed in him. And he was broken, in pain, blighted by darkness in a way that anyone who really looked could see.

He sighed, lowering the sword and glancing down at the ground, feeling more vulnerable than he had in years. "It's all just an act," he said, "A big show put on for the world. Heck, I think I even fooled myself." He chuckled ruefully at that. "Kill me, wipe my memory if you want, cause I'm just not sure what I am anymore. I'm not even sure why I'm telling you, since it's not like it has to be any concern of yours. Not when you have your own things to worry about, like Reno." He closed his eyes, bracing for something, a blow of magic, the impact of a sword, whatever, while thinking that this was not how he had expected his day to turn out.

Thomas would feel something. It wasn't a painful something. Light pouring in from the ceiling as the stone pillars receded and a wave of healing magic washing over him, mending his bones, healing the bruises and wounds, and even washing the pain and most of the fatigue away. The next thing would be a hand on his shoulder and something cold pressed against his forehead. If Thomas opened his eyes he would see Serin, who no longer had that dark expression from before handing him a water bottle. If anything there was a small smile upon his face as he took a step back, stretching some as he healed himself with magic.

"That, Thomas, is the final lesson". He sheathed his sword, the magic vanishing from it as he did. "You have now taken the final step to begin unlocking your true potential. It will take time, but you can surely make something great of yourself". He then popped up some stone stumps from the ground with magic for the two of them to sit down on. "If you want to know how I know this, its because I was like you once. Just some kid who wanted to become someone I'm not. One of the greatest warriors in my home world who, now that I think about it, wasn't really all that great. After my home world was destroyed I found myself in Twilight Town, the only survivor of it. It was at that point that my young life, as I was about your age at the time, had no purpose. My hero was gone and I didn't know who I was anymore as the man I tried to become was gone".

He paused, taking a drink of water from a water bottle he had pulled out himself. "After that I met Merlin, who I managed to convince to let me be his apprentice. At first I was only learning magic to become like the hero I had heard so much about, but over time Merlin taught me differently. He helped me learn that I was myself and when I learned that I was able to learn that I could take my own 'self' and make it whatever I wanted it to be with my own power". He took another drink, finally catching his breath fully as he looked at Thomas.

"It takes alot of strength to admit what you did Thomas. There are some really powerful people out there that would never admit their faults the way you have. You have already proven yourself stronger of heart and will than them. And now... you have found out who you are and can now begin to make that "you" into something greater. And you may not think I have to worry about you, but..." He paused, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a blue crystal. It was similar to the one Reno had held up a few times before, the Red Wizard holding it out towards Thomas for him to take.

"I consider you my student now. This isn't the same with Reno as he's my son and its a father's job to teach their kids things, although maybe not the things I taught him..." Serin chuckled a little bit at this now before resuming his speech. "You, on the other hand, are my first true student. I'm sorry for getting so serious on you, but despite that you managed to pull through where many others would have failed and are more than deserving of taking this and the skills I have imparted upon you. Its called a Return Crystal. It will teleport you to my place no matter where you are, as long as something doesn't block the teleportation. Feel free to come over anytime you'd like, as if you're willing to learn more then I am willing to teach".

Thomas's eyes blinked open to see the sky back, the roof gone, and himself feeling pretty good now as healing magic washed overhim, a snide part of him wondering why he'd learned Cure since no one ever let him heal himself with it. But that part was pretty well muted compared to the rest of the thoughts rattling around in his brain. He took the water bottle and sat down, still somewhat ashamed to meet Serins gaze as he took quick sips from the water bottle, refreshing after that difficult fight.

He listened to the story quietly, though he couldn't stop himself from thinking of the differences in their situations and what it meant for his own prospects, yet something else he locked away inside himself from sight of the world. Now that he had said it, now that he realized the lie, it was like everything was different. He was that much more vulnerable, and the world that much more intimidating, threatening. He wasn't sure if he would still have the confidence to do what he'd done before, to be as good as he had been, as if that lie to himself was propping him up with false hopes that he now knew were untrue. He didn't know who he was, just who he wasn't.

Hesitantly, he reached over and took the crystal, giving it a look over before pocketing it, surprised in the message that he was Serin's first actual student, though that would explain things. "Thanks," he replied, more subdued and cautious in his tone than he had been when they started. "I guess we'll have to see." Whether or not he would actually have the time to do any training with Serin, if he felt like going through this sort of thing again, was something that he would have to see in the future.

His attention was drawn away then, back to his arm, to the armor damaged by that powerful strike and the blackness on it. "Great," he muttered to himself as he examined it, unsure how he was going to handle this since blacksmithing wasn't exactly his area of expertise. Eventually he decided to use a Fire spell and see if he couldn't heat the metal enough to fold it back together and weld the cracks, which is what he proceeded to do, while refusing to comment on what the black liquid was and leaving his conversation with Serin to hang while he worked on it.

Serin could tell that Thomas wasn't in high spirits now, which didn't surprise him. Serin had also felt the same way when he learned that his own life and resolve to become someone else was just a lie, a delusion. Serin wanted to ask about the black goop, but just stayed silent, waiting for Thomas to fix his armor. When it was finally fixed Serin stood up, flattening his own seat back into the ground as he did so. "Thomas, I can tell that you probably think you have lost all of your strength and confidence without your delusions to support you. I know, I felt the same way when I was in your position. I thought I would never be the same again, but the thing is, I wasn't. I forged my own identity and became who I wanted to be. It is because of that I was able to get to where I am today. Now that you have broken what was holding you back you don't need it to support you anymore. You are free to shape your own destiny and your own self using your Will".

Thomas sighed and he pulled himself back to his feet once he had his armor fixed, though there were some black spots on it that didn't seem to go away no matter hiw much he rubbed them, something he would probably have to address later. "I can work it out myself. You've done enough," he commented with a hand meant to placate somewhat and otherwise meant to just end the stories and such of a different man in a different situation.He needed to figure out who he was by himself, and that wasn't going to just happen at the drop of a hat. He just needed time to think.

"Of course. This is something you need to figure out yourself after all. Only you can figure it out, and I'm sure you will". Serin then picked up the steel sword, it being cracked and looking like it needed repair. He took out another sword, placing it on the stump next to Thomas. This one, if Thomas unsheathed it, was much more like Serin's in design. "A gift. Use it to practice whenever you get the chance. For now farewell, Thomas". After that Serin walked out of the alleyway, knowing that Thomas needed some time alone to think right now, some time to figure out just who he was.

"Thanks," Thomas replied somewhat distractedly as Serin placed the new sword nearby and then departed. Thomas glanced at it and heaved himself up, walked over to it and unsheathed it. He admired the design for a bit,m before putting it back, wondering what to do next. His attention was drawn to Vivi as the Black Mage wandered in and slapped up a poster for a tournament. Thomas walked over and read it with emotionless eyes. Had this been earlier, he probably would have joined in even without magic, just to see how well he could do. Now.....He just couldn't find the motivation to be bothered. Returning to the sword, he put it away in one of his bags, with the wand he had retrieved from when the White Witch fled in that fight, and left the alley to return to where they were staying. He was drained of energy, andhe could use the rest and isolation to get his thoughts in order.

In truth, Serin felt bad. He wondered if he had went too far in that instance, but knew also that what was holding Thomas back was going to be something he would have to face eventually. Serin was just helping him face it before it was too late. The truth hurts, but when one is able to face it then they are capable of turning it into strength. Serin felt the potential in the boy and knew now that only time could tell if, now that his delusions were shattered, he could use his own identity and support himself with his own strength instead of trying to become someone else. Either way, the Red Wizard knew that this was now going to be one of the hardest times in Thomas' life, but Serin had faith in his pupil. After all, Serin wouldn't have acted that way to Thomas nor would he have gone all out on him like that if he didn't have faith in him.

Well, there was no point in living in the past. What's done is done and Serin knew now that the rest was up to Thomas. Now he was simply walking around, taking slow sips from his bottled water as he headed to the hospital where he thought Reno would be.

Kingdom Hearts: Signs of Zodiac

Flamelord & Renose Collab (Part 10)

The blade seemed to move quickly and fluidly like a feather dancing on the wind as sparks and bits of flame and electricity from both blades leapt off both blades and onto both fighters as their swords clashed. Serin could tell that Thomas was searching for it. He could tell from how Thomas' movements seemed to change somewhat as Serin actually had to put more effort into blocking now than he did before. Still, Serin had years of experience, it was going to be hard to get past his guard unless Thomas managed to pull something incredible off like Serin had done with his blade to Thomas just a short bit ago.

"Who are you?" Serin asked as he slashed at Thomas, but instead of getting a hit was forced to counter Thomas' attack with his own, it having been a close call there. "Are you Thomas, or are you someone else? Because right now" he paused to counter yet another blow that almost managed to get him, Serin being able to feel the lightning from Thomas' blade sparking off against him. "The only person here, in this place right now..." more clashes and blocks as Serin's fire magic on his blade let off short bursts of flame with each slash. "Who can land a blow on me is him. Is that you, Thomas? Find yourself, find the you within that can land a blow against me".

It was indeed close as the sparring continued, but Serin wasn't going to let Thomas land a blow so easily. He wouldn't even let Thomas land a blow even if Thomas managed to find what Serin was talking about. No. If Thomas wanted to get past Serin's guard and begin a counterattack he would have to do it with his own power. He would have to find the will that would allow him to begin pushing Serin back and place him on the defensive.

Sparks flew, scattering about the immediate area as they clashed, and thomas could note the difference, times when he had gotten close only to be denied when Serin's experience shone through in stopping him. His swordsmanship was improving in that case, and he carried on with a solid determination, though he didn't answer Serin's question immediately as he struggled with the answer himself. Who was he, what did he want to be? A mage, the hero, a leader, someone exceptional, a Keyblade warrior, a middle child from a provincial town. But was he actually any of those, or were those just things he wanted to believe he was? For certain the last thing was true, and fairly hard to deny at that, those others he used to be certain of, but had fallen more and more into doubt, beyond actually being a mage. He tried to hide the doubt though, as he had before.

Still, in spite of that he wasn't going to let it stop him in his attempts, though Serin was doing a good job of that on his own. It ddn't matter that much for a sparring match, did it? Not when it wasn't a fight for his life or some intense struggle. And perhaps it was this lack of motivation that restrained him, but there was no real way to combat that in this situation, in his mind. So just carriyng on, darting in for a few quick strikes before moving out again, seemingly stalemated as it was though he held the initiative for the moment.

Something was holding Thomas back. Serin could tell. Perhaps the boy just thought of this as a simple sparring match, which it was, but it was also much more. Serin felt like one more final push was needed, a push that would force Thomas to search deep inside himself and break his limits. Suddenly Serin's eyes grew intense as did his slashes. He was relentlessly striking now, aiming for Thomas' vitals a few times even. Suddenly with one slash a torrent of flame seemed to leap from Serin's sword and strike the boy, but Serin did not stop there as with another slash blades of air also leapt out from his blade, striking him as if Serin had struck at him with multiple swords.

"So, if you're not Thomas, then I guess this means you're an imposter then..." Serin truly did not want to resort to this, but the experienced Red Wizard could see the untapped potential within Thomas and if threatening his life was going to bring it out, then Serin would do so. He believed in Thomas' power and knew that with it Thomas would not die, but that doesn't mean he wasn't going to get hurt. "I am teaching Thomas here, so I can't let an imposter walk away with my secrets..." The tone of this 'sparring' shifted in an instant as suddenly the Red Wizard waved his hand, stone pillars appearing and blocking off all exits.

"So unless you can prove to me who You are... I will knock the memory right out of you..." And with that declaration Serin slashed downward towards Thomas' head, wind and fire making the pressure of his sword intense. This was no longer a sparring match. It wasn't a deathmatch, but it certainly wasn't a sparring match anymore.

Thomas was unprepared as the spar went to a whole other level, serin effortlessly (it seemed), taking control of the fight and driving him back, barely blocking some strikes aimed at areas he was fairly certain were improtant from his basic knowledge of the human anatomy. Sweat broke out as he more frantically fought back, that torrent of flame sending him stumbling back, and the blasts of air tossing himto the ground, to scramble back to his feet. He was breathing deep, scared a bit by the aggressive tone this had taken, and his gaze flew almost wildly to the exits as stone pillars rose to block them off. He wasn't really serious, was he? There might be an annoying part of himself in his head, but there was no way Serin would be accurately able to judge any sort of mind control or something like that, not with how shortly they had known each other.

It was a quandary, a potentially deadly one even if some small kernel of him still believed that Serin wouldn't do it. He might have been certain at the start, but now, this far in his journey, he didn't know who he was, didn't have a satisfactory answer that could fire the drive Serin was apparently looking for inside him. But the obstinant part of him didn't want to say that, to admit his own faults, as if he'd be letting down Serin and himself by saying so. But it was hard to argue in the face of getting his ass kicked, and then Serin may do it anyway.

Still, it did spark some primal fear, some motivation to survive, and as serin slashed downwards, he took action. His arm shot up as he dropped to cover his head, catching the magic enhanced blade with his Keyblade armor, face twisted as he cried out in pain, the blow and his dark wound, his arm felt like it was shattering as armor warped and shuddered under the power of the blow. But at the same time he struck back, stabbing forward with his sword at Serin's gut. If this didn't work, he would be in a heap of trouble.

The push was working as the blow seemed to work, Serin grunting as the blow struck true. Of course no blood was shed, as Thomas would have noticed that despite getting hit by the swords they did not cut despite being sharp, probably due to some protection magic. Still they hurt anyway when hit with one and even a piece of metal enchanted to not cut could kill or break bone if one was hit hard enough in certain areas. Thomas' blow though was met with a counter attack, his sword surging forth in a sideways slash like a rocket propelled by the flame magic, aiming straight for Thomas' side.

Whether or not the mage blocked or dodged didn't matter as Serin kept up a relentless onslaught, watching as Thomas' sword skills sharpened as did his ability to keep the magic in his sword and wield the magic blade. Still though it was as if something was holding Thomas back, Serin could feel it. Not feel what it was, but he could feel that something was holding back Thomas' potential. So he decided a slightly different approach now. "You're not human... are you?" His tone, despite the onslaught of blows, was quiet and dark. "Humans have faults, they are imperfect creatures". With these words his sword strokes grew more skilled as they aimed for mainly his sides, but also some other vital areas.

"If you are Human, acknolwedge your faults. We all have them, even I have them and find nothing wrong with it. To prove that you are Thomas show me your strength by admitting your faults, show me everything about who you are. What makes you strong, what makes you weak, what makes you human... but more importantly... what makes you, Thomas, yourself..." One more powerful cross slash to his mid section rang out. "If... that is even who you are".

Finally, he could take the satisfaction in at least one hit, even if it hurt like hell to land. And he was glad in turn that it didn't draw blood, cause he had some pretty unpleasant images of what Reno/Oner would do to him if it had, regardless of how happily eclectic either of them might be. It wasn't enough for Serin though, and Thomas leaptr back up while his blade swept in an arc, knocking the slash aside before it could hit, though he now had his doubts on whether a solid hit would draw blood. The magic might, but the sword itself probably wouldn't. Hopefully.

Still they went on, him driven to his limits as he went through a fighting retreat with Serin, the frantic pacde distracting him from the black liquid seeping through the cracks in his armor, staining the metal and dripping to the ground as they moved back and forth in their pace of combat. Block, leap back, duck sidestep. Whatever he needed to do. And his frustration at this insistence grew, pushing him towards breakdown though he was determined to stay strong. "I can handle my problems on my own,' he growled back. "People don't need to be bothered worrying about me when theres a whole lot of bigger issues out there, and they wouldn't get it anyway." He'd already said too much of his own opinions, but if it got Serin off his back (Not that he expected it would), if was worth it.

Serin could tell that something slowly was happening, especially as he saw the black liquid dripping from his armor. Something that was odd, but right now there was something more important before him. After listening to Thomas' words he stepped back, snapping his fingers before pointing them towards the walls of the area they were in. A roof made of stone pillars appeared over the alleyway they were in as flames appeared along the walls, lighting their current battlefield. "There. Now there is only you and me. I know that Thomas could handle himself, but you... you need to prove to me that you are that person who can handle himself. Show me who you are with your sword and magic then, if you can. Show me your will...I'm waiting".

Serin took a stance now, changing the magic around his sword to just lightning, waiting for Thomas to come forward now. "Show me WHO you are. Not a mage, not a swordsman, not a leader of a group, not a Keyblader. Those are titles and labels that you can stick to anything. You need to show me Thomas, because that is what I want to see. Find whatever is making you hold this back and bring it out, along with every other part of you, bring it out through your Will!"

Serin's own sword changed as he suddenly shouted this. Lightning was no longer swirling around or in the blade, it had completely covered the blade. It was as if the Red Wizard was wielding a sword made out of just pure lightning. "This is part of who I am. This sword is my will and, in a sense, it is me! Now come. Show me who you are! Make me understand what you say others wouldn't get! Show me with your Will."

Kingdom Hearts: Signs of Zodiac

Renose & Flamelord Collab (Part 9)

Thomas listneed, and watched, but still found it a bit hazy on it. In a fight he would be using his will, and it was kinda hard to increase ones determination or drive in the midst of the a fight, at least of one's own volition. Right? That was the way it seemed to him in any case, but he refrained from saying that follow up to serin with the resolution to figure it out himself, since it would be difficult to determine without being in a life or death struggle like what usually went on in their travels. Until then he would just have to hope that it wasn't too much of a hindrance.

The differences in swords was immediately noticable, this new one a brighter shade as well as lighter compared to the old one. As annoying as it might have been in terms of increased effort, he could understand why it had been done when Serin explained that it had been to restrict him, make it harder for him, though why the composition of the sword mattered was something that leuded him, beyond perhaps the natural properties of the metal that made it easier to imbue it with the energy of the sword, or something.He did as instructed then, closing his eyes and focusing on the sword, mutteriong unintelligable words under his breathbefore he had a go at it, trying for Thunder. the first time it slipped away with a sigh from somewhat weary lips, but he tried again, and again, until he got it.

Feeling his sword thrumming with this trapped energy that he had generated, he opened his eys and fell to a ready stance, looking at serin for the go to begin the spar.

"Lightning, an excellent choice. Makes your sword swings much faster and able to rip through anything. Each element imbues your sword with different properties, so be sure to try them all. Eventually with enough practice..." Serin suddenly placed his fingers on his own ice imbued sword, lightning now suddenly surging and swirling along the blade with the ice, the two magics combining in the sword as now lightning and ice danced along the blade. "You could put more than just one type of magic in there, enhancing your sword even further".

Serin planned to spar with Thomas just like this, as he knew that in order for Thomas to understand more about will and drive he would have to push the boy to his limits, and even beyond them. "And that... is just the tip of the iceburg". With that one phrase Serin charged at Thomas after that, ducking a little low in mid run before swinging his sword right for Thomas' side. Serin was serious now, as it could be seen in his eyes. This was more than sparring, it was training, and Serin was going to see just what Thomas' limits were and hopefully expand and break those limits.

As he swung his sword the arc of the swing was charged with electricity and moving incredibly fast as if the sword itself was a lightning bolt, the chilling power of the sword being something that could be felt even before the sword got close.

Thomas shrugged, already having seen and guessed as much from what he had seen of air and fire, etc. now, two elements in one, that was cool, and being able to do that would be well worth it when he was fully able to do this as well as Serin could, if he ever got to that level. He had a feeling that this combo would freeze and be really fast, a dangerous combo for a spar, though hopefully his own reflexes were close to being as fast, though he doubted it a little, if only because Serin had more experience. He'd still give it a go though.

And suddenly it was on, Serin rushing at him at the drop of a hat, and Thomas responded, bringing back to mind the little pointers he had been given before and using them to his advantage, he went to it then, twisting his body and bringing his sword down to catch the blow, glad for its own speed in turn. There was the determination to impress Serin, and to land at least a hit, but it wasn't what it would have been if his life were in danger. He parried and blocked, looking for the opening to seize the initiative, and when it came he would take it,.For now though, he relied on the speed the spell gave him, though a small part of his mind wondered about the correlation between the physical attributes of imbuing something with magic and otherwise just using the spell. After all, Thunder shouldn't make a sword move faster, besides perhaps reducing wind resistance or something. But he had to focus now as he continued his defensive posture against Serin, keeping up their spar.

"Are you feeling it?" Serin would ask this question as he kept the spar up, getting a few attacks by, but admiring how Thomas' swordsmanship was growing a bit sharper with each attack he blocked. But Serin wanted the boy to attack as well, so perhaps a final demonstration was in order. "This skill is not merely imbuing your sword with elemental magic". Suddenly as Serin slashed a barrage of icy pressure would be added to the weight of his slash, but he did not stop there. Quickly smashing through Thomas' guard with this extra pressure he brought his sword low as well as his posture before slashing upwards.

Thomas would be able to definitely feel it now, if he hadn't been able to feel it before. Whether or not Thomas stepped back or blocked was a different story. With that one upward slash a ice spike in the crude shape of a sword blade shot from the ground right at Thomas as Serin's blade had made momentary contact with the ground. Following that one attack he slashed at Thomas once again. If Thomas blocked the icy, electric blade he would feel a blast of lightning hit right after Serin's sword strike, as if Serin had struck twice with the blade.

This magic, in terms of magical power, was probably around the Level 2 (Ira) spells, but in terms of intensity and force it felt greater, like around the Level 3 (aga) spells. After that show of force Serin stopped the combat for a moment by jumping back, taking a moment to catch his breath, hoping that he hadn't hurt Thomas too badly. "That... was the ultimate essence of what is not merely a skill, but a style of swordsmanship, a style of magic. Even then that is also just scratching the surface as to the potential of this ability". He pointed at Thomas, giving a small smile. "A potential... that is determined by You. When you use this ability your magic becomes your sword and your sword becomes your magic. You wield your magic as you would a blade, moving and making it flow and form how you desire, in a sense how you would make your blade move to the commands of your Will. Your sword no longer is something you swing around randomly, but instead is an extension of yourself, of your very will and just like how you would cast a spell as naturally as you would breath so would you swing a sword".

He then resumed his stance, changing the magic of his blade this time. It was now Air and Fire surprisingly enough. The air and fire seemed to swirl around the blade while also swirling through its actual surface. "There are many different ways to wield your magic Thomas. I could teach you spells, incantations, or even various tricks and techniques for using the Mahou Ken, like the ones I just used on you, ones where I wield my magic as my sword. Those are all nice, but the greatest weapon you possess is your will. You need to look inside of yourself and find it. Find how you want to wield your magic, find what You desire your magic to be. Not what is said in some spell book or what others have their magic as. Your magic and your sword, as when you do this they are one thing, need to be as one and when someone sees them they need to know that they are yours. Not mine, not anyone else's but your own...as the best teacher you could ever possess is not me, not the person who taught you magic beforehand, but yourself".

It was a long speech, but each word was filled with clarity and spoken from experience as Serin's eyes never left Thomas', not even for a moment. After that Serin adjusted his stance slightly, looking a little more serious now. "Find this within you. I cannot tell you how nor will I know how well you can grasp it at first, but once you find it then come at me again. Hold nothing back, because from now on... I am not gonna hold back one bit". The magic in Serin's sword seemed to grow even stronger now as the Aero and Fire magics became essentially Aeroja and Firaja, the swirling magics in and around his blade moving a little faster now as Serin waited, waited to see if Thomas could grasp the final concept he had been trying to teach Thomas all along.

Thomas didn't respond as he focused on the sword fight, wincing from the few blows that made it past his guard to land home, painful but not overly inhibiting in his movements, and certainly not life threatening. He'd have some nice bruises in the morning though. He was taken aback as the icy pressure added itself to Serin's sword strikes, making it that much harder to block as his hands clenched to increasingly frigid steel, slowing down his reflexes with the cold, isnce he hadn't very well dressed for that once he'd left Narnia. It made slip ups that much easier though, and the older warrior quickly and decisively broke through his guard, to his own frustration and anger. But that was nothing, a double attack coming at him with few options available. He jumped back to dodge the ice spike that sprang up from the ground, then blocked the follow up. The hit hurt, and he held back a grunt of pain as electricity shot through him, causing muscles to seize up and his hands to continue in their death grip of the steel blade. His breath hitched, and he was grateful as Serin stepped away, hands dropping to his knees as he coughed, trying to regain control of his body in the face of that.

He wiped away at his mouth with his sleeve as he listened to Serin's speech, recovering while taking in what he was saying. Some of it he understood, some he didn't, some that frustrated him in his inability to do something about, but all emotions he suppressed for the sake of appearances, so it didn't seem like he was letting his temporary tuitor down, even though the raitonal part of him knew that that wasn't the case even in the worst scenarios. Serin just wasn't that kind of person. But it was hard to deny what the rest of him said from his own life time of experience. And as Serin changed the magic on his blade, Thomas had to figure out what that strength or style in him was, though so many of the immediate ideas he came up with he realized he had taken from something, from somewhere else. And he had the feeling that that wasn't what he was supposed to do.

He picked up the blade, hefting it and working out the kinks in his hand before he returned his attention to the waiting Red Mage, still not believing that the man would go so far as to put his life in actual jeopardy, since that might not be so good for his reputation, if anything. He settled into a combat stance, taking an opportunity to examine his opponent while restoring the Thunder spell to it before moving, charging forward while darting left and right, light on his feet as much as he could before moving in to lash out with a few strikes before pulling back, moving about, and trying again, sitll going for that goal of at least one lick past his guard, though he expected to be as disappointed as he had been earlier in that regard. It didn't seem to stop him though.

Kingdom Hearts: Signs of Zodiac

Renose & Flamelord Collab (Part 8)

Serin noted how Thomas' swordsmanship wasn't the greatest thing, but he seemed to have a pretty decent grasp. The Red Wizard knew that with some practice and polishing that it could become something great. And now it was time for that practice, Serin blocking the air augmented blade, the blade's fast and flowing movements being a little harder to block then normal sword swings, but Serin was a skilled swordsman. He would block each of Thomas' blows, letting Thomas continue to strike at him as he blocked, or occasionally side stepped, his movements.

"You're good, but your swings need a little work, put your will into them, into the magic in your blade. Your blade is an extension of your magic and your will now, not just some slab of metal you swing around, let it move according to your will" and "Don't make such wide movements, not only are they easy to read, but they waste your energy" were bits and pieces of advice that Serin gave the other mage as he let Thomas continue on the offensive, letting Thomas continue until the other mage was ready for a short breather.
The hits didn't land for the most part, which Thomas had expected for the most part despite his magic enhanced blade, and the clash proved a struggle to hold on to that spell, and it did slip at times, reducing the speed and increasing thew weight. He did hear the advice and listened to it, trying to incorporate it on the fly, though converting will into physical action, as opposed to simply mental. He wasn't so much of a trained fighter and he wasn't sure if he was doing it right or if his instincts were even useful, but he tried it regardless. There was a slight rolling of eyes at some, his own opinions on the advise unspoken as he tried to follow what he was being told. He was getting slightly tired but barrelled on regardless, determined to land at least one hit before he finished.

Serin could tell that Thomas wasn't fully understanding his meaning, but he could sense the boy's determination. As long as he had that, then Serin knew that he could get it. He could see that Thomas was trying out his advice, his swings growing a little less wider and even a small bit of will behind his swings. Serin suddenly slashed at Thomas' sword quickly, knocking him backwards with a burst of air from his palm. Just enough to separate the two of them, not knock him over. "You're getting it, I can tell. But perhaps another push is required. What you need is to experience a true usage of this skill first hand, perhaps upon not only seeing it, but feeling it against your own blade will show you what I mean".

Serin held his blade parallel with himself, placing two fingers on the blade. "Runic has one downside. It is a skill only useful against mages. If an opponent isn't using magic or magic like powers then this skill is useless. The true essence of Mahou Ken makes Runic a skill useful in all situations. As instead of just capturing the magic of your opponent and making it yours..." he paused, a surge of magic flowing from within Serin to his blade. Suddenly the sword lit alight with scorching flames, the flames licking and moving over and even in the blade itself.

"You can put your own magic into the sword, trapping a spell of your own in there and letting its power charge your sword instead". Serin then proceeded to get into a stance, ready to strike. "I hope you're ready. You are about to experience what this skill can really do...so keep your senses sharp and feel my blade and feel the will behind it as well as the magic within it" Serin would let Thomas ready himself before he suddenly charged, being on top of him within a manner of a few moments. Suddenly he swung his blade down at Thomas. The blade's swing wasn't lightning or wind fast, but instead full of the explosive power of fire, the swing holding a tremendous amount of will and force as it went down towards Thomas, aiming for him, hoping that the mage could block this hit since Serin gave him ample warning. If not well it wouldn't kill Thomas, but it sure wouldn't feel pleasant either.

Thomas panted a tad as Serin forced him back, feet skidding along the way as he came to a stop, sword dropping as it became evident that this part of the fight wasover, and he was disappointed that he hadn't been able to land a single hit. Not that he didn't see it coming, but a man could hope, couldn't he? An eyebrow rose at the statement that he needed to feel it, already having an idea of where this was going.

"I guessed that," he replied with the ruge to fold his arms, it not too hard to figure out that a skill that absorbed magic wouldn't be too useful against things that didn't use magic. Talk about stating the obvious. He listened onwards, intrigued by this thought of using his own magic to fuel the elemental power around the swords. It would be a significant effort to hold up Runic while under attack, and powering the sword in turn. Still, he had an obligation to try. And that was what he would do, watching Serin infuse his blade with fire and fall into a combat stance.

"Alright, let's go then." Thomas dropped into a ready stance as well, doing as instructed and focusing more on his senses. Serin's quick movement set him off, and he dropped down a bit and swung his sword up to catch the fiery lade, having some idea of what he could or should do. He caught it, struggling against the explosive force of fire and reached out, grasping for the spell running along Serin's sword, grabbed it and pushed back, though what that would do he didn't know.

Serin was pleased that Thomas caught the blade, struggling against its explosive force. He was more impressed that Thomas even managed to get a feel for the spell in the sword and began to push back now, a smirk appearing on Serin's face. "Good, you're getting it". Now was time for the extra push though. Serin focused now all of his will into the slash. The power of the spell not increasing, as Thomas would be able to feel that if he did. No instead it seemed to intensify and focus itself as Serin put more of his will into the blade and behind the swing.

If Thomas was focusing his senses as Serin instructed, Thomas should be able to feel it. Unfortunately it was a little too much for the simple iron sword as suddenly, despite Thomas pushing back with his own blade and will, the blade shattered under the explosive power of the fiery blade, a small burst of flame erupting from the sword as it shattered Thomas' weapon that would send him flying back somewhat. Serin breathed a little now, dispelling the spell in his own blade and absorbing its Mana. He walked over to Thomas after that, offering him a helping hand.

"You did good. If you hadn't been using that iron sword you would have been able to withstand that attack". Whether Thomas accepted Serin's hand or got up on his own, after Thomas got up Serin scratched the back of his head. "Sorry about that though, I put a little too much will into it. But since I did... did you feel what I have been telling you before? If you put your will into your blade, into its magic, it can become alot stronger without you having to pour more magical energy into the spell".

Thomas struggled with the blade pressed against his own, muscles yielding bit by bit as Serin forced the blade down, not as a result of his spell, but something else, the general aura that surrounded him. At least, that was the way it seemed to Thomas in the short time he had to consider such things while trying to stop that resumed sword slash. And it was a lot harder to sense someone else's will than his own. Sweat beaded as he tried to hold it back, forcing back in turn but not successful.

At that, he was taken by surprise as the sword in his hands shattered, a burst of flame erupting and tossing him to the ground with explosive force, hot shards of metal landing on him and on the ground. That was the firsgt priority once he recovered from his daze, quickly brushing them off with a hiss before his clothes caught on fire or something, because that would not have been good.

"Thanks," he replied with a grunt as he pulled himself back to his feet in spite of Serin's offered hand. "Kinda. It just seems weird considering will as magic, yet also as something different that can impact how strong it is but isn't instrumental in using magic. Or something." He shrugged noncommitedly, still working it out in his mind in a way that made the most sense to him. 'Will' was a very ethereal concept after all, and though 'Mana' was as well, it seemed easier to imagine than his desire to do something, since it could be more accurately measured and gauged. "I don't suppose you have another extra sword around somewhere," he asked.

"It can be hard to understand, but nothing is ever easy to understand. Think of it like this". He held out his palm, aiming it at a block of junk. "This is a normal Fire spell". A ball of flame shot out, slamming into the junk. It put a small dent in it and burned it a little, but it wasn't all that impressive. "Your Mana is a part of you and so is your magic. Think of will as your mental force. You simply focus and put it into everything you do, not just magic. For when you focus your Will into something..." He focused for a moment before thrusting his hand towards that same pile of junk.

It felt like a normal Fire spell that shot from Serin's hand, but was not. It was not stronger on a level of holding more magical power, but it had alot more force behind it. The moment it hit the junk block it exploded, shattering the block of junk as the fire ball impacted it with much more force this time. "That something becomes much more intense. Filled with drive and able to accomplish more. Swords are the same. When you simply swing it around you won't be able to cut through much, but if you put your will into it even stone could yield before your blade. When I first made contact with your sword the strike itself was quite strong, the magic in it intense. When the slash suddenly became even stronger though you probably did not feel the magic inside growing more powerful with more magical power. Instead it grew more intense, the force behind the spell became stronger as did my force behind my blade".

He took out another sheathed sword, handing it to Thomas. This one felt different, it weighed a little lighter than the Iron sword and was a bit easier to hold, yet it also was pretty different from an Iron sword. "Will is your drive, your desire. When you focus it into anything your own power increases without you having to pour more energy into something. When you do pour more energy and will into something it becomes even more powerful or greater".

Serin then took a few steps away from Thomas, gesturing to the sword he handed him. "That sword is made of steel, much more durable than an iron sword. The iron blade was to give you a shoddy weapon that you can get used to performing these skills with. Essentially I gave you that iron sword to limit your abilities. With this steel one perhaps you should be able to sense just how much you have improved. Whenever you train you have to use things that restrain and limit your abilities as only then when you remove those restraints you can tell just how much you have grown".

Serin redrew his own blade. "Now let us clash swords for a bit. This time you are to power your sword with your own magic. To do this imagine casting a spell through the weapon, like you would with your Keyblade. Your weapon is an extension of your magic and yourself, so let the magic of your spell flow into it. Instead of releasing the spell though into existence you trap it in your sword. With nowhere to go the spell will instead come into existence in the blade and imbue it with magical power. Essentially whenever you use Mahou Ken you are pretty much creating a magical sword".

Serin demonstrated one more time. This time ice seemed to form around his sword instantly, the spell being stronger this time than the other spells he had cast at Thomas before. The blade now seemed to chill the very air around the sword. After that he took a stance, waiting for Thomas to imbue his sword with magic.

Kingdom Hearts: Signs of Zodiac

Flamelord and Renose Collab (Part 7)

Thomas rose as well, cracking his knuckles before picking up the sword once again. He watched and listened as Serin explained what they would be doing next and returned the stone seats to the concrete they had spring from. Eyes widened at the revelation he was given, that he was going to be the third person to ever learn this technique, though a tad dimmed by the fact that he was retreading the ground that someone in the group had already covered, though Oner had been suppressed this entire time. still, it would be something that the rest, and the Six Senses, wouldn't see coming when he did break it out.

Time to go again. Thomas nodded, holding the blade comfortably and having to hold back a chuckle at the intense look he recieved, though for what reason he didn't know. Hopefully Serin hadn't noticed. He nodded and focused, remembering what he had just finished doing, following what he had learned. then he unleashed it, a clear blast of lightning flashing forth as a solid, crackling stream from Thomas' blade to where Serin was standing, blue and super heating the air with static. Certainly, more power than he had ever used or had the need to use before in an actual fight.

Serin smirked as he felt the lightning magic come forth, feeling the will and power behind it. Much stronger than what Thomas was using when Serin first arrived. The lightning would hit Serin's blade or be pulled into it by the Runic over his body, but it did not disappear like normal. No instead another change took place. Serin's blade was now crackling with the same electricity as Thomas' magic was now trapped within, seemingly imbuing the blade with its power. "Your magic is mine now". He swung the sword to demonstrate, the blade seeming to rip and move through the air as he swung it like a lightning bolt.

"And now... you can take it back!" He then suddenly slashed the sword downward towards Thomas, the lightning magic that Thomas had just used now being sent right back at him, a bit stronger than it was before as Serin had put some of his own power into it. Serin wanting to see how Thomas would react in this situation.

That was also unexpected, as Thomas ended the spell to see Serin standing there with a blade crackling with sparks of electricity, yet it didn't dissipate like normal Runic. It hit him like a hammer as he understood. So, keep the spell around, make an elementally charged blade for your weapon. Cool. And that it was, though he did find it a tad bit hard to believe that Oner and Serin were the only other people in the various realms that could do something like this. But he wasn't gonig to voice that thought either at the moment.
Eyes widened as Serin threw the magic back from where it was held on his blade at Thomas. The situation warred with instinct, his normal reaction had this been a combat situation to dive out of the way and then retaliate. But this wasn't normal combat, it was training. And he had the feeling that Serin expected him to catch it with Runic, since that was the whole point of what they were doing. So he did that. But time was wasted and he couldn't catch everything, and he recieved shocks with tingling aftereffects for his effort. He looked over to Serin as he waved the feeling back into his fingers. "Nice."

Serin was hoping that Thomas would catch the spell with Runic, which he almost managed to do. He only missed some of it, but not too much to where it would hurt. "Heh, glad you liked it. That skill is called the Mahou Ken, or Magic Sword. You'll have to forgive me for the... less than creative name. It was four AM when I named it after first developing it, and after weeks of work on the skill and a less than healthy lack of sleep your creativity begins to leave you". Serin scratched the back of his head a little awkwardly after saying this, giving a small chuckle.

"Anyway". He cleared his throat to move on with the conversation. "This skill involves catching a spell with Runic. Instead of simply dispelling the spell you truly claim it as your own and trap it within your sword. You see as I mentioned before when you capture a spell with Runic it becomes your spell. This skill takes ultimate advantage of that as it is used to power your weapon, giving your attacks with it new properties. Not only that, but you can also either send it back from your blade bolstered with your own magic or you can dispel it and absorb the mana at anytime as you would with Runic".

Serin then took another stance, looking at Thomas again. "Close your eyes, I am going to throw another spell at you, but I won't tell you which spell, nor will I tell you when I am going to throw it. You are to capture it as you would with Runic, but instead of dispelling the spell and absorbing the Mana once its inside your sword like you normally would keep it trapped in there. Naturally it will charge your blade, giving it new magical power. This practice will not only teach you a new skill, but also train everything else that I have been teaching you as well. Now then, whenever you are ready".

Finally getting that needed feeling back, Thomas shrugged. "Not everything needs a cool name. Elegant simplicity, or something like that. So I've been told anyway." He listened on, interested, though a thought occured to him yet again, and he debated the application of it, but decided to wait for now since he wanted to cinsider the implications and the possibilities himself. For now, how to make magic swords.

THomas nodded, a bit more uncertain now. He hadn't really done this with his eyes closed before, though he knew in his mind that it should make no difference since his eyes didn't play a roll in the actual process itself. it was just the anticipation, the not knowing when it was going to hit, how much time was left, it was unnerving. But he followed the instructions and closed his eyes, the sword held in a ready position. "Go," he said.

Serin just nodded, staying silent. He walked around Thomas for a few long moments, building up magic and dispelling it to keep the mage on his toes. Training with his eyes closed would help Thomas hone his magical senses. This wasn't a beginner lesson on Runic anymore. This was an advanced lesson and thus the training would only get harder. After what seemed like forever, but was only around a minute or so, Serin suddenly cast his spell with one quick motion. It was an air spell, not that Thomas could see it, a blast of wind shooting right at Thomas as Serin hoped that all of his Runic training had paid off to allow him to do it with his eyes closed and with a spell he didn't know.

Thomas had to force himself to hold his eyes closed, ears perked as he listened for an indication of where Serin was, his magical senses picking up the flow and dissipation of Mana as he stayed still, he hair on the back of his neck prickled in anticipation. For him as well it seemed like forever, but it was almost a relief when the blow did come. He reacted, embracing the strange yet increasingly familiar nature of the Air spell, but misjudged how long it took, how long he had, and he was not fully successful, forced to hold his ground against the buffeting of wind as he let it pass silently, anger at himself growing as he waited for the next hit.

Serin was not surprised that Thomas couldn't get it on the first try. Runic wasn't exactly an easy skill in the first place, Mahou Ken being an even further advanced version of it. Serin said nothing as he built up that same suspense, this time a shorter amount of time passing as this time a swirling 'drill' like blast of flame shot at Thomas now, a bit of lightning mixed in in the middle of the swirling blast, not that Thomas could see it with his eyes, but if his senses were honed enough he could feel it with that sixth sense for magic that mages possessed.

The silence went on, Thomas's determination to get it down growing amidst his anger at himself for failing before. More time passed, still imperceptible besides the huff of his breathing and the sounds and feeling that reached him from Serin. when the spell came he was prepared, reaching out and aiming for speed, to get it as fast as possible even if he had to do brute force to make it happen. But this time he succeeded, pulling the spell in and dissipating it for Mana. But he had to do better, prove it wasn't a fluke, so he waited for another spell, or further instruction.

"Good. It seems you noticed the lightning inside as well. Keep your eyes closed. This time, instead of absorbing the spell with Runic you have to keep it trapped in your sword, where it will then charge your blade with magical power. Remember everything that I have taught you thus far and you will get this". Serin then went silent, proceeding to walk around Thomas slowly, making sure to go all around slowly, every now and again making a small leap to go into a different position on a different side of Thomas to keep him sensing, building up and dispelling Mana every now and again.

Then this time a blast of air shot from Serin, heading straight from the mage. The air was condensed into a sphere and swirling rather quickly, so it would most likely pack a punch if Thomas wasn't able to absorb it this time.

THomas grunted a response to Serin as he kept his eyes closed, drawn back into that anticipatory waiting, the sensing of that concentration of magical energy, trying to hear where he was, not a fun experience but one he accepted if it would help him get better, get stronger, win back some respect. When the orb of air came, he went to work again, speed and brute force chosen over finesse to whatever detriment that might bring, though he had yet to see one. But he was sure it would be revealed in time. the hard part was not absorbing the orb of air, but rather shunting it over to his sword, to ttrap it there. There was some leed over and loss of spell power, of mana, but he did succeed in imbuing the sword with air magic, for whatever that did.

"Good, you may open your eyes". When Thomas did open them he would see his sword, air swirling around the blade. Despite how heavy it was it now felt very light in his hand and in turn it would make him feel a little lighter as well. "Give it a few swings, then after that..." Serin drew his own sword. "Come at me". If Thomas swung it around a little he would discover that the blade was light like the wind, able to cut and move through it much easier than it could before. Once Serin figured Thomas was ready he took a stance, waiting for Thomas to make the first move.

"Show me now your skills as a swordsman. This will allow you to better hone your skills with the sword and with keeping magic in your sword while fighting, allowing you to also hone everything else I have been teaching you. Now then... whenever you are ready..."

Thomas did as requested, eyes peeling open to reveal the sword with wisps of white wind swirling around cold steel. He did as requested, noting how light and quick he could move it, despite how much it should weigh. "Alright," he replied, testing it a bit more to see how the new light weight affected the balance, then he moved in to attack Serin, using his admittedly unsophisticated style, augmented by the air spell, to try and overwhelm him, though he had a feeling that this wouldn't see much success. But he had to make the effort, so he went at it, trying to use his speed to get past Serin's guard and land a hit.

Kingdom Hearts: Signs of Zodiac

Flamelord and Renose Collab (Part 6)

Serin went for a good half an hour (including the short breaks they would take), making sure that Thomas had a much greater grasp of the now completed Runic skill as well as the properties of other magics and more on how to connect his will to not only his magic, but the magic of others being thrown at him. Serin wiped his brow, taking off his hat as he did so before putting it back on. "Phew, I'll admit you have progressed alot in this short time. While it is far from being mastered, I would say you have a large enough grasp to use it in battle. As much as I would like to duel you now to see your progress I did say I was going to teach you two skills, so lets take a quick breather first, and maybe you can tell me about what you have learned so far and what you think of it all while we do so".

Serin waved his hand at the ground, two large 'stumps' of tone coming up from the ground as Serin used the Stone spell to give them seats, Serin sitting down on his and gesturing for Thomas to sit down across from him. "You may not be one for meditating, and truthfully niether am I. That was more Oner's thing when I last saw him three years ago, but just talking it out and me going over any questions you may have will help you understand things more. Plus, I can't have you learning this next skill while being too tired now". He chuckled a small bit at this, waiting for Thomas to sit down so they could chat, offering the other mage a bottle of water when he did finally sit down.

"Thanks," Thomas replied somewhat tiredly, sword dropping so the tip of the blade hovered near the ground, and his own feelings were somewhat evident as he moved over and sat down on the stone seat with a sigh, legs aching from the activity they had so recently had to do. He took the bottle of water gratefully and untwisted the cap, letting the cool, soothing water run down his throat and refresh him. He was so going to relax after this, now that it had become quite a different workout from what he had been intending.
He took the time to think up the questions he did have, the ones he felt comfortable with or that he needed to ask to aid his understanding. there was only one he could really think of, the one he had wanted to know the answer to earlier (since the possible question about the barrier itself had been answered in due time) "So, 'Complete' Runic. Why is it weaker to wrap it aqround your body than the sword itself? I mean, your will and your Mana come form your body, so oculdn't you generate the runic around your body first, and then extend it to the sword? Just seems backwards to me that the weapon has a greater ability to absorb spells than the full body shield does".

Serin was enjoying his own bottle of water as Thomas spoke, but stopped drinking when Thomas asked his question, the mage scratching the back of his head as he set the bottle down. "Good question actually. In truth, I never really thought of it that way, but there is indeed a reason for it. You see, Runic is the ability to absorb magic through your sword. Your sword essentially becomes like a staff in a sense, capable of holding and storing magic, which you use to replenish your magical energy. The body is not meant to be a magic staff, as it is not meant to store spells inside of it like an object is. The Complete Runic is a unique concept I thought up where you take the Runic you have in your sword and also wrap it around your body. If you may have noticed when a spell hits the Runic around your body your body does not directly absorb the mana of the spell since it is still a spell. Instead it quickly grasps the spell, moves it along the Runic around your body, then traps it in the sword, where you are then free to control it as you please. The reason why it is weaker around the body is mainly because of the additional area you have to cover, but as I mentioned before with enough time and practice you can overcome this limitation and your Runic will hold the same strength all around".

Serin nodded, thinking that was a good explanation, if a little bit long winded. "Does that make any sense? To be honest, it still confuses me just saying the explanation, but that is probably because it is so natural to me through my years of using it that I sort of forget how it works. It just becomes like breathing, so natural that you don't really think about the mechanics behind it". Serin chuckled a bit at this before taking another drink from his waterbottle, waiting for anymore questions that Thomas might have, or if he didn't have any questions maybe opinions on the things he had learned so far. Either way, they had some time to kill while they caught their breath.

Thomas listened to the explanation calmly, taking sips from his water until Serin was done and asking if it made sense. "Yeah, I guess," he replied, glancing over at one of the nearby buildings. quesitons then failed him, and he sighed as he enjoyed the rest and water. there was the issue of what to say, and how to phrase it. He didn't want to reveal any insecurities to a practical stranger, how much he felt he needed this to bolster his confidence and such, his belief in what he was doing. He just wasn't sure what to say, hough something did occur to him, so he went with that instead. "Man, I wish I'd learned this sort of style when I was first starting out as a mage. I'd be a lot farther along than I am now," he commented idly, taking another sip.

"Well there is nothing wrong with what you were taught. In fact, I say that is a better way to start off. Even Reno started off that same way. What I taught you is what is called Master Magic. Attaining mastery over your magic using your will to the point where you command the magic based upon what you desire, not based on what is in a magic book. Great wizards like Merlin-sensei also use Master Magic. It is not something one simply learns at the start, nor something one learns at all. It is a concept that must be grasped by each individual mage. It takes alot of practice in magic to be able to build up to it. It is thanks to your own magical experience that you were able to grasp it so quickly. If I had taught you this from your first day it would have taken you forever to learn just one simple spell".

Thomas had to keep from rolling his eyes amidst the response at the usage of that phrase again. It seemed that Rneo wasn't the only one to use that term with Merlin, and suddenly that little bit made a lot more sense. The rest though....He accepted it, but he had his own doubts on whether that was true. And there were differences as well, him growing up in a provincial town in the countryside rather than being trained for magic from the start. He couldn't help but wonder whether that had some impact as well and if a different childhood would have changed the calibre of mage he was today. But none of that was aired to Serin, rather his own thoughts that he kept to himself. No one wanted to know about his own childhood after all. Instead, there was just an "I see," before he finished the water bottle and looked over at the Red Mage, ready to go back to it.

Serin could tell from that one look that he was ready, so Serin quickly downed the rest of his water and stood up, stretching a little as he did so. "This next skill requires a high grasp of Runic, like the one you just achieved. It is a special skill that changes Runic from just a pure defense skill into a skill with large amounts of offensive power. It is one that I developed myself so only myself and Oner know it. You are about to become the third person to learn it". He drew his sword, waiting for Thomas to stand up before tapping both stumps of stone with the tip of his blade, the stumps retracting back into the ground to make their training area flat again.

He took a stance now, facing Thomas from a ten yard distance. "The most powerful spell you can summon. Throw it at me with all you've got, put all of your will into it and hold nothing back. Show me more of the fruits of your training". He gave Thomas a somewhat intense look, waiting for him to begin.

Kingdom Hearts: Signs of Zodiac

Flamelord and Renose Collab (Part 5)

"Thanks," Thomas replied gratefully, smiling a bit at the praise, before turning to the final two lessons that he had to learn. actually three, he supposed, though he was iffy on if the last one was actually Runic or not. Call it a result of phrasing. He turned to the next task at hand then, trying to remember what it was that Serin had demonstrated before that he would get to know now.

"Alright." The next task then. He closed his eyes, thought, imagined, put more effort into this than he had into absorbing spells, since he had to generate it this time rather than take it. And he was going to put all the effort he could into it. It was another willful effort to not do what he usually did, to rely on his will rather than the routines, the process he had learned previously for harnessing the magic inside him and using it. Not shaping it, but calling on it in the first place, that was difficult. At last he got it though and lashed out, A ball of flame in his hand glowing before it flew out, splitting into four burning comets that would come at Serin from different directions, to increase the chance that one would get through. He was supposed to try, after all.

Serin waited with baited anticipation to see what Thomas would do. To his pleasant surprise, that quickly became unpleasant, Serin witnessed as the boy created a fire spell, but not in the conventional sense. He had made it split into four other bursts of flame that came at Serin. This was good as it allowed Serin to demonstrate the full potential of Runic. Instead of dodging or even moving to block them with his sword he stayed still, all four burning projectiles slamming into the Red Wizard. They seemed to hit something else other than Serin though when they slammed into him, the magic then flowing up from where they hit him into his sword before he absorbed the Mana from his sword, letting out a small exhale as he did so.

"Phew. You really got the hang of it. I could feel your will and power in that spell this time, and let me tell you it was much harder to absorb than the first little fireball you threw at me. Given enough time and practice you may soon be capable of throwing spells at me that I have no chance of absorbing. That, Thomas, is how much more powerful and innovative your magic becomes when you put the force of your will into it. But for now, let us talk about Runic. What you witnessed was a Complete Runic. As I mentioned before your magic is an extension of your will, your sword an extension of your body. With your capability of quickly forming Runic inside of your sword you are capable of making your sword an extension of your will. Complete Runic takes that to the next level. As your sword is an extension of your body, Runic makes it an extension of your will. Naturally since the sword and body are also connected, you can take the Runic in your sword and wrap it around your body".

Serin sheathed his sword, taking a moment to quickly recall how he explained it to Oner before since it just came so naturally to the Red Wizard. "To do this, focus like you did when you first performed Runic. Only this time, relay the connection of your magic to your body as well. Wrap it around your body slowly, like a second skin. Your sword and the magic within becomes connected to the outside of your body as well, making your entire being linked with your magic with all of it being connected by your very will". Serin then stopped his explanation, looking at Thomas to see how well he did this next task.

Okay, not quite what he had been expecting, but Thomas did have the satisfaction of guessing that what serin would do next had to do with that apparent Barrier he had put up around himself during his first demonstration. He grinned at the further praise, glad to be getting stronger though he would need to make sure he didn't slip outside of this practice, since they were on the move quite a lot and he would have to try and remember not to fall back into old habits. Hopefully he was up to the task.

He nodded in understanding, a logical conclusion that the will that let you absorb magic with your sword could do the same for your entire body. He closed his eyes and did as instructed then, focusing on that invisible layer above the sword and stretching it to cover his entire body, though his face twisted with some effort in the process, working his mind to do whatr needed to be done. Perhaps this was easier though, with his natural understanding of the flow of Mana through the body, giving him a basis in which to translate that to something even more imperceptible such as willpower. when he thought he had it done, he nodded to Serin.

Serin watched as Thomas once again seemed to get it. "Good. Let me warn you though that there is one downside to the barrier around your body. While it allows you to still trap magic that hits your body in your sword and absorb it, the Runic around your body isn't as strong as the Runic in your sword. I am sure with practice and time you will be able to overcome this limitation just as I did. Just keep in mind that it is better to block spells with your sword to be able to absorb more of its power, but nonetheless you will still be able to absorb a bit of a spell with your body as well. As you grow in strength you will also find that you are capable of absorbing more powerful spells as well. And even if you are not capable of fully absorbing a really powerful spell, it is better to absorb some of it then it is to get hit by all of it".

He then looked at Thomas for a few moments, making sure his Runic was up to par still even after his explanation as he took a stance, letting Thomas do whatever adjustments he needed to do before getting ready. "Ill be aiming to hit you fully. Block what you can while keeping this Complete Runic up. In time putting up a Complete Runic will become as natural as blinking or breathing. But for now... try to endure this practice first". With that Serin began quickly moving around, sending combined spells, regular spells, and even spells that were unconvential to normal mages all at Thomas.

He didn't do it at one standard pace either, during this entire time he kept moving quickly on his feet with surprising agility, hoping to increase Thomas' reflexes and sword blocking skills as well. There were also spells that Thomas didn't know throwin into the mix. Water and Aero. At first during this session they were by themselves, but as things progressed Serin made Thomas work even harder by combining them with spells that Thomas did know or even shooting out small blasts of water wrapped in a small twister of air to give it a sort of large air-water bullet feel.

Again, like last time, there would only be short breaks for Serin to recharge his mana before continuing. Thomas would also notice that Serin was putting a little more strength and speed into all of his spells this time then he did last time. They were not the strength of Level 3 spells, but they certainly were above the strength of Level 2 spells, so Thomas would have to spend extra effort absorbing the extra amount of power as well. This was supposed to be the final lesson in Runic after all, Serin hoping that Thomas would realize him being able to absorb spells unfamiliar or unknown to him being the other lesson Serin was going to teach him as well, wanting Thomas to realize that the enemy may use powers or magic unknown to Thomas and that he would have to be able to grasp those as quickly as he could any other spell.

Thomas's brow furrowed as Serin explained the downside of this Complete Runic, one that didn't make real sense to him. Yeah, he could understand it being weaker in terms of the area covered, but since your body was the actual source of your mana and your will, why wouldn't that be stronger than the sword part? Unless it did have to do with the extra area covered stretching your attention and such further than just the sword would. But that didn't explain why it was stronger around the sword than the rest of your body when it was being done. He felt like he should ask, but there was also a part of him that wanted to figure it out himself, and so refused to do that. And it wasn't his other self, but rather the part of him that refused to ask for help, the prideful part of him that thought he could do it himself without assistance.

"Alright," he replied, settling into that fighting stance before the exercise began again. And nearly immediately he could feel it was harder, not just in the strength and variety of the spells used, though that wasn't a cakewalk as it was, but the effort needed to keep Runic up while keeping track of incoming spells and using the sword. He did miss some, things that kinda sorta hurt when they landed. But he could, and did, heal himself during the short breaks that came while he got his breath back, figuring this would be his workout for today. and with the continued use he began to get more used to the spells he didn't know, increased familiarity with the underlying elements and basics of them that he could tether to for when he was trying to negate them. Not that he needed to be taught that the enemy might use spells he didn't know.

So he worked, as hard as he could, to impress himself and get the most out of the short time he had, to make up for the apparent lack of training he had had in his past as much as he could. And though he was far from perfect, he would go as long as Serin did.