Dante's pupils dilated. He backed off. His brother didn't stop. Missio struck from above. Dante raised his blade, blocking the strike. Missio recoiled. He lowered his blade, pressing it against his right hip. His eyes widened. The longsword shot forward. Dante stepped to the side, barely avoiding it. He also entered Form two.
'He's as natural as a master…'
Dante commented in his mind. They clashed again. The sword spun like the wind, recoiling from each strike. They danced around the arena. Missio stepped too close to Dante. Dante panicked and stepped back instinctively. Missio pushed his sword forward. The hilt struck his brother's chest. Dante grunted – unfazed. He spun his weapon and swung down. Missio held his sword with both hands, blocking the strike.
'How the hell am I doing this…?
He questioned his own ability in his mind. But his conscious couldn't keep up with his instinct driven body. He raised his foot and kicked Dante away. The supreme commander stepped back. He lifted his head, dusting his shirt off. Beneath his glasses, his eyes widened. Missio lowered his blade, gripping it firmly. Its tip neared the floor. He glanced up swiftly, rushing forward. Dante hurriedly elevated his blade and thrusted it.
"Hmph!"
Missio twisted his body before he could even think. His sword grazed Dante's cheek. No blood was drawn. Dante side-stepped. Missio's foot pressed against the ground. He pushed off and flipped over his brother. Dante lifted his head. Missio struck from above. He blocked the strike. Missio landed, squatting. Without glancing up, he shot forward as the king made a daunting realization.
'Form 3?! Already?!'
Dante dodged the first strike. Missio passed him. He spun around and rushed forward once again. Dante also entered Form three. Both men clashed. Their blades vibrated from each strike. The sound of clashing metal resounded throughout the room. Missio and Dante danced around it, spinning their sword. They never stopped – ever. Their breath became one with the movement of their sword.
Missio thrusted his longsword. Dante struck it down and used the momentum. He swung from underneath, catching Missio off guard. Missio overstepped on purpose. He pushed himself back, barely avoiding the blade as it grazed his shirt. His blindly focused eyes locked onto Dante again. He shot forward. Dante held his blade from above. He blocked Missio's strike. Missio went into the same stance.
The siblings twisted their wrists at the same exact time. Missio swung down diagonally. Dante raised his blade high and brought its tip down. The two clashed. Dante drew a sharp breath. He slid his sword on his brother's sword. Missio shifted, stepping aside but that was exactly what Dante wanted. In a flash, the supreme commander spun around and struck his little brother in the rib. Missio's pupils dilated. He gasped. Dante struck three more times, twisting his wrists.
Missio fell, his blade dropping to the ground. Dante kicked it away. Missio fell onto his back – breathless. Dante wiped the sweat off his face.
"Looks like your latent genius is showing, bro."
"Wha…?" Missio panted.
Dante also caught his breath. He relaxed his body. He shook his head and stood above Missio.
"You good?" he asked.
"Yeah…" Missio replied, drawing a sharp breath.
"First and foremost." Dante crouched down. "That was amazing!"
Missio blinked. He sat straight. Dante ruffled his hair as Missio spoke.
"How?"
"Dude, you just used Stride and Restless back-to-back without any prior training! I literally just taught you Form 1." Dante said.
"Really?" Missio raised a brow. "That's cool but… I'm sorry. I got a bit carried away."
"It's okay." Dante replied, standing up. "That was honestly one impressive display of talent."
"Talent?" Missio blurted.
"I'm surprised as well. This is first time you've actually displayed some sort of talent in anything." Dante picked up the other longsword.
He spun around, locking eyes with his brother.
"But that duel of ours just now was a good example as to why I'm only teaching you three forms first."
"Because you broke my rhythm?" Missio questioned.
"Correct." Dante snapped his fingers. "In that battle just now, you were running on pure instinct. That's no good. Why? Because while instinct is a major part of learning Sempiterne Swordsmanship, it's not the whole thing."
He handed the longsword to Missio. Missio took it and gripped the hilt. The same strangely nostalgic feeling washed over him yet again.
"You said you didn't feel this with the katana? Blades are made for the same purpose but how they are used is the major difference. With this I can clearly see, you were made for the longsword, not a katana." Dante explained.
Missio grunted and stood up.
"It seems so… but I'm like getting serious déjà vu from this."
"I don't know where that came from but forget it for now." Dante twisted his neck. "You're a prodigy, bro. Instinct got you through three entire forms but incomplete ones. A master like me can read your trance and break it effortlessly. If I were an actual enemy, you'd be dead at this point."
"Incomplete forms?" Missio repeated.
"The second form of Sempiterne Swordsmanship, Stride. While you were merely attacking. It's true essence is attacking through prediction and planning. You used it on instinct. You didn't read me or predict my next move. That's why you failed to harness the true essence of Form 3 as well."
"I see… but even I don't know how I was doing all that. It felt too natural too me. For the third form, I think I gave up on defense. Is that it?"
"Yes." Dante replied. "Form III: Restless. Parrying become your ultimate defense. You don't block – you deflect and parry. Each parry connects to the next strike. You're in a fluid motion at whatever pace that is suitable for a user which may be slow or fast based on their stamina. Up to form three, you're to fight only a single enemy."
"Is it only made for pure movement?" Missio raised a brow.
Dante raised his hand. "The sword art was created for war. As I said, it's a swordsmanship that allows the user to strike down as many enemies as possible. We try to move as much as possible for two reasons, to never give our foe a chance to breathe and to always be on the attack."
"Then, why do we have to fight a single enemy up to Form 3?" Missio inquired.
"Romulus knew that not every person could flow with the battle. So, he made sure that the first three forms could help the user be one with the chaos of the battlefield. Battle is not something a man can simply be accustomed to because if you are, it's not a habit but a scar."
"So, the first three forms are to help us align our mind and body with the flow of the battle?" Missio guessed.
"Correct." Dante nodded. "If you don't do so, Sempiterne could fall apart. That's also why Sempiterne Swordsmanship is also known as the never-ending sword art. It's like an endless dance. Each form leads to the other. You can't jump from one to eight. You have to go through each step to ensure infinity."
Missio nodded, drawing a deep breath. He relaxed his body and mind. He locked eyes with his brother, opening his mouth.
"Then, shall we begin training?"
Dante smiled, raising his longsword. "Of course. Let me guide you through each step."