CH.5 The Moon and Stars

While I was blinking, Rayleigh suddenly disappear. Focusing my senses and my Haki, I awaited where he would come from.

Without thinking twice, I quickly twirled the blade around my right side and parried his attack. I smirked, but he kicked my side. The kick was heavy causing me to tumble down. Luckily I mitigate some of the blow with Haki, so I only coughed a little blood.

"Hey, that's not fair." I wiped my blood.

He shrugged, "Everything is fair in a battle of life and death." He pointed his blade, "Now get up."

The spar continues till at one point he successfully parried Rayleigh attack like nothing. Rayleigh smirked when he recognizes the slight blue hue coating the blade.

"I see..." He said as he dropped the parry and walk towards me calmly.

I was in a slight daze.

Did I just coat my blade with a shade of Haki?

Did I just do that?

I looked at the katana on my hand, it was coated with blue energy. I just parried a blow from Rayleigh like its nothing, granted that it was a spar so I doubt he's using a lot of his strength.

"Did you feel it?" he asked.

I didn't answer, I was too confused to pay attention to answer what he's asking.

"Can you feel the katana on your hand?"

This question sends my mind to an overdrive, raising the blade I notice the sheer familiarity that I had with the blade, as though it's always been there.

It was a weird feeling, how could a blade feel... so normal in my hand. I never trained with a real weapon, let alone a katana. To suddenly feel so powerful, so... right in using the weapon is a new sensation for me.

"I can but only when I wanted to," I finally replied.

Rayleigh hummed before heading to the weapon rack and picked up a spear, and bringing it with him.

As I took the spear, I slowly recall what the books had taught me about the spear. I slowly went through the motion for the spear, down to a level I never thought I could get in the first time using a weapon.

I then noticed that the blue energy coating the spear is thicker and sturdier than the one on katana, Rayleigh observed the spear and katana in my hands.

He concluded and patted my shoulder, "I see you had nearly achieved the 5th Dan in Armament Haki and it seems the shade that you choose is 'Elemental Enhancement'. It's one of the rarer and strongest Armament Haki that existed."

He then coated his blade with a dark aura and sent a cut in the air which releases a dark arc which split the mountain in half.

"Elemental Enhancement is a shade of Armament Haki, in which the user could use their element to coat their body and weapon which would give them an edge both in offence and defence."

He then coughed, "Enough about the explanation, Let's... continue shall we?" I see the smirk in his face.

I sighed internally it seems that my training is getting harder once more. I hope that I can get through this in one piece.

-Line Break-

I've been training with Rayleigh for about 5 years now. I had advanced a lot since I first arrived here, even though I had no benchmark of my current strength in DxD. I did felt the improvement in my overall combat prowess.

I'm now able to silent cast while fighting. My Haki had reached 7th Dan, a stage where I have achieved sufficient mastery on both of my Haki shades. With my current level of mastery in using my weapon, I was now able to give Rayleigh a decent fight. At least forcing him to use about half of his full power, he said that he can't use his full power anymore... unless the situation calls for it. But I doubt it would happen.

"Shiro, come follow me." I was confused as Rayleigh usually started my training at this time.

He walked toward the edge of a cave near a cliff where he usually watched the moon, on his side were a long chest, I mean very long it's like 2m long. Strangely enough, I could feel an attraction towards whats inside the chest. I stared at it what felt like an eternity.

Rayleigh caught me surprises as he threw me the chest, which I tried to catch. yeah 'tried', the chest was so heavy that I'm unprepared for it. It smashes down into the floor which made a web-like crack on it.

He looked away, "It's yours."

I cleared the dust from the chest and I could see the words embedded on it, 'Moon and Stars'. I felt a strange connection towards the words and I always wondered why that I never felt lacking in the presence of moon and stars rather than the usual humanly sun. (A/N Which counted as a star but I digress)

I opened the chest and what greeted my eyes were two weapons, a katana and a spear. The katana had an exquisite design, Its handle was similar to a gun handle and was adorned with gold around it. The blade had a blue crystal embedded in the middle, it has a unique glow and the blade itself have an aura of coldness surrounding it. (A/N Picture: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/unisonleague/images/5/5e/Gear-Magical_Girl_Sayaka%27s_Sword_Render.png/revision/latest?cb=20170909092429 )

On the other hand, the spear is an ornate spear with a silver rod and is more extensive than a normal spear. At the top rod of the spear, silver and gold metal is creating a symbol, that represents the moon and star. The spear tip was covered in the same blue crystal that the blade had. The spear itself had a starry glow on it. (A/N Picture: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/unisonleague/images/a/a2/Gear-Snow_Glitter_Lance_Render.png/revision/latest?cb=20180519042830 )

As I touched the weapon, it let out a bright shine that blinded me.

When the light dissipates the chest had disappeared alongside the weapon. I felt there's a necklace on my neck so I pulled it out and what greeted me was a pendant with the shape of moon and star. It had a unique air about it that made me never wanted to take it off.

I fiddled with the necklace and found out that I could summon the weapons at will. It also got me to know both of the names of the weapons, "Snow Glitter Spear" and "Serene Ice Flower". When I tried to use both of them, I felt different.

My eyes went wide as I examined my body. My plain magic core was no more, it had gotten replaced... It became two swords clashing with a spear in the middle. On it's back was a planet. It regenerates my magic at an incredible rate, that in theory if I maximize my efficiency in using magic. I may truly be rivalling Ophis.

What's more unexpected, was the fact that my overall mana quality had increased. I could sense the surrounding mana better and I felt more connected to nature. If my previous mana was a gem ore then my current one would be a polished ore. The other notable difference is my body felt more vigorous and robust.

"Done, admiring yourself?" I saw rayleigh close to me which makes me flinch in surprise.

I scratch my cheek, hiding my embarrassment.

"Now, some story needs to be told huh?" He sat down and gestured me to follow suit.

When I wanted to sit I could feel the entire land tremble, and a surge of power was emerging in the distance. I wanted to ask what's happening but seeing Rayleigh serious face, I swallowed it back down. The power was something that I never felt before, even in my current power. I think I stood no chance against it.