Tester

"And we finally end the run" Just as Allen announced, Kazuha fell over the ground panting.

"Ha-Fi-ah-nally" Kazuha said exhausted, barely being able to move, his legs still trembling.

It was the first time that Kazuha had ran more than 5 kilometers and being forced to follow Allen for over 20km, it was overkill, his soles even bleeding because of it.

"As it took more than 3 hours, we will stop for today and return home to let you rest a little" Allen explained.

"What hah is your usual time?" He asked while still panting.

"It depends on the slope" Allen answered "As it was your first day, I choose the easiest track that I would do in around one and half hours."

"That was the easiest!?" Kazuha was shocked "Are Tomo's trainings always this extreme?"

"You got it wrong, this is not from Tomoki. This is my own routine to keep myself in shape" Allen explained "However, to answer your question, they are. Tomoki starts too hard as forcing you to give up."

"I suppose that is kind of a test for him, to learn if your will is strong enough. Then, he calms a little or more likely you got used to that level of training." Allen shook his head "If it were me we had only run for less than 10km to start the training and slowly increase the distance and pace."

"So, I need to prepare for the worst" Kazuha seemed to try to convince himself, putting strength to lift his upper body.

"Yeah, work hard" Allen laughed, remembering his first days of training and that pain over other person "Let's take a bath and relax our bodies, without forgetting to stretch before anything."

...

Arriving at home, Tomoki was already waiting for them.

"It took more or less what I expected..." Tomoki whispered to himself "I'm proud of you Allen" Tomoki rubbed Allen's hair for Allen's dislike "You choose the easiest path, not making things difficult for Kazuha. Good that you are not such a bastard." He said with a bright smile.

'I suppose that as always I have a little of a superiority complex, looking down at others' Allen thought a little embarrassed of his previous laugh at Kazuha's state once he finished.

Tomoki turned to Kazuha, giving him a piece of paper. "This would be your training regime, follow it carefully, Kazuha."

Kazuha really wanted to laid down more than anything, but anyway he quickly read the paper, learning about his future training "Tomo, there must be an error, there's no blacksmith training. It mostly consists of stamina training and theoretical classes."

"Kazuha, I'm not trying to teach you as a normal blacksmith, I'll teach you to become an Isshin Art user" Tomoki said seriously.

"Isshin Art strives for complete harmony between blade and mind from the moment that forging begins. Only a blade thus forged can capture and convey its maker's thoughts and feelings, and eventually become an extension of its wielder's will." Tomoki explained "Thus rather than strength and forging practice, the most important is to have an equilibrated and calm mind and body. You will keep with this routine, with some increases in difficulty, until you reach that serenity."

Kazuha turned serious and finally nodded "I understand. Sor-" Kazuha was about to apologize but remembered Tomo's second rule don't apologize for everything "I won't doubt you next time."

"Good" Tomoki smiled and rubbed also his hair "But don't doubt to doubt me, I'm kind of unreliable sometime" he laughed it off.

After that, Kazuha quickly went to the bathroom, leaving Allen and Tomoki alone.

"Calligraphy, poetry, etiquette...So he will start to have classes at the Kamisato's?" Allen said reading the training regime. "It's quite different than my training."

"Of course, it will be" Tomoki nodded "Both of you are completely different. Physically you were already trained at the you know where and mentally..." He glanced attentively at Allen before sighing "You couldn't be more strange. Let's see that until I saw you growing over this time, I had my doubts of you being simply a short one."

"Ouch, how can you say that? It makes my heart ache" Allen said pressing his hand over his heard in pain.

"Oh, poor you" Tomoki said, both breaking laughing. "Also as I said, he is learning the Isshin Art, it had it's own special circumstances."

"Yeah, of course. The Isshin Art, the one that I suck at it and it's impossible for me to attain" Allen said rolling his eyes.

"Allen you had continued to practice blacksmithing, no?" Tomoki said with a serious tone.

"Yes, it helps me to clear my mind and it's also good to make weapons for my Vision's training, similar to archery." Allen explained. "Why do you ask?"

"Seeing that you have not given out, I decided to teach a style" Tomoki said.

"It's not the Isshin, so what it would be?" Allen asked "Would you make me learn the Anemona?"

"It's none from the Raiden Gokaden" Tomoki shook his head "It's one that I'm quite familiar with it and I would be the one to teach you."

"So you know another one apart from the Isshin? Is a lower art?" Allen asked.

"It not lower perse and while I only made 4 star weapons with it, I'm quite sure that it's capable of 5-start forging..."

"Really?" Allen asked shocked "If it's so good how is it not renown?"

"It's not the technique that you want to show off or even teach to someone closer" Tomoki said with a dark face "But I learned about you over this time together and I have no doubt it will be the best for you. You might even transform it into something useful."

'Transform' Allen thought strangely, but anyway he was quite eager to learn such a technique "So when we start?"

"Not so fast, Allen" Tomoki stopped his eagerness "This technique could be considered to be a secret of the Niwa Clan as such you need to pass a test and be recognized."

"So, another spar?" Allen lifted an eyebrow while put his hand over the hilt of his sword.

"I won't be the tester."

...

After a boat ride, Allen finally reached the place of the test, Tatarasuna, more concretely the hidden cabin where Allen met Tomoki the first time.

"The air is surely heavy" Allen could feel the elemental power and energy all over the place, slowly exhausting his energy, making every move more difficult.

*Cr* *Cr* Allen completed the puzzle and entered the secret hallway, entering the familiar place where he had spent his first month at Inazuma, turning over one closed door, the one that Tomoki had forbidden him to enter during that time.

Taking out a key, Allen opened the door revealing a forge, a little smaller than the one at their home.

Allen looked around, but not finding anything unusual, a simple forge, he crossed the room, opening the heavy door at the other side of the room.

*CRRR* *CRRR* Just as he opened, a purple glow followed by cracking sounds welcomed him.

"GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" In the middle of a big round sparring room with an altar at the end, a tiger growled powerfully. It was three meters tall with white spiky fur while lightning continuously cracked around him, electro element covering it.

"So this is my tester..."