Returning to the beginning

"So this is my tester" Allen looked attentively at the tiger in front of him as it was completely still, waiting for him. "Let's take care of it quickly" Allen withdrew his sword, immediately coating it with a sharp layer of ice using his Vision.

For this test, with the exception of using his uniform, Tomoki hadn't put any limitation, being able to fully use his Vision.

*Paf* Just as Allen stepped over the arena, the tiger immediately jumped towards Allen, swinging his huge right claw.

'It's fast, but I can see it' Allen leaned over the left while holding up his sword with both hands.

'Niwa Art: Parry' Allen controlled the flow of the claw, parrying with the least strength while dashing forward, finding himself under the tiger.

Allen didn't wait, swinging his sword as the cryo coating shined brightly "Burst!"

*Boom* Allen's coating exploded, first the back coating, propelling the sword forward, giving speed and strength and then the front edge as it impacted with the tiger's belly.

Due to the strength of the attack, the tiger has pushed 3 meters away, but quickly recovered its posture, safely landing with its legs with only a small wound on its belly.

'It has a strong defense, this would take some time' Allen thought seeing the tiger's state.

"GRRRRRR" The tiger growled, electro energy running over its body, specially focusing on the wounded part and Allen was able to see the wound closing at an incredible speed, not needing even a second to be fully closed.

"Fuck!" Allen cursed as the tiger charged again, swinging its claws in a X.

'Too strong' Allen analyzed the upcoming attack 'I won't be able to parry it' Allen jumped towards his right side, somersaulting to avoid the fatal attack.

*Bang* The tiger's paws stroke the ground with great strength, destroying the ground. However, that wasn't anything for Allen in comparison with what it did next.

Putting its weigh on the paws, the tiger twisted its hip, its lower body turning 90º as it swung his strong tail towards Allen.

'Shit!' Allen eyes went wide at the approaching tail like a whip, amazed at the tiger's movements, while unable to answer effectively due to his previous avoiding maneuver.

*Boom* Without any other option, Allen unleashed his Burst again, forcing his sword forward, clashing towards the tail. However, due to his bad posture, he was unable to cope with the powerful tail, being shot over 10 meters by it.

'Such strength' Allen gritted his teeth as he spun his body, safely landing with his feet and left hand while quickly lifting his sword waiting for the tiger's next attack.

However, under Allen's surprise, the tiger didn't continue its attack, instead, it lazily turned around and returned to the middle of the arena.

"I see" It didn't take Allen much to discover the reason of the tiger's actions, he was outside the arena.

The last attack had pushed him outside the arena and as the tiger didn't start attacking until he entered, it seemed that it won't attack him while he is outside.

'Let's calm down and think carefully about it' Allen breezed strongly and looked at his sword. 'It can still last.'

Thanks to his arduous training, Allen's control have greatly strengthened and fully knowing that his Elemental Burst wasn't much powerful, he searched for other ways to use it rather than for attacking or as a decoy. Finally, opting to use as a pushing force to create a burst of speed.

However, this method had some drawbacks. It forced his body to move with a speed and force that it wasn't prepared, so every Burst strained his body. Moreover, even if it was a little, it consumed quite the limited elemental energy of Allen, so the maximum uses were about 5.

Allen turned to look at the tiger who calmly waited for him 'It's clear that Tomoki prepared this test fully knowing me. This tiger is my perfect counter.'

Allen's style was based in his analytical mind, observing the enemies and taking advantage of their weakness and openings, his style was based on creating them. Against humans, even if they were stronger, Allen had some opportunities but against powerful monster with high defense, it became quite useless as he lacked the strength to hurt them.

'This tiger is even more problematic, being capable of healing his own wounds' Allen closed his eyes in thought 'It's simply impossible for the actual me to win against it, so what is Tomoki trying to test me?'

'It shouldn't be my swordsmanship, he is periodically testing how is my progress and there will be better enemies to test it as against a tank like this tiger is kind of futile.' Allen analyzed 'If it's not that it would be my Vision, but in what way can I use it to win.'

"You suck at it"

"Your output is too little."

"You really don't have talent with it."

"You are not very compatible with the elements."

Tomoki's words about his elemental skills resounded over Allen's mind 'What can I improve? What's the deal with this test?'

"You are too serious and rigid, sometimes is better to let yourself go."

'That's it!' Allen eyes went wide and gripped his sword strongly, focusing all his elemental strength on it, letting it flow freely without any control, a layer of cryo element coating it. Without any control over it, it didn't become a sharp edge like before, instead it formed a rugged layer covered with brittle cryo thorns.

'Yes, it's like the first time' Allen remembered his first time when he obtained his Vision, coating his own punch with cryo spikes and hitting Kirill's punch.

Allen charged forward toward the tiger who answered dashing forward itself at a similar speed.

'He is really a tester and it's even adjusting its own speed' Allen could see it as he lowered his speed, the tiger also lowered its

'But I can go faster!' Just as the tiger was starting to swing its claw towards Allen *Boom* Allen kicked the ground, exploding a layer of Cryo under his foot.

That burst in speed was enough to pass under the claw, which barely grazed Allen's head.

"Take this!" Allen swung his sword upwards with his full strength targeting the joint of the tiger's right arm and shoulder. Due to its thick fur and high defense, Allen was barely able to make a faint cut, however...

"Grrrr!" The tiger growled in pain, rather than for the cut, it was due to the Cryo thorns that broke from the coating and pierced over its body.

Allen took advantage of that split of a second created by the pain, dashing to the left and avoiding its big body.

"GRRRRR!" The tiger quickly recover, growling in anger, Electro element running through its body, but it was unable to completely heal itself, some blood still leaking it through the thorns piercing its body.

"GRRRRR!" The tiger swung his right paw towards Allen, trying to directly hit with the back of it.

Seeing the upcoming attack, Allen grinned "Open!"

*BOOM!* The thorns piercing its body, shined brightly and exploded, opening greatly its wound and forcing its paw upwards, failing to hit Allen who swung his sword again, his eyes fixed on the wound of its shoulder, bigger after his last burst.

'I've focused too much on my weakness and control, forgetting the most basic of it. In the end, elemental skills are discovered from the start, I was simply forgetting this fact.' "Yaaah!" Allen put all his strength over his sword approaching the wound.

'My burst is not a finisher, if I can't finish it with one attack, I'll hit the same point until I'm able!'

However, just as Allen's sword was about to hit the wound, Electro energy ran all over the body of the tiger and he disappeared from Allen's gaze.

At an incredible speed that was almost a flash, the tiger avoided the imminent attack and at the same time, appeared at Allen's back, swinging its claw at his unprotected back.

'It's the end' Allen was unable to react, unable to turn around.

"Stop!" Just as the claw approached Allen, Tomoki jumped between both, Tomoki standing in front of the tiger with his arms open, not even withdrawing his sword.

*Pof* Purple smoke surged from the tiger as its figure completely disappeared leaving in his place a little cute white kitty that jumped over Tomoki's chest receiving a hug from him.

Allen was able to finally turn around only to see Tomoki hugging a purring kitty.

"Good job everyone" Tomoki said smiling brightly while caressing the kitty.

"What's the meaning of this?" Allen said signaling the kitty.

"Oh, this is Nian. It's kind of my mascot" Tomoki answered "Say hello."

"Nya!" The kitty, Nian, saluted lifting its right paw.

Allen couldn't believe it, that huge and monstrous tiger was that kitty who purred under Tomoki's fingers.

"Nya!" Nian jumped from Tomoki's embrace toward Allen who quickly prepare to catch it. However, Nian's eyes turn sharp. Nian avoided Allen's hand, jumping over it and scratching Allen's face, before jumping back towards Tomoki and returned with its cute face "Nya!"

"Dammit cat!" Allen cursed in pain, it wasn't any serious wound but the cat was really laughing at him.

"Don't be bad, Nian" Tomoki scolded Nian as he put it inside his robes before turning towards Allen "Anyway, Allen you pass. I'll teach you my blacksmithing art, the Shihai Art."