Image Battle

Shortly after they were finished with breakfast, Hainan brought out Adaceus to the training grounds outside. The girls were absent from him, taken to be care of by Enid as, "Youngins' shouldn't be exposed to such of violence you men engage in," as she put it with a huff of her chest, so with no choice, Adaceus relented, leaving them with her for the time being. 

They reached the entrance of it, a large archway that reached high. 

It was enclosed in a coliseum like manner, seats were placed in rows all around where spectators could watch, and up high was roofless and clear, the blue sky visible above and the sun shining through.

At the center, where the action took place, was a platform made of stone. It was like an arena more than anything, with a wide open space that made Adaceus's combative warrior mind amazed at the sight, a perfect place for any fighter to perform in.

They both went in deeper, steeping on the platform where he got a closer look at the surroundings. At the ends of the area they were figures of straw and wood, fashioned into human like shapes that stood on sturdy poles, and designing the walls were racks filled with assortments of simple weapons, some of wood and some of steel. The ground was spotted, filled with holes that were unknown as to what purpose could serve, and looking above, Adacues could see orbs floating just above the platform, shining white light.

It was completely empty, save for the two of them in here.

"What do you think?' Hainan asked, his head raised high to peer above.

"It really is magnificent, Mr. Hainan," responded Adaceus.

"Yes, it is, we had this custom made with capable individuals in mind."

He raised his hand up, "Secured with magical enchantments to prevent any major damages to the construction, equipped with devices to summon enemies for the purposes of sparring, and a plentiful supply of dummies to attack to your hearts content, the perfect place to the skills of any prospective warrior and or fighter."

He turned his eyes to Adaceus bellow him, seeing him move his head all around.

"Why don't you try it out?" He said.

Adaceus turned to him, though he couldn't see his face, he could imagine it was eager.

"Can I?" He said.

"Of course, that's what its for, Isn't it? Go on, have at it."

Instinctively, Adaceus proceeded to move his right hand to his back, grabbing the handle of the sword on his back, unsheathing it, where it hummed with a melodic, metal ringing. 

"Oh, before you go, wear this with you," Abruptly Hainan said.

Adaceus saw he had something in his stretched out hand, a device of some sort, and he offered it to him. It was an armband of some sort, thick but was light in its weight. Adaceus grabbed it with his fingers, observing it.

"What does this do?" Adaceus asked.

"It allows you to gain access to all the arena has to offer, just wait and see."

Adaceus shrugged and put it on, lifting it high above his whole arm. 

He stepped forward to the platform with blade in hand, raising it high before brining it down with a horizontal slash, powerful enough to blast a gust of wind apart, sending dust apart.

He followed with a set of slashes, one coming from his side, and brought up another with an upward swing, moving across the floor with smooth motions, each strike precise and powerful to leave trails in the air. With quick steps he lunged and strode, gliding through the surface with his speed like a graceful dance, his form streaking like it was a painting moving though a canvas. He flickered to the sky, striking his sword that hummed with gentle reverberations to the air, filling the atmosphere with the glints of his sword slashing any which way, leaving behind a multitude of after images in its wake, striking at the emptiness before landing back to the ground. 

He stumbled a bit, thinking to himself how he needs to get the hang of fighting again, but he didn't think upon it further, except to continue his attacks-if he was to improve, he should just keep the pace. 

Each strike was in perfect compliment with each other. A slash was delivered, following with a downward swing, and a kick of his leg, before bringing his sword up, and bringing it down.

He stood up and straightened himself, swooshing his sword around, resounding metallic, ringing crescendo.

He looked all around, thinking to himself of another way to entertain himself. He was done, for the most part, there isn't really anything to do with just an empty space but just hack away, but now that he was done, he was lost on how to proceed. 

Until the band of his arm flickered, and a ding sounded from it.

Immediately, the holes that were on the ground sounded the same ding, and one after another, they lighted up. Adaceus readied into a battle stance, alarmed by the shapes on the ground suddenly lighting up.

"Haha! Adaceus! Get ready, cause this is the surprise!"

Figures appeared at a couple of the holes, flashing to existence out of nowhere, and in their hands held a weapon. They were humanoid, their forms fully made of blue glowing light stringed together, almost spectral as one could see right through them. 

All together they ran to Adaceus in a standard speed, their hands that held weapons raised high.

A figure with a spear attempted to strike dead center, but Adaceus parried it away to the side. Figures moved to each side of him. A figure with an axe swung at his head, but Adaceus dodged last second, the weapon scraping at his mask where little sparks flew. He leapt back, repositioning himself to better see his opponents. 

There were 4 in total of this figures, but before he could discern anything else, an arrow flew at him, whistling through in the air and aimed directly between his eyes. In a split second he batted it away, sparks spraying away as he redirected it, but before he could react another of these things followed, one that wielded a sword. The figure brought it down with a powerful force, enough to render him to his knees as the figure fought to dominate him with the mighty blow. 

Adaces pushed it back, sending it tumbling away and took the opportunity to stand himself up. The axe wielder then attacked with a large leap, but Adaceus followed its move, jumping up as well and caught its axe mid swing and sending it up, then kicking its face with his foot, his legs reaching the heavens as its helmet dented with his strike. It disappeared into a billion little pieces, its form decreasing like sand to the wind, before it diminished completely.

He landed, and the sword wielder attacked, exchanging a couple of blows with Adacues, eventually overwhelming the glowing thing, before the spear wielder came to its aid and attacked, appearing beside the swordsman. It ran to him like a raging bull, holding the spear tight, ready to ram it in, trying to drive it through him. Adaceus struck the spear in its tip, planting it on the stone itself, and stepped on it, walking upon the body of the spear with perfect balance toward the head of the thing before delivering an upward swing, splitting its face in half. It too disappeared to dust, and as the spear also went, he dropped down.

The sword wielder then ran with sword raised high, and at the same time the bowmen sent out another arrow. In a split second reaction, he placed his sword to the front of him, shifting it to and angle where it lead to the approaching sword man. It hit successfully, but it ricochet off the sword, directly to the sword wielder, hitting it in its neck that escaped out the other end, felling to the dirt. 

There was only one left, and Adaceus ran at it with full force.

As the last of them fell to dust, Adaceus, exhausted, kneeled on the ground, before eventually laying down his back. Steps approached him, and as a figure appeared before him was Hainan, with a smile on his face while looking down at him.

"How was it?" He said.

"What... were those things?"

"Holographs, magically conjured constructs that we use for training here."

Adaceus lumbered up before asking, "Where did they come from?"

Hainan pointed to the holes on the ground, "You see these?"

"These holes?"

"Well, not holes, but nodes, they are able to produce any image one would want for training, activated by that handy armband you have."

Adaceus stared at the band on his arm, seeing its light fade into dim dullness.

"You were getting tired of just swinging in the air, the band picked up on that decided to conjure up foes for you to battle. I had it set at the medium level for you so the enemies you faced were simple to defeat, but it seemed that even these were simple enough for you, and you did well."

"Aye, sure, thanks," Adaceus said, standing up and using his sword to balance himself up. 

"Sir."

Rinita suddenly appeared, flickering in out of nowhere as if she teleported into existence. 

Unfazed Hainan questioned why she was here.

"There is some business that need your attention, ones that require your personal presence, my lord."

"Oh, right, looks like work is calling me, well then," he turned around to address Adaceus.

"Looks like there's something that requires my attending, so I have to leave you here for now, you have my permission to continue using the training grounds, just, please take it easy."

"You have my word, and thanks, Mr. Hainan."

And they both left, with Hainan taking the lead out the grounds. Rinita glanced back and gave him a slight, even cute smile, which Adaceus could only waive awkwardly at. 

A few minutes after they left, Adaceus swung his head from left to right at the training grounds, all alone and in solitude.

Saying under his breath.

"What should I do now?"