58. Auslin

Chapter 58

Auslin

A fter a late lunch the next day, Auslin and Kitaro headed to the training hall to train with the new sword. While Auslin was excited, using a real Divine weapon against Kitaro made him nervous. "You're not going to make me use this against you, are you?"

"Why are you concerned? You are more than capable of healing any damage that sword might do to me," Kitaro reminded him.

He was right, but Auslin still didn't care for the possibility of injuring the dragon prince. "Hurting you would be too upsetting."

"You can rest easy. We will only use dummies today." Kitaro summoned a group of ten floating bunny dummies, which were spread out in a wide semicircle. "See if you can take them out in one hit. "

"All of them at once?" It was more than Auslin had ever destroyed with a single hit.

Kitaro nodded. "With that weapon enhancing your abilities, it should be an easy feat for you now."

Auslin remained skeptical, but he channeled his powers into the sword Tatsuki had gifted him the previous night. The blade flared to life, engulfed in purple flames, with the blue-and-purple etchings glowing brightly. It was as beautiful as it was deadly.

He took a deep breath as he focused on the floating dummies. When he was ready, Auslin swung the sword in front of him in an arc, casting his purification powers out in a wide burst. Not only did the ten dummies vaporize, but he also blew a crater into the far wall across from him.

Auslin stared in disbelief at the structural damage he had caused. "What the— how ?" He ran his fingers through his hair in shock. "How did my purifying powers damage a wall like that?"

"Because the walls are enchanted with dragon magic, which crumbled under your purifying powers," Kitaro explained. He seemed impressed by the demonstration. "That was excellent, Vanra."

"I killed the wall!" Auslin protested as he gestured at it in shock. "How is that excellent? Your father will be livid with me!"

Kitaro shook his head. "My father will be far more impressed with your abilities than concerned about the damage that is easily fixed. "

"How is that easily fixed?"

"Like this," Jaega said as he entered the room. He waved his hand, using his magic to return the wall to normal. It now looked as if nothing had happened. "You are far from the first to blow a hole in a wall in this training hall. You most certainly will not be the last."

"Uncle Jaega!" Auslin turned to face the shifter general, who thankfully seemed amused about the incident. That was a relief.

"How many times do you think I sent Mitsuki through that wall?" Jaega jovially asked Kitaro with a wicked grin.

"As stubborn as he is, I would venture to say no less than a thousand times, surely."

Jaega chuckled. "At least that much, the hardheaded fool. And yet, it was somehow satisfying every time I sent him sailing through it."

Auslin exhaled a sigh of relief. He hated being in trouble.

"It is a strong start," Jaega complimented. "Kizoshi has outdone herself, as per usual."

The comment made Kitaro laugh. "You know she never settles for anything less than the best."

Jaega gestured for the sword. "May I please see it?"

"Of course." Auslin sheathed the weapon before handing it to him.

The shifter general inspected the scabbard before pulling out the sword. He nodded to himself as he studied the blade. "This is indeed a formidable weapon, even by normal Divine standards. Fersen was wise to enchant the sheath."

"What do you mean?" Auslin accepted the sword back.

Without warning, Jaega sent a blast of orange fire dragon at Auslin. The human defensively held up his arms on reflex. Before he could summon a barrier, the flames fizzled out into smoke.

"The sheath acts as a natural shield against both magical and physical attacks," Jaega explained. "In the event you are attacked before you can erect a protective shield, this will activate to keep you safe. But you must be wearing it for it to work since it draws from your aura to protect you."

The Enchanters never failed to impress Auslin. "That's incredible!"

Jaega nodded. "Of course, the real power is in amplifying your purifying abilities. You destroyed a wall when you were only tentatively testing the weapon. Imagine how much more you could do if you used it with all your strength."

It was true that Auslin had exerted little energy in his first attempt. What else could he do with it once he had trained with it more?

"Actually, I have an idea." Jaega gestured for them to follow him to the grassy garden outside the training hall side doors. He summoned a ring of twenty human-sized bunny dummies. Instead of floating like normal, they sat stationary on the dirt. "Thrust the sword into the ground, then channel your purification in an outward burst. Imagine all the dummies being incinerated at once."

"Is that really possible?" It seemed too unbelievable to be true.

"There is only one way to find out," Jaega said. It came as a shock when orange dragon wings appeared from his back as he hovered above the ground.

Auslin's jaw dropped when Kitaro followed suit. "You guys can partially shift? I didn't know that was even possible!"

"It takes considerable training, but it is possible," Kitaro explained. "As you will send out a powerful blast of your purifying powers amplified by the sword, it would be unwise for us to remain on the ground when you do so. Now, show us what you can do."

Auslin squared his shoulders as he accepted the challenge. Although he felt bad doing so, he stabbed the beautiful sword hard into the ground. He channeled his powers down the sword, which then flared out in a blast circle around him.

All twenty of the dummies instantly vaporized into dust. Auslin looked all around to make sure he had gotten rid of them all at the same time. "How did that actually work? Wow !"

"Well done, Vanra!" Kitaro praised him as he landed .

Auslin's excitement surged. "I can't believe I did it! That's amazing!" He pulled the sword out of the ground, studying it with awe.

Jaega lowered himself back to the dirt. He walked over to Auslin, then clasped his shoulder with a squeeze. "You should be proud, Vanra. How do you feel?"

It came as a surprise to realize that despite the huge outburst of power, Auslin wasn't as exhausted as normal. "I feel totally fine."

"That would be the amplifying abilities of the sword, requiring less energy from you to do more," Jaega said. "Let us return inside to continue training."

As it was chillier outside than Auslin was dressed for, he jumped at the chance to go back inside to keep working with the two shifters. He couldn't wait to learn what else he could do with the help of the Divine sword.