Cassian didn't get much rest before he had to attend Detective Julius's lecture, which was scheduled just before office hours. Both he and Robert stood there with tired faces, feeling only slightly more energized after drinking something called coffee. Cassian wasn't a fan of the bitter taste, but after a while, he did feel a surge of energy, just enough to prepare him for the lecture.
It was being held in the open training ground, with a large raised stage in the center. Julius stood there, accompanied by a few other officers, one of them being Sergeant Eve Dallas.
"Today, I have some assistants to help with the lecture," Julius began. "There are too many of you for me to train individually, so be sure to thank them—they volunteered to assist. They're all circle warriors, which means they're stronger than you, and that's why you'll be learning from them.
Keep this in mind: always aim to learn from those stronger than you, and strive not just to catch up, but to surpass them. This mindset will serve you well on your journey." Julius, dressed in tight yet flexible clothes, stood confidently on the stage along with the other officers—four in total, two women and two men.
Seeing few of people down stage nodding, at his word he continued, "We'll be learning about sword techniques today, as well as choosing the right type of sword, which is crucial at the start of your journey," Julius began. "Many of you may have already chosen one, but my assistants and I will assess your choice and offer suggestions if it's not compatible with you.
Most of you have already learned the basics, so this comes next."
Julius then glanced at Dallas, who had a massive sword strapped to her back, nearly as tall as Cassian. "But before we dive into that, let's kick off some excitement with a sparring match from my assistants."
"Miss Dallas, would you like to start?" Julius asked. Dallas smiled and nodded as one of the men stepped forward. He was tall and burly, wielding a heavy sword similar to hers. However, his sword had a curved, one-sided edge with a broad body from top, while Dallas' was double-edged and sharp-pointed, with a body not board as his.
"Then I'll be Miss Dallas' sparring partner, Sir Julius," the man said, stepping forward. Julius nodded, and Dallas smirked.
"How've you been these days, Crasyiat?" she asked, her grin widening.
"Better," Crasyiat replied with a smirk of his own, drawing his sword from its leather sheath. Dallas followed suit, unsheathing her own weapon, both of them assuming their stances.
Before stepping aside, Julius reminded them, "Remember, no using domains except to protect your bodies. Just focus on showing your sword skills so everyone down there can see them clearly."
Both Dallas and Crasyiat nodded with wide grins, and as soon as Julius saw they were ready, he announced, "Then... start!" In the blink of an eye, he was at the edge of the stage while Dallas and Crasyiat had already exchanged their first blow. The impact of their swords colliding sent dust flying into the air, the force of the clash reverberating through the training ground.
It was the first time Cassian had seen circle warriors fight in real life. The encounter with Captain Tyron and that Eidolon spawn didn't count—the creature hadn't even let the captain land a single hit, let alone get to his feet.
Here, the two fighters seemed almost evenly matched in strength, both wielding similar types of heavy swords. Sergeant Dallas, however, moved with slightly slower but controlled motions, while Crasyiat's attacks were faster and packed with more force.
His strikes were overbearing, using the natural advantage of his weapon—a broad-topped blade that allowed him to deliver powerful, quick, downward slashes with ease.
In contrast, Sergeant Dallas' sword was more balanced in weight distribution, making her movements steadier but without the same raw speed and impact behind them.
Cassian could see that Sergeant Dallas was clearly struggling to block Crasyiat's relentless, fast, and heavy attacks. But if she was truly struggling, she wouldn't be a second-rank circle warrior, he reasoned. After a few more seconds of taking his blows, Dallas finally made her move.
As another heavy strike came her way, she blocked again—but this time, she angled the edge of her sword slightly to the side, letting Crasyiat's attack glance off the broad side of her blade. The momentum of his swing carried his sword past her, leaving him momentarily exposed.
With a smirk, Dallas thrust her sword forward, the point aiming straight for his chest. Crasyiat grunted as the tip made contact, but just as Cassian suspected, the sword didn't pierce his chest. Instead, something blocked it, but the sheer force of the blow sent him flying off the stage.
"Well done, Sergeant Dallas and Officer Crasyiat. That was quite an exciting, though brief, spar," Julius said as he stepped forward. His words were full of praise, but Crasyiat, climbing back onto the stage, didn't seem too thrilled by the compliment. He didn't say anything, though, simply bowing in acknowledgment, with Dallas doing the same. Both of them sheathed their swords.
"Now, what did you all observe from this sparring match?" Julius asked, scanning the crowd. No one seemed eager to answer, but that was expected—he didn't really want them to. He continued, "The nature of the swords and the attacks. You all noticed how heavy the strikes were, right?
You can even see the cracks in the ground." He pointed to the floor beneath his feet, where the force of the blows had left visible cracks. The crowd looked surprised, Cassian especially, as he hadn't realized the attacks were that powerful.
"You might be shocked," Julius smirked, "but it could've been far worse if they had used their domains to fight. This was just a sparring match." His words sank in, making the group realize that neither Dallas nor Crasyiat had fought at full strength.
"Now, let's get back to the main topic. Both warriors delivered heavy attacks, with Officer Crasyiat being faster than Sergeant Dallas. Can anyone tell me why?" Julius asked, smiling as he looked around.
One of the officers raised his hand and answered in a hesitant tone, "Because of their sword techniques."
Julius's smile widened as he nodded. "Exactly! It's due to their sword techniques, but also because of the types of swords they're using. Both of them wield large swords, which are ideal for delivering heavy attacks. Here's another important lesson: whenever you choose a technique, whether it's for swords or any other weapon, always select one that complements your weapon.
Just as weapons vary in many ways, techniques do too."
"I may not know much about techniques for other weapons, but every sword technique is built on six foundational principles: the Foundation of Power, the Foundation of Flow, the Foundation of Swiftness, the Foundation of Deflection, and finally, the Shadow's Principle and the Foundation of Precision," Julius explained.
Turning his gaze to Dallas, he continued, "Sergeant Dallas's sword technique, as you may have guessed, is based on the Foundation of Power and also on Flow. You could see this in her last attack, where she skillfully redirected Officer Crasyiat's strikes, redirecting is different from parrying or deflection.
On the other hand, Crasyiat's technique relies on the Foundation of Power and the Foundation of Swiftness. Swiftness emphasizes quick, precise attacks, which aren't really suited for a heavy sword, as demonstrated in the sparring match."
Crasyiat looked down, his smile fading upon hearing Julius's words, but Julius continued with a grin, "But don't forget about domains; they can help you easily overcome these basic principles. I'm sure Officer Crasyiat's technique relies on his domain quite a bit."
"You won't fully grasp the principles just from talking, but still let me explain the rest. The Shadow's Principle, as its name suggests, is often used by those who specialize in stealth.
This technique is a mix of Swiftness and the last principle: the Foundation of Precision, where every move is calculated from start to finish, whether at the beginning or midway through a fight." Julius's expression turned serious as he continued, "Techniques based on the last principle are the most powerful, but only if executed by skilled swordsmen or women, as these techniques encompass almost every type of principle as its foundation."
Julius smiled at the class, pleased to see their eager faces. "Now that you have a rough understanding of the principles of sword techniques, let's move on to weapon selection. Each of you will have the opportunity to spar with one another, and based on your performance, I and my assistants will provide suggestions for the most suitable sword."
As the students exchanged excited whispers, Julius gestured for the first pair to step forward. "Let's begin! Remember to apply everything you've learned today. This will help us choose the most suitable sword type for you as you incorporate those principles into your sparring match.
And don't worry about minor injuries during the spars; we have a healer on hand who can take care of you." He pointed to one end of the training ground, where a Killan sat sipping a beverage and waved at them as Julius directed their attention.