After the first day of training had finished for the Montem Team, instead of going home Novis quickly went to catch up with Ashley. Just as she had stepped out of the front school gates, Novis managed to tap her shoulder just in time.

"Hey, do you mind if I go home with you today?" Novis asked.

"What!?" Ashley said panicking and all nervous. She immediately turned around and started doing her hair up.

"Why would Noivs want to go home with me? Does he like me, but big sister Scarlett and Novis seemed close, I shouldn't get in the way of their relationship." Ashley was currently letting her thoughts get the better of her.

"Umm Ashley are you okay there?"

"I'm sorry!" Ashley said with her face all bright red.

"Sorry, you mean I can't go and see your father today?" Novis said slightly confused.

If Ashley's face was already red, it just got even redder as she felt embarrassed by her thoughts.

"I mean err I'm sorry for dying in the game against Woo Woo, I promise I will do better in the Westgate game," Ashley said as she bowed down. Luckily, she managed to come up with an excuse in time.

"That's okay, we're a team, I couldn't do any of this unless we were all in this together."

The two of them smiled at each other and started to head to her Father's dojo.

Novis was planning to go visit Daiki and ask him about sword energy. He was the only person that wasn't like Gorge or Aurthur, someone who had come from earth who was able to perform sword energy and Novis needed to find out why.

After walking together for a few minutes, they had finally arrived at the dojo. There was vast improvement from the last time Novis had arrived. There was a brand new shiny sign out front. The garden had been done up and students were practising all over the place inside and outside the dojo.

"What happened here?" Noivs asked.

"Ever since I started playing the VSW game, it has been really good advertisement for the dojo," Ashley replied, "It's been crazy they all think that if they learn how to fight in real life, it will help them out in the game."

Novis wasn't so sure about that himself. The skills the warriors could produce in the game were greater than what most people were cable of doing in real life. It was only thanks to the fact that Novis was able to train in the dream world that he could improve so fast and Ashley had been training ever since she was younger.

Dan had always done well at physical sports and had past experience as well. Doing some training for a few days wasn't going to suddenly make you better at the game overnight, unless there were a special set of cases.

As Novis was deep in thought a loud voice was heard shouting at him form the Dojo.

"Novis my boy! What are you doing outside, come in, come in!" Daiki shouted.

Daiki seemed to be happier than ever and with the business doing as well as it was, who wouldn't be.

The three of them then went inside past the Dojo hall and into the special room, where they had first found George. They were sitting at a Japanese style table on the floor.

"This place gives me the creeps," George said.

"Really?" Novis replied.

"Do you know how long I had to spend stuck in this room."

"Boy, you don't know how much I owe you." Daiki said, "Ever since you introduced that game to my daughter not only has she become better at fighting like you said she would, but the dojo has been doing better than ever. If there is anything I can do, then please ask."

"Actually, I wanted you to teach me how to use sword energy."

"Sword energy?" Daiki said looking confused, "Oh I think I know what you mean, can the spirits not pass this knowledge to you?"

Novis then explained how Arthur and George had first learnt spirit energy. It wasn't something they had a lot of theoretical knowledge on but was something they just felt when they were in extreme danger.

"I can see why that is a problem, well, to be honest, I'm the same way," Daiki explained. "My teacher who learnt it from George was the one who showed me, there wasn't a special way."

"How did your teacher show you?" Novis asked.

"Well, the best way to learn something is to experience it, my teacher would constantly attack me with sword energy until it was embedded into my bones."

Then an idea came to his head, perhaps what worked for Daiki could also work for him. Although Arthur and George were able to use sword energy in the dream world, whenever he was hit with it, it would be an instant death, causing Novis to wake up.

He actually never experienced what a head-on attack with sword energy actually felt like.

Novis then clenched his fist and said.

"I would like it if you could teach me the same way as your teacher did you."

"Are you sure boy, it will be tough, there were days where I would spit out blood, my body would be so sore and broken down, I couldn't move for days. The pain is not something anybody could take. The method seems almost cruel even, so cruel that I never taught my daughter such thing and would never allow her to go through such a hardship."

Novis then thought back to the match where he saw Lucas fight against East wood. How a single strike of sword energy allowed him to deal with ten NPC knights in one blow. That power something he needed if he wanted to take on Lucas.

"Please," Novis said.

"Very well."

After agreeing to Novis's request. Daiki cleared out the Dojo hall and asked the student to practise outside for the time being. Ashley decided to stay inside the dojo and was sitting on the floor watching everything carefully.

Although her father didn't want her to learn about sword energy Ashley was greatly interested and hoped by watching the two of them, she could learn something.

Daiki then grabbed a bamboo sword and chucked one over to Novis.

��You ready boy?"

"I'm ready."

Heavy energy started to enter the room and surround Daiki's body. Although Ashley was unable to see anything, she could feel something emitting from her farther, on the other hand, Novis was able to see a faint white outline appear on Daiki's body. Something he hadn't seen the last time.

"Now boy, the whole point of this is for you to feel what it's like to take sword energy head-on, to face it. Whatever you do, don't dodge this attack but try your best to take it."

Although Novis could feel the power emitting from Daiki, he didn't quite understand what he meant. If all he needed to do was stand his ground then he would grit his teeth and bear it.

Then as Daiki swung his sword and the energy left it. Novis started to feel a shiver run down his spine. All the hairs on his body stood up and he could see the sword energy hitting him before it had even reached him.

An image appeared in his head of the attack hitting him and splitting his body in half. He tried his best to stand his ground but when the attack was only a few inches away, he could no longer hold it and jumped causing the attack to miss.

"Damn it you brat, I thought you said you were ready," Daiki complained.

Novis was covered in sweat, he felt like if the attack hit him, he would be done for. While Daiki, didn't look to be in great shape either. The attack took a lot out of the old man and it was stressful for his body.

"Novis, don't worry. Me and George will protect you." Said Arthur. "We will cover your vital parts with our own energy so worry not."

Novis stood up and stood his ground once more in front of Daiki.

"I know it's hard but I can only do the attack one more time today. It takes a lot of energy." Daiki said.

"I'm sorry, I promise this time I won't move," Novis said.

Once again Daiki readied his sword. He gathered his energy and when he was finally ready, he attacked again sending the sword energy out of his sword.

Once again, Novis could feel all the cells in his body screaming at him to run away but this time. Novis fought back against his instincts.

The attack landed and Novis was able to block the strike with his bamboo sword. However, the energy continued to push Novis. To the point where his feet were lifted into the air and the next second. Novis was sent flying through the dojo walls and into the garden.

Novis started to cough and spat out blood from his mouth, his vision started to go to black, all he could see were his two spirts looking at him from above and his last words were…

"You damn liars…"