Moments after Hiro and Aleus left at the second training quarters several times larger than the first but with one platform spanning over most of the training hall. The platform was made of numerous two meter squared stone slabs. With a ceiling several stories above floor, this training hall was only for spars between rune practitioners without restriction aside from lethal attacks, and using it at this time were two men. One stood at the center and had a scholarly build with defined muscles hidden within his white robe, short white hair with golden amber eyes, taller than Hiro and with looks decades older. The second was also tall with a much greater build, bulky with bulging muscles that could not be hidden by his robe. He looked years younger but also had white hair contrary to his dark skin like the first. They were the only ones present in this hall and no matter how loud their fight would be the sound of it would not escape to the outside thanks to the runes placed in the hall soundproof it to the limit.

  "Are you sure about this, you may have been my master but I've long since surpassed you."

  Cautioned the second, Jura, circling around Oldomus with his battle axe in hand with runes glowing in gold on it showing their activation.

  "You talk too much, perhaps I should remind you I was chief warrior before you. Holding my position for decades until I retired. To this day I've only grown old not weaker."

  Replied Oldomus, he was rune finder sub helper and peak level master, even though warrior wasn't his first or second path he was a master and master level practitioners were rare, not to mention rune warrior masters like Jura as such he was able to hold his position until he retired from it, taking another post in Akarn's royal court. With the additional fact that all practitioners had a level of battle attainment, however it was not enough to match those who are of warrior path and in the same rank.

  "I admit you are a great fighter and can outclass rune warriors below master, even some rune warrior masters but I'm unquestionably the strongest of Akarn arguably the strongest on the continent."

  He said before he swung his battle axe slashing at air as a flame enveloped it. Oldomus choose to remain silent while he pounced on Jura, attacking with nothing but fists.

  "Hahaha"

  Ever since he woke up Jura had been itching for a fight wanting to see how much power he could draw out with the world having been restored, causing him to laugh heartily as he chopped up with his battle axe and like in his fight with Hiro the axe grew to several times its original size becoming bigger than Jura its wielder.

  Swoosh!

  A strong wind current shot out from Oldomus's fist when a rune on it activated flashing in golden light that matched his eyes. The wind rushed forward colliding with the battle axe, the fire on it was swayed partly revealing the battle axe within but the wind didn't stop at this, it forced the fiery axe to change direction. Opening a path forward for Oldomus to continue his charge and close the distance between him and Jura before the latter could regain control over his battle axe.

  Bam! Bam! Bam!

  Oldomus punched Jura's flank repeatedly not giving the him a chance to react. Jura could only take the beating not willing to let go of his giant battle axe. In just a short time Oldomus landed several punches before Jura finally got a chance creating some distance and activated a rune engraved on his feet. He stomped causing the stone slabs to erupt into a dense wall of spikes between them with a height of nine to ten feet. Oldomus did not pursue and moved back to not be too close to the spikes that had separated the platform into two. Jura on one side of the wall of earth spikes had gotten a chance to catch his breath and assess the situation even returning his battle axe to its original size. In just few quick breathes he understood his predicament clearly.

  (To think I was the one being used here.)

  He thought with a bitter smile before shouting for Oldomus on the other side to hear.

  "Your punches are weaker but you are faster, don't tell me you replaced several runes of strength with runes of speed!"

  Rune practitioners had a wide range of runes to use especially for masters who could learn any rune given the time, but drawing runes mid fight was nearly not practical and almost suicidal. As such they engraved runes onto weapons and their bodies but be it human or weapon each had a limit to the number of runes it could handle but runes of the same kind could be stacked causing an overall increase in their effect, even Jura's battle axe had three runes of fire able to unleash more than three times the fire of a single rune.

  "That is exactly right, after seeing your fight with sir Hiro I thought I should try the speed approach see how effective it is. I replaced about two fifth of them for speed. What do you think?"

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  Admitted Oldomus even asking for pointers. Jura scoffed as he held the area he was struck on earlier it was hardly an injury.

  "Your punches still sting a bit and I can barely react so I'd say it's a passing grade in close combat but what about long range?"

  Jura asked with a smirk while chopping towards the earth spikes before him, shooting out a cresent fire slash that grew long enough to melt and cut through all the spikes at once and with an additional earth rune he could control the disconnected spikes at will. Oldomus on the other side of the earth spikes wall could not see it but heard the boom and saw the spikes quickly turning red orange, two or three feet above their floor.

  "I'm not so naive as to overlook such a weakness."

  He said as he repeatedly punched air activating the runes on his fists. The wind surged causing his robe to flutter as it grew strong till it became a miniature tornado almost touching the ceiling with Oldomus at its centre.

  Bang! Bang!

  The spikes came one after another colliding against it but the wind was strong and had great pressure, spinning at incredible speeds. All of the spikes that hit it were ground to dust becoming part of the miniature tornado. With the spikes being used to attack the wall of spikes was no more thus Jura switched to shooting out cresent fire slashes one after another towards the miniature tornado but the fire slashes faced a worse fate then the spikes extinguished several feet before even making contact with the tornado.

  This was a friendly spar, both were not giving it their all when Jura assessed the tornado would require him to exert more effort than he was willing to at this time he gave up. Sighing while feeling how much he had been played.

  (Not even evading but showing me his defenses aren't any weaker. A porcupine defense at that.)

  "I concede it'll be hard for me to land my attacks. You're quite crafty requesting to spar after making ample preparations."

  "Hahaha, isn't that the essence of know yourself and your enemy to never suffer a loss. As a warrior this should be your gospel."

  Oldomus replied dispelling the miniature tornado and piling up the spike dust before Jura who then used an earth rune returning the platform to normal.

  "Regrettably it would take some time to defeat someone of your caliber."

  "You mean the loss of strengths, you could mitigate this by aiming at vitals, as for technique it's good enough but I can see clues to improve it for greater strength."

  Oldomus nodded, he two had thought of the first method as for the second he wasn't much of a warrior to further improve on his techniques and would have to rely on Jura.

  "I assume testing out your speed tactics isn't the only reason you came to see me?"

  Jura asked his tone sounding serious.

  "Correct, you've been absent from court since that day, training here day and night, you haven't even made your stance clear on the proposal of helping in subjugating the calamity dragon."

  Jura moved closer to Oldomus placing his battle axe on his back as he replied.

  "Isn't it obvious, my battle axe wishes to cleave a dragon."

  "Anyone could guess as much but confirming doesn't hurt."

  Jura frowned thinking another related matter.

  "I heard Vazpin is in opposition and there's quite a few in support of this."

  "I wouldn't worry about it, you know Vazpin with him leading the opposition it will be quenched soon enough."

  Assured Oldomus as they made their to the exit.

  "You mean how he's first to oppose, thus gaining initiative and having control over those not in support of his majesty. Sigh, everytime he does that I can't tell if he is seriously opposing or not."

  "Well he does make sound arguments that can't be seen through. Even when they know his aim they can't help but be in agreement eventually dancing to his tunes."

  The two had to acknowledge that Vazpin was the number one helper of his majesty king of Akarn but not many knew this, to the oblivious masses he was the prime minister that wasn't always in agreement with the king and at times seemingly keeping the royal family in check but coexisted for the most part.

  "There's now even talks of involving all the kingdoms on the continent and honestly it isn't a surprise. Back then even as the continent was united as a single force against the calamity dragon they still lost."

  Oldomus spoke melancholy resounding in his words.

  "You believe that lad Hiro is strong enough to make victory certain."

  "Yes I do and all those not blind should have seen for it themselves, even if the power doesn't come from him that sword of his holds great power."

  From the training hall's windows a blue sky could be seen, the world had been completely restored with more life force than before it was plundered by the fragment.

  "But here lies the problem we've decided to conceal a few things about him thus we need a reason that would get all the kingdoms on board. A contest to verify his strength, I don't see him agreeing to it."

  The day continued to pass and more and more ships arrived for various reasons, by the end of the day most of the big shots of the entire continent were gathered in Akarn's capital and a conference was held. Many things were asked and discussed. Some kingdoms with very few rune practitioners requested aid from others in order to hasten their restoration while others made probes on Akarn's secret about the restoration, not believing in the ancient rune cover up. And new information was introduced mainly what Hiro had said to Aleus who then relayed it to the key figures of Akarn. Thus they were able to move the discussion of subjugating the fragment in favor of the continent uniting once more to fight against a great threat, the fragment. Unfortunately not everything was decided on this one day and the subjugation was one of these postponed discussions.

  As for Hiro all these people only knew he had the power to one hit shot Jura who wasn't at full power thanks to the world being on the brink of death. It was of great interest but with the knowledge that he could utilise neither life force or runes he was ignored for the time being. Drawing their attention was how the world was restored, evidently there were flaws to Akarn's cover up.