Reborn As An Evolving Monster

272  Movement

The Moonlit Feline, with slit pupils, studied the scene.

"What the hell does quick on my feet even mean?"

"It means you go... BAM! Get it?" Elisa explained.

"No." The white-scaled Monster scratched its head. "I don't get it."

'That's supposed to be an explanation?' Mark asked himself.

"What isn't there to get?" Elisa positioned herself a couple of steps away from him. "Look closely this time, alright?"

The white-scaled Monster focused as much as it could on its vision.

Since Elisa wasn't using Mana, the High Elven Pupil wasn't necessary and so Mark's right eye remained closed.

He waited.

Waited some more.

And just when,

"So what am I supposed to-"

"See?" Elisa already stood behind him.

"No," Mark straightened up. "I didn't see."

She slowly let her back rest against his.

"How come?"

"If it's about waiting for when my focus breaks, then-"

"Tsk, tsk. That's not it. Well, it was now but... Not generally." Elisa lightly pushed herself off his back. "It's about initial movement." She turned around, and so did he.

"Initial movement?"

"Right. Want me to teach you?"

"Sure."

"That fast? Not going to try alone a bit longer?"

"No."

"Giving up?"

"You could say that."

"Huh. Where's your pride? I expected you to want to try alone until you got it."

The white-scaled Monster shrugged.

"I guess I don't mind asking for help from time to time."

"Mm!" Elisa nodded. "That's good. Let the lesson begin then. Though... I have to tell you, you won't be able to go as fast as me. But I guess that goes without saying, right?" She turned around and made her hair dance, waiting for an answer.

"Right." Mark answered as he sighed.

"Hahaa! Alright." She chuckled. "Mmm... How to teach this simply...?" Elisa wondered for a bit.

She snapped her fingers a couple of seconds later.

"Let's try this. See that tree?" Elisa asked as she pointed.

"Yeah."

"When I say 'go', get to it fast as you can, alright?"

Mark's gaze went from her to the tree in question and back repeatedly.

"Don't want to do it?"

"I'll do it."

"Alright. Three, two, one, WRONG!"

Mark, who had been preparing to run as fast as he could, was startled by the sudden shout.

"What's wrong?"

"Your movement, it's all wrong."

"What movement? I didn't even move yet."

"Tsk, tsk. You really don't get it?" Mark remained silent. "Alright, alright. Tsk. Can't have fun at all."

"So are you going to help now?"

Elisa rolled her eyes.

"Kay..."

"Then? What's wrong?"

"You take too long to start moving. You shift your center of gravity forward, bend your knees, and move one foot back slightly... Get it? Plus, it's very... Mmm... I'm not sure how to describe it. Oh. Mechanical. That's the word. Your movements are very mechanical."

"Mechanical?"

"Yes. You move well when it comes to... Huh."

"You're a horrible teacher."

"Shut it! As I was saying, your movements... Don't flow. There's no flow. It's mechanical. What you do is pretty good, but the way you do it is completely wrong."

"You mean I don't know how to run?"

"Pfahaha! Something like that."

"Mm..." The white-scaled Monster raised its gaze to the sky above for a bit.

"Need time to think?"

"No..." Mark lowered his gaze back to her. "Teach me."

"Mmm..." Elisa scratched her head. "The best way to learn how to make your movements flow better is just... Trying to. So being aware of the flaw is already a step forward. Let's go back to the race towards the tree, okay?" Mark nodded. "Three, two, one... Go!"

He crossed the distance but,

"You were late to start. I guess you expect me to stop you again. Your muscles tense up too much. And too often."

The white-scaled Monster thought for a bit, before it started taking repetitive small hops.

"Mm! That works. Get rid of the unnecessary tension. And once it feels right, take the downward momentum and shifted forward. Three, two, one... Go!"

Mark could tell that the 'Go' was given at the perfect time to allow his feet to absorb and redirect the momentum.

"Huh. That was faster." He noted.

"It was. Now, let's try this."

Mark walked back to the starting position, and Elisa walked towards him.

She stood slightly behind him.

"Make sure you're ready."

Elisa remained with a hand slightly raised.

A breeze went through the numerous trees and,

Tap-

"Oho." Mark was surprised at how he got to the goal.

"See? You get pretty fast when you get hit, or when you don't want to get hit. Slower when it's your time to hit though."

"Mmm..."

"The mechanical part, you don't have to worry about for now. That'll get fixed with time."

"Why do you think that?"

"It just makes sense."

"It does?"

"Yeah. If you can change your body freely, then it's normal that your movements would be... Unnatural? No, unnatural is going too far."

Mark scratched his head.

He couldn't help but chuckle.

"I guess there was a time when my body couldn't move this freely."

Both during his past life, and the beginning of this new one.

"Want to tell me about it?"

"Not really."

"The more I know, the easier it is for me to help."

"Yeah... Seems to me like you're fishing for information."

"I am." Elisa admitted with a smile. "Anyways, as you can see, the initial movement is the problem. You take too long before you actually start moving."

"Mm... Is that the difference? The secret behind what you did?"

"Pfahahaha!" Elisa laughed as she scratched her head. "Not exactly."

The white-scaled Monster rolled its eyes

'Oooof course.' Mark thought.

"There are some things that can't be taught. Well, not easily anyways."

"Then?"

"Then there's only one thing to do." Elisa declared as she pointed at him. "Watch me, and learn!"

 "I can do that but..." Mark looked away. "The way we've been fighting is more you watching me."

"Want to switch?"

"Mmm... No. I wouldn't be able to do what you do."

"How humble, haha!"

"By the way, can you help?"

"Mm?"

"The... Knot is getting looser." Mark pointed at his right eye.

"Oh."

With a wide smile, Elisa walked closer.

"Sure."

She circled around him, and he lowered his body.

"Too tight."

"Kay..." Elisa adjusted the piece of cloth knotted around Mark's right eye.

"Mm. That's good."

'This eye is a pretty good weapon. I'm sure this piece of cloth started as a joke, but it's better to keep it hidden. Even I went for the Commander's eyes, so someone with more experience would definitely do the same...'

***

"General."

The Orcish Fiend Ani kneeled.

"Since you're from the same tribe as him, I thought I would let you know."

"Let me know...?"

"Commander Lin has died..."

Immediately, the Orcish Fiend's eyes widened. Her muscles tensed up as veins appeared all over her neck.

"Do with that what you will." The General added before walking away.

The Commander Ani took a deep breath in, and breathed out a steaming fog.

"Was it done by another Demon Lords' General?" She asked, trying her best to calm herself.

Her General stopped without turning around.

"He was following the Lord's orders. Intruders that had to be captured for some reason."

"For some reason?"

The General yawned. It was clear that he did not know, or simply did not care enough to try and find out.

Shrug-

"Then..." Ani pushed herself off the ground. "Can I take over that mission?"

"Want to avenge your fellow Commander?" The General asked as he turned around halfway.

"I want to fulfill the mission handed by our Demon Lord." Ani answered as she continued to stare at the ground.

The General let out a dry chuckle.

"Are you going there as a Commander... Or as an Orcish Fiend?"

"Us, Orcish Fiends, used to be simple Orcs. Thanks to our Lord's blood, we've risen from Orcs to Fiends. As a female, I was destined to be weaker than the rest. Still, the Lord bestowed upon me his blood. The same was true for Lin, who lacked the strength and stature to compete with the other the other Fiends..."

"Aha."

"Despite that... We've never lost to the others from our tribe. Despite the fact... That we were both destined to be weak." Ani pressed her lips together. "The fact that someone killed him..." She clenched her fists to keep her frustration to herself, and the ground below cracked. "Before I could beat him. Even once..."

Ani raised her gaze, and finally met the General's.

"I'll be going as Ani..."

The cracks on the ground deepened and multiplied as deep greenish Aura covered her body.

 "Orcish Fiend, and Commander of Sloth."

'How very not slothful, dear Ani...'

"Report to me when you're back."

"Yes, General!"

The General started walking away.

He stopped after having taken a couple of steps.

'That'll be the death of you, ignoring your Slothfulness.'

Ani turned around and started walking.

A Soldier kneeled in front of her

"Commander."

"Everyone is coming. All the Soldiers below me. Make sure they're all at our camp in an hour."

A drop of sweat nerveously went down the Soldier's face.

'All of them?? And I'm supposed to find them all in less than an hour??'

"Get it done."

"Yes, Commander!"