Mentoring by Usiel

Zaruma says, "Usiel."

Usiel Anauel asks, "Uh-huh?"

Zaruma says, "I want you to educate me on the usage of Garuda."

Usiel Anauel says, "Hmm.."

Usiel Anauel asks, "Got smokes?"

Zaruma says, "I do not know what sort of smokes you use. I'll simply give you enough coin to buy as much as you could humanly get."

Usiel Anauel says, "Slick. Alright, let's go to the field."
"Alright. We're gonna start off with this. I hope you know wind magic because it all revolves around both moving fast and utilizing it to it's fullest extent."

He'd clear his throat, dim, tired eyes baring a glint in response to the cigarettes final flare, smoke exerted from his nostrils as his arms would stretch upwards. Pinching the smoke, he'd toss it aside as he continued speaking,

"Garuda is a technique that requires you to move quickly too, don't expect the wind to carry you. You're smart and fast, I'm sure this'll come relatively easy to you. Takes a bit of practice but.. well. You have all the time in the world."

Usiel would turn to face Zaruma, fierce winds surrounding him cause the grass beneath to tilt and sway outwards, cape rippling and hair fluttering, all that.

"Now- the first step is to encompass yourself in wind, that itself can redirect most of the basic attacks, suchas.. hm. Fireballs, bubbles, you know- all that stuff. Real simple. Like I said though, it's the first step, there's other stuff you'll have to counter too such as beams and well.. the shit the summoners throw on the ground. Good luck with other swordsmen though, your wind won't do fuck-all to protect you from swipes."

"I'm going to shoot a fireball directly towards you, get ready."

In the palm of his hand, he'd conjure just a small fireball. He wasn't a fire magi at all, it was the least he could muster. After all, it was for demonstration purposes.
(Usiel Anauel)

Zaruma listened to what Usiel had to say regarding the usage of Garuda. Although, with time passed, he could not help but ponder - isn't it very similar to his technique of Afterimage? If anything, it should come easy to him.

"I am an embodiment of wind. I merely had no time to devote myself to actually learn this bladestyle."

Encompassing oneself in the wind wasn't the task that he was unfamiliar with. The winds began to gather around Zaruma, howling, much like a shield- but this time around, it wasn't only to mitigate the friction and reduce atmospheric resistance, no.

This time around, it acted as an /actual/ shield, something to deflect the magic away upon the touch, blown away by the winds.

"This cloak shall do. I do not expect it to be perfect, but that's what training is for."

"Launch your magics upon me, be it wind, fire, or anything else you got. Do not hold back. I intend to protect myself against them for as much as possible."

The Archon had to be ready. He knew that Garuda's defences were something far more perfect than this, so as addition to cloaking himself in the wind, he enabled thrusters of wind all around himself, much like yet additional layer of shroud.

Why? To speed himself up and move faster, of course. This technique was similar to Afterimage in many ways, and he could already notice as much.

"Do your best."
(Zaruma)

The fireball would be launched towards his center mass, the shroud of wind protecting him would inevitably send it flinging in the opposite direction. For a short while, it flew before burning out. He wasn't really a potent conjurer or whatever.

"Hmm.. yeah. Just like that, honestly. I'd cast more stuff, but I'm not a mage. You're better off testing it out against someone who has well.. more variety, yes?"

Zaruma's technique was on point, using the winds to shield him, mitigating light attacks with ease. After all, he was an Archon. With the power he possessed, it certainly wouldn't take long for him to learn.

"Now- for things such as beams, you're going to be /forced/ to stop in your tracks. It's a price of mobility in exchange for protecting yourself from a fatal blow. Good trade, right? Use the winds and focus on the point that's being pinned, and you'll be able to block it with ease."

He'd retract his arm to his side, letting the winds around him to die out again. It was only a simple demonstration, he wouldn't really be able to teach him in combat- that was for testing against mages.

"Though- it's hard to maintain. Like, really, really hard to maintain. You can only use the wind so long to protect you from blows, so like I said, you'll also have to rely on yourself to keep moving."

"Eventually you'll be doing crazy shit like.. flying through fields of fire and blocking waves of water.. you know. Cool stuff. It's not hard to adapt once you know what you're doing. As for attacks that lay on the ground, some are unavoidable, but if you focus winds on the ground to either carry you to lunge forward or just clear the way, it'll work. Practice is all it takes."

"Like I said earlier though, I suggest you practice on someone.. well, more potent in shit like that. You should give Laureline a try, see how long you last with what I taught you."

"Any questions?"
(Usiel Anauel)

Zaruma was more than prepared for the fireball to be flung at his side. The fires were engulfed in haste, redirected by the wind and thrown somewhere into the air, if only to dissipate- with the mastery of wind that he possessed, and with the ability to conjure the winds around him, much akin to the technique he used for the Afterimage, it wasn't exactly hard for him to do.

The Archon was surprised. Was this answer right under his nose all along, and he did not realize that? Perhaps.

"Hrm. I see. It's... far more simple than I expected."

But there was more to be told, obviously. The Tempest listened carefully- whether he would grasp this technique or not, his life could depend on it. It would be common sense that maintaining the defence of Garuda is far tougher against heavy attacks, such as beam ones, but for as long as it kept him safe--

As he remembered his fight with Ikkaku very well. Compressed against a single point, constantly assaulted by heavy attacks, and unable to do anything whatsoever. Should he grasp this technique- at least he would be safe from the fatal blows of such magic.

"Makes sense. It is indeed very similar to the technique I practiced earlier, suppose I'll be doing that."

(Zaruma)