In the end, after two more months, they reached the necessary requirements to reach the next level and the instructor told them that they could go, once they show to the other kids that they have the right to do so.

That happened after they fought with five kids and win against them at the same time and without getting a hit. The difference between them in terms of strength and speed was abysmal... that was because of Aura Force... just that technique alone made them three times stronger in a matter of months.

"You two are already eleven, and while it is difficult for kids of your age to reach the next level, you have proven your worth," The old man said. "Still, now you need to decide if you want to follow the martial path. If you want to follow this path until the end of your life and fight until death to honor our village and your homes, then you must take this and don’t ever take it out."

The old man showed them some wooden amulets that had different shapes. One was of a white wolf, another was of a brown bear and the last one was of golden eagle.

"These are the emblems of your families, and your parents made them for you. Accepting it now means that you will live and do your best to honor their names and your families," The old man said.

Not taking that now would be quite disrespectful, so it wasn’t like they actually had any other choice. Besides, those who reached the requirements to reach the next level wouldn’t back down now, it would be stupid. Only those that couldn’t awaken Aura Force couldn’t truly reach the next level.

In any case, Raiden accepted his amulet, the white wolf. It was a bit weird for him to have that since his hair was black and only Harth had white hair in the family, but maybe that was a trait that some of his bloodline had.

In any case, that was a bit of an unusual tradition since they had the habit of adopting people who once were slaves; that was their way to show that a family wasn’t only connected by blood.

When Raiden had dinner with everyone, he noticed that they were trying to act like usual, but they were more quiet than usual. They were so easy to read and also quite awkward. It couldn’t be helped since they were the type who rarely showed or said what they truly thought. Raiden was also like that, so he just silently let his amulet hang around his neck... or maybe he got the same awkwardness from them.

"There is no need to act so weirdly," Raiden said. "It isn’t like it is the first time this has happened, right?"

Those three looked away from each other... it seemed that Iri had done something that made things awkward in the family when she got her amulet. In the end, Raiden decided not to pry since all families had some things like that they wanted to forget, but couldn’t. It served as a good memory.

When the next morning came, the family reunited in the garden of their home to see the results of Raiden’s progress by sparring with Iri once again. He should have made a lot of progress to show his Aura Force and already received the right to pass to the next level of the tower of mastery, but he still had a lot to learn.

"For the sake of argument, we will have to ask you to fight Iri seriously, Raiden," Harth said. "You don’t have to hold back since the women in the family are tough as nails in more ways than one."

"All right," Raiden said.

"Aren’t you going to say something like I could never go all out against my beloved older sister?" Iri asked.

"Wouldn’t make you mad for being underestimated?" Raiden asked.

"Now that you mention it..." Iri furrowed her eyebrows.

"Since that is the case, not saying anything else is my only option," Raiden said.

Raiden quickly assumed his fighting stance, and then Iri did the same. She still looked relaxed with a smile on her face, while Raiden was a bit more serious. In the end, that wasn’t a serious duel, so they could start at any time they wanted.

Raiden started by stepping in with all his might and then launching a very obvious punch at her chin. Iri easily read that and moved her head to the side and slapped the fist to the side to avoid it completely, but she raised her eyebrows when she realized that her slap barely moved the fist.

Raiden pulled his fist and then tried to body slam Iri and she blocked his charge with both of her hands, but she was pushed backward a couple of centimeters. He was impressed by his older sister... he was supposed to be heavier and with his charge, she probably blocked around two hundred kilograms of force with ease...

Iri squinted her eyes a bit... it wouldn’t be weird if Raiden had that much power while keeping his Aura Force active, but on the other way around, that was unexpected. Even more so considering that it took a while for him if compared to the others, to show any signs of its awakening.

That was good enough as a greeting and to make his sister realize what Raiden could do now. So, it was time to try a bit harder to make her do the same. Raiden adopted a unique fighting stance that immediately caught everyone’s attention.

He moved his arms in a way that made them look like spears, with his hands poised sharply and his elbows tucked in close to his body. His guard was up, creating a formidable and impenetrable defense. His stance was both compact and fluid, allowing for quick transitions between attacks and blocks.

This unusual technique caused his family to raise their eyebrows in confusion. They were used to seeing traditional forms and stances, but Raiden’s approach was different. His body language conveyed confidence and readiness, blending offense and defense seamlessly. The way he held himself, with his muscles relaxed yet ready to spring into action, showcased his innovative approach to combat.

Raiden stepped in and then thrusted his arm forward and then Iri tried to grab his hand and stop the attack, but soon she felt his hands slipping through her grip, but then she grabbed his wrists by using all of her strength. She hesitated a bit when she saw Raiden flinching, but soon she forgot about that when the other arm approached. She blocked with her other forearm, but soon she felt an annoying pain.

"Ouch," Iri said. "What do you have in your fingers? Steel?"

Raiden’s finger stayed straight, so he hit Iri’s arm in a single point with a lot of power, no wonder it hurt her. She quickly retaliated by swinging down her arm, but Raiden also blocked with his forearm. Thanks to the difference in strength, his arm was pushed down, but soon Iri let him go and he jumped away.

Thanks to the strength of Iri’s grip and attack, Raiden’s wrist looked a bit damage and his forearm also quickly turned blue. Still, he kept his straight face and ignored the pain of a broken bone.