During the two days spent in that prison cell of Ferris town, Krys taught Marie a very special martial art which required high flexibility and range of motion.
It was like a mix between kickboxing and dancing and was too absurd for Marie to have seen it before and not remember it.
Due to the guards in the prison, Krys couldn't show it to her and only explained the theory behind it.
Marie had spent all her time since then to visualise it in her head. She believed to have understood the basics behind the movements.
With a large range of motion and proper structure, the fighter would charge their body with elastic energy.
Krys made her believe that even Marie could hit hard like a raging bull if she mastered the basics.
"The essence of this technique is collecting and reusing the elastic force in your body. Be fast and precise, but not predictable." explained Krys.
"In the advanced level, it is possible to use different weapons such as daggers."
"Now, you have to master the breathing technique I'm about to show you."
"From now till we meet again, breathe only like this, even in your sleep."
This takes us back to the dungeon cell they reunited at.
"I'll show you the stretching techniques. Repeat them everyday."
By the time the next candle was lit, Krys started displaying the moves of this art when a new candle was lit.
Marie saw the boxing, kicking and dancing movements with a glow in her eyes. Not only was it a beautiful style, but also quite an unpredictable one.
Some of the movements seemed to mock the opponents and other moves were feints which led to the real combo. The punches carried onto grabs, the kicks carried onto takedowns and holds.
After finishing the showcase, Krys looked like he came out of a river with all the sweat covering him. "I have not been practicing properly…" he exclaimed.
"There is more to this art than practiced movements. The smarter and craftier you are, the better it will affect your enemies. This style works best against smart enemies, as they get enraged with these movements."
Finally he finished his lesson, "More body mass would get you better results as you will generate more force, but that also reduces your movement. Try to find a good balance and also train your bones or they will be shattered on impact."
That statement shuddered Marie to her core, but she nodded with determination.
It took four hours for Marie to completely understand all the beginner level movements.
This was because of the lighting issues in this room.
Marie stood facing Krys and jumped slightly as she kept changing her stance and position on the ground. She was mimicking the movements of Krys as best as she could, but she kept confusing herself instead.
Krys kept displaying the proper stance and techniques for Marie to copy. After the next change of candles, they began to spar.
Marie took the initiative and rushed towards Krys. She extended her fist to punch him in the face without hesitation. Moments before contact, Krys's figure disappeared from her sight.
She didn't have an opportunity to get shocked as she felt a light tap to the back of her head. She turned back on instinct and saw Krys's back. His body was half turned and his elbow was pointing towards her head.
"You dropped your stance."
"Ah."
Realising her mistake Marie facepalmed. Krys had used one of the counterattacks he just taught her.
"Do you see the effectiveness?"
"Yes.", Marie said without hesitation. She asked after a pause, "What is the name of this martial art?"
"My teacher didn't name it as it is unfinished. I didn't master even half of it so I don't feel capable of naming it."
"So this style is unfinished, why?"
Krys hesitated before answering with a sad look, "She's dead."
He looked to the ground as if reminiscing about something. Every passing moment a new memory appeared in his mind, a motherly figure and a brutish teacher.
They stood in complete silence for a while. Marie walked to Krys and stroked his head. She asked patiently after a minute, "Do you want to talk about it?"
Krys's lips turned upwards changing his expression to a small smile. His heart was eased significantly as he spoke softly, "Maybe some other day… I'm fine with it now. Let's get back to practice."
Krys took the initiative this time. Without a lot of strength, he extended his fist towards Marie. She ducked as she used the momentum of her falling body to kick with her right leg.
Her foot hit something, when she looked over she saw Krys's other hand intercept her kick.
"Good. Now your turn."
They spent the remaining time attacking each other one after the other.
Marie got the hang of the style but her body was soon tired and she felt sleepy. Soon the candle ran out and they decided to rest up.
They hadn't been given mattresses, just two thin blankets.. Since the dungeon was just a little cold, Marie rolled herself in the blanket to cover her entire body.
Krys laid out the blanket on the ground and stared at the ceiling of the dungeon. When he heard the snoring of Marie, he produced a book out of nowhere. It had a demonic symbol on its old leather cover. Krys knew the pattern belonged to the Demon King he had slain.