Morning at Sage Academy
Arthur stretched as he sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Today was the first full day of classes at Sage Academy. He quickly freshened up and put on his uniform—a crisp white jacket with blue accents, the academy's emblem on the chest.
Just as he was about to head out, his roommate, Riven, stepped beside him, adjusting his collar with his usual calm demeanor.
"Let's go," Riven said coolly.
Arthur nodded, and the two made their way out.
On their way to class, they ran into Felix and Ronan, who were chatting casually. Felix blinked in shock when he saw Arthur walking side by side with Riven.
"Arthur, what are you doing with him?" Felix asked, his voice laced with suspicion.
Arthur scratched the back of his head. "Uh… he's my friend now."
Felix's jaw nearly dropped.
Ronan, still surprised, turned to Riven. "I thought nobles didn't do 'friendship' with commoners."
Riven smirked, extending his hand toward Felix. "Stormbane traditions are outdated. Let's start fresh."
Felix hesitated for a second before shaking Riven's hand. "Felix Arden. Guess we'll see if you're really a friend or just messing with us."
With that, the four of them continued on their way to class.
---
First Class: The Blades and Their Spirits
When they arrived at their classroom, most of the students were already seated. Whispers filled the air as everyone noticed Riven walking in with Arthur, Felix, and Ronan.
"They're together?"
"Did something happen after the trials?"
Ignoring the stares, Arthur and Riven sat together, while Felix and Ronan took seats beside them.
Moments later, the classroom door opened, and a young man with black hair and sharp brown eyes strode in. His presence immediately commanded respect.
The students stood up.
"Good morning, class," he greeted with a friendly yet authoritative tone. "Welcome to Sage Academy. I'm your homeroom teacher, Nathaniel Gale. I look forward to seeing what each of you is capable of."
He glanced around the room, then nodded. "Let's start with introductions."
Each student introduced themselves, stating their name and background. When it was Arthur's turn, he simply said, "Arthur ," keeping it short.
Nathaniel clapped his hands together. "Alright. Today, we'll be discussing the core of your weapons—their spirits."
Arthur's ears perked up.
Nathaniel continued, "Your swords are more than just metal. They house powerful spirits known as Zeraphim. To unlock their full potential, you must form a bond with them."
Murmurs spread throughout the class.
"You've all awakened the Shinsei state—the initial release of your sword's true power. But there is a higher form… Kaigen."
The students leaned in with anticipation.
"Kaigen is the ultimate form. A transformation that unleashes your weapon's full might. Reaching it requires complete synchronization with your Zeraphim."
Arthur glanced at Hyorinmaru, who was sitting on his shoulder in his tiny dragon form. "So you have another form?" he muttered.
Hyorinmaru scoffed, flicking his tail. "You underestimate me."
Nathaniel's eyes widened when he noticed Hyorinmaru. "Well, well… It's rare to see a Zeraphim manifest in the physical world. You must be quite lucky."
Arthur rubbed the back of his neck. "I wouldn't call it lucky… I don't even know how it happened."
Hyorinmaru snorted. "That's because you're talentless."
Arthur twitched. "What did you say?"
"You heard me, fool."
Arthur's face darkened. "You sure talk big for a tiny ice lizard."
Hyorinmaru's tail smacked him in the face.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A LIZARD?!"
Arthur lunged at him.
Hyorinmaru dodged.
The two started wrestling on the floor, rolling around like a pair of squabbling children.
Nathaniel chuckled. "For those of you who haven't summoned your Zeraphim yet, don't worry. You can still communicate with them by concentrating."
The students nodded in understanding.
Arthur, meanwhile, was still struggling with Hyorinmaru, who had latched onto his head.
"GET OFF!"
"ADMIT I'M NOT A LIZARD!"
Felix sighed. "Arthur, stop teasing him, or he might refuse to listen to your call."
Arthur froze. "Wait… is that possible?"
Nathaniel nodded. "Yes. If your Zeraphim feels disrespected, it can reject you."
Arthur gulped. "Okay, okay, I'll keep that in mind…"
Hyorinmaru smugly crossed his little arms. "That's right, human. Respect your superior."
Arthur twitched. "Don't push your luck, tiny."
Hyorinmaru smacked him again.
Felix sighed. "These two are hopeless…"
Nathaniel clapped his hands. "Alright, enough fun. Let's move on to swordsmanship training. Everyone, to the field!"
---
Training Grounds: Sparring Matches
The students gathered in the academy's vast training grounds, where wooden swords were laid out for practice.
Nathaniel called out the pairs.
"Team one: Callista and Riven."
"Team two: Leo and Damon."
"Team three: Felix and Garold."
"Team four: Arthur and Seraphina."
Arthur glanced at Seraphina in surprise. She met his gaze, hiding her thoughts behind an unreadable expression.
"Team five: Ronan and Orion."
"Team six: Selene and Cedric."
"Team seven: Elias and Kaelius."
"Team eight: Lyra and Darius."
Nathaniel stepped back. "Begin!"
---
Arthur vs. Seraphina
Arthur clashed blades with Seraphina, their wooden swords striking with sharp thwacks. She was fast—unbelievably fast. Every movement was calculated, precise.
"Why did you come to Sage Academy?" she asked between strikes.
Arthur parried her attack and grinned. "At first, I just wanted to get stronger. To protect my loved ones. But now…" He spun around, knocking her blade slightly off balance. "I've decided—I'll become the Sage King."
Seraphina froze for a split second.
Arthur tilted his head. "What's wrong?"
He leaned in slightly to check on her—
Too close.
Seraphina's face instantly turned red.
She backed away, flustered. "W-what are you doing?!"
Arthur blinked. "Huh?"
WHACK!
Hyorinmaru's tail smacked him.
"Idiot! Don't get that close to a girl!"
Arthur rubbed his head. "What? I was just checking if she was okay."
Hyorinmaru scoffed. "Fool. Read the mood."
Seraphina turned away, pressing a hand to her chest. What is wrong with me?
Arthur sighed. "Anyway, I didn't ask you. Why are you here?"
Seraphina hesitated, then answered, "To become the Sage King."
Arthur's eyes widened before he grinned. "Then that makes you my rival!"
Seraphina blinked. "Rival?"
Arthur extended his hand.
Her cheeks burned again.
She quickly turned away. "You're not worthy of being my rival."
And with that, she walked off.
As she distanced herself, she murmured under her breath, "He's different… I told him I wanted to become the Sage King, and he called me his rival without thinking twice. If it were other boys, they would have laughed at me and told me not to dream big…"
She pressed a hand to her chest. Why does this feel… nice?
Meanwhile, Arthur and Hyorinmaru had already started bickering again.
Felix sighed. "Every single day with them is going to be chaos…"