The midday sun blazed down on the training field, casting a golden glow over the students. Arthur wiped the sweat from his forehead and groaned.
"Hyorinmaru, it's too hot today," he complained, looking down at the small ice dragon perched on his shoulder. "Can't you freeze us a popsicle or something?"
Hyorinmaru's tail flicked, and in the next instant, he smacked Arthur on the head with it.
"Do I look like an ice cream machine to you?" the tiny dragon snapped, eyes narrowed in annoyance.
Arthur winced, rubbing the sore spot. "I'm just saying… You could use one too, you know."
"I don't need it," Hyorinmaru huffed, turning away dramatically.
Before Arthur could argue back, Nathaniel's voice rang out.
"Alright, everyone, gather around!"
The students quickly assembled, standing at attention as Nathaniel scanned the crowd with his usual sharp gaze.
"As you all know," he began, "the tournament will begin in four weeks. But at your current level…" He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in before finishing, "I don't think any of you stand a chance."
A collective groan rippled through the class.
Arthur clenched his fists. He's right… I'm still weak.
Nathaniel continued. "That's why we're going to dedicate the next three weeks to intense training. The last week will be for preparation, and during that time, you're free to return home."
That announcement lifted the mood immediately. Excited whispers filled the air.
"As for the training," Nathaniel went on, "you've all mastered Shinsei, which is a good start. However, there isn't enough time for you to learn Kaigen—a technique that takes years to master."
Arthur raised a brow. "Is Kaigen that powerful?"
Nathaniel nodded. "All the captains of the Sword Mage Order have mastered it."
The students murmured among themselves, curiosity piqued.
"For now, we'll focus on fundamental techniques. And today, you'll be learning—" Nathaniel suddenly stepped forward, his foot pressing against the side of a nearby wall.
Instead of stopping, he walked up the wall.
The students gasped.
"You're going to learn how to learn to control mana," Nathaniel declared.
The crowd exploded with excitement.
Arthur turned to Hyorinmaru and muttered, "Lucky you. You don't need to learn this. You already have four legs."
Hyorinmaru's tail flicked again. "What are you implying?"
"Uh—nothing! Just saying you're naturally gifted, that's all!" Arthur quickly backtracked, throwing on his best innocent smile.
Nathaniel walked back down and faced the students. "Spread out across the field."
They all scrambled into position.
"To do this, you must gather mana—something you all already know how to do," Nathaniel explained. "The second step is concentrating the mana beneath your feet to create a stable path, called Mana Step."
He demonstrated again, his feet glowing faintly with energy as he ascended the wall effortlessly.
"Now, try it," he instructed.
The students began focusing their mana, adjusting their stances. Some struggled, others progressed quickly.
Suddenly, Leo took his first step up the wall.
Nathaniel's eyes flickered with approval. "We have our first success."
Leo smirked. "Too easy."
Moments later, Seraphina followed, moving gracefully up the wall. Riven wasn't far behind.
Arthur took a deep breath. Gather mana… concentrate it below my feet… He could feel the energy forming beneath him. His foot pressed against the wall, and—
"Ha! I did it!"
A second later, his mana flickered—
WHAM!
Arthur crashed down, landing flat on his back.
Nathaniel sighed. "Your mana control is weak. But keep trying."
Riven smirked, arms crossed. "You better figure it out fast, slowpoke. I'm not waiting for you."
Arthur shot him a look. "Hmph."
The training continued. One by one, the students mastered Mana Step.
Everyone except Arthur.
Arthur groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Why is this so hard?"
Nathaniel approached, kneeling beside him. "Don't get discouraged. Everyone has their own learning pace."
He hesitated for a moment, watching Arthur closely. Yesterday, he seemed so strong. He defeated Damon without even drawing his blade. And that strange, oppressive mana… it's completely gone. Was it just my imagination?
Shaking the thought away, Nathaniel continued, "Maybe you're failing because you're trying to do it my way. This was the method that worked for me. Why not try finding your own way?"
Arthur blinked. "My own way…?"
Nathaniel stood, giving him a small nod before walking off.
Arthur sat there, deep in thought. My own way…
His gaze shifted to Hyorinmaru. "Hey, are you any good at this mana stuff?"
Hyorinmaru puffed out his chest. "Of course! I am a—"
Arthur cut him off. "Yeah, yeah. A Zeraphim, I get it."
WHACK!
Hyorinmaru kicked him square in the face.
"OW! Come on, cut it out!" Arthur shouted, rolling on the ground.
"Don't interrupt me while I'm talking!" Hyorinmaru huffed.
Arthur groaned, pulling himself up. "Alright, alright. But I think I've got an idea."
—---
A while later, the class gathered again.
Nathaniel's gaze settled on Arthur. "You being here means you finally got it?"
Arthur rubbed his nose with a smug grin. "See for yourself."
He walked up to the wall, exhaled slowly, and whispered, "Gather mana… discharge it slowly… concentrate beneath the feet…"
Mana flowed out from Arthur's body, forming a visible glow beneath his feet. Then—he stepped up the wall.
Nathaniel's eyes widened slightly. Instead of keeping the mana within himself, he's letting it flow out, concentrating it under his feet as an external force… That requires precise mana control.
Hyorinmaru, however, had no time for admiration.
"Don't get cocky!" he yelled, flying up and whacking Arthur on the head.
Arthur tumbled down. "HEY!"
Nathaniel chuckled. "I see. His Zeraphim guided him. He might have potential after all…"
He clapped his hands. "That's enough for today. Tomorrow, we move on to the next lesson."
"Yes, sir!" the class responded.
As they walked off, Arthur sighed in relief.
"That was rough."
Hyorinmaru crossed his arms. "Hmph. Maybe if you weren't such a slow learner—"
Arthur grabbed Hyorinmaru, held him up like a stuffed toy, and shook him.
"You little—! I'm going to dunk you in a bucket of ice water!"
Hyorinmaru growled. "TRY IT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS, FOOLISH HUMAN!"
Felix and Ronan watched from the side, shaking their heads.
"Those two are always like this," Felix sighed.
Ronan laughed. "Yeah, but you gotta admit, it's pretty entertaining."
The sun began to set, marking the end of their first day of tournament training.