Gon stood in the Duke's training yard, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the packed dirt
Sweat beaded on his brow, his tunic clung to his chest, but he didn't care
Level 3 thrummed in his veins, Qi Disciple was his now, and the tournament loomed just a day away
He gripped his sword, its familiar weight a comfort, and eyed the straw-stuffed dummies lined up against the wooden fence
Time to see what Phantom Slash could really do
He swung, a quick flick of his wrist, and the ability flared to life
A crescent of spectral energy leapt from the blade, a ghostly arc that shimmered gray and howled like a distant wind
It streaked fifteen feet, tearing through the first dummy with a satisfying rip
Straw exploded, the wooden stake beneath splintered, and the faint mana echo pulsed outward, rattling the air
Gon grinned, feral and wide
"That's more like it."
He swung again, harder this time, aiming for two targets at once
