The next day training yards hummed under the climbing sun, dust settling over the straw dummies and open fields, the air warming with each passing hour
IRune-circles glowed along the edges, etched into the dirt, their soft blue light pulsing steady and strong
The mages gathered near the center, swords and gear in hand
The training master paced in front, his scarred face set, voice cutting through the chatter
"Enough steel, now it's magic. Runes for power, range, whatever you can pull. Split up, get to it!" His good eye flicked over them, expectant, and the group broke apart, drifting toward the circles
Gon moved with a handful of mages to a rune-circle near the dummy line, his sword still in hand from earlier
The rune on its blade, a faint scratch near the guard, caught the light, and he ran his thumb over it, feeling a low hum buzz up his arm
He'd swung it plenty already, now it was time to see what this thing could do
