The air in the training hall was thick with anticipation as students lined up in neat rows. Unlike their usual academic setting, this place had a different weight to it—wooden floors polished from years of training, the faint scent of steel and sweat, and the looming presence of Commander Roches, standing before them with his usual no-nonsense expression.
"Alright," Roche started, his deep voice cutting through the murmur of students. "For today's training, we're going to take mana manipulation a step further—applying it to your weapons."
With a practised motion, he unsheathed his sword—a simple, unassuming blade that looked like any other.
"Looks pretty normal, right? Now, imagine this slicing through that steel wall behind me."
The students glanced past him at the thick steel structure bolted to the floor. There was no way that flimsy-looking sword was cutting through that.
A few students exchanged doubtful glances. One of them, a boy in the back, snickered. "Sir, do you need a sharper sword? We got some spares—"
SHINK!
Before anyone could blink, Roche swung his sword in a clean arc. At first, nothing seemed to happen. The wall stood unscathed. A few students whispered among themselves, unsure if their commander had actually done anything.
Then—
A sharp, metallic whine filled the hall as the steel split cleanly in two, the top half of the wall sliding off and crashing onto the floor with an earth-shaking THUD.
Silence.
Then—
"HOLY SHIT!"
Mouths dropped. The student who had mocked him earlier audibly choked on his own breath.
Roche smirked. "That," he said, sheathing his sword, "is what you're going to learn today. So, grab one of the wooden swords on the table and start practicing."
The students, still dazed, quickly rushed to grab a weapon, eager to try it themselves.
A Special Training Session
While the others began their training, Yulli stood in place, arms crossed, an eyebrow raised.
"Mana manipulation, huh?" he muttered. "Yeah, totally something I can do."
His sarcasm didn't go unnoticed.
"As for you, Yulli," Roche said, strolling toward him, "you'll have a separate training session."
Yulli blinked. "A separate session? What, am I getting remedial classes now?"
"Something like that. With a different instructor."
Before Yulli could protest, a very enthusiastic voice cut in—
"Yo!"
A woman strutted into the hall, exuding confidence and just the right amount of chaos energy. She was Rio Kettei, a slim woman with black locks tied into a neat bun with a hairpin. A high-collared white cravat wrapped around her neck, tucked into a dark leather coat, complemented by a white undershirt and knee-high boots.
She grinned widely, resting a hand on her hip.
"Hello! Nice meeting you, Yulli!"
Yulli glanced at Roche with suspicion. "Why do I feel like I should be concerned?"
"You should be," Roche admitted under his breath.
Rio threw an arm around Yulli's shoulder like they were already best friends. "I'll be in charge of your training today! We're gonna do so much fun stuff, you have no idea—"
"Please be easy on him," Roche muttered.
Rio let out a laugh."Oh, don't worry! You should be praying that he survives!"
Roche sighed, rubbing his temples. "That's… exactly what I was worried about."
Before Yulli could even process what was happening, Rio started dragging him toward the training area.
"Woah, relax!" Yulli yelped, struggling against her grip.
"No time to relax! Time to suffer— I mean, train!"
Yulli groaned. "Hooboy."
Roche watched them go, shaking his head. "Poor kid."
"so what are we doing"
Yulli stood on the worn training mats, eyeing Rio Kettei warily. The woman radiated a certain smug confidence that immediately put him on edge. Her arms were crossed, an amused smirk playing at her lips, like she already knew how this was going to go down.
"Alright, Yulli," she started, rolling her shoulders, "since you can't perform any sort of mana-related techniques, we need to make sure your body is in top form. Otherwise, you're just a guy with a sword, and trust me—that isn't gonna cut it."
Yulli crossed his arms. "So what are we doing today? Strength training? Endurance? Reflex drills?"
Rio shook her head, grinning. "Sparring."
Yulli blinked. "...Sparring?"
"Yep! Time to see how good you really are."
Something about the way she said that made Yulli feel very uneasy.
"I've heard you're decent with a blade, but what about your fists?" she added, cracking her knuckles. "Time to find out."
Yulli exhaled sharply, stepping forward and raising his fists. "Alright then. Let's go."
Rio took a stance of her own—casual, almost lazy, but her posture betrayed a trained fighter. The kind of person who could switch from relaxed to deadly in a second.
The two circled each other, the anticipation thick in the air.
Then—
Yulli struck first.
A sharp right jab. Rio leaned back effortlessly. A follow-up left hook—she sidestepped like it was nothing.
"She's fast," Yulli thought, gritting his teeth, but he didn't let up. He kept the pressure on, throwing rapid punches, but every single one was met with a void—she wasn't blocking, she was gone before his fists even got close.
He was throwing everything at her, and she dodged it all without breaking a sweat.
"Is this even fair?"
Then, he saw it—a pattern. She was moving the same way every time, just a fraction ahead of him, so—
He faked a kick.
Rio shifted to dodge it.
Gotcha.
Yulli instantly planted his foot back on the ground and swung a real punch, aiming for where her head should be.
Except it wasn't there.
Before he even registered what had happened, his world spun sideways—
And then—
BAM.
Flat on his back.
The sky looked a lot closer than it was a second ago.
"What... the hell just happened?" Yulli groaned, blinking up at the ceiling.
Rio peered down at him, hands on her hips. "That? That was a takedown. Were you surprised?"
Yulli scowled, accepting her offered hand as she pulled him up. "Yeah, no shit it was sudden."
"That's the point." She dusted off her coat. "The element of surprise. Most hunters rely too much on their mana, so they get lazy. If they ever find themselves in a fight without it, they panic."
Yulli frowned. "That… actually makes sense."
"Exactly! So, in a one-on-one fight, you need every advantage you can get."
She clapped her hands together. "Alright! Let's go again."
Yulli barely had time to process that before she took a step back, bouncing lightly on her heels.
"Come on then, boy," she teased, grinning. "Give me your best shot."
Yulli exhaled sharply. Alright, fine. If she wanted him to go all out, then—
He lunged forward, throwing a punch—
And got slammed onto the ground. Again.
"—What the heck?!"
Rio laughed, hands on her hips. "Again."
"Lady, I'm starting to think you just like throwing me around."
"Aww, you're catching on!"
Yulli groaned, rubbing his back. This was going to be a long training session.