The crowd of the bazaar ebbed and flowed like a tide around them, merchants crying out their wares, adventurers striding through with armor that glinted in the strange sunlight. The air was thick with smells of spice, roasted meats, and metallic tang from blades newly forged.
Renfo walked at their side, weaving through the throng with practiced ease. He stopped before a statue of Sagittarius — bow drawn, eyes fixed toward the sky.
"This place," Renfo said, sweeping an arm toward the plaza, "is Astrolia. Think of it as a mirror of our world, but layered with power. The markets, the people, the rules — all the same in form, but different in spirit. Here, everything bends beneath the will of the Zodians."
He tugged at the collar of his tunic, revealing the crest emblazoned on his skin. It shimmered faintly, shaped like the archer's bow.
"Sagittarius. My binding. Third year, same as you'll be one day. Each crest marks us, gives us strength, and binds us to something greater than ourselves."
He extended his hand, and with a flicker of light and smoke, a blade took shape — his katana, Sheer Edge Shadowblaze. The weapon pulsed with shadowfire, its edge crackling faintly as he swung it once, then let it rest on his shoulder.
"Your weapon isn't given to you. It's summoned. It's a piece of your binding, a reflection of your will. Selora made Jayden's scythe vanish, but that doesn't mean it's gone. Watch."
He turned to Jayden with a half-smile.
"Go on. Call it back. Just don't burn yourself out."
Jayden narrowed his eyes, raising one hand. The crest of Scorpio on his chest flared crimson. The air thickened, shadows swirling like venom through water. With a surge of effort, the double-bladed flow scythe tore itself back into existence, its edges gleaming wickedly.
Jayden's lips twisted into a grin.
"Didn't take much."
Renfo chuckled.
"Careful. You nearly drained half your mana pool for that little display. You keep flexing like that, and you'll pass out before you can swing it."
Jayden scoffed, but his grip tightened on the scythe, unwilling to admit the strain.
Renfo then turned to Jordan, his expression softer.
"And you, cousin. Yours is waiting too. All you have to do is reach inside. Call it. The weapon is already a part of you — it's your crest given form."
Jordan blinked, uncertain. "But… I don't even know how."
"Then learn," Renfo said simply. "Astrolia doesn't wait for anyone. If you don't master it, it'll master you. Try."
Jordan closed his eyes, every sound of the bazaar fading into silence. He reached inward, deeper than he thought possible, past fear and doubt and into the burning core of his will.
The crest of Leo on his chest blazed to life.
With a crack of thunder and a blinding beam of light, a massive tower shield slammed into the ground before him, tall enough to eclipse his own height. Its face glowed with radiant lines, the crest of Leo carved deep at its center.
Before the gasps of the crowd could fade, a second flash followed. In Jordan's hands, a double-bladed buster sword materialized — massive, heavy, and alive with fiery light. Its twin blades crackled with heat, the sheer size of the weapon dwarfing even seasoned adventurers' arms.
The plaza stilled. Merchants froze mid-shout. Guards resting near the gates stood abruptly, hands on their weapons. Passersby stared, murmuring in awe and disbelief.
"Two?" someone whispered. "He summoned two…"
"No student does that…" another muttered.
Renfo's eyes widened, his usual grin fading for the first time. "Well, cousin… you've just made one hell of an entrance."
Jayden's glare burned hotter than his scythe, though he said nothing.
And around them, the entire bazaar seemed to hold its breath.