More Than a Spectator
Morning arrived at Luminel's home with birdsong, pale sunlight filtering between the silver-leaf trees, and the unmistakable smell of roasted fish and warm bread drifting through the open doors of the dojo. Under ordinary circumstances, it would have been a peaceful beginning to the day. Unfortunately, nearly everyone present had spent the previous afternoon discovering muscles they had not previously known existed, and breakfast therefore resembled less a cheerful gathering and more a collection of wounded soldiers attempting to lower themselves onto cushions without making embarrassing noises. Daichi sat with one hand pressed against his back. Misaki winced whenever she moved her shoulder. Airi had discovered that even chewing somehow made yesterday's bruises complain. Their partners were in slightly better condition, though Sakura's wing remained stiff, Tesla occasionally sparked when he stretched too quickly, and Clark had announced three separate times that he felt perfectly fine before immediately groaning when he stood.
Luminel floated over them with his arms folded, looking offensively refreshed.
"Today," he announced, "you stop treating your partners as though battle belongs entirely to them."
Several tired heads lifted.
"You will train together. Properly. You will learn what it means to actually use the connection between you."
A few expressions brightened.
Others became suspicious.
Daichi looked at Luminel over the rim of his cup.
"Does this involve being shot at?"
"Eventually."
Daichi sighed.
Before anyone could ask anything else, something crashed through the trees outside.
Branches snapped.
Birds scattered.
Then came two voices at once.
"FOOOOOOD!"
"IF I DON'T EAT NOW I'M GOING TO DIE!"
Haruto and Ryu burst from the forest like creatures escaping a natural disaster.
Everyone froze.
Haruto looked as though he had spent the night wrestling the cave itself. His clothes were dirty, his hair was an impressive disaster, and exhaustion sat beneath his eyes. Ryu looked no better, except that his expression suggested the only tragedy worth acknowledging was the distance between himself and breakfast.
Then both saw the table.
Everything changed.
"Move!"
Haruto lunged.
Ryu followed.
Renji reacted first.
"My breakfast!"
He seized his plate just as Haruto reached the table.
Ryu inhaled an entire fish.
Clark stared in admiration.
"Can I do that?"
"No," Daichi said immediately.
Airi lifted her toast over her head.
"Stay away from mine!"
Haruto snatched a boiled egg from the centre tray.
"That was mine," Renji said.
"You were too slow."
"Ice breath, Alex."
Alex raised his head with aristocratic calm.
"I believe murdering Haruto over an egg would be somewhat excessive."
"Traitor."
Ryu grabbed another fish.
Then another.
Misaki barely moved her plate aside before his jaws snapped shut where it had been.
"Ryu!"
"I was starving!"
"You nearly ate my hand!"
"I would've stopped before the hand."
"That does not make it better!"
Shun had already pulled his own food safely toward himself with the same grim concentration he normally reserved for difficult calculations. Tesla stood in front of the plate with all four arms spread.
"No."
Ryu stopped.
Tesla's antennae sparked.
Ryu reconsidered.
Yuto, still looking half asleep, stared in horror as Haruto reached toward the final jam bun.
"That one's Michael's!"
Michael hovered protectively over it.
Haruto stopped.
The little Light-type Aetherkin looked at him.
Haruto looked at Michael.
Michael's expression remained perfectly kind.
A tiny sphere of light began glowing between his wings.
Haruto slowly withdrew his hand.
"Not worth it."
Renji snorted.
Yuto hugged the bun.
Across the table, Caelan sat with his chopsticks halfway to his mouth, watching the entire disaster unfold.
He turned toward Luminel.
"Are they always like this?"
Luminel sighed with the weariness of someone who had watched civilizations rise and fall and considered both experiences less exhausting.
"Yes."
Haruto dropped beside the table with three pieces of bread in his hands.
Ryu collapsed against him, stomach visibly rounded.
"I feel alive again," Haruto said.
Ryu released a small burp.
A nearby cup rattled.
"We fight better when we're full."
Airi held up a piece of toast with an enormous bite missing from it.
"You had better hope today's training doesn't involve me throwing things."
Haruto grinned.
"Good morning to you too."
Misaki laughed.
"Apparently today's first lesson was defending breakfast."
Luminel rubbed his forehead.
"And some of you failed."
By the time breakfast ended and the wreckage had been cleared away, Luminel led everyone back to the circular training platform beneath the silver-leaf trees. Warm light fell through the canopy in shifting patches, catching against the old markings carved into the stone. Something else had changed as well. The stiffness that had plagued them at breakfast had begun fading. Bruises were lighter. Scratches had closed. Even Sakura's injured wing moved without pain.
Airi flexed both hands.
"Wait."
Daichi rolled his shoulder.
"That doesn't hurt anymore."
Shun immediately looked toward Luminel.
"You healed us."
Luminel twirled his spear.
"I restored enough for training."
Daichi stared.
"You could've done that last night?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because you needed sleep."
"That's not—"
"Training."
Daichi closed his mouth.
He had learned yesterday that arguing with Luminel only encouraged him.
The little fairy hovered over the centre of the platform.
"You have eaten."
He glanced toward Haruto and Ryu.
"Some of you more successfully than others."
Haruto looked pleased.
Renji did not.
"Now we begin."
The group formed a loose circle, each child beside their partner.
Luminel's expression became more serious.
"Until now, most of you have misunderstood your role."
Misaki frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"You treat yourselves as companions."
Luminel gestured toward the Aetherkin.
"They fight."
Then toward the children.
"You watch."
Airi folded her arms.
"We don't just watch."
"No."
Luminel nodded.
"You also shout."
Clark made a choking sound suspiciously like laughter.
Daichi elbowed him.
Luminel continued.
"You encourage them. Warn them. Give directions. All useful."
He lowered his spear.
"Still insufficient."
The Resonance Linkers around their wrists and belts began glowing faintly.
"You are linked."
Haruto looked down at his.
"That word has meaning."
Luminel turned toward him.
"You returned from the Cave of Reflections in a single day."
The others looked at Haruto.
Luminel gave the slightest nod of approval.
"That earns you the honour of being today's demonstration."
Haruto straightened.
"Really?"
"The honour may involve pain."
Haruto's excitement became more reasonable.
Ryu stepped forward anyway.
"Let's do it."
Haruto joined him.
Luminel pointed toward the Resonance Linker.
"Raise it."
Haruto did.
The device pulsed softly.
"Your Linker does more than identify Aetherkin or assist evolution."
Luminel addressed everyone now.
"It exists because your bond has practical force."
Shun leaned forward.
Naturally.
"The Linker turns that connection into something you can deliberately use."
Haruto glanced at Ryu.
Luminel continued.
"Start with yourself."
Haruto blinked.
"What do I do?"
"Imagine protection."
"That's vague."
"It needs to be."
Haruto frowned.
"Feel the Link between you and Ryu. Then turn part of that connection inward."
Haruto's expression became serious.
He closed his eyes.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then the Resonance Linker brightened.
A thin glow appeared around Haruto's body.
It expanded.
A transparent shell of pale light formed around him, curving outward like the surface of an enormous bubble.
A breeze rippled away from it.
Yuto's eyes widened.
"Whoa."
Renji leaned closer.
"That's useful."
Caelan studied it with considerably more interest.
The barrier resembled neither ki nor a formation.
Haruto opened his eyes.
He stared at the glowing surface around him.
"I did that?"
Ryu poked it.
His claw bounced off.
Haruto grinned.
"Do it again."
Ryu poked harder.
"Stop that."
Luminel looked satisfied.
"Basic Link barrier."
The shield faded.
"As your bond strengthens, so does what the Linker can endure."
Haruto stared at the device.
"Could this stop an attack?"
"Yes."
"From Eidon?"
"No."
Haruto's excitement disappeared.
Luminel shrugged.
"Learn to crawl before challenging an Elite monster."
He floated higher.
"Now the important part."
Haruto's Linker began glowing again.
"You can also send support through the bond."
Ryu looked up eagerly.
"What kind?"
"Strength."
Luminel pointed toward Haruto.
"Focus on Ryu."
Haruto gripped the Linker.
"Don't think about fire. Don't think about evolution. Don't think about what Ryu should become."
His tone sharpened slightly.
Haruto understood why.
"Only strength."
Haruto looked at Ryu.
Ryu planted his feet.
"Ready."
Haruto concentrated.
The Linker flashed.
A crimson-orange current travelled outward and wrapped around Ryu's body.
His muscles tightened.
His claws flexed.
The stone beneath one foot gave a faint crack.
Ryu's eyes widened.
"Oh."
Haruto stared.
Ryu looked at his claws.
Then his grin became enormous.
"I LIKE THIS."
Everyone laughed.
Ryu punched the air.
"I feel like I could fight a mountain."
"Please don't," Haruto said.
Luminel turned toward the others.
"That is enhancement."
Renji stepped forward next.
Alex moved beside him.
His Linker pulsed blue-white as Renji concentrated.
A cool aura settled around Alex.
The little wolf's posture straightened.
He flexed one purple-clawed paw with dignified approval.
"Quite pleasant."
Renji raised an eyebrow.
"That's your reaction?"
"I refuse to jump around screaming about mountains."
Ryu looked offended.
Misaki was next.
Her Linker glowed gold.
Luminel instructed her to focus on one thing.
"Speed."
Misaki looked toward Sakura.
The pink bird lowered herself.
"Ready."
Misaki concentrated.
Light flowed through the Link.
Sakura vanished.
A blur of pink crossed the arena.
Then returned.
Then shot behind Misaki.
Misaki spun.
Sakura stood there, visibly delighted despite attempting to maintain her samurai dignity.
"Again."
"Definitely."
Luminel watched them.
"Every Link has tendencies."
Shun's attention sharpened.
"The Virtue Sigils?"
"In part."
Several Sigils glimmered faintly among the group.
"Your virtues shape the bond. Certain forms of support will come more naturally to certain people."
He raised his spear.
"But don't make the mistake of mastering only what comes easily."
Symbols appeared above the platform.
Not words at first.
Patterns.
Then the Linkers translated them.
Strength Enhancement.
Speed Enhancement.
Energy Reinforcement.
Defensive Reinforcement.
Recovery.
Healing.
Poison Suppression.
Sonar.
Tracking.
The children stared.
Daichi looked toward Luminel.
"We can do all of that?"
"Eventually."
Airi's Linker glowed green.
Flora looked down as faint light wrapped around one of the scratches left from yesterday's training.
The mark faded.
Airi gasped.
"Oh!"
Flora smiled softly.
"That feels lovely."
Airi immediately looked delighted.
Yuto raised his Linker next.
Michael hovered before him.
"Can I heal him?"
"Try."
Yuto concentrated.
His small face tightened with effort.
A soft golden glow surrounded Michael's wings.
The little Aetherkin's tired muscles relaxed.
He blinked.
Then smiled.
"Thank you."
Yuto beamed.
Shun had, predictably, already stopped listening to everything except the symbols.
His Linker activated.
A pulse swept outward.
A circular image formed above the device.
Trees.
Training structures.
Moving dots.
Distances.
Shun's eyes widened.
"Sonar."
Tesla leaned closer.
"The moving points are us."
"Yes."
Shun immediately began adjusting the display.
Luminel watched him.
"You are enjoying this too much."
"Probably."
Daichi activated his own Linker.
Silver-white light travelled into Clark.
The Water-type Aetherkin's fur seemed to stiffen slightly as a reinforcing layer settled around him.
Clark poked his own stomach.
"Am I tougher?"
"Yes."
Clark grinned.
"Hit me."
"No."
"Just once."
"No."
Luminel finally laughed.
"You see the difference now?"
The group looked toward him.
"Your partners are not weapons you release while standing safely behind them."
His expression became serious again.
"You are part of the battle."
The Linkers continued glowing softly.
"You reinforce."
He pointed toward Haruto.
"Protect."
Toward Yuto.
"Heal."
Toward Shun.
"Find."
Then across the entire group.
"Guide."
His voice lowered.
"And sometimes stand beside them while everything is falling apart."
The humour disappeared for a moment.
"But understand the cost."
Several of the Linkers changed.
A circular gauge appeared on each display.
Haruto stared.
"What is that?"
"Your limit."
Luminel tapped his spear against the stone.
"None of these abilities are free."
Haruto looked at his gauge.
A small section had already dimmed.
"The barrier..."
"Cost energy."
"The strength boost?"
"Cost more."
Misaki checked hers.
"So every time we support them..."
"You spend your own stamina."
Luminel nodded.
"The Link doesn't create power from nothing. It channels you."
Yuto looked concerned.
"What happens when it reaches zero?"
Luminel answered plainly.
"You collapse."
Yuto's eyes widened.
"Unconscious?"
"Usually."
Daichi frowned.
"Usually?"
Luminel ignored the question.
"If you empty yourself in the middle of battle, you become another problem your partner must protect."
Michael immediately moved closer to Yuto.
Yuto looked down at him.
That lesson apparently landed.
Luminel continued.
"Your capacity will grow."
He pointed toward the Linkers.
"So will your efficiency."
The gauges brightened faintly.
"With training, what costs ten parts today may cost five later."
Shun nodded thoughtfully.
"And stronger bonds increase total output."
"Correct."
Shun looked pleased.
Luminel raised a finger.
"Do not start calculating how many times you can nearly knock yourself unconscious."
Shun looked slightly less pleased.
Airi glanced at her Linker.
"Can we use more than one enhancement at once?"
"Eventually."
Her eyes brightened.
"Strength and speed?"
"Yes."
"Defence and healing?"
"Yes."
Ryu raised one claw.
"Strength, speed and more strength?"
Haruto looked at him.
"That's two strengths."
"I know."
Luminel smiled faintly.
"Layered enhancement becomes possible as the Link develops."
Ryu looked victorious.
Haruto sighed.
"But first..."
Luminel raised his spear.
The stone platform rumbled.
Training dummies rose around them.
A dozen.
Then another dozen.
Several began moving.
Others raised padded weapons.
Haruto stared.
"I knew there was going to be a catch."
"There is always a catch."
Luminel pointed toward the first row.
"You will rotate."
His spear moved.
"Offence support."
Another row.
"Speed."
Another.
"Defence."
Another.
"Healing."
The children groaned.
"You will learn every function your current Linkers can support."
Daichi looked at the training dummies.
"How long?"
Luminel smiled.
"Until you stop being terrible at it."
Daichi closed his eyes.
"Of course."
Luminel floated backward.
"Remember your gauges. Push them."
Everyone looked at him.
"But don't empty them."
Airi raised one eyebrow.
"Yesterday you said push until we find our limits."
"Correct."
"And today you're telling us not to hit the limit."
"Also correct."
"That sounds contradictory."
Luminel twirled his spear.
"Then today's first intellectual exercise is understanding why it isn't."
Airi stared at him.
Renji laughed.
Haruto raised his Linker and looked down at Ryu.
Ryu stretched his claws.
"Strength again?"
"We're supposed to rotate."
"Strength first?"
Haruto grinned.
"Strength first."
Around them, the others took their positions beside their partners.
Not behind them.
Beside them.
And for the first time since arriving in this world, the children began learning how to fight as more than witnesses to someone else's battle.