The training ground had changed once again.
Gone was the standard sparring floor. Now, racks of weapons lined the walls in symmetrical rows, and the air buzzed with anticipation.
Kiah stood in a loose line with her squad, her labrys gripped firmly in her hand.
Warden Tatiana stepped onto the platform at the front, her braided hair tightly bound. Two ring swords hung at her hips, and they clinked softly with every step she took. She exuded a cold elegance that made her more attractive.
Kiah recognized her as the same woman who ended their induction briefing weeks ago.
Next to Kiah, Naya was practically vibrating with excitement.
Tatiana's gaze swept across the room as all the other Wardens had done before introducing themselves. Then she spoke.
"My name is Tatiana. I'll be your instructor for the next two weeks," she said. "Some of you might be wondering how one person is expected to teach all forms of weaponry."
She paused, then tilted her head. "The answer is simple. I won't."
Murmurs flickered through the group, but Tatiana ignored them.
"I'm not here to teach you how to swing a sword or pull a bowstring. No. I'm here to teach you the principles behind all weapons. The distance, momentum, angles, timing, and intent which applies to all blades."
She let her words hang for a moment before continuing.
"Your weapon is just an extension of your will. Technique is the skin. Control is the core."
Tatiana launched into a brief explanation of what their training would entail. She wasn't interested in holding anyone's hand. They were expected to know the basics already since many of them had trained briefly prior to passing the test.
What she wanted to teach was the principles of using a weapon. The footwork, the reaction and timing, defense, and deflection. The language of battle written in movement. Their sessions would mostly be unified and only branch off when needed for practical specialization.
It was the best she could do in the two weeks allocated to her, and she made sure they knew that before they began.
"Technique is something you build and improve as you grow. I can't teach you that. Only your failures can."
So for the first day, instead of focusing on flashy combat, they studied drill movements and patterns for control and evasion, independent of their weapon style.
Everyone was instructed to put down their personalized gear and take up a basic training blade. They were light, standardized, and deliberately unfamiliar. It leveled the field. They practiced reflexes and counter maneuvers against mechanical dummies that struck with unpredictable speed and angles.
Compared to the brutal training they'd endured in previous phases, this felt almost easy. When they returned to the dorms that evening, they weren't limping or breathless. For the first time in weeks, they were tired, but not broken.
The rhythm continued for days. They were taught how to shield, par, dodge, and neutralise incoming attacks irrespective of the weapon type. They drilled over and over again until instinct began to replace thought.
Between sessions, Tatiana also shared insights into the weapons and how they were made.
"Our blades are made from a synthetic composite, SynTek Steel," she told them, her voice as crisp as ever. "It's a hyper-reactive alloy mined from deep within Novaris's crust. It was found after the fall and is believed to be part of the asteroids that almost destroyed this planet. The way they're shaped, infused, and bonded gives each weapon its unique properties. Once shaped, the material adapts based on the wielder's neural imprint and evolves as the wielder becomes stronger. This makes your blade more than a tool for murder. It's a lifetime companion that reflects your strengths and weaknesses."
To demonstrate, Tatiana drew her twin ring blades.
One floated from her grasp and began orbiting around her like a defensive halo. She tossed the other one into the air. The ring fractured mid-spin into six glowing shards. With a flick of her wrist, the razor-like shards shot outwards with a hiss and impaled the wall behind them with deadly precision.
It all happened so fast that the Initiates barely caught it.
"Wow!"
Gasps echoed across the room.
Tatiana raised her hand, and the shards reassembled mid-air and zipped back into a single ring, landing smoothly in her palm.
Behind them, the rings left six perfect holes on the wall.
"That's just the tip of what it can do. You have to uncover what yours is capable of."
Kiah nodded, staring at her labrys. From what she understood, each weapon was more than it appeared to be.
A sword could turn into a whip. A blade could disintegrate into shards. That was the reason they had to be proficient in every technique. Using one technique was simply inefficient when dealing with an ever-evolving blade.
The blades were too unpredictable.
What could her labrys turn to after she advanced? The possibilities excited her. It made her more eager to grow stronger.
"Many of you haven't activated your blades yet. Activating it is the first stage of mastering your weapon. It's the beginning of a whole new adventure."
Kiah frowned. She knew Tatiana was referring to that damn button that none of them were strong enough to push yet. It was demeaning.
"Alas, you all haven't gotten to that stage yet, so you must practice with everything you lay your hands on. Sure, your bonded weapons are your lifetime companions, but you might be faced with situations where they are unavailable. You shouldn't have any excuse for weakness."
She announced.
"So today, everyone is going to be swapping weapons. Pick a partner and switch. Hurry."
Everybody scrambled and started exchanging weapons with other people.
"Let's team up, Kiah." Naya pulled Kiah along before she could even think, and they exchanged weapons.
In Kiah's hand was now a spear, while Naya was holding her labrys, and they got into a fighting stance.
"This exercise makes you understand how to counter your enemy's weapon. Study your partner's form. If you fought them, where would you strike? Also, learn the strengths and weaknesses of wielding their blades."
Kiah gazed at the long, elegant spear in her hands. One end of the spear was pointed like a dagger, while the other was shaped like a serrated knife, perfect for slicing.
Kiah smiled. It was beautiful.
Suddenly, she moved and charged at Naya. Naya dodged her effortlessly. They've spent enough time together to know that they have grown stronger since the first time they met.
If Kiah didn't think Naya was a worthy opponent, she wouldn't have agreed to partner up with her. After all, she needed someone who could put up a challenge, not someone she could defeat easily.
The spear was complicated. It was a long-range weapon, so Kiah was clearly at a disadvantage. Right now, while Naya used her labrys for offense, she used the spear for defense.
But still, spears could also be used at short range, especially a double-sided one like Naya's.
The tip of the spear caught a flicker of light as Kiah lunged again, jabbing toward Naya's midsection. But Naya twisted her torso with the labrys arcing downward to block her.
The force of the two metals clashing sent a rattle through their arms. But they didn't let up.
Naya rotated the labrys into a sweeping strike meant to knock Kiah off her feet. Kiah leapt back, barely avoiding the spinning blade, her boots skidding slightly on the smooth floor.
She tightened her grip.
The spear's reach gave her space, but it was awkward. Her fingers weren't used to its weight or balance. Still, she adapted quickly. She spun the shaft behind her back and swept forward, slicing low at Naya's legs. Naya blocked with the haft of the labrys, metal scraping metal, and shoved forward to break Kiah's guard.
"Not bad," Naya said through a grin.
Kiah didn't answer. She surged forward again, this time feinting left. But Naya blocked it… again.
This time, Naya struck first, swinging the labrys upward in a rising slash.
Kiah let go of one hand on the spear, caught the labrys handle with her now-free palm, and redirected the force just enough to spin out of range.
They broke apart, breathing harder now.
Kiah's eyes gleamed. Naya was good. Very good.
But the spear was starting to make sense. It was starting to become easier to understand. She charged again, this time closing the gap too fast for Naya to react.
They clashed again and again, spear against axe. Kiah jabbed, Naya deflected. Naya swung, Kiah twisted. Neither gave in. Each was reading the other in real time, testing boundaries, adjusting.
Then suddenly—
Naya flipped the labrys in her hand and brought the handle down instead of the blade. It hit Kiah's forearm, making her hiss as she stumbled back.
"Got you," Naya said.
Kiah grinned despite the sting. "You did."
They lowered their weapons, chests rising and falling, flushed with adrenaline. Around them, others were still sparring, some sloppy, some impressive, but theirs had drawn a few glances.
Even Tatiana, watching from the back, gave a slight nod.
They were improving.