"Alright. Now each student has chosen their preferred weapon, it's time to go back to basics, starting from what weapon you have chosen and how well you understand it," the instructor, Mr Rend ordered, his speech filled with absolute authority.
"For swords, the basics are slash and stab, for a spear, it is pierce and slash. These are the basic and common ways on how to use these weapons. I'll want each of you to show me how well you have mastered these basics by sparring with the combat robot which has been provided for these lessons," he directed the gaze of his students with his pointed hands towards the robots in the distance.
"Now begin. Just so you know, this class will be graded so you should perform well, students" he said as he walked out of the stage and stood at the sideline as he began to watch the students who came up to challenge the bot.
"Score - 65," the bot's mechanical voice sounded as it read the result of the student who had just gone up to try. After he left, Meisha approached the bot, a smile forming on her face as she stretched a bit before facing the bot. "The most basic fighting style of a fist is to punch and punch stronger," she affirmed and taking her stance, she landed a punch squared on the marked area of the bot, her fist leaving behind a gust of wind as it travelled quickly through the air.
A blunt sound echoed from the metallic body of the bot and after some mechanical beeps, it recorded the score for Miesha out loud. "Score - 98". Hearing her score, a grin appeared in Meisha's face as she turned around and looked at the instructor. "That was a flawless execution of the basics of a fist and gauntlet technique, Meisha. You have a good overview of the basics. You may come down from the stage," Mr Rend commanded, after which she left the stage.
"Student Kira, step on the stage," the stoic girl stepped on the stage freely while she brandished her katana which was in the black scabbard. With a swift and precise swing, a sword mark was left on the metallic body of the bot with quite a bit of depth to it. It was a quick draw and slash of her katana. "Score - 99" the bot stated her result out loudly which unfazed her as she quickly started readying for her showcase of piercing.
After performing this with practised ease, she positioned herself, the tip of her katana gleaming and refracting the sunlight that hit it and bounced back on Kina, forming a naturally beautiful sight.
With a precise movement of her katana in a straight line, she punctured a deeper hole in the droid and to which after the combat bot read a score to be "Score - 99" and after receiving her grades, she silently and calmly set her katana back into the embrace of her black scabbard as she elegantly jumped down from the stage and took back her original position.
"Showoff," Meisha added, her voice visibly annoyed at how the cold Second Rank was taking the attention of the class. "I think the way she uses her sword is cool and effective. It doesn't feel like she was deliberately showing off," Kael inputted as Lark glanced at him, surprise flickering through his eyes and then, a weird acceptance and remorse. "Oh, I see. You believe that he's better than me, Kael? Do you think I don't know that? I was just taking out my annoyance of her character and instead of supporting your girlfri….sorry, bestfried, you take the side of a stranger?" Monnae reprimanded, clearly furious at the fact that Kael didn't take her side.
There were a few things that Monnae cared about their opinions and Kael happened to be one of them and someone important to her so hearing him take the side of a stranger, especially a girl, didn't sit well with her and it clearly showed. "Bad move, bro. I didn't think you'd make such a bad move" Lark commented as he leaned over and spoke with Kael, his eyes veiled in remorse for his friend.
"Wait..Mon. I didn't mean it that way! I just wanted to say what actually happened!" Kael pleaded, after recognising the problem at hand. Normally, he wouldn't have been this desperate but right now, Monnae held something that was quite a high bargaining card. Her cool weapon, Rigerour.
It's understandable not to touch or use it because you're not close to Monnae but if Kael as one of her closest friends couldn't ever touch it just because of this mistake, it'll be too hurtful. His boyish side which always remained part of him, despite how matured he made himself seem, complained in his mind. "You better not fumble and lose the chance to touch that weapon. I'll never forgive you!" Kael swore that he could see a smaller form of himself that looked similar to him.
"I guess someone isn't interested in Rigerour, someone who's name starts with K…" Monnae teased as she slid her hands over the case that contained the weapon. Kael began to think of all the possible ways he could try to convince the angry genius. This would mark one of the first times Kael has had to put his brain in overdrive mode. Stepping into Monnae's personal space, Kael made a bold move as he held her hands tightly and his eyes fixed on hers. Monnae's face quickly became beet red in embarrassment as she stared at Kael struggling to string her words together. "U''um…Kael.." she said with a stammer, her voice low and barely coming across.
Lark, who was watching this, exclaimed with his hands on his mouth as he eyed their interaction. "Monnae, you have to understand. Master told me that she had a sister in my class and since her name was also Kiomi, that's why I praised her," This was a pure lie. Kina never told him about having any siblings and he never had the chance to ask her how Kira had her surname.
"You also know that Master was the person who took me out of my depressed state and gave me a goal and direction," Well this one was true. "So it was a reflex because imagine how I felt when someone who was related to my master was being painted in a bad light," . This was also a lie. Kael would not have treated his master's family as friends just because of what his master did. He believes in the fact that relations are with an individual and rarely should feelings that someone gave you be used to view another because they were related. "R…really? Is that…what happened?" Monnae questioned, her voice low and slurred as she struggled to keep calm with the sensation she felt on her hands. It was the first time Kael actively held her hand and unknown to him, it was having a bigger impact than what story he was making up.
"Yeah, really. That's the truth," Kael's face was knitted in seriousness, his voice determined and convincing enough for the girl who was lost daydreaming about the number of kids they could have together. "I understand. I know my Kael is that type of person and he'll always take my side. I know that it was just a silly mistake," Monnae responded as she sucked back the saliva that was threatening to fall from her mouth.
Gaining back a bit of her reason, the girl who had just experienced the bliss of her crush holding her hands actively for the first time squeezed harder while she spoke "Don't worry about it. It was just me being mean, Kael" Monnae said as she hugged Kael close to her, taking full advantage of this opportunity that she had. "Yes…well..sure. But, Mon, could you release me a bit?" Kael attempted a resistance which was for naught as he was still stuck in her embrace.
Kael remembered the quote his father used to say whenever he was caught lying. To be able to tell a convincing lie, there has to be some truths mixed within it and then packaged and given as a present. The other parts were probably added by Kael but anyway, it worked and if something works, don't touch it.
Monnae only let go of Kael reluctantly after she was called onto the stage for her showcase as Kael joined Lark who was looking at him with a knowing look on his face. "As expected of my friend, Kael. You're so adept at fooling girls, especially Monnae," Lark's mischievous grin bloomed on his face. "Not you too," Kael spoke as he surrendered himself to Lark's teasing.
"It is a reflex because…" Lark joked as he recounted the lies and truths he used to convince Monnae. "And pairing it with holding her hand, you made her unable to even form her thoughts. Kael, my friend who's a manipulator, one of these days, all your fooling around will catch up to you," Lark spoke with laughter, rejoicing in his friend's misfortune.
Kael, not one to take provocations lying down, made his own counterattack. "Fool around? I never did anything of the sort but I can imagine that for someone who's as unpopular as you would think I was fooling around with girls. But, what can I do? My charm is just too good, " Kael boasted, his tone smug as he stared at Lark who had now been beaten.
Before he could come up with his counter argument, the instructor commanded as soon as Monnae got up on the stage. "You have to demonstrate your prowess to the class on your understanding of the basics and since your personal weapon is a bit, well, bit too much for this test, we'll be limiting you to the practical weapons which were processed. You have to show a more than acceptable score with these basic weapons so that we'll be able to test your basics," Mr Rend critiqued to which Monnae shook her head in understanding. "I was worried on how she'll be able to cope without Rigerour but it seems that wouldn't be a problem," Lark commented as he stared at Monnae on the stage while to his side Kael responded with a short answer, as he paid his attention to Monnae's showcase.
Monnae picked up the bow from the rack as she passed them and then after taking a quiver filled with arrows, she retook her position on the centre of the stage. With a swift and practised motion, she nocked the arrow she removed from the quiver on the string of the bow.
After a deep breath, she let the arrow fly through after taking her stance and in the next second, the sound of the arrow going through the bot echoed in the arena. With no hesitation, she nocked her second arrow and let it follow through in the direction of the first arrow and as it landed exactly on the area where the first one landed on.
She continued this until the ten arrows originally present in her quiver were able to hit the target face on the robot and also perfectly guide her arrows into what would be the weak parts of Xion such as the head, joints, heart and hit it perfectly. After she was done, the bot then read her grade like it went. "Score - Accuracy - 100, Force - 98" the bot read aloud as Monnae turned back to the class and faced the instructor. "You have a huge potential with the bow, Monnae, but you haven't shown what you can do with a sword," Mr Rend reminded, staring at Monnae through his hardened gaze.
"Sure, mister," Monnae responded as she fixed the bow and quiver back in their positions and then took a double edged flat sword. With some small swings of the sword to gain a feel of the sword, she positioned herself next to the bot and as she continued to swing the sword, it made slashes on the body of the bot. "Score - 98" the robot read as her grade for her skills with the sword.
After that, she stopped and inserted the sword on the ground as she turned to face the instructor awaiting his analysis "Your skills on the sword, despite not being as good as with your arrows, it is not bad either and definitely something that can be trained and improved. I have ascertained that you have the talent on both the sword and the bow fighting direction you have chosen," Mr Rend added to Monnae who nodded her head and stepped down from the stage.
"What do you think guys? I bet you didn't expect that!" Monnae bragged as she pridefully settled between Kael and Lark who starred at her and despite the urge for them to put down her ego that was on the rise again, both of the self acclaimed "smart" and "clever" boy knew when to hide and to show their fangs and they also knew how it was a bad idea to raise your claws against your hunter and right now, Monnae was the hunter who had the power and it was something that she was willing to abuse and bask in the glory of. Kael knew this, Lark knew this and for sure did Monnae know of this fact and how to use it perfectly to her advantage.
After some other rounds of students displaying their basic skills from Sirette with her beautiful display of her noble swordsmanship, to Nieve's unusual yet practical weapon choice of a clawed glove, to Kael displaying his knowledge of his katana and his fists just has he had been taught by his Master, likewise did Lark as he showed his skills with a straight spear.
After gaining a comprehensive and fulfilled examination of the student's strengths and weaknesses and where they possibly need some help, the instructor, Mr Rend stepped on the stage as he addressed the students. "For now, I have been able to rate and judge each student's basic skills. By next session, we'll be having a discussion on how the skills you have learnt from your families, your masters and how they can be effectively used to take down the Xions and other alternative methods to be able to deploy with the basic skills you have from the weapons you have mastered,"
"Yes, instructor," the students echoed and after which Mr Rend ordered them to return back to their classrooms. Obeying the order given, the students lined up and then began heading back to their classroom, taking note to reduce the amount of noise they made.