"The way I'm creating my Ego weapon is safe because, besides not having reached the sixth circle, which is necessary to use the soul, my bow hasn't even become physical yet. That's another reason, so we'll have to keep using it many times so that our magic creates a physical weapon."
Sílvia was impressed but raised an eyebrow, her eyes shining with slight skepticism.
"Using something repeatedly that doesn't even have form yet... That doesn't sound safe at all, Enrico. You might end up straining your connection with magic too much, especially since you're still in Circle One. What if it breaks before you even reach the sixth circle?"
Kai, sitting in the chair, held his sword firmly.
"It's not that absurd, Sílvia. Many knights who had no command over the soul started exactly like that... forcing their magic to manifest in the weapon through repetition. Even if they break—let's say it's like sculpting a statue: the more strikes you make, the clearer the final shape becomes."
"And more chances to break the marble in the process."
Sílvia sighed. Elian leaned against the wall, showing great interest.
"So your plan is to force your magic to get used to the idea of a bow until it... simply forms?"
"Not exactly simply. I want my magic to understand its purpose. I don't want just any bow... I want one that responds to me, that understands my limits. I want a bow that grows with me."
Valença smiled slightly from a distance and gripped her staff, Serenya had doubts but couldn't let the subordinate get ahead, Elian was tempted to try but decided to go with the first route using his daggers.
"That's... kind of insane. But genius, if it works."
Serenya crossed her arms and looked at him seriously.
"Just don't overdo it, subordinate. I'm afraid you'll get too hurt."
Enrico laughed, which made Serenya pout.
"Don't worry, I'll be careful."
"I hope so."
When Liam checked the time, it was already night.
"It's already night? Time flew by."
Everyone got up and started walking to the dormitories. Enrico carefully placed the vases in a safe spot and followed them.
"And one last thing, you can also choose another object besides a weapon, like a staff. Valença, I mean in a way that staff is a weapon—you can channel magic better with it."
Enrico looked at Valença, who gripped the staff that villagers had worked so hard to afford a well-known artisan on the continent. She thanked Enrico and he nodded but kept looking forward, noticing something.
"This relationship is kind of strange, don't you think?"
Valença looked at him and nodded quickly, then smiled and started running, looking back at Enrico.
"I haven't completely forgiven you yet, but we can say everything is much better now."
Enrico was surprised by the sincere smile and watched her walk away. He scratched his neck but then felt a hand on his shoulder, and when he turned around, it was Serenya with shadowy eyes.
"Why did she walk away smiling like that, subordinate?"
He had a feeling that if he answered the wrong way, he would be killed.
---
The next day Damian walked through the hallway after explaining to Director Hao about Enrico. Damian wanted to speak with the boy, but since he used a disguise that day, he wouldn't be recognized, so he was planning how to approach the boy.
The dry sound of a punch echoed through the stone wall and the window below Damian, and he looked toward what seemed like a commotion.
"USELESS!"
Lan shouted, his eyes filled with fury as blood dripped from a cut on his lip made by Enrico's punch.
"You lose to those worms and still have the audacity to appear in front of me?"
Diana fell to her knees, holding her face in her hands, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth.
"M-Mister L-Lan… we tried..." she stammered, her voice choked with pain.
Another sound of impact, and this time it was Jorge who received a kick in the stomach, being thrown against the wall like a rag doll. He spat blood and fell to the side, groaning.
"Tried?! You two were humiliated! Diana, you were crushed by a girl from a family lower than yours, and you, Jorge... lost to a bastard who doesn't even seem to have his own magic yet and looks like a peasant!"
Lan was huffing, fists clenched. His eyes were red with rage and wounded pride. Diana, even while fallen, ended up saying too much.
"But even you lost to that E-Enrico… he was stronger than you so that mea—"
"SHUT UP!"
Lan kicked Diana in the stomach, sending her crashing into the wall as she spat blood.
"The problem was never them being strong. The problem is you being too weak."
There was a tense silence. The two on the floor trembled—not from pain, but from fear.
Lan turned, his eyes fixed on the cracked reflection in the window ahead. His face, even bruised, still emanated hatred and thirst for revenge.
"If even his 'friends' have the courage to stand up to us... then maybe the solution is simple."
He slowly turned, his gaze cold as steel.
"I want you to break every bone in those worms—Caelan, Elian, Valença. Doesn't matter if it's during training, in class, in the dorms. Make it look like an accident if you want. Just destroy them. One by one."
Diana and Jorge exchanged shocked looks.
"B-But... that'll draw attention... from the council."
Lan approached Diana, grabbing her chin roughly and forcing her to look into his eyes.
"If you're afraid of them, then you're already dead. Do you think any of us will rise in rank if we keep getting defeated?"
He let go of Diana with disdain, then turned again toward the window—and this time... he smiled.
"And as for Enrico... I'm still going to break him with my own hands.I'll tear that idiotic pride of his apart in front of everyone."
He couldn't bear that someone he always considered beneath him had done this. He would rip every piece of Enrico apart. He couldn't let his father find out—no, he probably already knew, and so did Enrico's father.
"I'll kill hi—"
Before he could finish, his head was slammed against the window, shattering it, then smashed again against the wall beside it. Diana and Jorge looked to see who was holding Lan's head—and it was Enrico, punching his face again with a fire-infused punch that shattered the ground.
"You know Lan, I know you very well, so I knew you wouldn't stop."
Enrico looked at everyone coldly, and Diana and Jorge stared in fear while Lan tried to get up.
"From now on, I'm going to teach you how to behave."
Damian watched everything from above, amused by the situation.