“Stop dallying and get over here! You’re already late for your training!” The figure says in a tinny, masculine voice.

“Who are you?” I ask.

“Who am I? What do you think you’re here for? This is the training field, if you’re not here to become the best warrior you can be, then turn around and take up alchemy with the furballs and shortscales.” The voice replies, “Now come out here and tell me your status. I’ll get you set up with a training schedule that will get you on the front lines in no time.”

I head closer in the room, Eshya beside me ready to step in, as Vii is readying to throw out blades of wind if needed. Even without weapons we can use mana shield to enhance our punches and kicks so we’re not entirely defenceless. I shine a light on the figure from closer up and finally get a good look at him.

He’s completely different from all the races that I’ve seen since leaving earth. No scales, fur, skin, or bark. Instead, it’s covered in metal.

It’s a machine made to look and sound almost human, or more probably, elvish.

Made of some composite metal the colour of bronze, it looks aged and beaten to within an inch of its artificial life. It limps on a leg that’s twisted and broken, as it looks at us with only a single eye that still shines with power.

The panels that cover half of its chest imply the existence of others now missing. Enough of it remains to hint at the beautiful craftwork put into every piece of it, but wear and damage has clearly taken a toll.

Even so, it stands before us with the confidence that only an unfeeling machine can manage.

It opens its jaws, hanging limp on a wire frame, and its voice projects across the room.

“What’s your status?” the machine asks.

“Ah… 310 mana density?” I reply hesitantly.

“Children’s class.” The machine says, “Attack me with all your abilities, one followed by another. Inform me when you are out of attack types.”

“What is this thing?” Nel asks, “Is it even alive?”

The machine doesn’t respond, clearly waiting for me to attack it.

“I don’t think so.” I reply, stepping up and throwing a small fireball against the machine. Not wanting to waste mana, I summon only a pathetically small flame that sputters out on the tarnished metal of the machine’s chest.

It stands there, unmoving.

“Uh, that’s it.” I say, not keen on the idea of trying to punch it. It looks damn hard.

“Your aptitude is… low, child class. First suggested class, beginners brawling technique.” The machine says, “Follow this technique to launch a successful punch.”

It soon starts punching the air in the same way that a martial artist might when practicing their kata. Even with its damaged leg, the movement is perfect to my untrained eyes.

“So, we can learn how to fight off of this thing. Learn like those ancient elven warriors of the past?” Eshya asks excitedly, “Do you think there are any others?”

She starts poking around at the edges of the room throwing around the broken shells of machines long dead, while the living one insists that I start punching the air alongside it.

“Looks like he’s the only functioning one here.” Vii concludes after a short search, writing in her little red notebook.

“You need to move the mana along your arm as you punch, like so.” The robot says as it thrusts a knife hand forwards, “The movement of the mana will enhance the speed and strength of your attack, while the mana vortex in your hand will be concentrated enough to protect you from severe damage.

“Use a closed fist until you are confident that you can concentrate enough mana into your fingers to strengthen them.”

As I watch the clanking machine moving about in rhythmic kata, as if a martial arts teacher, I slowly close my fist. I need to be stronger, but for some reason I never imagined this to be the method to find that strength.

I shrug, sigh, and try to follow along with what he’s doing. I’m not keen on becoming a brawler but the technique involves learning how to control the flow of mana within my body, and I figure that that’s always useful. It could easily be adapted to other forms of attack. As it is, I’m already thinking of how I can use this to enhance my fireballs.

Nel follows beside me, closely watching the machines movements, and following along as she undoubtedly moves the mana in her body more fluently than I am.

“Another student comes.” The machine says, “Technique practice is good, but always find sparring partners and practice practical fighting. If all you ever know is how to punch air, you will become a warrior that only knows how to kill air.”

“Is that meant to sound wise?” I ask, trying to reign in the loose mana that’s slipping from me as I try to figure out this new form of mana flow.

“I think so.” Nel replies, trying to control her breathing.

Eshya has come over to join us but Vii just hangs back, watching us as she flaps her wings in frustration.

“You, at the back. While your physical form may be different, your attacks can follow the same path. Strike with your wings, pushing the mana to your wing tips. Feathers may form a vicious blade with a properly concentrated mana vortex running through them.”

The machine doesn’t stop with his endless punching kata until we’re all exercising, whereupon he strides around us like a teacher trying to pick out which students are doing what wrong. He picks on my mana flow, though I don’t know how he can see it. He picks on Nel’s slow punches, which she quickly tries to rectify.

Eshya he makes only small corrections, adjusting her stance, and Vii he gives more specific advice about the use of her wings and feathers. I have to say, I didn’t expect to be getting impromptu boxing advice from a robot when I came down here, but I won’t throw away a golden egg just because it came out of a cow rather than a goose.

We continue his schedule for only a little while longer before the machine stands before us and orders us to stop.

“Next, before the sparring begins, steady your mana flow into quarter cycles.”

“Quarter cycles?” I ask, turning to the others but they don’t quite understand either.

“You should have learned this by now.” The robot grumps, “A cycle is a measurement of the speed of the mana flowing through you. Find a parent or someone else who can show you the speed of a standard cycle, memorize it, and master it. Most children should know this by now.

“Once done with your cooldowns, stand and find a training partner.”

I look about the room again. It’s empty but for us and the metal scrap littered about. The walls and roof look steady, the floor feels solid, if there are more rooms beneath then I can’t tell it.

“This seems like a good enough opportunity. I think it should be okay to spar down here.” I say, asking the others for their thoughts.

“If this machine hasn’t yet been found, then we should be safe down here.” Nel concludes.

“And if this is meant as a trap, we’re already caught.” Eshya shrugs.

“I’d like to learn more from the mechanical man. He probably has a lot of knowledge about the old empire crammed into his head.” Vii bounces excitedly, “But yes, let’s beat each other up first and all that.”

Eshya is the strongest of us when she has her sword, but she also seems to have picked up on these new movements and techniques rather easily.

After her would be Vii, who because of her flight and magic is far ahead of Nel and I. Speaking of, between Nel and I there isn’t that much of a difference and as far as I can tell neither of us has any real talent for fighting.

“I’ll fight Vii,” Eshya says, “You two should spar each other.”

“Yeah, that would probably be best.” I admit walking to the side with Nel as Vii and Eshya stand opposite each other.

“I already know all your weak spots now.” Vii says with a laugh, blushing at her own words. She hovers just off of the ground slowly flapping her wings.

“Just try it,” Eshya replies with a keen smile, leaping at Vii with a speed beyond what the rest of us can manage. She must be supporting her movements with her mana somehow, something that I really need to figure out.

“Kyra, what are your plans while we’re at the Academy?” Nel asks me as she shifts around, only stopping when she’s found a stance that’s comfortable.

“You want to talk about it as we fight?” I ask, seizing control of the flow of mana through me. I couldn’t quite get the timing and flow right, but that just means I have to try harder.

“I hate fighting.” She says, “I need distractions.”

I leap at her and punch at her side while forcing mana into my fist. The flow is a half a second off of pace from the hit, and I can feel the resistance of a mana shield as I hit.

“Even sparring like this?” I ask, stepping back away from her slow counter.

“Yes.” She replies, “I hate this.” She steps closer to me, punching straight just as we were taught. This time I’m too slow to dodge, but I do manage to summon a mana shield right before she hits. I feel a twinge of pain as her punch lands, clearly better than my own attacks.

“You don’t want to stop?” I ask, punching twice in a row, the mana almost rightly timed. This time I can feel as they land properly, it’s like a perfect note played on an instrument. My muscles, flesh, and mana all feel, right.

Nel flinches back a moment, recovering quickly and coming after me again.

“You could just go back to your old life.” I say, “I mean you haven’t even reached out to your old friends and family, have you?”

“I have.” She says, “This new model of support device makes that much easy enough while on a core world like this one.”

New model of support device? Here I’d though innovation dead, I might have to look into this.

“So, you don’t want to go back to that life?” I ask.

“Can you?” She punches twice before lashing out with a kick, but she loses her balance and falls on her butt.

She gets back up before I can even help her, “After what we’ve been through, I’ll never feel right living as I used to.”

I think of a life where I lower my head and follow orders, obeying the welfare officers until I’m an old granny. It could be a decent enough life. This is a school of magic after all, it’s the dream. It could be wonderful here so long as I give up my independence and freedom.

“The Unified States are dying. That’s what Vii thinks, and I don’t think she’s wrong.” I say, “I don’t want to save it, but I don’t want to die with it. I don’t want to be powerless anymore, subject to another’s whims.”

“I don’t care about power, or powerlessness.” Nel counters and hits me hard enough in the chest that it hurts. I back up a few steps to recover. “I want to be able to trust the people with power over me, like how I trust you.”

“Well, I am going to create my own empire.” I reply, my punches landing just right, and I can feel a Skill forming in Chip.

~Skill developed.

~Unique Skill: mana surge strike

“If that’s your goal. I’ll support you.” She says seriously, “It would be better than keeping my head low in this dying world.”

“Are you serious?”

“That’s what I’m asking you.” She says, “Are you going to try? I’m already falling in love with you, Kyra. I want to know if I can place my trust in you as a leader as well. I want to know that you’re not just playing around or lashing out because you’re frustrated. Are you going to try and become a real leader?”

I pause, and she takes advantage of the moment, hitting hard against my shoulder and chest. She continues to hit harder and harder as I try to keep up with my ‘mana shields’.

“I want that world.” She says, stepping back and meeting my eyes.

“I’ll do it.” It’s easy to say, and even in my heart I can feel myself growing a little calmer. I’ve already been thinking of how to seize that power for myself. Leading an empire still seems so far away, but if it’s small steps…

“Good.” She smiles, and nods. “I’ll look for people. I’ll plan out your school lives, and train to fight, even though I hate it. So, show me the world that you want to create.”

Our fight goes on for a little longer, punches traded back and forth as we build up experience with the Skill, using it on different angles, and with different power. The flow in my limbs match my movements a little better now, it’s still only an entry level ability but it’s a small step forward.

In fact, isn’t this just a straight punch supported by mana flow? Of course, I’ll learn it in an hour. I’m sure I’d learn as much in a martial arts school on Earth. It’s everything that comes next that’ll be difficult.

“Well done, you all seem to have grown competent in this most basic of movements.” The machine says, and I swear it’s being sarcastic. Did the makers build that into it?

“I’d suggest that you all absorb more mana, develop your mana form, and learn the speed of a cycle. If you wish for further training, please make a request.”

The machine becomes silent as we look between each other wondering what to do.

“What nature of training are you capable of?” Eshya asks it.

“Any ordinary form of combat up to intermediate technique. For any higher-level techniques, you will have to find a master to train you.”

“Well, that’s useful,” she says.

“We’ll have to figure out which weapons we wish to specialise in,” Nel suggests. “It seems this device is capable of teaching us, so we’d best make good use of it.”

“This was quite the lucky discovery, but I can’t help but find it concerning as well.” I say, adjusting my glasses and looking around the room.

“Concerning? It’s pretty amazing. I wonder how many of these things are even still working?” Vii asks, swiping her wings through the air and practicing her own new Skill.

“That’s the thing. We’ve not had the best luck so far, I can’t help but feel this is a trap somehow.” I kick at a few scattered parts, as I think.

“Even so, we can’t turn this opportunity down. I have little hope for the combat course, and I don’t even have the opportunity to join classes myself.” Nel says.

“Oh, right. I keep forgetting that you’re not a student. It’s good that you can still stay with us.”

“I may need to take up some work so that the welfare officers don’t take umbrage to my presence here. I’ll see if I can’t be employed to work in our dorm. My talents suit the work well enough, and it would give less reason to question my presence with all of you.”

“You’ve already thought about all of that, huh?”

“Of course.” She replies with a smile, “One of us needs to be thinking ahead.”

“Beast!” Vii shouts, stealing our attention as she sends blasts of wind at a dog sized shadow in the corner.

“Behind me!” Eshya shouts, readying for a fight.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Stats & Skills

~Mana Form:

Current mana density: 309 units

~Mana distribution:

Skin: 21%

Muscle: 7%

Mind: 3%

Cardiovascular: 7%

Misc.: 1%

Efficiency: 39%

~Skills:

-Mana skin

-Mana shield.

-Mana surge strike

-Flame burst

-Fireball

-Infused Delayed Casting