Kyrion stood in front of a heap of smoking bodies. Each one belonged to a member of his team. The only exceptions to this were Eden, Bastion, and Cecil. The latter was teaching the other two in a separate room, reviewing their positions in the tournament ahead.

“You’re all much stronger than before, but you’re still cocky if you think this is the limit of your powers.” Kyrion stated as he began healing his training partners.

“How did you manage to get so strong so quickly?” Ander scowled.

“Oh that. I didn’t. I have a ton of mana. My control is crap after getting past a certain distance. One foot away from my body and don’t expect control. Unless I’m doing something big or to affect a large area at once. Against a ranged combatant capable of staying out of my reach I’m useless. The problem is getting and staying out of my reach. Past that while your teamwork has improved you are all at a disadvantage. I’ve been watching you all train and fight against each other for years. I’ve healed most of your wounds and learned where you tend to get hit the most. Suffice to say I know all your tells.” Kyrion smirked.

“Ah… That’s it. Someone capable of beating me without competing in the ranked matches had always bugged me.” Ander got to his feet and debated trying a ranged firefight.

“Yeah. Now. Come. This next part is going to hurt. Alot. In case of serious injury and as not to scare the kiddos we will be moving to another room after lunch.”

“I can take pain.” Minah stated.

“Heh… I’m sure you can. But you should know that you haven’t felt anything like this.” Kyrion led his training group to a lunch only he would be able to keep down.

“Bastion and Eden publicly you will work as our support. Healing and providing assistance when necessary. You are by no means to engage in any combat so long as you can help it. If worse comes to worse and you’re on a stage. Surrender immediately. In most cases you will be left alone.”

“And in the cases where they won’t let us surrender.”

“If they force you into a confrontation, you must squeeze this. No one under expert should be able to keep standing.” Cecil handed the two children what resembled a modern pistol from his home world. A gun enthusiast would immediately notice something was wrong. There was no trigger, nor was there a magazine. In fact, it only seemed to have the shape of a gun.

In the hands of the children, they were quite big. They were also white and undecorated.

“What kind of weapon is this?”

“It’s like a crossbow. Only instead of bolts, it shoots projectiles of mana and fires on intent. Fear of death is intent. The bigger the blast, the bigger the recoil; if you are forced to use it, chances are your opponent will be seriously hurt due to the amplification, even if you are only a fledgling.” Cecil didn’t tell them that the only way for them to use it outside of training involved either him forcibly being killed, knocked unconscious, released the safety himself, or if he wasn’t within proximity and the spirit inside deemed that something needed to die.

“So with this we can fight?” Eden asked.

“No. With this you can defend yourself if push comes to shove.”

“I see.” Bastion held the weapon in his left hand as he didn’t want to accidentally break it.

“Your power shouldn’t break the weapon Bastion.”

“How can you be sure?” Bastion glared at Cecil.

“I can’t, but your power traditionally only works on people right?”

“I break magical toys too.”

“Switch hands then and let’s see.”

Bastion placed the white gun in his right hand. The glove immediately covered his hand. Moments later, the black material covered the gun altering its shape and color. Growing a trigger and beginning to resemble a revolver as the shifting continued. Three bullets were in the chamber, each a different color. One green, another white, and the third gold.

“Where the hell did Kyrion find you?” Cecil examined the item with a screen that appeared over one of his lenses.

“Told you I’d break it. What does it do and why is this, aim assist thing, off?” Bastion asked as a visor appeared over both of his eyes.

Eden decidedly not wanting to be left out. Put some of her mana into the gun, trying to imitate what she saw Bastion do.

Eden’s gun turned hot pink and now resembled a rifle if rifles shot heart-shaped bullets and could be easily held in the hands of a child. After that, it looked more like a toy than a weapon.

“I love it!” Eden hugged the weapon.

“You too. Maybe it has something to do with how spirit mastery works…”

Bastion curiously pulled the trigger, and a bullet shot out and scattered into five other shots before multiplying repeatedly. Where the shots landed, plants seemed to grow rapidly, doing no damage to anything they hit but creating a field that was hard to maneuver in.

Cecil confiscated the gun moments later and opened the chamber, watching as the bullets lost their luster when he held them.

“I see, you take powers from those you touch and store them. Correct?”

“Yeah.”

“The first bullet shot seeds. That one’s from Kyrion if I’d hazard a guess. How many people have you touched?”

“Kyrion, the headmaster, Max and Minah.”

“What does the headmaster’s power let you do?”

“Nothing as far as I know.”

“Right… Eden? Can I see it?”

“No!” Eden took a few steps away.

“We need to see what it can do.”

“No!” Eden put her foot down.

Cecil sighed. “Fine. Keep it. But you’re still going to have to test its limits. You’ll have to do a lot of writing yourself.”

“Fine. I can write and stuff.”

“Good. Now give me a few minutes. Don’t play with the weapons.”

Cecil set out a few targets and placed them on wooden pedestals while a humanoid dummy that was completely see-through stood on its feet. A set of paper targets were in rotation as the children attempted to take notes on their new toys.

Eden got the most done, and that was a doodle of her new weapon. Even going so far as to color it in.

Bastion traced his revolver by setting it on the paper and using his pencil to fill out the outline. It was hard when Cecil saw it and confiscated the gun when the kid got near the trigger for no reason in Bastion’s mind.

Moments later, a white-haired woman with blood-red eyes entered the room, trailed by the headmaster.

“Getting her here was tricky without anyone seeing her. Are you sure this is necessary?” The headmaster asked.

“Feel free to take her back to the academy after if you must. I just need a bit of help and my focus can’t be too split.”

“I see. So you’re preparing to fight?”

“No way am I letting those kids fight before I risk my life. I’d hate to see what demon Kyrion becomes if one of them gets hurt. He’s aggressively protective.”

“He seems different.”

“Possession. The creature inside of him has been dampening his emotions and weakening their responses. Which, given his aggression towards those he doesn’t like may be a good thing. In a tournament where he needs to be aggressive those emotions may be necessary. I also suspect that’s the main reason he avoided fights. Chemical reactions in his brain forced him into finding them distasteful and a waste of time. After an existential breakdown, he just decided to be straight with people.”

“Ah. His family is known for having destructive vindictive streaks. If he makes you uncomfortable let me know.”

“No. This is better, I couldn’t get a read on him before. Now I think I finally understand who I’m friends with. He sees all of his friends like family and would do anything to protect them. Those who can’t or won’t defend themselves are shielded. So long as I know he is willing to do everything to keep them safe I am willing to help. His personality wasn’t faked, but he is lost at the moment.” Cecil sighed.

Bastion noticed Viole and grabbed Eden, and the duo backed away slowly. Having not had the opportunity to meet her during her carefully monitored internship, they assumed that this was Nicole.

“I don’t hurt kids.” Viole seemed hurt.

Eden blew a raspberry.

Bastion tried to mimic but failed, so he scowled. Who he scowled at was anyone’s guess, but he was scowling.

“She won’t hurt you. Now why are they here?” The headmaster asked.

“Right. Bastion, point this at the dummy and hit the button.” Cecil gave Bastion back his gun. Much to Viole’s protest.

“Don’t.”

Bastion happily took it back and pointed it. “What’s my cat phrase?”

“Catchphrase?”

“Yes that?”

“Whatever you want.”

Bastion scratched his chin before giving up. “Get Bastioned!”

The silver bullet he shot fell to the ground unceremoniously as the headmaster summoned a barrier to protect everyone from what they couldn’t see.

One of the targets in front of Bastion exploded outwards for seemingly no apparent reason. The innards of the poor stuffed dragon flew everywhere, including toward the barrier, before disintegrating.

“Huh. That looked like Minah’s power for a moment.”

“Next target.”

Bastion pointed it at the gel dummy and pulled, watching as the golden bullet shrunk as it flew before vanishing from human perception.

“Hmmm…Next target.”

“But I’m out of the things.”

“The word is bullets. Just try.”

Bastion pulled the trigger, and a bolt of black energy shot forward, hitting a target and doing nothing.

The headmaster walked in front of Bastion and stood there. “Shoot me.”

“Headmaster thats…”

“Ok.” Bastion shot the headmaster, the bullet hitting him dead center on the forehead despite being aimed low.”

“Ah. He just tried to steal some of my mana. Possibly to create more bullets. Quite curious.”

“I see. Eden you’re up.”

Having seen what Bastion did, Eden decided to test her weapon out. The targets remaining were the gel dummy, a stuffed teddy bear, and paper targets.

She shot the gel dummy with little to no hesitation. A pink heart-shaped projectile hits the object head-on. Moments later, it unhooked, did a little dance, and bowed to Eden as though she were its master.

“Animation. Interesting.” The headmaster observed.

“That does seem to be where her aptitude lies… Maybe I should get a spirit.” Cecil muttered.

“Possibly. But now isn’t the time to start mixing paths.”

“Eden, could I please see that item you’re holding?”

“No.” Eden said plainly.

Instead of taking that to heart, the headmaster snatched the item, much to Eden’s consternation.

The animated gel dummy seemed aggressive and jumped toward him in a swirl of motion.

“I see.” The headmaster held out a hand, and the thing crashed into the wall of an invisible box before getting pressed on the ground as though sealed. Golden chains tried to reach out but also found themselves trapped in the box.

“Looks like they instinctively move to protect their owner.”

“Viole. I need your assistance making a suit for my apprentice or a mech she can control with her power.”

“You want a child to pilot?”

“I want her to know how to. This is the future of magical weaponry at this point.”

“Eden, can I see your hand?” Bastion asked.

“No.” Eden took a step back.

“Fine, fine. Guess I’ll go poke some strangers.” Bastion began to walk off when a hand landed on his shoulders.

“My dear student with similar powers. I know a few who would gladly be targets of your ability. You can erase Minah from your list of powers by the way. You’re going to be support, you can make some money selling these temporary buffs.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t trust you with that weapon unattended. Not yet anyway.”

Bastion sighed as his days of training truly began.

“Why does everything hurt?” Minah said as she lay in a heap.

“If you can talk then you’re fine.” Kyrion sat on a throne of fire and wind, practicing his control.

“You’re heartless.” Max accused.

“I want you all to be safe.” Kyrion added.

“When I get up. I’m going to stab you so bad.” Tiffany said, her condition a bit more haggard than the previous.

Brion was standing and doing stretches, his condition nearly perfect. “I don’t see the issue. I do, however, need to adjust.” Bastion flexed and noticed as his arms seemed less bulky but were even stronger than prior. Much to everyone’s consternation, save the person who did the enhancement, Brion’s physical strength and natural endurance once again surpassed Kyrion.

Bella was currently doing a set of pushups in her form. Quickly burning off the muscle strain while her regeneration in this state worked in overdrive. She had been going at it for ten minutes.

Hel had begun foaming at her mouth before passing out. Her lack of physical enhancement and training was painfully obvious.

Then there was Ander. Ander stood there in front of Kyrion, having lost two inches of height, a scowl on his face as he was only mildly inconvenienced as the only one to come out of this all but completely whole. However, the bloodlust in the young man’s eyes said otherwise.

“Kyrion… Do you wanna fight?” Ander had summoned his spear and was, in fact, pointing it at his team captain.

“I get that you’re a little peeved.” Kyrion stopped talking as he realized that he done messed up.

“Little?” The spear opened up and began to crackle.

“Pleas Ander don’t be so short… No that.” Kyrion was terrible at choosing words today.

“Oh beast that dances in the clouds! He who roars from the heavens. One whose voice is loud. Come, O’ great spirit and lend me your aid. For my target is in need of being flayed.” Black lines covered Adner as he moved at the speed of lighting towards Kyrion.

Kyrion brought a wall of earth up to protect himself in an arc.

Ander seemed to dance around such a defense and had aimed to pierce from behind, only to stab at nothing. The bolt it shot eviscerating the wall.

Ander looked around the white room, his eyes slit and only seeing red. “Come out, come out wherever you are.”

There was no response. No one in the room moved as it was clear that short green-haired people clearly only saw movement when enraged.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” Ander lied, his tone a bit off.

Kyrion’s head popped out of the earth on the opposite side of the room, far away from the door.

“Really?” It asked, prompting Ander’s catlike gaze.

“No…” His body turned back into a streak and dashed towards the speaking thing.

“Oh good.” The head said.

“I’m gonna kill you.” Ander closing the remaining distance

“Oh no!”

Ander brought the spear down on the head, breaking it open. Red brains shot everywhere, spreading from his face and into his mouth. Ander didn’t know that brains taste like watermelon and stood there in a daze before the horror could dawn. Then he remembered that he hadn’t used that much force, and he was pretty sure that his captain had taken more brutal hits to the head before. But, sadly for him, this was all too late as a door shut behind him.

“I’ll cut off your legs and use them as stilts!” Ander ran towards the exit and soon out of the room as he chased someone capable of being who knows where with a head start.

The door quickly shut as Kyrion rose out of the ground to lock the door.

“Well then. I’ll be sure to buy him a potion of height gain as a gift. Or some elevator shoes. Hopefully he forgets this sm… minis… incident.”

“Someone tried to get in before knocking on the door.” Kyrion sunk back into the ground.

Brion opened the door. “Oh right. Who are you?”

“I’m Lin, the event coordinator for Drisil. May I ask why Ander is out for Rion’s blood?”

“He paid a grave price for power and is mad that it was taken in inches.”

“So he was shorter. I wondered why he was hovering a few inches off the ground.”

“Yeah. Well what’s up?”

“Ah right. Get some rest. The tournament begins in a few days and the soloists need to be determined ahead of time.”

“I see.” Kyrion rose out of the ground. Tactfully not from under Lin, as he wasn’t that stupid.

“Ander, Tiffany, Minah, Cecil. Those are the four participating.”

“Are you sure they can handle it?”

“If Cecil says no I guess I could ask either Brion or Bella. If Max could use Brion without cheating I’d go for that.”

“Right.”

“Also Mr. Siegfried wants to continue training you personally. He thinks that you need some direction. Due to certain actions unbecoming of you. In his opinion.”

Kyrion rolled his eyes. “I’ve only run into T.P. twice. And only once since we’ve been here.”

“No. You haven’t been right since you enhanced your brain.”

“Oh. That… I’m sorry my Princess, I’ll endeavor to get it right next time.” Kyrion smiled in a way that couldn’t fool a toddler.

“Yeah. You’ll need to work on that.” Lin said in a deadpan.

“I’ll talk to him. Later…” Kyrion lied. He was planning on flying about in the open air.

“You have plenty of time given these rooms.”

“Why Drisil? If what I read was true. Coordinators choose an academy to sponsor and act as their liaison. What do you get?”

“Right… I get nothing outright. If you want to share any rewards you can. In fact it’s one of those things that’s done out of obligation. If you win it is expected of you to share whatever reward you earn with me. Why would you do that? Some of us are here to help train their clients. Others do the paperwork that some can’t be bothered to take care of. I am not needed for paperwork and you personally have not needed to learn from me at the moment unless you ask for a sparring partner.”

“So you don’t do much. In our case.”

“Does your princess need to do anything special?” Lin crossed her arms.

“...Well I promised that Ander would be our mascot due to him fitting the height requirements. You’re one inch too tall for that, sadly.”

Kyrion began to smell ozone and heard maddened laughter coming down the hall.

“Where is this Sigfried?” Kyrion asked quickly.

“Last I saw him he was standing near the entrance. Why?”

“You’re a doll. Bye!” Kyrion vanished from sight.

Ander ran down the hall moments later. “Where is he? I just got his scent, and that masked guy said he didn’t see Kyrion leave.”

Lin eyed the young man who had been the same height earlier. “What’s with you?”

“Where?” Ander drew his spear and began sniffing the air.

Lin sighed upon realizing that this young man was well past his naptime. She held on tight, placing a hand on his shoulder before punching him in the stomach and using her ice mana to knock him out. “Get some rest. You aren’t right either.”

Ander soon found his consciousness fade as his body reverted to its previous state.

“Oi! Siggy!” Kyrion stood on the wall of a building, looking down. His expression was mischievous as he watched him jump.

“Darn it Kyr….!” Siegfried turned his masked head and looked at the young boy.

Kyrion looked left and right, unsure who the masked figure was referring to, before hopping down.

“What do you want? Your friend was looking for you.”

“I know better than to pick fights with crazy people.” Kyrion said, his vermillion eyes shining.

“Now why don’t I believe that?”

Kyrion made a weird face. “Thanks. But I have a dad already.”

“Why do you keep saying that?”

“You give off what feels like dad energy. A dad aura or something. Just want to make things clear from the outset. Now let’s go see if you can cut my hand off this time.” Kyrion ran forward and jumped off a platform flying toward the location outside where they practiced swordsmanship.

“Dad energy…”

Headmaster Caeden appeared next to Sigfried. “You shouldn’t play this game with one of my students. He’s trained to pick up on such paltry discussions. Even if your mask magically makes you appear to be someone else.”

“I know. I’m only wearing it to delay the inevitable. I can’t afford to die before the incursion and revealing who I am will make me a target.” Sigfried replied with a resolute tone.

“You could try to become an expert. You’ve been at the threshold for years, yet you have refused to take that final step.”

“What worth is there in leaving this world when my children are young. Why should I leave and go to a place where I’d have to start from nothing all over again.”

“Pragmatic, why be a lizard on the moon when you can be a dragon in a well.” Caeden shot Siegfried a tired look and walked away.