Chapter 19 – Steel and Spirit
The clang of metal echoed through the training hall, sharp and relentless.
Kaze stood at the edge of the polished stone arena, StormBringer strapped across his back. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the hilt — nerves, maybe, but more likely anticipation. Across from him, a dozen trainees stood in formation. They weren't pushovers.
Atlas whistled from the bench. "Welcome to the proving grounds. Smells like sweat, pride, and crushed dreams."
Kazuki sat beside him, arms crossed. "This isn't for fun. If they fail, they don't get clearance to train under Reverb's masters."
Lyra looked from the stands, her new tanto, The ILove, resting lightly in her lap. Her eyes were focused. Not just on the battle—but on Kaze.
A swordmaster in dark robes stepped forward. "These are your challengers. Each of them passed the Kingdom of Reverb's advanced combat trials. Your goal? Survive five minutes. No magic. No killing. Pure blade."
Kaze cracked his neck. "No problem."
The bell rang.
And everything blurred.
⸻
The first attacker lunged from Kaze's left — he parried instinctively, letting StormBringer hum in his grip. Another came from the right, but Kaze ducked low and swept their legs. Two down. Ten left.
He wasn't used to fighting without magic, but the wind still sang to him — not through spellwork, but in feeling. In momentum. He used it to move faster, sharper, flowing through strikes like water through a broken dam.
But the pressure built fast. Blades flashed. Someone nearly grazed his cheek. Another nearly jabbed his ribs. Kaze grinned.
"Finally," he muttered. "A challenge."
From the stands, Lyra smiled faintly. "He's enjoying this."
Atlas leaned forward. "Bet you five coins he disarms them all."
"I'm not betting against him."
⸻
Kazuki's turn came next.
The arena cleared. Ten guards stepped in. Each with experience. Each with something to prove.
Kazuki, blindfolded as always, tilted his head as if listening to rain. He didn't draw his blade yet. He simply stood still.
One of the guards scoffed. "Come on, blind boy. Try not to trip."
They rushed in.
The first fell instantly.
Kazuki moved like a ghost — smooth, impossible to track. He ducked one strike, twisted another, then finally pulled his blade free with one hand. The sound alone made the audience flinch. The guards staggered, all at once.
Atlas watched in awe. "I'm convinced he's cheating with echolocation or something."
"No," Lyra said quietly. "He's just that good."
⸻
Lyra was up next.
Her trial was smaller — five elite scouts, daggers in hand, moving in and out of shadow.
She vanished.
One second, she was visible. The next, she blurred between the opponents like wind made flesh. Her tanto—The ILove—wasn't a weapon of brute force. It was precision. Emotion. Her hands moved with careful speed, tracing pressure points, disarming, ducking, spinning.
At one point, Kaze leaned forward. "She's… kind of amazing."
Atlas smirked. "You're just now realizing?"
⸻
By nightfall, the three stood before the throne room again. King Scar looked down from his elevated seat, one hand resting on the pommel of a massive greatsword.
"You passed," he said. "Barely."
Kaze opened his mouth to retort, but Kazuki subtly nudged his arm. Not now.
Scar continued, "You may train here. But know this—Reverb does not hand out strength. You earn it. Or you die chasing it."
They all nodded.
As they turned to leave, Scar added one last thing.
"You three… You're not just blades. I sense something brewing behind you. Bigger. Something that will burn through this world like a spark to dry grass."
No one responded.
They didn't need to.
⸻
Back at the dorms, Kaze flopped onto his bed. Atlas was already asleep, and Kazuki sat in silence, meditating.
Lyra stood in the doorway, holding a small basket of dried fruit she stole from the kitchen.
"Want some?" she asked.
Kaze rolled his eyes but smiled. "Yeah. Toss me one."
She threw a piece. He caught it with his mouth, perfectly.
From across the room, Kazuki finally spoke.
"You two are ridiculous."
Kaze chewed. "Jealous?"
"No," Kazuki said flatly. "Just wondering how long it'll take before one of you admits what's obvious."
Lyra blushed. Kaze threw a pillow at him.
End of Chapter 19