We arrived at the location and I approached the small arena. The ground was covered in a layer of sand, and a few benches were situated in a circle around the border, creating an intimate atmosphere that felt more like a real arena or dueling ground than a training area.
I made my way over to a group of students who were lined up and waiting. One of them noticed my arrival and called out to me.
"Oh hey, Sei," he said.
I merged with the group and followed their formation. He continued, asked a question, "Why did you get transferred here?"
I simply replied, "Personal reasons."
The student responded with an acknowledging "Oh..."
I kept my gaze fixed straight ahead, avoiding any direct eye contact. After Kain issued some commands, the combat sparring match was finally about to commence. My opponent was a dude, not particularly tall nor short, and of a similar build to my own.
It seems that I got the first match, I walked a little bit far away from him and stood there. The man I was to engage in combat with seemed unremarkable, possessing a mundane physical appearance that blended in with the crowd.
He had a medium build, with muscles that seemed decently toned but lacked definition. His hair was a dull brown, styled in a simple and unkempt manner. He carried himself with a slouch, betraying a lack of confidence and a casual demeanor. Overall, he seemed like a typical individual one might encounter in any day-to-day setting.
"Just go whenever you like," Kain announced.
I slowly advanced toward him, considering the moment the perfect opportunity to test the broach. As I walked, I attempted to lift a grain of sand with my mind.
It...didn't work.
Closing in on my opponent, I noticed that a single grain of sand had become suspended in mid-air. I realized that it was indeed my doing. Slowly but surely, I began to command the atoms of the sand, gathering them together until they formed a crude approximation of a sword.
I remembered Quiver's Quatom, and focused on increasing the kinetic energy of the sand's atoms, driving them to heat and transform into a real sword. As I did so, I could feel the heat emanating from the weapon.
However, as I did so, I was met with a small fireball that was quickly heading in my direction. I instinctively moved the floating sword to my hand and, upon grasping it, I realized that the intense heat from the rapid acceleration of its atoms had made the weapon nearly unbearable to hold.
I tossed the sword before I attempted to temper the sword's heat, tempering the kinetic energy of its atoms to make it more manageable, and drove it back to my charred hand.
Despite its size, I could feel the heat of the fire upon my hand, where I held the bare metal-shaped sword, which was barely more than a metal shape at this point. The opponent staggered backwards, launching more flickering tongues of fire towards me. I moved quickly, dodging the incoming flames as I closed in on him.
As I reached his range, I attempted to swing my sword, but as I lifted my foot to strike, I felt a sudden stop. Glancing down, I saw a square-shaped hard block of sand that had impeded my progress. I nearly lost my balance, but I regained it quickly and shifted my weight to my other leg, striking out with the sword once again.
But in an instant, I suddenly felt it becoming more malleable in my grip. The once solid metal began to deteriorate and disintegrate, grains of sand falling from the blade and scattering on the ground below. I watched in surprise as the sword transformed back into the mere grains of sand from which it was formed.
"That's it."
Kain's voice rang out, announcing the end of the sparring match. The opponent across from me let out a small noise, perhaps of relief, as the danger of the sword was now neutralized.
"Although the feat of transforming sand into a deadly sword was indeed impressive," Kain began, "Using a real sword in an academy setting is simply too dangerous," Kain warned sternly.
"How...?" I muttered, my voice trailing off in confusion.
"A-As expected from the principal," the opponent in front of me spoke up, getting to his feet.
"Well, the winner is Sei," Kain declared. "Congratulations, you've won."
This whole thing was a complete waste of time, boring as hell... Kain, you sneaky asshole... you played me for a fool. He had control over my Synapse the whole damn time, no... it was always yours to begin with.
This must have been his true intention all along… to give me this broach. I can no longer put my trust in this fucking tool. I must find a way to assert complete mastery over his Synapse and rid myself of his absolute control.
As I went back to the line, I heard a voice seeming to be calling out to me.
"That's amazing... you made a sword!" one voice called out.
"Do you use swords?" asked another.
"Well, he's an ex-student of Heimdal," chimed in a third.
"I never thought to use Quatom in that manner," added yet another.
I offered only a nod in response, as I had no need for their praises. I kept my lips sealed, turning my focus to the next match. It was a shitty performance, with both opponents exchanging a flurry of ranged Quatom attacks without ever closing in on each other. The combat sparring finally drew to a close after what felt like an eternity.
Kain pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from his pocket, scribbling something down as I made my way back to class. I paid him little mind as I walked down the empty halls, my thoughts turning to my own training.
I glanced up at the sky and noticed that the sun was now high in the sky, its bright light casting shadows on the ground. It must have been noon already.
I knew I couldn't rely solely on the useless stupid broach. It was time to hone my swordsmanship.