"A sword isn't a bad choice," Thomas looked at Nichole who was holding a long sword, its blade shining, under the empty hall's light.
The other students had already left after picking their weapons. By the time they had arrived the room was practically empty for them to use.
"Is it alright, professor?" she asked, turning her towards Jack.
"The sword is a very good weapon, maybe a sword is the weapon meant for you, seeing as how you went straight for it," Jack replied.
"Swing it," Thomas spoke, his voice echoing through the loud hall.
Nichole nodded at him before tightening her grip and closing her eyes. She took a step back, her breath controlled while maintaining her posture, holding the sword in front of her.
"Immaculate..." Thomas stared at her intensely, "Jonathan, look at her posture... it's perfect "
"Really?" Jack was confused, but not unimpressed, "I'm not that much of a sword freak but her posture is just good."
Nichole oblivious to discussion outside swings her blade in wide arc and transitioning to a diagonal slash, ending with a thrust. Her footwork perfectly aligned with the movements.
"Wow, isn't that pure talent?" Thomas throws a look at Jack.
"Nichole, have you learned swordsmanship before?" Jack asked.
"Um, no. I only know some magic, not anything related to martial arts."
"Talent, what else do you think this is Jonathan," Thomas said excitedly.
"She is talented, the first time I held a sword my father broke my arm," Jack spoke, his voice tinted with a strange feeling of pride.
"That's not something you should walk around talking about," Thomas replied with a flat look.
"Anyways, she is amazing. I am not a swordsman so I'm not that much of a professional."
"So... can I take this sword?" Nichole asked in a low murmur.
"Yep, but before that, can I?" Thomas gently picks up the sword from her small hands and pulls on the handle. Sparks flared while a sheath manifested over the blade.
"Technology sure has gotten better," Jack commented.
"You old man, in what world have you been living in?" Thomas joked.
Jack annoyed by the constant comments did nothing but take the shots.
"Now for the wand, lead the way, General," Jack mocked.
"I will," Thomas's voice deepened, "Raosa."
What's with these two, they've been bickering for a long time, Nichole watched.
"Hey Nichole, do you want to be my disciple? I can teach you swordsmanship better than this guy," Thomas sneered at Jack.
Jack knew his swordsmanship wasn't the best yet Thomas's tease struck a nerve, "What's wrong with my swordsmanship?"
"Unpolished, unrefined, weak, wrong power distribution, too much magic, mixed with other weapons, uses it like a spear, swings with too much force, and the sword broke after a few exchange," Thomas paused to take a look at Jack, "the list goes on and on."
They're back at it again, is this all that's going to happen all day? Nichole sighed in between the two.
"Ouch, then let me tell you, your swordsmanship is too simple, straightforward, easy to grasp, and the breathing only works when the first four forms are used in consecutive succession," Jack retorted.
"At least I didn't break my own sword," thomas replied.
"Well, at least I did not have my long family passed down technique copied by some idiot."
"You do know you're the idiot you mentioned."
"Not the point."
"Ahem, professor's," Nichole interjected, "can we..."
_________________________
SYSTEM UPDATE AVAILABLE
PROCEED
YES/NO
"What's this out of the blue?" Daniela rubbed her chin as she stared into the air, the sudden notification.
YES
Daniela's fingers fell on the slight blue box containing the words,YES. She could have chosen not to, but something told her she should.
I hope it gets better, that thing was pure trash, but is this all, this day is very boring. I was hoping to see something, mainly because of my hair black.
Daniela watched as the displayed screen in front of her changed interface, a bar appearing and the words UPDATE IN PROGRESS written in bold.
Well, for one, the academy does not feature the children of way too many popular people in one batch, maybe that's why the atmosphere is always quiet.
The bar was being filled really slowly, only halfway through. Daniela tapped her feet, while waiting patiently.
The system, what is this anyway. All I know is it is an interface between the user and whatever is on the other side, anyways I shouldn't expect too much from this.
CLINK
A note chimed pulling her out of her thoughts. It was the system seeking her attention after it had completed its intended action.
UPDATE COMPLETE
PROCEED WITH THE INTEGRATION
YES/NO
"Why? it's yes of course," she pressed in the air around where the blue box was floating around in.
PLEASE WAIT
UPDATE IN PROCESS
"Another wa—" her thoughts were cut off by another chime.
UPDATE COMPLETE
The system vanished without a trace.
"What now?"
The wind howled, making the wait seem longer than ever.
WELCOME DANIELA
Daniela noticed the difference in its appearance. It had gone from the bright blue to jade green, the borders framed by golden accents.
WELCOME TO THE MODIFIED AKASHIC SCROLL
Akashic Scroll? Is that what it's called?
ACTIVATION CODE: SYSTEM WINDOW
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHANGE ACTIVATION CODE
YES/NO
"That's a good question. Now should I?" she thought for some time before making her decision. "Nope."
A new interface appeared, featuring a different format from earlier. The home screen featured a menu rather than her information and quests unlike before.
MENU
-PROFILE
-SCAN
-MAP
-MISSION
-INVENTORY
-PROGRESS
"The new interface looks better," she scanned over the entire screen.
Let's see profile, shall we? she pressed on the floating option.
WHIR
NAME: DANIELA VON MARCELLONIUS
AGE: 17
SEX: FEMALE
CLASS: ELEMENTAL MAGE
TALENT: I HAVE IT ALL
HIDDEN TALENT: FALLEN GRACE
TITLE: NONE
Wait, a hidden talent? She tries tapping on the option, but after zero response, she decides to give up on it and move into the next option.
The top left of the window had featured an arrow pointing to the left, indicating the option to go back. She gently presses on it, the interface shimmering as it goes back.
"Next let's try... Hm, yes scan."
She proceeds to press on it. Another pop-up window opens up with instructions.
Daniela read the information presented to her, "Looking at a target can cause the user to activate the appraisal and look into a person's information, even thoughts, so I basically become a pervert?"
What else, let's try the map, Daniela opens up the map and sees a large map of the campus. Oh, this is very useful.
Then missions, before it was called quests, right?
...
"Why is it empty?" Daniela looked at it confused.
Now inventory.
A large gridded screen with six squares to the right and six squares down, all empty.
"Well I guess this will come in use, when my storage ring is full," Daniela mocked.
"And progress, this is the main stuff."
WHIR
VOLUME TWO: NEW BEGINNINGS
EPISODE: START
"Hm, that's odd, before it showed a different theme, just like the story had, what's this now?"
_________________________
MENU
-PROFILE
-SCAN
-MAP
-MISSION
-INVENTORY
-PROGRESS
"Hey, you've been staring into the air for sometime, contemplating your choices?" Donatello tapped on his shoulder.
"It's nothing," Finn shrugged him off while waving at the system to make it disappear, "and the gun, don't worry, I'll be the best gunman."
"Gunman, pfft, I never thought my first day at the academy would be this amusing."
"How's your sword, I bet it's not as good as my gun," Finn replied.
"Have you tried out your gun yet? Gunmaster?"
"It sounds weird, but I haven't, let's go to the training ground shall we?"
"Yes I want to try out my sword too."
...
BOOM
CLINK CLANK
The training grounds were filled with all sorts of notices from the first years trying out their newly selected weapons.
"Well, the mages who got their wands are a bit too excited, aren't they, Boss?"
"Should I shoot them?" Finn replied holding up his black gun in fashion.
"Uh, stop that Boss," Donatello's expression fell, "not exactly a weapon worth showing off."
"Yeah," But why did I choose the gun, last time I picked the sword in a hurry, but wasn't great with it, so I figured I'll take the sword and be better because I remember the basics of the sword from my last life, but...
"Don't be so down boss, why don't you try shooting with it," Donatello recommended.
"I was about to," Finn nodded agreeing. He walks to where he saw one of the dummies no one was using.
Finn points the gun at the dummy holding it up with both his hands, his fingers letting go of the grip and pressing against it tighter, How do I use it? I've never really used a gun.
"Hey look it's the idiot that picked the gun, look at him," a group of children laughed.
He places his thumb on the lock behind the pistol and pulls it down, the gun armed now. Wait how did I do that? I didn't know I had to do that?
The index finger slowly caressed the trigger before pulling on it with full force.
BANG BANG
The entire training ground fell silent as the two bullets shot forward, both of them hitting the dummy on its head, without missing in the same spot.
"He probably got lucky, there's no way both of them hit the target," the boys gauged in anger.
"Finn, really a gun?" a girl in white holding a staff walked towards him. He recognised her instantly, his first friend at the academy, Aileen.
"It just happened on its own, right Donatello?" Finn turned to find he was not with him anymore.
"Woah, who is he?" Cheers and gasps rose from the crowd as a black haired boy showed off his sword skills. It was Donatello.
"Donatello? You got a new friend?" Aileen asked.
"Yep, and believe it or not he came to me," Finn spoke proudly.
Aileen raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you quite the hotshot, Mister special admission?"
"I almost got bullied for that, if it weren't for Donatello, I'd probably have gone to the office for beating them up."
"Quite the confidence, little man?"
"Yeah I know I have no chance," Finn paused, "of losing."
"Drama," Aileen commented.
Wait, why am I acting like the old man? He spread his influence on me, Finn thought, in mock panic.
"Anyways, the match you asked for, let's do it," Aileen suggested holding her black staff against Finn.
"Oh, let's do it," he replied with a grin.
...
"Wait, what's going on there, the crowd closed on one part of the pristine grey training ground.
"What's going on?" Donatello asked a girl who was going to the crowd.
"The special admission is about to fight with someone," the girl replied excitedly as she ran off.
"Boss, why!?" Donatello cursed. "The second I take my eyes of you, you're in some fancy ass trouble."
_________________________