This would be the first time D-29 saw this much movement from its host, Luca.
'Movement' seemed like an understatement because Luca was practically dancing.
And it wasn't just D-29 who was fascinated by Luca's sudden movements. Several students were rendered speechless by how Luca kept tossing the bandalore, with every toss and catch further increasing its spinning speed.
Two such people included fraternal twins Leo and Leah Azren, who finished second and third place, respectively. To them, the yo-yo disks that glowed with a mesmerizing spectrum of colors looked really inviting.
"I want one." Leah hissed, her voice dripping with greed.
"Me too." Leo's hand twitched, wanting to click on Star Mall immediately. But he soon realized that the examination hall had blocked access to their terminals save for the most basic functions.
"We need it."
"Yes, we need it."
Their faces were devoid of emotions. But for this pair of maniacal twins, wanting one probably meant wanting a hundred of one item. The tendency to obsess about something was strong, and when obsession and financial power were combined, what you get are addicts.
'Buy, buy, buy!' thought many of the young nobles. They watched in fascination as Luca tossed the yo-yo upward before flinging it toward the target. Unlike his testing attempts, Luca executed a proper follow-through.
*THWACK!*
"!"
It was a solid collision that left a visible dent on the target.
The metal disks were still spinning as they continued to dig into the metal backing. Luca was surprised at how the disks cut through the metal as they spun.
"Wow, so it really was a weapon?!"
"Host! What do you mean?! Of course, that was a weapon!"
"It felt like the rich-kid version of my old yo-yo, so it felt like a toy to me."
If systems had faces, D-29 would probably look aghast. What if its host decided to do tricks with his bare hands?!
But then a green O appeared on the module of Luca's target lane, which instantly made them forget the probability of losing their fingers.
The first success energized Luca, so he quickly tried the same methods for the remaining two points. Thankfully, the targets changed every time they were destroyed, so Lucas felt fine tossing around the yo-yo.
"Congratulations, host! You've completed this obstacle!" D-29 celebrated with his classic fireworks sounds, but Luca didn't move away as D-29 expected.
"Is there a problem, host?"
"No. It's not really a problem. But I wanted to try something. Since I don't know when I'll have a chance to freely use this weapon again."
Instructor Falco also raised an eyebrow at the student who hadn't moved toward the finish line. Then he saw him squaring his shoulders, with his brows furrowing in concentration.
What's he planning on doing this time?
The kid suddenly seemed serious, and Falco decided to watch more carefully.
Then he saw him flick his wrist again, but this time, Falco ended up leaning forward when he realized that the metal string had been coated with a layer of spiritual energy.
First, the strings, then the disks, and by now, it was impossible not to know what this kid was planning to do.
But no one had the chance to stop him, as they were also partly curious as to what this scrawny beauty was capable of.
And the curiosity in the hall was palpable, even for those who couldn't see what Luca had done to the yo-yo.
So, when the yo-yo streaked towards the target, followed by a wake of strong winds, it caught them off-guard.
*BOOM!*
The throw looked precise enough to Luca, but he wouldn't be able to check because his toss resulted in an explosion he didn't expect.
Luca stood there, gaping at his own doing. He blinked even as D-29 screamed panicked alerts about an explosion.
"Uhh… We're not under attack. I… It was me."
It was only after the dust settled that D-29 realized the explosion was caused by the disks leaving a giant crater where the target should've been.
It was obliterated.
Gasps of surprise mixed with amazement echoed through the hall, but all Luca could see were imaginary star coins.
He was even hearing the sounds of 'ka-ching, ka-ching!' in his brain.
His hands were frozen, and he was suddenly very concerned.
"D-29, how much do you think this would cost?"
"Do you think they have insurance for this?"
Luca's hands were clammy as his mind raced through scenarios of bankruptcy and even jail time.
"Host, maybe you should consider selling more apples?" D-29 tried using a hopeful tone to pacify the host's mounting anxiety.
Luca waited for a bit, catatonic in place, but when no police came for him, Luca started walking with the same leg and arms. He looked like an ancient toy robot, but that was Luca trying to look normal.
But unbeknownst to him, the Military Academy could care less about the targets being blown up.
What they cared more about was who could blow them up. This unintended display of his powers had one staff member move his file into a different stockpile.
Meanwhile, Luca fought the strong urge to run away. He hoped they would allow bail. Since he was the only one who seemed bothered about it, he tried to pass it off as normal.
Luca got his ring, only to realize it was bound and couldn't be stolen, as he had thought.
Then he remembered the instructions: He had to go register over to the side. Luca felt conflicted because he wondered what he would do if he was given a bill he couldn't pay.
But he also knew his personality would not allow him to flee. He would eventually return and probably volunteer to work it off.
Luca sighed, eventually trudging towards the registration area with a heavy heart.
The staff wondered why the fourth-placed examinee looked crestfallen. Instead of being happy for passing, he had dark clouds surrounding him.
Was he unreconciled at coming in at fourth place?
Maybe he wanted a higher rank?
The staff shared some of these thoughts, but only the poor fruit vendor and his equally oblivious system knew they were worried about their financial status and the number of apples it would take to repay this new debt.