The sun had started to set, casting long shadows across the Montelo garden.
Shinonome stood with her back to them, hands behind her, eyes on the sky.
> "There's a place… where your true weapon sleeps," she said softly.
"Where your soul becomes a blade."
William blinked. "What do you mean?"
She turned to them, her expression sharp now. Serious.
> "It's called the Mana Volcano."
The words hit like a spark.
> "That's where real weapons are born," she continued. "Not forged by hands… but pulled out from within. Your weapon isn't something you choose. It chooses you. Or rather—it is you."
Alicia flinched slightly. William stared, wide-eyed.
> "But be warned…" Shinonome's voice lowered.
"That place doesn't test your strength. It tests your will."
> "And if your will breaks—"
She paused.
> "So does your soul."
---
🌅 Scene 1 — The Next Morning
The training ground was quiet.
No servants.
No distractions.
Only silence and the heavy presence of expectation.
William stood with a wooden sword in hand, drenched in sunlight. Alicia stood beside him. Shinonome faced them both, arms crossed, her armor catching the morning light.
> "Today, you begin for real," she said.
"Draw your mana. Don't force it. Feel it. Breathe it."
William's grip tightened around the handle.
He exhaled.
Then swung.
> Thwip.
Nothing. Just air.
Alicia tried next.
Whoosh—
Still nothing.
> "Again," Shinonome said, without raising her voice.
They kept swinging. Again. And again.
Sweat poured. Arms trembled. But nothing happened.
---
💨 Scene 2 — The First Spark
Two hours later, Alicia's blade sparked faintly. Just for a second.
A soft wind ripple escaped the edge of her wooden sword.
> Fwmp.
She gasped, eyes widening. "I—I think something came out!"
William paused mid-swing, turned to her.
She looked nervous. Like she'd done something wrong.
But William smiled. "That was awesome, Alicia."
Her eyes lit up a little. "…Thanks."
Shinonome raised an eyebrow. "Good. You're starting to touch the edge of your will."
Then she looked at William. Her gaze sharpened.
> "You… You're not blocked. You're buried."
He didn't know what she meant.
But it made his chest tighten.
---
🛠️ Scene 3 — Styles of War
After lunch, Shinonome led them to a wooden rack full of weapons: swords, bows, spears, even strange pistols.
> "Weapons aren't just tools," she began. "They're your medium. Your voice."
She picked up a bow. Pulled it back.
A mana arrow of glowing air formed instantly, without a string.
> BOOM! — it slammed into a dummy at the far end of the garden.
> "This is Bow Magic Style. Archers who can turn mana into high-speed attacks."
Next, she picked up a long sword. She slashed the air.
A wave of flame followed her blade's arc like a ribbon.
> "Sword Magic Technique. Mixing slashes with elemental burst."
Then she showed them:
Gun magic: like pistols that shot energy bullets
Fist magic: people who punch with shockwave force
Even a girl once used thread made of mana
> "There's no 'one way' to fight," she said. "The strongest warriors invent their own."
Then she looked at William, like she already knew something he didn't.
> "But the rarest ones… carry a blade that's not forged by metal."
"They carry the blade of their soul."
---
🧊 Scene 4 — Shinonome's Past (Deeper)
That evening, after training ended, William sat beside Shinonome under a tree.
She looked out at the horizon as the sky turned gold.
> "That volcano… I've been there," she said. Her voice was quiet.
"Twice."
William glanced at her. "…You survived both?"
She shook her head. "Only once."
He didn't ask. But she kept going anyway.
> "I went with someone. My little brother. He was twelve."
She smiled… but there was no joy in it.
> "He was so sure he was ready. He trained hard, harder than I did. But when the volcano showed him who he really was… he panicked. He tried to rip the weapon out of himself."
> "And it shattered him."
William stayed quiet.
She unsheathed her sword slowly — a blade of icy silver flame.
> "This is Seiranka. My soul weapon. It reflects who I am. Cold on the outside. Fire underneath."
She stood, looking down at him now.
> "I won't let you two go until you're ready. I lost one soul in that fire. I won't lose another."
---
🌌 Scene 5 — A Whisper in the Dark
Night fell.
William laid in bed. His whole body ached. He felt pathetic.
> "Why can't I do it…? Alicia can already spark mana."
He closed his eyes.
And felt it again.
Warmth. But this time… sharper.
Like a match being lit in his chest.
A whisper.
> "You're not weak…"
He gasped and sat up.
> "Who's there?!"
The warmth spread through his chest. Like someone gently pressing a hand against his heart.
A word floated in his mind.
> "Lyra."
His fingers clenched the blanket.
> "Lyra… Is that… my sword?"
No answer. Only silence.
But something inside him felt calm.
Like for the first time, the fire had started to flicker.
---
🕊️ Chapter End Quote:
> "Some blades are born in fire. Others… are waiting to be heard."
---