There was an unexpected guest in the dining hall.
Adrian.
He sat alone at one of the long tables near the center, posture relaxed but eyes sharp, scanning the room like he was reading a battle map. The moment our eyes met, a faint smirk curved his lips, not the friendly kind.
Lyra noticed him too. "Well… that's new," she murmured.
We were halfway to the food line when his voice cut through the chatter."Zane. Lyra. Sit."
It wasn't a request.
Lyra raised an eyebrow at me, but we both crossed the room and took the seats across from him. Up close, Adrian's presence felt heavier, like the air around him carried extra weight.
"I'll keep this short," he said, leaning forward slightly. "Starting tomorrow, I'll be training with you. Two months."
I frowned. "By 'with' us, do you mean—"
"Exactly what I said," he interrupted. "Every drill. Every lap. Every spar. Kane asked me to… sharpen you."
Lyra tilted her head. "Sharpen us? Like swords?"
Adrian's smirk widened. "Like weapons." He glanced between us, his gaze lingering just long enough to make me uncomfortable. "Two months from now, you'll either be better than you are now… or broken. Which one? That's up to you."
Adrian didn't wait for a response. He stood, tray untouched, and walked toward the exit without so much as a backward glance.
Lyra watched him go, then leaned back in her chair. "Well… that was dramatic."
I let out a slow breath. "Dramatic or not, he's right about one thing."
Her brow arched. "Which is?"
"We've never fought a human on our level before. Kane doesn't count, he's miles above us."
Lyra tapped the edge of her tray thoughtfully. "Then maybe this is a good thing. If we can hold our own against him…"
"…we can hold our own against anyone," I finished.
For the first time all day, I felt something other than exhaustion, a faint spark of anticipation.
---
Morning came far too soon.
I woke to the sound of the dorm bell and the faint ache in every muscle, reminding me of yesterday's drills. For a moment, I considered staying in bed and letting the world carry on without me, but Kane would hunt me down, and now Adrian was in the picture too.
Dragging myself out from under the blankets, I splashed cold water on my face, hoping it would trick my body into feeling awake. It didn't. My arms still felt like lead, and my legs protested every step as I pulled on my training gear.
When I stepped into the hallway, Lyra was already waiting, looking only slightly better off than me.
"Ready to die?" she asked.
"Not really," I muttered, falling into step beside her.
The walk to the training grounds was quiet except for the crunch of gravel under our boots. The sun had barely cleared the horizon, casting long shadows across the field. Adrian was already there, standing at the center of the grounds like he'd been waiting for hours.
His eyes locked on us the second we stepped onto the dirt. "You're late."
The way Adrian said it, you'd think we'd slept through half the day. He stood there without a weapon in hand, his stance relaxed, but the air around him felt heavy like the calm before a lightning strike.
"No warm-up today," he said. "We're starting now."
Lyra glanced at me, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "Guess we're doing this."
We drew our weapons, her twin daggers, my dual swords, and took our positions opposite him. Adrian didn't move, didn't even shift his footing, as if daring us to make the first move.
I lunged first, aiming for his side, and Lyra came in low from the opposite angle. It was a clean, practiced maneuver we'd made hundreds of times.
Adrian stepped between our strikes like he'd read them minutes ago, his hand snapping out to grab my wrist. A twist of pressure, and my sword clattered to the ground. Before I could recover, he shoved me backward into Lyra's path, forcing her to stumble to avoid stabbing me.
"Too predictable," he said flatly.
We came at him again, this time with feints and faster footwork. For a few heartbeats, it felt like we might push him back, until he ducked under my swing, punched me in the gut, and sent me crashing face-first into the dirt. Lyra darted in to cover me, but he caught her by the collar and tossed her aside like she weighed nothing.
"Relying on each other isn't bad," he said, strolling toward us as we scrambled to our feet, "but you're leaning on it so much you've forgotten how to fight alone."
I grit my teeth, rushing him again. This time, he didn't sidestep. He caught both my blades between his forearms, wrenched them aside, and drove his knee into my gut. Air fled my lungs in a painful rush, and before I could double over, he kicked my legs out from under me.
Lyra tried to capitalize while he was focused on me, spinning in for a slash, but Adrian caught her wrist mid-strike and twisted just enough to make her drop a dagger. His foot swept behind hers, sending her sprawling next to me.
The next few minutes blurred into a relentless cycle of failed attacks, counters we never saw coming, and blows that left bruises before we hit the ground. No matter how fast we moved or how unpredictable we tried to be, he was faster, sharper, and always three steps ahead.
By the time he finally stepped back, I was on my knees, gasping for breath, my arms trembling from the effort of holding my swords. Lyra's hair clung to her face, her chest heaving.
Adrian stood over us, completely unscathed. "That was me holding back," he said. "If you want to survive the next two months, stop fighting like children playing soldier."
He turned and walked off, leaving us sprawled in the dirt, every muscle screaming.
Adrian's footsteps faded toward the far gate, leaving only the sound of my ragged breathing and Lyra's quiet groan beside me.
Before either of us could think about moving, another voice cut across the field.
"On your feet."
Kane.
We both straightened, slowly, every joint protesting. Kane strolled over, his eyes flicking briefly toward the direction Adrian had gone before settling on us.
"Good," he said. "You're still alive. That means we can get some real work done."
I wasn't sure if he was joking.
"You're going to practice your martial forms until they're burned into your muscles. Every stance, every strike, every transition in those four-star manuals. I want them perfect."
Lyra frowned, brushing dirt off her uniform. "And when we've got it down?"
"When you've mastered them completely," Kane said evenly, "I'll give you your five-star manual."
The promise hung in the air like bait. Five-star manuals weren't just rare; they were game-changers. There were only about 10 five-star manuals in the world.
"Until then," Kane added, crossing his arms, "no wasted movements, no sloppy footwork, and no whining. You'll drill until your body moves faster than your thoughts… or you won't move at all."
Kane's words still echoed in my head. Master it completely and you'll get the five-star manual.
I glanced at the leather-bound book in my hand, curiosity gnawing at me.
"Status," I murmured.
A faint chime rang in my ears, and the familiar blue-tinted panel shimmered into view before my eyes. I swiped through the screen until I found it [Sword Art].
One entry glowed brighter than the rest.
Twin Fangs Style (★★★★)
A ferocious dual-blade martial art built for relentless offense, split into three combat stances that flow into one another without pause. Known for its overwhelming speed and pressure, it is said to be the perfected style of a wandering sword saint who fought without a shield.
Stances :
-Rushing Fang – The stance of unrelenting assault. Each strike flows into the next, using momentum to build speed and force the longer the chain continues.
-Coiling Fang – Circling movement that pressures from unpredictable angles, breaking the opponent's rhythm before using all the saved momentum to deliver a decisive blow.
-Falling Fang – Aerial strikes that combine momentum and gravity, crashing down on the enemy from above with devastating force.
Current Mastery: 0%
Mastery of the Twin Fangs Style demands not only skill and stamina but the courage to remain on the attack until victory is certain.
---
I closed the panel, my grip tightening on my dual swords.
0%. Which meant Kane's "complete mastery" goal was a long way off.
But just reading the description had my blood pumping.
If I could master this… I might finally stop getting tossed around like a rookie.