The Twins enjoyed the services of the Infernal mental Healer, who absorbed surprisingly less negative energy from them than expected. Afterwards, they settled down to watch the movie they had chosen, with snacks and drinks Morgranna had prepared.
After thoroughly enjoying the movie, the Twins had dinner. They retired to the top floor to cultivate and relax before bed, eagerly anticipating the next day when their physical training would resume—armed combat this time.
They woke up at six and, as usual, got ready before heading downstairs for breakfast and their customary delicious coffee on the first-floor balcony. As they sipped their coffee, they checked their timetable and decided to leave for the previous training grounds by carriage so that they could return home earlier in the evening.
They checked their armoury crates and stored the packed lunches provided by Morgranna, who explained that the Academy chefs might not be able to accommodate their specialised diets due to the sheer number of students.
They then left by carriage for the training grounds to meet their new instructor, a weapons specialist, to learn everything about armed combat. Morgranna had told them they could have personal preferences in fighting styles, but they must become proficient with all weapons.
Upon arriving at the training grounds, they still had twenty minutes before they met with the Teacher. They sat in the reception area, quietly observing the activity.
A large Infernal male soon approached, greeting them. "Good morning, Chaos Twins. I'm your new armed combat Teacher, Armorum. Follow me and we'll get you started. You'll have to learn all weapons—from basic combat drills to free-form drills—so your schedule is tight. I hope you're ready!"
He then led them to two large Grav Chambers, where his Mate and duo-fight partner, Demon Peritus, awaited. Armorum instructed them to set up their armoury crates in front of each chamber so they could efficiently switch weapons when needed.
"Okay, your armoury crates hold training versions of every cold weapon available. There are no hot weapons; those require mana and are only taught after Awakening."
"You'll wear your gauntlets and shin guards the entire time. We'll start with daggers, moving to new weapons as you master each one's free-form drills. You'll train under gravity at a two-hundred magnifier with interference waves throughout."
"For every weapon, you'll begin with basic drills, advance to more complex forms, then to free-form. At the end, we'll have a two-day duo-fight session in siege mode in the arena. Any questions?" Armorum concluded.
"No questions for now," Chaos Yi replied. Chaos Er asked, "Can we have music on during training?"
Armorum laughed and approved, asking for their preferred music since they would be training separately. Chaos Yi chose rock; Chaos Er chose metal. This was noted.
The Twins entered their assigned rooms after putting on their gauntlets and shin guards, each selecting two daggers (one sheathed in their shin guards). Once inside, with the doors closed, they watched the Teachers settle at the windows to monitor their progress. They were counted in: "Brace yourselves, gravity activating—START!"
The Twins began with the dagger drills, powering through and perfecting their forms as best as possible. Their repetition counters began to climb steadily as they consistently improved despite whatever the Grav Chamber threw at them.
Once they mastered the basic drills, they shifted to advanced drills, again focusing until they achieved mastery. Then they began free-form drills, slowly moving through the various styles, each Twin developing a distinct fighting style as different as night and day.
When the Teachers were satisfied, they instructed the Twins to add the second dagger and repeat the process. The Twins complied, beginning the dual-wielding basic drills and progressing to the advanced and free-form stages. After two hours, they had mastered dual daggers.
The Grav Chambers shut off, and the Twins emerged to switch weapons to short swords and rehydrate. There were no fixed break times, just quick pauses when changing weapons.
After hydrating, the Twins went back into the Grav Chambers, each now wearing two scabbards holding short swords. Counted in, they started with the basic single short sword drills, progressing quickly toward mastery.
While the Twins trained, Armorum and Peritus spoke quietly to each other.
Armorum: "Look at them go, Peritus. I don't think I've seen anyone adapt to gravity and interference fields this quickly on the first day."
Peritus: "It's impressive. Their forms are almost textbook-perfect, but each moves so differently. Chaos Yi is sharp and precise—every motion calculated. Chaos, though, flows from move to move; it's almost like a dance."
Armorum: "Notice neither hesitated moving to advanced drills? Most trainees struggle to push past fatigue, but they just move on—no complaints, no dip in focus."
Peritus: "Their competitiveness helps, and their stubborn streak is clear. They're internalising every correction and pushing their limits."
Armorum: "Even their free-form drills express their personalities. Yi is all efficiency—minimal movement, maximum intent. Er is unpredictable, using the full space."
Peritus: "I was sceptical about letting them choose their own music, but it motivates them. Rock fits for precision, metal for ferocity."
Armorum: "They'll progress fast. If this continues, they'll master the arsenal well before the duo fights."
Peritus: "Agreed. We'll challenge them with surprise scenarios before the siege round—keep them sharp."
Armorum: "Good idea. Let's see how they handle the short swords after their break. Wouldn't be surprised if they pick these up faster than the daggers."
The Teachers' predictions were correct; it took even less time for the Twins to master both single and dual short swords fully. They exited for a brief break to switch to their next weapons: one-handed long swords, also known as katanas, again practising dual-wielding.
After hydrating, they re-entered the chambers with two katanas each and started the basic drills after being counted in. They swiftly mastered basic and advanced drills, progressing to free-form drills even faster than with the short swords.
Once the dual-wielding katanas were mastered, the four moved to the cafeteria for lunch after the Twins stowed their armoury crates. The Twins retrieved their packed lunches and ate leisurely, enjoying Morgranna's flavorful meals.
Armorum and Peritus raised their eyebrows, "Not getting lunch from the Academy chefs?" Armorum asked.
"No, our Mammy isn't sure the chefs could prepare our meals to our specifications with so many kids to feed," Yi answered, unbothered.
"Oh? Your diet is different from the others'?" Peritus asked curiously.
"Pure C-level food is insufficient for us, and pure B-level is too potent. Our current diet uses B-level meat, the rest is C-level," Er explained.
"That'd make it tough for the chefs. Your Mammy is very astute," Armorum replied.
"Yeah, she's great!" Er exclaimed, with Yi nodding in agreement.
Armorum and Peritus smiled knowingly as they finished their lunches, the Twins close behind. After storing their empty boxes, they took some tea and returned to the Grav Chambers for more training.
Meanwhile, nearby students who had watched the meal recorded and uploaded it to Conclave. Comments poured in:
'Can we talk about how fast the Twins are picking up new weapons? Their drills are next level!'
'Yi is so precise and Er moves like he's dancing—legendary! I can't decide who I'd want to train like more.'
'The gravity or interference does not even faze them. Most people would keel over.'
Teamwork goals. Even when training separately, you see them pushing each other.'
'Lol, love how they picked their own music. Rock for focus, metal for energy. Iconic.'
'Academy chefs are missing out on catering for elite diets. Morgranna knows what's up!'
Teachers already plan to surprise them just to keep up. Savages.'
'Honestly, they'll finish the course way before expected. Can't wait for their duo-fight in siege mode!'
'Does anyone else see how even free-form drills look like art when they do it?'
'Cafeteria lunch just turned into a viral moment. The younger kids will all want to sit near the Chaos Twins now!'
'I still can't get over the fact that, ignoring their crystals, their sheer size makes you think they've already Awakened!'
Once the Teachers and Twins returned to the original Grav Chambers, the Twins placed their armoury crates down and opened them, ready to continue their training. This time, they were focusing on two-handed swords, so they grabbed the appropriate weapons and entered their rooms. After being counted in, the pounding music, intense gravity, and interference waves signalled the start of another session on their journey to master every single weapon they owned.
They grew steadily faster, switching weapons every thirty minutes to an hour, depending on whether the weapons were single-handed or dual-wielded. As the clock neared four in the afternoon, they finished their training for the day. After thanking their Teachers, they left by carriage, headed home to relax and rest up for the next day.
After the Twins departed, the Teachers convened in a holo-meeting, sharing the data and video feed of the day's training. The holo-images of the other faculty members flickered into being.
Elder Soleil: "We've received the data and footage you shared and are reviewing it now. But what are your initial impressions, Armorum?"
Teacher Armorum: "They appear to be adapting and progressing even faster than they did during the training with Drakos. We completed eight weapons today, and after lunch, their mastery rate increased even further. It takes them about half an hour to master single-handed weapons, from basic to free-form drills. Dual-wielding takes about an hour to master."
"We expect them to progress even faster tomorrow—possibly mastering up to sixteen more weapons. Their mental state is so stable that nothing fazes them, not even being stared at by other students during training and lunch. They were aware of the attention but chose to ignore the stares and cameras, just focusing on their own work."
Elder Kyle: "We're aware that other students have filmed them during training and lunch, uploading the footage to Conclave. The comments are overwhelmingly positive. The other students seem awed and envious of how hard the Twins work and how fast they learn. There are even betting pools about how soon they'll Awaken."
Head Nocturne: "Morgranna, how are their rest and nutrition?"
Morgranna: "They truly relax when at home—watching movies, reading, or soaking in the tub. They fall asleep instantly and need me to wake them in the morning. They now savour their food instead of wolfing it down. Their data remains consistently perfect; during training, it may dip by ten percent, but never more."
Elder Caine: "Wait, you're saying all that training only drops their Stats by ten percent?"
Head Masters: "Our real question: is the pace sustainable?"
Elder Lucius: "The readings show not only is this sustainable, but their pace is likely to increase as they settle in. They're still adapting—once that phase is over, they'll start thriving. That's when their progress will accelerate and they'll truly enjoy everything we offer."
Head Nocturne: "Healer Nyxira said the Twins' mental foundations are so stable they put mountains to shame—both in fortitude and clarity. She extracted so little negative energy yesterday, it would make a Celestial look bad by comparison."
Elder Soleil: "Update the lesson plan daily, using the previous day's data. Prepare to accelerate as needed."
Everyone agreed and ended the meeting.
The Twins were still in their carriage heading home while the meeting was underway. They knew a meeting was likely happening, as Morgranna had told them the staff reviewed their data daily to see if the lesson plan needed accelerating or updating.
They had no issues with this. They understood everyone was looking out for them, ensuring their Awakening would happen under the best possible circumstances. They knew their training was so gruelling to prepare them as thoroughly as possible within the limited time before their Awakening.
This effort made them feel cherished, loved, and cared for—feelings for which they'd be eternally grateful. Each Twin, independently and silently, vowed to protect their new home and family for as long as they lived. To do so, they knew they had to become as strong as possible, able to disregard any danger to themselves as they acted as guardians and keepers for Tian Dao, the Heavenly Clans, and their Mate.
In the Central Origin, the Tian Dao central computer pulsed gently the moment both Twins reached this conclusion, as if acknowledging their resolve and determination.