When the pair woke up the next morning, they followed their morning routine and headed downstairs for breakfast. After eating, they sat back, sipping their morning coffee, as Morgranna informed them of the Nursery Elders' decision to create an Orientation video to be shown at every summoning from now on.
"The Nursery Elders want to know if you'd be okay with including a segment about your summoning, Orientation, and everything that's happened since you joined the Academy. Are there any parts you don't want shown?" she asked after explaining the video idea.
Chaos looked at Bane, who shrugged. "It's up to you. I'm fine with anything as long as they stick to what we said during our recorded interview."
Chaos considered this while sipping his coffee, silently conferring with his Twin. After discussing it for the length of a coffee, he agreed. "Make sure to highlight the Mental Fortitude Training—that's something important for the Children to learn about," he stressed.
Morgranna nodded and relayed their decision to the Nursery Elders, while Bane and Chaos set out for training, as it was time. Though they arrived ten minutes later than usual, they still had plenty of time to drink coffee while waiting for the Teachers.
When the Teachers arrived, Teacher Beelzebub reviewed the steps for the free-form combat drills. He knew they already understood, but wanted to be certain. "Today you'll be doing free-form combat drills," he announced. "I know you know how, but let me recap. The point isn't to perfect every form, but to move instinctively. Let your forms flow—make them your own. That's how you master the drills and develop a style that's unique to you."
"Set up your chambers as usual and wait for authorisation before entering," he instructed.
They nodded, and Chaos split into Yi and Er, each setting up their chamber. Once finished, they stood at their respective doors, awaiting authorisation.
The Teachers took their seats, activated the monitoring panels, and authorised entry. The trio entered the chambers and started their free-form drills.
"I wonder if their forms have changed since the Awakening," Beelzebub mused, to which Zera shrugged. "We'll soon see."
—
As usual, the video was uploaded, and comments began to pour in.
Topic: Free-Form Combat Drills!
DragonSparkle9: Did anyone see Chaos and Bane's free-form drills? They look so different from before—even with the same forms.
FlameFox: Yeah! I always wanted to see inside the chambers. Did you notice how Chaos split apart so smoothly? So COOL!
SilverLeaf: Same! Teacher Beelzebub makes free-form sound fun. My forms always look weird—my body just refuses to copy the perfect ones!
StarlightKid: Mine too! But Teacher Beelzebub said the forms can change after the Awakening. Should we just make new moves or stick with the old ones?
DragonSparkle9: I think that's the idea! Teacher B said to make your style unique. Maybe my wild spinning kick counts? It just happens when I don't think about it.
FrostyOwl: Did the trio's forms really change? I want a before/after video so we can compare!
FlameFox: These comments are so fun—maybe people will share their moves and compare next time!
SilverLeaf: Yes! And maybe next time, we can ask about mental fortitude techniques. That sounded tough, but interesting too.
—
The Headmasters saw the buzz online and lurked to read the student comments. Many seemed confused about achieving the free-form drills.
Headmaster Rowan reached out to the Teacher who'd worked on the previous video, asking if he could make a commentary explaining Chaos and Bane's free-form drills in depth, along with a comparison of their old and new forms. The Teacher agreed, and Rowan updated the other Headmasters, who all approved of the plan.
They decided to post the video after it was done, continuing to monitor the student reactions.
—
Meanwhile, Teacher Beelzebub leaned in, watching the trio's live feeds intently.
Zera asked what caught his eye. "Their forms have shifted, even evolved," Beelzebub replied. "The Awakening, their Oath, maybe even their Talents must be influencing them."
"Look at Bane—his forms are now calm but sneaky, not just calm and collected. Yi's are colder, more merciless and chaotic. And Er's? Wild, ruthless, and even more chaotic." He pointed out the differences.
Realisation dawned for Zera as she studied the changes. Together, they watched the trio, mesmerised as their forms seemed to evolve in real-time.
When Bane and Chaos paused for lunch, Beelzebub joined them with observations.
"While watching, I noticed your forms are changing. Do you feel it too?" Beelzebub asked.
Both nodded. "Yeah, they're starting to feel natural, almost like our bodies just move on their own," Chaos replied.
"I thought so. Your Awakening, Oath, and Talents are all influencing your forms—they're evolving to fit your new selves and Stats," Beelzebub explained, knowing they liked to understand every detail.
The pair nodded, deep in contemplation as they finished their lunch, before returning to training—it was clear, they weren't quite finished.
—
The next video appeared online, and comments flooded in:
Topic: Did you see the trio's evolving forms?
MiniDragon99: OMG, did you see Bane and Chaos at lunch? Teacher B said their forms are changing! Are your moves changing in drills, too?
SparkyTheElf: Maybe? Sometimes my feet just go on their own—it's strange but cool. Does that mean I'm Awakening, too?
PixieJump: Maybe! Teacher Zera looked so shocked. Can your forms really just change mid-drill?
LeoTiger: Bane always looked serious, but now he's a sneaky ninja! Did you see Er? Totally wild! I wish I could be that wild instead of clumsy.
MiniDragon99: I heard if you practice, your moves become more YOU. Pretty sure Teacher B said that.
CloudyHope: What does it mean for forms to be part of you? Could I get tiger claws if I evolve my moves?
SparkyTheElf: That would be SO awesome! My brother tried to do Chaos's spinning move, but crashed right into the mat. XD
PixieJump: How do the Oath and Talents help? If I make an Oath to never mess up, will my drills improve?
LeoTiger: Worth a try! Does anyone else feel different after lunch? Teacher B said their Stats changed. Can someone explain?
MiniDragon99: I guess if your Stats go up, you get better… and maybe weirder?
CloudyHope: Who's up for a before-and-after challenge? We could record our drills now and after lunch and see if anything changed!
—
Chaos and Bane continued their free-form drills, striving for mastery. By 3 PM, they felt close but still sensed something missing. They told Beelzebub, who asked what they thought it was.
"The forms feel right, but something's missing. It's frustrating!" Chaos Yi admitted to the Teachers.
"It's like there's supposed to be something else when we move, but it's not there," Bane added. Er nodded in agreement.
"I think you've reached your current limit. What's missing is Mana. Your bodies know it should be there, but you haven't trained using it yet," Beelzebub said after considering.
Zera nodded, "Let's pause free-form drills for now. Tomorrow, Chaos will do his merged solo run while Bane observes outside. You'll get back to free-form after Mana training."
Relieved to understand what was happening, though still frustrated, Bane and Chaos thanked the Teachers and headed home to relax for the day.
—
Meanwhile, the collaborating Teacher completed a commentary video, explaining everything in detail—including why the Teachers stopped training and sent the students home.
"If the students had kept going, they would've focused on what was missing and grown even more frustrated. That could lead to a negative Aura outburst, which is dangerous for cultivation, even possibly causing madness. That's exactly what Teachers aim to prevent."
"So, stopping them from fixating, sending them home to rest, and switching to a different training was wise. Explaining the missing part and the reasons for the change was just as important."
He sent the video to the Headmasters for approval.
In the late afternoon, the Headmasters gathered in their conference room. Sunlight spilt over holo-reports as Rowan, Solis, Everdawn, and Varkos watched the final scene from the drills.
Lucius (leaning forward, fingers steepled): "It's clear—the moment Chaos and Bane hit their wall, frustration set in. Stopping the drills was prudent."
Solis (nodding): "Exactly. Pushing them could've harmed their cultivation and mental health. Beelzebub made the right call."
Rowan (reviewing notes): "The commentary explains everything—the lack of Mana isn't just about technique, but mindset. The Teacher made the risks clear for all students, not just those in the video."
Varkos (firmly): "We need to keep teaching wisdom over endurance. Preventing Aura outbursts and supporting steady growth must remain our priority."
Rowan: "And the communication was excellent—frank, clear, and supportive. Other Teachers should follow this example. Honest feedback builds trust."
Varkos (smiling): "Student comments already show more interest in the reasons behind our training. They're talking about before-and-after challenges and really want to understand their own progress."
Everdawn: "This video was perfectly timed. It answers their questions right away and stops any confusion before it spreads."
Solis: "Let's send a message to all faculty—remind them to pause when students hit intrinsic barriers and to support mental and emotional health."
Rowan: "Agreed. Our job isn't just about technical skill—it's about protecting our students' spirits. I'll approve the commentary and update the faculty."
The four nodded, united in guiding the Academy with wisdom and care.
—
When the video was posted, students' comments revealed real understanding and appreciation—and the significance of the Teachers' choices became clear.
The Headmasters felt profound gratification for their decisions and drafted a report and sent it to the Councils for review, stressing that many students weren't aware of the dangers of frustration and pushing through intrinsic barriers, and the negative consequences of this.
They also included the commentary video and highlighted the students' responses to it, overwhelmingly positive and expressing understanding of how to prevent Aura outbursts brought on by frustration.
The Councils reviewed the report extensively and decided to make it a directive to be adopted immediately by all Kindergartens and Academies.
They also commended Teacher Beelzebub and his Mate Demon Zera for handling the situation as they did and instructed that all Teachers were to implement this methodology in their own way, immediately.
—
Meanwhile, Bane and Chaos had arrived home, showered and were currently floating in the bathing pool, discussing the barrier they were feeling.
Bane let his head rest back, drifting in the warm water. "You know, I still can't get the feeling out of my head. Like… there's something just beyond our reach."
Chaos sighed, swirling his hand through the water. "Yeah. It's like the forms are there, but the energy—or whatever it is—just isn't."
Bane tilted his head, eyes closed. "Teacher Beelzebub said it was Mana. My body keeps expecting it. When I move, there's a space that's waiting to be filled."
Chaos frowned thoughtfully. "Makes sense. Our bodies know something's supposed to flow, but we don't know how to do it yet. The drills just… stop short."
Bane let out a frustrated puff. "It's weird, right? We work so hard and get so close, but now we can't go further until we figure out Mana. I hate feeling stuck."
Chaos floated for a moment, then smiled. "At least we know what's missing now. That's better than spinning our wheels forever."
Bane grinned, flicking water at Chaos. "Yeah. Still annoying. But tomorrow's another chance. We'll figure out Mana during the Mana training—then see how far we can really go."
Chaos arched an eyebrow, splashing him back. "Deal. Tonight, let's just relax. We survived another day."
Bane laughed, the tension fading from his shoulders as they drifted in companionable silence.
Morgranna listened to them in silence as she had received an update from the Headmasters about their states and smiled in relief as she shook her head in wordless exasperation at how resilient her charges were as she left the floor.
Informing the Headmasters that their worries were unnecessary, Chaos and Bane were taking it in stride; they were more annoyed by the fact that they didn't fully understand their bodies, as this appeared to be a personal pet peeve for both.