"Umm? Am I high?"

Seena rubbed her eyes continuously, glancing at the soul resonator again and again.

Progress: [||||||||||43% --------]

"..."

It's the same '43%' no matter how many times she saw it.

It hasn't been fifteen minutes since the story probably started, but still, it was somehow almost halfway to being finished…

Before this, Seena was rejoicing about 20% progress by Ethan and his partner. But this… this is just absurd, no matter how you look at it.

None of the participants ever achieved this feat. It's just impossible, unless or until you know how the story is going to play out in the Astral-Tale library's book. And, none of the first years should know about it, because they aren't allowed to enter the library before this date.

"Oh, I get it now."

Senna nodded, thinking of a possible explanation.

"This thing is broken, right?"

She asked Eula.

Eula, on the other side, was stunned, no doubt, but her reaction was somewhat different from Senna's.

'Did he knew about this exam before?' Eula thought, thinking back about Leon.

Knowing Leon, it might be possible that he had gathered information about this exam beforehand.

Still though…

'Is it alright for him to attract all this attention?'

Eula was a little skeptical regarding Leon's way of thinking.

'If he did want attention… perhaps it was because he wanted to achieve something else…'

After the Shinra Incident, Eula had proposed the subject of recruiting Leon to the rest of the Twilight Order members.

Because Eula was the one who referred him, most of them accepted, but a few wanted to see Leon with their own eyes before making any judgment.

Some of them might even have tried to hinder him this afternoon from taking part in the class allocation examination.

Thinking, Eula glanced at the numbers hovering above the Soul Resonator.

A faint smile lingered on her face, unnoticed, as she muttered to herself.

"Maybe today isn't so bad after all."

Seena stumbled a little in her hurry and said, "I—I will call the invigilator to take a look."

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and ran back to the top floor in a flustered rush.

Eula, however, remained calm. Her focus had already shifted back to the book.

"The failure of the Valentine Dukedome…?" she murmured under her breath, slightly smling.

If Leon had been seen as nothing but trash until now, then perhaps that image would begin to change today. And maybe, just maybe, the kingdom would gain another Valentine genius.

— — —

[The Shattered swordmaiden]

(Inside the book)

The next morning, Alice and Leon were awakened by the faint sound of heavy breathing coming from outside the cave.

Leon didn't find Lumina inside the cave, so he assumed she was outside training.

And his assumption was spot on.

When Leon walked toward the entrance, the first thing he saw was a mist-filled sky refracting light all around.

Surrounded by crystal-clear icebergs, the swordmaiden was swinging the Moonblade.

It was a simple swing, yet the way her hand moved was extremely pleasant to watch.

Thumping her thigh against the icy ground, she pulled in a deep breath, filling her chest. With a sharp huff, she raised her hand high, gripping the Moonblade, and struck downward in a clean, linear motion.

The sword never drifted from its path; it cut perfectly straight from top to bottom until it released a gust of wind, producing a whistling note that echoed across the frozen field like the tune of a melodious flute.

Her shining white hair gleamed under the refracted light as she brushed stray strands away from her ear, wiping off the sweat trickling down her neck. It was then she noticed Leon staring at her.

Narrowing her eyes slightly, she spoke in a calm tone.

"I may look young, but I am more than ten years older than you. You know that, right?"

Leon's eye twitched, but he didn't avert his gaze.

The swordmaiden had a knack for sarcasm. Smirking, he stepped forward and replied in an equally calm tone.

"I was simply admiring your posture. Is that so wrong?"

Lumina paused, then smiled faintly.

"Oh? Would you look at that? No, it's fine… the ladies do love admiration after all."

Alice was still inside the cave when Lumina stopped her training and turned to Leon.

"I can tell your entire focus has been on me since last night. Tell me, young one, what do you want?"

"Hm? Don't phrase it like that, Miss Lumina. I do respect you, and forgive me if I acted otherwise."

He paused, then continued, "I am simply drawn to your sword art, that's all."

Lumina blinked, stunned.

"My sword art?" she asked, tilting her head slightly as her sharp gaze lingered on Leon.

Leon nodded.

"Yes. I noticed that your sword—the Moonblade—is quite peculiar in nature. The mana flowing through it is unstable, concentrated in a way that should harm the wielder. If I'm right, it resonates directly with your mana core, doesn't it?"

She seemed a little surprised by his observation. For a moment, she simply studied him, but instead of asking how he knew, she gave a small nod.

"You aren't wrong, kid. Yes."

Raising the Moonblade, she held it before her eyes. The steel shimmered faintly under the misty light.

"This blade would have killed me long ago if it weren't for my technique."

Leon's eyes sharpened. His heart raced, and a rush of goosebumps spread across his arms.

'I knew it!' he thought.

From the first time he saw her swing the Moonblade, he had wondered how she was not consumed by its backlash.

The aura it gave off was suffocating. Yet Lumina swung it as if it were no more than an ordinary sword.

Through deduction, observation, and the constant use of his [Analysis] and [Mana Sense] skills, Leon pieced the answer together.

She wasn't simply swinging a sword, she was invoking a sword art technique every single time, channeling her mana in a precise flow that nullified the side effects.

"Haha." Lumina chuckled when she noticed his serious, almost glaring stare. "Lighten up a little, will you? Try laughing once in a while. Otherwise, everyone will think you're some kind of villain."

Leon's lips twitched.

If only she knew that he really was one.

Unbothered, Lumina continued, "When I first got my hands on this blade, I realized it consumed far too much stamina for every little result. Every swing left me drained. But even so… I didn't want to abandon it. So I tried to change it."

"Change it? How?" Leon asked.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, exhaling slowly. When she opened them again, her crimson gaze remained steady, almost serene.

"Weapons are extensions of our bodies. Understand them, and you can gain their trust."

Leon frowned slightly.

"Understand them? You make it sound as though they're living beings."

"Of course they are," Lumina replied without hesitation. She caressed the hilt of the Moonblade gently, almost affectionately.

"This sword is my only partner left. I have to treat her like one."

Leon's eyebrow twitched.

'Her? Did she just call the sword a she?' He chuckled inwardly. 'So now the Moonblade is a lady too?'

He shook his head, suppressing the urge to laugh aloud. It was absurd, yet at the same time, there was something oddly dignified in the way she said it.

"You don't believe me?" Lumina smirked, catching the faint amusement in his eyes.

"I don't know if I can believe or not," Leon admitted.

"But… you're still standing here alive, holding that blade without a scratch. So I suppose there must be truth in your words."

"That's the spirit," Lumina replied with a faint grin. "Though it helps if you actually like the weapon you're holding. Some swords don't like being treated as tools. They rebel."

Leon raised an eyebrow again.

"Now you're just messing with me."

"Maybe." Lumina's grin widened playfully. "Or maybe you'll hear the Moonblade whisper to you one day, and then you'll come back apologizing for laughing."

Leon exhaled through his nose, fighting back the urge to smile.

This woman was strange... serious one moment, teasing the next. He couldn't decide whether to admire her or be annoyed.

Still, there was no denying it. Watching her wield the Moonblade stirred something deep inside him.

Something closer to hunger.

'I want that,' he thought. 'I want to learn her technique. I want to master it. But how can I make her teach me?'

His eyes lingered on her, searching for an opening. Yet before he could speak, Lumina caught his expression.

A small, knowing smile formed on her lips.

"You want me to teach you?" she asked suddenly.

Leon froze.

For a moment, he wondered if she had read his mind. His eyes widened slightly, then narrowed in suspicion.

"…What makes you think that?"

"Oh, please," Lumina said with a laugh, lowering the Moonblade to her side. "You've been staring at my every move since last night. I've seen puppies with less desperate eyes than you."

Leon grimaced.

"That sounds humiliating."

"It is," Lumina replied bluntly, smirking again. "But don't worry. Puppies are cute."

Leon sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"I don't think that comparison helps me at all."

"Maybe not." She tilted her head, still smiling faintly. "But it does tell me that you're serious. Otherwise, you wouldn't look so frustrated right now."

Her words hit him harder than he expected. She wasn't mocking him at this point, she was actually testing him.

'Seriously, this woman...'

Leon straightened his back.

"If you're offering to teach me, then I'll accept."

Lumina raised the Moonblade, resting it lightly on her shoulder.

"Oh? So quick to agree. You don't even know the price yet."

"Price?"

"Of course. Nothing comes free, especially not my sword arts. If you want me to train you, then you'll have to give me something in return."

Leon hesitated for a second, but his gaze didn't falter.

"What is it that you want?"

Lumina's lips curl into a smile both cryptic and amused.

"That," she said softly, "you'll find out soon enough."

Leon's heart skipped a beat, though whether from anticipation or unease, he couldn't tell.

"Shall we begin?"

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