A few hours later, the door to Mia’s office finally swung open. Mia stepped out with a proud grin, holding two freshly upgraded wristband synchros.
“Upgrades complete,” she announced. “Try them on.”
Kael and Anya strapped their wristbands back in place.
Mia clapped her hands. “Alright, test your gear. Kael, you first.”
Kael nodded.
Kylon shimmered, reverting into a spirit card. Kael held the card, took a breath, and spoke:
“Spirit Drive.”
A surge of blue and white light wrapped around him. When it dispersed, Kael stood clad in his new armor, sleek, detailed, etched with subtle salamander motifs. His gauntlets were smooth, the claws gone, which confused him.
Mia smirked.
“Open your hand quickly.”
Kael snapped his hand open.
FWIP!
Claws made of gleaming blue light extended from his fingertips.
“Now make a fist,” Mia instructed.
Kael curled his hand,
The claws folded back, shifting to the knuckles like condensed light-knuckle blades.
He stared at them, amazed.
“This is incredible, thank y—”
Mia lifted a finger.
“Not done. Try your other armor.”
Kael blinked.
“Oh… right.”
He cancelled Spirit Drive. Kawa flapped down from his shoulder, puffed his feathers, then turned back into a spirit card.
Kael grasped it.
“Spirit Drive.”
A burst of red sparks exploded outward. When the flames faded, Kael wore a red-accented armor with elegant macaw feather motifs. The sword in his hand glowed faintly, now marked with thin luminous lines along the blade.
“Give it a swing,” Mia said.
Kael swung.
FWISH—SHNK!
The sword uncoiled mid-swing, extending into a whip-like bladed chain. As the arc ended, it snapped back, returning to its original double-edged form.
Kael stared in awe.
“How much do I owe you for that extra upgrade?”
Mia waved him off.
“Nothing. My students adore you, and you got hit by a door. Consider it compensation.”
Kael laughed.
Mia then turned to Anya.
“Your turn.”
Anya nodded eagerly. Mischka fluttered off her shoulder, turning into a spirit card that floated gently into Anya’s hand.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Anya held it tightly.
A burst of pink light flared around her. When it faded, she stood in her upgraded armor, sleek silver with pink highlights. Pink goggles rested on her head, their lenses glowing with scanning effects. Her armor featured feather-like accents resembling a sky hawk, the eye symbols glowing neon pink.
In her hands—
A polished sniper rifle with pristine silver plating.
Mia grinned.
“Click the side.”
Anya pressed it.
CH-CHK—SHIFT!
The rifle folded and expanded in seconds, morphing smoothly into a compact assault rifle with the same pink highlights.
Anya gasped, eyes sparkling, then impulsively threw her arms around Mia.
“Mia, thank you! This is amazing!”
Mia stiffened instantly.
“O-okay, no need for physical contact. Your thanks is enough.”
Anya backed away quickly, flustered but beaming.
Kael and Anya cancelled their Spirit Drives. Mischka perched gracefully back on Anya’s shoulder. Kawa and Kylon hopped back onto Kael’s shoulders, clean, proud, and impressed.
Kael and Anya bowed to Mia and the entire smithing course.
“Thank you for everything!”
The students saluted.
“Yes, ma’am, good luck out there!”
And with that, Kael and Anya left the smithing course, upgraded, synchronized, and one step closer to the battles ahead.
Walking along the hallway, Kael finally opened up about what happened in the washroom, about the duel, about James, and about what was truly at stake. As he explained everything, Anya’s steps slowed, shock written across her face.
“Your former bully? The eldest son of the Rui family? If you lose, that’s what happens?” she asked, disbelief tightening her voice.
Kael nodded quietly.
Anya exhaled, then placed a hand on his shoulder with firm resolve. “Okay. Then we’ll make sure you don’t lose.”
Her expression softened, turning into a confident grin.
“Besides.” she nudged him lightly, “we’ve got new gear. That bully won’t see it coming.”
Kael couldn’t help but smile at that.
A couple of days passed, and Kael and Anya kept their training consistent. Every early morning, they jogged several kilometers before heading to the hospital to visit their friends. There, Kael finally told them the truth about his upcoming duel with James, and the consequences if he lost.
Cain listened silently, then placed a hand on Kael’s shoulder. “No matter what happens, you will have our support even if it’s fighting an heir of one of the most powerful families in the world.” Kael then asked Cain to be the referee, and Cain agreed without hesitation.
Every afternoon, Kael and Anya continued their drills in the training grounds, pushing themselves harder than ever.
By the third day, Takeshi had fully recovered. After upgrading his own gear, he immediately joined Kael’s training. His formerly simple teal armor was now a sleek black suit with teal highlights and intricate spider designs. His katana had been reforged, lighter, sharper, faster. Takeshi focused on sharpening Kael’s swordsmanship, refining every movement and stance.
On the fifth day, both Natalia and Kyle made a perfect recovery. They upgraded their gear together with Serafina.
Natalia’s old crimson-accented exosuit had evolved into a streamlined black armor with glowing crimson lines and serpent motifs. A mask covered her lower face, and her twin daggers had transformed into elegant twin sabers.
Kyle’s shadow-tinted armor became a streamlined gray suit with violet highlights, a hood pulled low, and black goggles covering his eyes. Wolf-patterned armor plates lined his shoulders. His scythe, once heavy and unwieldy, had become Kusarigama, faster, deadlier, more flexible.
Serafina’s shining armor with gold patterns had transformed into a refined metal suit with gold highlights and a proud lion motif. Her circlet and saber had been replaced by a lightweight but sturdy shield and a long-reaching spear.
Together, the three joined Takeshi, Anya, and Kael on the training grounds, each helping Kael prepare for the duel against James. With their guidance, Kael’s movements grew sharper, his strikes faster, his spirit stronger.
The duel was approaching.
And Kael was no longer facing it alone.
By the ninth day, with Cain closely observing them, the cadets continued their relentless training to prepare Kael for his upcoming duel. Sweat, shouts, and the clang of weapons echoed across the training grounds, each student driven by a unified goal: to make sure Kael wouldn’t face James unprepared.
After overseeing another grueling session, Cain made his way to General Ryker’s office to give his report.
Inside, Ryker listened intently as Cain explained everything, how the duel was set, how the cadets had thrown themselves into rigid training, and what was truly at stake. The General leaned back in his chair, thinking for a moment, then nodded with quiet approval.
“This duel against one of the heirs of the Rui family,” Ryker said, “has turned into a full-scale training program. A spark that encouraged the cadets to push themselves beyond their limits, it also became a way so that the Rui family will not get their hands one the academy.”
His gaze shifted to a picture frame on his desk, a younger Ryker holding two small boys, both of them unmistakably resembling a young Cain. Ryker’s expression softened.
“This kind of training, even if disguised as a duel… it’ll prepare them for what they’ll face on the front lines.” His voice grew heavy. “I don’t want to lose any more men out there. I don’t want to look at their parents in the eyes and tell them their child is gone. I know how that feels. And you do too, Cain.”
Ryker looked up at him, eyes glistening. The memory struck Cain as well, Abel. His brother. He tried to hold his tears back, jaw tightening.
“Train them well, Cain,” Ryker whispered. “I don’t want what happened to Abel to happen to them.”
Cain Gave a firm nod. “What about the rumors of the duel spreading to the whole Academy?” he asked.
Ryker then looked at Cain, wiping his tears. “Make the Duel official, tell the whole school that this battle will show how the battle course trains their cadets.” Ryker said with a firm tone.
Cain gave a firm nod, saluted, and left the room in silence.
Meanwhile, after another round of intense training, a familiar chime echoed inside Kael’s mind as the system presented his updated status.
[PLAYER STATUS – KAEL SANTOS]
Level: 21
EXP: 300 / 480
HP: 570 / 610
Spirit Energy: 210 / 250
Status: Training
Skill learned: Heat wave, feathered flame.
Skill Evolution: Spirit Pulse — Light javelin.
The system then displayed the statuses of his friends:
[PLAYER STATUS – ANYA COUPRI]
Level: 20
EXP: 300 / 460
HP: 470 / 510
Spirit Energy: 220 / 230
Status: Training
[PLAYER STATUS – TAKESHI SATO]
Level: 21
EXP: 300 / 480
HP: 570 / 610
Spirit Energy: 210 / 250
Status: Training
[PLAYER STATUS – SERAFINA OLIVIERA]
Level: 20
EXP: 200 / 460
HP: 570 / 690
Spirit Energy: 210 / 270
Status: Training
[PLAYER STATUS – NATALIA OLIVIERA]
Level: 22
EXP: 100 / 500
HP: 610 / 700
Spirit Energy: 210 / 300
Status: Training
And then, something unexpected happened.
The system began scanning Kyle—something it previously failed to do.
[SYSTEM SCAN: SUBJECT – KYLE DELOS REYES]
?? Initiating Full Spirit Scan…
…
…
Scan Complete. Displaying Data.
[SUBJECT PROFILE]
Name: Kyle Delos Reyes
Rank: Spirit User – Trainee
Affiliation: Aurora Academy
[COMBAT READINGS]
Level: 25
EXP: 620 / 780
HP: 575 / 630
Spirit Energy: 490 / 520
Status: Training
Kael stared at the data, stunned.
So, the system could scan Kyle, just not back then. He thought for a moment.
Maybe he had been too exhausted?
Or maybe the system glitched?
Whatever the reason, Kael now understood just how powerful his friends are.
And the duel… was getting closer.
