Chapter 3: Einhel Trial 0
For how pristine and technological the expanse of Einhel Keep was as Class VII moved out from their starting zone, it was hard to shake the distinction of the place being all too like some sort of dungeon. Rean, of course, had plenty of experience with this kind of feeling, and found it almost amusing how alike to his investigations of the Old Schoolhouse back on the main campus several years ago had been. Though at least this time, he was sure there wouldn't be some life changing discovery waiting at the bottom of this one.
No, rather, that whatever Professor Schmidt would up and decide would make for an appropriate "test" for him and his new students at whatever whim that man possessed at the moment.
So, to say the instructor was surprised when they were barely even into the next room and were already coming across some monsters, thankfully a pack of Rippers – rat-like but sizable monsters – that hardly looked to be much of a threat, would certainly not be applicable.
"Everyone, stop," Rean put a hand up, his students stopping behind him, the others following his gaze to the roaming Rippers. There was only about four in total. How convenient, thought Rean.
"M-Monsters?!" Juna yelped.
"… right from the start," Kurt noted.
"I can't believe he seriously released monsters down here!" Juna shook her head in disbelief, glancing to Shin as he gave a hum.
"Yeah, but it's just some Rippers. Not exactly the most dangerous thing to fight, so long as you don't let them use any Arts."
"I'm guessing you've done a fair share of monster hunting?" Juna asked, Shin nodding.
"It was the most effective training method available much of the time," Juna could only balk a bit at the casual confirmation of that. Though another part of her did feel a bit assured she could know that Shin knew what he was doing.
"Instructor Rean, what are your orders?" Altina, of course, was all business about it.
"First off, I want to see each of your battle skills," Rean removed his glasses, tucking them into his coat. "Four Rippers, four students. I'll step in if it looks like any of you need help, but for now, let me see how you fight. Sound good?"
"Understood," Altina nodded.
"Wait, are you really gonna make her fight too?" Juna looked to Altina and her Claiomh Solais as the combat shell flashed back into being.
"Hm? I have no issue with combat."
"Let's have some confidence in our classmate, yes?" Shin raised his still-sheathed sword a bit, his left thumb pushing on the guard to ever so slightly edge it out. "I'm ready to fight is Miss Orion is."
"Like I said, I've got your backs if it looks hairy," Rean looked to his students for confirmation, getting nods all around, though Juna and Kurt looked a tad more concerned about things than the downright eager Shin and Altina's ever stoic expression. "Alright then. Stay focused and go!"
In total fairness, as the four students went to each take one of the Rippers for themselves, the one Rean was most assured in being fine was Altina. He knew from plenty of past experience what she could do, and not to mention what Claiomh Solais was capable of.
So, when all Altina did was direct the machine to take one of its bladed arms and slam it into the Ripper, resultingly causing the monster to burst into a puff of light and sepith shards, it was about what he expected.
So instead, he could focus on the three he knew less about.
Kurt was the first he watched. Partly because he was interested in seeing what the young Vander could do currently. And while it seemed Kurt himself thought the almost oblivious Ripper was hardly a worthwhile first showing, the young man certainly wasn't showing it was he got the monster's attention with a quick jab of his long sword.
The startled Ripper attempted to fire off a flame art, but Kurt quickly side stepped it. Rean caught the young man glance his way, but ultimately pay little heed to the instructor's observation as he cut down the Ripper with a quick dual-chop from his swords when it tried to headbutt him in turn. There would be more chances to see what else Kurt could do later. Hard to expect much from such a basic kind of monster.
They would certainly have the time for it.
Juna thusly stood out as intriguing thanks to the nature of her weapon. Contrasting Kurt, who seemed not at all enthused by their first showing being against such weak monsters, despite her earlier protests Juna was certainly more focused as she stepped around the Ripper, testing the waters with jabs from her gunbreakers whenever it got a tad too close to her. And while Rean knew little of the kind of training the Crossbell police academy gave, it was clear Juna certainly wasn't putting on airs about knowing her way around her weapons.
Once an opening showed itself – admittedly not hard to find – Juna set her tonfas parallel as she set her arms across her chest, the weapons taking on a yellow glow. She then rushed forward, slamming the tonfas into the Ripper in a cross-attack that finished the Ripper off in sparks of energy.
Finally, Rean turned his attention to Shin, who had yet to actually strike at the Ripper trying to ram into him, simply stepping around it, getting a read on the monster… or, seemingly waiting for his instructor to look his way instead.
What Rean first took into account was Shin's stance, a far different one than his own. While Rean couldn't quite say he knew of the Eight Leaves having a particular "idle" stance before one struck, Rean preferred a somewhat low stance, keeping his blade low to his hip so his arms could remain somewhat lack.
Shin however was the opposite, his blade raised to eye level, his right hand to the guard and leaving the sword at a slightly slack angle as he kept it forward, his left hand remaining off the hilt but just close enough he could easily grab hold of it even as he moved. It was certainly more defensive looking, clearly meant for quicker parries, and Shin also kept his feet closer together to minimize how much he had to move to dodge quickly.
Rean would certainly call his form good, the practice the younger practitioner had evident in that alone.
Like Kurt though, Rean couldn't clock too much of his overall style, since once Shin seemed aware of Rean's gaze being on him, he cut down the Ripper with a swift downward cut as he dodged the Ripper again.
At the least, they're all capable. But, with Shin… something is ringing familiar about him. All I saw was one move… but it's almost like he's holding back a bit. Kind of like how Fie was back then… Rean kept these thoughts to himself for now. "Alright, not bad for your first battle. Nobody's hurt, right?"
"I'm unharmed," Kurt confirmed, Shin simply giving a nod.
"We're fine, but…" Juna turned attention to Altina. "Um… Altina, right? You, uh… you're not bad."
"You are correct," was all Altina said as she dismissed Claiomh Solais, Juna giving a sigh.
"I can't keep up…"
"I still find it hard to believe that such a thing as combat shells exist," Kurt commented. "And it seems like she's very skilled at controlling it."
"Indeed," Shin added. "Rather intriguing as a weapon, and I doubt Miss Altina has shown us what all it can do. Rippers don't exactly make for the best training dummies I suppose."
"That much is true," Rean stated. "But it's also true that she's younger than the three of you. Since you all seem experienced in combat, I'd appreciate it if you could support her."
"I-I planned to do that from the start anyway!" Juna stated.
"It doesn't seem like monsters will be too much of a challenge," Kurt observed. "So, we shouldn't have any problems."
"Well, at least it'll make our Instructors job easier on showing us how these new Orbments work while we warmup," Shin chuckled, Juna giving him a look.
"This is a warmup for you?"
"And I'm sure Crossbell's 'cutting-edge' weapons will show their worth…" Kurt added, "eventually."
Shin gave a snicker at Kurt's comment, Juna turning her unamused look to both boys, while Kurt simply looked the other way.
"… you have a difficult year ahead of you," Altina remarked, glancing at Rean, who shook his head.
"Don't talk like it doesn't involve you… Come on everyone, let's keep moving. From here on, I'll also be fighting with you so we can make this as quick as possible."
The students nodded and followed as Rean took point again, on alert as they followed the corridor forward, though coming to a stop as they came across a glowing plinth at the end of the bend they'd followed.
"An orbment charging station?" Juna noted, approaching the plinth, hovering a hand above the soft glow of its top surface.
"That's useful," Rean noted. "If things get a bit too dangerous, we should come back here to rest up."
"Well, at least they were nice enough to include them," mused Shin, the snide remark earning affirming sounds from the others.
Continuing on, the room following the passage had yet another gathering of monsters waiting for them. This time, rather than mammalian Rippers, it was only a group of two insect-type monsters, fluttering about on their wings and with beetle-like bodies.
"Insect monsters… they've got pretty hard looking shells," Juna observed.
"They look to be quite fast too," Altina added.
"Carabases, by the look of them," Shin commented.
"Enemies with those traits are best dealt with using Arts," Kurt stated.
"Exactly right, Kurt. Let's try it out," Rean said, pulling out his ARCUS II. "Are you three familiar with how to cast Arts with an Orbment?"
"Can't say I've done much Arts casting," Shin admitted. "Some support types sure, but not really attack Arts."
"I'm used to the Enigma model," Juna said. "But… yeah, never used a lot of Arts before now. Though I'm assuming with this ARCUS model it's… probably different."
"As good a time for us to learn as any," said Kurt. "Instructor?"
"Of course," Rean opened his Orbment, showing the line with his inserted Quartz. "First, let's talk about the Master Quartz. They're a bit special compared to the normal ones you insert into the other slots. They're capable of growing alongside you, improving their effects with time. Master Quartz also let you use a few set Arts as it grows stronger. Otherwise, depending on the type of Quartz you insert, it can decide what Arts you can cast, and a few other things too. And while it won't be relevant now, the ARCUS II has a secondary Master Quartz slot."
"So, once we open the slot, we can gain the benefits of both Master Quartz that are inserted into it?" Shin said, checking his own ARCUS II as he spoke, Juna and Kurt doing the same.
"Yes," Rean nodded. "However, the ARCUS II will prioritize the main one, so the secondary Master Quartz won't provide as many benefits, though any Arts it provides will open up to you. Don't worry about it for now, you'll have plenty of time to figure them out."
"Might I suggest you show us how to use Arts with this model, Instructor Rean?" Altina said.
"Sure," Rean held his ARCUS II out, being surrounded by a soft blue glow, a rune-marked ring appearing around him. "Arts take a bit of time to cast, but they're usually worth it. Its best when fighting to have someone covering an Arts caster so they have the time to channel it. Though, each Art uses some Orbal energy in your Orbment, and once it's out, it'll take some time to recharge. Speaking of cast time… go!"
The ring surrounding Rean vanished, a ball of fire of fire forming in front of his raised ARCUS II, launching forward like a bullet and impacting the first Carabase, the monster screeching as it was lit aflame, only to burst apart into light after another moment. It certainly caught the eye of its companion, which let out an agitated yell before attempting to charge, missing by a mile as the students and instructor dodged.
"Alright, someone else take a turn!" Rean ordered. "Any one of you is fine, just see if you can't get a feel for casting."
"Well, since we can probably assume Miss Orion knows what she's doing, that leaves us three," Shin stated, deflecting the Carrabase with his uchigatana as it went charging at him. "Either of you want a shot at it?"
"It sounds more like you just volunteered yourself by asking us," Juna chuckled, Shin's head snapping to her as he raised a brow.
"He who speaks up first," Kurt added. "Don't worry, we'll cover you… or kill it before you have time to cast."
"Funny," Shin sighed as Juna and Kurt moved ahead of him, raising his ARCUS II as he focused on the Carabase. Going by its color, the Master Quartz I have is of the Time element… so whatever Arts I can currently use are under that branch… feeling a warm sensation bloom at his hand as his ARCUS glowed, Shin found himself surrounding by the same ring of light that had been produced when Rean had cast. Huh… it feels like I already know what Arts the Quartz allows me to use… this ARCUS orbment is rather intuitive.
Shin smirked a bit as the feeling finally settled. Perhaps faster than expected, an shimmering, transparent orb of pale darkness formed in front of Shin, and with a swipe of his ARCUS, the Art was released. The orb rushed forward, leaving a trail in the air as it slammed into Carabase. Though where Rean's Art had instantly finished the first, this one only went careening off to the side, twitching but still living.
"Yeah, figured that might be it," Shin muttered. "Arts were never really my forte…"
"It was a good enough cast," Kurt said, taking his longsword and finishing the Carabase off with a quick stab. "Quick to, at the least. I suppose that's the benefit of a Time aligned quartz."
"Some Arts take longer to cast than others," said Rean. "Even if you're not sure you'd be that good at it, it's best to familiarize yourself with the Arts you can use. It's best to be flexible, especially out in the field."
"Makes sense, I guess," Juna muttered. Then she leaned to the side a bit, "Hey, there's a cubby on the other end of the room! And… I think I see a chest in it. Did they just toss some supplies for us down here or something?"
"Let us make sure," Altina said, the group turning from the corridor that would have led ahead and to the smaller branch on the other side of the room.
Within the cubby it formed was a simple, metallic red crate. Altina took the place of the one opening it, finding little else but a small box inside, much to the clear bemusement of Juna and Shin. However, opening that box revealed that nestled inside of it was a small, glimmering green quartz.
"Not just a quartz, but a rare one as well," Kurt commented, Altina handing him the box. "A surprising find for a simple test."
"I doubt I need to explain much about Quartz," Rean mused. "But, Rare Quartz like that make for a good find. Alongside Arts, they tend to have other beneficial effects. You four can decide who can use it, though considering Altina found it first…"
"I would not advise my installing of this Quartz," Altina quickly cut in. "My ARCUS II is better tuned for Earth and Time Quartz."
"If its tuning for Wind we want, then that would be me," Kurt said, already opening his orbment and promptly inserting the new quartz into the first available slot. "Two of the slots on mine are locked to this type anyway, so I'll likely get the most use out of it."
"Huh, speaking of locked slots…" Juna opened her ARCUS next, "Two of my slots are Space locked, and another is Earth… Shihara, what about you?"
"Two Time slots, one Space slot," said Shin, turning the ARCUS to show the two slots ringed in black and one in silver. "Hm… the Space slot and one of the Time slots are on their own lines."
"Each of your ARCUS IIs were tuned to your specifications before they were sent to you. Aside from meaning some slots are locked to certain elements, it also decided how many lines there are between them," Rean stated. "You might remember how part of the entrance exam was testing your orbal aptitude. That was so they could gather the information to tune your ARCUS units properly."
"Makes sense," Juna commented, everyone pocketing their ARCUS units and getting back to moving on through the Keep.
The next room on their path forward was a deal livelier. A pack of four more Rippers, and one larger monster that looked more like some kind of fleshy plant, made up of a pulsating central stalk with four tendrils writhing from its "head" three more stalks at its base curling in the air as it dragged itself across the floor.
"Ugh…" Juna couldn't help but groan a bit at seeing the new monster. "Another new one huh? Anyone know what that is?"
"An Organ," Shin said looking about as unsettled by the thing as Juna. "Gross, will admit… but they're bodies are soft, making them easy to cut through… and considering three of us here use swords, won't be too much of a problem."
"Yes, but we're also against five in total," Kurt added. "Even numbers, but I feel all of them together will be a bit of a nuisance to fight."
"Hehe, guess it's my time to shine then!" Juna gave her gunbreakers a twirl, aiming them forward in a shooting stance.
"Ah, right," Rean hummed. "We're finally going to see what they can do, I take it."
"Here's hoping they live up to your boasting earlier," Kurt said, Shin giving a slight nod in turn.
"Oh, they will!" Juna smirked. "Just you two watch!"
Juna took aim at the group of monsters once they had gone and nicely bunched up. With a pull of the triggers, a volley of shots roared from her gunbreakers, pelting the monsters with a quick hail of shots.
And while the monsters were scrambling to get their bearings after the surprise attack, Altina was the next to strike, calling Claiomh Solais, which at her direction let loose a thin laser from its "head", raking it across the ground, the line it traced exploding into a line of flames that ripped through the gathered monsters and forced them to disperse, happening to take one of the Rippers in the process.
With the monsters scattered, Juna opened fire again, making sure the monsters could catch their bearings while Rean, Shin, and Kurt moved in. Another of the Rippers popped as Juna was firing on the group, making it easy for the boys to pick their targets.
Shin and Kurt took the last two Rippers, quickly cutting them down in either a rapid quickdraw slash from Shin, or a rapid flurry from Kurt's twin swords.
Rean, otherwise, finished off the Organ with a different sort of move. Returning his tachi to its sheathe, as he began to draw it again, the blade was coated in crimson fire, the flames launching from the blade as a burning arc that rushed for the Organ, slashing through its central stalk in a flash and finishing it off.
"Haha, well? How's that?!" Juna chuckled as she spun her gunbreakers, a proud grin on her face.
"Their suppressive fire capabilities are impressive," Altina said.
"But the trade-off is that the gun function lacks the same power the batons have…" Rean remarked. "I suppose it's all about how you use them. They're very versatile weapons."
"Agreed. Honestly, they're more impressive than I'd imagined," Kurt admitted.
"I've seen my share of interesting weapons back in Iska," Shin added. "But, Miss Crawford's gunbreakers have been probably been the most interesting… so far, anyway."
"Hah! So, you admit it!" Juna clearly was happy to take a win from the swordsmen.
"I was speaking strictly about the weapons," Kurt said. "Their wielder is a separate matter entirely."
"I'm inclined to agree," Shin added.
"Tell me, do any of the fancy sword moves you two know involve pulling your heads out of your asses?" Juna bit.
"I can't say about pulling heads out," Shin countered. "But I can certainly remark on cutting heads."
"Ohhhh, scary~!" Juna faux raised her hands as she chuckled. "Sure your tongue can back up how sharp that sword is?"
"Ohhoho, verbal sparring happens to be one of my pastimes," Kurt could only sigh at seeing the sparks of tension between Shin and Juna.
"Now now, you lot" Rean said, "Focus on the monsters, not each other. We shouldn't have too much more to do, so let's keep moving."
Shin and Juna both huffed, but didn't say anything else as the group set off again. The next room they came to further in wasn't much else than another group of Rippers, which by now were small pickings now that everyone had a solid idea of how they all fought. It was instead the next room that came packing a more interesting foe.
"… another big one," Juna felt a sense of unease about this whole test creeping back up on her as the group stopped.
Prowling the next main room was a sizable enough monster. It was crustacean-like in appearance, covered in a dark brown carapace and two large, spiked claws, though it stomped about on hoofed legs. Its head was large, set with four horns and eight gleaming eyes, while its mouth was spread in a natural grin that was a bit too unsettling for its own good.
"Shoving a Fate Spinner down here is… worrisome," Shin muttered. "They take a lot of punishment and can be… rather aggressive. Not to mention they spit a fluid that's both flammable and… poisonous."
"We're supposed to fight something like that as an initial exercise?!" Juna snapped.
"Now would be a good time to try combat links," Rean said.
"Agreed," Altina nodded, and that certainly drew the attention of the other three.
"Hmm, I've heard of them, a function of the ARCUS model orbment," Kurt stated. "But this will be my first time trying it out."
"Trying them in combat is the best way to learn. First off, let's get things set up," Rean took a moment, looking across the four students. "I'll explain how it works for Juna and Shin. The short of it is that ARCUS units have the ability to synchronize with one another. Through it, you can feel the sensory input and mental impulses of linked users, letting you feel what they're going to do in a fight, and as such respond a lot faster."
"Sounds a bit… invasive?" Juna muttered.
"Actually… the logic for it is sound," Shin said. "I doubt it's anything like full on mindreading… rather, if fighters can share those impulses with each other, it means you can have a group fight far more effectively. Instead of a commander needing to shout orders, they could simply rely on knowing their team has an innate sense of their intention they can appropriately respond to."
"Spot on, Shin," Rean said. "I'm surprised, it sounds like you come a place of knowing. If you don't mind me asking, where did you gain that kind of experience?"
"Haha, well…" Shin scratched the back of his head, suddenly feeling a bit awkward. "Iska isn't exactly the most peaceful place to grow up. I had to do a lot more fighting than someone my age should usually do."
"Sounds like you have some stories to tell," Juna hummed. "Though I'd say now isn't the time for explaining any of it."
"You'll have plenty of time to find out how you all grew up later," Rean chuckled. "For now, let's get the combat links set up. You'll notice the difference once we actually start fighting. Thankfully, activating the link is about as simple as just willing it to happen. The ARCUS' functionality makes it almost instant."
"That easy, huh?" Juna hummed.
"Well, won't know until we try it out," Shin chuckled as he drew his uchigatana, turning to face the Fate Spinner. "Anyone mind if I open this up?"
"God ahead," Rean gestured ahead, Shin nodding.
To open up, Shin got the attention of the Fate Spinner with the same Art he had cast before, the beast letting out a startled screech as it was slammed by the condensed ball of raw time-energy. With parts of its carapace beginning to flake, the Fate Spinner charged, the party dispersed as it barreled ahead.
And immediately, Shin was able to feel a difference as everyone readied themselves. He could tell Rean was planning to hit their foe with the same move he'd used earlier, that Kurt was best analyzing how to get his swords through the gaps in the Fate Spinners carapace. That Juna was thinking of simply smashing her way through that shell, and Altina's directive to Claiomh Solais to charge in and strike. All of it within an instant, and already he felt he knew how best to respond to those intents.
The first blows to land were Rean and Altina's, the Fate Spinner reeling as it was struck by the swathe of crimson flame and Claiomh Solais' blades. As it was stumbling back, Juna and Kurt follow suit, Kurt's blades finding the gaps he could in the Fate Spinner's limbs and leaving deep gashes as he shot by. Juna aimed for the spot where Shin's Art had struck early, further caving in the carapace where it had been weakened with a heavy blow of the tonfa.
And Shin followed suit, returning his blade to the sheathe as he charged, leaping over the Fate Spinner's claw as it tried to slash him. There! His eyes locking on the damage Juna had caused, Shin drew, his blade sparking with dark tendrils as he swung, a swathe of dark orbal energy following his swing as he slashed through the weakened carapace, gouging his way through the shell and out, only dropping to the ground just as the Fate Spinner burst into shards, returning his blade to its sheathe in the same instant.
"Not bad, you guys got it to work," Rean said, looking quite proud of his students already.
"So that was a combat link…" Kurt murmured.
"It felt like I was totally in synch with everyone," Juna said.
"It's certainly something else to just… know what your allies are going to be doing in the same instant," Shin added, Juna nodding along as she gave a hum.
"I detected no issues with linking between our current members," Altina stated. "It appears we will have no issues going forward."
"Yeah," nodded Rean. "Combat linking will be very important for our upcoming battles. Try to use it as often as possible so you get used to the feeling. As for now, that's all the basics of battle. Any questions so far?"
"None from me," said Kurt.
"… me neither," said Juna. "But I can't believe a battle orbment this advanced has already been used in real combat," Juna then looked to Altina. "You seem to know a lot about what's going on. Are you involved with it, somehow?"
"I can't say I'd be surprised if she was," Shin added.
"Now that you mention it, she does seem to know her way around it," Kurt said.
"No," Altina shook her head. "It's simply because I have experience with the previous model. But it would be fair to say that this new model is the result of the tests Instructor Rean and his classmates ran two years ago."
"Oh? I had no idea," Kurt said.
"On top of everything else, you helped make this too?!" Juna sounded outright incredulous about the idea.
"In a way it actually sounds natural," Shin commented. "Considering Thors being a military academy and all, wouldn't it make sense for them to have some students aide in testing new hardware? Besides, I get the sense our instructor is a bit more familiar with things of this ilk than he's mentioned so far."
"Hahaha, spot on," Rean chuckled. "But it wasn't just me. My whole class can take credit for that. We weren't the only ones who operated in the operational tests, either."
"H-Hmph…" One could feel the mood from Juna as she shut her eyes. "For someone called the Ashen Chevalier, you're pretty humble, aren't you?"
"I… don't really think that has anything to do with it," Rean murmured.
"Just can't help but needle him, huh?" Shin hummed, Juna just huffing at him now. Still… for someone with such a grand title, it is a wonder he's so meek about it… then again, if he is one of Master Ka-fai's students… perhaps that's something I should've expected. Still then… I wonder what form it was Instructor Schwarzer was told to master, considering the things I've been told about Master Ka-fai… maybe it could help give me some extra insight…
Shin decided to file that idea back for later.
"Was there something else you wanted to ask me?" Rean's question was pointed more at Kurt, who looked as in thought as Shin had been.
"… No, nothing," Kurt simply shook his head, but it was clear something had been on his mind. "I understand what the ARCUS II can do now. Let's continue."
"Yeah…" Juna said. "I'd rather not be wandering around down here any longer than I need to!"
"The end has got to be close after we've gone so far in… it's probably evening by now too, if I had to guess," Shin added, Juna sighing.
"That long? Sure doesn't feel like it…"
"In that case, let's go," At Altina's prompting, the group began moving again. Though for a moment, Shin caught Altina and Rean lagging behind, though as it was clear they were discussing something, and only briefly at that, Shin found it unimportant. He was tad more focused on simply getting out of this Keep for now. Best not to intrude.
The next couple of rooms along the path weren't worth much, simply a few more Rippers and Carabases yet again. It at the least gave some room to further adjust to the feeling of the new active combat links, but not much beyond that. The next room however, was. Mostly thanks to being greeted by a much larger Organ than previously, even bigger than the Fate Spinner they'd encountered.
"Whoa!" Juna was the first to exclaim at the sight of it. "That's way bigger than anything else we've fought until now!"
"Considering our current fighting strength, it may prove a difficult battle," observed Altina.
"Maybe we'll…" Shin cut himself off. "No, never mind. I'd rather not actively jinx us."
"A smart move," Kurt said, Shin narrowing his eyes at the noble.
"I sure didn't expect them to let something like that loose down here," Rean said.
"Should we back off and search for another route?" Kurt suggested, Rean shaking his head.
"No, we need to face it head-on."
"Head-on?!" Juna yelped. "Are you crazy?"
"Not at all. There are five of us, and we can use combat links. As long as we've got the basics down, we'll definitely be able to defeat it."
"For real…?"
"Well…" Shin spoke up. "I for one feel quite assured in your confidence in us, Instructor. I'd rather not let you down, if that's the case."
"… Very well," Kurt added. "I'm ready."
"Understood, assuming combat stance," Altina, unsurprisingly, was much more clinical about things than her classmates happened to be.
Just in time as it happened, as the engorged Organ had clearly sensed them, letting out a shrill sound as it turned its feelers to face them as the party closed in on it.
"Get ready, everyone! Let's go!"
At Rean's command, the fight begun. The Organ moved to strike first, swinging its feelers downward like clubs on the gathered lot. Rean and Shin struck in turn, their swords cutting through the two feelers with ease, sending the beast reeling away. Kurt was quick to move on the opening, laying into the Organ with a flurry of slashes, ending off with a dual slash that left a good number of gouges in the Organ's fleshy main stalk.
Juna hung back with Altina at first, pelting the Organ with bullets while Altina set Claiomh Solais on it, the combat shell raking its beam fire across the Organ, further causing it to real as the traced beam exploded across it.
The Organ's reply was to ready an art, and it was shockingly quick as it did so, using its sub-stalks to do so, letting loose a trio of fire balls to drive the melee fighters away from it as it roared out again.
Shin happened to be the one who dodged the rain of fire the fastest, darting back towards the Organ with quick dashes that caused him to briefly blink out of sight as he moved. Once he was close enough, he slashed through the Organ's already present wounds, but the beast was quick to try and lash him with its feelers as he moved past it.
Right as it looked he'd get hit, Shin found the blow being stopped by Juna, using her right tonfa to block the feelers as she clocked back her left, slamming it right into the Organ and firing it off at the same instant, driving the shot deeper into it than her earlier suppressive fire had managed.
With the beast trying to back away instead now, Kurt responded next, jabbing his blades into the fleshy beast, ripping them out fiercely enough to earn him a shriek from the Organ as it finally pulled away. And while everyone was ready to strike again, the beast instead folded forward, stopping any kind of movement as its main body buckled.
"Phew…" Juna looked relieved about it, but Shin looked concerned despite the beast seeming to be dead.
"Target has ceased all movement," and despite Altina's affirmation, Shin couldn't really shake the feeling he had.
"Not as strong as I expected it to be," Kurt made his comment as he and Juna turned away, Shin keeping his eyes on the Organ as he followed them, still leaving his uchigatana drawn. Once it seemed clear, only then did he relax a bit, starting to turn away… only for his senses to immediately flare back to full alertness.
"Behind you!" Yet Rean responded even faster as the three students turned, worried looks on their faces as the Organ reared back up, ready to strike again right as their defenses were down.
As it struck, Claiomh Solais appeared before Juna, Kurt, and Shin, vanishing with them right as Rean dashed in, his blade knocking aside the Organ's feelers as its intended strike failed.
And before the Organ could strike again, Rean dashed forward. That single dash turned into a gale-causing flurry, the Organ being struck multiple times so quickly all the other students saw of Rean was a flash of light, before he finally dashed through the beast one more time, his sword aglow as he turned with one more arcing slash that cut right through the Organ's center. And with it reeling, Rean returned his blade to its sheathe.
"Seventh Slash – Falling Leaves!"
And the second that sword was sheathed, the air around Rean began to whip around like a tornado, shredding through the Organ and finally causing it to burst into light as it was truly finished off this time.
"Whoa…" Shin was the only one to verbalize the quiet awe he, Juna, and Kurt felt at the moment. Rean, otherwise, looked to be barely winded as he turned to his students.
"Are you all okay?" he said.
"Y-Yes…" Juna nodded, a small hint of shame in her tone.
"… somehow," and yet it was Kurt who seemed more disappointed in himself at the moment. Shin only nodded, silently stewing to himself it seemed.
"No damage received," said Altina.
"Glad to hear it. Thanks for acting so quickly, Altina," Rean turned to the other three, taking a moment before speaking. "Juna, Kurt, turning your backs to the enemy isn't very smart. Shin, you certainly seemed aware something was wrong, but you also did the same. Don't let your guard down until you've confirmed the enemy is defeated – that's the basic rule of combat."
"… were Nee-san here, she'd have smacked me for making such a mistake," Shin sighed, shaking his head. "Tch… I know far better than this. Dammit…"
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Rean stated. "You're still young, and even if you are experienced in monster hunting, sometimes mistakes happen. They can be tricky like that, even if we know the surefire way is when they vanish."
"We got it," Juna grumbled.
"Apologies… I was caught complete off guard," Kurt said, though Rean then shook his head next.
"No… As the leader, it was actually more my fault. I've still got a lot to learn as an instructor. But that's no excuse. Measuring my skill as an instructor is another one of the reasons for this test. So, I need you guys to watch me and decide for yourselves, too. Whether or not I'm worthy of being Class VII's – no… of being your instructor."
"Oh?" Kurt was the first to say anything, while Juna and Shin remained quiet, but visibly surprised at Rean's words.
"Decide for ourselves…?" Altina repeated the phrase.
"After we finish here, any of you can transfer to any class if you want," said Rean, further surprising his students. "I'll personally talk to the principal on your behalf. How's that?"
The students were silent, only to be interrupted by the crackle of the intercom.
"What are you standing around for?" The rasp of Professor Schmidt's voice split the air. "Quite wasting time and get back to the test."
"You're almost at the end, be careful," said the girl assisting the man.
"Whoops, I guess we talked too much," Rean chuckled. "Let's keep going, stay focused until the end."
"Understood," Altina was the first to follow Rean on ahead, though the other three remained behind for a moment.
"… H-How dare he talk like he knows everything," grumbled Juna. "And again, he…"
"Again?" Kurt said, Shin leaning forward with his own interested look.
"N-Nothing…" Juna shook her head. "But… he wants us to decide if he should be our teacher?"
"Yeah… I suppose I haven't given him enough credit," Kurt admitted. "I've been too arrogant. If I keep this up, there's no way I'll be able to face my father or brother."
"He certainly makes things interesting, at the least," Shin said. "Still… can't help but be disappointed in myself for such a mistake. It's what I get for being cocky as well. I should've trusted my instincts like I've been taught…"
"Yeah, so have I…" Juna nodded along. "There's no point in me being here if I'm just gonna act like this. Anyway, let's go, Kurt, Shin! We can't let this guy keep hogging the spotlight!"
"I agree. We can't let ourselves fall behind Altina, either," said Kurt, Shin giving a chuckle.
"I at least know I was right to trust my feelings about this being interesting… I'm glad to know our instructor can at least set a bar for us to try and clear."
"I can agree to that," nodded Kurt. "It seems like we're near the end. Let's hurry!"
A lesson learned but with some of their confidence renewed, the three hurried ahead to catch up to Rean and Altina, and hopefully, about near the end of this opening trial of theirs.
