I woke to the sound of a door slamming shut. Since our room had no windows, and the blue orbs gave off a steady light regardless of whether it was day or night, it wasn't immediately clear what time it was. Luckily, I had a solution for that. Time.

Time: 6:23 a.m.

The first class, Swordcraft, was in half an hour. I sat up and glanced to the side.

When I had come back to the Academy yesterday, I had found a large partition made of opaque, crystal panels set up between the two halves of the room. The panels slid in the middle of the partition to provide an opening, and the entrance was currently partially ajar.

I could make out purple curtains or sheets within the other section of the room. I think they had replaced the entire bunk beds. Alanna and Naisha had both spent most of the evening hauling large bags of clothing and furnishings into the room, depositing much of it into the storage lockers.

Our side of the room was still as bare as before. I had no belongings of worth other than Terminus, and Five didn't seem to, either. Technically, everything I owned belonged to the clan, anyways, which reminded me of the bounty.

After agreeing to Empress Shih's demands, I had brought up the matter of the royal bounty. She had said she would take care of it, and she already knew where Elder Gri was staying when I mentioned she could direct the gold to him. I had returned to Elder Gri for the rest of the evening, mostly spent listening to him reminisce about the clan's former glory, before returning to the Academy later in the night.

I touched the scabbed sides of my head. I still hadn't had time to go to the infirmary. I would make time after today's class, finally. The door to the washroom slid open again, and Alanna came out, wearing a gold-trimmed silver robe. Her long hair was braided again, and she bore no signs of having gone through the exam yesterday.

"Morning, Talen," she said.

I nodded back to her, but she was already disappearing into her half of the room.

No one made a frantic dash for the washroom, so I got out of bed to prepare for the day. Half an hour later, I was in back in the Homeroom, along with all the others, waiting for Ikari.

The double doors slammed open as we milled about. Everyone stopped and watched as our gray-skinned instructor strode into the room, bare-chested as before. The top knot on his head swayed back and forth as he surveyed us. He clapped twice.

"Sit," Ikari commanded.

We took our seats as before on the ground.

"I'll be the instructor for your class in Swordcraft," Ikari said.

The tall instructor crossed his arms in front of him, one eyebrow half-raised, his mouth a cross between a smirk and a frown. I had the impression that he wasn't particularly excited about teaching us.

"First, let me explain how classes work. Each class you take will appear in your Index with the current level of completion. You can take a maximum of four classes at a time, one for each Swordgeist. It should be obvious that this class is sponsored by Kizen the Warrior."

A few students began asking questions, but Ikari held out his hand to quiet them. "Wait," he said. "While taking a class, the Swordgeist will lend you a portion of their strength. At Swordcraft I, you should be able to blend a small amount of their qi into your own, enough to produce something like this."

He held up his hand. A slim speck of golden qi coalesced between his index finger and thumb into the shape of a needle. He snapped his wrist and sent the needle flying into the dark gray stone at his feet. The needle quivered from the force of the impact, about an inch of its length stuck within the hard material.

I waited for the needle to dissipate. Qi that was cut off from its owner would naturally disperse. But the needle remained, much like the nine golden swords that Ikari had demonstrated yesterday.

Ikari held out his hand, and the needle jumped out of the ground and into his palm before vanishing.

"Condensed sword qi," Ikari said, "is permanent and stable, unlike the brief liquid stuff that you now use. Your goal is to one day create your own sword of pure sword qi, like this."

A golden sword, the same as he had shown yesterday, appeared above his head. It cut a helical pattern in the air, then disappeared.

"Or at least it should be," Ikari said. "Don't listen to the others. If you master one class alone, master Swordcraft. That's all you need to ascend to the Sword Realm. Other than pass through the Hidden Realm first."

I tried to piece together the full meaning of his words. The Sword Realm was beyond the Hidden Realm. That was what Ikari probably was, a rank within the Sword Realm. And, if I was understanding correctly, crafting a sword was crucial to advancing that far. Our goal, then, would be swordcrafting, quite literally.

"A question for you." Ikari gestured, and the now familiar blue letters appeared.

Which of the following is the most important attribute of a sword?

A) Balance.

B) Strength.

C) Sharpness.

D) Reach.

It was a simple question, yet somewhat absurd. There was no single most important attribute. And a sword's power was as much dependent on the wielder of the sword as the sword itself. I frowned as I reviewed the choices.

A timer appeared, counting down from ten seconds.

"Quickly!" Ikari shouted.

I tried to rationalize an answer for the poorly defined question. A sword artist could manipulate a weapon's effective balance, strength, sharpness, and even reach with his qi. Of all of these, reach was the most difficult to extend by qi alone, which is why a knife would generally lose against a full sword. Although if you could create this type of permanent condensed sword qi...

I was going about this all wrong. Ikari's question yesterday had seemed like a ham-fisted way to make a point. I considered the current question again. Hadn't he harped on balance the other day?

Final answer, A.

+1 xp. Total: 1116 xp.

I had guessed Ikari's intent correctly, but one exam point? The Assignment had mentioned something about reduced points. Assignments.

Assignment: Kill Empress Shih.

Until completion of the assignment, all further exam points gained will be reduced. After completion, the lost exam points will be restored two-fold.

I glanced to my left, where Five sat. He his brows furrowed when he saw me looking at him. I shook my head slightly and turned instead to Alanna on my right.

"Did you get five points for that?" I whispered to her.

"Yes, why?" Alanna asked. "That was an easy one. You must have gotten it."

"Nothing," I said. "Just checking something."

This Assignment was more blessing than curse at the moment, holding back my progress. The doubling bonus would make it worthwhile, if I managed to make it that far. I hated the idea of having it hang over my head, even if I could squeak out some minor advantage by delaying the resolution for longer. At least I had received a hundred points for receiving the Assignment, or I would quickly fall behind the others..

The chatter around me grew louder. Some of the students were muttering, clearly unhappy with the result of their answers. These were the best remaining young sword artists in all of Sanctum, if not most of the Empire. Pampered nobles, too. They likely hadn't been told very often that they were wrong.

Ikari raised his voice to cut through the rising noise. "Do you think a Blade Divinity wields their sword the same way as a mortal? Does a farmer fight with his pitchfork like you do?"

A single golden sword appeared hovering in the air in front of him, its blade pointing outward. It circled lazily around him.

"As you rise through the ranks, only one thing will remain with you to the end. Balance."

A second golden sword appeared, opposite the first, both spinning about him now like two spokes of a wheel. A third appeared, then a fourth, fifth, and sixth. Soon, nine golden swords spun about him. The blades whirled faster and faster until they blurred, smearing into a yellow ring of death.

Ikari's feet took on a golden hue, and he, along with the spinning ring of blades, levitated above the floor. By this point, I wasn't surprised by such things. I wondered if he could mimic the Swordgeists and fly like them, too.

The ring began rotating slowly on its other axis, flipping over the gray-skinned man. The new rotations sped up along this second axis until a sphere of translucent golden light enveloped Ikari.

Balance, he had said. Offense and defense together. Speed and power combined, with neither compromised. The traditional concept of reach was obsolete against someone encased within an impenetrable shell of death.

"I want one of those," Alanna said.

Naisha whistled softly. "Too bad I can't steal that."

Five was quiet, but when I look in his direction, his black eyes gleamed with hunger.

The golden shell disappeared, and Ikari's feet gently landed on the floor again.

"Impressed?" Ikari asked. "That's a basic technique."

The hushed silence ended as soon as another question appeared, the sounds of awe at the marvel we had just witnessed giving way to moans and mutters.

Which of the following is the most important attribute of a sword artist?

A) Knowledge.

B) Will.

C) Focus.

D) Growth.

I generally considered myself patient, the result of my elders' years of strict and strenuous training, but even I was a little annoyed with the simplistic, vague questions from Ikari. I preferred questions with clear right and wrong answers. I could appreciate nuance, but in the end, only life and death mattered in a battle, not the shadows in between.

But Ikari was the closest thing to a Swordgeist that we could interact with. I couldn't deny his power, and I'd be a fool not to listen to him, even if didn't quite agree with his teaching style.

Another ten-second timer, the same as before, started counting down as I searched for a conclusion. From a broad, philosophical perspective, I could have argued the case for any of the answers. Once again, I would resort to examining the questioner, rather than the question.

What did the Swordgeists value most? Absolute power. Superiority. Ikari had stated explicitly that the aim of the Academy wasn't to raise up a group of great sword artists. It was to raise up the greatest one. It wasn't hard to believe that a single Blade Divinity would be worth an army of lowly sword artists. A mere trio of Swordgeists, after all, had irrevocably altered humanity's course. Four, if we ever found out more about the one called Hamu.

In that case, growth, both its potential and realization, would rank first among those attributes. D, Final answer.

+1 xp. Total: 1117 xp.

A single exam point. Again.

Finding the correct answer wasn't particularly satisfying, and not just because of the meager exam points rewarded. This type of soft logic was irritating. I would have thought that a class in Swordcraft would have been more pragmatic.

A few other students sighed extra loudly. Others cursed under their breath. To my left was Five, who had a smug expression, but that was hardly unusual for him. Alanna, on my other side, had a cheery smile, and Naisha next to her was frowning.

"Some are making progress. All are bored. Very well, on to the next demonstration." Ikari held out his hand.

A sword, this one nearly black, appeared in his hand. The blade was wider than a traditional sword with a slight contour, similar to a saber but with two cutting edges.

Ikari continued. "In Swordcraft, you'll learn three things. One, how to condense your qi. Two, how to manipulate condensed sword qi. Three, how to wield sword qi in a fight. This is a Forged blade, a training tool for the last two points."

Ikari swung the sword down sharply. I blinked. I could have sworn that the blade was longer now than when it had first appeared.

"A Forged blade is a diluted form of sword qi from the Swordgeists themselves," Ikari said. "It can't be wielded with the full power of pure sword qi, but it can be used by someone other than the creator. In this case, for swordshifting." Ikari raised his voice in a challenge. "Who will cross blades with me?"

The entire class stood as one with raised hands, myself among them.

Ikari grinned. "All so eager for my blood? Who will give up a hundred exam points for the privilege?"

I hesitated. From every indication, exam points would be used to reward progress. I was already under the restriction of the curse-like Assignment. While fighting a superior sword artist and surviving was an exceptional educational opportunity, against someone of vastly superior skill, it could also be a complete waste of time.

Many of the students sat back down. I was going to sit as well, unwilling to make a bullheaded move for curiosity's sake, until I realized none of the others on my team were sitting. Despite my reservations about some of them, I had to hold back a smile. In the face of their spirit, how could I not join them? I remained standing at their side.

Ikari scanned the group of students. "Only one team stands together. You four, come here."

-100 xp. Total: 1017 xp.

He hadn't been lying about the point deduction. Still, none of us complained as we made our way towards the center of the Homeroom where Ikari waited. In fact, Alanna's smile widened even further.

The other students moved off further to the side as we stood opposite Ikari. The four of us drew our swords, me with Terminus, Five with his military weapon, Alanna with her greatsword, and Naisha with her twin short swords.

Ikari's gray eyes twinkled. "Four eager babes who barely hold a sword."

No one replied, but I could sense the others' irritation at his condescension.

"Behold," Ikari said as he held up his dark, glittering weapon. "A Forged blade, a gift of the Swordgeists themselves, imbued with their own lifeblood."

Ikari slashed into the empty air between us, the sword's wide blade extended into a thin straight edge shaped in the form of a katana. He swirled it and pointed the katana downward. The blade shortened while its handle lengthened until it was no longer even a sword but a glaive. He spun the glaive once by the middle of its shaft, and a second blade appeared.

I would have previously dismissed a double-bladed glaive as an impractical weapon, but now, I wasn't so sure. Ikari whirled the weapon around his body, then bent the middle together with both hands to transform it into a two-handed longsword.

The gray-skinned instructor was a magician, reducing the blade to a short sword, then a dagger. He threw the dagger at us, and I crouched ready, to parry the attack, but then the dagger was jerked backward by a chain from its end. Ikari reeled the chained weapon back, holding a length of chain between his hands as he spun the knifed edge. The spinning stopped, and he was holding a scythe. Finally, the scythe retracted to return to the original shape of the Forged blade.

"That should be enough." Ikari pointed to us. "Attack. One by one or all at once. It doesn't matter."

Alanna glanced over at us. "Together?"

Five stepped forward. "Just don't hold me back."

Naisha rolled her eyes. "This guy."

"You two flank him," Alanna said. "Naisha, at my side."

I nodded in agreement. An asymmetric attack would stretch an opponent on two fronts: power against the doubled attack and speed in responding to three directions. Not that we had any hope of defeating Ikari. But we could still make a strong showing.

Five and I moved to surround Ikari, who stood straight with locked joints in what was hardly a fighting stance.

"When you're ready," Ikari said, pretending to yawn.

Alanna opened her mouth to give the signal, but Five leaped forward a fraction of a second earlier.

The pale soldier attacked with a crazed frenzy, his blade a blur of vicious slashes without seeming to care who else he cut. I held back, unsure if Five would coordinate his attacks or not.

Meanwhile, Ikari shifted slightly, holding the Forged blade with his left hand to block Five's strikes with small, deft motions.

Five swung at Ikari, who blocked him as usual, but this time, the tip of Five's sword shot out, the twin chains streaming behind it. I shifted to move further away from the path of Five's attack, but the chain and tip glowed yellow and curved sideways, moving to wrap around Ikari.

Ikari was impossibly fast. One moment, he was standing still with the chains about to snare him. The next, he was outside the enclosing chains. His arm blurred. Five grunted and tugged, the golden lines of his hand's qi etchings flaring brightly along with his sword, but Ikari held onto the two chains in a closed fist.

"Interesting," Ikari said. "A corrupted form of sword qi. Your alchemists are coming along. Yet still so far away." He released the chains. Five's sword retracted back to its single form.

Five renewed his attack with an almost maniacal intensity. His body glowed yellow, and his strikes followed each other faster and faster, each meeting Ikari's Forged blade with a thunderous crash. I had to remind myself that he, too, was a Grandmaster now.

The noisy fight came to a sudden halt. Five's own blade was caught within Ikari's weapon, which had forked into a two-branched sword. Ikari twisted his wrist while delivering a kick to Five's shoulder.

A sickening crunch made it clear that Ikari had broken bone. Five still held onto his sword, his whole body spinning from Ikari's twisting motion. He landed on the ground and leaped away, holding onto his blade despite the arm hanging at a strange angle.

"You were supposed to let go," Ikari observed. His blade snapped back to its original configuration.

Five's eyes flashed in defiance, but he kept silent at the rebuke, verbal and otherwise. For with such a vast difference in power, Ikari would have only injured Five deliberately. I had barely seen what had happened, but I could guess.

Ikari must have sought only to disarm Five. When Five stubbornly refused to surrender his weapon, Ikari had likely changed his mind and delivered the force necessary to break his shoulder. The interaction between teacher and student would have occurred in an instant.

I had little sympathy for Five. It was his own fault. In a real duel, Five's refusal to retreat would have been a tactical mistake that could have cost him a hand or more. If he had been counting on the instructor's mercy, he had been mistaken.

I exchanged glances with Alanna, who met my eyes with a slight nod. The remaining three of us attacked. With Five incapacitated, it was a two-pronged fight, with myself on one end, and Naisha and Alanna on the other. The two half-sisters fought side by side, presenting themselves as a single unified fighting front, rather than two separate fighters. Strikes followed counterstrikes with perfect coordination. A block from one occurred simultaneously with an attack from the other.

The two of them had clearly practiced this style of parallel swordplay, as it would have been impossible for me to do the same with a stranger. I did my best, though, to take advantage of Alanna and Naisha's pressure, trying to time my attacks to coincide with one of theirs. Unsurprisingly, my best efforts failed.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy the fight. For the first time since reaching the rank of Grandmaster, I could unleash myself fully without fear of harming Ikari. I relished in the new strength, sending surges of qi through my body at the same time that I fueled Terminus.

I didn't know what Terminus' limit was in terms of storing my qi, but, for once, I threw caution to the wind and emptied as much of myself as I could into its resonant chamber. The next time Ikari blocked me, Terminus exploded with golden light. Ikari's Forged blade, usually an unmovable bar of defense, was jolted backward by a fraction of an inch.

Ikari gave an approving look before sending his sword's point shooting out toward me. I scrambled away to avoid getting skewered.

On the other side, Alanna swung downward, her greatsword burning with yellow flames. The floor shattered where she struck, sending up a shower of broken stone. Ikari's Forged blade widened like a spreading fan to deflect the debris, even as he neatly sidestepped the explosive force from Alanna's attack. The fan-shaped blade narrowed into a short sword to block Naisha, just as she attacked with her twin blades.

Alanna had stepped backward, a regretful expression on her face as she stared at the rend in the stone floor, but Ikari called out to her, barely paying any attention to Naisha or me.

"Don't worry," Ikari said. "No penalty for that."

Alanna rejoined the fight as Naisha trapped Ikari's blade between hers and tugged with a fierce cry, her swords and body wreathed in golden qi.

"Now!" Naisha yelled.

Alanna swung for Ikari's head. I aimed for his hamstrings.

Ikari's Forged blade flowed like liquid metal out of Naisha's grasp, reforming into a sword to stop Alanna's blade, then reshaping itself once more to stop mine.

Ikari didn't rely on pure speed to block our attacks, although I suspected that he could have gone that route. Instead, he was sparse with his movements. The Forged blade in his hand, though, changed shape instantly and continuously, extending, shrinking, forking, folding.

The weapon was a living thing, blocking every attack with a change of configuration. A section of the handle elongated in an instant to block my low chop. The blade curved, then bent at a right angle to meet two quick attacks from the others.

Ikari himself barely moved his hands or arms, other than to twist slightly one way or the other to deal with the attacks from both sides. He wasn't our opponent, as much as the Forged blade itself.

All three of us stopped our attacks at the same time, somehow reaching a consensus without speaking.

Ikari lowered his Forged blade. "So, what have you learned today?"

"That swordshifting is cheating," Naisha blurted out.

Alanna nodded eagerly. "That swordshifting is amazing."

"That our instructor is merciful," Five added. His eyes were downcast, but his voice barely hid his anger.

Ikari raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Go to the Infirmary after class. They'll deal with you."

Ikari's gray eyes finally rested on me. He clearly expected me to say something.

What had I learned? That this class wasn't quite what I had expected, a paradoxical mix of trite platitudes and jaw-dropping displays of power. That our instructor was better suited to hands-on teaching, not bland pedagogy. I couldn't quite say that out loud, though. I considered my words with care.

"That balance and growth are the foundation of swordplay. That a sword translates measured change into victory."

Ikari's eyes narrowed. He stared at me for a moment, then grunted. "There's one in every class."

I sheathed Terminus while trying to look as innocent as possible. I had simply tried to put together the type of truism he might appreciate.

Ikari raised his hand in the air for a second, and new words appeared in my sight.

Which of the following statements best reflects the nature of swordshifting:

A) It confers a clear advantage to the wielder of the technique.

B) It is a potent technique adaptable to diverse circumstances.

C) Careful instruction is the fastest path to its mastery.

D) That balance and growth are the foundation of swordplay. That a sword translates measured change into victory.

I found myself having a small change of heart. I sympathized with the hotheaded Five now, just a little bit. Ikari was obviously a sword genius, but his teaching methods left something to be desired.

D, final answer.

+1 xp. Total: 1018 xp.