Memories: The Test

[Astron - The Training Chambers]

Rouchefort has separated the trainees into two groups.

One is made of Irla, Ash, Ryukka and Allura. And the other is Ryuga, Katie, Ezekiel and Starr. Shiro is sitting down in the corner alone being the only one couldn't bring out his sword. Because of that, Rouchefort intends to be his personal sparing partner.

Rouchefort stands before Irla's team and raises a barrier that separates the chamber in two.

"Now then. Yesterday was child's play but I doubt today will be. There are ninety-eight weapons hidden within Astron. Some of them are ancient -runes, some magic artifacts or relics if I may say. I want each of you to summon at least three. The one with the largest energy reserves will choose their opponent from any of the Necromarcs." He said, turning his gaze towards the other team.

"Now, you better get started, you only have nineteen minutes left." Rouchefort leaves an hour glass with the sand already signaling limited time.

He draws a magic circle on the floor before the other team as he walks to them. A circular red carpet appears when the glowing dissipates.

"Meditation is now in session. Please sit down everyone." He gestured for them to sit with him standing in the middle. And the boys followed suit.

"Does anyone know why your swords are called Necrozmaz blades?" He asked looking around for an answer, but no one seemed to know so he continued to explain.

"Your swords choose you when you're at you're most desperate and on the verge of death. Additionally, it means you also have immense talent and potential. To bring it out, you will need to replicate the very same emotions as when it came to you within your heart. Only then can you set your own bonds and conditions with them." He looked around to see if everyone is following. Then he continued.

"Right now I want you to empty your minds and get into your subconsciousness. Seal of your energy and try to bring out your swords. How you do that is for you to figure out. Show me your talent within the shortest time possible. Now begin." With that he left the chamber and gestured for Shiro to follow him.

Ryuga like the others follows the advice given by Rouchefort.

Slow deep breaths with his eyes closed. He let the world around him go silent, suppressing his external senses and focussing on his heartbeat. Little by little, he could feel himself falling into a deeper state of calmness. With his mind cleared, he slowly his heartbeat. His made his blood thicker causing his body to fall into a state near death.

Blue ohra covers him like a sphere, and slowly it becomes stronger the longer it seeps out of him.

Irla, her hands are spread out with magic circles beneath her feet and around her arms. She is standing on the other side of the barrier with two magic artifacts on the floor beside her. She senses the suffocating torrent of ohra filling the space and turns her gaze to the other.

Seeing Ryuga 's ohra spreading out, she activates her Axis Star.

"Axis-Star Space. Fortify…"

Like transparent plastic coating glass surface, the space around Ryuga becomes distorted, sealing him in a cocoon of of separated and space that is constantly multiplying to keep his energy around him.

Ryuga opens his eyes, and they are glowing white. "Now transcend, resemblance!" A magic circle appeared above Xicor and the sword Ryuga held that day in Arcadia descended from it. The resemblance.

He stretches his hand and grabs it. The energy around him gets absorbed into the resemblance and it flickers. The barrier of space around Ryuga shatteres and he swings the resemblance sending a shockwave across the chamber.

Irla looks surprised for a moment and deactivates her Axis Star.

"Ryuga, are you okay?—" Ash asks him with a worried expression but is cut off the other necromarcs, when as if on cue, summon their swords.

"He's fine. His energy was just let loose for a moment." Irla explains to the others.

"Ryuga, you'll be my opponent for the sparing match." Irla challenged Ryuga, something that was unexpected.

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[Past Evening]

The throne room.

Irla, Rouchefort and the alchemist are standing before his majesty Zarten Reign.

"So? What kind of training do you think is most effective?" Zarten asked them.

"It will be best if they are forced into a position that will force them to use their powers. That way they will be more accustomed to the blades." Irla gave her reasoning.

" If his majesty will allow it, I can take them all at their best by next month." Mavis spoke looking at Rouchefort.

"Whatever his majesty wishes, shall be done." Rouchefort avoids supporting either points.

"Mavis, your methods are usually a guaranteed success, but they are not a good idea now. As for you Irla. You may try yours and see how far you go."

"Yes father."

"You may leave us." Mavis and Irla left.

"I have no intention of training them too hard." Zarten spoke looking at Rouchefort, who became confused.

"I want them to know peace, that way they will push themselves to protect it at all costs. You are to make that happen." Zarten explained with a smile on his face.

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It's been some time since everyone has been waiting for Rouchefort to come. And like and answered prayer, he walks in with Shiro looking like a child traumatized by a nightmare.

"Now then, your sparing matches will begin. Today Ash will go up against Ezekiel. But we'll be using a much more complex and larger chamber than this. This way please." Everyone followed him to one of the towers of Astron.

He pushed the doors open and walts right in casually. His footsteps echoing. The fire sticks light up one by one as he walks in further.

They follow him silently into the lower depths of the tower. Large iron doors come into their sight and Rouchefort opens them with sheer brute force. Behind is a huge hall with safe eoom on one end.

"I hope you won't hesitate to unleash your best here. Unlike the academy, I have only one rule. Fight to your best without killing." Rouchefort teleportats everyone into the safe room but Ash and Ezekiel to the centre of the hall.

"Somehow it feels like he became a man of few words overnight. But ohh well." Ash speaks summoning two daggers in his hands.

"Then we better make this as short as possible." Ezekiel responds by taking battle stance, with the judgement.

Ash charges with his left dagger aiming at Ezekiel 's abdomen but vanished and as if instantly, he appears from behind with his right dagger targeting the neck.

Ezekiel responds with the same speed by swinging his judgement to block the dagger. Sparks fly when the two clash. The resulting force sends Ash metres away and lands on his lightly feet.

"I've seen how psychics fight before. I just have to keep you at a distance and your only choice is to attack my mind." He makes a simple statement and points judgement to Ash.

"I have brought into existence a kind of law that will ensure my safety regardless of the circumstances. In simple, you've already lost."

"An impossible challenge. You're treating me like someone I know."

Ash dashes and appears just by Ezekiel. The judgement comes slashing but he dodges and swings on it with one dagger, and attacking from below with the other.

Ezekiel grabs the dagger and throws Ash away like a ragdoll with sheer brute strength. Ash crushes into the wall but before he could come to his senses Ezekiel was holding him by the neck. He became immobilised but it wasn't by neck grip.

The judgement was embedded in his abdomen. Pinning him to the wall.

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