Morning Mayhem
The sun had barely begun to rise when Kaida’s peaceful slumber was shattered.
“GET UP, RUNT!”
Kaida bolted upright, heart pounding, tangled in the silk sheets of his oversized bed. His face twisted in confusion and fear. “Wha—what time is it?!”
The bathroom door slammed open, and Temu Zennen’s voice echoed like a war drum. “You’ve got three minutes to wash the sleep off, or I’m dragging you outside smelling like a corpse.”
Kaida stumbled into the shower, barely coherent, letting the warm water wash over him. Just as the comfort started to settle in—
The curtain whipped open.
“HEY!” Kaida yelped, scrambling to cover himself. “Get out!”
Temu stood with arms folded, utterly unbothered. “You think I care about seeing some teenage twig flail in the water? You need to learn how to keep composure in awkward situations. You think the battlefield’s gonna wait for you to feel comfortable?”
Kaida’s eyes widened. “Are you serious right now?!”
“Dead serious.” She grabbed the towel and tossed it at him. “Training started five minutes ago.”
“I—You said I had three—” he tried to protest, but she wasn’t having it.
“Now you have zero.” She yanked him by the arm—still dripping wet—and practically hurled him into the bedroom.
Kaida dressed in record time, cheeks burning red the entire time. Not once did Temu leave the room. She leaned against the wall with a smug expression as he threw on his training gear.
“Geez, you’re insane…” he muttered.
Temu smirked. “Thank you. Now move.”
By the time Kaida arrived at the training yard, his head was still spinning.
The others were already there: Alric, Seraphina, Lorien, and Princess Lysara. All in formation, chatting quietly as they waited.
“Morning,” Alric greeted with a grin. “Let me guess. Sensei gave you a rough wake-up call?”
Kaida sighed. “You have no idea.”
Temu clapped her hands. “Alright, shut it, lovebirds. Gear up!”
Several attendants wheeled out racks of weighted training gear—metal-plated tunics, bracers, greaves, and chest guards that looked both medieval and monstrous.
“This gear’s designed to simulate heavy armor,” Temu said. “You’ll learn to fight, move, and breathe while wearing it. Because if you can’t handle a little pressure now—don’t bother showing up on the real battlefield.”
As the team approached the gear, Temu pulled Alric aside.
“Voss,” she said in a low voice. “Kaida’s set is heavier than the rest. Special weight. Don’t tell him. But if he starts lagging, help him. Quietly.”
Alric raised a brow. “That’ll slow him down.”
She nodded. “Exactly. I want to see how long he keeps up.”
Alric smirked. “You’re evil.”
“Thank you.”
Back with the team, Kaida struggled to lift one of the bracers.
“Damn,” he muttered. “This stuff weighs a ton.”
“Need a hand?” Alric offered, kneeling beside him.
Kaida blinked. “Uh… sure. Thanks.”
As Alric lifted one of Kaida’s arm guards, his eyes widened slightly. This thing is way heavier than mine… He glanced at Temu, who made a small two-finger gesture—Stay quiet.
“…Alright, buddy,” Alric said, hiding his surprise. “Let’s get this strapped on.”
Kaida nodded, still oblivious. “Thanks, man.”
Once everyone was suited up, Temu barked again.
“Alright, worms. Today’s warm-up is light.”
Everyone visibly relaxed.
“Just 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10 km run. With your gear.”
Kaida’s heart dropped. “What kind of hell is that?!”
“No talking!” she snapped. “Move!”
The team dropped down and got to work. The sound of grunting, huffing, and armor plates clanking filled the training yard.
Seraphina groaned mid-push-up. “This is light?!”
“I’m pretty sure my ribs are breaking,” Lorien muttered.
Kaida’s arms were on fire by rep 40. Sweat poured down his face, his arms trembled, but he refused to quit. If they can do it, I can too.
Lysara, who had kept a steady rhythm the whole time, glanced sideways. “Focus on form,” she whispered. “Not speed.”
“Trying,” Kaida panted.
Next came squats.
Kaida’s legs screamed with every rep. His gear felt like it was made of lead.
Alric jogged beside him during the run, easily keeping pace. “You’re doing good,” he said between breaths. “Keep breathing steady.”
“Easy for you to say,” Kaida grunted. “You’re not carrying a damn car on your back.”
“…Nope,” Alric muttered under his breath, throwing a side glance at Temu.
The 10 km run felt eternal.
Kaida stumbled once, nearly collapsing, but a firm hand caught his shoulder—Alric again.
“Come on,” he said. “No shame in slowing down. Just don’t stop.”
“Yeah… yeah, alright,” Kaida gasped, pressing on.
When they finally finished, everyone collapsed onto the training field, panting and drenched in sweat.
Temu strolled past them casually, arms behind her back.
“You’re not dead. That’s a good start.”
Kaida rolled onto his back. “This… is your idea of light?”
She snorted. “Wait until tomorrow.”
They didn’t even get ten minutes before she called out again.
“Up! Now we move to weapons training!”
Wooden racks were wheeled out, filled with a variety of practice weapons—swords, spears, axes, bows, and more.
“Pick what you think suits you,” Temu said. “Don’t waste my time.”
Kaida blinked at the display. “Wait—we just… choose?”
“Did I stutter, runt?”
He raised his hands. “Alright, alright.”
Everyone else moved confidently.
Alric grabbed a longsword.
Seraphina picked dual daggers.
Lorien selected a staff infused with faint runes.
Lysara went for a finely-carved rapier.
Kaida stared, overwhelmed by options. He picked up a longsword—too heavy. A spear—awkward.
Then his eyes landed on a sleek wooden katana. He held it in his hand.
The moment he did, a glowing interface popped up in front of his eyes.
Class Unlocked: Samurai – Level 1
Style: Precision. Speed. Resolve.
Specialization: Countering. Quick Draws. Mana-Based Blade Arts.
Weapon Proficiency: Katana
Next Rank Requirement: Train with the blade 200 times / Land 50 hits in combat.
“Whoa…”
Kaida read further, pausing when he saw one line grayed out.
Magic Element: Unknown
Temu walked by and noticed the screen. “Hmph. Samurai, huh? Fancy.”
Kaida frowned. “There’s a section for magic here… but it’s blank.”
Temu stopped.
“Of course it is. You haven’t awakened your mana yet.”
“Mana?” Kaida tilted his head.
She rolled her eyes. “Right. Forgot you’re from the land of no clue. Everyone here is born with mana. It’s your life force—your energy. Think of it like an invisible muscle. Without proper training, it’s useless.”
Kaida leaned forward, curious. “So… how do I train it?”
Temu smirked.
“Allow me to demonstrate.”
She stepped forward, raising her hand slowly. A pale yellow aura began to swirl around her.
“This,” she said, “is raw mana. It’s the base state of magic before it takes form.”
The air around her shimmered. She snapped her fingers—and the mana sparked into a blazing flame in her palm.
Kaida’s eyes widened.
“You’re born with an element,” she continued. “Fire, water, wind, earth—depends on the person. Some need support items to unlock theirs—crystals, scrolls, mana rings…”
She clenched her fist. The flame vanished.
“But rare cases—like me—can manifest it naturally.”
Kaida stared in awe. “That’s… insane.”
“Keep training,” she said, turning away. “If you’ve got the spark, it’ll come.”
She clapped her hands again. “Break’s over! Back to training! Weapons drills now!”
The team groaned but rose to their feet. As they paired off, Kaida moved beside Lysara.
“Hey,” he said, raising his practice katana. “Wanna help me not suck?”
She smirked. “Only if you don’t cry when I hit you.”
Kaida chuckled. “No promises.”
As the afternoon sun cast long shadows over the training field as Temu barked out the next round of instruction.
“Pair up! We’re going to see how much you’ve learned!”
Kaida, still catching his breath from earlier drills, looked around until Temu’s eyes locked onto him.
“Runt,” she called, tail flicking. “You’re with Alric.”
Kaida’s expression twisted. “Why do I feel like you’re punishing me?”
“Because I am,” she said flatly. “If I let you swing that thing alone, you’d probably slice your own leg off.”
Alric chuckled, walking over and unslinging his shield from his back. “Don’t worry. I’ll go easy on you, partner.”
Kaida rolled his eyes but smiled. “Gee, thanks.”
Temu crossed her arms. “Alric, make sure he learns the basics. Grip, stance, flow. And make sure he doesn’t die.”
“No promises,” Alric joked as Temu walked away, already shouting at someone else to stop swinging their weapon like a club.
Kaida turned to Alric, lifting the wooden katana he’d selected earlier. “Okay… where do I start?”
Alric knelt beside him and adjusted his footing. “The sword isn’t just a weapon—it’s an extension of you. You can’t just swing it around and hope it hits something.”
Kaida frowned. “So I can’t just flail and pray?”
Alric laughed. “Nope. You gotta keep low, centered. Samurai-style swords require a grounded stance. Be firm in your posture but loose in your movement.”
He demonstrated, stepping forward in a fluid motion, then returning to neutral. Kaida mimicked it, clumsily at first.
“No, keep your knees bent. Your grip loose but ready,” Alric instructed, nudging Kaida’s elbow. “And keep your breathing steady.”
Kaida nodded, adjusting again. This time, it felt a little more natural.
“Good,” Alric said. “Now, we spar.”
Kaida blinked. “Already?!”
“You learn faster under pressure.”
Alric lunged with a controlled strike. Kaida parried awkwardly, his blade trembling from the impact. He tried to counter, but Alric effortlessly disarmed him with a twist of the wrist.
“Too slow,” Alric said. “Your stance was decent, but your follow-up lacked focus.”
Kaida retrieved his weapon, annoyed but not discouraged. “Alright, again.”
They reset positions.
Again, Kaida moved in—but Alric knocked the sword from his hands.
“Think faster,” Alric said.
Kaida huffed, retrieving the weapon again. “I get it, I get it.”
This time, when they clashed, Kaida’s blade was once again knocked away—but he didn’t stop. Instead of retreating, he darted to the side, moving behind Alric before kicking off the ground to push him back.
Alric stumbled slightly, surprised. “Since this is practice for a real battle,” Kaida said, catching his sword, “I figured I’d better be fast, right?”
Alric grinned, tightening his grip on his own weapon. “Now we’re talking.”
The two launched into a rapid flurry of blows—Kaida weaving and dodging, Alric blocking and countering. The clash of wooden blades echoed across the field, sharp and rhythmic.
One by one, the other trainees stopped what they were doing to watch.
Even Temu had turned fully toward them, arms crossed, her feline ears twitching in focus.
Kaida moved with speed and grace, despite the weight of his gear. His movements were wild but calculated, unpredictable yet purposeful.
And then—it happened.
Kaida gritted his teeth, adrenaline pulsing in his veins as he surged toward Alric with a final strike.
Ding.
A chime echoed in his mind.
A screen flashed before his eyes.
Skill Use: Mana Burst – Activated
“What—?” Kaida’s voice was lost as a sudden surge of power erupted from deep within him.
He felt it—not just in his limbs, but in his very core. His body grew lighter, his vision sharpened, his heartbeat thumped like a war drum.
And in a blink—he vanished.
From Alric’s perspective, Kaida simply disappeared.
“What the hell—?” Alric spun around.
Kaida was behind him, his katana gently pressed to the back of Alric’s neck, breath steady.
The field went dead silent.
Even the birds stopped chirping.
Kaida’s face was serious, focused, his eyes glowing a faint blue.
Then the glow faded. The rush left his body. The aura vanished.
Kaida blinked. “Wait… what just happened?”
Temu strolled over, her expression unreadable—until she patted him roughly on the back.
“Not bad, runt,” she said. “Don’t get cocky, though.”
Kaida looked at her, confused. “What was that?”
She turned, already walking away. “Keep training. You’ve still got a long way to go.”
Her tail flicked behind her—visibly twitching with excitement.
She was hiding it well, but even she couldn’t suppress the thrill.
He activated a skill on instinct… and his first one at that. she thought. This kid might just be the real deal.
Back on the field, Kaida was still confused—but a little more confident.
He glanced down at his hands, gripping the wooden katana tightly.
“Mana Burst, huh?”
He didn’t know what it meant yet—but he had a feeling his journey had just begun.
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