The afternoon sun hung high above Aetherial Institute.
Golden light poured across the combat grounds.
Ancient stone platforms reflected the sunlight while magical barriers shimmered faintly in the distance.
Students continued training throughout the massive open field.
Sword clashes echoed constantly.
Magic detonated in controlled practice areas.
Instructors barked corrections.
Partners argued over strategies.
The entire training ground was alive with energy.
Yet in one isolated corner—
A strange silence lingered.
Valeryn sat atop the edge of a stone platform.
One knee raised.
One arm resting casually across it.
Her crimson hair moved gently beneath the wind.
Small beads of sweat remained visible upon her forehead after their spar.
Her breathing had mostly stabilized.
Yet traces of excitement still lingered within her eyes.
Across from her—
Kel sat cross-legged upon the ground.
Unlike Valeryn, he wasn't resting.
At all.
His entire focus remained fixed upon the weapon resting in his hands.
The strange bow-sword.
Or perhaps—
Bow-sword-dual-swords.
At this point even the weapon itself seemed uncertain about what it wanted to be.
Click.
Click.
Click.
The weapon continuously shifted.
Bow.
Sword.
Dual swords.
Then back again.
Valeryn watched quietly.
For several minutes neither spoke.
The noblewoman simply observed him.
Eventually—
She sighed.
"Aedon."
Kel didn't look up.
"Hm?"
Valeryn blinked.
"You've been examining that thing for almost fifteen minutes."
"I know."
"Most people would be resting after sparring."
"I am resting."
The answer arrived instantly.
Valeryn stared.
Then looked at the weapon.
Then back at Kel.
Then the weapon again.
"You and I clearly have different definitions of rest."
Kel nodded.
"Probably."
The crimson-haired noblewoman shook her head.
Then allowed her gaze to settle upon the unusual weapon.
The more she observed it—
The more she wanted it.
A dangerous realization.
The weapon was absurdly practical.
Bow for long range.
Sword for close combat.
Dual swords for flexibility.
It adapted to nearly every situation.
For a combat specialist like her—
Such versatility was incredibly attractive.
Not that she would ever admit that aloud.
Probably.
Maybe.
Eventually.
Valeryn folded her arms.
"Aedon."
"Hm?"
"Do you realize how unfair that weapon is?"
Kel finally looked up.
"What do you mean?"
The noblewoman pointed dramatically.
"It transforms into three weapons."
"Yes."
"You effectively carry an entire armory."
"That seems excessive."
"It is accurate."
Kel considered.
Then nodded.
"Fair."
Valeryn sighed.
Then leaned backward.
Her crimson eyes returned to the weapon.
"Honestly, when I first saw it transform into a sword, I thought that was impressive enough."
A brief pause followed.
"Then it became dual swords."
Her expression became slightly complicated.
"Now I'm starting to suspect whoever designed this thing had too much free time."
Kel laughed softly.
The weapon truly was unusual.
Perhaps one of the most interesting academy training weapons he had encountered.
The noblewoman observed him.
Then noticed something.
Kel wasn't merely admiring it.
He was investigating it.
Carefully.
Methodically.
Like a scholar studying an ancient artifact.
Valeryn narrowed her eyes.
"Wait."
Kel looked up.
"What?"
The crimson-haired noblewoman pointed toward him.
"You're searching for something."
Kel smiled.
"A possibility."
Valeryn blinked.
"A possibility?"
The young man nodded.
"I keep getting the feeling this weapon isn't finished."
Silence.
Valeryn looked at the bow.
Then at the sword.
Then at the dual swords.
Then back at Kel.
"Aedon."
"Yes?"
"It already has three forms."
"I know."
"What more do you expect?"
Kel considered carefully.
Then answered honestly.
"I don't know."
Valeryn immediately regretted asking.
The response somehow made perfect sense.
Of course he didn't know.
That was exactly why he was experimenting.
The noblewoman sighed.
Then rested her chin upon her hand.
"You're impossible."
Kel took that as a compliment.
Unfortunately.
Valeryn noticed.
Which only made her sigh again.
Meanwhile—
Far away beneath the sacred waters of Scarder Lake.
Seiren's voice echoed through Kel's mind.
"She's right."
Kel ignored her.
"Normal people stop after discovering three transformations."
Still silence.
"You immediately started searching for hidden mechanisms."
Kel finally answered.
"It feels incomplete."
The goddess paused.
Then surprisingly—
"Actually..."
A brief silence followed.
"I understand that feeling."
Kel blinked.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
If even Seiren agreed—
Perhaps he wasn't imagining things.
His attention returned to the weapon.
The sword rested across his lap.
Sunlight reflected from its polished surface.
The craftsmanship appeared exceptional.
Ancient.
Precise.
Elegant.
The more he examined it—
The more convinced he became.
Something was missing.
Then—
His eyes stopped.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Near the upper section of the blade—
A tiny opening existed.
So small most people would never notice it.
A narrow hole.
Perfectly circular.
Kel immediately sat up straighter.
Valeryn noticed.
The noblewoman became curious.
"What is it?"
Kel didn't answer immediately.
Instead he carefully examined the blade.
The hole continued deeper than expected.
Far deeper.
His fingers traced along the weapon's structure.
Then realization appeared.
The interior wasn't solid.
A hollow channel existed.
Extending through more than half the blade.
Valeryn slowly stood.
Curiosity replacing exhaustion.
"What did you find?"
Kel smiled slightly.
"I have an idea."
The answer immediately captured her attention.
An idea.
Those words had already proven dangerous several times today.
Kel reached toward his quiver.
One remaining arrow rested inside.
A standard academy training arrow.
Nothing special.
He removed it carefully.
Then compared its dimensions against the opening.
Valeryn blinked.
"No way."
Kel smiled.
The arrow fit perfectly.
Slowly—
He inserted it.
The shaft disappeared into the sword.
Further.
Further.
Further.
Then—
Click.
The mechanism locked.
The sound was unmistakable.
Both students froze.
Silence followed.
The wind moved across the training grounds.
Neither spoke.
Valeryn stared.
Then stared harder.
Then looked toward Kel.
"...Aedon."
"Yes?"
"I don't think that's supposed to happen."
Kel grinned.
"I think it absolutely is."
The noblewoman suddenly became very interested.
Meanwhile—
Several distant students had started paying attention.
Mostly because Valeryn rarely looked surprised.
And right now—
She looked surprised.
Kel slowly stood.
The sword remained pointed toward the ground.
The arrow hidden within its structure.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Then another idea appeared.
A dangerous idea.
The best kind.
Kel carefully channeled a tiny amount of lightning mana.
Not enough to attract attention.
Not enough to reveal anything suspicious.
Just enough.
Blue sparks flowed into the hidden arrow.
The weapon hummed softly.
Valeryn's eyes widened.
She immediately sensed the mana movement.
"What are you doing?"
Kel smiled.
"Experimenting."
The answer did not inspire confidence.
At all.
Then—
He raised the sword.
Pointing it toward a distant practice target.
Nearly fifty meters away.
A simple wooden target reinforced with academy enchantments.
Valeryn stared.
Then slowly stepped backward.
Experience had taught her caution whenever someone started experimenting.
Especially someone like Aedon.
Kel adjusted his grip.
The sword pointed forward.
The hidden mechanism vibrated slightly.
Then—
He thrust.
BOOM!
The world exploded.
A thunderous sound echoed across the training grounds.
Lightning erupted.
The hidden arrow launched from the sword like a cannon projectile.
The air shattered.
Students jumped.
Several instructors immediately turned.
The arrow became a streak of blue light.
Then—
Impact.
The practice target exploded.
Not shattered.
Exploded.
Fragments flew everywhere.
The projectile continued forward.
Passing completely through the target.
Passing through the stone wall behind it.
Passing through another target.
Only stopping after carving a deep trench across the training grounds.
Silence.
Complete silence.
The entire area froze.
Students stared.
Instructors stared.
Valeryn stared.
Even the wind seemed shocked.
The destruction stretched across dozens of meters.
A smoking line remained carved into the ground.
Blue sparks danced through the air.
The target no longer existed.
Several nearby students looked traumatized.
One dropped his weapon.
Another forgot what he was doing.
A third quietly sat down.
The situation exceeded his processing capacity.
Meanwhile—
Kel slowly lowered the sword.
Then looked at the weapon.
The weapon looked back.
Metaphorically.
The young man nodded.
"Interesting."
Valeryn turned toward him.
Her expression had become completely blank.
The expression people made after witnessing something absurd.
Very absurd.
"Aedon."
"Yes?"
The noblewoman pointed toward the destroyed training area.
"What."
A brief pause followed.
Then another.
Finally—
"What was that?"
Kel looked toward the sword.
Then toward the trench.
Then back toward Valeryn.
A smile slowly appeared.
"I think..."
The smile widened.
"...it has a fourth form."
Silence.
Then far away beneath Scarder Lake—
Seiren began laughing so hard that Kel nearly lost his telepathic connection.
And for some reason—
Valeryn suddenly wanted that weapon even more than before.