|I want to test it….|
|IwnattotestitIwnattotestitIwnattotestitIwnattotestitIwnattotestitIwnattotestitIwnattotestitIwnattotestitIwnattotestit…!|
Blanid was in her bed in the dead of night before the start of the end of the year exams and couldn't sleep a wink.
Not because of the stress before the exams, but because of the crystal-like, bluish-white sword she laid down beside her.
She received it as a gift only a few hours earlier, yet she already looked at it so much her eyes started to hurt… Her biggest worry at the moment was that when she rushed over to the training grounds to take out a training dummy she could test the sword on, she was stopped by the Academy's staff members. All training dummies were accounted for the next day. The seventh-year students would have their practical exams first thing in the morning.
The disguised girl accepted the explanation and left, but the urge to use the sword, to test her Caladbolg's Shadow against an actual target instead of just practice swinging it, was gnawing on her like nothing she had ever experienced before.
"..."
In the end, the urge became too much to bear, and Blanid rolled off the mattress and hurriedly put on some random allotment of clothes from the pile of laundry she never got the time to fold.
Somewhat ready, she grabbed the sword off the bed and climbed out of her dorm room through the window, making sure it appeared closed on the outside without being locked, sneaking out to the training ground.
She figured out that although the training dummies for the practical exam of the seventh-year students were all accounted for, there surely would be at least a few spare ones… and those spares were exactly her target.
Well, one of them at least, since she did feel bad about going against what she was told by the Academy's staff.
Coincidentally, she had been paying attention back when she was being rejected and hence knew that the spare training dummies were stored in a separate shed.
Also, by complete coincidence, she paid attention and took notice of the lock on that very shed and confirmed that it was only a normal lock.
…which meant it could be pried off by someone with, let's say, talent in internal spells, enhancing their strength, without making it some big issue…
Blanid did not plan for any of it, mind you!
It was all a spur-of-the-moment thing!
Everything was a coincidence!
Definitely!
A couple of minutes later, Blanid finished dragging out and setting up the training dummy. She had to be mindful exactly where to put it and where she would be standing in relation to it. After all, a good number of dormitory rooms had a great view on the training grounds, and the sudden lightwork of internal spells and swordsmanship would get the attention of some night owls or simply students too nervous about their exams starting early in the morning.
That's why Blanid chose the spot by the recreational part, near a hedge that could at least partially obstruct her actions, but she did not let her guard down at all, listening closely for any sounds that could alert her of an unwanted witness…
Blanid's objective was very clear… attempt to recreate the avalanche-like strike that Rotsard demonstrated for her once, unlocking her dormant swordsmanship potential.
As she was now, she could use swordsmanship to achieve projectile moves, sending forward slashes of the white energy… but not once did she come even close to the stupefying might of that initial strike…
…she could pull off something similar to the two attacks that followed, and she was already extremely proud of herself for that, but now things were different…!
With a sword so amazing that just holding it made her knees weak, Blanid was certain that she would succeed!
As she took the stance far away from the training dummy, she focused, and …!
"...?"
Tensed up as her ears perked up.
When she was really focused, concentrating in absolute silence, she heard someone's voice.
A moan, maybe a cry…? Or was it a growl…? No, no… Grunts, definitely grunts, a bit animal-like, as if the person making them had completely lost themselves.
Well, herself, most likely, if Blanid's ears were accurate.
"..."
Blanid furrowed her brows and straightened her back, looking around with confusion.
It was repeating itself in a steady rhythm, and now that she was paying close attention, it was even accompanied by thumping. She could tell it was coming from the main building, probably from the hospital wing... so maybe it was someone who was hurt and receiving treatment?
It would explain the unbecoming sounds they were making, but then, what were the thumps? Them hitting the bed in pain or something…?
"Why would….? A…! Ah! Ahaaaaa...!"
Blanid muttered to herself, taken aback, but then suddenly a certain answer came to her mind, and her face turned brightly red. She then hurriedly closed her mouth and turned around.
"S-s-so indecent…!"
Blanid muttered, getting teary-eyed from embarrassment, even though she understood, at least partially, that no matter which pair was… taking their time in the hospital wing... they weren't announcing anything to the world on purpose, and it was her own sharpened senses that got her in that spot.
"...uuuu… I can't stop hearing them…! There's no way it can feel THAT good, right...!?"
Deeply upset, Blanid cried out, still embarrassed out of her mind, suddenly free from the urge to test her sword.
"..."
But all that changed the moment she put her hand on the Caladbolg's shadow's handle.
The experience of her mana getting pulled into the weapon increased her heartbeat so much that its sound completely drowned the already muffled voices of passion…
For Blanid, the only things still existing were herself and Caladbolg's shadow, her form and steady breath…
"HAA!"
*SHIIIIIING*
Maybe because she lost herself so much, Balnid ended up calling out loudly as she swung down, but even if she would remain silent, the massive burst of light shooting out from her sword as a crescent would be alarming enough!
The attack sliced through the training dummy as if it was made of warm butter, continued on, and then dug into the outer wall!
"!!!"
Blanid watched speechlessly as the light of her attack dispersed, but not before causing the Academy's barrier to become visible, shining in rainbow colors like an oil spilled on water…
…as it carved a twelve-foot-long slit through it…!
A… A 10th tier compound defensive spell was penetrated…!
"!!!"
Blanid's mind turned blank. Only that, instead of freezing up, she started running, desperately clenching the sword to her chest.
With all her might, she dashed across the training ground and stormed back and basically jumped through her dormitory room's window, closing it so fast that she almost knocked the glass out of frame!