Both Edelgard and Byleth were silent as I slowly unloaded the weapons into the Black Eagle's personal training hall. They hadn't spoken a word since they had both received the system, reading through the tutorial without a word.
"This is..." Edelgard finally spoke right as I put the last gauntlet in place. "This is incredible...! The ability to see all of my abilities like this... I can even see how far along I am in certain areas..."
Byleth remained silent as she was slowly reading over her status... I could see Sothis floating behind her, making several strangled noises of shock as she read Byleth's information.
My eye sharpened as I used Analyse on Sothis.
Sothis
Race: ???
Job: ???
Class: ???
Your Level and Analyse Rank are too low to view this information.
As expected, even Analyse had limits... Sothis was a God, after all. Trying to view her information was difficult, to say the least.
"So, that's what my crest is," Byleth murmured under her breath.
"I'm glad you both like the System," I told them, causing them both to look up at me. "I'm sure you've seen it now, right? How useful the System is to you."
"I... Yes," Edelgard nodded. "This is... Incredible... Now I can understand the truth... The Dungeon isn't just to get combat experience, is it? It's to increase our levels by defeating those simulated enemies. One place to increase our raw power, and the other place to refine our skills and other abilities..."
"Exactly," I nodded at her words. "Also, while the Training Room costs money to use, the Dungeon is free. This allows you to gather up funds so that you can then use the training room- providing a delicate but useful balance. You get stronger in the Dungeon, then use those funds to enter the Training Room and refine your skills. Then, with those skills, you can go back into the dungeon- and the cycle continues."
"... Useful," Byleth hummed and nodded. "I'll bring the students to the Dungeon... Then, we can use that money to go into the Training Room."
"That's smart, Professor... With the limited funds the church produces each month, being able to use the Dungeons for more money should make easier for us."
I chuckled. "Well then..." I turned to look at Byleth. "Would you care for a Spar?"
Both of them blinked in surprise.
"Sure," Byleth said, regaining her composure.
"Just swords, no magic," I told her, stepping aside so she could grab a sword. "I hope you won't mind if I use my own sword for this spar. If I break any of the weapons you use, I'll cover the cost myself to apologise."
"You seem fairly confident in that," Edelgard asked. "Why is that?"
I smile crawled onto my face as I lifted my hand, palm open... A star of rainbow light manifested in my palm. "Because my sword is destruction itself."
I clenched my fist around the star of rainbow light, and a pulse of pure divine power rippled throughout the monastery. Byleth visibly shifted in place, her eyes hardening. Edelgard tensed up, her lilac eyes widening slightly as she felt the ripple of a divinity resonate with her two crests.
Floating behind Byleth, Sothis spoke in a serious voice, "It's coming."
I slowly brought down my hand, my fingers curled around the handle of the Sword of Mars. The tri-coloured blade gleaming and humming with delight at being used once more.
"What...?" Byleth gulped. "What is that?"
"This is Photon Ray," I told her. "Millennia ago, it was this very blade that was wielded by the God of War - Mars, also known by the name Ares."
"Ares..." Sothis whispered, a look of discomfort coming onto her face... As though the name were familiar to her, tickling at memories long forgotten.
How interesting...
"Photon Ray," I clenched down a little harder. "Lower the power output, if you please. Training mode."
The blade flashed once in acknowledgement, before the light of the blade died down to only the faintest of glows.
"There we go, that should prevent accidents," I smiled at Byleth. "So, shall we begin?"
Byleth didn't answer with a nod, instead she leapt at me immediately- swinging her dulled sword at me in a move of pure speed and power.
There was no grace in her movements- only pure efficiency; a sword style dedicated to killing the opponent as quickly as possible.
Just looking at that told me that Byleth had developed her own sword style already, putting her on a level high above me.
But it didn't mean I was helpless.
Immediately, Photon Ray stretched and elongated as I swung my sword and dodged to the side. The blade wrapped around Byleth's ankle, locking in place around it.
Byleth landed on the ground and stumbled, looking down at her ankle in surprise.
I grinned as I swung the sword to the side, sending her hurling sideways-
Whoooosh...
Immediately, Photon Ray stretched and elongated as I swung my sword and dodged to the side.
Moving with expert precision, Byleth moved her ankle out of Photon Ray's path and landed on the ground safely, immediately preparing to charge at me again.
"Oi," my voice cut through the air, hard as I looked at Byleth. "I told you swordsmanship only, why the hell did you rewind time like that?"
"Rewind time...?" Edelgard question and her eyes moved to Byleth in confusion, and a little suspicion. "Then... At that time..."
Byleth blinked and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "... Sorry... Instinct..." And then her eyes widened in realisation. "You... Noticed?"
"Of course, I..." My voice stopped... Because she was right.
I had noticed that Byleth rewound time.
That wasn't normal. And I didn't have any skill within the system that should have been related to time.
So then, why...?
My eye turned to look down at Photon Ray...
I recalled that, in DxD, Durandal and even Excalibur Mimic were capable of protecting Xenovia and Irina from the effects of Forbidden Balor View- which had frozen time itself.
Photon Ray was on a level above them both as a Divine Construct... So, was it possible that the divine aura of the sword had resisted Byleth's divine power to rewind time?
"I see now," I nodded and looked at Byleth. "How I realised it doesn't matter. Let's continue- without time manipulation shenanigans this time."
Byleth nodded seriously... She likely suspected how I was able to resist her time rewinding ability, but to her it didn't truly matter. She was very efficient in that way.
"Well then... I'll take the first move this time..."
Photon Ray elongated and I swung it towards Byleth like a whip.
She charged straight towards me, lifting her sword and blocking the whip attack and charging straight towards me- her blade grinding against mine-
When the tip of my blade whirled around, hitting her in the side of the head and disorienting her.
She stumbled, dazed for a moment as Photon Ray began to coil around her.
She regained herself in seconds and ducked down to escape Photon Ray's hold, pouncing towards me as though she were a wild animal- her sword aimed at my chest.
I lifted Photon Ray and blocked the tip of her blade with the edge of mine-
CLANG!
And I was promptly sent flying back by the sheer power within the stab, crashing up against the wall and coughing hard.
By the time I regained myself, her sword was pointed at the tip of my throat.
"... I concede," I told her.
"... This is a draw, because I cheated," she told me. "When you are stronger, we will settle this on an even playing field."
I looked at her and nodded as Photon Ray shrank down to normal size. "Draw," I agreed, groaning as I slowly climbed back to my feet using Photon Ray as help. "Fuck, you hit hard... I'm definitely taking a Warrior Class once I hit Level 40..."
"Right... The classes also affect physical abilities, right?" She asked. "A warrior class makes you stronger... While a mage class increases your magical abilities..." She gave a nod. "Make sure you don't neglect your body."
"I won't neglect it," I told her, before turning to Edelgard.
She stepped forwards and nodded. "As expected, Teacher is still so strong... But you didn't do badly either, Lynx... Your Sword is very unique, with its ability to expand and contract like that. It was almost more like a whip than a sword."
"Photon Ray is very adaptable like that," I nodded. "Plus, as I'm sure you've noticed, I'm missing an arm. So, Photon Ray helps compensate a little by being able to defend attacks from my weak side."
"How did you even obtain such a thing?" Edelgard asked. "A sword used by a God..."
I hummed and smiled, taking a seat on the ground. "Sit," I told them. "I'll tell you the story behind Photon Ray."
"On the ground like this?"
"Aw, what's wrong Princess?" I asked teasingly. "Don't like getting dirty?"
She gave me a slightly dirty look, though her lips upturned slightly as she took a seat.
Byleth did the same, sitting beside her cross legged as they both looked at me. Sothis floated behind, also curious as her eyes were focused on Photon Ray.
"Our tale begins several millennia ago," I told them. "There were twelve gods known as the Olympians, who ruled the land known as Greece."
"Olympians... Greece..." Sothis whispered quietly.
"Among those twelve gods was the God of War, Ares- also known under the name Mars. The god of war was involved in every war of Greece, blessing those who worshipped him, and scorning those who did not... Even still, he was a simple god who craved combat, who relished fighting...
"And then, one day, a Star Fell."
"A Star...?" Edelgard was paying the most attention, no doubt making some connections between this story and the story of Sothis that claimed she came from 'beyond the stars.'
"Yes," I nodded. "From within that star, an Alien Entity emerged... It went by many names, but it was known by one name above all others. The White Titan- Sefar. Sefar had come to the Earth for one purpose: to destroy it. Its alien, foreign power was capable of unravelling the very texture of the world itself and disrupting the power of Gods. Sefar alone, with almighty and terrifying power, destroyed countless gods. Among them was Mars, his sword lost within Sefar during its rampage."
"Then... Is that where its history ends?" Byleth asked.
I merely smiled. "Fearing the destruction of the world, a God from another land commanded creatures known as Fae to create a sword within the very heart of the planet. This mighty sword was wielded by a mighty warrior- who cleaved the foreign beast in two, destroying Sefar almost completely... Almost, that is.
"Within the crater where Sefar was left behind, a little girl was found lying there... And by her side was the Sword of Mars. That girl was taken in by a group of people known as the Huns... That girl was the last fragment of Sefar, who still carried Sefar's destructive impulses within her body... And she followed her impulses and began to destroy. With the Sword of Mars at her side, and an army at her back, she would obliterate anyone who stood in her path. Her name was Attila the Hun- the Scourge of God, and the King of Combat."
"Then... What happened after?" Byleth asked.
"Ultimately, after Attila's death, the sword was lost- fading into obscurity. Until one day, by happenstance, it came to my hands, and I've used it ever since," I smiled calmly, stabbing the sword into the ground and using it to help me stand up. "Of course, the Sword has many divine abilities that make it worthy of being a God's weapon... But I'm just too weak to bring them out at the moment."
"Makes sense," Byleth nodded and stood up together with Edelgard, dusting herself off.
"Right then, now that I've gotten my ass kicked and rewarded you with story time," I spoke, earning a snort from Edelgard and a tiny smile from Byleth. "How about we find a place for me to put down the anchor and-?"
Suddenly the door to the training hall opened and the Knights of Seiros stormed in, weapons at the ready.
And standing at the back was the Archbishop Rhea, her eyes locking onto Photon Ray... She hid it well, but I could see a spark of fanatical need.
My heart sank...
Sothis was a Greek God... Mars was a Roman God, which was just a Greek God... And this sword...
Shit.
"Knights of Seiros," she intoned. "Arrest this man for unauthorised possession of a Hero's Relic."