"Hold on there Veyriss." Jonathan's hand settled firmly on Veyriss's shoulder, a non-verbal command that rooted her in place. "This was a test, and you failed."
"What do you mean by that, My Lord?" Veyriss's confusion was evident.
"You've been wielding the sword for ten months. You've made great strides in your mastery, yes, but you took too many shortcuts." Veyriss's expression dropped. "Shortcuts aren't inherently bad, but yours left too many gaping loopholes for someone to exploit."
"Please enlighten me."
"It starts with your senses. As you grew stronger, your inherent senses grew alongside you, but you didn't actively develop them. They became complementary accessories to your growth, rather than tools in their own right."
"But I did develop my eyes," Veyriss insisted, trying to defend her training.
"I believe you've misunderstood the process, Veyriss. There's a difference between the development and growth of your senses and the sense you mainly rely on," Jonathan clarified. "You didn't develop your eyes; they were your most reliable, go-to sense, which naturally made them fractionally better than the rest. But for someone at your current standing, that reliance is poor."
"Jonathan," Gard intervened, "You're just confusing the girl." He gently, yet firmly, turned Veyriss toward himself. "Veyriss, meet my gaze." Veyriss locked eyes with him. "Answer me now. Upon our arrival, did you study the guards? Were they mere soldiers or trained knights?"
"Knights," Veyriss replied with misplaced assurance.
"To which division were they assigned?" Gard interrogated. Veyriss drew a blank. She had observed the presence of knights but failed to log any distinguishing marks. She tried to shift her focus, but Gard's unyielding grip on her head kept her fixed. Her face fell in deep self-reproach. "Those were Sentinels, personnel from the Sentinel division."
"Let's summarize the failures." Gard continued to hold her stare. "Following your and Jonathan's mana imprint on the gate, a brief five-second window opened. The guards' armor visibly shuddered during that time. Did you perceive that?"
"No," Veyriss mumbled, her voice faint.
"I require an audible answer."
She shouted, "NO!"
"As they moved to thrust their halberds into Jonathan, their action was performed at a highly reduced speed. It was slow enough for an individual of your rank to instantly perceive and counter. Did you capitalize on that opportunity?"
"No, I didn't."
"Let me hear you clearly."
"NO I DIDN'T!" She shouted the failure once more.
Veyriss's face darkened, her numerous flaws laid bare. Her cheeks flushed red, and the corners of her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Jonathan moved to intervene and soften the rebuke, but Paul and Serrah were quick to restrain him. Though the initial failure was accidental, Veyriss's systemic training gaps were now a serious issue.
"Moving on," Gard stated, the dissection of her skills continuing without mercy. "I congratulate you on developing three unique swordsmanship disciplines. However, that is where the praise stops," his tails bristled and furred up, amplifying his stern demeanor. "Each of these disciplines necessitates a corresponding specialized sword. You store two of these in your subspace ring, along with your shields, keeping only the third blade accessible on your person. Now, imagine this scenario..." Eight of his tails arched up, manifesting an overwhelming and truly intimidating aura. "If that ring was suddenly stolen or permanently deactivated, and you found yourself completely disarmed, what would your next move be?" His presence grew fiercely intense, demanding an immediate and honest answer.
Veyriss had prepared herself for a crushing tactical challenge, yet Gard's query struck her as almost trivial. Had she been a mere Sword Expert, this scenario would have crippled her. But the current Veyriss was a completely different fighter. Her lost confidence surged back with a vengeance. "Then I'll just use the Formless Blade."
The disappointed, flustered girl vanished, replaced by a warrior radiating confidence as wide as the ocean. Jonathan visibly relaxed; his daughter's spirit was intact.
"Acknowledged," Gard stated, unmoving. "Then let me modify the terms of the scenario. If you are stripped of all physical tools, all weapons, and all ability to manifest your powers—with the exception of maintaining and using the Formless Blade—what would your decisive action be?"
Veyriss let a small, dismissive smirk cross her lips. The scenario seemed laughably impossible. "Are you kidding me? Such a scenario could never happen."
"Quite the confidence. Let's put it to the test."
"As you wish," Veyriss replied coyly. Turning to Jonathan and his siblings, "Your Highnesses, this may be rude, but can you hold on to my tools?" They nodded slowly in unison. She removed the magic tools she was wearing and the sword at her hip, handing them over.
"Let's begin," Veyriss said, readying to manifest her blade.
"Hey Gard," Jonathan spoke, "don't go overboard."
"Don't worry, Jon."
"Okay, continue." Jonathan began to sigh for a moment before the distinct sound of a sharp snap reached his ears. He sharply raised his head, and even though he couldn't see anything, he could still sense it.
"Gard, I told you not to go overboard, and you seriously used that. You are just a beginner. You won't be able to use it for the next thirty years." Jonathan's voice was calm, but his expression was anything but. However, everyone, including Veyriss, ignored him, their focus entirely on Gard.
"Veyriss Thalyndra Roseblade, Manifest your Formless Blade. I'll give you six seven seconds."