-Nov 1, Tuesday. 4:30pm, The Hub-

  In the Training Room, a coliseum had manifested. Within the arena, Blaze, armed with his sword, engaged a hard light construct that took the form of a haggard swordsman. The Fire Radiant was on the defensive, parrying the swordsman's relentless attacks. Suddenly, the construct shot forward, thrusting his blade at the Radiant. The young warrior quickly moved to the side, holding the sword before him, as if expecting a second attack.

  The swordsman stomped his foot, then swung his at Blaze, The boy evaded by jumping into the air, enveloped his sword in fire before he swung it down. After being sliced through The haggard construct met its end, vanishing into blocks of mana. Blaze landed and turned around, looking at the spot where the construct stood. He nodded at his victory, but then sensed killing intent and a spike of mana. He swiftly turned around, raising his sword in time to block another blade.

  He noticed the user was Pilot

  "Well, well, Crimson Blade. We meet again." joked the fire warrior.

  Pilot sighed. "Sometimes it's cumbersome how opponents talk in the middle of a fight." He threw a punch with his other arm, to which Blaze quickly blocked with his other hand. "Good, you weren't distracted."

  "You keep pounding into our heads about combat. Something had to stick."

  The canokian showed a small smile. "Indeed, at ease." His sword dematerialized.

  Blaze's sword vanished from his hand, returning to his being. "He did pierce me once."

  "You will know to be quicker in your steps to avoid being pierced against a real opponent," said Pilot. "And monsters that will rely on their tricks. You don't want to fall against a claw or a slop-like substance restricting your movement." He held a small smile. "But I can tell you and the others are progressing. Faster than expected."

  "You think so?" Blaze tilted his head.

  "Your bodies are now attuned to the crystals. Thanks to our guidance and this room your mana reserves are increasing, and you're learning new techniques."

  "... Does it matter how many adroits we have?"

  "What matters is how you use them and refine them. It's wise to know different techniques to prepare for challenges, whether in fight or other scenarios. Your Blazing Fist could become a projectile or lower its power and maximise the heat to wear down armor and durable skin vulnerable to your element."

  "Yeah." Blaze chuckled. "I have learned to reduce the power. I can't always have an explosion when I hit someone."

  "Even when trying to remain undetected in enemy territory." The canokian nodded. "I approve. How is your progress with the princess's recommendation?"

  "Christina and I are engaging in a mock speech class. Occasionally the others join, mostly Tanya and Jack. That and using the Porta-Hub to get used to flying. Controlling that feels different than a car. Is that what controlling a plane feels like or is it different?"

  "Reinstar informed me they can be compared to a helicopter, but the Porta Hub has a better grip and is easier to move." He grimaced. "She flew a helicopter a month ago."

  "Why?" The boy gave an exasperated groan.

  "Information." He calmly stated. "Information is necessary to a shinobi."

  "Yeahhh." He trailed off, wondering why he was still surprised about her antics. "That's true, but I've never flown a helicopter. How does that help?"

  "It shows she's confident you all will be capable of piloting the Porta Hub and eventually the other vehicles we have."

  "If she thinks so." The teen felt a little better.

  "As for the mock speech class. It's necessary for your communication skills, especially how you present yourself to others. It shapes how people treat you, how they perceive you. Everyone who witnesses your actions will see you as the leader of your group until you sync with Zeena's group. After that they will view her as the leader due to her being a Radiant longer than you. She will likely bring you along in meetings with important figures and would like your insight about critical situations." He crossed his arms. "Being with her doesn't mean you forgo your responsibility onto her. She'll expect you to be reliable."

  "Pilot, don't take this the wrong way, but it is a lot."

  "By a lot, what do you mean?"

  "It's more responsibility than I thought and I'm feeling very nervous. I'll be turning sixteen in two weeks and already I feel I'm turning into an adult too fast." He whistled. "Sixteen… wow. B-but the point is, it's all catching up to me. As the leader I don't want to let anybody down and I didn't ask them to appoint me."

  "I didn't ask to be leader either." He shrugged. "Jin, Selen-ja, and Luka were here before me, but the head of Guardian enlisted me and I accepted it. They didn't mind. Selen-ja would rather read and drink tea and Jin would rather focus on how to refine his stances with eccentric tendencies. They nor Luka complained about me leading the team. They trust me."

  "Reinstar was temporarily in charge."

  "And she thrust it upon Selen-ja and Jin when she was available. Jin declined and Reinstar established them to be co-leaders much to Reinstar's dismay. Reinstar will only take charge if everyone else doesn't want to or they are not qualified. If someone better suited is available she'll shake their hand and vanish."

  "Did she shake your hand?"

  "Yes." He smirked. "The point is, and I may have stated this before, is trust. They trust you. They are your friends." He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "It's heavy, but I will tell you this. Sabotaging yourself is a precursor to overthinking. Remember that."

  The boy blinked, then widened his eyes at the proverb. "Sabotaging yourself is a precursor to overthinking." A grin developed on his face. "Yeah, I'll remember that."

  "Good…" He removed his hand and took a step back. "Before we move on, I want iterate to you that romance isn't forbidden in Guardian, but don't let it disrupt your duty or cause internal conflicts."

  "Um… thanks?" The Fire Radiant was confused. "Have you noticed anything?"

  "It's just a reminder." He crossed his arms. "Wanting an intimate relationship is fine, but don't let it cloud your judgement. Sometimes falling for someone can cause us to make rash decisions. I want you to have a clear head and be absolutely sure when the time comes."

  Blaze displayed a firm nod. "I get it, but I'm not interested right now."

  "Noted." Pilot inward scoffed. It may not click with them now, but it will soon. He heard about their recent out and it made him worry about trivial situations that could arise. Hopefully, planting that advice would resonate if Jake pursued a relationship with her. He hated petty conflicts, especially from what he had seen at Guardian HQ when others started losing focus. He didn't want to see that in the kids, but from what he had observed. There was no need to worry. There was camaraderie among them and that made a good unit.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  "Is there anything else?"

  "Ah, yes." He quickly responded, dismissing his thoughts for another time. "I want to teach you an adroit I know."

  Blaze perked up with interest. "Awesome."

  -Living Quarters-

  Ryu lay on the couch with an annoyed expression while munching on chips and playing a video game on a handheld system.

  "Brother, are you still mad?" Sam asked as he approached the lightning warrior.

  "Wouldn't you feel the same if you expected something so epic turned out to be a wet noodle?" grumbled Ryu.

  "Depends on the event." Sam admitted as he sat across from him. "I wouldn't stay moody all day… unless the situation was crazy stupid

  The electric lad snorted and stood up. "Even Lance and the J.K.L. were disappointed when they were with us. I thought they would run and hide while Jake, Amy, and I would face a supernatural demon from the nether realm." He dramatically whirled around to Sam, showing a wide-eyed, comical expression. "We got there, then the music started playing. It felt more nerve-wracking than last time." He displayed a maddening grin. "I thought now that I became the Shock Master, I would go in there and make that demon feel the wrath of Thor's disciple."

  "Huh, you're calling yourself a disciple now?" Sam snorted.

  "That's not important. The important thing is we didn't sense anything, no mana or some other power. Just the same ol fashioned fear I felt last year. That's too basic! You know what we found? A dude in a costume. Just some old man trying to kill us in the most normal way. You know what it was? Machete."

  Sam shrugged. "A machete is no joke."

  "To normies, but not to us. After that revelation, we ran away and split up. The maniac chased after Jake and Amy while I was with Jamie." He scoffed. "They took him down when Amy blinded him and Jake punched him in the face, just with his normal strength." He sighed. "My dude, I feel cheated."

  The wind warrior casually took some chips. "It does sound cheap compared to the craziness we encountered. Sorry, bro."

  Ryu narrowed his eyes. "Do you really feel sorry?"

  Sam showed a sly grin. "A little. Your high expectations took a dip."

  "They weren't too high… okay massive. I expected an all out epic brawl that would've revealed a sinister secret about Parkerville." He groaned. "But oh well." He smiled. "Our adventure in Galvania will quench my thirst. Can't wait!"

  "Yep." The wind warrior's voice was monotone.

  "You're not excited?"

  "I am. I read up on how to use mana tech. The programming language they use has a tiny similarity to one of the ones here." He displayed a maddening grin. "It's very deep and invested in a mana affinity that I was absolutely giddy."

  "Giddy?" The lightning warrior has a sly mark.

  "Shut up." scoffed the wind warrior. "It's lit, that's all you need to know. That and learning to drive will be something to get used to."

  "They'll teach us to drive the other Rover types in Galvania. The Porta Hub is to ease us in." The lightning warrior frowned. "But what is bothering you?"

  "Learning the ins and outs when meeting socialites. It will be annoying what everyone expects from us. 'Look the Radiant!' 'Humans behave in a different way?' Stuff like that."

  "Oh," The lightning warrior shrugged. "Yeah, you mentioned that before."

  "We got a load of work for us." Sam snorted. "Probably too many Uncle Aubreys."

  "Dude, you're being too paranoid."

  "I'm just voicing my opinion." Sam shrugged. "Even if it's bugging me, I won't let my unc play a part of how I see Galvania. New world, new people." He smiled. "Between you and me, if the women of Guardian are anything like Sword Unit, then it won't be bad."

  "Yeah, Luka has a nice face." Ryu grinned, then frowned. He quickly looked around the room. "You think you-know-who heard that?"

  The wind warrior's face fell. "Damn…. maybe if we don't say her name."

  A pair of hands grabbed their shoulders, causing them to jump up with high-pitched squeaks. They turned around to meet cheshire-smiling shinobi, Reinstar. She snickered as she moved around the couch to face them.

  "You don't have to say my name." She winked, then turned into a rock golem and collapsed into pieces of gravel.

  Their mouths hung open for a few moments before the wind warrior grasped his face and groaned. "Crazy woman, I forgot about her clone jutsu."

  "Mineral Mirror Vision is so awesome!" the light warrior's eyes twinkled in delight. "Too bad she has to have access to dirt instead of just conjuring it, but just think, she could be anywhere."

  "Yeah, yeah, it's cool." The wind warrior waved it off. "She can see and hear with them. You know she'll embarrass us again." He smiled. "Wouldn't be her if she didn't, but I could do without the jump scares."

  "Hi friends!" Lina waved excitedly as she ran up to them. She stopped and observed the pile of debris. "Ooooh? What happened?"

  "Reinstar," The wind warrior answered sarcastically.

  "Her Mineral Mirror Vision is fascinating." she cooed. "But enough of that!" She slammed a basket on the table and reached inside, pulling out two muffins. "Here!"

  Ryu eyed it curiously while reaching for it, but Sam smacked his hand away. "Hold on, spiky. We ask the madwoman what this is before we eat whatever this weird thing is. Okay, sis. What's this and will it cause our hair to fall off?"

  "Or inflate our heads." Ryu added, staring at her seriously, before cracking a smile. "We don't need inflated egos."

  "No, it shouldn't." She lazily waved her hand. "My inspirations grew more palpable from the Arborberry Bites. They were delicious, they gave a blissful and reassuring feeling, they refilled a minimum of our mana. They brought me clarity. With clarity comes curiosity." She whimsically smiled, showing her teeth. "Curiosity is boiling my brain."

  "Anyone other than us would be like nope, turn a 180 and blitz out." The lightning warrior leaned in, crossing his fingers. Go on."

  "What is this supposed to do?" questioned the wind warrior, eyeing the muffins suspiciously.

  "Apple Crisp Muffins. In this case I adjusted the process for my Ivy seeds. I crushed some leaves and nuts from my garden, mashed them into the apples…"

  "Wait!" Sam spoke up. "You have a garden? Where?"

  "Aye. There's a Terrarum on the second floor. Sword Unit has allowed us to reserve our own section. Currently I'm growing some fruits and vegetables native to Earth, plus some of my recently approved goods from Gavania." She smiled fondly. "I am allowed to grow plants from their home. Now that our bodies are accustomed to mana, we won't succumb to ill effects from consuming mana-enriched produce."

  Ryu chuckled. "I guess I need to pay attention to the important stuff. It's super cool we're allowed to grow our stuff." A devious smile displayed on his face. "Oh man, you think I can grow an actual man-eating plant?"

  "That would be fascinating!" squealed Lina. "We should try it!"

  "Nuh-uh. Nope. Red, you best lose that interest." Sam stood up and glared at them. "I don't want to fight a grown plant, let alone knowing we're growing one. Do you honestly think they'll allow it?"

  "You would be supervised." came a new voice. The trio turned to see Jin approaching. "Under a watchful eye such as myself. I can't let you grow something monstrous under our watch. I don't approve!"

  "Awe." Lina and Ryu pouted while Sam smiled in relief.

  "I doubt Pilot would approve unless we have precautions. I advise you to deliver the request to him." He eyed the muffins. "Are those muffins?"

  "Her latest batch of untested food." Sam spoke.

  "I already tested them by nibbling on them. Don't worry, Jin, Luka was with me."

  "Good." The canokian was relieved. "We don't need serious complications from your experiments. Although… I'm tempted to try one."

  "Just take one bite, not a big one." The flora warrior grabbed the muffin and took a bite. "Like that."

  Ryu shrugged. "Yeah… this is part of the adventure?" He took one of the muffins.

  The wind warrior scoffed. "Yeah." He grabbed the other muffin. "If I get an itch, I'm blaming you."

  Jin slammed his fist against his chest, reflecting his duty to the crown and Guardian. If testing food would ensure the enemy will be thwarted then he will make the sacrifice. He grabbed a muffin from the basket.

  They each took a bite, slowly chewing on it as bracing themselves for instant pain. After the flavor hit their taste buds, the spiky red head nodded with approval. "It tastes good. Very good. I can eat a few of these with milk in the morning."

  "Not bad." The wind warrior said. "I expected something… instant."

  "Wait… and there." said the flora warrior

  The guys perked up, a feeling arose in them. It made them nervous for the moment before they felt that familiar feeling from their stomach.

  "I feel full." Sam appeared confused. "Huh?"

  "Not just that." Ryu started performing squats. "I feel pumped up, I feel I can go the distance! I feel ready to take on one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time! No, no! All of them. Every last one of them. They will fast the Red Menace! HAAA!"

  "Absolutely!" Jin shot his fist in the air, a huge smile displayed. "My enemies will be felled quickly! No one will escape me."

  "Damn." The wind warrior felt extremely energetic, he started punching the air. "Sis, what concoction did you create?"

  "That." She dropped into push ups. "Wasn't in the muffin I ate yesterday. I felt full and a sense of serenity. I tried to follow the formula." She shot up and performed jumping jacks with a maddening expression. "This is wrong! I need to go back and reexamine my notes."

  "Find your notes and join us to see Luka." shouted Jin. "This much energy cannot be good."

  Luka stepped out of the lab and gazed at the group behaving like hyperactive younglings. She shot a glance at the muffins before sighing. "Lina."

  "Duilich, Luka!" whined the flora warrior.

  "Just come in here, dears. Let me examine you and listen to your recipe."

  Lina rushed to retrieve her notes while the remaining hyperactive victims followed Luka. After Lina returned and Luka examined the notes and the muffins, they were cured. Sam almost vowed never to try another concoction, but Ryu persuaded it could be good for the Radiant. In the end, Lina and Luka would work more closely to create items for support.