Chapter 7: The Breaking Point
*Two weeks after the magical assessment*
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the academy's training grounds as students practiced their newly acquired skills. The sound of clashing weapons and incanted spells filled the air, creating a symphony of magical education.
Ronin sat alone on a bench at the edge of the training area, watching his classmates with a mixture of envy and despair. Rin was sparring with another student, his Flame Lord Sword leaving trails of fire with each swing. Lucy practiced her water magic nearby, her staff Sylvie shifting between different forms as she experimented with its capabilities.
"They're getting so much stronger," Ronin muttered to himself, gripping his twin blades Seikuro tightly. Despite two weeks of intense training, he felt no different—no stronger, no more capable.
"Ronin!" Lucy called out, jogging over with a concerned expression. "Why aren't you training with everyone else?"
Before he could answer, Rin approached, sweat beading on his forehead from his practice session. "You've been avoiding the group training sessions," he observed. "Stanley's been asking about you."
Ronin looked down at his blades. "What's the point? I can barely channel any magic through these things. While you guys are mastering legendary weapons, I'm struggling with basic techniques."
"That's not true," Lucy protested. "I've seen you practicing—your swordwork is getting better."
"Swordwork without magic is useless in real combat," Ronin replied bitterly. "You both know it."
A mocking laugh interrupted their conversation. Prince Kazuma approached with his usual entourage—Jake and Shinzo, two students who hung on his every word.
"Well, well," Kazuma said, his Thunder Sword crackling with electric energy at his side. "The weakling trio having a pity party?"
"Leave us alone, Kazuma," Rin warned, his hand moving instinctively to his sword hilt.
"Oh, I'm not here for you, *Prince* Rin," Kazuma sneered, emphasizing the title mockingly. "I'm here for our resident failure." He pointed at Ronin. "I've been watching you, and I finally figured out what's been bothering me."
Ronin stood slowly, his friends flanking him protectively. "What are you talking about?"
Kazuma's smile was cruel. "You don't belong here. You're not royalty like us, you have no power, no talent, no purpose. You're just... taking up space."
"That's enough," Lucy snapped, stepping forward.
But Kazuma wasn't finished. "I heard about what happened to your family, Ronin. How they died while you hid like a coward. Maybe that's why you're so weak—cowardice runs in your blood."
The words hit Ronin like physical blows. His vision blurred with sudden rage, and something deep inside him stirred—something dark and hungry.
"You don't know anything about my family," Ronin said, his voice dangerously quiet.
"I know they died protecting a worthless son," Kazuma continued, oblivious to the change in Ronin's demeanor. "I know you ran away instead of fighting. And I know that their sacrifice was wasted on someone who will never amount to anything."
Rose, who had been observing from across the training ground, suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. Her soul-sight detected a massive shift in Ronin's spiritual energy. The demonic power that had been suppressed for years was starting to surface.
"Kazuma, stop," she called out, moving quickly toward the group.
But it was too late.
Ronin's grip on Seikuro tightened until his knuckles turned white. "Take it back," he whispered.
"Take what back? The truth?" Kazuma laughed. "Face it, Ronin—you're nothing. Your friends pity you, the teachers ignore you, and your dead parents would be ashamed of what you've become."
Something inside Ronin snapped.
Dark energy erupted from his body like a shockwave, sending several nearby students stumbling backward. His eyes, normally a warm brown, flickered with crimson light. The twin blades in his hands began to pulse with an otherworldly energy—Sei glowing with an eerie blue-white light, while Kuro seemed to absorb the shadows around it.
"What... what is that?" Jake stammered, pointing at Ronin.
Kazuma's confident expression faltered as he felt the pressure of Ronin's unleashed aura. This wasn't the weak classmate he'd been tormenting—this was something else entirely.
"I said," Ronin repeated, his voice carrying an echo that seemed to come from somewhere else, "take it back."
Without warning, he lunged forward with speed that defied his previous limitations. Kazuma barely managed to draw his Thunder Sword in time to block the first strike from Sei, but the impact sent him sliding backward across the training ground.
"Impossible," Kazuma gasped. "How are you—"
Ronin pressed his attack, both blades moving in perfect harmony. Where before his movements had been awkward and uncertain, now they flowed like a deadly dance. Each strike was precise, powerful, and filled with barely contained fury.
Kazuma found himself on the defensive, unable to mount a counterattack. His Thunder Sword sparked with electricity, but somehow Ronin's blades seemed to absorb or deflect the magical energy.
The other students formed a circle around the combatants, their faces a mixture of fear and fascination. This wasn't the Ronin they knew—this was something far more dangerous.
"Ronin, stop!" Lucy screamed, but her voice seemed to come from far away.
Rose finally reached the edge of the circle, her face pale with recognition. The demon blood was fully awakened now, and she could see the true extent of Ronin's hidden power. But she also saw something else—he was losing control.
Kazuma stumbled and fell, his sword knocked from his hands. Ronin stood over him, both blades raised for a killing blow, his eyes now fully crimson and filled with inhuman rage.
"You want to know about my family?" Ronin snarled, his voice distorted by the demonic energy coursing through him. "They died protecting someone worth protecting. But you... you're not worth the dirt beneath their graves."
"RONIN!" Rose's voice cut through the haze of rage like a blade. "STOP!"
The command, backed by her own considerable power and years of authority, finally reached him. Ronin froze, his blades trembling inches from Kazuma's throat.
For a moment, the training ground was utterly silent except for the sound of Kazuma's terrified breathing.
Then Ronin's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed, unconscious before he hit the ground.
Rose rushed to his side, checking his vital signs while her mind raced. The secret she'd kept for years was now partially exposed, and she could see the fear and confusion in the students' faces.
"Everyone back to your dormitories," she commanded with authority that brooked no argument. "Now."
As the students dispersed, whispering among themselves about what they'd witnessed, Lucy and Rin remained behind.
"Rose," Rin said quietly, "what just happened? That wasn't normal magic."
Rose looked at Ronin's unconscious form, then at the two royal children who had become his closest friends. She made a difficult decision.
"I need to take Ronin away from here," she said softly. "Tonight."
"What? Where?" Lucy asked, panic creeping into her voice.
"To King's Land. There's someone there who can help him understand what's happening to him." Rose lifted Ronin carefully, noting how the demonic energy was already receding back into dormancy. "You two need to stay here. Continue your training with Stanley and Shin."
"But we're supposed to stay together!" Rin protested.
Rose shook her head firmly. "Not this time. What Ronin needs... it's something only I can help him with. And it's too dangerous for you to come along."
Lucy's eyes filled with tears. "When will you be back?"
"I don't know," Rose admitted. "But when Ronin returns, he'll be strong enough to stand beside you both as an equal."
[To be continued in Chapter 8: The Journey to King's Land]