Sundown had arrived.

  Leox was sceptical as he made his way down to the field. After the altercation that had taken place in the cafeteria, hinting at their team already falling apart, he braced himself for the possibility that no one would even turn up. Especially not the two who were arguing.

  To his surprise, he found Samson standing at the centre of the field with a giant sword stabbed into the grass and his arms folded. He wasn't the only one there, as Marybetha stood a few metres away, sitting on the grass casually. In the distance, he could see Astra and Laughter both making their way over, too.

  As they all arrived at the centre of the field, it was Laughter who pointed out what everyone was thinking.

  "So, no Trinity? What a shame, I really liked her kindness and humility."

  Astra laughed quietly on the sidelines at the Jester's joke. Samson chuckled too, but in a way that suggested he expected nothing more from the girl.

  Leox sighed as he stood before his team members.

  "It's fine, we can make do with what we have. I'm sure we're strong enough with just the five of us."

  A few of the others nodded their heads in agreement. They were the only ones in the field, as most others would be sleeping, or at least preparing to sleep. These students knew that an early sleep was time wasted.

  To Leox's surprise, the others seemed to be fine with him leading the training session. He tried to wait a few seconds to see if anyone would give any suggestions, but after time passed, he decided to take the initiative.

  "I know we know near to nothing about the Death Beasts, but we should have a main method that we plan to fight against them with, whether that be a class, a skill, or a weapon. In order to understand each other, why don't we all share what this will be? That way, we can see whose style works well with whose."

  Despite everyone's desire to hide their greater skills, this idea seemed to be agreed upon by everybody else. Leox was, of course, certain that the true extent of people's powers would be hidden, especially until they felt more confident that they could trust their allies.

  So, to earn their trust, Leox stepped forward.

  "I'll go first." He said, catching the others by surprise.

  If I want to be a leader, I'll have to take risks.

  After a deep breath, he accessed the skills within his Overview. He first used Greater Overheat, allowing the flames to burn and strengthen the length of his right arm. He rolled up his sleeve to show the others that his flesh had turned a fiery red.

  "As I said before, I can control the core elements. Greater Overheat is my main fire skill, which allows me to heat an area of my body, making it stronger."

  The others seemed to already be aware of this, as he had sometimes used the skill when sparring with Astra. It was also known that it was what he used to kill Donn in the sewers.

  Next was Tempest. He drew his sword and focused the winds around the blade, creating a controlled, dense tempest around the length of the metal. The sight of this skill earned exaggerated gasps from Laughter and a raised brow from Samson. Leox explained the wind magic before letting it fade away. Afterwards, he explained Mud Wall, which he couldn't currently use due to a lack of mud nearby, and Weave Currents, which could only be used when near flowing water. He also explained that he has the Swordsman class, giving him access to basic, well-known sword skills, such as Rapid Cleave.

  "These are the main skills I'll be using in our fight against the demon." He said finally, hinting that he most likely had a wider arsenal that he wasn't willing to share yet. The words hung in the air as the others wondered who would go next.

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  Astra smiled and stepped forward to the centre of the circle. He didn't say anything, except extend his right arm out to the side. Leox braced himself, expecting a great, blinding light to come crashing down as it had before, but to his surprise, it didn't.

  Astra chuckled softly. "When you see me do this in the battle, the essence of Alfred's Star will fall into my hands, turning into a trident that I can wield in battle. Think of it as a spear that can be used both up close and at a distance."

  Leox felt his body relax, knowing that the star would not fall.

  So that's the power of an astrologer. To call on the essence of stars. Before anyone could move on, he had to ask...

  "Sorry, but what is Alfred's Star?"

  Astra pointed towards a golden star in the distance, tiny but larger than any of the others.

  "Alfred's Star is the closest star to our planet, named after the first man to figure this out." He explained in a way that showed he had a deep respect for the man.

  Leox took in the information and allowed the others to continue. Next was Samson. The boy stepped forward, leaving his sword stuck in the dirt beside him. It seemed that whatever sort of skill he was about to demonstrate was beyond weaponry. He stood in the centre and took in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.

  "As I said before, I am a knight. During the battle, you will see me use a variety of different basic knight skills. However, one of my skills will stand out amongst all others."

  Leox squinted his eyes and watched the boy carefully. After he had finished speaking, the purple crown tattoo on his forehead had started to glow brightly. Samson tapped his finger to the crown, and a dull humming sound could be heard across the entire field. The glowing light was no longer just a crown on the boy's forehead; it had now spread across his entire body, coating him in purple armour, made from chains.

  The chains not only covered every inch of his body, but they also bound his two arms together by the wrist, as though he were a prisoner. The only area of his bronze skin that was free and could be seen, was his face, which remained hard the entire time.

  Leox gawked at the sight he had seen. "What sort of power is this?" The words escaped his mouth against his will.

  Laughter seemed to be equally surprised, and even Marybetha was thoroughly intrigued by the skill. It was only Astra who wasn't shocked by the display, as though he was familiar with it.

  Eventually, the armour faded away, and Samson was returned to his normal state, dressed in his school uniform. However, Leox noticed that his wrists were bleeding from where the chains had bound them together tightly.

  Samson returned to his sword dismissively and leaned against it.

  "When I'm in that form, I'm at my strongest. Make sure not to get in the way of any of my attacks, because they will be much more dangerous."

  Leox wondered how he would even fight in such a state. The armour looked powerful, but the restrictions on his wrist were too much.

  What class is that even linked to?

  ...

  The group then moved on to Marybetha. As explained before, with no secrets to hide, she was the daughter of a Holy Knight. She mentioned her most commonly used skills, ranging from Holy Strikes to healing magic. She didn't find it important to demonstrate these abilities, as she expressed that the skills were basic and most likely known to her fellow team members.

  Leox frowned at this. He had demonstrated his basic skills after all. But alas, they moved on to the fifth, and final member present in the field.

  Laughter.

  With excitement, Leox stood and watched the boy. Ever since he had told him about his class, Jester, he had been desperate to know what it was capable of and how he could use it in combat. The others seemed to feel the same way, as he noticed them stand up straighter and pay more attention than before.

  Laughter chuckled. "Goodness me, what an intense audience."

  He scratched at his orange hair and squinted his one good eye with false nervousness. Then, he stepped to the centre of the field.

  "As Samson knows, I'm experienced with daggers. Recently, I've even been experimenting with using two at once, so I'll be up close and personal during the battle if I have to."

  Samson let out a huff through his nose that carried attitude.

  "However, at some point during the battle, I might pull out a card and perform magic, or something of the sort. Who knows. As long as you are all entertained, my strengths will show."

  Entertained.

  Leox couldn't help but notice that when the boy said that word, it seemed to carry weight. They waited to see if he had anything else to say, but he didn't. Laughter was still unprepared to explain the secrets of his class, and no one decided to pry.

  With that, the team of five had established the basics of eachothers classes, or at least what they were willing to share. So, they agreed to return the next day with blunted weapons borrowed from the academy, in hopes that they could better understand each other's fighting styles.

  Just like that, the week of training before their second assignment had begun.