Chapter 30 — Where Wings Learn to Fall
The door to Dormitory 36 closed with a light metallic sound.
The smell of hot metal, burnt circuits, and energy drinks still floated through the air like a signature unique to Rex. Mechanical parts were scattered all over the floor. Green holograms scrolled along the walls. A hanging lamp slowly swayed from the ceiling while several tiny drones finished putting tools away.
Rex, leaning against his workbench, raised a hand with a huge grin.
— "If you ever need me again, call me just in case, haha!"
He adjusted his grease-covered engineering goggles.
— "See you guys!"
Zayn gave a thumbs up.
— "Thanks again for the OMNIHAND, man!"
— "Obviously it's incredible. I built it."
— "You almost blew my arm off."
— "Technical details."
Yojuro was already sighing.
Then the two finally left the dormitory.
The academy hallway was calm. The late afternoon sun crossed through the enormous windows of the main building, painting long golden lines across the floor. Students passed farther away, talking, laughing, carrying training weapons or strange artifacts.
But Zayn wasn't listening to any of it.
His eyes stayed fixed on his left wrist.
On the OMNIHAND 307.
The artifact glowed faintly with a hypnotic green light. New engravings slowly rotated around the main dial like living mechanical constellations.
Then—
💡
A small hologram appeared.
A miniature woman made of translucent green light.
Long hair.
Glowing eyes.
A silhouette more human than before.
Aurora.
— "Performance analysis: synchronization increased by 37%."
Zayn blinked.
— "…Whoa."
Aurora placed her holographic hands on her hips.
— "I have also received a behavioral update."
— "You talk weird now."
— "I speak in a more human way in order to improve the user's psychological comfort."
— "Yeah… that's creepy."
— "Thank you."
Yojuro watched the scene without emotion.
Then he resumed walking.
— "By the way."
— "Hm?"
— "I need to go see Murata at the infirmary."
Zayn tilted his head slightly.
— "Why?"
— "His arm gave out again during training."
A small silence.
— "He acts like he's fine… but he's not."
Zayn looked at the ceiling for a few seconds.
Then he shrugged.
— "No problem, man. Anyway I need to go train with my new master."
…
Yojuro stopped dead in his tracks.
Very slowly, he turned his head toward him.
— "…You have a master?"
Zayn let out a nervous laugh.
— "Long story."
— "Looking at your face, it sounds more like a terrible idea."
— "Probably."
They walked down the main stairs together before reaching the academy exit.
The wind of New York blew between the gigantic buildings. Distant sirens, honking cars, and urban noise formed a permanent melody.
Zayn stepped back slightly.
— "Alright. See you later."
Yojuro simply raised a hand without answering.
Then Zayn ran off.
Once he was far enough from the academy, he finally slowed down in an empty alleyway.
He raised his wrist.
— "Aurora. The training location is insanely far. Give me a fast primal."
The OMNIHAND's glowing rings rotated.
Hundreds of Primal holograms appeared around him like a storm of digital creatures.
Then Aurora spoke:
— "Optimal recommendation selected."
One specific hologram stabilized.
A slender insectoid creature.
Black.
Yellow.
Translucent greenish wings vibrating like luminous blades.
Thin claws.
A sharp tail.
And glowing red eyes.
— "Recommended name: Venostinger."
Zayn looked at the creature.
Then instantly smiled.
— "Ohhhh… a giant bee. Cool."
Aurora sighed almost like a human.
— "Correction: high-speed hymenopter-draconic hybrid."
— "So a giant bee."
— "…Yes."
Zayn placed his hand on the OMNIHAND.
The symbols lit up violently.
⚡
Blessed energy exploded around him.
His body instantly deformed.
His arms lengthened.
A black carapace covered his skin.
Gigantic wings burst from his back with a slicing sound.
His eyes turned red.
Then—
BOOOOM
A shockwave blasted the trash cans around him apart.
Venostinger raised his arms toward the sky.
— "WOOOOOH!"
His voice had changed, sharper, wilder.
Then he took off.
The sound barrier exploded behind him.
A green trail instantly crossed the sky of New York.
The clouds split apart.
Buildings rushed beneath him at insane speed.
Zayn laughed through the air.
The wind slammed against his insectoid face as he dove between skyscrapers like a living missile.
— "THIS IS SO COOOLLLLL!"
Aurora appeared beside him in holographic form.
— "Current speed: 612 kilometers per hour."
— "FASTER!"
— "Risk of fatal collision: 87%."
— "PERFECT!"
A few minutes later…
The city gradually disappeared.
Concrete was replaced by an immense forest.
Dense.
Silent.
Almost unreal.
Venostinger finally slowed down before landing heavily in a clearing.
BOOM.
Leaves flew around him.
And there…
Azel was already waiting.
Standing.
Arms crossed.
Motionless like a statue forgotten by time.
Zayn returned to his human form in a green flash.
The OMNIHAND emitted several mechanical sounds.
BEEP.
BEEP.
BEEEEEP.
Then silence.
Azel looked at the artifact for a few seconds before raising his eyes again.
— "You're late."
Zayn immediately raised his hands.
— "It's not my fault this place is on the other side of the world!"
Azel didn't answer.
This man's silence was always heavier than other people's words.
Then Zayn stretched his arms.
— "Alright. What kind of training are we doing?"
He cracked his neck.
— "Weightlifting? Combat? Running through mountains carrying rocks?"
Azel slowly turned his head toward him.
— "You are going to use your Fumetsu."
— "Well yeah obviously."
— "Without your Primals."
…
Zayn's smile vanished.
— "Excuse me?"
— "No Primals. No support. No transformation modes."
— "But that's impossible."
The wind blew through the trees.
Zayn slightly looked away.
Then his voice became lower.
— "I have a Fumetsu disease."
Azel stayed silent.
— "Blessed Energy Disorder."
Even the forest seemed to become quieter.
Then Azel closed his eyes.
— "…I see."
His voice had changed.
Deeper.
More serious.
— "That disease is extremely rare."
Zayn gritted his teeth.
— "I know."
— "The worst nightmare of Paladins."
Azel's gaze rested directly on him.
— "People affected by it cannot properly produce blessed energy. Their bodies reject natural Fumetsu like a failed organ transplant."
Zayn clenched his fist slightly.
— "That's why I use Primals and Borealis."
— "No."
Azel stepped forward.
— "That's why you depend on them."
…
Silence.
Then Azel slowly raised a hand toward the sky.
And Fumetsu appeared.
Not violently.
Not loudly.
But naturally.
Like breathing.
A golden light gently flowed across his body.
— "Fumetsu is not just energy."
His voice echoed through the entire forest.
— "It is the will imposed onto reality."
Around him, leaves began floating.
The stones trembled.
— "Normal humans live inside the laws of the universe."
Then he opened his eyes.
— "Celestials force the universe to rewrite those laws."
The ground cracked.
An immense invisible pressure fell over the clearing.
Zayn felt his breath cut short.
— "Fumetsu is divided into three main categories."
Glowing symbols appeared around Azel.
🛡️
— "Survivor."
His aura became heavy.
Dense.
Indestructible.
— "Body reinforcement. Resistance. Endurance. Survival."
⚔️
— "Hunter."
The energy suddenly changed shape.
Weapons appeared around him.
Flames.
Chains.
Spears.
— "Creation. Transformation. Manipulation."
👁️
— "Tracker."
Then space itself seemed to twist slightly.
— "The anomalies. The unique miracles. The abilities impossible to classify."
Zayn watched everything in silence.
Fascinated.
Then Azel continued:
— "But there are rules."
Azel's gaze became colder.
— "First rule: Fumetsu consumes the user."
— "The greater the miracle… the greater the price."
— "Second rule: an unstable miracle destroys the body."
— "Third rule: if your mind collapses… your Fumetsu becomes uncontrollable."
Then he stared directly at Borealis.
— "And you…"
A silence.
— "You are already on the edge of breaking."
Zayn looked away.
— "…If only I didn't have this disease."
Azel slowly shook his head.
— "No."
He pointed at the OMNIHAND.
— "This training will help you control your artifact… and more importantly your ability to endure your Primals."
Then his voice became icy.
— "You are not strong enough to contain high-level Primals."
Zayn's gaze trembled slightly.
— "You're going to explode one day."
Silence.
— "Or develop Fumetsu cancer."
…
— "WHAT?!"
Azel pointed behind him.
Enormous boulders were scattered around the clearing.
Some were the size of houses.
— "Move them."
— "Huh?"
— "Without Primals."
— "ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?!"
Azel calmly sat down on a tree branch.
Then he closed his eyes.
— "If you succeed… then the training will truly begin."
— "BUT THIS IS ALREADY TRAINING!"
No answer.
Silence.
This man was already sleeping.
Or meditating.
Impossible to know.
Zayn stayed motionless for several seconds.
Then he looked at the giant rock.
Then Azel.
Then the rock again.
— "…I hate my life."
And he pushed.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Hours passed.
The sun slowly descended.
His hands bled.
His muscles burned.
His breathing became uneven.
But he kept going.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Then—
CRRRR
The rock moved.
By one centimeter.
Only one.
But it moved.
Zayn's eyes widened.
— "OH MY GOD I MOVED IT!!"
He raised his arms like he had just saved the world.
Azel slowly opened one eye.
Then climbed down from the tree.
— "It's late."
Zayn was still breathing like a dying man.
But Azel slightly nodded.
— "You worked well."
Zayn's heart almost skipped a beat.
That was probably the biggest compliment Azel could give.
Then—
GRRRRRRRRRR
Zayn's stomach growled violently.
Silence immediately followed.
Azel slowly looked at his stomach.
Then looked away.
— "…We could go eat."
Zayn's eyes instantly lit up.
— "Seriously?!"
Some time later…
Queens.
The night bathed the streets in magnificent orange light. Small restaurants lined along the sidewalks released incredible smells of grilled meat, noodles, spices, and warm sugar.
Zayn walked beside Azel.
— "I didn't think you Seraphins ate normal stuff."
— "We eat enormous amounts."
— "Huh?"
Azel entered a small restaurant.
Then he calmly answered:
— "Calories are essential for Celestials."
They sat down.
— "The body transforms food into physical energy."
Then Azel looked at him.
— "And Fumetsu transforms that physical energy into blessed energy."
Zayn blinked.
— "So the more miracles we use…"
— "The more calories the body burns."
Azel picked up a glass of water.
— "Great Fumetsu users can lose several kilograms after a single battle."
Zayn's expression became shocked.
— "So Error…"
— "Consumes a monstrous amount of energy."
Silence fell again for a few seconds.
Then the waiter arrived with several gigantic dishes.
Zayn looked at the mountain of food.
Then at Azel.
Then at the food.
— "…I think I finally understand why Seraphins are always so calm."
Azel raised an eyebrow.
— "Why?"
Zayn immediately took an enormous bite.
— "Because eating this… cures depression."