Lance led Alby to the outskirts of the room, weaving his way through the training grounds with practiced ease.
"I got here about a month ago," he explained. "The two you see in the ring over there - Torne and Sayu - arrived here together, just a few days after me. Honestly, I can't tell you much else about them. Neither is really much for conversation… well, for conversation that isn't about fighting, anyways."
Lance led Alby all the way to the other side of the room, where he came to a stop right in front of the small blonde girl. She looked up at Lance, concern written in her eyes. One might have thought the soldier was bearing down on her with a bloodied weapon by the way she looked at him.
"And this here is Brynn." Lance explained. "She came about a week ago."
Brynn's eyes darted between the two of them, and she gingerly raised her hand in a polite wave.
"Um... hello." she said.
Lance gestured towards Alby, a softness finding its way into his voice.
"Brynn, this is Alby. He's one of us - just got here from the chamber," he said, gesturing in the direction Alby came from.
Brynn's eyes shot towards Alby, then hurriedly darted away again, as if she was terrified what would happen if she looked too long.
"It's... It's nice to meet you," she stammered.
The group was silent for a moment. Lance sighed.
"Alright, then. Brynn, as always, don't hesitate to come my way if you need something."
Brynn didn't seem to be listening, already turning her attention back to the knives in front of her, seeming reluctant to look back up.
Lance and Alby walked away from the awkward interaction. After they took a few steps, far enough away that the girl couldn't hear, Lance leaned in and began whispering in Alby's ear.
"Try to take it easier on her if you can." he said.
Alby raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
Lance took a furtive glance back, then continued.
"She's hardly talked to anyone since she got here, but she... she went through something really bad out there, in the Graves," he said. "Or… when she died, maybe - it's hard to say. All we know is that, when she woke up in the Chamber, she started screaming bloody murder. You could hear it from all the way over in the barracks, it was that bad."
Lance took a breath, collecting himself before continuing.
"One of the Spirits who went to help her told me she was almost impossible to settle down. She was flailing and throwing off anyone that tried. I guess she was like that for a whole day before she finally tired herself out."
Alby took a look towards the girl. He had a hard time imagining a whole group of people struggling to keep such a small thing in check.
"She only left her room for the first time yesterday," Lance went on. "It seems like a small miracle she's even out here sharpening knives. Baby steps, I suppose."
Alby looked down with a solemn expression. He thought himself to be a relatively hardened person, but even he struggled with the things that happened out in the Ashen Graves. If what Brynn saw was even half as bad, it was no wonder she seemed so skittish.
He looked towards the young captain at his side. Suddenly, Enri's comment on using the Ignition Circles flashed into his mind. He remembered her explaining how most people from the land of the living had to use a sacrifice to activate them, to make it this far.
How did Brynn activate the Circle? She hardly seemed the type who could kill someone and use them as a sacrifice, and based on Enri's reaction to his arrival, Alby doubted that she used the same method as him. Was the girl perhaps more dangerous than she let on?
He looked over at Lance. Unlike Brynn, Alby had no doubts this man was capable of killing someone if need be. What was his story? Was there something more sinister to him as well?
Alby took a deep breath.
Stay vigilant. he told himself. Remember, guard up.
As he was lost in thought, Alby looked towards the sparring ring, where the towering man- seemed to be losing ground to his swift opponent. Toren and Sayu, Alby remembered. The woman - Sayu - continued her barrage of attacks against her giant opponent, who almost reluctantly held up his spear in defense.
"What about those two?" Alby asked. "They seem to be doing okay."
Lance shook his head.
"They've been in that training ring just about every day since they got here. The moment the Guide began talking about us being 'special', Sayu's been dragging Toren into fight after fight to try and test her limits. The poor guy's just too docile to say no."
Alby nodded.
"So you guys don't know why they're recruiting us, either."
Lance shrugged.
"No idea. Far as I can tell, the only thing different between us and the Spirits is that we died to get here."
Alby frowned. Considering Lance had been there a whole month, Alby was hoping he had learned a bit more about their situation.
"They seem pretty convinced there's something special about us, though." Lance continued. "I catch them stealing glances at me when they think I'm not looking. It's like they think we're celebrities or something."
Lance sighed
"And, unfortunately for you and me, I'm not the only one who's noticed the looks. The extra attention has Sayu convinced we all have some sort of untapped potential now. She'll drag anyone into that ring to find it."
As he said it, a violent slam sounded throughout the room. Alby looked towards the ring to see Toren had finally been knocked down onto the floor. Sayu stood tall over him, resting her sword on her shoulder, a wicked smile on her face.
"Come on, Tor!" she said. "A big guy like you has to watch your legs! One trip, and it's all over!"
Toren laid down with his head resting on the floor, looking like he might fall asleep at any moment.
"Are we done now?" he asked with a yawn.
Sayu lowered her head in dejection.
"What?! That's all you can take?" she asked in disbelief.
Lance shook his head, a small smile on his face.
"Sayu! If you're done brutalizing Toren, I've got somebody to introduce you to!" he called out.
Sayu looked over at them, her eyes sparkling as they landed on Alby, like a toddler staring at a brand new toy. Alby gulped, suddenly feeling an urge to run away before she tried to break him, but it was too late. Sayu sprinted out of the ring in a flash and came to a stop right in front of him.
"Ooh! Someone else from the Graves?! I'm Sayu - it's an absolute pleasure!" she said with a salute.
Alby was taken aback, and gave her an awkward smile in response.
"...I'm Alby. Good to meet you."
Sayu wasn't listening. Instead, she was looking him over from head to toe, seeming to scrutinize every detail about him.
"Hmm, he's got a pretty strong body, but then again, we all do now - that Ignition Chamber works wonders," she mumbled to herself. "Little on the shorter side, though. Wonder how he made it this far..."
"Um.... can I help you?" Alby asked, getting more uncomfortable by the second.
Sayu jolted upright, torn out of her trance.
"Right, sorry! My parents are both commanders, so it's just a habit of mine- sizing up the enemy, you know?" she said with a wink.
Alby blinked. Was he this woman's enemy?
A mischievous grin suddenly lit up Sayu's face.
"Hey, I've got a great idea! Since my previous partner's being a sore loser," she began with a pointed look towards Toren, who was still laying half asleep on the ground. "Why don't you join me in the ring?"
Alby almost laughed.
"Oh, come on!" she pressed, noticing his hesitation. "It'll be fun! I can even give you some pointers!"
Alby shook his head. There was absolutely no chance he was going to fight this lunatic - even if it was just a spar.
-------------------------------
Alby found himself standing in the sparring ring opposite Sayu, a training sword in his hand.
How the hell did I let this happen? he thought.
Sayu stood in a warrior's stance, her wooden rapier held out confidently in front of her. She wore the same smile as the first time he saw her, exhilarated to have fresh meat for the first time in weeks. Alby began to wonder if it was too late to back out.
"I hope you're ready." Sayu said. Wasting no time, she lunged forward, aiming for his head.
Guess it's too late.
Alby may have been able to get the best of the commander, but that man had been unprepared for his prey to fight back - giving Alby an advantage he was able to exploit. In this ring, his adversary was more than ready for anything he may throw her way. He barely managed to block her strike to his head, but felt her wooden blade graze past his face. If they had been using real weapons, she would have drawn blood. Or maybe even more.
And before Alby could think to counterattack, Sayu was already away, looking for her next chance to strike.
Her next attacks were much the same. Sayu would strike with her weapon, Alby would barely react in time with a block, rinse, repeat. With each new strike, Alby's blocks grew weaker, Sayu's strikes grew stronger, and he slowly but surely fell apart. He began taking blow after blow - to the arm, to the leg, to the chest, just about everywhere really. Even worse, Sayu never gave him an opportunity to get in an attack of his own.
Sayu was clearly more talented and experienced than the commander could have ever hoped to be. Her strikes were fluid and calculated, forged in countless hours of practice and battle. By contrast, Alby barely knew how to hold a sword properly. He could fight, sure, but his style was raw and crude - more suited for hand-to-hand combat or knife fights, not swordplay.
To make matters worse, it seemed as if Sayu was holding back, toying with Alby, probing to see everything he was capable of. She didn't look bored either; only thrilled to be facing a new opponent, to have a new puzzle to solve.
Alby was breathing heavily, on the verge of collapse from Sayu's ceaseless onslaught. By contrast, Sayu didn't seem to have broken a sweat. She continued to bounce around the ring with effortless grace, almost taunting Alby. She swiftly dashed towards him, looking for one last blow to end the fight. As she did, Alby raised his hand on instinct.
One thought entered his mind as his opponent moved in for the kill.
Stop.
As he thought it, a golden glow faintly emanated from Alby's hand. Suddenly, the same glow passed over Sayu's body, and she stumbled. It wasn't enough for her to fall or stop completely, but it gave Alby a chance to sidestep her attack. Following his intuition, he landed an awkward blow on Sayu's back as she moved past him. It was the first hit he had managed to land in the entire duel.
Alby looked down at his hand in utter confusion.
What... what just happened?
He looked around the room. Whatever it was, he hadn't imagined it. All eyes were on him. Lance, Brynn, the Spirits... even Toren was staring at him. All of them had seen it too.
Those from the Graves like him had looks of confusion written on their faces, not sure of what they were seeing. The Spirits, though, their faces beamed with relief, happiness... hope.
Sayu spun around to face him. He braced himself, thinking she was about to unleash a fresh torrent of strikes on him, but instead, she dropped her sword, clenching her fists in excitement.
"That… was... awesome!" she exclaimed. "How did you do that - that glowy thing? Gods, I've been trying to figure something like that out for ages! You have to tell me!"
Alby rubbed the back of his head.
"I... have no idea."
Sayu scrunched her face in frustration. Before she could say anything else, a new voice rang out from the crowd.
"That was the very reason why all of you are so crucial in this upcoming fight."
The crowd parted, and an older man made his way to the front. His wrinkled tan skin contrasted against his eyes, hair, and beard, all of which shone a radiant silver. Unlike the others, this man had a certain presence about him, commanding the respect of anyone he passed. Alby knew without anyone having to tell him; this man was the leader of the Spirits here.
The man smiled, a soft kind of smile that made him seem far younger than he looked.
"Congratulations, Albion of the world of the living." he said. "You have unsealed your Ignition Ability."