Merlin opened the door and stepped inside.
Everyone was still sitting around the table.
Sera looked at him.
"You're back."
Merlin nodded and walked toward his seat.
He sat down beside Duke.
Sera looked around the table.
"Unfortunately, there's something we have to do before we can take on a mission."
Edith tilted her head.
"What?"
"Training."
Tony sighed.
"We already did that."
"This is different," Sera said.
"We don't know what any of you can do in an actual fight."
She glanced around the table.
"And until I know what you're capable of, I can't take you on a mission."
The guy with glasses leaned back in his chair.
"So we're going to train?"
"Not exactly."
Sera stood up.
"We're going to test your combat abilities."
He adjusted his glasses.
"What's the difference?"
"Training is about improving."
Sera looked toward the door.
"This is about finding out what we're working with."
She walked away from the table.
"We'll start with basic combat exercises, then I'll test each of your abilities."
Sera opened the door.
"Get up. We're going outside."
Tony pushed himself away from the wall.
Merlin stood with the others.
As they began leaving the room, he looked down at his hands.
The last time he did that, he had Requiem with him.
Strangely, it felt like he still had it and just needed to summon it.
Merlin shook his head and followed them outside.
Sera led the team to a dojo.
The room was old and dusty. Training dummies sat by the side of the room, collecting dust. There wasn't much use they could make out of the room, except for the room itself.
"We all know our abilities," Sera started, "but how can they help us in a mission or a fight?"
"Okay, let's start from you, Tony."
Sera looked toward Tony.
"My ability is simple enough," Tony answered. "I mean, it's just fire."
Sera glanced at him.
"We both know it's not that simple. Your fire isn't gotten from a flamethrower or furnace. It's different because it can be suppressed just like you demonstrated."
Tony sighed.
He created a white flame in his hand, then compressed it into his fist.
"My flames don't burn me, though they heat up my body," he started. "The hotter my body becomes, the stronger I get. I haven't tested the limits yet, so I don't know how far I could go."
Merlin stared at Tony, surprised at his explanation.
He's smarter than I gave him credit for, Merlin thought to himself.
"Seems like you know the ins and outs of your ability already," Sera said.
Tony shrugged.
"I've had time to think about it."
Sera nodded.
"Then you already know how useful that can be in a fight."
Tony nodded.
"My strength increases as my body gets hotter, so the longer the fight goes on, the stronger I become."
Sera looked at him for a moment.
"Good. We'll test how well you can control that strength later."
She turned toward the others.
"Nathan."
The guy with glasses looked up.
"Well, my ability is a bit difficult to explain."
He adjusted his glasses.
"Nathan," Merlin repeated in his head.
I don't think I've seen his ability, he thought to himself.
"Well, I can split and project my consciousness."
He smirked.
Edith scratched her head.
"What does that mean?"
"It just means I can see and sense something in a particular place without having to be there."
He smiled.
Merlin frowned.
That ability actually has a lot of perks.
But what good is it in combat?
"Does it have a limit?" Sera asked.
"Well, I don't think I can scout more than a hundred meters."
He adjusted his glasses.
"And the max number of perspectives I can control is still at three. If I go higher, the strain would be too much."
"So how good would you say you are in combat?"
"I'm good with weapons," he replied.
"Are you implying you can use more than one weapon?" Tony interrupted.
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
He glanced back at Tony.
"Ever since I awakened, I've had the ability to copy movements precisely. It could be part of the ability, but I'm not too sure. But I've spent some time mimicking sword movements."
Sera tossed a wooden sword at him.
Nathan caught it by the handle.
"Show me."
She picked up another one and held it with both hands.
Nathan did the same.
Sera took the first strike.
Nathan deflected it.
She recoiled before charging in again, but Nathan kept deflecting her sword strikes one after another, the both of them kept dancing back and forth in perfect sync.
Their forms were perfect, though Sera's was no surprise.
Merlin frowned, there was something off about the way Nathan fought, he always deflected at the right moment, sometimes he was ready a second before the strike came.
It looked like Nathan was predicting her moves.
There was no way he could learn that from merely copying techniques.
Suddenly, Sera stopped.
She smiled.
"Strike me."
"What?"
Nathan was startled.
"You've only been on the defense. I want you to strike me."
He took a deep breath before letting out a sigh.
Then he dashed forward, gathering force into his strike.
Sera just stood there.
She waited.
At the last moment, she redirected his strike.
Nathan's balance broke.
He crashed to the ground.
The wooden sword slipped from his hand.
"Ha..." Edith let out a giggle.
She covered her mouth.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh at you."
"It's alright."
Nathan stood up clumsily. He dusted himself off and adjusted his glasses.
He walked over to a dusty bench and sat down.
The sight made Edith giggle again.
Merlin couldn't tell if he was being serious or if he just wanted a reaction out of Edith, but the two of them seemed really close.
Sera glanced at Edith.
"It's your turn."
Edith walked toward the center of the room.
"My ability isn't really suited for combat," she started. "I can make a string-like material which I can weave into anything. It doesn't have a mass, and it's only temporary."
Sera nodded.
"How long does it last?"
"About an hour."
"And how much can you make?"
Edith shrugged.
"I've never really counted."
Sera sighed.
"So you've never tested your limits"
Edith shook her head.
"No. I mostly use it for things I need."
"Like?"
Edith smiled.
"Ropes. Wings."
Edith nodded.
"I can weave them together and use them to fly."
Edith blushed, I know flying isn't a necessity but it's really fun to do and it was the first thing that came to mind, she blurted out.
Sera crossed her arms, it's a great idea actually, she assured her.
"But the thing is,Can you use them in a fight?"
Edith hesitated.
"I don't know."
She lowered her gaze.
"Besides, I don't like the idea of fighting."
Sera looked at her for a moment.
"Then don't."
Edith looked up, surprised.
"You don't have to fight if you don't want to."
Merlin's eyes shifted toward Sera.
She wasn't going to force her?
Sera turned away from Edith.
"Your ability can still be useful without you having to fight."
Edith smiled slightly.
"Really?"
"Of course."
Sera looked toward the others.
"Not everyone in a flock needs to be a fighter."
Merlin remained silent.
He didn't expect that.
Sera glanced back at Edith.
"We'll figure out where you fit later."
Edith nodded.
"Okay."
Sera turned toward the last member of the group.
"Duke."
Duke slowly raised his head.
"I don't really know what my ability does," he said in a low voice.