“Shit…” he breathed, unable to take his eyes off Shido, going between the new defensive plating and the curved claws.
Then he remembered who has standing not feet from him, and he flushed.
“Apologies!” he said quickly, straightening as best he could, which was made awkward by the fact that he was still seated on the gurney. He hadn’t exactly dived deep into military etiquette over the summer —being assigned a CAD had left him with enough reading and research to do in what little spare time he hadn’t spent training—but he was fairly sure profanity in the presence of an officer wasn’t on the list of allowances.
Valera Dent, though, waved his regret away with a face.
“I just spent seven years on the front line of a war, cadet. Your cursing isn’t about to light my fuse.” She paused, taking in the CAD Rei still hadn’t recalled. “Besides, I think I can forgive you a little excitement. Congratulations on your first evolution.”
Evolution.
There it was. The greatest offering Devices could grant their Users. Change. Correction. Adaptation. As a wielder got stronger, so did their CAD, adjusting themselves to best fit the User’s combat style and needs. Rei had spent 10 weeks fighting with nothing but a glorified punching glove, and his lack of defense and attack had shown through against Aria Laurent. He’d been able to do nothing against her spear’s sweeping strikes but dip and dodge, and throwing his own body against her defenses had proven better results than actually swinging Shido at her shield.
Now, though… Now things would never be so one-sided again.
“As far as I know, you and Laurent are the only students in your class to have achieved an evolution. You’re a ways back from the starting line, to be fair—particularly compared to her—but that’s no reason not to celebrate it.” Dent was eyeing the three claws protruding from Rei’s right knuckles. “You won’t be able to hide it, either. Everyone’s seen what your CAD looked like as of twenty minutes ago, so prepare yourself for the attention, both good and bad.” She chewed on her words before continuing. “Honestly, you should probably work on getting used to it… Do you know what the name of your CAD means, Ward?”
A little of Rei’s enthusiasm faded away. He was aware of Shido’s meaning, as it happened. It had been a curiosity—or a suspicion, rather—from the moment he’d heard the Device’s name announced after his assignment. It was Japanese—one of the old languages they still used on Earth, in the regions the culture still thrived—which upon discovering had weighed on Rei’s mind for some days, and not in a pleasant way. His own name, after all, was variation of another word in the same tongue, and an ironic one at that.
His parents, in giving him that name, had ended up making a mockery of the ancient god of lightning he had obviously been meant to take after.
“‘Seed’,” Rei finally answered roughly. “‘Shido’ means ‘seed’.”
Before him, the captain nodded. “It does. And don’t look so damn disappointed. Instead, consider it. Consider its meaning. Whoever gave you that CAD—or whatever, rather—” Dent clarified pointedly, eyeing Rei “—did so with a purpose in mind. You seemed impressed to learn that Aria Laurent had developed an Ability in six weeks, and you should be. But since assignment, Laurent has also only upgraded two ranks, from D8 to C0. You, meanwhile, have now seen an improvement of six ranks without the resources she had access to, and have just gone through your first evolution. Your Growth spec is not for show, Ward. You need to remember that moving forward. I think ‘Seed’ is going to prove itself an apt name for your Device, if you give it half the chance.”
Rei took in her words, forcing himself to swallow them. She was, right of course. In 10 weeks he had seen magnitudes of improvement. From almost exclusively F0, all of his specs were all at least pushing on halfway to the E-Rank, with his Speed, Offense, and Defense now only three points away. If he continued to see that level of development, or even anything marginally of the like…
All of a sudden the image of a sprouting tree etched itself across Rei’s thoughts, its branches spreading and rising, its leaves reaching for the heavens and beyond…
“Sounds like they just finished up.”
The Iron Bishop was looking to the ceiling, from which Rei, too, could hear the roar of his classmates as the Team Battle match they’d been treated to sounded to have come to a spectacular end, the Arena voice announcing “Blue Team” as the victors. There was much shouting and fanfare, and Rei’s disappointment at missing out on the excitement would have been extreme were it not for the fact that he was still holding Shido’s new evolution before him, the improvements unbelievable every time he took them in.
“They’ll be wanting me back up there for the ceremony wrapping, so here’s this.” Dent’s NOED flared up again, and a moment later a window opened in Rei’s own frame. A picture of his face, it was set beside his updated public User info, along with a new designation.
“Class… 1-A?” he asked.
The captain nodded. “Your class-block assignment. They were allocated after your fight, when you were still out of it. Five classes, each with around twenty-five students, randomly allotted. That being said, I happen to have it on good authority that your friend Arada is in your section, so be grateful for that.”
Rei was grateful, and it must have shown in his expression, because the captain snorted.
“To have your enthusiasm, kid…” she muttered, turning and starting to walk away. “Stay down here until they call for a dismissal upstairs. You might be feeling good with those new specs, but neural interruption of the entire spine is no joke.”
“C-Captain!”
Rei cursed himself, but there was no helping it. As the woman had started to leave, the 11-year-old who had once gotten in trouble for breaking into the Matron’s office took over.
Valera Dent stopped, looked around at him curiously.
“I…uh…” Rei struggled to get the admission out. “I saw you retirement bout. The exhibition match at the ’61 Intersystems…”
Dent didn’t reply, but watched like she expected him to continue. When the silence began to stretch, she finally opened her mouth.
“And?”
Rei swallowed nervously. “I just… You finished 54 and 6, right? I… I want that. That’s what I’m chasing. That’s why I’m looking for those advantages you spoke of. I know I’m not that strong now, but—”
“Did you see the matches I lost?”
The captain’s interruption took Rei so aback, it was a moment before he found his words again.
“N-no,” he finally managed. “I didn’t really have easy access to the feeds, as a kid.”
Dent nodded, but didn’t seem to be paying attention to him anymore. Her eyes were flicking under her live frame, which had popped up again as soon as he’d started answering her. A few seconds of commands, then the woman waved a hand in his direction, and several recordings layered over themselves in his own vision one after the other.
“Watch them,” the captain said, turning and starting to walk away again. As she left, however, she kept talking over her shoulder. “Don’t aspire to be like me, Ward. Aspire the be like the ones who beat me. And I’m serious about taking it easy. You don’t want to be jello for your parameter testing tomorrow.”
Rei—who had already started playing one of the videos on mute, watching intently—opened his mouth to thank the officer. Before he could, though, he registered what she’d said.
“Wait… Testing? What testing?!”
CHAPTER 15
By the time Rei made out Colonel Guest wrapping a brief closing welcome to the first years and found his way once more into the stands, most of the cadets had already left the Arena. Hurrying after a trailing few, he reached the east stairs they’d originally entered by, descending back down to the white marble pathways to step into the sun again. He’d just started looking around, wondering if Viv and Catcher were heading back towards Kanes, when Viv’s familiar
voice called out to him.
“There he is. Rei! Over here!”
They were waiting from him not far from the mouth of the Arena, standing together and looking like they’d been searching the exiting trails of students for him.
Jogging over, he was all smiles as he reached them. “I have to show you guys something!” He didn’t care that he could hear the glee in his own voice. “You seriously won’t believe this. After the fight, my CAD—”
“Shh!” Viv shushed him quickly, glancing pointedly around. More than a few other first years had paused in their passings and conversations to ogle Rei when they noticed he was back among their number. Jerking her head to the north, in the general direction of the dorm, Viv motion that they should start walking. “We’ll take a long way. Less eyes.”
Rei opened his mouth to argue, but realized she was probably right. Catcher, meanwhile, was watching him with an oddly stressed expression, like he was biting back something he, too, was dying to say. Still, the pair of them fell in behind Viv as she led the way, first around the northern bend of the Arena, then east, towards the Institute’s perimeter wall.
The moment they crossed into the moderately secluded garden courtyard in the center of the Combat Theory Department’s three entwined building, it was Catcher who broke first, whirling on Rei and grabbing him by the collar of his uniform. At first Rei feared their suitemate was going to scream at him for being stupid or suicidal, but then he caught the shine in the boy’s yellow eyes.
“That. Was. Awesome!” Catcher exclaimed in something between a shout and a groan. “Did you plan all that beforehand, or was it on the fly? A C-Ranker. A friggin’ C-Ranker, and you had her twisting in circles and bending backwards to pin you down. Man!” He shook his head in what appeared to be genuine awe. “When you first shot up out of your seat, I thought you were insane. An E3 going up against a C? But then the hat, and the jacket.” He laughed out loud, letting go to grab his own cap and uniform with a hand each as he remembered. “It was great! That story’s gonna get told for years, I’ll bet you anything!”
“I take it you knew Rei was an E before Dent announced it, then?” Viv asked evenly, giving Catcher a firm look.
“Ah.” Catcher froze, still holding onto his brim and collar. After a moment he met her eyes, then Rei’s, then back again.
And then he seemed to deflate.
“I did,” he admitted, sounding regretful. “Sorry.” He looked at Rei with a strained, apologetic smile. “It was pretty obvious you were dodging talking about your rank back at the dorm, so after you guys left I pulled your ISCM profile. Not gonna lie, I was a little shocked, but…” He shrugged. “If you’re here, there’s a reason, right?”
Rei and Viv exchanged a look of surprise.
“I… I guess…?” Rei agreed hesitantly. “Gotta say, that’s not the reaction I expected to get from the first student who found me out…”
Catcher gave a grunt of understanding. “And probably won’t be what you get from most. But the reality is that CAD-Rank is only a measure of a User’s physiological potential. My mother was pretty clear about drilling that into my head, after I told her I wanted to be an SCT combatant. Her opponent for her System Championship title was a Pawn-Class S-Rank, and she was an A7 at the time. She said it was hands-down the hardest fight of her life, but she won.” He grinned at Rei. “She told me that if you really want to get a feel for an opponent’s threat level, you gotta watch them have it out with someone stronger than them. So… Seeing you almost knock out our resident C-Ranker was pretty badass, in that regard.”
Rei grinned back. He really could like this overly-enthusiastic classmate, he decided.
Then a thought struck him.
“Maybe that’s why they’re putting us through additional testing?” he mumbled, considering it. It seemed feasible enough. After all, if CAD-Ranking was the only determinate of greater ability, there would be no point to the SCTs.
“Additional testing? What are you talking about?”
Viv was watching him with a grimace, and Rei realized he’d spoke aloud.
“They’re putting us through ‘parameter testing’ tomorrow,” he explained. “Mind you, I have no idea what that entails.”
“Parameter testing?” she repeated incredulously. “Didn’t we go through a lot of that in the Assignment Exam?”
“That was all just physical assessment.” Catcher was the one to answer her. “Not that much different from our Device specs, if you consider it.” He looked to Rei. “I’ve heard there’s some kind of regular testing done over the course of our years here. Supposedly it’s to help track our progress in a more functional way than our specs, but more standardized then our combat results.”
“Any idea what we’re expected to do?”
Catcher shook his head. “Not at all. My mother has some old friends from the circuits who graduated from Galens years ago, but they were pretty tight lipped when I asked them about it.”
“Probably didn’t feel right giving you an advantage, if they’re standardized…” Rei considered, watching a bee—one of hundreds of animal species essential to the terramorphing that had allowed for the expansion of humanity into the stars—buzz about an intricate hedge of rose bushes in the center of the courtyard.
“Well that’s bull,” Viv huffed, putting her hands on her hips and looking distinctly peeved. “I’m sure the majority of us will be fine, but Rei—” her blue eyes were fire when she looked at him “—assuming they allow CAD-usage for these tests, you’re gonna be at a hell of a disadvantage. You know I love you dearly, but your Device is next to useless right now, and if the expected starting line is the typical D4 average of Galens first years…”
She let the implication hang.
Rei, though, only grinned. He didn’t argue that his CAD-Rank was still going to have him miles behind the others, but as far as Shido being next to useless…
“About that… Remember that I wanted to show you something?” He looked around briefly. Then—sure that there was no one in the immediate vicinity of their little huddle—he brought both hands up. “Call.”
Shido shimmered, and an instant later took the form the paired gloves, the right boasting its new claws from the white steel of his knuckles, the left gleaming as the black defensive plating along his forearms caught the sun above. For practical purposes the entirety of the Institute grounds was approved territory for manifestation, though actual combat was to be kept to the training centers.
So long as Rei didn’t punch anyone with the Device, none would blink at a group of first years ogling each other’s CADs.
“Whoa. Whoa.”
Catcher was the first to react, largely because Viv looked to have been struck utterly speechless. The boy bent low, hands reaching up and fingers twitching in obvious desire, but he was smart enough to pause and glance at Rei. “Can I touch them?”
“Go for it,” Rei laughed, making twin fists and holding the black-and-white device out, the blue detailing of the vysetrium brilliant even in the daylight. “Make me feel better. Tell me I’m not dreaming.”
Catcher needed no other approval, taking hold of Rei’s right hand and bringing it up to study the three 4- and 6-inch claws from a much closer vantage point than might have been advisable.
Viv, meanwhile, had found her voice.
“Rei… Shido evolved?”
Rei nodding, turning his hand over at Catcher’s request so he could peer at the intricate joints of the black finger plating. “After the match. I don’t remember clearly, but I’m pretty sure the protocol happened while I was still passed out. I woke up and… well…” He nodded towards his left hand in indication.
Viv gaped at the Device a moment more. Then, with the hint of a frown, her NOED blazed, and a few seconds later a message appeared in Rei’s frame.
Spec changes?
He answered quickly, electing to type with his eyes as he let Catcher move enthusiastically from the
claws to the defensive plating along his opposite forearm.
Yeah. Big ones. I’ll show you later.
It was a testament to their friendship that Viv accepted this with nothing but a short nod, as was the fact that she’d known better than to ask the question out loud. Rei hoped Catcher would stick around, but for the time being trying to explain his rapid stat improvement and S-Ranked Growth spec was too much of a risk. Word would probably leak out eventually, of course. Specification details weren’t public information, so his classmates wouldn’t just be able to pull up his stats—and vice versa—but if even only some of the staff at Galens could access his numbers… well…
But… That didn’t mean there wasn’t some value in delaying the inevitable. A single intense match with Aria Laurent had given him enough of a rank boost to evolve Shido. If he could repeat that a few more times, his specs would hopefully all be in or nearing the E range, his CAD-Rank rising with them. If he could get himself to the D before news got out of his Growth stat…
With that hope in mind, Rei looked between Viv and Catcher.
“Can you guys keep this quiet for now?” he asked. “What with the parameter testing I know I probably won’t make it past tomorrow before everyone finds out Shido has evolved, but after that fight… Captain Dent wanted me to be careful of the kind of attention I might bring down on myself.”
Viv tensed at the request, while Catcher—who had been trying to manipulate the black plates of Rei’s left arm by hand while muttering to himself—froze, then slowly turned to him with wide eyes.
Iron Prince: A Progression Sci-Fi Epic (Warformed: Stormweaver Book 1) Page 21