Brutal Realisation for Lexi

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“Huuu!”

I gasped for air, opening my eyes to the dimly lit room. The familiar white expanse of The Dome surrounded me, its strange, ethereal atmosphere making everything feel distant. Time seemed to lose meaning in this place, but my internal clock assured me it was half past eight.

Not too bad… hasn’t been that long.

I rolled my neck, the satisfying pop from the stiffness fading easing me as I moved toward the sparring ground.

It’s not that I fear the challenge… it’s just… Mom never keeps things simple. There's always some demonic plan up her sleeve to break me.

A mental shudder coursed through me at the memory of her past methods. Training sessions with her were nothing short of brutal. Her persistence, her refusal to stop until she broke through every barrier was unmatched. It wasn’t just physical, though. She would break through your mind, soul, and anything else she could get her hands on.

Nobody can stop her once she’s set her mind on it. Not even Aunt Nora, who, thankfully, is there to patch me up after these training sessions.

I grimaced, remembering the last sparring session. It had started with Mom shattering my right leg and hand, leaving me to fend her off while crippled, forcing me to endure the pain and somehow continue. Even now, just thinking about the agony of that day sent a chill down my spine. How I hadn’t passed out was a mystery.

Who the hell thinks building pain resistance like that is a good idea?

Sighing, I walked out of The Dome and into the training grounds. I was lost in my thoughts, trying to shake off the anxiety of the impending session when I heard distant chatter, breaking me out of my reverie.

Huh? What’s going on here?

Up ahead, I noticed a small group gathered by the training arena. Their quiet voices and excited energy made it clear they were the newly recruited Seeded Candidates.

Ah, right… the new recruits.

Among them stood Ser Salvos, his imposing form unmistakable. Even in the simple Military Knight uniform, he towered over the recruits, his massive build hardened by years of battle. His face bore a prominent diagonal scar, a testimony to his prowess, and his muscular arms were a map of smaller scars from countless battles. His presence alone commanded respect, much like Mom and Uncle Sebastian.

As I approached, his sharp green eyes locked onto mine, and immediately, the atmosphere shifted. The light banter among the recruits fell silent as Salvos turned fully, dropping to one knee in a smooth motion.

"Your Highness," he said, his deep voice cutting through the air like steel. His head remained bowed, a fist clenched over his heart in the traditional knightly salute. Even in this formal stance, his aura of unyielding strength was palpable.

I heard several gasps from the recruits.

“At ease, Ser Salvos,” I said, waving a hand dismissively. “No need for all the formalities.”

He rose slowly, his sheer height once again commanding the space around him. Our gazes met, and I couldn’t help but nod in acknowledgment. A small smile crept onto my face. Despite the seriousness, Ser Salvos always knew how to lighten the tension without saying a word.

He turned toward the recruits, gesturing for them to come forward. There were nine of them, all likely in their late teens or early twenties. They stood eagerly, some practically buzzing with excitement. Their eyes were all on me.

They’re... admiring me? Man, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this kind of attention.

Ser Salvos cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence. “Your Highness, these are the new seeds. Each one of them shows promise and has been working hard.”

I could hear their whispers floating around.

“That’s him, Prince Alexis.”

“I told you, he’s even cooler in person!”

“He’s strong, but do you think he’s got muscles like mine?”

What the…? Boys will be boys, I guess. Dumb comparisons.

A smirk tugged at my lips. Ser Salvos, you clever fox. You brought me here to show off, didn’t you?

“Huu,” I sighed under my breath. Alright, just a little showoff then…

I let my presence shift subtly, drawing my willpower into focus. A formless pressure descended upon the group, enough to catch their attention without overwhelming them. The whispers stopped immediately.

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you,” I said, my voice steady. “I hope you live up to the potential that Ser Salvos speaks of. Make our House proud.”

The tension broke with my words, and in an instant, they were all on one knee, saluting in perfect unison, just as Ser Salvos had.

Huh, that felt… good. Not the talking part, though. I still suck at public speaking.

With a light grin, I left them to their practice, moving on toward my next destination, where Mom awaited.

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Reaching the sparring grounds was no easy task. The path felt like it stretched endlessly, with each step filled with the weight of the upcoming battle.

Huu… I’m here. Why is there no easy path to this damn mountain?

As I arrived, I saw Mom already standing on the training grounds. Her platinum blonde hair was tied in a neat bun, and her piercing pale blue eyes locked onto me the moment I came into view. Aunt Nora and Arisa sat nearby, watching from the seats around the arena.

Oh no… am I late?

“You’re finally here, Lexi,” Mom said, her voice calm but carrying that tone. “Sebastian was here ages ago.”

“I… uh, had a little run-in with the new candidates,” I muttered, trying to sound nonchalant. Please buy that…

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Mom gestured for me to take my place without another word. I hurried into position, noting her attire, simple yet functional training gear, but she was already wielding her real sword.

' Yup, again with the real f**king sword. One that can slice a rock pretty easily… yup, perfectly normal according to her '

“Again with this look, Lexi. A wooden one will dull your senses and be worthless in the long run.”

With a stern gaze, she continued, “Besides, it will only give you a flesh wound should you drop your concentration.”

“Yes, Mom.”

'Damn, she always has her reasons... All these spars and even my cute little sister started calling me a battle junkie...'

“Alexis, sit here,” Mom gestured toward the seats. I quietly sat down alongside my cute little sister, Arisa not forgetting to ruffle her hair gently.

“Alright, before we delve into combat, it’s high time I properly explain our house-origin art. The name EXIRA was termed by your father, who was also the first user of it. EXIRA, in its most primitive and barebones form, would be a type of mental manipulation, where the user can assert dominance over others as you delve more into its mysteries, one truth remains, EXIRA is fueled by one’s pure emotions, most importantly one’s will.”

“That’s the first tier of EXIRA, where it is formless and can be used to do literally anything, mimic any other power, be it elemental or physical, but it is most efficient in asserting dominance over others. When you realize why that is so, you will find your path to the next tier. From there, it is an unknown path. I cannot tell what yours will be, since every single EXIRA user has different core abilities, mine, Nora's, Sebastian's, and Mathias's all have different Tier I properties.”

Aunt Nora stood up and moved to stand beside Mom.

“Even Daemon and Rose have different Tier I properties, Lexi, and they are vastly different from mine or Mathias's abilities.”

Aunt Nora held out her hand, and a white light formed.

' So cool. I miss Daemon and big sis Rose; she was so reliable… when are they returning from the battlefields? '

“Don’t worry, Lexi… They both will probably be back in a few months and are okay.”

' Are they mind-reading, or am I that obvious? '

Aunt Nora chuckled. “Your face tells everything, Lexi. You should really practice your poker face.”

“Ahmm, Nora, you didn’t interrupt me just for that,” Mom’s stern voice froze even Aunt Nora.

“Umm, of course not. Alexis, look, this is my EXIRA Tier form.”

A bright light erupted from her hands. Though bright, it was not blinding.

It feels so relaxing…

“Comfortable, isn’t it, Lexi?”

“Yes, Aunt Nora, it feels comfortable.”

“That’s EXIRA. Even at Tier I, it affects your mental state and more. This is the core aspect of EXIRA, regardless of what form your powers take, it will always have an aura or evoke emotions.”

Nodding my head vigorously, I felt myself captivated by EXIRA. But Mom and the others have always been tight-lipped, so any new information was good.

"My core abilities are all based on healing, mending, and reformation, Lexi, that's all there is to it."

"Well, that's more than enough for now, Nora."

"Now, Alex, you have never experienced EXIRA in combat, so a quick rundown of Tier 0 EXIRA, ready?"

"Artoria... you sure?" Aunt Nora's worried voice sounded.

"I'll tone down the strength around 5% for the demonstration, it's better for him to get used to it."

' Yay, finally! I can learn more... let’s see what I can lea...r...n...'

Alarm bells rang in my head. I could feel all my thoughts, my dreams, leaving...

Gone...

What was I thinking? ... Nothing...

I don’t know how long I was in that state when a surge of power rose from me, pushing back the...

To push back... push... what?

Am I under threat? Why can’t I just stay here... there’s no burden, no responsibilities here...

The power surged more... burden, responsibility... These words struck a chord as the power surged madly, threatening to burst as all my thoughts, dreams... no, myself came back to me.

Pop.

The darkness broke away, and the view of the training ground returned to me. Mom, Aunt Nora, Ari, and Uncle Sebastian were all there.

'Huff.

Huff.

I grabbed my knees, breathing heavily. What the fuk just happened... the darkness... the emptiness...

Looking around, I saw Ari, who was sitting beside me, unaffected. She tilted her head cutely to one side.

"Brawther, are you okay? Your face is very pale like you saw a ghost."

Ari’s cute, baby voice broke me out of my stupor as she patted my head in a comforting manner. Chuckling at her antics, I shook my head and saw Mom's calm gaze locked on me, while Aunt Nora's worry was visible.

Closing my eyes, I took deep breaths to calm my racing heart.

That was scary as f**k! That power surge was EXIRA, it broke me out, or else I would have been lost there.

Scary... that’s too scary.

Shaking my head and gently squeezing Ari’s tiny hand gave me immense relief.

"That was the brunt of EXIRA onto your foe. And calm down, Nora, he is okay."

"As I said, it was only 5% of my EXIRA strength, though I used a technique to multiply the strength by quite a percentage."

Techniques... and that was really only 5% strength? I’ll reach that level too.

Seeing my confusion, Mom clarified.

“EXIRA at its base, in its first form, is just mental manipulation, you trying to assert your will, your desires onto others. Like all things, it has a horrible efficiency rate until you reach Tier I. To really make use of EXIRA as more than a paltry trick to make an impression, or at most stun-lock an enemy, you would need techniques.”

“As for how the interaction occurs between EXIRA and your enemy, that’s up to you to test and figure out, the strength and percentages. You’ve just awakened your EXIRA, and not to mention, you haven’t even been in combat against a true enemy where death is just a misstep away.”

With me lost in thought, Mom walked past me onto the training fields with her sword, warming up. Taking the cue, I also got up. Aunt Nora patted me on the back with a reassuring smile.

At least Aunt Nora is here, she would fix me real quick.

Haa...

Sighing, I joined Mom, taking my training sword and warming up for the thrashing.

Mom’s preferred weapon choice for training was a claymore, a long, heavy, broad weapon, and frankly, I’m happy she went for a strength weapon rather than her original longsword type.

Mine was a simple longsword, decently broad and long, built for speed.

Fuu...

Taking a deep breath, I focused on myself, slowly getting into a battle stance. I increased my perception to its limits, relaxed my body, and adopted a firm grip on my weapon.

Fuu... Let’s do our best. I need to actively channel EXIRA, or else I’ll be screwed and will never learn.

Knowing Mom, she’ll use the absolute limits of the power I can handle. The task is to learn.

Focus, Alex... Focus.

As my emotions and will aligned, the hidden power surged, and I channeled it throughout my body, enhancing my base capabilities.

Okay, let’s do this. What’s the worst that could happen?

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Slash.

Thud.

“There will be unknown variables in a real battle, variables beyond your control. But manipulating them will make you come out victorious.”

Cold blue eyes looked down.

“There will be pain, much, much more intense than what you are going through now. If this much makes you lose your reason, your will to stand, then...”

A cold voice resounded in the training grounds.

Splurt.

Grr.

Gritting my teeth, I roused my own EXIRA to alleviate some pressure and matched her gaze.

Two eyes met - one, cold blue, calm and carrying absolute authority, looking down, and the other, pale blue, holding back chaos and absolute resolve.

“Y... YES!... MoTHEr!”

“Good. Now attach those hands back…”

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