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When Jevi told Amaya that he was ready to listen to her every word and instruction, he had not expected such a…strange approach to the training. It looked like Amaya, too, lived up to her militaristic upbringing the way she began to explain what he needed to do. He had never seen her this strict, and it was a slight shock for him, though he did not show any hesitation. She explained that they were going to start with him learning to “know his blade”. This again? So did that mean Amaya had been taught by Eastern swordsmen? He remembered how Junjie spoke about this as well, and when Amaya told him his skills had been sloppy there was a clear frown on his face. Still, he easily caught the wooden rapier as he mumbled, a slight hint of disappointment to his voice. “Is that so?” It began to truly grate on him that no matter who he spoke to, they all belittled his skill with the sword. From Junjie to Luli, and now to Amaya as well. It would be one thing if they told him his magic was lacking, because it was, but his skills with the sword? What was it that he seemed to be lacking in the eyes of all these people? He just couldn’t understand, but perhaps today would shed some light on the subject. Even so, it hurt deeply and it brought him to the thought of hanging up the sword for good. If he had no talent and was no good at it, then what was the point in continuing after over a decade’s worth of training? What good could these small training sessions do if he truly lacked in the qualities a swordsman needed?
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Pushing those thoughts aside for now, Jevi would simply keep his mouth shut on the matter and listen to what Amaya said. If he was going to use a rapier, he had to learn to use it correctly. Well, he had been using rapiers for at least a decade now. They were amongst his favorite weapons due to being thin and fast, which complimented his speed. While he was going to be taught by Amaya how to use one, he would simultaneously learn how to wield her element which was in fact all around them. Jevi could not deny that, as it was a sunny day. Light truly was all around them. However, not for Jevi it seemed as Amaya pulled a blindfold from her hanfu. He had to put it on and then was expected to lie down on the ground with the wooden blade between his hands and to rest. Rest? What kind of training was this? The training his previous tutors put him through were brutal tests of endurance, practicing strikes and stances till he could barely stand on his feet and had trouble lifting his arms. Perfection is what he had been taught to strive for, with textbook steps and strikes. Then again, he had told her that he’d follow all her instructions. “Very well.” Fighting her on this would be counterproductive, and Jevi was quite open-minded so it was no problem to accept something new.
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So Jevi did as he was told, putting the wooden rapier behind his belt for the time being so he could put on the blindfold properly. Once the blindfold was properly fastened and in place, Jevi would take the rapier back in his right hand before carefully finding his way to the ground. He moved to lie down on his back, just like Amaya said he should, and moved the wooden rapier neatly across his chest with the blade of the rapier resting between his hands. That’s what she had told him after all, so what else was he supposed to do? It was strange, and he could tell that his mind was not at ease at the current moment as he tried to understand the purpose behind this exercise. “So…just rest?” While he was resting, he could note the feel of the wooden rapier in his hands. The wood felt slightly cool, telling him it had not been in the sun before now. It was smooth, a pleasant kind of wood especially for a simple training sword. There were some bumps and carves on it, probably from usage over time. The more he focused on the rapier, the more his thoughts seemed to focus on it rather than the feeling of inadequacy from before. Still, he wished people could actually point out the flaws in his sword skills, rather than just claim he was sloppy or “third rate” as Junjie had called him.
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Then another thought crossed his mind.. Why did he care what they thought? What did they know? Junjie was an experienced swordsman, sure, but he had barely seen him do anything whatsoever. When it came to Luli he had no idea where she got the audacity to criticize him when she had not even met him before that day. She went only of stories she heard from Junjie, and what basis was that to form an opinion on someone else? As for Amaya, well, he would not be surprised if she had been trained properly considering her family and the money they had to get the best tutors from any Kingdom, but aside from her speed he had not seen her do anything extraordinary with her rapier either. In fact, had she used it at all aside from once? He had done the majority of the work on those cards when she was lamenting how people saw her. So, all these people barely knew him and saw him, and still held strong opinions on his skills with the sword. Why? Was it just a method to get him riled up to work even harder? Well, that had worked with Junjie as he had been training like a madman after that till the point his hands bled, but if that was all then why not just say so? Why did people from the upper echelons of society have such trouble communicating directly? Or was he in the wrong about that too? At this point, he really was not sure about anything he was told, but perhaps it just was not worth to worry about it. For now, he’d focus on this training, and hopefully he’d be able to learn Light magic by the end of it.

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Jevi has many questions and doubts he keeps to himself.

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As he lied down, Jevi’s mind was filled with doubts and anger. He could not help but doubt his skills as a swordsman as he was being told he was no good over and over from various people. Some of these people knew what they were talking about too, making their opinions weigh far heavier than they likely should. That doubt lead to deep-seated anger for many reasons. For one, why had he worked so hard and trained tirelessly to improve his skills to the point of no longer needing his tutors if it had all amounted to nothing? Secondly, it was his passion. The one thing he believed he was actually good at. There were many, many subjects he failed at as a noble ranging from politics to etiquette. He never cared for those, or rather he did not want to care for them because doing so would turn him into someone his father approved of. His rebellious nature had never allowed for that to happen, and he did his best to be the complete opposite of what was expected of him. That was with anything except for his swords. He had always loved them, ever since he could properly walk and wield one. He could not imagine his magic to be without his swords. So to hear that he was nothing more than a fake in the eyes of many hurt more than anything else could ever hurt him. It made it hard to focus on the rapier resting on his chest, but he tried to push his thoughts away to focus on his training. That’s why he was here, and there was no room to dwell on the negative feelings within.
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For a moment it was quiet, and Jevi was focusing on both the feel of the rapier as well as the beams of the sun cascading down on him, letting himself be filled with warmth. He could hear that something was being put down, and heard the movements Amaya made as she sat down near him. Her presence could be felt even if he could not see, and soon after her voice followed as she began to explain herself. Apparently, she had noticed that her words had cut deep. It would not have been such a problem if she had been the first to say these things, but she was not and that’s why it was something Jevi could not simply ignore. Even when Amaya said she knew that he knew the rapier as well as she did it did nothing to soothe his pain. In fact, it felt belittling and like a lie in this moment. As if she felt sorry for him, and if there was one thing he did not want it was pity. Though, thankfully, Amaya was the first one to actually explain why she believed he was sloppy. She believed that Jevi saw his swords as mere tools to swing at his problems. His magic was as such, after all. No matter how many of his swords he broke, he could create them again and again into exact copies of the one he made first. That’s simply how his magic worked, so Jevi did not grasp what the problem was. How did that make him sloppy? How did that impact his skill with the swords. They could give him a sword not made from his own magic and he’d do just as well. Even this wooden rapier would not be useless in his hands, he was sure of it.
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The Ravencrest was not done there, though, and Jevi did not interrupt her speech. He did not want to be disrespectful, and he was curious to hear what she had to say. She continued to explain what she saw by drawing similarities between his Sword magic and her Angelic magic. Because of her healing abilities, she ended up being reckless because she could simply heal up whatever pain or wounds she ended up with. It made her lose sight of something that was normal for others. While Jevi remained quiet, his brows furrowed a bit as he mulled over her words. Was he reckless with his swords? Anyone using a sword, like how Amaya used her rapier, would have to be far more careful with them as to not break them than Jevi did with his. Did that make him reckless with his moves? Sloppy, even? Apparently, Jianyu was the uncle of Junjie and Luli, which definitely caught Jevi’s attention. If anyone had brought on his doubt the most it would have been Junjie, as much as he was eager to prove him wrong in his assumptions. Amaya mentioned this to explain she was taught by Jianyu and Hania in all manners of weapons to both understand them herself as well as grasp her opponent’s options. However, the rapier was her favorite.
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Since Amaya had a lot more to say, Jevi simply focused on his breathing and the rapier on his chest while listening to her. She figured he knew her Angelic had no offensive options, and he was indeed aware of that. Hinota had told him as such before, and he remembered Amaya mentioning it when they first met in the Forsaken Region on that mission. Her Light magic made up for that lack of options, which must have been nice. There was nothing Jevi had that could help him with his blind spots. He was forced into being a swordsman by his magic, and that meant all he could do is attack his opponents head on. As it turned out, Amaya had no access to her magic for the longest time due to having the wrong mindset. She wanted to be an attacker like Hania and her brothers, but of course Angelic magic could not do that for her. It was Hinota who helped her realize this and helped her unlock her Angelic magic which got the ball rolling for her. The mention of Hinota’s name brought a smile to his face, looking significantly less troubled than before as he spoke in a soft voice. “She’s helped me a lot too…” Hinota had helped Amaya see her magic as not just a tool to reach her goals, but as more. Even Amaya’s Light magic was not exactly normal, as it was cold instead of warm due to her witch blood. He did not understand why she said that it was unfortunate, because it still did what it needed to do, just a bit differently.
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She ended her speech by saying she was going to help him learn two birds with one motion. Amaya wanted him to memorize the blade in his hand. Every little detail of the wooden rapier had to be etched into his being. The light around them would be his guide, even though he could only feel and not see it due to the blindfold. She wanted him to use his senses of touch to acknowledge its existence, and to see the practice sword as something unique and non-disposable. “But…all my swords are a part of me. They are my magic, my spells. I understand the idea behind caring for them, I do, but I have never seen any mage treat their spells as if they were one-of-a-kind. Everyone throws them out as they see fit without a care in the world, so why would it have to be different for me?” He let out a soft sigh, trying to make sense of all of this so quickly was likely not the best way to go about it. “I’ll still give it an honest try, I’m just not sure how much it will help. If I’m just not talented with the sword, then a small training session like this is not going to change that after all the work I’ve already put in.” That being said, even with the doubt haunting his heart he focused himself on the task at hand. His hands gently felt over the wooden blade, discovering more of the grain of the wood as well as bumps and cuts across the blade. Meanwhile, he basked in the sun, letting the warmth seep into his being as he slowly relaxed more the more he focused on just the blade. It was calming, seemingly helping him to forget his troubles.

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Jevi listens quietly to Amaya before expressing his doubts about her methods and thoughts, yet making it clear he is going to give it his best effort.

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The mention of Hinota being so helpful to Amaya as well brought a slight bit of peace to Jevi’s mind for a moment. It was good to hear that she was this kind to everyone, and in all honesty it made his heart grow even fonder for her. He was lucky to be able to still call her a friend despite some of their less than stellar interactions in the past. Jevi then went on to explain that he did not understand what Amaya was saying, because in his eyes he was already doing what the Ravencrest told him to do. His swords already were a part of him, because they were made from his magic. Of course he felt a connection to them in some way, all mages felt connected to their mana taking shape, right? So what did this have to do with his skills as a swordsman? It made no sense. A bond with the weapon you used did not influence how well you used it. Perhaps it would affect how much you cared for the weapon in battle, as he could imagine someone who did not have his magic would have to be far more careful with their weapons as they would not simply be recreated once broken. Amaya’s rapier for instance would require a blacksmith and a lot of time to be fixed if it ever broke, whereas Jevi would just use his magic to recreate the exact same sword over and over just like Amaya said. In his eyes, all mages just used their spells as they saw fit, so why would it have to be any different for him?
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Though, Amaya remained steadfast in her stance and continued her explanation, trying her best to open Jevi’s eyes to the possibilities he was not seeing or understanding at current. She took Hinota and her cousin Hania as examples, asking Jevi if they just slung their spells around like he claimed most mages did. That was not an entirely fair comparison in Jevi’s mind, but of course he was respectful enough to let her finish her full thoughts first. He was trying to learn, and he could not do so if he were to cut her off before she made her point. So Amaya continued, explaining that both herself and Hania could make swords out of their element just like he could make swords in general. They were not the same, but Jevi understood the sentiment at least. She tried to make her point clear by saying that while he was the same as any sword user in terms of his basic abilities, his spells were still unique to him. The same went for an ice mage like Hania for example. Yes, both mages would be using the same element, yet how they used it and their spells were unique to the user. In her opinion, just tossing his swords around wasn’t going to help him, neither was breaking them without a second thought. He needed to learn all his swords inside out, just like he was doing now with this wooden rapier. In this case, he had to do so while feeling the light around him, and she finished her thoughts by asking him what Light meant to him.
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Before he got to that question, Jevi could not stop himself from voicing his thoughts on what Amaya had just shared with him. “Before I can answer the question of what Light means to me, I feel there’s something that needs to be cleared up…” His hands stopped moving, resting calmly on the wooden rapier as he continued to speak. “I am trying to understand your lesson here, but I seem to be getting stuck on something. You claim I do not know my swords, but I do. I can tell you exactly what kind of scratches and dents my longsword has, and even without seeing it I could give you an exact description of my bronze short sword’s chipped blade. My claymore is one meter and forty centimeters in length, weighs around two and a half kilograms and I could recite all the scratches across the blade from memory alone. So then in what way do I lack insight in my swords? If it’s about me using them carelessly and breaking them, that also happens rarely, though I do easily swap from sword to sword without a second thought in the middle of battle I suppose…” What was it that he was not seeing here? He trained with these swords day in and out, it would be strange if he did not know them by now. He also did not believe he was overly reckless, though obviously he had no issue with using them as projectiles or swapping between them depending on the situation.
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That brought him to the question Amaya asked of him. What was light to him? “What is light to me…? That’s a good question, really, and if I had to answer then I would have to equate light to hope. Yes, light gives warmth to us all and is all around us so long as the sun is out, but I think there is more to it than that. That kind of light is primarily focused on the sun, but if you think about mythology and poetry then light is always used to show hope. Whether it is the rainy clouds parting to allow light to reach the hero again to show he is moving forward, or it is the metaphorical or even literal light at the end of the tunnel, all of it relates to the idea and sentiment of hope.” Perhaps he was overthinking the question a bit, but that is simply how he viewed light. “Throughout history light has always been synonymous with the good, so that is why I believe it represents hope in all its forms.” With that question answered, Amaya continued to speak of his swords and how they were a part of him as they held his magic in them, yet he still used them as mindless tools instead of as an extension of himself. Amaya seemed to agree with him that light also brought hope as well as faith, but it could take life just as easily. Just like his blades, light was a balancing act, and that much Jevi understood.
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A sigh escaped his lips as he replied to her again. “So, in your eyes I am too disconnected from my swords and that impacts my ability to wield them? Is that it?” Jevi tried his best to make sense of the lesson he was being taught, and while he appreciated the thought it was frustrating all the same because he did not understand where he lacked or how to improve it. He wanted to be better, to do better. Swordsmanship was the only thing he prided himself on, and as vain as it might have been he wished to be acknowledged for it. Perhaps he should not have been so preoccupied with what people thought of him, and he usually wasn’t bothered by the opinions of others at all. Jevi had always been free-spirited, which is why he clashed with his father’s strict upbringing so much and rebelled against it from the moment he could properly form sentences and articulate his thoughts.
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That did not mean he was against learning or adjusting his opinions, but he was the kind of person who needed proper arguments before he could be swayed. Hinota, for example, had done a great job at getting through to him and making him see the error of his ways, and ever since he had been giving it his all to right those wrongs. “I’m sorry if I’m being difficult, I just- I don’t understand what it is I lack or how to improve it. I don’t see how it is so obvious to so many people, yet I myself and all my tutors have been blind to it for over a decade. I keep being told I’m no good, that I lack all these qualities and what not, but no one seems to be able to tell me exactly what is I lack or what I should do about it and it’s frustrating beyond believe...” It was a good thing there was a blindfold covering his eyes, because even if his tone of voice was rather neutral he could tell that he was tearing up at this point. He felt lost and confused, as if his whole life had been a lie. He had never felt like he fit in with the nobility of Clover, he had denied his own wants and desires just to spite his father, and now it turned out he was a fraud of a swordsman too? So who was he then? What was he? His instincts were screaming at him to run away again. To return to the Forsaken Region and just quietly live out his life there. It was a place where he was welcomed, unlike his own family’s estate where his father ensured he knew at every turn that he was not happy with Jevi and how he had turned out. Yet, he stayed put and fought those instinct, quietly remaining on the ground. However, the focus this took him made him lose the connection to the light, and even though it went unnoticed to him his body seemed to start feeling colder than before as if it was rejecting the warmth.

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Jevi is struggling to understand the lesson Amaya tries to teach him, self-doubt taking over and making him lose connection to the light around him.

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Jevi did not get an immediate answer to his questions to help with his confusion on the matter, but at least Amaya agreed with his view on what light was. Well, it would be weird if she disagreed considering it was an opinion, but it was good to see that they saw eye to eye on this subject at least. While he tried to keep an open mind and truly wanted to learn and better himself, he had to actually understand the lesson before he could apply it to himself. At current that’s where his issue was, as he did not understand what Amaya meant when she told him he did not know his swords. It was a ridiculous notion to him, and he tried to make clear why he thought so. As the blonde Ravencrest was about to continue her lesson, it was her retainer who stepped in and took control of the situation. That was an interesting development, and Jevi was merely quiet and listened as he stayed on the ground as instructed before. Jianyu seemed to believe that Jevi’s questioning in order to understand was correct, and explained that Amaya felt that he was disconnected from his blades. He saw his swords as tools and a means of magic. That much was true, because that’s what they were. The swords were nothing more than his magic, just like how an ice mage’s ice was theirs. In his case it just happened to be swords, that’s all there was to it.
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Though Jianyu continued with his explanation, and wondered what would happen if there was a change in his soul and his magic changed due to it. He figured Jevi would be at a loss without his sword magic, and that’s because he did not cherish it like he should. It had been with him since birth. For years he had attempted to learn of all the blades he could make, however Jianyu believed his mind was not communicating with his heart. While he knew himself and where he stood in life, he did not like it when others spoke their opinions of his magic or his style. Jevi was taken aback by the insightful words, and was trying to process them in his mind while still listening to Jianyu as he was about to give his own take. He did not talk back, wanting to get the full thought process of the man before he did so. The words were unexpected to say the least, as Jianyu said it was his magic and other people’s opinions on it where just opinions. While they did not know him or his swords like Jevi did himself, he should also not entirely shut them out either. Sometimes a different perspective on things was simply needed to get out of a rut. To learn Amaya’s light, he had to understand her standpoint. She meant well, and a smile graced his face upon hearing those words. “I know she does. That is one thing I do not have to question or doubt.” Amaya had taken the time to teach him, and he knew that she had his best interest at heart. Perhaps he should give in a little more than he had, instead of being so stubborn in his ways.
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Jianyu also had some words for Amaya, asking her to share her complete thoughts, because her leaving out some details is what lead to Jevi’s questioning. Jianyu asked Jevi to remove his blindfold, and asked Amaya to make him feel her light. He did as instructed, taking off the blindfold and getting up on his feet again while holding the wooden rapier in his right hand. He gave a bow to Jianyu in thanks, speaking in a gentle tone. “Thank you for your kind words, Lord Jianyu. I believe I understand what you were trying to teach me.” He sighed softly, his eyes moving to his grimoire which was in a holster on his right hip. “You were correct. I do not cherish my magic as I should. It has been the cause of much pain within my family, so deep down.. I resent it. There are times I wish I was not born with the magic and mana I possess, because I believe I would have been able to live a happier life that way. I do believe my mind and heart are communicating with one another, however they are at odds with each other and neither has won the war. It is a problem I will need to fix on my own.” He sighed softly, turning his eyes back to Jianyu. “I will attempt to do better when it comes to understanding another’s perspective.” Now that he had thanked Jianyu for his insight, he turned back to Amaya, giving her a bow out of apology too. “I apologize for being so stubborn, Amaya. Let us start again. Allow me to see your light and gain a better insight into your point of view.” Perhaps by understanding Amaya and her magic, he could get a better understanding of himself and his own. That’s all he could truly hope for in this moment.

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Jevi thanks Jianyu and divulges to both him and Amaya that a part of him resents his magic. He apologizes to Amaya and asks to start again, promising he will do his best to understand her and her magic.

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It was one of the first and only times he had admitted out loud how much he resented his magic for the life it had given him. From the moment his potential had become clear, his life had turned into a living hell with his father pushing him continuously and relentlessly to become someone he was not. Daiki wanted his son to lead the Suru family to new heights by any means necessary, stepping on other people and doing whatever it took to gain power and influence. Jevi had the magic and potential to make it happen in this world where magic meant everything, being the complete opposite of his father and mother in that aspect. His own father had never been able to realize those ideals, and so he pushed them onto Jevi without considering what his son wanted. If they had been able to actually talk about it before, they would have likely learned that they shared similar goals yet wanted to take different routes to get there. Jevi had every wish and desire to become an important, influential person in Clover, but not for power and fame. All he wanted to do was help people and serve the Clover Kingdom to the best of his abilities. However, due to being pushed into it Jevi turned rebellious, doing everything he could to squander his potential if it meant he could spite his father. If he had never been given this magic, this grimoire, his father would have remained the man his mother had fallen in love with all those years ago. A man Jevi never got to know.
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To break free from how he felt about his grimoire was not easy, especially now that he had learned how many people he had actually hurt with his rebellious actions thanks to Hinota. All he wanted to do was make up for his mistakes, but that proved to be difficult and it was clear that he was lagging behind other magic knights such as Hinota herself, Hania and Amaya as well. They were younger or around the same age, but so far ahead of Jevi and his own abilities. No matter how hard he trained, it would take him tremendous effort and a lot of time to get even close to them. No matter how difficult it was, though, Jevi did not intend to give up here. He listened to Jianyu’s response attentively as the man told him that only he could turn his curse into a blessing. The words nearly brought tears to his eyes, but he swallowed the lump in throat down as he nodded before answering. “You are right. Thank you.” They were words he needed to hear, and while they did not help him with his predicament considering his swordsmanship, they did help in other aspects of his life. He needed to learn to forgive himself for his past mistakes, and to grow past the hurt and pain his grimoire had caused him. How could he meaningfully bond with his grimoire if deep down he kept such resentment towards it? He would need to take the time to figure that out when he was on his own, but it gave him a lot to think about.
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Due to Jianyu’s intervention, Amaya and Jevi were able to move past their argument and focus back on the training at hand. Jevi apologized to her for being so stubborn and promised to give the training another chance with a clear and open mind. She made a ball of light within her hands as she began to explain herself with a smile on her face. Amaya opened up about her mental state, explaining that she had so many thoughts racing through her head that she often found it difficult to find out what to say and what not to say. She had struggled with her own magic as well, just as Jevi struggled with accepting his. Maybe that is why he had only seen his swords as tools? Because he had never wanted to actually bond with them. They were just a means to an end for the longest time, which is something that had to change if he wanted to grow. “I hope I will be able to grow past my resentment as well.” His voice was soft, and there was a smile on his face as he did genuinely feel hopeful that he could reach such a state. It would not be easy, but in due time he could certainly put his past to rest and focus on the future he wanted for himself.
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After her explanation, Amaya moved closer and let Jevi touch the ball of light she had made. He put the wooden rapier behind his belt so that it would not block his hands, accepting the gesture. Once he did so, the light grew and began to engulf him entirely. Amaya told him to take it in, sharing how it was both warm and cold. How light could harm as well as protect. Jevi closed his eyes when she told him to, focusing entirely on the feel of the light that surrounded him. She reminded him of how it looked in action back at his village that they saved. Now it was time to take it all in, accepting the comfort and promise of a brighter future. “I’ll try…” It was a mumble, as Jevi tried not to break his concentration. The white-haired swords man focused entirely on the feeling of Amaya’s light, noticing the hint of cold inside all the warmth which reminded him of his own ice. He remembered how Amaya used it in their fight against the card creatures. How fast it moved, and how impactful its strikes were. He wanted to wholeheartedly accept it, and yet in the back of his mind there was resistance. Accepting this light, the promise of a brighter future as Amaya had called it, would mean a step forward towards forgiving himself for his past. But could he really do that? Had he truly atoned enough? Did he deserve to be forgiven, or was he supposed to show more growth first?
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The light would begin to pulsate around him, as if it was fighting with Jevi. It would try to find its way inside of him, and Jevi would push it out again with his doubts and self-loathing. For a moment it looked like it would not be able to find its hold onto Jevi, as he was refusing to accept this forgiveness. However, if he wanted to grow past what he was now then he needed to start by leaving the past behind. By accepting that he had made mistakes, and that he needed to work hard to make up for them. How could he possibly do that if he kept holding himself back? If he truly wanted to atone, then he would need to move forward, right? Jevi brought both of his hands towards his heart, and the light moved with it, becoming more dense and focused as he whispered. “I’ll better myself, day by day…” The frown that had been on his face the entire time turned into a peaceful smile as he finally allowed the light in. With the light being accepted, Jevi opened his eyes once more and extended his right arm to his side. The moment his right hand made a grabbing motion and closed, a long sword appeared in his hand. The blade had small orbs of light adorning it, shimmering against the steel as Jevi moved it from his side to in front of him, inspecting it with a warm smile. “There you are…” This one blade meant more to him than he could put into the words. The way it had come to be was more meaningful than the others, as this time it was not just a tool to assist him. This blade showed that he could and would accept himself. It was the first real step on a road of redemption, and for that reason it held more significance.

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Jevi struggles to accept the light at first, but manages to accept it and what it stands for before being able to create a long sword which is infused with the light element.

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Jevi was so focused on attempting to take in Amaya’s light that he did not hear her soft whisper which was cheering him on. There were a lot of burdens on Jevi’s shoulders that he carried with him, most of them related to his past mistakes. Ever since he met Hinota his carefree outlook at life had changed, and while it was for the better it certainly did not make things easier. The Imperial princess had made him see the error of his ways, most notably how his behavior had not just hurt him but others around him as well such as the staff his father had hired to teach him. All that time Jevi had believed only he got punished for his rebellious nature, but now he knew better and tried his best to make up for what he had done. Edgar, the main butler of the Suru family who had been with them for Jevi’s entire life, had been one of the servants Jevi had openly spoken to about all of it and had profusely apologized to. The man acted more like a father than Daiki ever had, forgiving his young Lord for his mistakes and simply stating he was glad to see Jevi was trying to better himself. Even with all these people showing him grace and forgiveness, Jevi struggled with accepting it all. They should be mad at him, hate him for what he had done, but instead they were just supporting him. The swordsman did not believe he deserved it, and thus kept all his pain and burden with him to this day.
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When Amaya had mentioned that this light was the comfort and promise of a brighter future, Jevi struggled to accept that for the same reason. He did not feel like he deserved that yet, needing to show more remorse and improvement as he atoned for his wrongdoings. However, while fighting with the light trying to enter him he began to realize that if he did not start to let go of his mistakes he would not be able to move forward at all. How could he grow as a person if the past kept him shackled? It would be a disservice to the people who believed in him, and would make a mockery of their support. He owed it to them to better himself, and to become the person they believed he could be. For that to happen, accepting this light was a step in the right direction, and so he finally allowed it to enter himself. With the light gone, Jevi opened his eyes and focused his own mana, stretching out his right arm and making a grabbing motion to create a long sword that was imbued with the light element. Seeing he had done it, made him smile at the sword in his hand, looking at it fondly. Amaya clapped for him, looking very excited, as Jevi blushed a bit and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. “I don’t deserve such praise, I couldn’t have done it without you and Lord Jianyu.” Still, he was just as happy as Amaya was that he had been able to push through such a hurdle.
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Speaking of Jianyu, the man pitched in about Jevi learning to accept himself and his sword magic, which were the essentials to mastering it in the long run. It may have seemed simple in theory, but it wasn’t in practice and Jevi understood that all too well. This was only the second element he had learned to apply to his swords after all. He needed to learn to understand that it was more than just applying an element to his swords, and should learn to understand that these swords were not just tools. Jevi nodded in agreement and acknowledgement, giving Jianyu a bow. “Thank you for your words of wisdom, Lord Jianyu. I may not be fully there yet, but I believe I can make a start on my road there.” The swordsman was well aware that he had a long way to go still, but this training had gotten him further than anything else had so far and that was enough for now.
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Amaya once again asked him what his swords were to him. What the meaning was of wielding an item that balanced life and death with each and every swing. Jevi looked thoughtfully at the long sword in his hand, seeing how the orbs of light danced along the steel blade. “My swords are extensions of myself. Of my feelings, my believes, my desires and wants. They are more than just my mana taking shape giving me a way to fight… They are the embodiment of me.” There was a smile on his face at this realization as he felt more amiable towards his magic and mana. He looked back up from the sword to Amaya. “Which means I need to take care of them as I would take care of myself.” She gestured towards the man training dummies, urging him to take his new sword for a spin while telling him he could return the practice sword to Jianyu. “Right.” He grabbed the wooden rapier with his free hand, returning it to Jianyu before he stepped to the side to face on of the training dummies.
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Before he did anything, he looked at the long sword again, taking in its features as well as the orbs of light that kept dancing around the blade, the light reflecting in the metal. He mumbled softly to himself, his full attention with his sword. “What do you want?” If he wanted to treat his swords like he would treat himself, then their autonomy was important. Jevi hated being told what to do, so he assumed his swords were the same. As if responding to him, the orbs of light began to glow brighter which brought a smile to Jevi’s face. It’s as if he understood what his sword was asking of him, even though he knew the sword couldn’t talk or make decisions of his own. Perhaps it was all in his head, but it felt right.
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With that, he focused back on the training dummy and Jevi raised his sword before he performed a horizontal slash from his left to his right side, as if cutting through the air. As he did this, the orbs of light on the blade activated, remaining in the air along where he had slashed. At the end of the slash, the orbs shone brightly and shot themselves towards the training dummy all at once, hitting it like a hail of bullets and creating several holes in it. Seeing how the spell had performed left Jevi more than a bit satisfied as he turned back to Amaya and Jianyu “I’m not surprised to see it took after how you used your magic, Amaya. Thank you for your training, but mostly your understanding. You too, Lord Jianyu. I am in your debts.” He let go of the sword for now, letting it dissipate with a relaxed expression on his face. Perhaps he really could move along from his regret and past.

[attr="class","raescroll2"]
Jevi thanks Amaya and Jianyu for their help, and actually communicates with his sword in his own way to find out what the spell should be like before using it and seeing it took after Amaya’s own magic.

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