Takahishi's eyes flicked to Crinix, concern etched on his face. "Is he okay? Should we wake him up now? He's been like that for ten minutes now."

Crinix's gaze never left Shinro's face. "I don't know... maybe we should let him rest."

Takahishi's eyes narrowed. "The sun is about to go down, we need him to help us remember."

Crinix nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Yeah, I almost forgot... but he won't be of any use if he's lying here."

Takahishi's face set in determination. "Okay, can I wake him up now?"

Crinix nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Sure."

Takahishi knelt down beside Shinro, his face inches from Shinro's ear. He yelled, "SHINRO, WAKE UP!"

Shinro's eyes snapped open, and he sat up with a jolt, his face twisted in annoyance. "Did you really have to do that?" he growled.

Takahishi grinned, relieved that Shinro was awake. "Good, he's awake now. You're lucky there was no water around for me to use to wake you up."

Shinro slowly struggled to his feet, his movements stiff. But as he stood, a sharp pain shot through his shoulder, and he groaned, his eyes screwing shut in agony.

Crinix stepped forward, his hands grasping Shinro's arms to steady him. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Shinro's face twisted in pain, but he nodded, his eyes still closed. "I think... I should rest for now," he muttered.

Crinix's grip on Shinro's arms tightened. "I'll help you," he said, his voice soft.

Shinro's eyes slowly opened, and he looked up at Crinix, his expression contrite. "I'm sorry... about what I said to you earlier... and for punching you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Crinix's face softened, and he smiled. "It's not a big deal... I'm okay," he said, his voice reassuring.

Takahishi's eyes flicked between the two, his expression curious. "So, Shinro... what are you doing in a creepy forest like this?" he asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

Shinro's gaze drifted away, his eyes clouding over. "I was just training... I come to this place to be with myself. I've been coming here since I was a kid," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Crinix's expression turned serious. "Shinro, we need to talk. The weapon test is tomorrow... and we need your help to prepare."

Shinro's eyes snapped back to Crinix's face, his expression shocked. "The weapon test is tomorrow... and I was supposed to be training you guys. " he exclaimed, his voice rising in panic.

He smacked his forehead, his eyes wide with alarm. "I'm screwed... hope the Captain doesn't find out about this... and if I remember well, my life and Shina's are on your hands. If you guys fail the test, the Grand Reaper will have our heads chopped off," he said, his voice laced with desperation.

Shinro sprang into action, his movements swift and decisive. "We have no time to waste... I hope I still have time to teach you the basics," he said, his eyes locked onto Takahishi's.

He pointed to a nearby tree. "You" he said his eyes focused on Takahishi.

"There are wooden swords behind that tree. Bring two wooden swords here," he ordered, his voice firm and commanding.

Takahishi trudged over to the tree, his feet dragging in the dirt. He returned with two wooden swords, handing one to Crinix. "Now listen to me carefully," Shinro instructed, his eyes locked onto theirs.

"The weapon test is a test whereby you will be asked to choose your own weapon. There will be all sorts of weapons, but..." Shinro paused, his gaze intensifying.

Takahishi's curiosity got the better of him. "But what?" he cried, his eyes wide with anticipation.

Shinro's expression turned serious. "You will have to form a bond with your weapon. Your weapon has to recognize that you are its master and that it belongs to you."

Crinix's brow furrowed. "How do we form a bond with a weapon?" he asked, his voice thoughtful.

Shinro's eyes seemed to cloud over, his voice taking on a mystical tone. "It's not easy, but I'll tell you. You will have to connect your soul energy with the weapon. You've been told at the Academy that inside the divine weapons reside divine beings, and some of them haven't been used for a long time. That's why you need to use your soul energy to awaken your divine weapon."

Takahishi's eyes widened as understanding dawned. "The soul energy awakens the divine weapon, allowing us to form a bond with it."

Shinro nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "That's true, and I'm sure you've been taught how to release your soul energy."

Crinix and Takahishi both nodded, their faces set with determination.

Shinro turned, picking up his sword from the ground. "Now, let me show you how you're supposed to form a bond with your weapon."

He gripped his sword tightly with one hand, his eyes focusing intently. Instantly, a glowing blue light enveloped his sword, and Takahishi couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, that's cool!"

Shinro's smile grew wider. "Easy, huh? This is the only thing you need to master in order to form a bond with your weapon. If the glowing blue light, which is called aura, appears and covers your weapon, it's a sign that you've formed a bond with your sword. And if the aura doesn't appear... you'll fail the test."

Shinro's gaze locked onto Crinix and Takahishi. "Now, it's your turn. Try to form a bond with your weapons."

Crinix and Takahishi both held their wooden swords upright, closing their eyes in deep concentration. Their faces twisted in effort, but nothing seemed to happen.

Crinix's eyes snapped shut, his jaw clenched in determination. Suddenly, a brilliant blue glow enveloped the wooden sword, and it began to vibrate. The blue aura grew larger and larger, until...

The sword shattered into numerous pieces, the sound of the splintering wood echoing through the forest. Takahishi's eyes flew open, his face wide with shock. "whoa, what happened?" he exclaimed.

Shinro shook his head, a mixture of disappointment and concern etched on his face. Crinix stood frozen, his hand still gripping the handle of the shattered sword, his eyes fixed on the splintered pieces lying on the ground.

Shinro's gaze turned introspective as he analyzed the situation. "I'll tell you what happened," he began, his voice measured. "He released too much soul energy, therefore his aura became unstable, shattering the wooden sword."

Shinro's eyes locked onto Crinix, his expression intense. "You have no control over your soul energy, therefore your aura is unstable. That amount of unstable aura will make you fail the weapon test. You have to learn how to control it."

Shinro's attention shifted to Takahishi, his eyes narrowing. "And you," he snarled, "you weren't even trying at all. You can't even release your soul energy."

Takahishi's face contorted in frustration. "Man, it's not easy, you know? I don't even understand how I'm supposed to do this."

Crinix stepped forward, his voice calm. "Give us another try, Shinro."

Shinro's gaze lingered on them, his expression a mixture of disappointment and resignation.

He sighed, his shoulders sagging. "Okay, I'll give you another try, but this time, I'll be specific on how you're supposed to channel your soul energy and release your aura."

Shinro's eyes flicked to Crinix, his voice firm. "Go grab another wooden sword behind that tree. And this is the last sword, so don't break it."

Crinix sprinted towards the tree, his footsteps quiet on the forest floor. He returned with the sword, his eyes locked onto Shinro's.