The Weapon Ceremony had ended.
But no one moved.
The eight students stood there, still holding their weapons, trying to understand what had just happened.
Some looked excited.
Some looked confused.
And some… nervous.
Daniel quietly looked at the Thorn in his hand.
The rope-like weapon moved slightly… as if it was alive.
He tightened his grip.
Just then—
"Congratulations."
A familiar voice came from behind.
Daniel and David turned.
It was Finn Foster.
"Now," Finn said with a small smile,
"you have officially become Ghost Killers."
David grinned proudly.
Daniel stayed quiet.
Finn looked at Daniel's weapon.
His expression changed slightly.
"And Daniel…" he said,
"You received something very rare."
Everyone nearby turned to look.
"That weapon," Finn continued,
"appears only once in many generations."
Daniel didn't know what to say.
The Thorn felt heavier in his hand.
Suddenly, a voice came from the group.
"Master… I have a question."
It was Noah Roberts.
Finn nodded. "Ask."
Noah stepped forward.
"In the training exam… we fought ghosts.
But we didn't have these weapons.
We only used normal swords. How did we defeat them?"
The others looked curious too.
Finn gave a small smile.
"Those ghosts were weak," he said.
"We weakened them even more… and added a bit of magic to your swords."
"So they weren't real threats?" David asked.
"They were real," Finn replied calmly.
"But not strong enough to require your true weapons."
Just then, the host's voice echoed again.
"Now that you have received your weapons…"
"You will undergo weapon training for one month."
Silence.
Then—
"WHAT?!" David shouted.
Lucy Edward frowned.
"Why?" she said.
"We already trained for a year. We just passed the exam!"
David sighed dramatically.
"Oh no… not again…"
A few others also looked disappointed.
Finn raised his hand.
"Relax," he said.
"This training is different."
"You are not starting from zero."
"You must learn how to use your weapon… and how to use it with your body."
"That is far more important."
The mood became serious again.
The host's voice echoed once more:
"The one who will train you…"
"A great Ghost Killer of his time…"
"We welcome… Charlie Stone."
The doors slowly opened.
An old man walked in.
He wore a long white kimono.
His beard was white, and his eyes were sharp despite his age.
The entire hall became silent.
He stopped in front of them… and looked at each one carefully.
As if judging them.
"So…" he said slowly,
"These are the new ones."
No one spoke.
"I will train you," he continued.
"And I expect discipline."
"You will practice. You will improve.
Or you will fall behind."
He paused.
"I don't tolerate laziness."
Then began a long speech about training, discipline, and strength.
Finally, the speech ended.
David leaned slightly toward Daniel and whispered,
"That was… long."
Daniel smiled a little.
But—
"Hey. You."
Daniel froze.
Charlie Stone was looking directly at him.
"What's your name?"
Daniel straightened up, nervous.
"D-Daniel…"
"Full name," Stone said sharply.
"Daniel Williams," he replied.
For a moment—
Everything went silent.
Stone's expression changed.
"Williams…?" he said slowly.
He stepped closer.
"Your father… was my student."
Daniel's eyes widened.
"He was one of the finest I've trained," Stone said.
"A disciplined… and powerful boy."
He looked directly into Daniel's eyes.
"I hope you are the same."
Daniel swallowed nervously.
"Yes, sir."