The Heavenly Hero Returns

Chapter 2.5: A Blade That Feels Like a Tumor

The weight of the Moran family's longsword was suffocating in your grip. Each swing felt like you were hauling a corpse, a dead thing strapped to your arm rather than an extension of yourself. The balance was all wrong, the heft unnatural. The more you tried to adjust, the more apparent it became—this weapon didn't belong to you.

It felt like a tumor.

Your grip tightened as you slashed through the air, forcing yourself through the drills. The edge was sharp, but your strikes were dulled by the sheer incompatibility between your body and the blade. Every movement was sluggish, like running through water. This wasn't how a sword was supposed to feel.

A dry chuckle sounded from the fence. "Still complaining about the sword, huh?"

Tobias stood with his arms crossed, watching with undisguised amusement.

His golden-brown hair caught the light, the natural streaks of sunlight giving him a regal air that he absolutely did not need.

You exhaled sharply, lowering the blade. "What do you mean 'still'?"

His smirk widened. "You always whined about it before. 'It's too heavy, it's not balanced right, it doesn't suit me,'" he mimicked in a high-pitched voice. "Guess some things never change, even after getting your head rattled."

You frowned. So the old Jessica had the same problem. At least she had some sense.

Tobias pushed off the fence, his expression shifting to something more irritated. "But this? What the hell are you even doing? That's not the Moran style." His eyes flickered to your stance, critical and unimpressed. "It's like you forgot everything overnight. Muscle memory should be carrying you, but it's like you're not even trying to use it."

You resisted the urge to sigh. He wasn't wrong. This body had muscle memory, but your instincts came from somewhere else entirely.

You sheathed the sword with a sharp click. "What are the actual entrance requirements for Arcadia?"

Tobias frowned, his irritation growing. "Are you serious?"

You met his gaze evenly. "Would I be asking if I wasn't?"

His lip curled in disbelief. "Unbelievable. You really forgot?" He scoffed, running a hand through his hair before exhaling sharply. "Fine. There are three ways in—"

As he listed them, you listened. Not because you needed permission.

But because understanding the rules would only make breaking them easier.