Gon's Harem System
Chapter 166: Lena’s and Mira’s introduction

Chapter 166: Lena’s and Mira’s introduction

He’d stick to this one today, get the feel down, tweak it tomorrow

Around him, the yards picked up pace

The staff guy jabbed at a dummy, grunting with each hit

The braided girl stood by a rune-circle, hands out, making it flicker, pointless show

Gon kept his swings steady, eyes flicking to the others now and then

The broad-shouldered guy from breakfast swung an axe, splitting a dummy in two with a loud crack

Fine, let him flex

The sun climbed higher, dust sticking to his boots as he swung again, a low arc that clipped the dummy’s side

He adjusted his grip, feeling the rune’s faint hum through the hilt, some trick, maybe, but nothing like his own blade’s steady power

He’d sort it out later, keep it basic for now

Milo shifted, still watching, coin glinting in his hand

The wiry girl threw her stone again, higher this time, sparks trailing

"Not bad," Milo said, voice flat, nodding at her, then turned away

Gon didn’t reply, resetting his stance

The training yards buzzed with activity, mages scattered across the dusty ground under the morning sun

Near a rune-circle, a few practiced, their hands tracing the air, pulling faint glows from the etched rings

Gon swung his sword at a dummy, straw crunching under the blade, when a new mage stepped into view

She was tall, dark hair pulled back tight, steady hands hovering over a rune that flared bright, a sharp burst of white light cutting through the haze

She was precise, controlled, her focus locked on the circle like it was a puzzle she’d already solved

Her skill caught his eye mid-swing, the dummy’s side splitting open as he paused, watching her

He straightened, brushing straw off his arm, and walked over, boots kicking up dust with each step

She didn’t look up, hands still moving, the rune pulsing steady under her touch

"Nice trick with that rune," Gon said, voice casual, tossing the line out to tease, "Bet I could make it flash twice as bright."

Her eyes flicked to him, a smirk tugging her lips, unimpressed but not cold

"Prove it," she said, stepping back, arms crossing, "Or stick to swinging steel, I won’t hold my breath."

Gon laughed, a short bark, shaking his head, "Me, nah, I don’t mess with that stuff, what’s your name?"

Her smirk held, eyes narrowing slightly, "Lena, and you’re all talk, steel-swinger, how’s that sword treating you?"

He grinned wider, liking her bite, "Gon, it’s no match for my dad’s, but it cuts, you’re good with that glow."

Lena raised a brow, turning back to the rune, hands moving again, "Keep watching then, might learn something."

Gon nodded, stepping back, noting her steady grip, the way she owned the space

She was good, tournament-level good, and that spark in her eye didn’t hurt either

He’d keep her in sight, on the field and maybe off it, she’d be worth the effort

He turned back to the dummies, swinging again, straw drifting down in clumps

The yard stretched around him, rune-circles glowing, open fields waiting beyond

Nearby, Mira worked near her own dummy, her orb hovering at her shoulder, spitting sparks

Gon walked past, heading for a fresh target, when her orb flared, a sharp zap turning the dummy to ash in a puff of smoke

She glanced his way, sneering, her jaw tight like it’d been at breakfast

"Hanan’s still clogging up my air," she said, voice dripping with it, "Thought you’d trip over that toy sword by now."

Gon stopped, grip tightening on his hilt, and swung hard, his blade slicing clean through a dummy, top half toppling to the dirt

He grinned, meeting her glare, "Guess I manage, showoff, keep burning straw, I’ll stick to steel."

Mira’s orb hummed louder, sparks snapping, her lips pressing into a thin line

She didn’t back down, neither did he, the tension spiking between them like a drawn string

He marked it, her need to flash that power, she’d be loud in the Royale, easy to spot

Let her, he’d deal with her when it counted, for now, it was just noise

He reset his stance, swinging again, the dummy’s side splitting under the blade

The yard kept moving, mages testing gear, dust swirling underfoot

Milo stood off to the side, coin in his palm, watching a wiry girl toss her glowing stone

Gon ignored him, focused on his cuts, keeping them steady, basic, getting the sword’s feel

The sun climbed higher, heat settling in, sweat beading on his neck

He worked through another dummy, straw piling at his feet, when he felt eyes on him

He glanced up, catching the boy with the curved blade at the edge of the yard

The kid sat on a crate, sharpening his weapon, slow, deliberate strokes scraping steel

His glare locked onto Gon again, cold, silent, no words, just that heavy stare

Gon’s hand tightened on his sword, meeting it, jaw set firm

This wasn’t just competition, it was deeper, a score he didn’t know yet, brewing under the surface

The boy’s blade gleamed, edge catching the sun, each stroke a quiet promise

Gon didn’t flinch, didn’t look away, he’d seen that intent before, felt it in his gut

He’d be ready, whatever it was, whenever it came

The boy kept sharpening, eyes never leaving him, the sound of steel on stone cutting through the yard’s noise

Gon turned back to the dummy, swinging once more, a low arc that bit deep

Lena’s rune flared again nearby, bright and sharp, pulling his glance for a second

She caught him looking, smirked, and went back to work, hands steady as ever

He liked that, her control, her bite, she’d be a match in the Royale, maybe more

Mira zapped another dummy, ash drifting, her orb buzzing like a warning

Gon kept swinging, splitting straw, letting her strut, she’d burn out or he’d cut through her later

The boy’s stare stayed on him, a weight he could feel, even as he moved

He adjusted his grip, the sword’s light weight still off compared to his dad’s gift

It’d do, he’d make it do, three days to get it right

The yard hummed, mages grunting, steel clanging, runes flickering

He swung again, steady, controlled, eyes flicking between Lena’s precision, Mira’s flash

The boy sharpened on, slow and sure, a shadow at the edge

Gon reset, swung, straw fell, his mind ticking through it all

Lena was skill, a challenge worth chasing, Mira was noise, a rival to outlast

The boy was trouble, something personal, something coming

He’d handle it, all of it, when the time hit

The morning wrapped up, dust thick in the air, mages starting to slow

Gon stepped back, wiping sweat from his brow, sword still in hand

Lena finished her rune, a final flare, and walked off, throwing him a quick look

Mira kicked at her ash pile, orb dimming, heading for the gear pile

The boy stood, sheathing his blade, glare lingering as he turned away

Gon watched them go, one by one, the yard thinning out