Merlin opened his eyes.
Harvey was still sitting before him, meditating.
"You look ready," Harvey suddenly said.
Merlin shook his head in agreement.
"Okay. I'll go get the scythe."
Harvey got to his feet.
Merlin watched as he walked away, only to return a moment later with the scythe in his hands.
"Here."
Harvey handed it to him.
"There shouldn't be a problem now."
He stepped back, giving Merlin enough space to move.
Merlin tightened his grip.
He swung the scythe almost horizontally.
The blade carried him with it.
He spun once.
Then again.
He still couldn't seem to stop.
His hands reached the limit of what his wrists could comfortably rotate, but instead of letting go like he had before, Merlin remembered Harvey's movements.
He shifted his grip.
The staff training came naturally.
He brought the scythe around his neck, switching the position of his hands as the momentum carried him into another rotation.
He kept spinning.
But this time, it didn't feel like he was losing control.
It felt like the weapon was moving with him.
Merlin considered an actual combat scenario.
If he tried to stop himself now, the recoil would work against him.
So why stop?
He let the momentum carry him into another rotation.
And another.
The scythe no longer felt like an awkward weapon in his hands.
It felt like an extension of his movement.
Merlin imagined an invincible opponent standing in front of him.
Every time he swung, he either turned sharply or let the momentum carry the scythe around his body.
With each movement, he grew faster.
His footwork followed.
He shifted from side to side, changing direction as the scythe swept through the air. Occasionally, he left the ground, twisting into a spin or even a flip before landing and immediately continuing the motion.
The scythe tore through the air with every swing.
Whenever the blade struck the ground, it left a deep mark in the dirt, sending chunks of soil flying.
Merlin kept moving.
Faster.
Faster.
Until the movements that had once seemed impossible began to feel almost natural.
"You learned fast," Harvey said.
Merlin finally slowed to a stop, the scythe resting in his hands.
Harvey smiled.
"Now that you know how to wield a scythe, I can actually train you."
Harvey pulled out his staff.
"Try to hit me."
He's a little too overconfident, Merlin thought. If I do land a hit, he's probably going to die.
But then again, his cloak technique is way too fast.
Merlin tightened his grip on the scythe.
For a few seconds, the two simply stared at each other.
Then Merlin moved.
He thrust the scythe toward Harvey.
Harvey jumped backward, the blade passing barely an inch from him.
Merlin didn't stop.
He let the momentum carry him forward, following the first strike with another.
Harvey kept evading.
Every time Merlin thought he had him, Harvey slipped away at the last possible moment.
He's not even using his cloak, Merlin thought.
Merlin spun, allowing the scythe to sweep around his body before bringing it back toward Harvey.
I'll just force him to.
He accelerated.
The scythe became a blur as Merlin chained one movement into another, constantly changing the angle of his attacks.
Harvey continued to retreat.
Then, finally, he reached for his cloak.
There.
Merlin's eyes narrowed.
Harvey threw the cloak into the air.
The moment it spread above him, Merlin lunged.
His blade was already inches from Harvey when—
He disappeared.
Merlin's eyes widened.
He normally appears several meters away.
Without stopping his momentum, Merlin redirected the scythe toward the area where Harvey should have appeared.
Nothing.
Then—
A sharp pain shot through his wrist.
Harvey had appeared beside him.
The staff struck Merlin's wrist, forcing his grip open.
The scythe slipped from Merlin's hand.
But before it could fall to the ground, Merlin caught it again at waist level and immediately spun it around his body.
The sudden movement forced Harvey to jump backward.
"I think that's enough for now," Harvey said.
Merlin stopped, holding the scythe at his side.
"Your moves are way too predictable."
Harvey looked at him.
"Just because you use the momentum doesn't mean you always have to follow it."
He pointed toward the scythe.
"You could easily spin the scythe around your body and change the direction of the momentum."
Merlin stared at Harvey.
Even so, it's hard not to be predictable when using a scythe, he thought to himself.
"You see that?" Harvey asked.
He pointed toward the cornfield.
"You're going to clear it using your scythe."
Merlin looked at the field.
It was massive.
He slowly looked back at Harvey.
He wasn't joking.
Merlin exhaled, tightened his grip on the scythe, and walked toward the edge of the field.
Then he swung.
The blade cut through several stalks of corn at once.
Merlin followed through with the momentum, spinning the scythe around his body before bringing it back in the opposite direction.
More stalks fell.
He kept going.
At first, his movements were awkward. He relied too heavily on the momentum, just as Harvey had warned him.
Whenever the scythe carried him too far in one direction, he forced himself to redirect it instead of simply following the movement.
Again.
And again.
The field slowly began to disappear beneath his swings.
Time passed.
Merlin's clothes became damp with sweat, and his breathing grew heavier, but he didn't stop.
Eventually, footsteps approached from behind.
Merlin glanced back.
Luna and Kate were walking toward them.
Luna carried a bag with her.
Merlin paid no attention. This was between him and the corn.
They stopped beside Harvey.
"Are you making him clear the whole field?" Kate asked.
"It helps him learn," Harvey replied.
Kate looked toward Merlin.
He was already several rows into the field, still swinging the scythe.
"How long has he been doing that?"
Harvey glanced at the sun.
"Long enough."
Luna stood silently beside them, listening to the sound of the scythe cutting through the corn.
"He hasn't stopped," she said.
"He doesn't seem like the type to," Harvey replied.
Kate smiled slightly as she watched Merlin.
"He's actually getting better."
Harvey nodded.
"That's the point."
"Why did you want to train him?" Kate asked.
"Well, the captain wasn't gonna do it," Harvey replied.
"But I happen to think you like the idea," Kate said. "And knowing you, you probably have a reason for it."
"Well, you don't get a chance to train someone like him every day."
Harvey turned his head to look at Luna.
"What's in the bag?"
"Oh, I brought breakfast for the both of you," she replied.
"That's great!" Harvey said excitedly.
He spread his cloak out as a mat.
The three of them sat on it. Harvey reached into the bag and grabbed a piece of bread. The three of them ate and chatted while watching Merlin.
Every so often, Merlin could hear their voices behind him, but he paid them little attention.
There was only the corn in front of him.
And the scythe in his hands.