Teacher Clark just arrived at the room where Lady Ivanna and her disciple Tasha had been. Clark got down to business. He sat at a table and started reviewing the examination answer sheets. Not long after, all he did was stare at the answers. Both Tasha and her teacher Ivanna began looking at him with scepticism. Was Acyuta's answers that bad?
"So how is it?"
She asked frankly, Apparently looking nonchalantly at Clark then at the magic screen where Acyuta is seen. The boys answers answers were not at all important to her. The thing that she cared for the most was the number of merits her disciple can obtain right now.
Clark still stared at the papers when he was spoken to, looking up to see Lady Ivanna's careless attitude he couldn't help but think that the one before him was an idiot. He dare not show it on his face, what to speak of saying the actual words.
"Here, have a look." Clark said nonchalantly, mimicking the same careless attitude of the other teacher. He handed over the examination papers to Ivanna to review.
She intended to just skim through the sheets she just received from Clark but met with something akin to brain paralysis. What just happened?
"How can that be?"
Ivanna thoroughly read through the examination papers of Acyuta, the answers he gave can be said to be a cut above the rest. Especially about the system of magic, some answers were like solutions to theoretical questions put forward by experts.
"Are you sure you found this kid up at the mountains?"
"Yes, master."
Tasha replied immediately to her teacher's question. She really did find him at the mountain range.
"Very well, Clark, lets proceed to the next test. Since he is a genius then his mana output should be extraordinary."
"Got it!" Clark replied.
Tasha nodded her head, guessing that Acyuta must have impressed her master, Lady Ivanna.
Again Clark came back to the reception area, there he saw the young genius sitting on the chair. Acyuta reacted to the presence of the teacher, he stood up. Acyuta wasn't particularly eager for the results but considering that the answers he had written weren't his own, he wanted to know the results.
Instead of getting to know the results of the test, a crystal kind circular object was put forth in front of his face.
"Huh!"
"Put your hand on it."
Receiving instructions from the teacher, Acyuta did as he was told. He raised his hand and placed it on the crystal. Like it was stuck to his hand, the object remained when Clark removed his own hand.
The crystal was sucking in the magic or mana rather from Acyuta at the point of contact. It began to glow in pale light. It was really dimmed down like it lacked a source of power to brighten it. The teacher appeared quite disappointed at the sight of this. He could clearly imagine the disappointment that Ivanna and her student had.
Acyuta could see that something was wrong. He wasn't an idiot. This dim light measured his magic output. Since it's like that, it means he is very weak.
'Looks like I'm not going to be spell caster like Tasha.' He thought, feelings of disappointment emerged in his mind. It was brief, Acyuta remembered the power he has by ghostly phenomenon.
"No matter Mr Acyuta. Crafts Academy is a school that doesn't just train magicians. We have fighters in our school too."
Clark spoke sternly, that to was in respect of the school. Crafts Academy is an all-rounder school but still to find kids with mage potential is very rare. There are two kinds of magicians in the current world. The naturally born talents and the Artificial ones who received the opportunity to become magicians by technological means. Clark continued. "Follow me!"
******
"That was awkwardly sad." Ivanna spoke to the girl in a kimono dress. "Acyuta was definitely a genius in his understanding of magic, unfortunately his capacity to prove his theories true is unlikely to happen."
"Because of his low mana count, even if he is a genius, he will never live up to his potential. At least you on the other hand have benefited."
"I understand, master." Said Tasha....
... Following Clark, Acyuta came to an arena. A very vague idea came to mind, 'Am I going to show my athletic ability.' He thought. After a few more steps they came to a halt. Clark turned around to face Acyuta.
"Acyuta, now we will test your combat capability. I heard from student Tasha that you defeated her effortlessly."
Clark began sizing up Acyuta, how can someone with low magic capacity be able to take on a mage? The only way for that to happen is if his physical prowess is incredible. That is to say, facing off against Tasha was one thing but to face her along with her partner Boya is another. If only he was aware that Acyuta had killed a Camouflage dragon all by himself, what would he think then?
Clark continued. " You will face off against a mutation beast. No need to worry, your life won't be in danger. This test will be a test of your skills, endurance, reaction speed etc."
Acyuta didn't know what to think. He thought he was going to run around the arena or something. Thinking calmly, he recalled that he was quite capable in combat. 'Maybe I can do it?'
As Acyuta was lost in thought Clark continued speaking.
"You may head over there and pick a weapon of your liking. When you return here we shall begin."
"Huh! Is it okay for people of my age to be fighting mutation beasts?"
Acyuta had this on mind his quite a few times since he arrived in this school. After all, sending kids into combat is against any form of child protection. It was common sense in the old world.
"You can find the history of the world in the library. If you want to know so much, you have to pass the test."
Clark said, not caring about the inquiry. Instead he lifted his hand to an area where a range of hand held weapons are kept. From his attitude it was clear that he did not want to be here. He was doing this as a favor for Lady Ivanna.
Acyuta didn't let himself linger on any negative thoughts, he just wanted to finish now. Walking to the area where the weapons are stored, a variety of dangerous objects came to be seen.
Spears, halberd, throwing knives, daggers, hammers and swords. Many were stored here in variety.
"Which one should I take?" Asked Acyuta, his actions was quite novice. If he had been train trained in wielding weapons then he would've chosen the weapon he had the most talent in. Although Acyuta asked the question to himself, his eyes had been attracted to swords. There was one in particular that had caught his eye. He motioned his hand to pick up the sword but the unexpected happened.
Instead of taking the weapon of choice into possession, Acyuta's hand had froze in mid motion. It moved to a different direction. A ghostly form of his hand had extended itself away from his actual one and floated over to the area where spears are kept. Grabbing the weapon it returned to Acyuta.
'What was this?' Acyuta thought as cold sweat dripped under his palms, That scared him, it had already a few time that his body moved on it's own and Acyuta had no idea whether he'll get used to it. He turned back and came to teacher Clark again.
There was no change in Clark's demeanor when he saw Acyuta's spear. He was a mage, focusing on other things than magic will not help him in anyway.
"Go to the centre of the arena, your first opponent is going to be released."
Said Clark, a magic circle appeared at his ear and he began giving instructions.
There were some students who were passing the arena, some stayed back to witness the match while some ignored it moving on.
A kid about the age of seventeen or eighteen stepped forward to the middle of the arena. He raised his hand and with a twist of his wrist he made the spear spin like a plane's propeller. In the next instant, the back end of the spear hit the ground at the wielder's side. With feet spread apart, back straight and chest held out. The young man in the centre of the arena stood there like a veteran battle lord. All who had witnessed this felt moved by the scene, Clark, the teacher who was closest to Acyuta in the arena felt something more than just being moved. He couldn't place his finger on it but the mood of the place changed.
From nowhere a magic circle lit up on the ground in front of Acyuta.
ROAR ROAR ROAR ROAR!!
A loud but short growl stung the ears of all who heard it. What kind of beast did the school use for the exam? Only those that went through it would know.
Before Acyuta a beast appeared, it's presence resembled that of a horse at first glance. It wasn't a horse, but figure that shaped like a giant dog.
"Oh, those weren't roars but barks of a dog." Acyuta concluded. "That's one big dog but."
Acyuta wasn't sure what to do, more like he didn't know what his body would do. Without realizing it, at the time when the huge dog appeared his eyes also appeared in a crimson glow. Unfortunately no one could see it from where they stood. Clark who was some distance behind obviously had no idea of the change in the youth in front of him.
Acyuta hadn't moved, waiting for the mutation beast to make a start. It didn't happen however, on the contrary, the beast pulled it's ears back and it started to lay flat on the arena floor. No one noticed but it was actually shivering.
The viewers who were present to witness this match became disappointed. They wanted to see a show. Staring at the scene in the arena they misunderstood and thought the beast was ill or something. Clark wasn't an exception to this.