"What do you want?" Luna asked.
Her hands were hidden at her back to conceal her trembling hands. She stood straight and proud with her eyes that stared back at him and noticed that his eyes were not as dark-colored as hers. Specks of gold seemed to shine through his enthralling eyes.
His looks were still as sharp as ever and Luna seemed to not get used to it even though this wasn't her first time seeing a handsome man up close.
Akiro gritted his teeth very hard. His student had started to rebel. Her decisive decision would soon eat her up in this dangerous world full of preying people. This budding student in front of her needed protection 'till she could stand up by herself against others.
"Why go to the forest alone? Do you know what monster I'm keeping inside?" Akiro said.
Luna shook her head. "I don't know. I didn't went that far and there's no use worrying for me," she said.
"I came back whole," she continued.
"You came back whole and what if you don't? I don't want problems stacking up to me," Akiro said.
Luna couldn't help but to furrow her eyebrows that formed almost one line. She raised her hands and called the white flames burning through her hands. It was only slightly larger than her hands but its dense magic could be felt from faraway.
Out of anger, she wanted to summon her flames as strong as she could but kept in mind that she have to reserve some magic inside her body. Her pride today wouldn't allow her body to pass out in front of Akiro.
A shining white light circled beneath her feet as she started to throw around the white blazing flame like a ball into the middle of the forest.
Soon, a small earthquake was made enough to bring down people into the ground but the two person in a staring contest didn't seem to budge.
In the middle of the forest, a huge deep crater was formed with no sign of life in it. The white light that made that scene was nowhere to be found. It disappeared as soon as it finished, destroying the ground without leaving anything around the crater.
All the animals that sensed the danger either ran deep into the forest or into the surface where Luna and Akiro were standing.
"I can at least defend myself with three layers of protection," Luna uttered.
Her voice was serious and knew that Akiro had at least an idea to what she was talking about.
In a normal situation, Akiro would have praised her already but not for today. What he was seeing was an arrogant little lady that thought she have seen the whole world.
"Good for starters but not enough to contend with the masters," he said.
Akiro stepped closer towards Luna and held her left shoulder. Once he snapped his fingers, they were teleported to an open space that was South Village's barren land. The distance he could use this power increased as Luna's time powers weakened.
Her heart trembled upon seeing Akiro being enveloped by a dark magic circle and his aura was being blown by the strong winds of this place. The specks of gold seemed to envelop half his eyes and then black flames that seemed to consume anything were floating around him.
A huge beast that looked like a rock was sleeping not far away from them. The innocent became a pitiful target when Akiro laid his eyes on it.
The black flames that surrounded him teleported to the sleeping beast. One could hear the howling cries of the monster from the smoke that seemed to shape its soul. However, no crater was formed as if the flames were told not to damage anything aside from the sleeping beast.
The amount of authority she had with her flames seemed nothing compared to him.
He did it not only once but many as long as it was within their vicinity. Countless black smoke that formed the monster's appearance was blown by the wind.
And there he was, standing fine as if he had not used a large amount of magic. The black magic circle disappeared and turned his head towards Luna.
"If you can't at least do something like this, then you should not act on your own. You've been caught in this problematic world because of me so it would be below my morals to let you be on your own," he said.
"Then when can I have the rights to decide for myself?" Luna said.
Her arms were crossed and had an eyebrow raised from her face.
Akiro smirked. 'You want it, I'll give it to you,' he thought.
"Graduate from the Magic Academy in less than a year. You'll be stuck with me if you did not," he said.
Luna felt her heart tightened and checked if she heard it right. She was sure that people took years to graduate from that Academy yet his demand was inconceivable.
"As long as the goal is achievable. I don't want to accept something like a joke," she said.
He knew she wouldn't easily accept it like a blind man though she was completely wrong in that part.
"At least that was my record when I entered the Academy as a foreigner and Ryle's record wasn't that different to mine," he said.
Luna thought that he would not lie. Moreover, she could ask Ryle for its credibility.
"Then I'll accept your challenge. I want to have more freedom," Luna said.
'Oh, something like that is hard to achieve in a world like Vermillion. You'll be always shackled by countless responsibilities as a human being,' he thought.
"You don't know how much potential and resources this world has to recreate earth-beings' dreams and ambitions," Luna said.
It would seem full of pomposity but her conviction could be seen in all clarity.
"Don't underestimate an existence that continues to survive and change. Though without magic, I have witnessed many that are selfish and have twisted minds. Humans will be the same with or without magic!" Luna said.
Luna couldn't help but to be angry. He seemed to think that she was just a newborn child. The scene he showed him earlier could be achieved with technology. Though it would cost more resources, some humans have nothing to do but to fight with each other. It's just less than a hundred year since the last world war had happened. And she didn't know if there would be next when technology improved even further.
"Then prove it, surpass everyone with your valuable knowledge," Akiro said.
He was calm. The lady in front of her was releasing her deep-seethed anger she kept for so many years. At least for now, he would be able to lessen their problems if she didn't act by herself.
"Then if it meant my freedom, then I'll gladly do it," Luna said.
Though she silently cursed her fate. She was almost done solving her problems on Earth but she's given another problem to work on as if someone didn't want her to be at peace.
The two of them didn't speak at all after they went back to the mansion.
Ryle, Erik, and Irene stopped their chatters after seeing the serious aura that enveloped the two of them.
'Uh, oh, someone's not in a good mood,' Ryle thought.
--To be continued--