The day after.
Alice came to school with Selene after meeting up on the way. They chatted about their own specialties.
"Ali, can you tell me why you went to the sciences specialty?"
"You're curious about this? Should I tell you?" Alice pondered loudly. Selene had a look on her face saying please do.
"Okay. Well, it's like this…" She told Selene about her selfless at the same time selfish goal to use magic energy to enhance the body and get rid of cell decomposition in the mortal body. She told her about her 'weak' father and how he still has to labor hard to provide for their family. Even though her mother could do so without much effort. That was because her mother had been awakened to a great power, but her father was not.
To let her father keep his pride as the man of the house, her mother allowed him to work through mud and sweat. It was admirable, but sooner or later, his body would give in and he would suffer the consequences of overworking. She did not want that for her father.
Halfway through her story, Selene started shedding tears of admiration towards such a filial daughter. What a friend I have!
"W-Why are you crying?!"
"N-No. This is… I really admire you, Ali! I hope I can also be like you. I am also like you in a sense. I also have a goal. I want to surpass my dad, he is so strong that no one can oppose him. That's why, he developed an arrogant personality. Everyone in the tribe doesn't like his personality but his strength speaks better in decision making. What I want is to surpass him and teach him humility. That way, he would return to the gentle and warm father he once was to me and mother."
Also, Alice, she shed tears for Selene halfway her story. Thus, the two clicked even more and grew closer as they alighted the bus.
The school, as they arrived, looked different. No longer as formal and bland as the previous day. Instead, decorations and banners hung on trees and on arcs. On pillars and on poles. These banners all said the same thing: Club Recruitment!
Specializations was one thing. And Club was another. As a specialized student, your curriculum is adjusted towards your specialties. While Clubs, allow the student's blood to boil and their youth to explode!
Clubs varied. From sports clubs, social clubs, hobbyist clubs, music clubs, and so on. All in all, there were more than 100 clubs in existence here.
"Welcome to the Club Fair! I see you're freshmen, must be from the Elite Class judging from your age and well, badge.
"I am the current Student Council Chairman or woman, whichever you prefer. My name is Ophelia Harusegawa. Most students in Grand Academy only call me Ms. Chairman or Pres, so feel comfortable also calling me that in the future. Don't worry, I don't bite!"
"The club fair is a week long event in Grand Academy following the enrollment. It is through this event that students, old and new can interact with and join clubs that can be enjoyable, relaxing, or thrilling and exhausting (physically), depending on your own preference!
"I, myself, am a member of the club called Homemakers Club! It is a club aiming to teach club members to maintain a household from finances to chores, to the overall management of a household.
"Of course, I'm just introducing it to you, I'm not allowed to recruit anyone, since I'm the council chairman and all.
"That's it for the introduction! I hope you enjoy Grand Academy's events led by the Student Council."
Ophelia left the two who were just staring at her wide-eyed since earlier. Selene and Alice couldn't even react as she emerged out of nowhere and introduced the events. Even the shinobi Selene couldn't react in time to hide.
"That chairman… she's strong."
"Definitely."
The two entered the gates with great puzzlement but they also quickly recovered. They browsed through the many clubs on the way to their homeroom.
As students in the same Elite Class, Alice and Selene were in one homeroom on the same grade. They had different subjects from now on according to their specializations but some subjects remain the same. These subjects were general education subjects like language, history, and math.
Starting the third period, their subjects would start to deviate.
Alice had to attend her Magic Theory Class while Selene her Weapon Proficiency Class.
In a magically insulated room, Magic Theory was ongoing. It was conducted in such a room since the goal was to teach theory. If students tried funny things using magic, although uncommon, it was not unheard of. It was better to be careful. Other students trying to practice according to theory without supervision may cause detrimental effects on their growth instead of positive effects.
Some may even directly harm themselves because of it. Outside of classrooms and halls built for practicing magic, any Elite student trying to work magic outside and are caught would be severely punished.
Inside. Alice was listening to a lecture by the teacher. It was about the most basic knowledge that should be learned and mastered by practitioners: Magic Energy Conductivity.
Alice was a natural born genius in magic. She had already mastered how to move and even manipulate magic energy a year after she was born. However, without Rebecca's supervision, she would truly have caused disaster to her family according to the teacher's teachings.
She understood how dangerous it was for uncontrolled magic for those around the practitioner. Her appreciation of her 'not-so-weak' mother reached a new height at this moment.
Because of her teachings, Alice was able to live like a normal girl through refined control over the magic energy in her body.
While the lecture was ongoing, Alice was nodding her head strongly for each point that the teacher taught.
"As expected of Grandmaster's daughter. She even understood all these theories easily. Absorbing knowledge like a sponge."
The teacher thought to himself. He felt proud for his grandmaster's daughter. The disciples of Gideon's disciples were all looking forward to his daughter's growth.
They did nit know that Alice was an existence that they couldn't even begin to catch up to. The magic teacher was simply a formation master that was taught by Dom after being taught by Gideon through Knowledge Transference. Magic taught by him were formation based, but the basics remained the same. Besides, there was a correlation between his knowledge and that taught by Rebecca to Alice because of the same source with different methods.
"Magic energy, this was once an esoteric principle and topic. However, as the gods opened the doors of the Divine Realm, its existence was once again put into the limelight. Magic energy, simply put, is a supernatural energy that exists in another in another dimension that belongs to our plane of existence. It cannot be seen or touched by ordinary means.
"Just like how two-dimensional beings cannot see and interact with three-dimensional beings, magic energy simply exists outside our normal perception.
"That is why, harnessing this energy needs special training and knowledge as well as comprehension. Magicians, those who learn and practice how to harness this energy, are those who work more with their brains and enhance their intelligence and wisdom to better manipulate this energy to do their bidding.
"However, there numerous ways to harness said energy. Some can harness it through sacrificing blood. The less contaminated the blood is, the better. We've seen practitioners of this Magic Arts, the method by which Magic is cultivated, sacrifice the blood of virgins, infants and the innocent firsthand and it has ever since been looked on as inhumane. There are also those who use catalysts like highly magic conductive materials like staves, wands, and sticks that are made from more than hundred-year-old trees. There are also catalysts like gems and precious stones, or sacred items for religions.
"Let me introduce to you now, the Magic Art that has been standardized by the Grand academy for the world to practice. This is Formation Magic Arts.
"A method of harnessing magic through formations. Using formations, the burden on the human body is lessened to a minimum because the burden of magic casting is placed upon the magic formation drawn beforehand or on the spot.
"Formation Magic Arts, it boasts portability and the ability to cast without chanting. However, becoming a magician like this slowly was too slow for most. Those who like the thrill of a magic battle, fantasizing about an adventure to slay the evil dragon, well, they have died early.
"Formation Magic is essentially throwing a grenade out after cooking it and watching it do its job from afar."
When the teacher finished his lecture, Alice simply nodded in a big way before leaving the classroom.
A few minutes after the last period, both Alice and Selene could be seen walking side-by-side as they tried to exit the school. The Club Fair was ongoing and it would last a week, so Alice and Selene decided to wait before they joined their respective clubs. They took brochures and pamphlets to compare each club.
By the time they successfully stepped outside the school premises, their hands were filled with pamphlets and brochures.
Going home was peaceful. Just before they alighted, there was a commotion in front of the overpass just a few meters away from the bus stop.
Alice and Selene immediately noticed the problem. There was a criminal that was being chased by the police. Even though the criminal was dressed poorly, he was still able to outrun police officers.
"This is a job for the heroes." Some of the police officers were of the same mind. The captain reached out for his mounted radio on his shoulder and spoke urgently: "We request immediate backup. We need heroes to deal with this, please send reinforcements!"
"Bzzt! Bzzt! Back up is coming. Please do not lose the target."
"Roger."
The police continued the chase as they called for reinforcements. Only those dispatched by the police and the state were allowed to interfere in police business. If anyone with powers tried to act and put the law into their hands, they will be arrested and sanctioned.
Soon, an awakened, now called Hero, arrived and quickly blocked in front of the escaping powered criminal.
"Move out of the way, dammit!" The criminal roared.
Without batting an eye, the Hero took a stance. From Selene and Alice's eyes, this stance was high-level. They saw their teachers take this stance when they demonstrated a move as well.
"That Hero must be from the same school as the teachers, right Alice?"
"Yes. They must be. His stance is stable and well maintained. What could his move be?"
Soon, the criminal and the Hero were face to face. The criminal whose momentum was great wanted to use it as an advantage. However, the Hero, seemingly noticing this intention from the criminal changed his stance last minute to something soft and flexible.
As soon as the Hero changed his stance, Alice and Selene gasp for air. They knew this stance as well. This was a stance that emphasized being soft to deal with the hard and forceful. The principle behind it is to use the other party's force against them.
Just like in the Chinese's Tai Chi for flowing movement or the Japanese's Aikido.
The criminal and the Hero collided and the result was as expected. The criminal was thrown down heavily after the shift in gravity was initiated by the Hero.
As soon as he was grabbed, the criminal wanted to add his own powered movements to destroy the other's blocking, but he failed miserably.
As soon as his back hit the ground, the criminal released all the air he had inside his lungs and had difficulty to breathe afterwards.
Seeing this, the Hero let the man lose consciousness first before helping him regain his breathing. This way, it was safer for those who transported him to the correction facilities owned and maintained by the Johnsons affiliated Guild.
After the commotion was over and the police determined the safety of the surroundings, the pedestrians and commuters alighted and started walking away. This was a scene that they have been seeing for years now, so most of the working classes trusted the police to handle these matters while some of the less exposed went in closer to observe nearer.
Alice and Selene were both like this. They were curious as to how the hero and the police could maintain such strong cooperation and trust on each other to achieve this synergy. They were amazed. To think powered individuals, those who should think less of the ordinary ones, are cooperating with them as if they were equals puzzled the two little girls.
After all, Selene was brought up through internal competition. And Alice grew up knowing how 'weak' ordinary people were that needed to be protected.
Alice was not a bad kid, but she was looking down on her father for being weak compared to her.
"It's amazing, isn't it? Soon, we will also become like this. The common people will rely on us and our achievements. Specially my own magic tech and engineering. Just you wait."
Selene looked at Alice with admiration in her eyes. Alice was thinking and moving for the future she desires. And this was truly admirable in her eyes.
"Am I even allowed to dream for myself like her?" Selene asked herself in silence. She was after all not as free as Alice was.
"Selene, see you tomorrow!" Alice called out to Selene who was lost in thought. Alice was already walking in reverse to wave goodbye.
"Yes! See you tomorrow!"
They both parted ways with newfound determination in their hearts. For one, the determination to work even harder towards her goal, while for the other, towards gaining the same kind of freedom shown by Alice through her parent's support.
…
In another world. A world council was established and have thrived for years on what little corner of the world they were left with after the evil god that hungered for their world targeted it and succeeded in devouring almost all of it.
"The council's mages have determined the coordinates of the otherworld that refused to open its doors to help us. Through precise calculations and expending multiple resources, they have determined that and are ready to send that sliver of the evil god that we captured and isolated after enormous sacrifices.
"Today, we shall take a vote. We shall determine the fate of that same world that pushed us into this dire strait by refusing to send reinforcements. We shall vote whether to let them taste this despair before all life is devoured by the evil god, or spare them this misery."
"Please, cast your votes now."
The council was a collection of leaders in this world. They pressed buttons for yes or no to determine whether their next course of action would become a legacy or a stain.
Soon, the votes were cast and the fate of the other world was determined.
"The council has unanimously voted for… the destruction of the other world. This decision shall be recorded in the annals of our history until we are no more.
"Gentlemen, it has been an honor to have known you all until now." The presiding officer of the council signed off and decided to spend his last moments with his surviving family members. They as a council were not the triggermen. So, they all left after the decision was made and the task was delegated.
They did not know, that when the task they delegated was fulfilled, it came with all the knowledge and historical records of the world with it. Those who pulled the trigger wanted to share their suffering with the other world by giving them a chance of resistance through the knowledge they have accumulated. And then let despair also take their hearts cruelly in the end.
The council members were not aware that the hatred they possessed towards the other world was transmitted to their subordinates and festered like a disease.
Soon, the sliver of the evil god was put into a chamber they developed that would also serve as the container for the sliver of the evil god and the knowledge. Then, through mechanical preparations, the device to send both things to the target was ready.
One push of a button. This power to determine the fate of another world exhilarated the triggerman. He felt the power of life and death at his fingertips before determining it.
Click.
The fate of Earth, was once again put into danger because of this otherworld's grudge against Gideon's measure.