{Turo}
" This kid is crazy. Andre is a magician with four hearts, in other words, a Black-Gold rank magician while he is only an Iron-rank magician. It's true that no other students in this class match him but that doesn't mean that he is a match to a teacher."
Turo puts his hand on Andre's shoulder
- Don't go too hard on him. You know how geniuses are, right? says Turo
- Don't worry. I never had any intention to fight him seriously. says Andre with a smile
{Noah}
" I really don't like the fact that they are treating me like some kind of weakling."
{Bright}
- "That's what you are." is what my brother would have said. says Bright while chuckling
{Noah}
" That's not funny."
- Before we fight, I have something to do. says Noah
The teachers look at him with intrigue
- What is it, Noah? asks Turo
Noah takes out the mana-gathering potion from his pocket
- I'll take this and forge my second heart. says Noah
Turo sighs
- Noah, forging a mana heart isn't something that takes a few seconds. Even if you were able to forge your mana heart thanks to the mana-gathering potion it would still take hours.
- I don't care. Those who don't want to watch the spar can leave after class. That's not my problem. says Noah
Noah starts walking toward the door of the training grounds
- Where are you going? asks Andre
- To my brother's dorm room. says Noah. I will be back
Noah opens the door and leaves
[In Jynn's dorm room]
{Bright}
- You know that he is not wrong right, Noah? Purifying your aura takes much more time than forging a mana heart. And this is a mana-gathering potion, so the effects will be cut in half.
- I know. That's why I am going into Deep Cultivation. says Noah. Until I reach Bronze rank.
{Bright}
- What! If you do that then you don't know when you will wake up! It could take a month, it could take a year or it could even take a few years! Noah, this time you need to reconsider.
- Sorry but I won't change my mind, Bright. says, Noah
{Bright}
- Why are you even doing this? Do you want to beat Andre that much?
- That's only a part of the reason. says Noah. The real reason why I am doing this is because of the Monster Kingdom. We don't know when they will attack and I am not strong enough to beat any of them. If I can reach Bronze-rank I will have a bigger arsenal and my current arsenal will be much stronger.
{Bright}
- Fine but push it back.
-...
Noah doesn't say anything. Then he sighs
- To when? asks Noah
{Bright}
- At least until the end of the pointers exchange. says Bright
- What? The pointers exchange? Why do you want me to wait until then? asks Noah
{Bright}
- Obviously, so that my brother can get out of his Deep Cultivation. If you both go into Deep Cultivation, what am I supposed to do, huh?
- Just go into Deep Cultivation too. says Noah
{Bright}
- Oh! What a great idea! But just tell me something, ok?
- Sure.
{Bright}
- Who is gonna watch your Daemon self, huh!?
- Why are you watching over him? asks Noah. I thought that we were good for 3 years.
{Bright}
- My brother went into Deep Cultivation which lowered the power of the coffin. That's why I am watching over it. If the coffin breaks, then you'll be in deep problems. I am here to reseal him with my Blessing if he ever breaks out from the coffin.
- Why did he go into Deep Cultivation if he knew that? asks Noah
{Bright}
- It's obvious to make the coffin stronger. The stronger he gets the more powerful his technique will be. If he manages to reach a level where he will be able to keep your Daemon self sealed forever, that will one less thing for you to worry about.
- Are you trying to say that he is doing it for me? asks Noah
{Bright}
- My brother may not show it but he does care about you. says Bright.
- Is that so? says Noah
{Bright}
- We have been by your side for much more time than you can ever imagine. he mumbles
- What was that? asks Noah
{Bright}
- It's nothing.
- Well, since it's like that I should go tell Andre. says Noah while heading toward the door.
[At the training grounds after Noah left]
- Do you really think that he will be able to do it? asks Durmon to Andre after walking up to him
- That's impossible. says Andre. Do you know how much time it took for his older brother, Yoan to forge his second mana heart?
Lyria, Hugh, and Guro walk up to them
- It took him three years. says Turo
- Is there anybody that doesn't remember? asks Durmon. He shocked the whole world that day. He broke a record and became the fastest to forge a mana heart in history as we know it.
- But Noah is saying that he will do it in a few hours. says Lyria. And he is the youngest person to forge a mana heart. Dont you think it would be possible
The teachers all stop talking
- All we can do is wait and see. says Guro
- Yeah. says Turo and the other teachers
Aos walks toward the group and stops before Mya
- Can I talk to you for a second? asks Aos to Mya
- What is it? asks Abel
- I am not talking to you. says Aos. But to her.
- Go ahead, I am listening. says Mya
- I simply wanted to ask you to join the team that I am making. says Aos
- You are making a team? asks Gancelot
- I am. If you are interested you can join. says Aos
- No way! Why would I join your team if I am already a part of my master's squad? says Gancelot.
- What you are saying makes sense but following Noah Arcadios isn't such a great idea. says Aos
- Are you even hearing yourself? asks Juliana. Cuz it seems like you are saying some pretty stupid stuff.
- Oh! I guess you never thought about it. says Aos. No matter what you do, you guys will always only be seen as Noah's sidekicks. Noah will always shine brighter than any of you guys.
-*PFFFT*! is the sound Mya makes while trying to hold her laugh in
- Is something funny about what I said? asks Aos
- If you know that none of us will be given the same amount of attention Noah will receive, what do you think about you guys? asks Mya. If Noah shines so bright that we won't be receiving as much attention even though we are next to him what about those who are far from him?
Aos twitch
- What were you even thinking? asks Juliana
Lumia walks up to them, puts her hand on Aos's shoulder
- You shouldn't talk to our team leader like that. she says
- You joined his team? asks Juliana
- So did I! says Wilmo Parmekia. When we fought against Noah, we made a pretty good team. But where is the other one?
- We are here! says Kramptus that brought someone else with him. I brought her, leader.
- Why... Why do... you want... to see me, Aos? says Sunev
- You're just as shy as always, huh. says Aos. I called you here to join my team.
- HUH!!? I... I am sorry! I... I can't join... join you! says Sunev
- I can't join you either. says Mya
- Why? asks Aos. Why can either of you join my team?
- I... I have... no intention... of joining anybody. says Sunev
- As for me, I am already a part of a squad. says Mya
- Don't tell me that you...
- Yes, I joined Noah's squad. says Mya
{Aos}
" Again! Noah Arcadios again!"
- I don't think that this squad is a good match for you. says Aos. It's a squad that is centered around Noah Arcadios. Without him, they are nothing.
- That is an interesting statement. says Noah who is standing at the door
- NO WAY! yells all the teachers. IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN AN HOUR!!
- Oh. I haven't forged my mana heart and I didn't take the mana gathering potion yet. says Noah while walking toward his squad
- Have you given up? asks Andre
- No. Let's postpone our fight until the day after the pointers exchange. says Noah
Andre and the other teachers smile
- Don't worry, Noah. We understand that it's a little embarrassing after what you did and said earlier. says Andre
{Lyria}
" In the end, he is still just a kid"
- Take it however you want. I don't really care. says Noah
{Lyria}
" A kid that really has a talent for pissing people off."
- I have a suggestion. says Noah
- What is it? asks Aos
- My squad against your team. says, Noah. I won't participate since it's to prove that my squad is much better than yours even if I am not there.
- It's a good idea but what do I get from this? asks Aos
- You really are the son of the chairman of a conglomerate, huh? says Noah
- What can I say? People like us never do anything without something to win. says Aos
- What do you want? asks Noah. Me? My techniques? Some tricks to get stronger? Make it clear.
- All of those things are cool and all but I can t guarantee that you'll actually give them to me. says Aos
- So what is it? asks Noah
- Let's make bets on the matches. says Aos
- Matches? asks Noah
- Obviously, we are gonna do individual matches and we will bet points on them. says Aos
- I see. You want my points. says Noah. I am guessing for equipment?
- You should know and have experienced firsthand the consequences of not being prepared enough, right Noah?
- I definitely did. says Noah. So what is the name of your team?
- A team name? It is something that we haven't decided yet so for now we will go by squad Lenon. What about yours? asks Aos
- Us? We are-
- We are squad Zxero! says Abel, Gancelot, and Juliana
- What they said. says, Mya
- Squad Zxero, huh? It is definitely catchy. says Aos
The teachers walk up to them
- We heard everything. says Andre. We give you permission to proceed with the duels.
Turo activates the ancient artifacts and turns the training grounds into the arena
- But if you don't participate, Noah, that makes the number of participants uneven. says Guro
- That's true. says Aos. That's why I will not be participating too.
- I see. says Hugh. So who is going first?
- We will. says Lumia while pointing at Juliana
- I am cool with that. says Juliana
Juliana and Lumia walk down the stairs from the stands to the battleground
- Why did you want to fight me? asks Juliana
- Noah chose you and Mya to join his squad. I can understand why he chose Mya since she uses healing magic but I don't understand why he accepted you. says Lumia. On his squad, there are only magicians. Does that mean that even though the Arcadios family values all energy he doesn't?
- I don't think that you are gonna find an answer by fighting me. But I am always up for a challenge. says Juliana
They both walk into the battleground and take their positions.
- ARE YOU READY!? yells Hugh
Both of the girls nods
- START! yells Hugh