"The most important thing about magic is not the magic itself, but the user." Skar created a magic circle in the palm of her hand and the sparks turned into a small fireball, then grew bigger.
"This magic circle is a formula, a long and complicated spell simplified in the form of a magic circle. I'm sure those old guys did something to your bodies to be able to make magic circles naturally."
Skar continued teaching and some of the children immediately looked at their hands.
"However, a formula is just a formula. Without the ability to control mana, it is just a sheathed sword."
All the children were amazed and Maya smiled faintly looking at Skar from the side.
Skar noticed Maya's behavior and immediately reprimanded her even though he himself blushed slightly. "What's wrong? Why are you smiling like that?"
Maya turned around and walked away with a smile. "No... Nothing..."
Skar spent almost 1 hour just to teach them (what is mana?) and another 3 hours to make them aware of the flow (mana) in their bodies.
After teaching for 3 hours, he decided to end it even though there were still some children who wanted to continue learning, but Skar was unable to teach any longer.
Even if the children wanted to learn, no one was brave enough to talk to Skar.
The white-haired boy just sat leaning against the wall, feeling mentally drained just from interacting and teaching.
The daily rations came, but Skar was too tired to stand up, he just sat back and chose to wait.
Not long after, Maya came in with two boiled potatoes and gave one to Skar.
"Good job," Maya said, reaching out and handing Skar a boiled potato.
"If it's like this every day, I'd rather fight Nala in a Death Match."
Maya laughed and sat next to Skar, "Why do you say like that?"
"They're stupid and slow, it's like talking to a rabbit."
Maya burst out laughing. "Rabbits? Hahaha. So cute."
Skar looked at Maya who was laughing happily and for some reason, the boy felt the same chest pain as before, but somehow he liked the sensation.
Maya finished laughing and noticed Skar who kept looking at him.
"What's wrong?" Maya asked innocently which made Skar surprised and immediately looked away.
"No... Nothing... It's nothing." Skar tried to hold back his emotions but his flushed face was more honest than his mouth.
"By the way, are you okay with being called SK-4?"
"I don't care, it's just a name after all."
"But I'm having trouble saying your name."
"Then, don't say my name."
Maya puffed out both her cheeks and hit Skar's shoulder repeatedly.
"Huh? What do you want?" asked Skar, who was surprised by the sudden attack.
"Think for yourself. Hmpf."
"What a hassle, it's just a name."
Maya didn't stop her punches and Skar started to get annoyed.
"Fine! I'll change my name!"
Maya's eyes immediately lit up. "Then I'll give you a name."
"Huh?"
"How about Ska?"
"Ska? What kind of name is that?"
"How about Skab?"
"Huh? Skab?"
"Wait-wait, let me think." Maya held her head with both hands, forcing her brain to come up with a brilliant idea.
After five minutes of silence, Maya raised her head straight.
"How about Skar?"
"Skar?"
"Yes, it suits you. You're strong, tough, brave, and most importantly, you're reliable." Maya said with a wide smile.
The compliment from the sweet-faced girl managed to make Skar blush and forced the boy to turn his face away.
"S... S... Skar... not a bad name."
Maya smiled happily at the response and stood up immediately.
"Come with me, Skar," Maya invited as she extended her hand.
The boy had no choice but to smile and take the girl's hand, "It seems like there's no other way. You can call me Skar."
------------------------------------------
"Hahahaha... HAHAHAHAHA! Looks like this is my end. You're lucky this time, Na-la" said Skar, who was restrained by gold-colored magic chains.
Nala tried to get up and approached Skar while limping. "In the end, what do you want, Skar?"
"Like I said, I just want a reunion with old friends... Old friends who are very self-centered. Hahahaha!"
"What do you mean?"
"Hahahaha! Being a coward is good, am I right? You can run away from the problems and don't have to remember them."
"What do you want to say?"
"Nothing, I already told you, I just want a reunion... With someone called Maya's best friend."
Everything immediately made sense, Nala understood instantly, of course this all had to do with the incident when Nala escaped from Chrono Academy.
Nala smiled slightly, "So you want to take out your revenge on me?"
"No... No... I'm not that bad. I didn't intend to kill you in the first place."
The words that came out from Skar's mouth managed to ignite Nala's emotions which could be seen from her forehead twitching slightly when she heard Skar speak.
"Ara... Ara... You didn't intend to kill me, but you took great pleasure in stabbing me."
"If you die, then you're not worth it. If you're that good as she said, you shouldn't die, let alone hire someone to kill me."
"If you really care about Maya, why don't you save her?"
"Tck, tck, a genius throwing the burden of responsibility. What a cowardly act."
"What do you mean?"
"Of course I would saved her, if I had the choice. Unfortunately by the time I had the choice, it was already too late." Skar shook his head then looked at Nala sharply.
"But you're different, you have abilities and choices."
Nala broke out in a cold sweat, because she knew what that man said. It was a feeling of guilt that haunted Nala for as long as she lived until this very moment.
"Woi... Woi... Don't tell me you didn't force her to run away with you?" Skar baited Nala with a question that made Nala tremble.
"She herself chose -"
"Hahahahaha! As expected, you don't understand at all. Of course Maya would refuse your invitation. She's too kind to run away from that cursed place."
Nala wanted to respond but she couldn't, she knew Skar's entire word was the truth. She knew on that day, she should have taken Maya by force, but she didn't.
"You're not a good friend, nor a genius. You're just a selfish coward running from the past -"
Zhen stuffed Skar's mouth with a big rock. "Nala, are you okay?"
Nala turned her back on Zhen and Skar while holding her trembling hands. "It's okay, I'm fine."
Zhen sighed as he looked at Skar. "If you say more than this, you'll traumatize my client. She might not be able to pay me for it."
Zhen walked towards Skar and touched the green man.
Skar's body slowly expanded like a balloon. The green man bit the stone that stuffed into his mouth and crushed it into gravel.
"Don't think you can live in peace after what you did to Maya!"
Skar's body continued to expand and expand until his neck and chin were swallowed up by his own inflated body like a balloon.
Skar smiled widely and looked at Nala. "See you in hell. Na-la."
*JRASH!
Skar exploded, blood spilled everywhere and bundles of internal organs and bones were scattered in all directions.
Zhen sighed once more and wiped his bloodied face. "This is why I don't like this abyss magic."