The bus doors hissed open, releasing a rush of cold air that pricked my skin. I stepped off, pulling my luggage behind me. A sigh escaped my lips. Before me stood a dilapidated building, a blight amidst a street of charming houses. This three-story structure, made of dark wood, seemed to teeter between the choice of intentional rusticity and sheer neglect. I didn't want to know which. Regardless, this would be my home for the next few years. My parents could afford no better.
The staircase was no less reassuring. Rusted plates and rotten wooden handrails greeted me as I approached. 'Screw it,' I muttered, gripping my luggage. With a burst of flames from my feet, I propelled myself to the third floor.
Landing on the ledge, I carefully extinguished the flames, ensuring I didn't plummet. Though I wasn't a prodigious mana user, my proficiency had developed since I awakened at a young age. The door, already unlocked, creaked open under my touch, revealing a wave of musty air tinged with mold and rot. Yet, the floor and furniture were surprisingly clean. Light seeped in through the curtained windows, illuminating specks of dust dancing in the air.
I set my luggage down and collapsed onto the couch, trying to come to terms with my new reality. 'Alright… let's just do our best at school, get recruited by a good company, and bring my parents to the city…' I resolved, albeit reluctantly. Now, to clean up this mess. God forbid.
. . .
BEEP-BEEP...BEEP-BEEP...
The alarm pierced my sleep. Groaning, I squinted at my watch. Seven. I flopped back onto the bed, glancing at the bathroom.
'Nah.' Grabbing my things, I shoved them into my bag, locked the door, and left. Navigating the streets according to the map, I set off.
Thirty minutes of wandering later…
I swear I'm good with directions. This was supposed to be a fifteen-minute walk. What the hell? Desperately, I scanned the street for a recognizable landmark.
'At this rate, I'll just fly there.' Then, I noticed a familiar uniform disappearing down a side alley. I crossed the road, cautiously following him.
'What am I doing…' I muttered as he handed food to a couple of guys lounging on crates. Suddenly, one of them kicked him, sending him sprawling. They pinned his arms with earthen cuffs and began pummeling him. Is this city life? Should I intervene? Fire users are weak compared to other elements. I might get my ass kicked. As one raised a block of earth, ready to drop it, I knew I had to act.
'Ah!' I lunged, throwing a punch infused with flames. The fireball shattered the small rock into harmless fragments. I extended a hand to the fallen boy, helping him up. "Thanks," he murmured.
"Who the hell are you?"
Ignoring the question, I spun, delivering a flaming roundhouse kick. The leader stomped the ground, raising an earthen shield that blocked the flames. He sent the slab flying towards me.I reacted instinctively.
'RUN!' I shouted, pushing the boy aside as the slab hurtled past. Igniting my feet, I burst towards the street, glancing back. You can't blame me for running first. Fire is the weakest element! Such a one-dimensional fighting style. More mana, hotter flames. Less mana, weaker flames. Even a gust of wind could snuff us out. But…'Don't tell me he didn't escape…'
"Yo, thanks." He appeared, extending his hand, "Hugo."
'You're alive! Yonu Hachinan. You're not Javanese, are you? Cool name.'
"Haha, no, I'm from Wizma. Came here to study."
"Is that why they were bullying you?""Probably. Heading to school?"
"Was trying to… but I got lost.""Transfer student? Weird timing, but not the worst. Anyway, let's go. We might be late."
. . .
"And down this hallway, to your right, is the office. Stay safe, man. Hope to see you again."
'Thanks for everything!' I waved as I navigated the silent corridor. Lessons must be ongoing. Finally, I spotted the sign: 'School Office.'
'I'm a new student, Yonu Hachinan.'
A teacher's head popped up from behind a cubicle partition. "Ah, the student with the unusual name. Hi! I'm Ms. Okata."
"Nice to meet you." I accepted a sheet from her, searching for a pen.
"Koran, come here," a male teacher called.
I turned to see a familiar, unwelcome face.
"This motherf—""Koran, language."
"I CHALLENGE HIM TO A DUEL!"
"He's a new student. He doesn't know the rules."
"He's a student either way, right?"
'What's happening?' I feigned ignorance.
"I'm sorry, but please follow me," Ms. Okata said, standing. I had no choice. We walked through another corridor, eventually entering an elevator. When the doors opened, I was greeted by a vast desert landscape complete with mountains and a waterfall—a whole other world.
'What is this place?' I asked.
"The Duel Dome," Ms. Okata explained, "a place for students to compete. The match between Rank 187, Koran Hyung, and no-rank, Yonu Hachinan, begins in 3… 2… 1…"
Before I could react, a giant rock hurtled towards me. I dropped into a split, the rock whizzing just above me.
'What the hell! That could've killed me!' I shouted, leaping back to my feet."Relax. There's a healing system here. You won't die. But we can find out who's better, you third-rate fire manacian!" Koran screamed.
He stomped the ground, lifting countless rocks into the air. With a swift gesture, he sent them flying in erratic paths, all aimed straight at me. My mind raced, searching for a plan. Ideas flashed through my head, each more futile than the last. I had no choice. As the rocks closed in, I could feel them piercing the thin cloud of mana I surrounded myself with a thin layer of mana—a habit since childhood that heightened my perception. And in this case…I slammed my fists together, spreading my mana evenly around me.
'Flame Dome.' Igniting it, I pushed the flames outward, forming a protective barrier. The rocks kept coming. 'ARGH!' I forced more mana into the flames, making them burn hotter. 'AISH!' Another burst and the rocks shattered. I stopped, panting. 'Ha… Damn… my mana…'"This is just the beginning!" Koran shouted. He slammed the ground, sending a wave of earth toward me.
'Shit—'
The next thing I knew, I was airborne. He stomped again, launching a large boulder into the air, then kicked it toward me. I burst flames from my feet, dodging the rock, followed by a second burst, propelling myself towards him.
"HELLO!" he mocked, raising his hands in a defensive stance. A slab of earth rose to block me. Realization hit me just as I was about to crash into the wall. I fired a short burst downward, stopping the flames at my feet just in time to vault over.
With a surge of desperation, I opened my mouth and unleashed a torrent of flames. He conjured a curved shield of earth, blocking the fire. I landed, gasping for breath. 'Is it even possible to destroy rocks with fire? I swear I can't even crack them...'
He stood back up, the earth retracting. "Pathetic," he sneered. "Fire can't hurt earth."
"Mana exhaustion? That's the problem with fire manacians, huh? You use it well, don't get me wrong. I haven't met a fire manacian who could breathe fire before. But that's it," he chuckled.
Damn it... I've lost this. What can fire even do? It feels like such a useless element. I wish I had never been born with this power. Lukewarm flames that can't break anything, barely burning anything. I scoffed at myself, feeling the sting of fate's cruel joke—practicing my powers from a young age only to realize they were worthless. What is fire even good for?
"Time to end this! This will teach you not to mess with ME NEXT TIME!" He slammed his fist into the ground, and suddenly, spikes shot up from the earth. I burst upwards, using flames to keep myself airborne. "You can't keep running," he taunted.
He stomped his feet, and the spikes all shot upwards into the sky. 'What the hell do I do now?'
Every bit of training and experience flashed through my mind, but nothing seemed useful. 'Screw it!' I kept my flames going and started weaving, dodging the spikes as best as I could. But I wasn't fast enough, just barely avoiding them. Then—' ACK!'—a spike pierced right through my leg. I screamed in pain as I started falling.
'No, no…' I used my hand to shoot flames, trying to stabilize myself, but my mana was too depleted. After a few seconds, the flames sputtered out, and I crashed onto the cold, hard ground with a thump.'Pain… and mana exhaustion,' I thought, panting.
I backed up against the wall as he walked closer. He wasn't even using his mana anymore. "Guess we both know who won this one," he said, staring down at me. He lifted his hand and slowly clenched his fist, causing lock cuffs to form around my wrists. "Guess I'll repay the debt from this afternoon?"
He jumped onto my chest and swung a punch at me. I cried out in pain as another punch landed. Desperation surged through me, and I tried to blow mana out of my mouth, but he quickly cuffed it shut.
It was over, I thought to myself. But right then, I sensed something in the air—an almost imperceptible yet familiar presence. The thin layer of mana I always kept up out of habit. I could ignite it now, even if the mana wasn't near my hand… or could I? I forced my wrist to turn, each movement feeling like needles piercing my skin, as the relentless heavy punches blurred my vision and clouded my thoughts. I'm…going to die soon, I thought to myself. In a final bid, I stretched to grab a pebble and struck it as hard as I could against the rock floor.
"WHA!" He leaped off of me, but it was too late. Flames erupted, consuming him and catching me in the process. I reabsorbed the mana coating, trying to think clearly through the chaos.He's distracted… I can… no… he'll coat himself in earth to extinguish the fire. How can I pierce the rock… how can I…then everything went black.
(Somewhere in the Xerathian Desert, Borders of Javan and Yarlen)
"Mr. Quon… The experiment is a failure. Not only did we fail to kill the monster, but it seems it has gained a keener manipulation of the mana it possesses."
"How is this possible…" He paced down the tunnel, unable to properly put on his lab coat, opting to sling it over his shoulder instead. Sweat dripped down his cheek as he rushed to the observation deck.
His team sat before computers and weapons, awaiting instructions.
"…We must find a more certain way to kill it…" He leaned on the handrail, staring into the darkness beyond the glass.
# # #
The Xerathian Desert spans nearly 300 kilometers, a vast expanse of sand that serves as the natural habitat for various mana beasts that have evolved since the Mana Era began. This desert includes a small town at its edge, which despite being located in Javanese territory, is incredibly close to the country of Yarlen. While the desert is considered neutral territory, the town falls under Javanese jurisdiction, becoming a focal point of political tensions. Despite their diplomatic strains, both nations adhere strictly to a policy ensuring equal profit-sharing from the valuable mana cores harvested from the region's beasts.