'Eh... seems like we got off on the wrong foot,' I said. 'Let's start over. I'm Yonu Hachinan, 1st year.'
The guy named Fuji just stared at me for a moment before smirking. "I see... Fuji Kama." He stuck out his hand for a shake. I shook it and instantly felt an overwhelming amount of mana.
"Gino Hazama," another student introduced himself. "Still can't believe you melted the earth. Very unique use of fire. No idea what you did to your flames, but it was something we've never seen before."
"I agree," added another. "Melting icicles in an all-around attack, your control is genuinely impressive, especially for a fire manacian. You're probably the first manacian in your cohort to hold your own like that."
YES! PROGRESS! Somehow, being complimented by these three students made me feel satisfied with my progress. I could sense it—the mana spilling out of their bodies uncontrollably, especially from the two other students I didn't recognize. The thick, palpable air emanating from this group of students washed over me, a stark reminder of something I could never achieve.
"Mizu Ishiyama," he said as I shook his hand.
'Thanks for the compliments, haha... honestly, my mana pool is quite average. That's why I didn't play with you guys longer…'
"Play, huh? Nice attitude."
"Nice job on beating Koran. By the team rules, we extend an invitation to you to join Team Scorn," an unfamiliar student responded.
'I… will consider it. It's my second day in school, and also, it was a draw… Is there an expiry date for this invitation? Haha.'
"Hah, of course not. Take your time. I'm Hyun Lee, vice leader of Team Scorn. This here is Jin Gamma, the leader."
'Nice to meet both of you. I think Yunosuke and I will head off first. Thank you for everything.'
"Alright. Hope to see you again," Hyun said as Yunosuke and I rushed away.
'Yunosuke… How is Team Scorn?' I asked as we walked along the street, looking for a different restaurant.
"They're a top-tier team. Top three, actually, though I don't remember the exact rankings. One thing's for sure—you shouldn't let this opportunity go to waste. Being in a top team increases your chances of being noticed by top companies as well."
'I see... OH, this restaurant looks good.'
. . .
"That's the fire manacian?" Jin said as he opened the door.
"Yes," Fuji replied, stepping in, followed by the others.
"His mana control is incredible," Jin remarked, drawing everyone's attention.
"Ah, so you noticed too, Jin. Haha. Maybe the rest of you didn't catch it, but wherever he walked, he maintained a very thin cloud of mana around him. Now, you could say he was accidentally leaking it, but... moving the mana along as you move takes insane control," Jin explained.
"What kind of moves did he pull off when fighting you all?" Hyun asked, smirking.
"You might want to sit down for this one," Fuji responded with a grin.
. . .
"Thank you for coming over. I didn't know you were still a student. Are you sure it's fine to spend your weekends on this?" the tall, burly man asked.
'Uh, sure... so what's the job?' I asked, trying to mask my hesitation.
"It's quite simple. Just supply fire and maintain the temperature in this furnace," he said, gesturing to a tall, ash-gray silo that disappeared into the darkness above. The only feature of note was a temperature display above the furnace door.
"So I just reference this and add flames accordingly?"
"Yup. It's a 6-hour shift, and you can do anything you want in the meantime."
'Alright. I've got my phone, so no biggie.'
"Okay then. I'll pick you up in 6 hours."
'No problem.' I pulled up a chair, sat down, and pulled out my phone. Every few minutes, I glanced at the temperature, which barely varied by 0.1 degrees. Hours passed, and I found myself staring at the flame. I looked at my palm, pondering. Why can't I vary the temperature by just pouring mana instead of concentrating it into the flame?
For the first time in hours, the temperature spiked dramatically.
'How do I decrease the temperature?' I wondered aloud. Placing my palm closer to the flames, I absorbed the mana. To my surprise, the temperature dropped.
"This makes no sense. Absorbing mana from the flame reduces its temperature but not its size. The energy fueling the flame... what is it based on? Wait, what if it isn't just mana? It's energy conversion! If I can convert mana directly into thermal energy, I can control the temperature of flames!'
I stared intently at the flames, my mind racing.
'So how do I pull this off?'
. . .
"You're back, Yunosuke?"
"Yes, bro," Yunosuke said as he closed the gates behind him.
"Father is coming home later today. Make sure to hide in your room," his brother said, smiling gently. "Don't let it get to you."
"I understand… Hey, uh, have you ever seen a fire manacian with blue flames?"
"Uh… no…? Why do you ask?" his brother responded, turning to look at him with curiosity. Yunosuke's question had piqued his interest.
Arashi stood tall and imposing, with an air of quiet authority. His long, flowing blue hair cascaded down his back, catching the light and shimmering like a waterfall. His eyes, an intense shade of ice blue, seemed to glow in the evening light, reflecting wisdom and a hint of mystery. The aura of water mana surrounding him was palpable, a constant, subtle chill radiating from his body and mingling with the air.
Yunosuke rubbed his hands together, feeling the temperature drop slightly from his brother's mana. It was always like this when he was nearby—an unintentional but unavoidable display of his power.
"Oh, uh… nothing," Yunosuke muttered, suddenly feeling a bit foolish.
His brother's gaze lingered for a moment before he nodded. "Hm… well, anyway, make sure you practice the moves I taught you yesterday."
As Yunosuke watched his brother walk away, he couldn't help but feel a helpless sense of inferiority. Something that was often reminded to him by his own father. His brother's presence was always reassuring, a reminder of strength and protection, something he could respect as he believed he could never achieve it.
. . .
"If we could get him on our side for the coming tournament, we might finally destroy Team Universe," Jin said, his eyes gleaming with determination.
"He's just a fire manacian," one of them replied skeptically. "Do you really think it's possible? Besides, his mana pool seems quite small despite his control."
"If his control is that good, why don't we just give him the mana he needs? We have plenty of fire manacians on the team who aren't in the combat squad. All we need to do is ensure he gets mana from them during the tournament," Jin explained.
"I have the perfect job for him, so Fuji, I hope you can convince him to join," Jin added, turning to Fuji.
"The perfect job?" Mizu muttered.
"The plan is always the same, Mizu," Gino interjected, taking a sip of water. "We make sure Jin has a one-on-one battle with Kami Ichizen."
"Kami Ichizen, huh? But what about the rest?" Mizu asked, looking puzzled.
"Don't worry. I'll handle the planning," Hyun said, pushing up his glasses. "I'll ensure everyone has a fighting chance. That fire manacian will need to distract the rest of them."
"Are you sure he can do that?" someone asked, incredulous.
"He fought against the three of you," Hyun pointed out. "All I have to do is match him against lower-ranked enemies. He should handle them with ease."
"This year, we will destroy Team Universe for good," Jin declared
. . .
I stared at the flame flickering in my hand as I had been for the past few hours, willing it to burn hotter. 'Come on,' I muttered under my breath. 'Imagine agitating the molecules inside, making them move faster and faster…' Despite my focus, the flame stayed stubbornly the same.
'Damn it!' I extinguished the flame in frustration. 'This makes no sense! Mana is a form of energy. It should be able to raise the temperature of fire because it has a fire quality. It just needs to be converted into heat energy…' I glanced at the temperature display to ensure the furnace was stable before returning my attention to my palm.
'How is most energy converted into heat energy?' I racked my brain, but the answer eluded me. 'I don't know!' I shouted internally, feeling the pressure mount.
"Yo, Yonu!" a familiar voice called out, snapping me out of my thoughts.
'Eh? Is it already time? I wasn't even keeping track,' I replied, looking up to see the manager with the next shift's worker. The guy was short, with a somewhat familiar build but what caught my attention were the bruises on his hands. Recognition hit me like a lightning bolt.
'Hugo!' I exclaimed.
"Fancy meeting you here," he said, smirking.
'Gotta earn my keep, just like you, I assume.'
"Yeah, why else…" he trailed off.
'I didn't know you were a fire manacian.'
"Well, I guess another reason to add as to why they bully me. Anyway, nice to see you here."
'Yeah, I should get back and rest. See you around,' I said, leaving with a mix of exhaustion and curiosity.
. . .
"Welcome back, Father," Yunosuke's brother, Arashi, said, bowing respectfully.
Their father, a tall, burly man with long blue hair and wave tattoos on his forearms that seemed to move with his every step, merely nodded. An aura of coldness radiated from him, making the air around them feel heavier.
"Thank you, Arashi. I have something to discuss. Come with me to the dining room ."
"Yes, Father," Arashi replied, watching the menacing figure walk off. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. His father had never seemed so... hesitant.
In the dining room, the atmosphere was tense. Arashi could sense the weight of his father's words before they were spoken.
"The mana beasts have started to group," his father began, his voice low and grave.
"What?" Arashi looked up, startled. His grip on the spoon faltered, and it clattered to the floor.
"Since when?" he demanded, hastily wiping soup off his coat as a maid handed him another spoon.
"The last raid. Different breeds... all protecting each other. It's getting harder to pick them off one by one."
"What's happening?" Arashi asked, setting the new spoon down carefully. His heart pounded with a mix of confusion and dread.
"We don't know yet," his father replied. "We have a doctor in the association examining the corpses we sent in. But something is definitely happening."
Arashi's mind raced. The coordinated behavior of the animals was unprecedented and alarming. The cold chill from his father seemed to seep into his bones, making the reality of their situation all the more intense.
"Son, take care of yourself and your team."
(Later that Day, Saka Estate)
"What have you called us here for, Washio?" Matsuda asked, standing above the Sakata family head. He ran his fingers along the rim of the vodka glass before taking a short sip, casting a heavy silence over the room.
"No news from the Uons, right?" Washio questioned, glancing around at the other family heads.
The absence of Kyousuke, the Uon family head, did not go unnoticed.
"What's wrong?"
"Maids, get my friends some drinks."
"Yes, sir," the maids responded, leaving the room as the family heads took their seats around the round table.
"Have any of you observed unusual behavior in the mana beasts recently?"
"Now that you mention it," Ujin pondered, "during our last raid near the coast, the monsters seemed unusually enraged."
"I can't say for certain," added another, "my patrols have been quiet."
"I suspect the beasts are rallying under a leader."
"What?"
"It's true. With the current state of our family powers, a large-scale attack would overwhelm us."
"What did you see, Washio?"
"It was in the Xerathian Desert, near the city. The mana beasts weren't attacking us, but rather defending a specific location. They only engaged when we encroached upon their territory."
"A leader... Could the Uons have been overrun?"
"Given their silence, it's a possibility," Matsuda said solemnly, taking a quick sip of the freshly filled glass.
"Should we inform the minister?"
"You know Tendo's position. He's the Minister of Beast Subjugation, but his loyalties..."
"He's not fit to lead. We've known that since the war. What were they thinking?" They fell into a reflective silence, remembering days gone by.
"We should inform our allies and the other families. Together, we may stand a chance."
Once again, they sat in somber silence in the dimly lit room. The lamps near the doors cast faint streaks of light, adding to the heavy atmosphere. The three old friends understood the potential consequences of any misstep, silently hoping for a peaceful resolution.
###
Kami Ichizen --- Element: Air , Year: 2nd , Rank: 1
Jin Gamma --- Element: Air , Year: 3rd , Rank: 2
Hyun Lee --- Element: Water , Year: 3rd , Rank: 3
Arashi Sakata --- Element: Water , Year: 2nd , Rank: 4
Washio Sakata --- Element: Water , Position: Saka Family Head
Matsuda Hinora --- Element: Fire , Position: Hino Family Head
Kyousuke Quon --- Element: Earth , Position: Uon Family Head
Ujin Ichizen --- Element: Air , Position: Ichi Family Head