"Who is this newcomer, the fire manacian?" Kami asked, his tone measured."His name is Yonu Hachinan. He transferred here not too long ago—just two weeks back," Arashi replied.Kami frowned, his eyes narrowing. "He's climbing the ranks quickly. Scorn found themselves a gem. How did we miss out on him?" He clenched his fist, but then took a deep breath, regaining his composure.A moment of silence filled the office room. Kami began to organize the items on his desk methodically, a habit to maintain control."No matter," he said finally, his voice calm and determined. "Just another challenger to face after I take down Jin Gamma.""Yes, sir," Arashi nodded."Tell the others to prepare. The fight is next week.""Yes, sir," Arashi responded, turning to leave."Also Arashi, why did you ask me to cancel the mana beast subjugation requests.""It is dangerous, my father urged us not to.""I see…You may leave."Kami stared at the papers on his desk, a quiet resolve in his eyes.. . . "You can't keep coming in here like that…" Mr. Jonas said with concern, his voice filled with worry.'Haha… it'll be over soon…' I managed to say, though another burst of pain shot through my body as Mr. Jonas adjusted me on the bed."It's been like this for three days straight this week. This machine might seem like an all-curing device, but truth be told, when used excessively it drains a lot of your stamina and can result in a shorter lifespan," he explained solemnly as he pushed the bed into the machine.'Oh, what the hell… I guess I should start getting injured less often—'I began to say, but suddenly, everything went black. It was just me in a pitch-black room. Something that never happened before. I looked around, trying to discern anything in the darkness, but there was nothing. I glanced down, only to see my own hands.'Hm… what if I just leave that and just add my excess ma-' I began to think, but suddenly my vision started to blur.'Might as well make the most of it,' I muttered to myself, summoning my mana. Instantly, blue clouds filled the dark void as mana flowed from my palm. 'It's beautiful…' I marveled quietly as I swiped my hand, the cloud of mana following my movements.I clenched my fist, concentrating the mana into a sphere. With each thought, more mana flowed, and I compressed it further. No matter how much mana I used, the sphere remained stable.'What in the world…' I murmured, intrigued by this newfound control. 'Let's see what else I can do.' I released my clenched fist and pointed my finger, directing the sky-blue sphere across the black backdrop. It glided effortlessly along my guidance, a manifestation of my newfound abilities."Treatment starting now," were the last words I heard.The world around me faded into darkness once more, leaving behind the mysteries of mana and the fleeting glimpse of control I had experienced.. . . "Good work, Yonu," Vice's voice brought me back to awareness, and I opened my eyes.'Haha, thanks Vice,' I replied, feeling the fatigue in my voice."Tomorrow should be the last one… if possible. It's against someone named Hino Kana," Vice informed me.'Hino? A fire manacian?' I asked, a note of surprise creeping into my tone."Yes, a fire manacian ranked 29," Vice confirmed.'Damn… How did she climb so high? Well, I'm here too, so… haha, I guess I'll manage,' I chuckled nervously."And she's from Drifters, the 3rd-ranked team in the school," Vice added.'I haven't heard much about fighters from teams other than the top 2 or the lowest ranks. Why such a drastic difference?' I wondered aloud."That's just how it is. The top teams attract the best fighters, leaving the lower-ranked teams with fewer top talents. It's rare for the top 3 teams to recruit anyone ranked above 50," Hyun explained.'I see… Well… I'll see how it goes,' I said, bracing myself for the challenge ahead.. . . "Urgh," Arashi strained to rise, his breath ragged and labored. "Once again, it's damn near impossible to take you down, Captain."Kami Ichizen stood amidst the aftermath, his aura commanding and formidable. Around him, his combat team lay scattered like fallen warriors after a brutal skirmish, each member unconscious from the sheer force of his onslaught. Only Arashi remained standing, though barely."You've grown stronger, Sir," Arashi acknowledged through gritted teeth, his body aching from the relentless barrage."I'm sure Jin has improved as well," Kami replied coolly, his eyes flickering with unwavering confidence. "But he won't be enough to challenge me. Inform the team: Keep everyone else occupied, except Hyun and Jin. They're mine."Arashi nodded solemnly as Kami turned and strode out of the training room, his coat trailing behind him like a battle standard. The once pristine white room now bore the scars of their intense clash—deep impact craters, shattered tiles, and shards of rock and ice littered the ground in stark contrast.As Kami departed, the other team members began to stir, groaning as they slowly regained consciousness amid the wreckage. Arashi stood tall amidst the chaos, his resolve firm despite the pain throbbing through his body."The Universe shall prevail," Arashi declared quietly to himself, a vow echoing through the fractured silence, promising a relentless pursuit of strength and victory.. . . "Captain, I heard you called?""Yes... Have a seat, Hino Kana.""Alright."The girl with fiery orange hair turned, her long locks swaying gracefully as she moved. She sat down, crossing one leg over the other without a care for her skirt, exuding a confidence that demanded attention. The other team members tried to avert their eyes, but her striking beauty was hard to ignore. Her bright orange eye, the color of a blazing flame, burned intensely while her bangs covered her left eye. Her muscular arms, adorned with dragon tattoos, rested casually on the top of the sofa, projecting both strength and subtle masculinity. The dragon tattoos coiled around her forearms, their mouths ending at her hands, adding to her fierce aura."Oi, what are you guys looking at?" she snapped, her voice sharp."Nothing, Ma'am," they responded in unison, quickly looking away. Kana was the fourth strongest in Team Drifters, earning immense respect not only for her prowess as a fire manacian but also for her rapid ascent despite being a woman in a male-dominated field. Her presence commanded respect.The team members glanced back up, noticing the small Sakura flower tattoo under her visible eye—a mark of the Hino family, renowned for producing fire manacians with seemingly limitless mana reserves."Kana, I heard you received a challenge.""Yeah, from Yonu Hachinan. The boy who's climbing the ranks so quickly," she said, her voice tinged with curiosity and determination."Do you think you can win?""I don't know. But I'll do what I can. If he's climbed this far, he's certainly not a weak fire manacian. No one seems to have any information on his fighting style despite all his matches," Kana replied thoughtfully."I bet it's Hyun Lee's work. He's probably bribing others to keep quiet, so no one can prepare for Yonu's fights," another team member speculated."Why is he even climbing when the matches are just one to two weeks away?" someone else wondered aloud."I don't know... maybe it's part of their plan. But I'm willing to bet Yonu is part of their new Combat team," the captain mused."Alright.""When is the challenge?""Tomorrow," Kana replied."Alright, do what you can.". . . 'How can I improve my mana pool…' I muttered to myself, staring into the flickering flames of the furnace. I was back at my job, my mind preoccupied with thoughts of power and potential.Suddenly, the temperature spiked again.'Haiz,' I sighed, extending my hand. 'I don't even think I have enough space to absorb all this. What if I just…'I began absorbing the mana, concentrating it into a ball at the side, causing the furnace's temperature to drop. The ball of mana floated in the air, ethereal and radiant. I moved it around with my finger, marveling at its fluid motion.'It's just like in the dream…'I poured half of my body's mana into the ball, watching as it grew more concentrated. A faint orange outline formed around the mana, indicating its density.'This is it. If I do this… then… my body can continue to regenerate mana while I control the excess externally.'I swung my finger, and the ball of mana darted around, obedient to my will. With a flick of my hand, the mana dispersed, the orange glow fading. I clenched my fist and pointed, and the mana reassembled at that point, glowing faintly once more.'Then… I can use this to get seemingly unlimited mana!'"Yo," Hugo called as he entered the room.'Oh, is my shift over already?' I asked, snapping back to reality."Yup… seems you're getting stronger again. I wish I could replicate what you do," he said, admiration in his eyes.'I'm sure you can! It just requires a bit of inspiration to achieve my blue flames.' I ignited a flame in my palm, the bright blue light illuminating the dim surroundings. It was a mesmerizing sight."Haha… not everyone has that much control over their mana, you know."'Ah… you can start easy! For me, I imagine the mana as a clustered network, all interconnected. Then I move a single molecule, causing the rest to follow.'"Hmm… I'll give it a try… also, I've been climbing the rankings!"'Really?!?' I exclaimed, standing up and getting ready to leave."Yeah. I defeated an earth manacian by dodging his attacks and countering directly. Your methods work."'Nice! Just focus on improving with each fight. I have my own battles to deal with… what rank are you at now?'"367... compared to where I was at over 500, this is good."'Indeed. Any improvement is great! Alright, I'll get going. Have a nice night.'As I walked out, I couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. The possibilities seemed endless, and the path to becoming stronger was becoming clearer.. . . "Heard you're all the rage these days, huh?" Yunosuke said as I walked into the canteen.'Haha, I'm just doing what my vice is doing. How's it going for you?' I asked, scanning my card and tapping my selection on the menu.I gestured to Yunosuke, asking if he wanted anything, but he held up his hand to decline."Haha, I'm trying my best. I beat Koran!" he said.'Sheesh! When did that happen?!' I asked, surprised."Yesterday, I think. Right after you fought Jun Ishida. I saw you being carried out on a stretcher alongside him."'Nice! Guess you're improving!'"Haha, not really… I still have a lot to learn. Are you fighting again today?" he asked.'Yeah. I've been changing classes so often that I barely stay in one for more than two days. I've hardly made any friends, hais…'"It's alright, bro. Focus on where you need to get first," he reassured me.'Hm… also, are you joining Scorn?' I asked."Uh… why all of a sudden? My ranking isn't high enough for that."'Oh, according to something Vice or Captain told me, if you beat a Scorn member, you can replace them.'"Really?"'Maybe you can follow me. We can ask him later when I'm going for my fight.'"Hm, alright, sure," he said as we found our seats.. . . "Arashi," Magi said as he looked on at the throne of ice."Yeah?" Arashi said as he sat upon it."How do you make something like this… so large in scale and empowering? I don't even know what the right word is for it," Magi said, eyes wide with amazement."This is like setting up a Domain. Your control over your mana must be really good. But in the end, it all does not matter in the face of air manacians and their seemingly unlimited amount of mana," Arashi muttered. They were spending their afternoon alone in the training room. The other combat team members were busy with lessons, while the top ten school rankers got the best tuition teachers and educators, making their curriculum more relaxed."Even so! It's so cool… literally," Magi said, walking around the ice palace. Fog floated on the floor, and even his feet felt cold."Just spread your mana out, imagine a shape for it and whatnot. That's kind of it… it's a revelation sort of thing. Very hard to explain," Arashi said with a shrug."Haha, I understand… but my mana control isn't that good! Show me again, please, Arashi," Magi said as he closed the door and turned off the lights, plunging the room into darkness.A blue cloud floated around and started to move with purpose. 'Territory: Ice Palace.' With a snap of his fingers, Arashi controlled the water, shaping it into pillars, floors, stairs, a roof, and a ceiling. The ice palace materialized before their eyes."It's so cool… but what can you do with it?" Magi asked, marveling at the intricate details."I can fire my attacks from anywhere in here and since the entire area is flooded with my mana, it stops the opponent from using any mana" Arashi replied."Oh yeah…So it is a sure-fire win""Well, sort of. Anyway, just keep trying. It'll be quite hard to imagine it, but not impossible" Arashi encouraged."Territory, huh…" Magi mused, captivated by the possibilities.. . . 'Yo, Vice!' I called as I approached the large gate where Hyun Lee stood, leaning against it with his arms folded."Ready for today's battle?" he asked, his eyes narrowing in curiosity.'Ready as I'll ever be, I guess. Also, this is Yunosuke Sakata. He won against Koran. Is it possible for him to join us?'"Ho... you won against Koran? Koran is getting worse. By the rules of the guild, he can join if he wants. The best part about this rule is that only Scorn members know about it. So even if they're defeated, their opponents will never know they could've joined Scorn."'Haha! Alright. So, Yunosuke, would you like to join?'"Yes. I want to improve my skills even more.""What's your ranking right now, Yunosuke?""Uh… after I beat Koran… 187?""Alright… you won't be part of the combat team, but you can help with base defense during the competition.""So I can join?!?! Yes!!!" He punched the air with excitement."Don't stagnate. And also, I'm the Vice Captain, Hyun Lee." He extended his hand, and Yunosuke shook it firmly."What's this gathering here?" A girl's voice echoed through the room. It was deeper than usual for a girl, but her looks were menacing. Her sharp, orange hair and piercing orange eyes glared at me, watching my every movement. I was scared."Nice to meet you. I'm Hino Kana." She walked up to me and extended her hand. Her muscular arm showed the definition of her biceps, and a threatening dragon tattoo adorned her forearm, its mouth pointing towards her hand.'Nice to meet you.' I shook her hand, feeling how rough and rugged it was. It was a firm shake, not what I expected from a girl. She was physically strong, stronger than any girl I had met before. Speaking of which, I really should catch up with my old friends... but now's not the time."Let's head in, shall we?" She gestured to the door.'Ah, yes, no problem,' I said as I walked towards the door."I'll bring your friend here back to the office for paperwork," Vice said. I nodded as the door opened, and we both entered the familiar room. Moments later, the door slammed shut, and I could no longer tell where it was."Rank 29, Hino Kana."'Rank 38, Yonu Hachinan.'"Rank 29, Hinora Kana VS Rank 38, Yonu Hachinan. Begins in 3…2…1"She suddenly twisted her elbow and shot her fist out in a rotating manner, causing a jet of bright orange fire to burst out. I craned my neck up to see the flames towering over me like a two-story building.I reacted quickly, shooting mana out on both sides, causing blue flames to separate the jet of fire."Oh… the fu—" she muttered.She leaped into the air, propelling herself higher by shooting flames from her leg. She then spun, raining a line of flames down on me. 'ARGH!!!' I waved my arms in front of me, creating a rotating blue flame shield. But the next thing I knew, the flames were dissipating.I looked up from the ground to see her shooting flames directly at me with her fists.'FUCKKKK!' I punched my fists together, forcing the mana outwards in a short burst.'Hah… hah… hah…' I panted.What the fuck… her mana pool is insane. She's bursting those flames out like it's nothing. Each hit has so much force behind it. No wonder she's so high up. I bet even the air manacians up there don't have this high of a mana pool….I looked at her as she squatted there, staring at the remnants of the blue flames."Blue flames…" she said as she stood up."How did you do that?"'Wouldn't you like to know,' I replied, my breath heavy, my eyes locked onto hers."No one in my family has ever gotten blue flames before….your mana pool… how deep is it?" Hino Kana's voice trembled with disbelief, her eyes widening with awe.'HAHAHAHAHAHA. Come and find out,' I replied, thrusting my fists out to my sides, directing flames that slowly snaked toward her. As they closed in, she suddenly sprang into action. I watched as she shot flames behind her legs, propelling herself forward with incredible speed. Within a few strides, she was right in front of me.Without hesitation, I unleashed a torrent of flames from my mouth. She reacted instantly, leaping and using flames to fly backward. My directed flames scorched the ground where she had stood just a moment ago, missing her entirely.'Not gonna lie, my mana pool is draining fast, and I can feel it nearing its limits. Acting tough with my mana pool like this might just get me killed,' I thought, gritting my teeth.'Your turn to try blocking,' I said, voice strained as I extended my palm towards her. A deafening screech filled the room as a brilliant blue flame coalesced into a roaring beam, hurtling towards her with unstoppable force."Hah!" She countered swiftly, sweeping her hand in a wide arc, conjuring a massive, curved firewall. The collision of the two flames shook the very air around us, sending shockwaves through the room. I struggled to maintain control, the strain evident as I gripped my outstretched hand with my other."ARGHHHH!!!" Her cry pierced the chaos as she abandoned her defensive stance, launching herself sideways with flames erupting from her feet, propelling her with blistering speed.Fireballs erupted from her fingertips, hurtling towards me in rapid succession. I gritted my teeth and shifted the beam of flame towards her, aiming with desperate precision. She twisted and darted with incredible agility, narrowly avoiding the relentless onslaught.The air crackled with intensity as the battle raged on, mana surging through me in a desperate bid to maintain the onslaught. Each movement carried the weight of survival as we danced on the razor's edge between victory and defeat.Patches of blue mana flickered, intercepting the fireballs as I struggled to keep up with her rapid movements. 'She's too fast... Time for something else.' I halted the beam of flames, yanking the mana back into myself as quickly as possible.The instant the beam ceased, she charged at me with blinding speed. I pivoted into a high roundhouse kick, unleashing an arc of flame. She twisted to the side, narrowly dodging the searing arc. The blue flames crashed into the ground, transforming into flickering orange embers before dying off.She was closing in, her intent clear. 'ARC OF FLAMES!' I roared, slamming my fists together. My mana exploded outward in a blinding surge, forming a circle of searing blue flames instead of the usual dome. The arc shot out rapidly, encircling me like a barrier of pure energy."ARGH!" she screamed, attempting to leap out of the way. But the blue flames were too fast, too precise, and they struck her center of gravity. She faltered, unable to escape in time.She tripped and fell to the ground, brushing through the sand. Seizing the opportunity, I sprinted towards her, aiming to pin her down. But she was quicker than I anticipated. Flames erupted beneath her, propelling her up as she swung her legs around, using the momentum to rise. In the same fluid motion, she unleashed an arc of bright orange flames directly at me."AHHHHH!" she roared, leaping towards me with a ferocity that sent a shiver down my spine. I ignited flames from my feet and darted aside just in time. Her flame-encased fist collided with the ground, sending tremors through the earth, and a second arc of flames shot outwards.'FUCK!' I cursed, trying to ascend, but the impact of the flames caught my leg. A searing pain ripped through me as I was flung across the sand, my body skidding painfully. Sand filled my ears, my mouth, and coated my skin, adding to the irritation. But it was the pain that truly set in, sharp and unrelenting.I struggled to rise, each movement of my knee skin stretching like a thousand needles piercing me. Limping, I managed to get back on my feet. 'Why... why do I give so much just for some stupid match? Why don't I just give up?' I muttered, bringing my hands up into a stance again. 'Is it pride? That I don't want to lose to a girl? No... Is it that I don't want to look bad? Or am I scared of being scolded for losing? No. No. No. No. I am doing this because I want to get stronger so as to not disappoint myself.'With only a quarter of my mana left, the reality of the situation hit me hard. It was nearly impossible to win. But giving up wasn't an option. I took a deep breath, centering myself for one final push.Her eyes locked onto mine, a mix of determination and fury. She was relentless, and I had to be just as unyielding. Drawing on every last bit of strength, I prepared for the final clash, knowing this was it. Every ounce of my being was focused on this moment, on overcoming this challenge, not for anyone else, but for myself.In that instant, the world seemed to slow, the roaring flames, the shifting sand, all of it fell away. All that mattered was the fight.The battle raged on, each moment crackling with the heat of mana and the intensity of fire. The air shimmered with the residual energy leaking from her, a testament to her immense power. It was almost overwhelming, but I had to focus. Her sheer amount of mana was astounding, but I couldn't let that intimidate me. Instead, I had to think strategically.Fire, despite its destructive nature, wasn't solid. It couldn't be used to penetrate defenses as easily as, say, an earth or metal attack. But what if I approached this from a different angle? If I got close enough, maybe I could find a way to pierce through her fire attacks with concentrated beams of my energy. The problem is close combat is not my forte.No time for complaints, though. She was already on the move, launching balls of fire and using bursts of flame to propel herself into the air. Her aerial maneuvers made her a difficult target, and the fireballs she rained down were a constant threat.I steeled myself, determined to deflect each incoming fireball. I twisted my body into a back roundhouse kick, feeling the burn of exertion and the rush of air as I tried to clear my mind. A thought struck me: If I could control my mana so precisely, could I not also exert some influence over hers? Fire, after all, was still fire, regardless of its source… So…(A Few Days Ago) "Ay, how do you have such acute control of your mana?!" Hugo questioned'Ah…uh…'"I just wanna improve, man."'Haha… well, it's hard to explain. First, I think of mana as a gas where all the molecules are connected. So… if I move a single molecule, it moves the rest of the molecules in the mana… at least that's how I do it. If it doesn't work, try subconsciously forming bonds within the mana molecules during manipulation. Then, just drag the molecule along.' I stood up and let him take the chair. It was time for a shift change."Okay, that explains one part... but how do you make it look so easy to control that one molecule's movement? Like, holy shit."'Haha, all you have to do is guide it by providing it with external mana, perhaps through a mana thread or even an external pusher…(Back to the present) Just as my back-roundhouse kick approached the flame, I shot out a thread of mana. As the fireball approached, I followed through with the motion of the kick. YES! The fireball deflected and followed the path of my kick. I immediately cut off the thread after that.I hopped back into stance, watching fireballs hurtling towards me in rapid succession."How did you..."I executed a forward roundhouse kick, replicating my earlier move, and thankfully, it worked again! The fireball veered to my left. I swung back, deflecting another one that was fast approaching. More were coming! I dodged my head to the side to avoid a fireball, pushed my palm upward to send another fireball shooting skyward, and then thrust both my outer palms to my sides, causing the next two fireballs to fly in opposite directions.That's when I saw her slowly flying towards me, a bright orange flame in her hand. She swung her arm, sending the flame hurtling at me.BOOMA loud thunderclap echoed through the atmosphere as the jet of flame roared toward me. I burst the flames below my feet, narrowly dodging the attack. This was my chance. I ran a huge arc, circling towards her as she landed, winding up my arm for a massive swing.She swung her arm again, forming a dome of flames.'HA!' I screamed, changing from a fist to double fingers, but my vision started to blur.'IT'S OVER!' I psyched myself up by shouting. I swung my hand, and as soon as I made contact, I coated my hand with blue flames and poked my fingers through the flame wall.'DI...' Everything went blank.