The Nine Suns Heart Mantra.
The Solaris House's signature cultivation ability. The technique enabled the Solaris Founder to contest against Dragons and herald the age of humanity. Over the years, many formidable geniuses have attempted to modify their ability.
Some succeeded to varying degrees, while the vast majority failed miserably. However, throughout the revisions and modifications, there was one absolute truth.
The Nine Suns Heart Mantra was near perfection and remained the primary ability all Solaris Knights trained in.
However, Leon's existence threw a wrench into that fact.
Due to his unique constitution, Leon multiplied the effect of the Nine Suns Heart Mantra. With each Sun he condensed, he could create an array of more miniature Suns to supplement its impact. Currently, with Two Suns, he could make another smaller Sun to orbit each Sun, creating two binary star systems.
If he ascended to Three Suns, he could condense Nine Suns. Four, Sixteen. And so forth.
In theory, Leon could condense eighty-one Suns, making him the most terrifying Solaris member ever to live. Naturally, the effects of the more miniature Suns Leon created weren't as powerful as the normal ones, but it gave him a boost in mana that no other ability could.
Eventually, if Leon grows to master the Eighty-One Suns Heart Mantra, he will have enough mana to contend against Dragon Sovereigns and even the Titans that came before them.
Of course, that was a story for the future. Leon's ability to expand on his Two Suns was revolutionary enough for Alrock to consider him the future of the Solaris House.
And right now, Amon was facing the brunt of it.
'Since he can't beat me with swordplay, he's going to try overwhelming me with mana?'
It was an intelligent choice. Juvenile and brutish, yes. But smart nonetheless.
Compared to most people his age, Leon had twice or thrice the amount of mana. Pitting himself against Amon in a battle of Aura was most likely the biggest chance for Leon to win.
Alas, size doesn't always guarantee a win when it comes to Aura battles.
Amon coated himself in Aura the same way that Leon did. However, Amon's display was far less spectacular and flashy. A thin membrane encapsulated the young man, giving him a gentle golden glow. Compared to Leon's Aura, which seemed like a blazing wildfire, Amon's Aura was smooth and lucid.
Moving into a different stance, Leon readied his blade by his waist and stared straight at his opponent. He could tell Amon had unleashed his Aura too, but it was far less radiant. Yet, Leon didn't dare to underestimate the man who had beaten him down so easily.
Once again, Leon made the first move. Channelling his mana into the sword, he opted to overwhelm Amon with superior mana and power. Since entering the Knight's Academy, this was probably the first time he was going all out against another person.
The blade was five metres away from Amon, and Leon made the surprising move of swinging early. There was no feasible way his sword, less than a metre long, could reach Amon from that distance, but Leon had a trick up his sleeve.
Burning with a righteous fury, Leon's Aura was converted into a staggering blaze. With one swift swing, a crescent moon of golden fire erupted from Leon's sword and rushed straight at Amon like a relentless tsunami.
"Aura Fire! Leon has reached that stage?!"
Adelia gasped in awe. Likewise, Gale and Rufus were stunned by their comrade's astounding improvement rate. Not only had Leon awakened Aura, but he'd also used the far more technical and difficult-to-use Aura Fire. Typically, it would take decades for an ordinary Knight to awaken Aura, perhaps decades more before they could turn their Aura into elements. Yet, Leon was already capable of doing so at sixteen.
Leon truly lived up to his moniker as the most talented cadet in the Knight's Academy.
Alas, his opponent was no longer a cadet.
Amon took one step forward, and his entire body disappeared from Leon's sight. The Aura Fire strike Leon sent scorched the earth before him, decimating anything it touched and burning all the oxygen in the air. Standing near the flames was enough to cause the spectators to go breathless, and they hurried to protect themselves against the carnage.
However, Amon was nowhere to be seen.
Leon felt the hairs on his back stand, instantly turning around to face the threat. His training sword was still torched with Aura Fire, and he swung it with all his might. It was enough to break the bodies of most weaker Knights. And yet…
Clink!
Leon's training sword snapped in two. His Aura Fire proved completely useless against Amon's simple swing. Blank-faced and fatigued, Leon could do nothing as Amon pivoted his ankles to send a wheelhouse kick flying into Leon's abdomen.
The young hero rolled on the floor for the final time; this time, he wouldn't get up. The spectators were gobsmacked, frozen in place as if they had been suspended in time. And Rufus, the umpire, was no different. He glanced at Leon before gazing back at Amon, who was staring silently back at him.
The outcome of the duel was evident.
Amon had won overwhelmingly.
"W-Winner! S-Sir A-Amon Solaris!"
"..."
Amon sheathed the training sword lazily before approaching his fallen opponent. Although he had controlled his strength, the kick had enough force to shatter ribs. Otherwise, the relentless Leon would have gotten back up much earlier to continue the duel.
So, it came to Amon's great surprise that Leon sat upright while he was still walking over.
"... are you alright?"
"C-cough, c-cough! A-Amon, just hold on while I catch my breath."
"... you sure?"
"Y-yeah, I'm fine! J-Just give me a moment!"
Leon rested briefly and used the Nine Suns Heart Mantra to speed up his recovery. In the meantime, Arya and the rest of the spectators arrived with water bottles and words of concern. It took Leon only two minutes to get back up on his feet.
"... you recovered already?"
"Not yet, haha. As expected, you're really strong! It would take me a few hours to recuperate to my optimal condition!"
"A few hours, you say…"
The protagonist of [Bright] sure was a cheat. With his unique constitution and ability to channel more mana with the Nine Suns Heart Mantra, Leon could recover faster than any living human. This was one of the main reasons he was worthy of being the hero.
"But still… You're amazing, Amon! I've never encountered someone like you before!"
Leon's blue eyes sparkled with awe and delight. If one didn't know better, one would have thought Leon won the duel rather than Amon. Getting up to his feet, the budding hero stared straight at Amon with increased enthusiasm.
"I know this may be presumptuous but… could we duel like this in the future?"
"... if you would have me."
Unexpectedly, Amon had gained a great harvest. He'd come hoping to foster a relationship with the future Hero and got precisely what he wanted. Also, he could fully access Leon's strong and weak points through their brief sparring session.
'He's still too inexperienced… His mana control is non-existent, and his skills are below par.'
If Amon were to rate Leon on a scale of one to ten, he would likely only give him a four. Many gaping holes still needed improvement, and his growth rate had to be expedited. Little did Amon know that Leon was already growing at a staggering rate. Probably even faster than the plot progression of [Bright] or during Yue's original timeline.
It was just that Amon's standards were too high.
"After the Demonic Beast Purge and Sword Bestowment Ceremony, I will take some time off to train with you."
"W-What?!"
The yells from the training halls weren't just limited to Leon. Gale, Adelia and Rufus were making a ruckus, not knowing how to feel about how rapidly the situation had changed. However, the one who made the most noise was Amon's sister.
"B-Brother, are you planning to take Leon as your squire?"
Arya's voice trembled for an unknown reason. Amon turned back, stared at his sister with increased confusion, and replied: "Of course not. I'm not accepting squires yet."
Every Solaris Knight had a right to accept squires. It was a good way for cadets to learn from the best around while at the same time easing the burden of the Solaris Knight. Many cadets would request to be squires before they graduate, as a coming-of-age, so to speak, so that they would be ready to be Knighted when the time comes.
The cadets in the room were no exception. However, Amon found that having a squire would mainly slow him down and affect his other missions. At best, he would guide Leon and other pivotal characters of the story. As for fully accepting a squire… that would only bring more trouble than it was worth.
Just that…
"I wanted to be your first squire…"
"Hmmm, Arya? Did you have that intention?
"A-Ah, you heard me?!"
The young teen whispered under her breath, so soft that the wind could have drowned it out. Amon's superior ears could easily pick up what she said as if she were speaking directly into his ear.
"If you wanted to be my squire, all you needed to do was ask. I'll accept you before you graduate from the Academy."
"R-Really?"
"Of course."
Accepting squires would be troublesome, but the story would be different if it were Arya. Other than Yue, Arya was the person Amon trusted the most. And to a certain degree, she was also the person that Amon cared for the most. Caring for his sister wouldn't be a chore but a pleasure.
He could also keep a close eye on Arya, preventing any harm to her.
"Good for you, Arya. Your wish is going to come true."
Leon congratulated his friend while his eyes hid a tinge of envy. While it wasn't unheard of for a Knight to have more than one squire, it was exceedingly rare. Since Arya had been promised that spot, it wouldn't be right for Leon to force his way in now.
"T-Thanks… H-Hey, I'm not someone who clings to my brother, okay? Just get that through your thick skulls!"
Arya attempted to protest, but all the spectators could see was a lovable younger sister trying to hide her embarrassment. Not to torture the girl any longer, Leon turned back to Amon and asked:
"Amon, you said you would teach me after the Demonic Beast Purge and Sword Bestowment Ceremony…"
"Ah, didn't I tell you? I'm participating in both those events as well."
Everyone in the training hall, save Amon and Arya, dropped their jaws. The Demonic Beast Purge aside, they didn't expect Amon to join the Sword Bestowment Ceremony too. However, they quickly remembered the young Knight's age and quickly held their heads.
"That's right… He's only two years older than me."
Leon let out a bitter laugh.
"He's the same age as us…"
Gale and Adelia turned their faces upwards, seemingly crestfallen.
"..."
And Rufus remained silent. His eyes burnt with determination as he glared down at the handsome Knight.
Arya was the only one with a smug look on her face. Folding her arms in akimbo, she raised her chin up and nodded extravagantly multiple times, as if declaring to her friends to accept their predicament.
Only Amon was unaware of the silent conversation the young cadets had and titled his head with a question mark popping out.
"What's going on?"
Alas, his lonely question was fated to remain unanswered.