Areyos Orionis's Point of View
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"Devas? What are they?" the professor wondered aloud.
"Even you, professor, don't know!?" Yoko exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.
"So those two weren't human after all," Kaiser commented, shaking his head.
"Strangely, we still don't know Areyos's second race, even though this device uses the army's database," Yoko added.
"Yes, but even stranger, what is chakra?" Kaiser asked, turning to the professor.
"I can't answer that, Mr. Kaiser. As the commander mentioned earlier, only your father can provide the answers," the professor replied, looking contemplative.
"Why didn't the Academy's magical device recognize the Devas race, but the army did? Is it something top secret?" Erina asked, her brow furrowed in thought.
"I'm not sure, but it's an interesting question. Dante believed we just needed a sphere that wouldn't explode. He may have thought it was a routine analysis that couldn't reveal any confidential data," the professor said, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
"Hey you! Your name is Klaus, right? Can you tell us more about the Devas race? I mean, you are one; you can't tell us you don't know anything about it!" Arwyna shouted at Klaus.
"They're special humans, to put it briefly. If that information was top secret, there must be a good reason for it," Klaus replied, eyes closed.
"Mr. Klaus is right. Let's avoid spreading this information. We'll see each other the day after tomorrow; everyone get some rest and make sure you have a weapon for next time," the professor instructed.
"Understood, Professor Zemus," the class chorused.
"Mr. Areyos?" a firm voice called out. I recognized the speaker by her attire and silhouette. It was the assistant of the director. The male students in the class eyed her with interest. Her long golden hair shimmered in the light, and like Kaiser and Yoko, she had golden eyes, common among the Metaryons.
"Yes?" I replied, curiosity piqued.
"You are summoned to the director's office," she said with a serious expression.
"But why?" I asked, perplexed.
"He didn't provide any further information. Please follow me," she replied, gesturing for me to walk with her.
"Go ahead; I'll catch up with you at the academy's exit," I said to Kaiser and Yoko.
"Okay, we'll grab your uniform at the same time," Yoko said with a grin.
"Cool, thanks," I replied, following the assistant as she began walking.
She remained silent as we walked, and I didn't particularly want to engage in conversation. I gazed out at the academy's landscape from a corridor on an upper floor of the main building. Gigantic semi-circular windows offered an unobstructed view of the training area and the dense forest surrounding it, which now looked like a grand circular arena surrounded by trees.
"We've arrived. Please take a seat. The director shouldn't be long now. Be patient while you wait," she instructed.
"Okay," I replied, taking a seat.
The director's office was spacious, with a large desk centered at the back. Two tall rectangular windows flanked the room, allowing sunlight to pour in. On the wall to my left, I noticed a photo of the King of Baringer shaking hands with Director Moore—likely taken during the university's inauguration. Just then, the door opened, but it wasn't the director who entered.
"Erina Shelter? What are you doing here?" I asked, surprised to see her.
"I don't really want to discuss it," she replied, taking a seat.
"You're still as mysterious as ever I see," I commented, my tone indifferent as I turned my gaze to the trophies displayed on a nearby shelf.
"You're quite mysterious yourself, Areyos Mendoris. Or should I say, Areyos Orionis, the hybrid... Don't you want to share more about yourself? Who knows? Maybe you've been just pretending not to know anything about you to keep your identity secret," she said, resting her chin on her hand with a teasing smile.
"I don't really want to discuss it, Erina Shelter," I replied, returning her smile lightly.
"You're turning my words back on me; you're amusing," she said, rising from her chair.
I spotted another photo on the director's desk, picked it up and sat in the guest chair right in front of the director's table while Erina wandered around, examining the photos on the walls. In the photo, I recognized Barrios, who had his hand on the head of Professor Zemus and Commander Dante Zaron.
"There's no denying it; Barrios is incredible; he's literally admired by everyone," I thought to myself.
"Areyos?" Erina called, pulling me from my thoughts.
Before I could respond, she lunged at me, attempting to stab my eye with the pencil in her right hand. I quickly dodged to the left, evading the sharpened tip, which she had evidently enhanced with Ki. Using the back of my left hand, I deflected her arm while pivoting my wrist to grab hers. I then pulled her arm forward until her neck was within my reach. Rising swiftly from the chair, I seized her neck, twisting to the left, slamming the upper part of her back and her right arm—still holding the pencil—against the desk, my legs positioned between hers.
Despite my hold, she tossed the pencil over my head and caught it with her left hand, which was still free since my right hand held her neck firmly against the desk. In a swift movement, she attempted to stab my right side, forcing me to release my grip on her neck to intercept her left hand. I quickly grabbed her wrist once more, using my superior strength to bring her left hand behind her back, forcing me to lean closer to her face. I had finally managed to neutralize her.
"You defend yourself like an assassin," she said, smiling as she let the pencil drop.
"I see; it was a test," I replied, my tone casual.
"You're sharper than I thought. And your composure is truly impressive. Most people would have reacted with anger if attacked without warning, but the indifference in your eyes suggests you have more experience than someone your age should possess."
"Why are you testing me, Erina Shelter?" I inquired, genuinely curious.
"I like to recruit prodigies. Perhaps we can discuss it next time," she said, glancing at the door as it opened. With just the two of us alone in the room, I couldn't help but feel that our position was a bit questionable.
Director Gold's Perspective
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After seeing the results of the analyses, I decided to visit an old friend, a legend so great that his exploits seemed more like a myth than reality. They say that even the greatest criminals would surrender upon hearing that Barrios was on his way to arrest them. Although this remains mere rumor, it often hides far greater truths.
I arrived in front of Barrios's manor and knocked on the door, which opened by itself. He probably used his mastery of earth from a distance to let me in. And given his seismic sense, which allowed him to know the exact shape of everything in contact with the ground or connected to it by something solid in a certain radius. I deduced he already knew I was there.
The Mendoris manor was grand, with a magnificent garden stretching on either side of the walkway leading to the entrance of the building. As I reached the door, it opened again by itself, without me having to knock this time.
"Hello, General Barrios," I said as I saw him lounging in his armchair, watching TV.
"Gold! My old friend, how have you been?" he replied, getting up from his chair.
He hadn't changed. Barrios was a very muscular and fairly tall man. His veins were visibly prominent on his arms. He had a beard and smooth red hair that fell to his neck. A strand crossed the middle of his face like his son, except this one didn't stand up before falling down.
"I'm doing well, General," I said, shaking his hand and feeling the power he exuded.
"Come on, no formalities between us, Gold," he said with a smile.
"How's the first day going so far?" he asked.
"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," I replied.
"Oh, I forgot, take a seat," he said suddenly realizing he hadn't invited me to sit.
"It's about the senior class, particularly your two sons," I said as I sat down.
"Ah, those kids, I suspected they'd cause a stir on the first day," he said, covering his face with his hand.
"Ha ha ha, you suspected right. But the student Areyos intrigues me the most. The analyses revealed that he is neither a Metaryon nor a human. He masters several different natures of chi simultaneously, something I've never seen before. So I concluded that he is not your son."
"That's true... he is not my biological son. He is, instead, the son of a friend who died in battle…" he said, looking at the ground, deep in thought.
"Areyos is a hybrid of two powerful races. I can't tell you the name of the second race, but I can tell you the first," he confided.
"Why not the second?"
"It's a promise I made to his mother," he replied.
"I understand. I'll settle for the first, then," I said just as my magical ring began to glow and vibrate. It was a message from Hilda.
"Oh, an urgent message from Hilda," I remarked.
"Please tell me it's not about my sons again," he asked, looking worried.
"WHAT!? The Kengan!? Already!!!" I exclaimed, shocked by the news after viewing the message on the small mana screen emerging from my ring.
"Please tell me he didn't hurt anyone," Barrios asked, panicking.
"Unfortunately yes, he sliced the wing of an Aegyl and created a fissure in the wall. The Aegyl would likely be dead if Dante, your former student, hadn't intervened," I explained.
"This can't be true... thankfully Dante was there; it could have been worse. He knows what to expect with the Kengan since I trained him myself," he confided.
"The wings of Aegyls regenerate quickly. He should be fine," he added.
"That's true. But I think Kaiser needs to learn to use his Kengan before he hurts someone else."
"Yes, I will take care of it," he said, embarrassed, scratching his cheek with his finger.
"Anyway, I have to congratulate you; Kaiser, Areyos, and Yoko, whom you've trained, are among the strongest in the class. Kaiser is stronger than 99% of the students in his class," I noted.
"99%? I didn't think Areyos would surpass him," he said, resting his chin in the crook between his thumb and index finger, looking at the ground.
"Actually, no, Areyos is at 98%."
"What?! Then it's certainly the Elf princess," he said, surprised.
"Not at all, unfortunately, the king and queen of the elves have forbidden the princess from spending her senior year here at Moore Academy," I said, scratching my cheek with my finger, trying to suppress a sheepish smile.
"Those two keep slowing down their daughter. Her potential is incredibly vast, yet I don't know if they are aware of it," he said, slapping his palm against his forehead.
"Anyway, if it's not her, then who is it?" he asked.
"His name is Klaus Varray."
"Varray? Like General Ecath Varray from the kingdom of Denov? But they are humans; they can't be that strong," he said, looking confused.
"Um, that's right. He finished first in terms of power," I said with a sheepish smile.
"Ecath has lost every duel he has had with me; I really don't see how his son could be that strong, especially how he could surpass mine," he said in an exasperated tone, like a child.
"I'm going to pay a little visit to that little brat Ecath," he added, rising and igniting his fist. His intent was clear. But soon, I received a second message from Hilda.
"Is it Hilda again?" he asked, seeing the surprised look on my face as I was reading the message.
"Chakra? Ninjutsu? Devas...? What is this?" I read, surprised.
"Ahh that…" he said, sitting back down, eyes closed and arms crossed.
"You know what this is?" I asked, looking confused.
"Of course. I'm the one who entered these top-secret informations into the army's database," he said.
"Top secret?" I asked.
"Yes. I imagine that was the reason for Dante's presence in the training arena," he deduced.
"Indeed. Zemus needed a more sophisticated sphere because the last one exploded due to Klaus Varray's power," I confirmed.
"Hm. I see. He probably didn't expect to encounter a Devas, considering how rare they are. I suppose the Devas is Areyos, right?" he further deduced.
"Yes, but also Klaus."
"Interesting. He has that potential, then. That explains everything now," he added with a smile.
"That potential? What do you mean by that?"
He then looked at a photo on the wall. There were three people in the picture: two men and one woman.
"Well, just know that a Devas has more or less the potential of Thaleus Sendaris," he said with a smile.
"The... the legend!!? Your only rival!? They say he single-handedly eliminated 10,000 demons, including 3 Archdemons, who are demons capable of razing the strongest armies alone. I know that rumors can be exaggerated, but I think he fought about 1,000, which is still huge, but it's closer to the possible than 10,000 in total," I said, astonished.
"Ah ah ah, yet it's true; there were 10,000 demon corpses found on the battlefield, but it wasn't 10,000 demons he faced, but rather 100,000," he added, laughing.
"WHAT!!? Are you serious?? It's impossible to be that strong," I said, leaning back in my chair.
"Yes. The remains of the corpses were probably disintegrated by his destructive techniques. Knowing Thaleus, no demon would have been able to defeat him... I have never been able to digest his death. There's something wrong with all this, but I'll spare you the details so I don't destroy your perception of reality. Knowledge is a curse... Areyos's mother was aware of this. That woman already knows the results of the research that other peoples are doing. She knows what is happening in this world," he said, looking at the woman in the photo.
"... You had incredible allies," I said, shocked by what I had just learned about the general's two companions.
"Regarding the Devas, know that they are capable of using multiple natures of chi simultaneously and have a gift for energy fusion."
"A gift of fusion!? What is that?" I asked, surprised.
"Well, it allows you to do things like this," he said, getting up.
"Follow me," he added.
We went out to the back balcony of the manor. Below was a hot spring surrounded by trees, and a bit further was a training ground with equipment like weights and wooden sticks. We could see a mountain range about 1km away. I didn't know why we were here, but I was about to witness a demonstration of the power of this legend, Barrios Mendoris.
"Look, do you see those mountains over there?" he said, joining his thumb and middle finger. Red lightning appeared along with his Kengan, and then he snapped his fingers toward the mountains.
The red lightning from his fingers propelled toward the mountain and shattered it in an explosion as huge as it was terrifying, followed by a shockwave that carried the wind toward us. He did it with only two fingers… he hadn't earned his nickname of The Scourge Lion for nothing.
"Don't worry, it's a testing area; there's nothing alive over there," he said, flashing a confident smile. His hair billowed in the wind created by the shockwave, and his striking red eyes, accented with a glowing golden line surrounding his retina, revealed a power I hadn't anticipated.
"This is just a taste of what happens when you fuse combustion and lightning. Thanks to Thaleus, who incorporated the Gift of fusion into our Dōkō, we can harness this ability even if we're not Devas. Each of the three family that have received a Dōkō can harness the power of the Gift of fusion"
"The Dōkō?" I asked, intrigued.
"Yes! These are special pupils that utilize chakra, similar to Kengan, the sword eye. Chakra is also the energy used in ninjutsu as the mana is for magic. It works a bit like chi—its nature is determined at birth—but unlike chi, chakra can possess non-elemental natures, granting sealing abilities and even the Gift of fusion to the most powerful users," he explained.
"Now I understand better. So, the Kengan is a Dōkō belonging to the Mendoris family, and Thaleus is the mastermind behind all Dōkō, chakra, and consequently, ninjutsu. He was truly a genius. It appears that Areyos Orionis has an unknown Dōkō, as indicated in the message."
"That's normal; other Dōkō have gone unrecorded because their bearers have never undergone analysis, including his mother."
"I see. In any case, thank you so much for this invaluable information. I need to hurry back to the academy to attend to a few matters," I said as I rose from the armchair.
"It was a pleasure, Gold; feel free to visit anytime," he replied, walking with me toward the exit.
I left the Mendoris manor and used my teleportation ring to return to the academy.
As I stepped through the doors, I spotted Hilda, her usual indifferent expression plastered on her face.
"Ah, you're back, Director," she said.
"Mr. Areyos Mendo—, I mean, Mr. Areyos Orionis is waiting for you in your office, along with Miss Erina Shelter."
"Just the two of them?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, it's been about 20 minutes now..."
She maintained her serious demeanor, and we exchanged a silent glance for a moment before I opened the door to see them in a rather compromising position. Areyos had Erina's right arm pinned on the desk, his hand uncomfortably close to her waist. She was trying to push his hand away, but with his strength, she was clearly struggling. He was positioned right between her legs, his face inches from hers. Areyos looked utterly embarrassed at our arrival, while Erina appeared unfazed.
"This is absolutely not what you think, Director," he stammered, pulling away from Erina with a sheepish grin.
"I thought I asked you to behave, Mr. Orionis," Hilda said, crossing her arms.
"But I swear it's not what you think! It was self-defense. Please, don't tell Barrios; he'll cook me alive and feed me to the crows," he blurted out, panic evident in his voice. Clearly, he feared Barrios more than any punishment I could impose.
"He didn't attack me, Director; I was teaching him how to neutralize someone. I must admit, he's quite talented," Erina said with a calm smile.
"Teaching? Nonsense—uh... yes, that's it... She was teaching me how to neutralize people," he said, sulking while casting an irritated glance at Erina, who just returned a radiant smile.
"Alright, I'll let it slide this time," I said, trying to suppress a chuckle.
"Director Gold? This is a letter from my father for you," Erina said, extending an envelope toward me.
"A letter from Mr. Demios?! O-okay," I replied, a shiver running down my spine.
"I'll see you in class, Areyos Orionis," she said, casting one last glance at Areyos before stepping out of the office.
"Please, take a seat, Mr. Areyos," I instructed, and he complied.
"Your statistics are quite intriguing. I had a discussion with your adoptive father, and he provided me with some interesting information regarding the analyses conducted today. During group exercises, you will have the option to choose whether you work with the humans or the Metaryons. However, to maintain balance in the trials, if you choose the Metaryons, Mr. Klaus must select the humans, and vice versa."
"Understood."
"I must also ask you to keep a close watch on your brother, Kaiser. Now that he possesses the Kengan but lacks control, he could inadvertently injure someone if he loses his temper…perhaps even worse."
"I understand. I'll keep an eye on him," he assured me.
"Good. Have a pleasant evening, and make sure you're on time tomorrow."
"Thank you, Director. Good evening to you as well," he replied before leaving the room.
I took the letter that Mr. Demios Shelter had sent through his daughter and began to read.
"This year promises to be long, very long indeed," I sighed after absorbing the contents of the letter.
To be continued…