"So, what do you think?" Alice asked as she showed Saya her new room.
The room was surprisingly cozy, much more than Saya had expected. A large bed sat in the center, adorned with soft linens and pillows that invited her to sink into them. Off to the side, a small reading nook had been set up, complete with plush bean bag chairs and a tiny bookshelf, filled with worn, well-loved volumes. Scattered throughout were a few personal touches—trinkets and decorations that clearly reflected Alice's personality. There was no doubt this room had once belonged to her.
"Nice, huh?" Alice added with a proud grin.
"Yeah, it's really nice. I love it," Saya said, taking a seat on the mattress and bouncing slightly, testing its comfort.
"Don't worry about clothes; tomorrow, we're going shopping. You know what shopping is, right?" Alice teased, giving her a playful nudge.
Saya chuckled. "Yeah, I remember."
"So, Sutera Academy... You're trying out for it too, right?" Saya asked, leaning back against the bedpost.
"Yeah. Honestly, it's kind of terrifying when I think about it," Alice admitted, sitting beside Saya and folding her legs beneath her.
"What's it really about anyway?" Saya probed, curious.
Alice's eyes lit up. "Okay, it's story time."
She suddenly stood up, holding up three fingers with a dramatic flair. "Three..."
Saya blinked, confused.
"Two..." Alice continued, lowering another finger.
"One!"
Right on cue, Nero burst into the room, nearly knocking the door off its hinges. "Did someone say story time?"
Saya smirked. "Yeah, Nero, I asked about Sutera Academy."
"Ooooh, I'm telling it!" Nero exclaimed, plopping down between them with a mischievous grin. She glanced at Alice, who nodded in approval, and then began her tale.
"As we all know, there are six major continents in our side of the world," Nero started, gesturing grandly as if recounting a legend.
Alice nodded in agreement. Saya, however, raised a hand. "Actually... I didn't know that."
Nero rolled her eyes but smirked. "Fine, fine. I'll spare you the details for now, but here's the important part—three human continents, two demi-human continents, and one demon continent. The demon one is the largest by far."
Saya leaned forward, her curiosity piqued.
"Back in the day, all six continents were at each other's throats, constantly at war, each trying to prove their superiority. But then, a new power emerged—the mages. Oooh... Aaaah." Nero said, lowering her voice ominously. Her eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Not your typical mages though. No, these ones could tap directly into the primal forces—Aether and Bane, the aspects of the gods Abel and Cain," she continued.
Saya furrowed her brows. "Who?"
"Abel, the God of Light, and Cain, the God of Darkness. Together, they created this world, and their essence remains embedded in it. Aether is the raw energy of light, while Bane is the dark counterpart. Together, they formed the foundation of mana, the lifeblood of everything," Nero explained.
Saya's eyes widened. "Whoa."
"Right?" Nero grinned. "So anyway, these mages were dangerous. They figured out how to tap into Aether and Bane directly, gaining unimaginable power. But of course, such power comes at a cost—the energy corrupted them. Still, they didn't care. They formed their own country, gathered followers, and started flexing their newfound strength."
Saya shuddered at the thought.
"The mages grew so powerful they started taking on entire continents. They weren't just aiming to control the world—they wanted to overthrow it completely. And the terrifying part? They almost succeeded."
Saya's breath caught in her throat. The idea of anyone holding that kind of power was terrifying. 'At least I think it is.'
"The six continents realized they were screwed if they didn't do something fast. So, they banded together and pooled their resources. With the combined knowledge of the world's greatest minds, they managed to forge seven weapons—each one capable of channeling the pure energies of Aether and Bane without succumbing to corruption."
Nero's voice lowered, and Saya could feel the weight of the story settle on her.
"Armed with these weapons, they fought back. It was a brutal war—three whole continents were wiped out. But in the end, the mages were defeated."
"Three continents... gone?" Saya whispered, her voice tinged with disbelief.
Nero nodded grimly. "Only a single demi-human continent, two human continents, and the demon continent survived."
"And what about the weapons?" Saya asked.
Nero smirked. "That's the next part. After the war, the leaders were terrified of the weapons. They were too powerful, too dangerous. They tried to destroy them, but they quickly realized they couldn't. So, instead, they split each weapon into three parts and hid them across the world."
Nero paused, looking directly into Saya's eyes. "And I believe your sword is one of those weapons."
The air seemed to thicken around them. Saya's heart pounded in her chest as she slowly unsheathed her sword, the blade shimmering with an ethereal glow. She ran her fingers along the flat of the blade, tracing the intricate, ancient markings. The green hue intensified as her reflection stared back at her, eyes glowing with a faint, otherworldly light.
In that moment, almost as if she was in a trance, she called out the ancient inscriptions. "The Moonslayer Lightless Saber," Saya whispered, her voice almost reverent.
Saya felt a strange warmth wash over her, like the sword was calling out to her, resonating with some deep part of her soul. She knew, in that moment, that this blade was more than just a weapon. 'But why did grandfather have this?'
"I just realized... you never answered my question about Sutera Academy," Saya said, sheathing her sword, the faint glint of its edge vanishing as the blade slid back into place.
"Hmm? I guess I didn't." Nero crossed her arms thoughtfully. "Well, with the destruction of three continents and the massive casualties across the surviving ones, they realized something—working together wasn't so bad after all. So, rather than focusing on just raising their individual armies, they decided to combine forces. That's when the three academies for fighters—or Soldaten, as they're now called—were established, one on each of the remaining continents."
"Anyone can apply to any of the academies, as long as you can prove your worth and get in. No more bickering, no discrimination. It's been that way for the past three hundred and nineteen years," Nero explained casually.
"That's not really what I asked," Saya said, her brows furrowing. "Why were the academies even created? Shouldn't there be peace by now?"
Nero sighed, stretching her arms above her head. "At first, yes. Things calmed down for a while, a few years maybe, but the damage was already done. The world had lost its balance. Aether and Bane—those primal forces I mentioned? They started flooding into the world in excess. It was like a wound that wouldn't stop bleeding. Over time, this led to contaminated areas—places we now call Colour Zones."
"Colour Zones?" Saya asked, her confusion evident.
"Yeah," Nero said, her voice growing more serious. "The excess energy from Aether and Bane warped certain regions. These zones are covered in different... well, colours, hence the name. Creatures from the void roam there, along with local wildlife that got twisted by the energy. They're no longer the animals or beings they once were."
Saya leaned back, absorbing the information. "So, Sutera Academy... it trains us to fight these Colour Zones?"
"That's the dream, Saya!" Alice chimed in, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Everyone wants to be a Soldaten. Honour, glory, tons of money—you get to fight creatures from the void and maybe even find legendary treasures hidden in some of the rare Colour Zones. I'm going to be so famous!" Her voice was brimming with enthusiasm, her daydreams vivid in her expression.
Saya smiled slightly, but her thoughts drifted back to a darker place. "Nero... that place where you found me... Could it have been—"
"Yes," Nero interrupted, her tone flat. "It was a Colour Zone."
Saya's breath hitched, but she tried to compose herself. "I... I see." She closed her eyes for a moment and exhaled slowly. "Thank you... for saving my life."
Nero gave her a sly grin. "You can thank me by getting into Sutera Academy. You've got just over two weeks to prepare."
"Two weeks?!" Saya's eyes widened in panic. "That's not enough time! How am I supposed to get ready?"
"You're already good to go," Nero said confidently, standing up with a stretch.
"How do you know?" Saya asked, her heart still racing.
Nero shrugged casually. "Well, the attack last night. And don't forget the three D-ranked shinobi that came after you. You survived and even took down two of them."
Saya felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. "The ones we found dead...?"
"Yeah," Nero confirmed, a wicked smile creeping onto her face. 'Imagine if she'd seen the bodies,' Nero mused to herself, clearly entertained by Saya's unease.
Alice, however, was thrilled. "Whoa, multiple D-ranked shinobi? That's pretty strong!"
Saya's face paled slightly. She wasn't sure how to feel about it all.
////
"And one more, just for fun." Nero, ever the opportunist, decided to show off. She casually turned toward a massive boulder about forty feet away, raised her hand, and with a flick of her wrist, the boulder split cleanly into three pieces.
"How do you do that?" Saya's voice was filled with awe, her eyes darting between Nero and the freshly shattered stone.
"It's all thanks to mana." Nero grinned. "Just like how mana can reinforce your body—boost your strength, speed, agility—you can also use it to enhance your attacks. It's even better when applied to special techniques. Mana really is amazing, isn't it?"
"Teacher!" Saya's hand shot up, her face beaming with excitement. "Can I use mana too?"
"Of course you can. Everyone in this world has mana," Nero explained. "The only thing you've got to worry about is how much you have. But everyone manipulates mana differently—each person has their own unique mana template. The way I use it is different from how Alice uses it, and it'll be different from how you use it."
"She's right," Alice chimed in, her usual cheerfulness returning. "Especially since we're from different races."
Saya blinked. "Wait. You're not human?"
Alice smiled, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Nope. I'm a demi-human. Rabbit kin."
"But... you don't look like a rabbit. No ears, no tail, nothing like that," Saya said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I'm a little different. Want me to show you?" Alice's smile widened as she held out her arms.
A bright white light surrounded her, shimmering with a soft, ethereal glow. Her dress began to change, shifting into something more suited for battle. When the light dimmed, Alice stood there in a sleeveless white top trimmed with soft fur, blue shorts lined with the same fur, and high boots that reached up to her knees. Her hair had turned a striking blue, and perched on her head were two long, white rabbit ears. At her sides, two crystalline swords shimmered faintly, reflecting the light.
"Whoa..." Saya stared, her jaw dropping slightly.
Alice giggled. "You like?"
"You look so *darn* cute!" Saya squealed, immediately lunging forward to fondle Alice's rabbit ears.
Alice flushed slightly but smiled as Saya marveled at her transformation. "This is my Jack Rabbit form. It gives me the abilities of the Veniel Jack Rabbits and equips me with these swords." She unsheathed one of the crystalline blades, the weapon glowing with latent power. "These are my strongest weapons."
Saya, still lost in her excitement, continued to stroke Alice's ears, her hands running through the soft fur. "Her ears are so soft... like heaven in your hands," she muttered.
Nero, who had been watching with amusement, suddenly reached out and fondled Alice's tail. "Her tail is even softer..." she drooled.
"...." Alice stood frozen, her face flushing bright red as the two girls continued their fondling.