The day of the festival had arrived. Shin woke up early, the faint light of dawn streaming through his window. He stood up, stretched, and walked toward the door. Opening it, his eyes widened as he took in the scene before him: colorful decorations adorned the entire city, banners and lanterns swaying gently in the morning breeze.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps echoing from the staircase below. Turning back, he saw Sir Bajar ascending the steps with a casual wave.
"Hey, you're up early, huh?" Bajar grinned as he greeted Shin.
"Uh, yeah. By the way, what's going on out there?" Shin asked, his voice laced with curiosity as he gestured toward the vibrant city view.
"It's the academy festival," Bajar replied, his gaze shifting toward the city with a look of quiet admiration. "It's a special day. You students will compete against each other. Happens every year."
Shin froze, his mind spinning. "Wait… we're competing with each other!?" he yelled internally, his thoughts racing. Outwardly, he scratched his head awkwardly. "What kind of games are we talking about?"
Bajar smirked. "Just think of it like a duel."
"A duel? Aren't I too far behind everyone else for that?" Shin asked, concern creeping into his voice.
"Nah. I believe in you." Bajar laughed heartily, clapping Shin on the shoulder. His laughter echoed around the room, but Shin hesitated, his expression growing serious.
"Sir… should I tell the others the truth about myself? That I'm from another world?" Shin's question hung in the air.
The atmosphere shifted instantly. Bajar's cheerful demeanor vanished, replaced with a stern, almost dangerous expression. "No. You must never reveal that, Shin. Even though I haven't received orders about this from the priest or General Charles, keeping it hidden is for your safety. The fewer people who know, the better."
"I understand." Shin nodded, matching Bajar's serious tone.
Bajar sighed, placing a firm hand on Shin's shoulder. "Shin… there may come a day when you'll stand as a hero. But that's only if you're strong enough to protect yourself."
"Yes, sir. I'll keep that in mind."
Bajar's face softened slightly, and he gestured toward Shin's room. "You'd better get ready and head to the hall. The other students are already gathering."
"Yes, sir." Shin bowed respectfully and turned to leave.
As he walked back to his room, Bajar muttered under his breath, his voice quiet but heavy with concern. "Shin… please become strong enough to protect yourself. If you can't protect yourself, you won't be able to protect your allies. And we won't always be here to save you…"
Shin paused in the hallway, glancing back at Bajar. Without saying a word, he nodded firmly and disappeared into his room to prepare.
---
The Festival Begins
The academy hall buzzed with energy as students gathered, their excited chatter filling the vast space. Shin entered, his eyes scanning the room until he spotted Jack, George, and Lloyd waving at him from a corner. A grin spread across Shin's face as he jogged over to join them.
"What's this festival about?" Shin asked as he reached them.
Jack crossed his arms, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "It's like a tournament. Different games every year."
"You should expect a duel against someone in the finals—if you make it that far," George added, leaning casually against the wall with a smirk.
"And don't forget the strength test!" Lloyd chimed in, flexing his biceps and striking a proud pose. "This is my year to shine!"
Shin couldn't help but laugh as the four of them continued chatting, their excitement building.
Suddenly, a hush fell over the hall. All eyes turned to the large stage at the front, where a man in a flowing white cassock stepped into view. Priest Georgios, a commanding figure, stood tall and raised his hands to silence the crowd.
"Welcome, everyone!" Priest Georgios's deep voice boomed throughout the hall, amplified by a strange device in his hand. "Citizens of Grand Xyrus, today we celebrate not just our continued victories throughout the centuries, but the bright futures that lie ahead. Here, at our great academy, we honor our students with this annual festival tournament! As always, the grand prize remains a secret… so let the games begin!"
Cheers erupted from the upper balcony, where crowds of people had gathered to watch the tournament. Shin looked up in awe, taking in the sea of faces.
"Wow…" he whispered under his breath.
Then, his eyes caught something strange: the small device in Priest Georgios's hand, which seemed to be amplifying his voice. Shin turned to George, curiosity getting the better of him.
"Hey, George, what's that thing the priest is holding?" Shin asked, pointing toward the stage.
"Oh, that's an Echo Stone. It's a pretty common item, mostly used by performers!" George said.
"I see. Can you explain what it does?" Shin asked.
Echo Stone
The Echo Stone is a common yet ingenious magical device designed to amplify the user's voice. The microphone's head is a smooth, spherical gemstone, shimmering faintly with a soft inner glow that activates when in use. The gemstone is imbued with sound-enhancing magic, ensuring that even the quietest words can be projected clearly over great distances. The handle is forged from polished steel, sturdy yet lightweight, allowing for comfortable use during long speeches or announcements.
George finishes explaining to Shin what the Echo Stone is.
The priest announced the first game.
"Our first game is THE GAUNTLET RUSH!" The crowd erupted into applause. "Each challenger will race through five different stages. The challenger who loses will be eliminated. The rest who survive will advance to the next round!"
The audience cheered loudly again, shouting the names of the students they were supporting.
A woman stepped onto the stage where the priest stood moments ago. It was none other than Archmage Belldia, her staff glowing faintly as she raised it high.
"Hello, students! Are you ready for the challenge? Because I am!" she exclaimed with a mischievous grin.
Shin couldn't help but overhear some whispers from the nearby students.
"Shit, that's the mage who threw us off a cliff last year."
"Yeah, and she made us fight hordes of goblins for an entire day straight!"
Hearing this, Shin's eyes widened in disbelief. "What the hell? Isn't that just child abuse?!" he thought, his stomach twisting in apprehension about whatever insanity was about to come next.
Belldia's grin widened as she slammed the butt of her staff into the ground. "DE CREATION!" she shouted.
A massive yellow magic circle, inscribed with strange, glowing symbols, appeared beneath their feet. Before Shin could react, he felt himself being pulled in, weightless as the world blurred.
When he regained focus, he realized he was falling—plummeting straight toward a dense forest below.
"AHHHHHH!" Shin yelled, panic taking over. The screams of other students filled the air, though some, particularly those with a four-circle mana mastery, seemed eerily calm, as if this was just another Tuesday for them.
Shin hit the ground with a loud splat, landing in a patch of thick mud. His entire body was coated in the sticky mess.
"Boom!"
Somewhere nearby, a student crashed into a tree with a loud crack.
"Ah, fuck, my arm hurts," Shin muttered under his breath, wincing in pain. As he pushed himself up, he saw another student with bright blue hair dangling from a branch.
"OUCH!" the blue-haired student yelled, struggling to free himself.
Shin shook his head. "That looks painful. I guess I'm the lucky one," he thought bitterly.
Trying to brush the mud off his clothes, Shin felt a hand extend toward him. He looked up to see George standing there, his usual stoic expression unchanged.
"Need a hand?" George asked.
"Ah, thanks," Shin replied softly, accepting the help. As George pulled him to his feet, he looked Shin over.
"You look filthy."
"Yeah, I know. At least I didn't land in a tree," Shin muttered with a faint smirk.
"Let's move," George said, already turning to run. Shin jogged to keep up, his legs still sore from the fall.
"Where are Jack and Lloyd?" Shin asked, glancing around.
"Not sure," George replied. "They're either ahead of us or still lagging behind."
"Shouldn't we go back and wait for them?" Shin suggested, guilt creeping into his voice.
"Don't worry about them. They can handle themselves," George said firmly. "You should focus on staying alive."
"I see," Shin muttered, his gaze dropping for a moment before he turned his attention forward. "Still… I can't help but feel bad leaving them behind."
"You don't even know if they're still back there," George smirked. "You should prioritize your survival."
Shin nodded, his thoughts aligning with George's logic. George is right, he admitted to himself.
"By the way, where exactly are we going? This just looks like a giant forest. Won't we get lost?" Shin asked, glancing around nervously.
"It's not a forest," George replied. "This is a magic realm created by them. If you wander too far to the sides, you'll hit a barrier."
"Wow, so they really went all out for this. Must've cost a lot of mana, huh?"
"Yeah, but it's not just the archmage. She has a lot of apprentices helping her maintain it."
"Apprentices, huh?" Shin murmured, impressed.
After a while of running, the two stumbled upon a wooden sign. Carved into its center were the words "First Obstacle."
"This is it," George warned. "Be careful. There might be traps."
Shin nodded, his eyes scanning the area for danger. "They said there are five challenges, so maybe this is one of them!" Shin grinned at the thought.
"Five challenges, huh? Is this the first one?" Shin asked, a bit too casually.
"No," George said flatly.
A chill ran down Shin's spine. "W-what? What do you mean!?" he stammered, his panic growing.
"Don't yell," George snapped. "This challenge has five obstacles. After this, we'll move on to the fourth challenge. Got it?"
Shin swallowed hard and nodded, his confidence deflating. Damn it, I thought this would be easier, he thought bitterly.
As they continued running, the sky above them darkened. Hundreds of glowing circles, inscribed with mysterious symbols, appeared overhead. Suddenly, a massive burning rock emerged from one of the circles, hurtling toward the ground.
"A FIREBALL!?" Shin yelled, his voice trembling.
"Yeah, this is it," George smirked, his confidence unwavering.
One of the fireballs veered toward Shin at terrifying speed.
"SHIN, MOVE!" George shouted, his tone sharp.
But Shin's legs refused to obey. His body shook uncontrollably as panic overtook him.
"F-fuck, my body won't move! Wh-what the hell is wrong with me!?" Shin's voice cracked as he stood frozen in fear.