I opened my eyes, and immediately, I recognized the place. The floor creaked beneath my unseen steps, and the scent of dust and wood permeated the air. My old house—always immaculate and shining with that familiar splendor—stretched around me, evoking a strange blend of nostalgia from the countless afternoons I'd spent here with my grandfather, and a twinge of unease, as if something dark lurked in the shadows.
My mind desperately tried to fill in the gaps of what had happened before I arrived. Gradually, flashes of the battle emerged, fragments of an intense dream. Then, the memory of victory hit me. A broad smile spread across my face as excitement surged within me. Without thinking, I sprang to my feet and ran toward the living room—I had to see him.
There he was, my grandfather, standing imposingly at the center of the room, his gaze fixed on me with that familiar mix of authority and judgment. He had probably heard my hurried footsteps.
"Grandpa, I—I won my first duel!" The words tumbled out before I could contain them. My smile, wide and unrestrained, was impossible to ignore.
"You call that a win?" His voice cut through the air like a razor. "You ended up in a pathetic state. That level is not enough."
His words struck my chest like an invisible punch, and the euphoria dissolved into a bitter wave of disappointment, followed by a surge of anger. Why could he never simply congratulate me?
His disapproval weighed over my victory like a dark shadow. Everything around me seemed to dim as his words echoed relentlessly in my mind: "It isn't enough... It isn't enough..." Yet, the strangest part was that it wasn't even his voice that was speaking—it was deeper, almost as if it emanated from within my own mind. A cold whisper sent a chill down my spine.
Then, I realized I wasn't in the house anymore—I was plummeting into an abyss of remnants. All around me, I caught fleeting glimpses of a shadowy shape, barely visible, that passed through my chest repeatedly, its whispered phrases shifting into small, haunting words:
"More mana."
"Refine, improve."
"Set me free."
"Trust in me."
I can't say how long I was lost in that spiral of shadows. Then, a different voice emerged from afar, breaking through the void. At first, I couldn't understand it, but I strained to catch every sound and syllable. Gradually, it became clearer, soft and soothing—a beacon amid the darkness.
"Wake up."
An impulse surged through me, compelling me to try to rise, but my body felt as if it were pinned by an invisible weight. I heard footsteps receding, and finally, I opened my eyes. It took a few moments to process where I was.
The white ceiling and bright light revealed that I was in an entirely unfamiliar place. I turned my head and felt an immediate relief when I recognized my group members. Hana was nearby—she must have been the one who called me. A small sigh of relief escaped her lips, and I saw her shoulders relax slightly.
Daisuke approached, breaking the silence. "Are you okay, boss?" His concerned expression was evident.
"Well, aside from feeling like an elephant is sitting on me, I think I'm fine. Strangely, I don't feel any pain," I replied. My words brought a brief smile to our faces, easing the tension slightly, though a heavy silence still loomed. In an attempt to lighten the mood, I forced a smile and ventured, "Just to confirm… I won, right? Because, considering my state, I'm beginning to doubt I'm the victor." My attempt at humor drew a fleeting smile from them.
Aiko was the first to react. She came so close that for a moment, I saw nothing but her face—her voice was filled with excitement. "The duel was incredible! Even though we train together every day, seeing a real fight was... different. It's much more intense, you know?" I could only manage a wry smile as a strange dizziness washed over me, as if the very mana was being drained from my body.
"That guy thinks he knows how to use air, but he only does it to be faster. If he did it properly, he might actually win," she remarked, clearly proud of the correct way to handle the element.
Suddenly, a hand rested on her shoulder, gently pulling her back. "You all should keep your distance. He's nearly out of mana. If you stay too close, you'll end up siphoning the elementals he needs to recover," Professor Takeda's voice, laced with concern, brought a somber tone to the atmosphere.
Silence fell once more. The professor stood there, his gaze fixed on me—a look that, in some ways, reminded me of my grandfather's.
"Do you need something, Professor?" I broke the silence, unable to bear the tension any longer.
He remained silent for several seconds before finally speaking.
"How did you discover that final attack?" His tone was serious, almost intimidating. For a moment, I wondered if I had made a grave mistake—perhaps even used a forbidden technique. But I had no choice but to tell the truth.
"Honestly... I had never seen an attack that strong before," I began, when Aiko interrupted, her excitement evident.
"It's because it wasn't a normal attack," Takeda stated. He raised his hand for silence and turned his attention back to me.
"I realized that I'm not good at long-range attacks," I explained hesitantly. "Hana executes them with such mastery, but when the elementals leave my body, I lose control over them. So, I decided to abandon that approach and focus solely on pure mana."
The professor nodded. "As I suspected, you're a fortifier. Your focus is on amplifying your strength and resilience with mana. As your core evolves, these limitations will diminish. Continue."
"Last week, I began training on my own," I continued. "I wanted to test my limits, especially regarding pure mana. One day, when I was almost completely drained and could barely convert the elementals into pure mana, I realized that perhaps, due to instability, they reverted to their elemental state too quickly. I can't quite describe the attack, but it was based on that idea."
I knew well how I had done it, yet I wanted confirmation that it was an acceptable technique to discuss.
"I understand," Takeda replied, crossing his arms. His eyes gleamed with unusual intensity. "That attack… it can be executed by anyone. You gather your mana," he explained, extending his hand. A small spark emerged on his palm, quickly growing into a pulsating sphere of light. "Then, you compress it," he continued, as the sphere shrank and its brilliance intensified, "squeezing it to a state of near-unimaginable density."
Aiko held her breath, watching in admiration. "And then... you release it." With a swift motion, he opened his hand, and the sphere exploded into a wave of energy that sent shivers down my spine.
"But, Professor, you can do that quickly—yet for us, it takes far too long," Daisuke interjected, frustration in his tone. "It's the same technique the boss used; he had to expose himself for a fraction of the time compared to what you just did. I had already dismissed the possibility of pulling off an attack like that."
Takeda, seemingly pleased with the observation, responded, "You're right, but the method I described is pure brute force. Ryu utilized a small 'shortcut' by condensing pure mana; he can gather many more elementals quickly since they merge into one." He then pointed to Aiko as if encouraging her to try.
"Alright," she said confidently, and I could see a stream of pure mana flowing into her arm.
"Now, you only need to restore your mana to its elemental state, or even transform it into another form—the choice is yours." Daisuke frowned, his eyes fixed on Aiko's hand, as if expecting her to explode at any moment.
She was forming a small sphere of air in her hand when, suddenly, the sphere trembled as if disintegrating from within, then dissipated into a cloud of white smoke. I could only see Aiko panting. "This is really difficult—I'm impressed, Ryu."
"Any one of you can achieve something similar," Takeda resumed. "Just train. This is the new stage you must all reach."
"Really good insight, Ryuji," Kenji said from the back of the room, his voice rising. It was only then that I realized he was there. "Even I get frustrated because the more mana you accumulate for an attack, the more you must stabilize—it's as if you spend double or even triple. Anyway, I need to speed up my learning of pure mana."
Takeda then turned to the door and, without hesitation, said, "And you—how long will you continue to hide?"
For a moment, I wasn't sure what he meant, but soon Lee Min-Jae appeared at the door, accompanied by Mei Ling. Kenji quickly hid from the two.
"It's impossible to hide from you, Professor," Lee Min-Jae responded, his usual arrogant tone noticeably absent. "So you're saying I only lost because you got lucky, Ryuji. Life has its peculiar humor."
"At least you and Hana have our respect," added Mei Ling with a slight bow. "As promised, we won't bother you further. But don't even think about trying to be our friend. That… would disgust me."
The room fell silent, the atmosphere tense. My group looked perplexed by this unexpected attitude. Meanwhile, Lee fixed his gaze on Kenji. Their eyes met for a brief moment, heavy with silent hostility. Kenji looked away first, his hands trembling slightly.
Just as they were about to leave, a thought crossed my mind.
"Hey, Lee! Maybe it's just my paranoia, but… didn't you already know all my elements?"
A flash of surprise crossed Aiko's and the others' faces as they tried to recall the details of the duel. Lee replied promptly, "Yes, I knew. But I wasn't absolutely sure."
I prepared to ask more, but he raised his hand to cut me off.
"If you want to know who told me, it was your grandfather—Kenjiro Takeshi."
His words hit me like a blow. Before I could react, he shot me one last cold look, then turned and left, followed by Mei Ling, who cast a brief look of pity before disappearing down the corridor. Stunned, I tried calling after him, but I couldn't even stand properly.
"How is it that I can't even walk, but he can?" My frustration burst out.
"It's because his vest activated before the impact," explained Takeda as he examined me. "He barely suffered any damage. Don't worry, Ryuji. There's no way he'll simply vanish from this school. Sooner or later, he'll explain everything. From what I observed, he's a good kid."
Those words should have reassured me, but my mind was in chaos.
Time seemed to accelerate. In a flash, the professor left, my classmates let me rest, and eventually, I managed to get up and head to my room. Outside, night had fallen, and the school corridors were nearly deserted. The dim light of the lamps cast long, dancing shadows on the walls. In the hall, a few people whispered conversations, and I could hear distant congratulatory remarks that sounded empty and meaningless. The words of Lee Min-Jae echoed in my head, drowning out every other sound. With each step, the betrayal of my grandfather weighed on me, until finally, I reached my room, where silence swallowed me whole.
Why would my grandfather say that about my enemy? Was he trying to test me? And how could he have any influence here? So many questions… and no answers.