Vision of Ryuji Takeshi Iwahara
After the first fight, I focused on facing various beasts using as little mana as possible. That meant avoiding the use of pure mana as well. Although pure mana allowed me to defeat the beasts easily, it consumed at least four times as much as normal. That's why, against Lee Min, I ran out of mana so quickly. The fight lasted four minutes, and we were both exhausted.
Not using that defense earned me a few superficial scratches on my arms; when I tried to face a boar head-on, I ended up with a purplish bruise on my rib—but I managed to handle all the creatures arranged there in time. There were jackals, small wolves, and foxes, as well as different creatures like giant snakes and birds. The latter were far too easy, probably because the environment didn't favor their abilities.
For example, the giant snake moved with astonishing speed, trying to coil around me—and it was lucky it wasn't venomous. I used my agility to dodge its attacks and seized a moment of carelessness to drive a small mana knife into a vital spot behind its head.
Most of the animals were weak, but I fought them alone. In class, I learned that they usually hunt in groups of four or more. In the last five minutes, I decided to rest and took the opportunity to meditate. It's not something that really appeals to me. Even though it's the best way to strengthen one's core at my level, I felt nothing.
Well… that was how things were until my fight against Lee Min.
Since then, I began to feel every particle of mana entering me. It isn't exactly a pleasant sensation, but it's better than the emptiness I felt before. For a moment, I remembered the conversation I'd had with Takeda yesterday.
"Professor."
I called out to him as he was leaving after class. He was simply watching the students depart, but he nodded and gestured for me to follow him. Perhaps he already knew what I wanted to ask.
I trailed him silently as he walked through the confusing corridors of the school.
"So," he said suddenly. "How's meditation going now?"
Without thinking, I just replied whatever came to mind.
"How do you know that? I only noticed the difference today."
"You know, your core is as sincere as you are. It has only just begun to change." He smiled—a rare, genuine smile. "You remind me of my past. When I first joined here, I also thought meditation was a pain, until my core evolved for the first time. That's when I finally started to feel something."
Takeda seemed like a completely different person—as if the strict professor no longer existed.
"Professor, you seem much nicer now."
"You really do speak your mind, don't you?" He laughed, but soon returned to his usual tone. "I'm not in the mood to guide you down the right path." Then, suddenly, he turned with a smile. "And by the way…"
His gaze grew a bit sharper.
"You really do look like your mother."
And before I could say anything, he simply turned around and walked on.
Takeda's words echoed in my mind, leaving me paralyzed for a moment. A wave of the few memories I had of my mother washed over me—a mixture of longing and curiosity. I tried to catch up with him; I wanted to know more—until a translucent barrier of blue energy materialized in the corridor, blocking my path. A magical force field, probably part of the school's security system.
Shortly thereafter, a robotic alert echoed in the corridor:
"Restricted access. Faculty lounge ahead."
The message repeated over and over as I tried to approach.
In the end, I ended up getting lost in the dead-end corridors, wondering whether Takeda had met my mother in the military or at school. Either way, it was something I needed to ask him.
I felt an elemental merge with my body and, soon after, a small alarm sounded. It was time to join the others.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the walls of the cabins rising.Hana was on my right, followed by Daisuke, both approaching. On my left, Aiko waved excitedly.
"Are you slacking off, Ryuji?"
Kenji was still meditating beside her. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who had taken a break.
Well… now comes the hard part of the training.
Before I could say anything, Tanaka's voice echoed throughout the room:
"Very well, you did well in the individual training. Now, let's see how you work as a team. Good luck to everyone."
Shortly after, an alert sounded, and from the edges of the room, stones began to move and take the shape of various mana beasts.
Jackals, boars, wolves, and eagles. There were two eagles and four of the other beasts, positioned in each corner of the room.
The jackals, small and agile, were about 50 cm tall and 80 cm long. Their eyes shone with a spectral glow, and their slender bodies hinted at a fast, coordinated pounce. The boars were imposing—70 cm tall and 1.5 m long, with sharp tusks gleaming like polished blades. The wolves were the most intimidating, reaching 1 meter in height and 2 meters in length, with defined muscles and fur that looked like polished stone. As for the eagles, with eyes glistening like embers, they had broad wings that made the air vibrate with every beat.
As I watched the beasts form, I noticed that my companions were apprehensive—especially Kenji.
"Guys, listen to me." Everyone nodded immediately. "We need to secure one side. Let's go for the jackals first—they're the weakest against charges. Daisuke, take the lead."
"All right, boss!" he replied, already running ahead, his body enveloped in moving water that formed a sort of living current around his arms.
As soon as we advanced toward the jackals, the other beasts began to run in our direction. It seemed it wouldn't be that easy after all.
"Okay, they're coming at us. Aiko and Hana, help Daisuke eliminate the jackals quickly." The two bolted off while I grabbed Kenji, who looked at me, puzzled.
I placed a hand on his shoulder and said calmly, "Let's hold the others here. If they attack you, I'll protect you."
Without replying, he simply crouched down and touched the ground. The terrain before him began to distort.
"I'll focus on the boars. I already have experience with them."
I like that confidence.
The wolves would probably arrive first. They were troublesome and, without a doubt, the strongest. But there was something that could easily keep them at bay. Focusing on the enemies ahead, I channeled elemental mana into my hand and refined it to the maximum. Now I just needed… With a sigh, I murmured to the approaching beasts, "Release." A wall of fire surged up in front of me. The heat was intense and would keep the wolves at bay for a while. However, that spell drained half of my mana. I need to train more.
I glanced back and saw a jackal being crushed to the ground, enveloped by the water swirling around Daisuke's arms. His strength was impressive.
Aiko and Hana were finishing off the remaining two.
We were doing well.
Then I heard Kenji's voice ring out in alarm:
"Watch out, Ryu!"
He had just dodged an attack from a boar, but now the blow was coming my way.
Oddly enough, that didn't unsettle me. On the contrary, I felt strangely calm—as if I could see every movement before it even happened.
With a firm stomp, I quickly raised the terrain, launching the beast into the air. For the first time, I managed to form a small stone blade without directly touching the ground. I channeled pure mana from my body into it and, sliding beneath the animal, tore its body from under the head to the other end. Not one left.
I got up with a smile on my face, but before I could breathe a sigh of relief, my wall of fire was shattered by one of the eagles, which dove from the sky like lightning, its sharp talons extended toward me. The speed was astonishing—I wouldn't have had time to react.
A ball of fire whizzed past me and struck the eagle squarely.
"Pay attention to your surroundings, Ryu," said Aiko, giving me a pat on the back.
"Thanks—I really got distracted for a second… I'll tell you later." I laughed, a bit embarrassed.
"You should really thank me," teased Hana.
"I'll pay you back later. Now let's focus on this." Everyone nodded.
"Aiko and I will handle the boars. Daisuke, Kenji, and Hana, hold off the wolves until we return. If you manage to take any down, great—but prioritize safety."
Daisuke positioned himself in front of me. He was still maintaining his water shield, but that must be consuming a lot of mana. We needed to be quick.
I ran toward the boars. Kenji had made the terrain unstable, preventing them from gaining speed and forcing them to take a detour.
"Follow me, Aiko."
With precise leaps and careful steps, I advanced quickly, approaching the beasts from a lateral angle.
Aiko, without hesitation, propelled herself with the wind and formed a blade of light. In one swift strike, she sliced a boar's neck, and it fell immediately.
I followed her example. My stone blade was still active, but to conserve mana, I pierced the beast's neck and detonated it with fire. Flames even burst from its mouth as it shattered on impact.
My arm nearly broke from not having it shielded with mana. Now, there was only one left.
It was standing still. Strange—boars always run.
"Aiko, let's hurry. We still need to help the others."
When I tried to attack it with a stone blade, it defended itself with its tusks. The shock made me react instinctively—I unleashed an explosion of light to blind it, but I overdid it and ended up blinding myself as well.
However, it seemed to work, as Aiko landed the final blow.
I turned to see how the others were faring when I heard a shout:
"Damn it, Ryu, help me!"
Kenji had driven several stakes into a wolf's body.
"Very good, Kenji! If you'd known how to do that all along, you could've done it sooner!" I teased, still impressed.
"Actually, Ryuji… I did it in a panic."
Even so, I couldn't help but compliment him:
"Doesn't matter. Good job."
Daisuke and I exchanged glances and laughed.
"Alright, folks—let's check on Aiko."
Just as I took a step, I felt a chill. An eagle was diving toward me, talons extended.
Before I could react, a stake hit it squarely.
Apparently, it was Kenji. This time, I really ducked.
Aiko frowned, visibly irritated. "Ryuji! You need to pay more attention! How can you forget there was another eagle?!" She sounded truly angry.
"I thought you were out of mana—thank goodness you weren't." Trying to cover my mistake, I joked with her; I'm sure Tanaka is going to come after me for that.
Aiko, who had been approaching, suddenly stopped.
"That's exactly what I was talking about… I wanted to get home on my own two feet." And then, as if given a slight push, she fell to the ground.
I ran over to check on her, but the smile on her face already betrayed her condition.
"Running out of mana is really tricky… One more spell and I'd be on the ground just like you," I commented, laughing softly.
We gathered around her, waiting for Tanaka to appear.
"Let's take this opportunity to meditate while we wait," I suggested.
No one objected. Perhaps it was exhaustion, but everyone simply complied in silence.
Once again, I fell back into that cycle—feeling that strange energy entering, being absorbed, and transformed by my body.
It was taking longer than usual. I considered giving feedback myself, but given our state, it wouldn't be very productive. At least Aiko was now meditating too.
With my eyes closed and my mind empty, I felt something strange… as if a predator had appeared behind me.
My instincts went on high alert, and with a leap, I opened my eyes—only to see that everyone had done the same.
Tanaka was calmly walking toward us.
"Damn, what a scare!" Aiko sighed.
"Frightening," Kenji murmured beside her.
When he got close enough, he smiled.
"You all did quite well. Well, you're dismissed."
I blinked several times, surprised. Were they… letting us rest?
Before he could turn around, I asked, "Wait a minute… And the feedback? You always do that."
The professor gave me a cynical look.
"Ryu, I think you're becoming too dependent on my brother. Why don't you try thinking for yourself now? Just remember—merely replicating something is easier."
I opened my mouth to retort, but he had already turned away. He simply raised his hand, signaling that the conversation was over. Before leaving the room, he added one last phrase:
"On missions, there is no rest."
Despite what he said, I still believed that taking some time to catch our breath wasn't a bad idea.
I looked around and saw my companions sitting, looking apprehensive. What should I do now?
I followed my instinct.
I approached Aiko and asked, "Can you walk now?"
She widened her eyes in surprise and quickly nodded.
I took her hand and helped her stand up. Then I did the same with Hana and Daisuke. When I reached Kenji, he muttered, "I can manage on my own."
With everyone up, I smiled and announced, "Let's eat."
Fortunately, no one complained. We headed to the dining hall, which was nearly empty. While we ate, I took the opportunity to provide feedback. This time, I let everyone speak—and even criticize me. It was far more productive than I had imagined; each one of us left the conversation with a better understanding of our role on the team.
I was about to put the last juicy piece of meat in my mouth when Aiko said,"I can't wait for our first mission! Now I feel like we can do anything!" she declared, full of pride.
"You just can't get too carried away, Aiko," Daisuke countered, crossing his arms. "The most important thing is that everyone comes back in one piece. No one can let their guard down… not even the leader did today."
I rolled my eyes. No matter how many times I explained that it was an unusual situation, Daisuke still wasn't convinced.
"Alright, Dai. I'm not as stubborn as Ryu," Aiko teased, giving me a playful look.
"I don't think you should talk like that about our leader," Kenji interjected. "It's important to maintain the hierarchy to avoid problems when we're in action."
"Hmm… Kenji, you're so annoying," Aiko huffed. "I was just joking."
She was clearly having fun, and that made me smile.
Kenji, however, wasn't about to let it go and started an argument that quickly became impossible to follow. I decided to let Daisuke handle it.
"So… are you confident?"
I turned to Hana, slightly surprised. With all that commotion, I'd almost forgotten she was there.
"Of course," I replied without hesitation. "But you must be even more so. You came out of that training without a scratch."
"Well, that only happened because all of you worked to protect me," she smiled. "But I want you to know that I'm eager to truly prove my worth."
Confidence… Hana always had plenty. Deep down, I believe that's essential to truly be strong.
"Of course," I said, crossing my arms as I looked at everyone.
"Our team is going to be the best."
Then the days passed, and we began meeting every day after classes. Now that we had a goal in mind, training together became easier. One morning, while I was getting ready to leave, my watch buzzed with the message I'd been eagerly anticipating all along:
{Mana Portal Mission, all first-year groups are summoned – Everyone meet in the usual classroom}
I dashed out, only to see several classmates doing the same—even Kenji had started running. Arriving at the classroom, I saw that some students were already there, including Lee Min and Rei; the floor bore elemental marks, so it was clear I was in the fire group. In just two minutes, everyone was in place, and then Professor Takeda appeared.
"Follow me, in order." Before I could fully process the command, everyone's watch beeped.
{ 1 }
Without hesitation, I began to follow him, with Lee Min trailing behind.
Takeda started navigating through various corridors—I had no idea where we were headed.
Until a large door appeared. As we passed through it, I saw a massive military vehicle. At the back, it had four rows of five seats each, with a space in front—likely reserved for the commander.
Takeda simply pointed for us to board, and I noticed that each seat had a name; mine was the first, and on the corresponding seat there was a plate of food (in fact, every seat had one). Next to me sat Rei, followed by Lee Min and Haruto, along with our teams.
As soon as everyone boarded, Takeda gave two knocks, and the truck began moving. The professor then took his seat as the only sounds were the engine and tires on the road.
"Today is a special day, but first, eat up—nobody wants to waste energy or mana, right?" He grabbed the food from his seat, sat down, and began eating.
Then, as if it were a signal, everyone mimicked him. The food was good and soon gone, so we proceeded in silence toward the portal.
Our transport was now in the underground tunnels that span the world. Takeda's eyes were closed; he seemed to be truly asleep. When I least expected it, I heard snoring.
Katsu wasn't even hiding it—but no one got in trouble, so Rei, who looked apprehensive, just let it be. The atmosphere was heavy, reminding me of when I took the exam to become a mage.
Then, as I sank back into that mood, my phone vibrated and I read a message that brought a slight smile to my face:
[This looks like a funeral; I think I'd better talk to normal people—well, I hope they are normal. – Aiko]
That girl really says whatever comes to mind. Soon after, I heard laughter ahead—it was Hana. We exchanged messages until we arrived at the location.
After hours underground, I finally saw the sun again; not being able to walk on the surface was surely a great loss for humanity.
When the truck stopped, Takeda opened his eyes like a specter, got up, stepped off the vehicle, and called everyone over. Once we were in formation, his deep voice began to echo:
"Listen carefully—this is going to be your first mission. You must not let your guard down or think you can do whatever you want and come out unscathed; the portals are cruel." As he spoke, the sound of an approaching vehicle became prominent. Looking back, a Jeep passed by us.
"Here is your company." Shortly after, the professor signaled for us to follow.
Upon reaching where the car had stopped, I saw Professor Tanaka stepping out—but a far more striking sight caught my attention: the portal was larger than I had imagined. A giant blue portal.
While I was mesmerized by that wonder, Takeda spoke again.
"These are the people who will accompany you in there." When my attention shifted, I saw the most striking white hair of our school—it was Riku, the boy who had come to speak with me on the first day.
"It will be a pleasure to witness the power of the newcomers." His face was very serious, and next to him were people I recognized as his companions—or at least friends, since they were always together.
"Now, enter." Before I could even process the command, Riku's group had already entered and, like magic, vanished—it's almost ironic to think about.
"Let's go—the sooner we enter, the sooner we can show that we're the best group."
Before they could respond, Lee Min appeared beside me, tapping my shoulder.
"This time, I will win," he declared, ordering his group to run toward the portal.
"Let's go too." Whatever lies on the other side, now I'm prepared.