The group sat around a low table, their exhaustion visible after months apart. Rose leaned back, her arms supporting Aika, who rested her head on her lap, her black hair falling loosely over her shoulder. Aika's soft breathing filled the air as Rose absently ran her fingers through her hair.
Kai broke the quiet, leaning forward with an annoyed look. "We're here to talk, not nap. Can you try staying awake?"
Aika groaned, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "Sorry! Training's been brutal. Yesterday, I healed two thousand injured animals, and then it was straight into sword training. I can't catch a break."
Rose smirked, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Lucky you. My trainer had me running a 10K with wild dogs chasing me. And she had the nerve to smile the whole time, like it was fun. 'Run faster, Rose! They're gaining on you!'" She mimicked Miu's chipper voice, her irritation apparent.
Her mind wandered back to the scene. The wild barking grew louder as she sprinted through uneven terrain, her muscles burning. Miu stood on a nearby hill, grinning ear to ear, her voice cheerful yet relentless. "If you fall behind, it's your fault!" Rose's legs screamed for rest, but the sound of snapping jaws behind her pushed her forward.
Returning to the present
"Cute or not, she's definitely a devil," Rose muttered, snapping back to the present. She turned her gaze to Kai. "Bet you've just been slacking off."
Kai scoffed, his voice rising in irritation. "Slacking? Are you kidding me?" He jabbed a finger toward his chest. "Not only does my trainer make me do his paperwork, but I'm stuck doing ten hours of sword training every day. After that, I spend all night building magic weapons. And for what? Why the hell are we even learning swordsmanship when we have guns?"
His mind drifted to long nights spent at his trainer's desk. Stacks of paper were spread across the table as his trainer loomed nearby. "You think creating weapons is just swinging a hammer?" the trainer snapped. "Every detail matters." Kai scribbled furiously, his patience thinning. Later, his aching arms swung a sword for hours on end, his trainer correcting every move with sharp commands. The exhaustion never seemed to end.
End of flashback
Arnik laughed lightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm loving it. My trainer just has me producing mutant energy for hours on end. Yesterday's session only finished this morning." He shrugged, his grin widening. "But hey, I get fed like royalty, so I'm not complaining."
Rose stared at him, her disbelief plain. "How are you this positive?"
Kai sighed, his tone softening. "You're always like this. You and Markus…"
The room grew quiet, the warmth of their banter fading. Markus's absence suddenly loomed over them, the silence growing heavier by the second.
"Wait," Rose said, her voice hesitant. "Where's Markus?"
The doors slid open, and their trainers entered: Rintarou, Alaric, Zara, and Miu. Their expressions were serious, and the room grew tenser as they took their places. Crowne, however, was nowhere to be seen.
Alaric sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Crowne's still out there, training him."
Miu frowned, crossing her arms. "He's been out there too long. Can't he let Markus rest?"
"I told him to," Alaric muttered, shaking his head.
The forest was dense, the air heavy with humidity. Alaric gaze fixed on the shadows beyond the trees. "He's still in there," he muttered, his frustration evident. "Training in that godforsaken place…" A low growl escaped his throat as he kicked at a loose stone. "Well, I guess we'll see him when he decides to crawl out at the end of the month."
Returning to the present
Alaric folded his arms, his irritation clear. "That stubborn idiot…"
Zara's voice cut through the room. "We'll move forward without him. He can catch up later."
Rintarou nodded, stepping forward. "Alright," he said firmly. "Let's begin."
intarou stepped forward, clapping his hands to grab everyone's attention. "Alright, everyone, listen up. It's time to talk about magic and mutations," he announced, his tone serious. The group turned their focus to him, their earlier banter replaced with anticipation.
"Magic and mutations," he began, "are two sides of the same coin, yet they operate in completely different ways. Both are essential to understanding your abilities—and your survival."
Rose tilted her head, her pink hair brushing her shoulder. "Finally, some answers."
Rintarou nodded, pacing slightly as he continued. "Let's start with magic. Magic is exclusive to humans and demons. It's not about flashy fireballs or lightning bolts, so get that out of your heads right now. You can't conjure fire or plasma with magic."
Kai let out an audible groan. "So, what's the point of it then? If we can't even—"
"Magic," Zara interjected, her voice sharp, "isn't about destruction. It's about creation. It's precise, disciplined, and adaptable. A tool, and a weapon."
Rintarou gave her a small nod of acknowledgment. "Exactly. Magic is drawn from the Mana Realm, a parallel plane that once had a direct link to Earth. In ancient times, mana flowed freely, and magic was as natural as breathing. But after the first war against the demons, that connection was severed."
"What happened?" Aika asked, her voice quiet.
"The Mana Realm was closed off from all the magic usage during the Great war." Alaric explained. "Now, the only way to access mana is through magical artifacts and Items. Think of them as keys to a locked door."
"And even with those keys," Rintarou added, "magic isn't easy. You need to visualize what you want to create. Magic is controlled in the mind—it's about focus, discipline, and precision. If you can't control it, it'll backfire."
Rose crossed her arms, looking unimpressed. "So, it's just mental work? Doesn't sound very exciting."
"Exciting doesn't keep you alive," Zara snapped. "Discipline does."
Rintarou raised a hand to quiet the room. "Now, let's move on to mutations. Unlike magic, mutations are exclusive to humans. And here's the difference: while magic can't produce plasma-based energy, mutations can."
"Plasma?" Rose echoed, tilting her head.
"There are three types of plasma energy," Alaric said, stepping forward. "Electricity, fire and pure plasma. Every mutant is born with one base, and one base only. You can't use what you weren't born with."
Kai crossed his arms. "Except for Arnik," he muttered, shooting him a glance.
Alaric didn't miss the comment but stayed focused. "Yes, Arnik is… an exception. But we'll get to that later. For now, understand this: a mutation's power is stored in the heart. Overusing it can lead to serious consequences, including temporary heart failure."
"That's why control is everything," Zara added. "Unleashed power without restraint will kill you faster than any enemy."
"And then there's Heart Mutation," Alaric said, his tone somber. "A technique that unlocks your full potential but at the ultimate cost. Using it will kill you. It's a last resort, not a strategy."
The group exchanged uneasy glances. The weight of their abilities—and their risks—was becoming clear.
"Let me simplify it," Rintarou said. "Magic is about mental discipline, creating through visualization and control. Mutations, on the other hand, are raw physical power, drawn directly from your body. Both are powerful in their own ways, but they require different kinds of mastery."
Kai leaned back, rubbing his temples. "Great. So we've got two impossible systems to learn at the same time."
Rose shot him a look. "Stop complaining. At least you're not running for your life every day."
Arnik chuckled, his usual optimism breaking the tension. "Doesn't matter how hard it gets. We'll figure it out."
Rintarou's sharp gaze settled on him for a moment before he addressed the group. "The enemy doesn't care about your struggles. They'll only care about whether you're prepared. So take this seriously. Your lives—and everyone else's—depend on it."
Rintarou clapped his hands together, signaling the end of the lesson. "Alright, that's enough for today. You can all have your students back."
Zara wasted no time, striding over to Aika and grabbing her firmly by the arm. "Let's go," she said flatly, dragging her toward the door.
Aika flailed dramatically, her voice rising. "No, no, noooo! I just sat down! Please, five more minutes—"
SLAP!
Zara's hand landed lightly on the back of Aika's head, her expression as stern as ever. "Break's over. Stop whining."
The rest of the group tried—and failed—to suppress their laughter as Aika was hauled out, her protests echoing down the hallway.
As the students exited, Rintarou smirked faintly. "Good luck, kids," he muttered.