In Earth X56, where people have powers that was gifted to them by the universe during their 15th year, were ruled by 12 gods. These gods have their own Kingdom that they governed. Each Kingdom has their own Academy, where the kids must be enrolled on their fifteenth year. And the students were to be trained to face against another students from other Kingdoms through a tournament of magic held every twenty years. The students chosen to join the tournament were selected through their power and the performance they show in their Academy. The students must graduate from the academy if they show a little to no potential after five years. However, if the students show great potential, they could continue training, and learning in the Academy and has the right to challenge for the slot to join the tournament of magic. The winner for every tournament will have a seat on the tower of power that serves directly under their gods. The last tournament was held in year 312. This tournament were held for gods' entertainment purposes only.
In year 317, Aziel Mateo was born in a middle class family from the outskirts of Roger Russet Kingdom, who serves under Artemis – goddess of the hunt. Aziel grew up to be a brave, courageous, and a happy kid, always like to venture on his own. He had some friends but Aziel like to go on an adventures and his friends were either timid or wasn't allowed by their parents to go far from the house when playing.
When Aziel turned six years, he came across an old house surrounded by flowers beside the lake, past the forest where he liked to venture. The environment was so peaceful that he could hear some birds singing. He felt as if the place calms everything around, the air was fresh and the flowers dance through the wind. He could see smoke coming from the chimney of the house, letting him know that someone was cooking inside and he could smell sweet pastry products from the smoke. Aziel's stomach growled, and his mouth began to drool by the smell. He went to the house, wanting to have some of the pastries. As he reach to front yard, the person inside came out with her apron on and her hair was tied.
The lady was shock to see Aziel outside her house, raising her defense as she thought Aziel was an enemy. Aziel was amazed by the beauty of the lady, and he could see that the lady was charismatic the way she stood but she has a sweet face. He just froze their staring through the beauty of the lady when his stomach growled again after smelling the sweet scent from inside the house. The lady quickly drop her guard after realizing that Aziel was just a hungry kid attracted by the smell of her cooking. She began to smile at Aziel and invited him inside, which he happily accepted and went inside.
The food was out of this world as he indulge through every pastry that was served to him. Aziel was so full after he almost ate all the pastries that the lady baked. The lady laughed after she saw that Aziel almost emptied the pastry's container. Aziel thanked the lady for the most delicious pastry that he had eaten in his life.
Aziel began to come to the house often after that event. The lady would cook him food every time he come to visit her. But one day, when Aziel was about to go to the house, he couldn't find it anymore, the route where he usually took, end up in a different area. As if the house wasn't even there to begin with. Aziel was sad after he couldn't find the house.
The memories of that event, the house, and that lady began to fade from Aziel's mind as he grew, thinking maybe the lady transferred into another place to live.
A few years have pass, and Aziel grow up to a happy kid, still venturing in the woods. And in his ninth year he began to train his young body, training his fighting ability against the wild. He became proficient in fighting against wild beasts, by making traps to help him in his fight against them, until he didn't need traps to face wild beasts anymore. His young body became strong enough to face large wild beasts, and in his 14th year, using a golden spear that he found inside a when venturing looking for something to be put in his traps, he had slain his first saber-toothed beast. The beast was large, standing three meters, a beast with large claws, sharped and long teeth.
And in Aziel's fifteenth year, for some reason he didn't get a blessing from the universe, as if he was excluded by it. All his friends, each received their blessing. This made him heartbroken.
Due to his sadness he did what he usually do went he was sad. He ventured to the woods trying to make himself happy somehow. But he couldn't handle the sadness, Aziel cried his heart out in the woods trying to think for a reason why he didn't received a blessing, but he couldn't find anything, his cries attracted a double horned bear. Due to his brokenness, he burst all his frustration into the bear, and he slain his first double horned bear, a beast stronger than that of Saber-toothed beast by a lot.
Aziel began to fear the world, as the thought of going to the Academy crossed his mind. Having no powers when going into the Academy could only mean suffering, or worst, death. However, he steeled his resolve, knowing that facing an unknown future without any weapon that he could use other than his body and his golden spear could only make him even stronger.
The day that every fifteen years old teens must enroll into the Academy has come. In the academy, a crystal ball that measures someone's magic power was used after the students enrolled to the Academy. This measuring system was established by the academy so that they could know early who are the best candidate and has a great potential winning the magic contest. It was one of the reasons why someone would be chosen to participate in the tournament as they show great potential early.
A lot of people came to watch the evaluation, most of it were seniors, as they also want to know early who they may face in the fighting for the slot in joining the tournament.
When it was Aziel's turn to be evaluated, he was so nervous that he could only heart nothing but the loud beat of his heart.
Aziel put his hand in the crystal ball as instructed, and the evaluator began the evaluation, only to find out that Aziel doesn't have magic power, even the slightest. The evaluator laughed after he found out that Aziel was a cripple. The news spread like wildfire throughout the campus.
Although he was still admitted to the Academy, Aziel lost his confidence. He wanted to disappear after finding out the truth twice, and it was like broadcasted to the world on the second time.
Aziel's name was changed into 'Cripple'.
He was bullied by his classmates, by his friends, and most people see him as garbage.
The strong bullies the weak, but they couldn't really hurt Aziel, as he possessed a great, strong physic, could move fast, and with him his golden spear that he is so proficient using. Every mock tournament in every class, he wasn't ranked the lowest, but it still couldn't stop the bullying, as the discrimination towards him who doesn't have power were strongly established by the ones who has strong magic powers.
One of the bullies were named John, he has a smug look on his face, he can use blue fire magic only third to the strongest magic caster in his batch, and he is the third son of a high ranking noble in the Kingdom. His elder brother was the last champion of the tournament of magic, which is why he has a big head. He saw the evaluation of Aziel, and John ridicules him starting from that time, calling him a 'Cripple'. Aziel couldn't care less about John as he was focusing on improving himself for his future, but every time Aziel minds his own business, John is always there to disturb his training or bully Aziel by casting blue fire ball that he purposely missed and hit the ground beside Aziel. After casting a spell, John always leave with his smug face looking down on Aziel.
Aziel doesn't have friends anymore as his childhood friends turned their back on him. He became lonely in the Academy, the loneliness that he felt were used as fuel in his training. Aziel become stronger by the day, it was shown in their mock tournament as he became one of the top ten students. However, this achievement wasn't important to Aziel, as he only participate in it to know where his current strength lies down. But the same thing couldn't be said in John and his group of bullies, as they were irritated by the result, and now they feel intimidated by Aziel, which John and his group hate, so they plan to cripple Aziel by breaking his limbs. They only need a perfect timing to cast their evil plan towards Aziel.
One day, they found their perfect timing, as the Academy announced that part in their lesson was to send students to the wild where they must do their training by facing the beasts in the wild, in seven days. This camping were proposed by the professors of the Academy, as they believe in experience is the best teacher.
After hearing that everyone must come to the camping tour, Aziel was overjoyed, he missed venturing to the wild. Ever since he was admitted to the Academy, he hasn't been able to go outside the Academy, as it was forbidden to go outside without permission or a professor accompanying him, and he can't ask one just for that reason.
"I really missed going to the wild where the wind was fresh, the environment wasn't toxic, and the adventures. I missed the adventures. I missed it all." Aziel was sitting in a bench talking to himself, blushing and a soft smile appeared on his young handsome face, as he thought of the adventures which he could experience again after a long time.
His expression was seen by a young pretty girl walking by with her two girlfriends, and she found his smile appealing and attractive.
"What his name?" She asked her girlfriends in a silent whisper.
"I heard it was Aziel something." One of the girls answered back whispering.
Aziel, who had all of his senses heightened after his constant training heard everything. This made his mood foul, and he leave the bench where he sat.
"Ah!" The girl was about to call Aziel when her friends stop her.
"Don't go near him, you'll just hurt yourself. What a shame, he was kind of good looking." One of the girls sighed.
"Why? Why would going near someone hurt me?" The girl asked her friends.
"Aziel doesn't have powers, and he was at the center of bullying. I heard John really hated him for his guts, as the only student who have no powers. So, you better listen to us Sabrina, don't go near him or you'll get caught up by the storm of bullies." One of the girlfriends warned her.
Sabrina is also daughter of a noble in the Kingdom but unlike John's family, her family was considered a low ranking noble. However, she has a great magic potential and she was ranked second strongest magic user in their batch. Although Aziel belong to the top ten students during the last mock tournament, Sabrina hasn't seen him yet as Aziel quickly takes his leave after his every battles.
Sabrina didn't know it but she was being pulled towards Aziel, as she becomes curious towards him.
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The day of camping had arrive, Aziel was ecstatic as their class starts to venture to the wild.
"I missed these!" Aziel thought as he breathe in the fresh air.
"Do you like it being in the woods?"
A female voice asked Aziel from behind, which made him startled.
"I'm sorry, did I startled you? Hehe." The one asking was Sabrina, she saw Aziel at the back of the line so she purposely stopped and went behind Aziel which he didn't noticed as he was so indulged at the moment.
"Uh, yes. You could say it like that." Aziel responded timidly, as his great mood starting to get foul.
"Oh, please don't be angry, I was just trying to make new friends and I saw you at the back on the line alone so I took the chance to speak to you. I'm Sabrina by the way, Sabrina Snow." She offers her hand for a handshake but Aziel didn't take it and continue to walk through the woods.
Sabrina followed him through the line and continue to talk to him, which made everyone in front curious what's their relation. It irritated Aziel, and he stopped walking which made Sabrina bumps her head to Aziel's back.
"Woah! He has a huge shoulders. I can't see the front line. Why did he stop?" Sabrina's thought at the moment.
"Ow. Why did you stop?" Sabrina asked in a sweet tone.
"Why? Why do you want to be friend with me who has no magic? And don't you dare lie to me like you didn't know it because I could tell if someone is lying." Aziel finally asked Sabrina about the question that's bugging him since the moment Sabrina started to follow him.
"Oh, is that why you're mad? I just wanted to be friends with you, do I need to have a reason for doing so?" Sabrina innocently answered and asked another question.
"Everybody has a reason for doing something, whether they want to do it or not. So, what was your reason for approaching me and wanting me to be you friend?" This time, Aziel was starting to get irritated by Sabrina.
"It's because of your genuine smile." Sabrina responded quickly without thinking, and it was too late when she realized that she had spoken something embarrassing.
"Oh, no! No, that's not the reason. I mean it's not like, I like your smile or anything." Sabrina panicked after realizing what she did.
It made Aziel's mood turn back to normal.
"I'm sorry. My name's Aziel Mateo, but you can call me Aziel." Aziel continue to walk after telling her his name, which made Sabrina happy.
"Aziel is a bit long don't you think? How about I call you Zel, and you can call me Sab? Sounds good right? Anyways, you still didn't answer my first question yet." Sabrina was feeling a bit too close to Aziel already, which Aziel didn't mind as he found it quiet refreshing to have someone talks to you, it's been forever since someone talks to him genuinely.
"Yes. I liked it when I'm in the woods. It calms me, and makes me happy." Aziel answers the question that Sabrina was talking about.
"It was my first time coming to the woods, my family didn't want me to leave the house ever since I was a kid." Sabrina was a bit sad for a moment when talking about it.
"But, I am here now! I can see that it's a nice experience, and it makes me happy." Sabrina smiled at Aziel.
Their class reached the camp where they stay and sleep after they train, their camping will last for six nights and seven days.
Sabrina and Aziel began to hang out more often during the training. Since Aziel knows a lot about being in the forest they both had a great time training. They become stronger by facing wild beasts during the day, and every night Aziel trained himself in the woods during the night until curfew. Aziel's actions caught the attention of John's group.
In their sixth night of camping, Aziel decided to train deeper in the woods. Sabrina wants to train a bit more, so she followed Aziel without him noticing. But they didn't know that John's group was waiting for Aziel in the woods to ambush him.
It was too late for Aziel to notice the ambush, and he was already surrounded by John's group. John was the first to reveal himself, he was talking to Aziel as his group was preparing to attack. Sabrina saw Aziel caught in an ambush, but when she was about to confront them, John casts a spell towards him, which he quickly evaded. But John's group also casts their spells towards him, he couldn't completely avoid their attacks, and he was hit in his gut making him feel weak in his knees.
John seizes the opportunity and break Aziel's arms, and one of his group break Aziel's left leg. Aziel couldn't do anything in the situation, all he could do was shout in pain. That's when he feel cold breeze coming from the shadows of the forest.
"Stop what you're doing!" Sabrina shouted towards the group.
But John wasn't afraid of Sabrina, although she has a greater magical powers, he has the advantage as his brother serves directly under their god, and he uses his brother's fame to influence people.
"Why? What are you going to do? Freeze us to death? Do you know what happened to those who opposed our family?" John tries to manipulate Sabrina, which were effective as Sabrina could made up her mind.
"Should I help Zel? But I can't put my family in danger. What do I do?" Sabrina was facing a conundrum for a moment, when a huge beast appeared from above.
The beast has a wings and as tall as a three storey building. It has a scales on its skin, a four legged monster with a long tail.
Everyone quickly scape for their lives, but Sabrina stayed there couldn't figure out what to do against something like that. Her knees were shaking as she froze there watching the monster devour Aziel's whole body. After the monster ate Aziel, it quickly flaps its wing and flew away. Sabrina couldn't help but cry as she watch the monster take its leave.
When Sabrina got back to the camp, everyone was in panic, preparing to fight the monster. Sabrina collapsed to the ground in front of the camp, her energy was drained by the fear of the monster. Her girlfriends saw her collapsed, and they rescued her.
After they saw the humongous monster flew away. Everyone left the camp that night in panic, fearing that the monster might come back for more.
-End of Chapter-