Controlling the Light

It is the next day.

Last time I spent the whole day trying to circulate light inside my body. Though it felt like boiling water was being run through my veins, Haruki assured me that it was normal.

It was around 4 am when Haruki decided it was time for our training. I thought he meant he would finally teach me conjuration; however, I was stuck here running in laps, getting chased by a cane made of light and stings every time it grazed me.

The sun slowly rose in the cloud-filled morning, but my body was ready to lie down and call it a day. He is a brutal teacher, that guy Haruki. Even Amane was told to wake up before sunrise just to memorize her study notes, while I was tasked to do various stamina-enhancing exercises continuously until breakfast.

“Breakfast is ready, everyone!!” Old man Chron waved his wooden spoon with a huge smile, saving Amane and me from our torturous teacher.

I took a breath of relief and sighed, “I’m so tired!” while washing my hands got ready to eat breakfast.

“You alright, Amane?”

“Huh… oh, I’m fine” Amane replied with a wispy tone; whispering something gibberish under her breath.

"I guess she is memorizing something," I thought. It's best not to distract her for now.

We wholeheartedly ate our breakfast, thanked old man Chron, and went back to our training.

“Now that we’ve already learned how to circulate light inside our body, I will now teach you how to control it externally.”

Haruki held up his palm and closed it.

“The key here is your imagination. You have to visualize exactly what you want down to its last detail: its structure, the shape of the hilt, all the curves and bent edges, and even how sharp it is. You have to take everything into account like a blacksmith forging their masterpiece. The more time it takes you to form your weapon, the more detailed it should be.”

Haruki focused his glowing blue light onto his palm for a few seconds and opened his palm, revealing an intricately designed miniature version of his katana. The hilt was carved with elegant linings, the same as the empty hilt he always carried.

“So cool," I awed. “So I have to circulate the light first in order for me to control it like that?”

Not necessarily, you can definitely use natural light if you’re skilled enough; however, in conjuration, since you’re forming something intricate. It's best to use light circulated inside you since that light has become partly yours now because it has blended with your soul via circulation; that’s where it gets the color too. It makes it easier to manipulate compared to natural light.”

"However, in Space control, you can use light around you since you focus more on how much light you need and not its form. It is common for people to set aside a time of their day to imbue light unto their gems. It is a must, especially for soldiers who battle during nighttime.”

While Haruki further explained Conjuration, I took a glance at my black pendant and thought about the color of my light. “Is black light even a thing?” I thought to myself.

Haruki noticed what I was thinking and assured me again that the color of light doesn’t matter.

At last, after Haruki’s full lecture session, I was ready to conjure my own weapon. Haruki told me to make sure both my palms are concentrated with light. I just have to direct the light onto my palm and move it as I forge the weapon.

I was ecstatic. I am going to forge a cool dagger that is curved with a sharp pointy guard and elaborate hilt design. I was following Haruki’s advice on taking every detail into account.

I straightened my arm with my palm facing downward, enclosing it with my other hand from beneath. As I finally start projecting my light on the bottom of my enclosed hand. I visualized the dagger as I slowly emitted a glowing black light from my palm. “It looks more like a dark flame than light,” I jokingly thought.

As I continued to form my dagger, however, I felt as though nothing was happening, or rather, nothing was forming.

“What’s wrong?” Haruki crossed his arms, waiting for my answer.

“I don’t know; nothing is happening.”

“Is your dagger too elaborate? Start with a simple design first.”

I changed my original plan and opted for the most basic dagger I could visualize.”

“Still nothing?” Haruki asked again, sounding a bit concerned.

“I don’t know why it’s not working. Am I doing it wrong?” I was beginning to doubt myself; I didn’t want to disappoint Haruki. He was doing everything he could to help me, but I couldn't get it to work.

“Just calm down. Your output is correct, and I trust you followed my instructions.”

"Yeah, I did!”

Haruki looked down and pressed his forehead. He thought hard for a moment before looking up with another plan.

“How about you try space control?”

But I want to fight short-distance, I thought to myself looking a bit dissatisfied.

“Just try it, If it still doesn’t work we’ll try another approach. “

Haruki then proceeded to teach me how to do space control.

“Compared to conjuration, this type is a bit more difficult to get a hang of, but the payoff is worth it. Now, imagine there are small dots made of light around you.”

Haruki walked back a bit and held up his palm, preparing for a demonstration.

“For now let’s make it simple. Imagine there is a dot floating in your palm. It doesn't have to be a literal dot, you just have to have a focus point where you want your light to go to, these dots will serve as a catalyst. We will control the light from within and direct it to the dot.”

Haruki’s palm glowed gently and slowly emitted a bright blue light. The light floated upward and formed a ball shape on his hand.

“It doesn't have to be on your palm. It could be anywhere around you. As long as you train your concentration, you can put your light anywhere you want. But just remember this light that you're using is from within you, so the further your focus point is, the longer it will take you to form an attack. However, if the time of the day is favorable, aka morning, using natural light will be faster.”

Three bolts of light shot out from Haruki and formed three spheres of light around him. “The speed of forming these spheres depends on the user's skill level of control; it takes a lot of time to master, but as you can see, it will be handy when facing opponents from a long distance. The downside, however, is that there is a limit on what shape you want the light to be. Unlike conjuration, where it forms directly in your hand, space control just allows you to make basic shapes. However, the part where you can easily control is its size; as long as you have enough light, you can manipulate the size in whatever way you want. You can also direct it where you want it to go, like throwing it.”

“Can I make it follow a target? ” I asked.

“Yeah, now it’s your turn," started Haruki.

“Envision a point in infront of you and use the light within you to form a sphere.”

I held out my palm, and a light slowly drifted out of it, forming a small black sphere in front of me.

Haruki let out a small grin and told me to try moving it without further instructions.

I wasn't sure how to make it move, but I had tried to will it, and it soon followed.

“Holy- Yuko!” Haruki gasped, scaring me in the process. I’ve never seen him so hyped up.

“What!”

“You actually managed to do it!”

“Move it? Was I not supposed to do that?”

“No, Yuko, actually moving the sphere takes skill. Most people take weeks of practice to even move it an inch. You’re a natural, Yuko.”

“Am I?”… I thought to myself. For a moment I was so proud until Haruki decided to show off by trying to teach me a technique.

Haruki made a palm-sized sphere and was moving it as fast as a baseball and going faster.

Lethality-wise. If your sphere is too slow, the enemy can just dodge it easily. That is why the standard speed of your light should be that of a base ball. Master’s in space control can move it as fast as a bullet and sometimes even faster than that.

After teaching me a few basics and having slightly impressive success in achieving them. Haruki reminded me that, if I were to break the giant red crystal, it’s going to need a lot more speed than a mere baseball.

“You are pretty talented at space control, Yuko, don’t get me wrong. However, space control is the least favorable method for breaking the crystal, and with the exams in less than a month, the level you will get in mastering space control will not be enough. We have to think of another way to break it.”

I was a bit disappointed that it wasn’t going to work out perfectly, but I kept thinking of another way. My dad always told me that there’s always a way if you work hard enough.”

Time passed, and I was just instructed by Haruki to amplify the amount of light my sphere has to make it bigger. The sphere was also getting hotter and hotter as it gets bigger, leading me to think that if this collides with something, it will explode.

“What if I make this sphere so big and make it collide with the crystal?” I thought to myself.

“Won’t that explode?” asked my shadow.

“You’re right. It might be dangerous and too widescale.”

“Make it smaller then.”

“How will it get smaller, that will affect nothing.”

“Remember that god-awful stick Haruki has? It’s likely a highly condensed rod. Because of the sparks it makes when hitting us.”

“OH! What if it forms inside the very crystal!”

“Uh, is that even possible?”

“Who knows, we have a genius right here to tell us that.”

“Hey Haruki!” I screamed calling him across the yard and told Haruki what I thought.

“That could actually work.” Haruki’s unexpected enthusiasm led me to think that it might work out after all.

Haruki took out a small clear gem and sat across from me.

“I’ve never actually thought of this before. This is so smart, Yuko; you might’ve invented a technique here.”

“It is?”

“Condensing it to its maximum is easy; however, to make it appear inside the gem and condense it will be too tricky. It’s kind of impractical in battle, but for this exam it’s genius.”

Haruki might be right here. I don’t think this will be really useful in a real life battle. I guess that’s why no one has thought of it yet.

Haruki tried it once and was really effective in breaking the crystal.

“Because the light sphere is so condensed, almost like a ball of heat, its electromagnetic waves make it repel to its surrounding crystal. It’s colliding so much that the crystal can't contain its energy. With enough of this, it might actually destroy that red crystal,” Haruki thought.

“For now, because this crystal’s composition is not too hard, you can easily form a sphere inside it. However, I’m sure that the stronger the crystal, the more difficult it is to form a sphere inside it.”

And with that, Haruki taught me how to make a condensed light form; I was up practicing all night because of how difficult the technique was. I would try to condense something inside it, only to realize nothing had been happening inside of the crystal in the past 10 minutes. Luckily Haruki was a good teacher and gave me tips on improving the technique. One technique that was kind of working was a method that starts with a wide range of light and condenses it slowly from the inside.

Days passed, and I was improving fast. I realized that when I use light that has been circulated in my body, it is easier to control than light outside. I started with smaller gems of low quality, which are easy to break, and quickly moved on to tougher ones. Man… never in my life did I imagine myself destroying precious gems on purpose; if these are sold down in Tokyo or other cities, these will cost me a fortune.

The day passed like any other, and the exams are scheduled in a few days. I was doing stamina exercises in the morning and training my technique in the afternoon. Haruki would visit me every few hours to monitor my progress while he tutored Amane. I heard they started practicing Amane’s technique she’ll use to destroy the gem. She has her own shadow technique that was allowed to be used in the exam, granted by the Headmaster himself. Amane was a few years ahead of me in terms of using her power and is greatly skilled with it; that’s why Haruki prioritized her academics more than her practicals.

After training with Amane, Haruki came by and brought me a giant red crystal.

“The old man just finished fixing this one. I had him tweak its composition to make it a little more difficult than the ones used in the exam. Amane just broke hers, so it’s your turn to try.”

“Already? Amane is done?” I asked, surprised with the sudden news. I was already this far behind.

“Yeah, I was shocked too. She broke it with sheer force. You usually have a harder time using light because of its properties; it can’t be solid enough to be used for pure force. Shadows are really fascinating.”

I was gagged. Amane is too cool. She is also trying hard with her battles, and I aspire to be as prepared as her. She’s probably good with her academics by now, so I got to try harder now.

I approached the giant red crystal emitting a brilliant shine. Amane popped in while I was admiring the giant red crystal. “Hiya, Yuko! I heard it’s your turn on the crystal; hope you don’t mind if I watch you for a bit?” “Sure, but don’t expect too much,” I laughed awkwardly. I'm already pressured with Haruki watching, now Amane?

I closed my eyes and envisioned all the training I did for the past few days. This will be my first and last attempt for breaking the crystal, I thought to myself. I don’t have many days left, so I have to put my all into this one.

“Remember,” Haruki started, "imagination is key.”

I placed my hand on the crystal, and it felt so different from other crystals I used before, as if there were no space I can spawn my light in… the structure was so dense, and I could feel how strong the crystal is.

I could feel the room getting tense. I’ve been feeling the crystal for a while, and anyone watching will know I was struggling.

“Just go for it,” my shadow whispered.

I took a deep breath and willed everything I had into forming light inside the red crystal, praying that I wouldn't fail.

The silence was cut with a breath of relief from Amane, I opened my eyes and saw a faint black glow slowly appearing inside the crystal. I didn’t relax; I kept going, pouring more and more light I have from within unto the crystal.

The glow inside grew bigger and bigger. I poured in so much light the whole room was filled with black light.

“Now!” I thought to myself, willing all the light I have to condense into a singular point. The glowing grew smaller and was becoming concentrated in the middle of the crystal. “I need it to be more condensed…more!”

In that moment, I gritted my teeth and forced the light to condense itself. The red crystal vibrated with great force, it started heating and spewed smoke in every second.

“STOP!” Haruki shouted, but it was too late. Black light and smoke seeped out from the giant red crystal with great force, followed with a massive explosion.

Chapter 14 draft

Euryphaessa Academy

The day of reckoning has finally arrived—the day of the Academy admission exams. After that fruitful event of almost killing my family from using too much of my power. I learned that condensing too much light can cause an explosion if my light isn't stable. Luckily, Amane and Haruki are fast thinkers and were able to save all three of us on time. But that also meant I could destroy the red crystals, so we’re good.

After that incident, I decided to focus on my revision for the written part of the exam. Although I’m confident in my academics back home, the academics in this world might be a little different. That’s why I dedicated my remaining days to stamina training and studying with Amane.

Amane and I were woken up as soon as the sun rose and were forced to do a light workout before eating a lavish breakfast of delicious savory pies, fruits, and eggs.

“Eat lots, you two. This is a very important day, and you two need food to fuel up your bodies.” Old man Chron continued while shoveling food on our plates.

“Are you nervous?” I glanced at Amane while she was enjoying the piled-up food on her plate.

She smiled and bit a strawberry. “I may not show it on my face, but I’m incredibly nervous right now.”

“How are you managing it?”

“Well, I just know I did my best preparing for this day and I’m confident I covered everything I can with the given time. I’m nervous, but I’m more confident in myself in nailing this exam.”

There was an hour left before the exam. We flew on Haruki’s sapphire dragon, Heather, and they brought us to the exam venue located on a giant island away from the city.

It was the fourth giant I saw when I first got here. The island had one giant building with a yard as big as four sports stadiums and surrounded with four massive rock pillars on each side.

“This is the Euryphaessa Academy,” Haruki announced. “It’s an academy for knights only; in the city are the universities for other professions, in case you were wondering.”

We landed in the front courtyard of the academy. There were also other dragons that landed with us, along with aspiring examinees and their families, probably.

The crowd was a bit intense and rowdy, but as soon as they saw us, the noise died down.

Whispers echoed yet again in the large crowd.

“Why are they here?” Someone voice it enough for everyone to hear.

“Pay no mind to them; we are here on the request of the academy’s headmaster. We are just as allowed here as everyone else,” Haruki started.

Heather flew her way to the rock pillars as Haruki requested and then strode his way through the crowd, urging Amane and me to follow him.

“According to the exam announcements, the written exams were to take place at 8:30am. We have to sign up first and get your exam permits before we can get to your assigned exam halls.”

We entered the academy’s giant golden entrance while admiring the absurdly tall columns supporting the building.

We were greeted with an extravagantly designed great hall, with marbled floors and statues of the goddess, along with golden curtains and colorful gem-encrusted walls lined with gold.

Amane and I were awed by the lavish sight. Do Euryphassans just love to show how much excess wealth they have? Such a display would likely leave wealthy billionaires back home in shock with how much gold and gems are just displayed for decorations.

Haruki’s expressions remained the same; it's as if this sight were an everyday thing for him. He quickly brought us to the front desk, where there were 10 counters lined up for maximum efficiency. The lines are very fast; we just stood in line for a few minutes and immediately got our turn. We were soon walking past marbled hallways with golden linings to our destined exam halls.

We reached a giant plain-looking wooden door at the end of the hall, and by the looks of it, this is the exam room.

"Alright, you two, we are here. These are your exam permits and seat numbers. Remember, do not overthink the questions and stick with your gut. I’ll be waiting for you guys at the main hall.” Haruki patted our backs and headed off.

He really left… just like that. I stared blankly while Haruki slowly disappeared in the distance.

“Let’s make him proud,” Amane added softly as she patted my shoulders.

We entered the exam hall, which was surprisingly normal-looking. Giant room, plain tables: there was nothing to show off, just a room filled with nervous young adults filled with determination.

“This entrance exam is a massive event in Euryphaessa; thousands of aspiring students apply every year, and only 10% of them get accepted just to take the entrance exam. And the passing rate is even lower. Not everyone is suited to be a soldier; the academy made the exam very difficult to pass because they only want people with real talent to get in.” Haruki’s works echoed through my mind, as my current situation begins to settle in.

I was surrounded with strangers as Amane was seated behind me, all I can depend on at the moment was myself. I got my pencil out and fiddled with it until my shadow got annoyed. The room was full of echoes of whisper, some were prayers some were reciting formulas. I was tapping my foot on the floor when a person wearing a purple robe came in with assistants and began discussing the rules.

The room was eerily silent except for her voice. The atmosphere was tense, which made my heart pound even more. A few minutes of orientation passed by and we were handed with our exam papers. There was 50 people in this giant room, I hope we all make it pass this hurdle…

Hours passed, we were given exam papers withought break. Science, Mathematics, and finally Logical reasoning. I don’t know what happened at the last exam, I just went with my gut and hoped for the best. Compared to the exams I was used too, this wasnt so bad. I hope Amane did alright as well.

I searched for her seat amoghst the tired crowd. When I found her, she was on her desk, sitting stiffly, staring at a distance. I wonder if she’s okay.

“Hey Amane, you okay?”

Amane looked up with her eyes sparkling, as if she’s going to cry.

“Yuko, that was so easy!”

“Uh what?”

“Compared to what Haruki made me go thought, this exam was no way as difficult as Haruki’s papers. I though I was done for!”

“Uhhh,..” I was dumbfounded, “Easy?” I thought this exam was fine, but “Easy” Haruki did a great job teaching her but to make her think the exam was easy: she must’ve gone through extreme methods of learning.

Amane and I celebrated the end of the written exams and headed straight to where Haruki was. Amane gave Haruki a smug yet resentful look.

“Though I was going to fail the exam, your practice questions were way too difficult, Haruki!” Amane glared at Haruki, who was smiling with great satisfaction.

“But it worked didn’t it.” Haruki grinned, following with a cheeky smile.

“Never again!” Amane exclaimed.

Practical exams were the following day, and as much as how much I didn't want too, the day passed by so quickly, I am now sitting in line to a giant indoor training room.

Earlier that day we received a letter congratulating our achievement of passing the written exam. I didn’t know you first have to pass it before being allowed to take the next step.

“They are really filtering us," I thought to myself.

Now I’m sitting in line awaiting my turn, becoming nervous by the second. My legs were bouncing, either from excitement or sheer nervousness. Amane held my icy hand and rubbed it gently.

“Don’t stress too much. We had Haruki teach us, the top student of this academy, we’ll pass through this just fine.”

Just then a lady with white curly hair in white robes called Amane in.

“Good luck, Amane!” exclaimed.

Not a few minutes passed by; a loud crash shook us in our seats coming from the training room. The people with me waiting were disoriented by the amount of force that sound made.

Amane didn’t come out at the same door, but I was certain she passed that test. I was soon called and followed her lead.

Inside the training room I was met with four people, including the headmaster who invited Amane and me to take the exam. Beside him are other professors, I guess. They all wore a dark purple robe laced with gold trimmings.

“I am hoping good things from you, Son of Kojin," the headmaster started, his great white beard glistening as the sun rays bounce on him.

“According to your file,” started a professor with dark messy hair, an unkempt beard, and a face full of scars, "your file tells us you just learned space control three weeks ago, is that right?”

“Yes sir.”

“I sure hope you’re not making this up. Because no one in their right mind would take this exam and make up stuff like this; either way, whether it's true or not, we will know if you’re lying anyways.”

I couldn’t move my shoulders; this kind of pressure never really sits well with my stomach. I lived a peaceful life until now; facing this kinds of situations is something I’m not used to yet. It’s true I learned space control, but it's only good for the exam; beyond that skill, I have nothing to show for. He looks like he would beat me up if I said the wrong thing.

“So, are you telling the truth, Mr. Katsuragi?” The professor crossed his arms and awaited my answer.

“I believe I worked hard enough to stand before you and not waste your time, sir.”

The professors gave a look of amusement at my answer, and the professor gave a hearty laugh.

“Good answer, boy! Now show us what you got.”

An assistant brought out a pointed crystal, the same crystal Haruki gave us for practicing, but this one is green. “Could there be a difference?” I thought to myself.

“You may begin,” the headmaster started.

“Alright Yuko, just like we practiced. Hands up—collect light— and–”

“Just go for it stop overthinking about it," my shadow impatiently exclaimed.

As I held my hand towards the crystal and imbued it with my black light. I felt the sharp gazes of the professors cutting me like a knife. My black light enveloped the green crystal, and I remembered how bad I did it last time and consciously adjusted my output to not repeat that accident from last time.

The once green crystal was now enveloped with my glowing black light, and as I began to forcibly condense the light, it cracked and crumbled like ice from the tiny bit of pressure my light created.

“What the–” Is the crystal already broken? I barely condensed half my light. Did I do it way too fast?

The professors were too stunned to speak, as if they weren’t expecting this to end so quickly.

“I guess we have to get Mr. Haruki to start teaching students. You two far exceeded my expectations.” The headmaster's lips curved with excitement.

I was congratulated by the professors and was directed to the exit where Amane was waiting.

“Good job, Yuko! That was perfect.” Amane gleed with excitement.

“Did Haruki purposefully gave us a high level crystal to prctice on?”

“Yep, he sure did. If I had known I wouldve been more careful…”

“You probably crushed that crystal like a pancake, too bad I missed it.”

Amane let out a forced laugh and joked about almost getting fined for destroying the floors.

We stayed for a while, watching aspiring students attempt to destroy the crystal.

“I feel terrible saying this, but we make destroying that crystal look so easy, huh?" Amane started in a low tone.

I agree with Amane; watching them attempt to break the crystals feels like an ice pick attempting to break an iceberg. Just slashing with a conjured weapon does not do anything, but almost all the participants I watched used it; the space control method I used feels like I cheated the system.

After our batch finished the practical exams, Amane and I decided to look for Haruki to go back home as soon as we can because staying amongst the crowd just leaves Amane and me uncomfortable from the stares people give. I guess they also feel uncomfortable having us around.

A week has passed by, and we dreaded our results the whole time, not because we didn’t think we passed but rather because we didn't know if the academy would allow us to pass or be placed in the ranks we deserve. Haruki assured us the whole time that the results will always be fair as long as the headmaster is around.

During the time we waited, Amane and I focused on increasing our strengths. Haruki told me to just focus on my stamina, while Amane had agility training.

The day of reckoning came quickly, and we flew over to the academy to see if we really got in or not. As soon as we landed, cold stares and whispers followed as usual. But this time it felt a little different; the looks they were giving looked like we did something we shouldn't have.

“Ignore them; focus on getting inside," Haruki started with a firm tone.

As we entered the grand lobby, we were soon met with a giant crowd wanting to take a view the results of the exam just like us. I wasn’t that difficult, really. Euryphaessans never fail to show how much they are willing to decorate. Because of the sheer size of the room, the spaces in the walls were used as a giant bulletin board to show the rankings of the students that passed. The giant “board” was decorated elegantly with golden curtains and bright, shining gems; it’s just amazing how much they can decorate something without looking tacky. Written on it are the names of the students that passed, which were written using light via space control.

There were 75 students who passed from what seemed like thousands of students, according to Haruki. My eyes immediately went to the last place and slowly went up “My name is not there! ”. Amane and I were slowly looking a little worried… what if they really denied us.

“Look at the top," Haruki started..

And there we are, “Rank 1. Yuko Katsuragi…. Rank 7. Amane."

“What!” Amane and I exclaimed in disbelief—jumping and cheering without the care in the world.

“Is this seriously happening? We both got in the top 10!” Amane squealed.

“Can you two act like your ranks? Standing beside you two feels demeaning.” Haruki looked down and facepalmed, covering his face from embarrassment.

Despite Haruki’s plea, we rejoiced and celebrated like normal people do. I’ve never placed this high on exams let alone at a magic academy. If only I could tell my friends about this, they’ll surely be as ecstatic as I am.

Amane and I gave no care about the people around us staring. Their gazes that was once directed with contempt now feel heavier.

“Now I understand why they’re looking at us like that since we landed," started Amane. “As if we did something we shouldn’t have.”

Looking at Amane's grin, I felt a sense of dread. The joy of achieving something was quickly turned around by feeling like I didn’t deserve it

“I kind of feel bad. Do I really deserve this ranking though?” I thought to myself. Amane deserves more recognition, she went through so much stress learning the whole curriculum where most people already learned their whole lives.

“I got here because Haruki taught me so much and practicing on the red crystal feels like I cheated in a way…Amane, you deserve more than me.”

Amane looked at me with her sparkling eyes and gently held my hand.

“You shouldn’t think like Yuko; this is your hard work, your achievement. Don’t compare yourself to others; they had years of training—that's their advantage. The red crystal isn’t an advantage to us; it's just there to give us a way to measure or limit our strength and, in your case, your output. The only advantage we had is having a good teacher.”

“Amane is right, Yuko; they had years of training. Getting beaten by you, who only learned a month ago, just means they’re weak. Its true though, Amane deserves more recognition; she only had a few weeks to learn a whole curriculum. Everyone thought about it their whole life. Getting beaten by her just shows her intelligence. And with you is your talent."

Haruki held his hands and rested them on our heads.

“You both did great in your own way; you both equally deserve this recognition.”

“Excuse me," a stern voice suddenly called to us from behind, clearing their throat in the process.

“Sir Haruki, the headmaster is calling you to his office.” A man with a polished stature politely bowed to Haruki. He wore the same robes as the other professors but in yellow.

“Pardon the late introduction,” the man continued. “My name is Louis Oikonomou. I’m his headmaster's personal assistant.”

“Ah, hello, my name is Yuko Katsuragi, and this is Amane; it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Oikonomou.”

"Likewise," bowed Mr. Oikonomou. “The headmaster is also requesting an audience from you two, so let’s get going, shall we?”

We followed Mr. Oikonomou through vast corridors and countless stairs. We passed through hallways and doors of various sizes until we finally reached the headmaster's office.

Mr. Oikonomou knocked two times and called out to the Headmaster.

“Come in,” a calm, gentle voice came from inside the office.

“Welcome,” the headmaster started. Putting down his tea and standing up to welcome us.

“You called us, headmaster? ” started Haruki.

Amane and I just stood there, hiding behind Haruki’s back, not knowing how to act in front of authority.

“I called to congratulate Mr. Yuko and Miss Amane on their outstanding performance in the recent entrance exam. I am beyond thrilled to have witnessed their grand feats personally." The headmaster radiated with joy upon congratulating our achievement. He seemed genuinely proud and not just saying it for formalities' sake.

“Thank you for your kind words, Headmaster, but I must ask if that’s the only reason you called us here,?”

“Sharp as always, Haruki,” the headmaster chuckled. “The reason I called you here is to ask Mr. Yuko personally about his future plans.”

I was startled to have the conversation directed towards me and couldn’t for a response.

“Perhaps Mr. Yuko needs more time to think; let's take a seat first and have some tea.”

Mr. Oikonomou directed us to another room for entertaining guest. It was elegant and cozy, perfectly suited for the headmaster’s temperament.

We sat down on some dark blue, comfortable-looking sofas and was served tea and biscuits.

I was a little deep in thought. In truth, I only just decided to follow my prophecy and was just doing what my dreams are hinting to me about. I decided to be a soldier so I could get stronger… but beyond that I haven’t gave much thought.

While thinking, I remembered the letter my father was supposed to send to his student. Raizen. Saying that there might be someone we can’t trust in Euryphaessa. I haven’t told anyone about it. I was waiting for an opportunity to deliver it personally to Mr. Raizen.

I nuddged Haruki, who was sitting beside me, “Do you know the headmaster that well, can I trust him?”

Haruki was a little surprised at my question, but soon soften up his gaze. “He basically raised me in this academy, I think he’s a trustworthy person.”

If that’s what Haruki thinks, then I’ll trust him aswell.

“Headmaster,” i started,

The headmaster gently set down his tea and eagerly listened to my words. “About your question earlier."

“Yes, Mr. Yuko, have you thought of an answer?”

I told the headmaster the prophecy I recently got, where I’ll be needing allies.

“So you’re thinking the next person you are looking for is in this academy?”

“Yes, headmaster, I believe staying here will allow me to find them here,”

“Well then, I’ll see what I can do about that, what else is your plan, Yuko?”

I hesitated for a little…

“Headmaster, as you already know, I’m the child of prophecy, destined to unite the light and dark and all that stuff… I understand the treacherous journey ahead, so at the moment my only goal is to become strong enough so I can fulfill my prophecy. I recently found out about my parent’s wish for me and their desire to support me in whatever decision I make, and for that, I want to live here and experience the life they had wished for me.”

“Very well," I uttered the headmaster. “I hope you find yourself living a fulfilling life in Euryphaessa, dear Yuko. I look forward to watching your future endeavors."

The headmaster gave a light chuckle and started talking about our performance at the exam, praising Amane for her impressive academic prowess and advising her to take a combat and battle strategy class.

“Before I let you all go, I think you all might be thinking about your ranks. Especially for Miss Amane.” The headmaster waved his hand, and Mr. Oikonomou brought out a document and handed it to the headmaster.

“Yuko’s performance, especially in the practical exams, was beyond outstanding, and developing a technique for that reason was enough to convince my fellow evaluators to give him the no. 1 title. They had no qualms giving the title to a Katsuragi and to the Great General Kojin’s son at that. However, in Miss Amane’s case… my fellow evaluators were hesitant to give you a higher rank given your origins. I am sorry for that unfairness, Miss Amane.”

“There’s no need to apologize, Headmaster. I understand that my kind is not well accepted here, but I am thankful for your acknowledgement."

“You shouldn't speak like that towards yourself, my dear; give it time, people will warm up to you soon enough.”

The headmaster gave Amane a bitter smile. “I’m just informing you about this because I want you to know that your efforts are seen; a lot of the professors argued to place you higher, but given our current circumstances, we barely managed to give you a rank befitting your talents. I assure you, in time, when they see how talented you are, they wont be able to argue with it further.

“Thank you for your kind words, headmaster.” Amane uttered softly, bowing deeply at the headmaster's encouraging words.

Chapter 15 draft

Soldiers of Light

A week has passed since our visit with the headmaster. The week of waiting was just us training my stamina and Amane’s agility. Haruki taught me a few techniques in space control, but he rarely stayed with us because he had patrol duties.

Old man Chron helped us get ready for the soon-approaching classes in Euryphaessa; he helped us prepare our uniforms, which were the same armor with white garments underneath, the same as what Haruki wore on his patrol duties.

We were told that our undergarments can be customized depending on our preferences. Amane went for the same flowy long sleeve as Haruki’s blouse but with a long skirt with a half-side slit. We were informed that female students wear skirts that vary depending on their preferences. I didn’t know what style I wanted, so I just opted for Haruki’s design.

During that time as well, Pluto, my dragon companion, was now ready for flying. During the time we were training for the entrance exams, Old man Chron was also training Pluto. He was so happy getting to play with us again, bouncing along Old man Chron’s garden, but this time, more careful to not destroy the flowers.

“I guess Old man Chron taught him well," I thought to myself.

We had a blast flying around Euryphaessa; Old man Chron sat behind me on

The day of the opening ceremony soon began and Amane and I, on Pluto’s back, were teaching me how to fly properly without hurting ourselves. It felt like Old man Chron was teaching me how to drive a car, a dream of mine I thought I would never get to experience. Flew off on Pluto’s back to start our academy life. Old man Chron waved us goodbye like a proud parent sending off their toddler to preschool.

As we landed in the academy. The landing area of students is the front yard of the academy. Where the floors are made of marble and a well-kept garden. The whole area is the size of a basketball court. Last time I was here, I didn’t get to admire the view because of the pressure and intensity of the people around us. Now, it's just all students.

One thing that I didn’t notice until now was the use of cable cars for transportation between islands. It seems reasonable since not everyone can raise a dragon. The students are coming in droves, so Amane and I decided to quickly look for our classes.

On our way to our classes is a challenge itself. While walking, students around us were avoiding us without even hiding it, even my shadow was desperately being avoided by students. Although it was uncomfortable for all of us, Amane and I learned not to take it personally.

We quickly found our lecture hall and quickly settled into our seats, thanks to Haruki teaching us the directions to our classes, we didn’t get lost finding ours.

As usual the lecture hall was decorated with white marbles and golden curtains, and dark wooden seats were layered with the professors' podium below.

to fly properly with Pluto, flying with Pluto

and the opening ceremony in our class is soon to start.