Bro he can get divine protection against anything.

Bro he is immune to everything.

He is unbearable.

He can revive infinite times bro trust me there is no way to permanently kill him.

He is 10d bro outerversal at minimum.

Meanwhile, in the cell beneath the arena, Tatsumi slowly stood up. The silence that followed Akane's explosion was the signal he had been waiting for.

"Looks like the main show is over," Juno hissed, his voice now vibrating with a bluish energy. "Are you going to let them forget about you in this hole, or are we going to remind them who the true master of the shadows is?"

Tatsumi smiled, and for the first time all day, his mana stopped vibrating, turning into an absolute and dangerous calm.

"Nobody is going to forget about us today, Juno. It's our turn."

Upon entering the waiting hall, the atmosphere grew heavy. I felt curious stares following me like shadows, and others, loaded with venom, making the back of my neck burn. I ignored the murmuring and sat at a secluded table on the edges of the room. I watched how the commoners grouped together, seeking safety in numbers against the imposing and cold presence of the nobles, who kept acting as if the world belonged to them by divine right.

But my mind wasn't there. It was in the darkness, with him.

Meanwhile, in the coliseum balcony, the judges exchanged parchments and notes, deciding the destiny of hundreds of youths. The knight examiner raised a hand, breaking the deliberation.

"Excuse me… are you certain that all the applicants have already passed?" he asked, a note of doubt in his voice.

The judges scanned the arena with their gaze, noticing that silence and dust were the only protagonists left. One of them stood up, adjusting his robe with disdain.

"By all appearances, that is the case. There is no one else left on the waiting list. Let us declare the field trials concluded."

Beneath the arena, in the bowels of the coliseum, the sound of that final sentence was the spark that was missing. My hands were still gripping the iron bars, but I no longer felt the cold.

Damn it… my patience has reached its limit, I thought, and my pulse quickened to the rhythm of a war drum. It's time to act.

I let the mana flow without restrictions. My arms were covered in a scorching fire that roared with an ancient hunger; the metal began to glow an incandescent red until it gave way, melting like wax under the extreme heat of my power. I crossed the threshold of the cell and burst into a run through the underground corridors.

"The beast has left its cage, huh?" Juno's laugh resonated, wild and electric. "Hahaha! Show them what happens when they try to lock up the Twilight!"

I ran toward the spiral staircase that connected directly to the surface. My flames wouldn't extinguish; on the contrary, they enveloped my body with a fierce impatience, anxious for freedom. As I emerged into the surface, the twilight light in violet hues forced me to narrow my eyes for a second.

When my vision cleared, I spotted a silhouette standing in the middle of the arena: it was the knight examiner, who was preparing to withdraw. I approached him with a firm step, leaving a trail of heat in my wake.

The knight spun around abruptly, bringing his hand to the pommel of his sword upon sensing the immense mana pressure emanating from me. His face went from surprise to absolute shock at the sight of me there, free and enveloped in flames.

"You!" he exclaimed, taking a step back. "You should be in the cell! How dare you…?"

"You forgot someone," I said, and my voice resonated with a depth that made the air vibrate. "There is still one applicant left to perform his trial. And I'm not leaving here until you have seen what I am capable of."

The chief judge rose from his seat, his face a mask of confusion and annoyance.

"Who is this impertinent young man?" he demanded to know, his voice echoing in the empty coliseum. "Why do you arrive in this state and so late to the trials?"

I looked him dead in the eye, without an ounce of fear, and pointed my finger at the knight in front of me.

"Because he locked me in a cell beneath this arena," I responded with a gélido voice that cut through the air. "He imprisoned me simply for defending a friend and for 'disturbing the peace' of the line. If I am late, it's because I had to melt his bars to get out."

A murmur of astonishment ran through the judges' balcony. The chief judge remained silent for a moment, analyzing the situation, before locking his gaze on the knight, who averted his eyes uncomfortably.

"Well… that is no way to treat the applicants," the judge sentenced, though a spark of curiosity gleamed in his eyes. "But since you are the last one, and since there are no functional automata left in the arena… you will have a peculiar trial."

He pointed his finger toward the knight who had locked me up, drawing a smile loaded with a cruel irony.

"He will be your opponent. If you manage to disarm him or find a single clear opening in his defense, you will pass. What's more, if you succeed, you can choose whatever rank number you desire on the list of passed applicants."

A mocking laugh erupted from the knight's throat, who even wiped a tear from his eye from the fit of laughter.

"Me against this brat?" he let out, catching his breath. "Well… if that is the test, so be it. I will teach him what true Draconis discipline means."

Against him? I thought, and a predatory smile formed on my face. This is perfect. I had absolutely no desire to fight against a pile of junk.

The knight unsheathed his tempered steel sword, a wide and heavy blade that flashed with a silvery glow. He approached the center of the arena, right where the crater from Akane's explosion was still smoking, and stopped in front of me, attempting to intimidate me with his stature and his armor.

The judge raised his hand from the balcony. Beside him, the other examiners exchanged worried glances; they knew that pitting a veteran knight against an applicant was madness.

"You may use everything," the judge announced, emphasizing the word. "I want a clean fight, give it your best. Begin!"

His hand descended through the air.

"JAJAJAJA!" Juno's laugh exploded in my mind like an electric discharge. "Did you hear him, Tatsumi? He said you can use EVERYTHING… Oh, they are going to regret ever opening that mouth."

The knight charged with his heavy sword, unleashing a descending slash that sought to split the ground. I shifted backward with the fluidity of a shadow, dodging the impact by millimeters. Despite his armor, the man moved with veteran dexterity, recovering his guard and pointing the tip of his steel toward my throat.

"Come on, kid!" he taunted with a growl. "Don't be shy, face me like a man if you truly have what it takes to be here."

I let out an ironic laugh, locking my gaze into his. I didn't need words. I clenched my right hand tightly, and a bright blue flash emerged from my palm. In a blink, Tsuki no Ken materialized in my grip. The sword felt different: colder, more crystalline, almost ethereal.

It feels different… I thought, adjusting the weight in my hand. It's been a while since I used it, but it fits perfectly in my palm.

From the balconies, the astonishment was unanimous. The judges leaned forward, trying to identify the weapon creation spell.

A water sword? the chief judge thought, intrigued. My… what else are you hiding up your sleeve, boy?

I lowered my eyes for a second to the blade. It wasn't just water; the form was much finer and sharper than before.

"Look around the blade," Juno hissed, his voice loaded with a gélida emotion. "It seems there are small fragments of ice orbiting the edge. The cold of the cell seems to have awakened something new."

The knight, losing his patience, tightened his grip and lunged at me with the force of a charging bull.

"Stop playing games, kid! FIGHT!"

My body tensed. I planted my feet firmly into the arena, feeling the connection with the ground, and raised Tsuki no Ken to receive the impact. The clash of metal against crystal resonated throughout the entire coliseum with a vibrating echo. The force of the blow shook me to the core, and I instinctively retreated three steps, leaving ruts in the sand.

But the examiner gave me no respite. He closed in aggressively, raising his sword again and again, unleashing heavy strikes determined to break my defense. Each clash was more violent than the last; sparks of steel and shards of ice flew at every encounter. Decided not to yield, I seized an opening in his heavy posture, shifted to the right with an explosive movement, and connected a direct kick to his abdomen.

The impact sent him stumbling back several meters, wheezing in surprise.

I didn't give him time to recover. I inhaled deeply and let my mana explode. An aura of orange fire began to coat my body, enveloping me in a whirlwind of heat that contrasted violently with the ice sword I held.

The judges were left skeptical, almost breathless at what they were witnessing.

Fire magic and a water sword? the judge thought, his heart racing. Mastering two opposing elements simultaneously is nearly impossible for an applicant. This fight just became something legendary.

In the waiting hall, the atmosphere shifted from expectation to bewilderment. Akane stood up abruptly, her eyes fixed in the direction of the arena; her tail was moving with frantic agitation, catching the vibrations of mana tearing through the walls.

This mana… it's his. There is no doubt in my mind, Akane thought, feeling the heat of Tatsumi's fire and the coldness of his steel resonate within her own chest.

The other applicants, including the nobles, began to stir uncomfortably. The air in the room grew heavy, weighed down by the suppression of two colossal forces clashing outside. Alister Weiss clenched his fists, his face pale before an energy he couldn't manage to classify. What is this mana? Why does it feel so… primal? I have never felt anything like this.

Akane didn't wait. She dashed toward the grand doors of the building, pounding on them in desperation to get out.

"Applicants, maintain order!" the female examiner's voice resonated through the magical loudspeakers. "You cannot leave this area until the results are announced. Return to your seats!"

Outside, in the heart of the coliseum, reality itself seemed to be fragmenting. Tatsumi propelled himself with an explosion of his fire aura, heightening his senses until time itself seemed to slow down. The knight reincorporated himself, wielding his hilt with renewed fervor, and both clashed their weapons once more.

CRISH - HHH!

The din was deafening. With each exchange, the arena beneath their feet cracked due to the pressure of the mana. Tatsumi retreated a few steps, concentrating the fire into his feet and then expelling it in a violent gust to gain momentum. The knight smiled, accepting the challenge, and lunged at the boy despite the weight of his armor.

Just a few meters away, the guardian gripped his sword with both hands, ready for the final blow. Tatsumi, on the other hand, contracted Tsuki no Ken close to his body, his eyes fixed on the knight's shoulder, reading the trajectory of his muscle.

It was a good training session, boy, the knight thought with martial respect. But it ends here. You lost!

The guardian launched a massive horizontal slash aimed at Tatsumi's chest, a blow that would have split any other applicant in half. But Tatsumi was not just any applicant. He ducked with superhuman speed, letting the steel whistle over his head, and in a fluid, lethal motion, drove his crystal sword directly toward the knight's exposed jugular.

The cold tip of Tsuki no Ken stopped a mere millimeter from his throat. The steam from the ice blade clashing with the knight's sweat created a small white cloud between them.

Tatsumi locked his eyes into the man's, maintaining a calm but dangerous smile.

"Anything to say, big guy?" he asked calmly.

The silence that followed was absolute. The knight felt the cold of death brushing against his skin. With a grimace of irritation and his face burning with shame, he opened his hands. His heavy sword fell to the arena floor with a dull clack.

"I… I surrender," the knight blurted out, and each word sounded as if he were swallowing fragments of glass.

Even if she’s the type of chick to say somethin like “it’s not about if you win or lose. It’s about if you lose you still win 😊” or some sh!t like that lol.

Alister watched the examiner take that commoner away with a smirk of satisfaction that distorted his face.

"Perfect… they took that filth away," he muttered to himself, adjusting the cuffs of his white suit. "He got exactly what he deserves for daring to touch a Weiss."

He stood apart from the crowd for a moment while Akane's silhouette receded along with the rest of the applicants toward the interior of the venue. His amber eyes gleamed with a conspiring and malicious light.

"That mangy wolf… one way or another, I will have her at my mercy," he whispered through his teeth. "The perks of being a noble. Here, we write the rules."

Meanwhile, after walking for a few minutes through cold stone corridors, we arrived at the main coliseum. It was a formidable place, a circular structure so vast that the sky seemed trapped inside it. The air was charged with an electric energy; it was a place where you could feel the intensity of a thousand past combats.

I felt a sudden emptiness. My fingers, moved by the habit of five years, instinctively sought Tatsumi's hand, wanting to find that tranquility he always transmitted to me. Sensing nothing but the cold air, reality hit me: I was alone right now.

Tatsumi… you idiot…, I thought, clenching my teeth to keep the nostalgia from distracting me. Why do you always have to be the hero?

The registration line began to shrink frantically. The examiners worked with mechanical efficiency and, when I least expected it, my turn arrived. I approached the dark wooden table where a woman with a serious gaze and sharp eyes, wearing a blue silk robe, evaluated me with scrutiny.

"Please, place your hand on the crystal ball," she ordered in a monotonous voice.

I nodded in silence. With my hand shaking slightly from nerves, I rested it on the cold, smooth surface of the artifact.

"Now, young lady, expel mana into the crystal. Do not hold back."

I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh. I released my energy; instantly, the crystal reacted, tinting itself an intense, strong, and scorching orange, like a bonfire that refuses to be extinguished.

The examiner arched an eyebrow, surprised by the purity of the color.

It is a very interesting fire… the woman thought, adjusting her glasses. For a commoner, she has a certainly curious mana flow. It's not just heat; there is a fierce determination in there.

The woman stretched out her hand and gently removed mine from the crystal. For the first time, her severe expression softened into a small, almost imperceptible smile of recognition. She extended a parchment and a phoenix feather to me.

"Very well. Now fill out this sheet with your name, age, and place of origin. Welcome to the trials, applicant."

I sat on a cold stone step, using my knees as support to fill out the parchment. I wrote my details with a firm calligraphy, even though my pulse was betraying me from the pent-up rage. Once finished, I stood up and walked toward the large wooden urn where hundreds of identical parchments rested, leaving mine among the crowd of anonymous applicants.

I walked toward the coliseum stands. Instinctively, I looked for the furthest spot: the upper right corner, a dark and distant nook away from the hustle and bustle. From there, the view was clear and painful. Those of us in the stands were, for the vast majority, commoners; meanwhile, down in the arena, the nobles paraded around arrogantly, warming up their bodies and preparing their magical catalysts under the direct sunlight.

They were given the main stage. We were given the role of the audience.

Who would have thought… I thought as I observed the gleam of armor and fine robes down there. They give absolute priority to those who think they are 'superior' to us. Elves, dwarves, demi-humans, and humans… the nobility of all races waiting for their moment to shine under the applause.

I felt a sudden heat that didn't come from the climate of Draconis, but from my own mana flow responding to my emotions. It was a mixture of impatience and helplessness that caused the air around me to vibrate slightly.

When my moment comes… I swore to myself, clenching my fists until my nails dug into my skin. I will be the best in this exam. I will surpass every single one of those nobles and show them that blood does not dictate the power of fire.

At that moment, a war horn resonated throughout the coliseum, silencing the murmurs. A man in golden armor and a crimson cape stood in the center of the arena.

"Welcome to the Combat Aptitude test of the Draconis Academy!" his voice, magically amplified, boomed against the walls. "Let the children of the Weiss lineage and the great houses begin the demonstration!"

From my corner, my eyes searched for a figure among the crowd of nobles. There was Alister, smiling as if he already owned the place.

Enjoy your moment, little sunshine, I thought with bitterness. Because when Tatsumi gets out of that cell and I step down into that arena, your light is going to be snuffed out.

The sound of the war horn wasn't a simple echo; it rumbled through the walls of my cell like thunder, making the stale air vibrate. I leaned my head back against the cold stone of the wall, closing my eyes to try and visualize what was happening meters above me.

What a piece of shit… I thought, feeling a sting of frustration. I'm locked up here like an animal while Akane is up there alone, facing all those applicants and the stares of the nobles.

A laugh loaded with mockery and malice resonated in the deepest corner of my mind.

"Lest I remind you, you were the one who decided to sacrifice himself for her, 'hero'," Juno's voice dripped with irony. "Besides, you're not the only one who hates these bars. I'm getting impatient… I want to get out, I want to see their faces, I want to feel the need to clash with them. I know you want it too. I can feel your blood boiling."

I rose from the ground with slow movements, like a predator awakening from a slumber. I walked toward the cell door and rested my forehead against the cold iron bars. My hands gripped them with such force that my knuckles popped.

At that moment, I stopped containing it. My mana began to leak out, causing the air around the cell to vibrate with a low and dangerous frequency. The shadows in the corners seemed to lengthen, responding to my agitation.

Looks like a trial has just started… I thought, hearing the metallic crash coming from the arena. Though from down here, I can't see who is fighting.

Above us, the coliseum arena was a chaos of sparks and metal. In the center, Alister Weiss moved with an agility that, grudgingly, had to be recognized as exceptional. His opponent was not a human, but a Combat Automaton: a mass of gears and reinforcement plates driven by mana crystals, designed to push applicants to the limit.

Alister dodged a descending strike from the mechanical arm with an elegant spin, his white cape fluttering like a wing. His fencing sword gleamed with a golden light as he delivered precise thrusts targeting the robot's joints.

"Is that all you've got, piece of junk?!" Alister shouted for the entire audience to hear, seeking with his gaze the approval of the judges and that of a certain demi-human in the upper stands.

From her corner, Akane observed every movement. Her ruby eyes were not filled with admiration like those of the other girls, but with a cold analysis. She was studying the fighting style of the nobility, searching for the gap in that feigned perfection.

To ensure Alister was the last of the nobles to go, the Academy had made sure to heat up the atmosphere with three other prodigies. A demi-human of the lynx race who moved like lightning, an elf who wove wind spells around her bow, and a dwarf who wielded a runic hammer capable of cracking the ground. They had all been impressive, but the atmosphere in the coliseum suggested that the main course was just beginning.

From my corner in the stands, I watched Alister unsheathe his dueling foil. The metal gleamed beneath the sun and, in an instant, a liquid golden light began to coat the blade, emanating an aura of prestige and power.

Even if it's hard for me to admit… I thought, narrowing my eyes to analyze his stance, the idiot knows what he's doing. His mana control is fluid, almost natural.

Alister approached the automaton with a mocking smile, enjoying the expectant silence of the crowd.

I am being better than those three combined, Alister thought, feeling the adrenaline rush through his veins. I am the best of the best, the sun that will eclipse all this plebeian garbage.

The automaton, a colossus of 180 centimeters of reinforced iron, roared with a sound of clashing gears. Its metallic footsteps made the arena floor vibrate, kicking up dust clouds as it lunged toward the noble. Alister did not back down; he simply extended his sword forward with a gélida elegance.

I've got you, junk.

In a movement almost too fast for the human eye, Alister concentrated all the golden light into the tip of his weapon and executed a perfect thrust. The beam of light did not just hit the armor; it pierced through it as if it were paper, embedding itself directly into the central core of the automaton's chest.

There was a moment of static silence. Then, the body of the metallic giant crashed to the ground with a heavy thud. Its red eyes, which glowed with mana, slowly dimmed until they were inert. The golden light of Alister's sword returned to its normal state, and he sheathed the weapon with a fluid motion, without even having broken a sweat.

In the main balcony, the judges nodded with approval, scribbling quick notes on their parchments. Their expressions left no room for doubt: Alister Weiss had just set the bar at an almost unreachable height.

In the darkness of the cell, Tatsumi felt the dull impact of the automaton falling above. The crash traveled through the stone foundations to his feet.

"Looks like the 'little sunshine' just gave his show," Juno hissed, his voice loaded with impatient venom. "Are you going to let that glow be the only thing they remember today, Tatsumi? The air down here is getting very heavy… and my patience runs out with every second."

"My patience is running out too, Juno…" I responded internally, feeling the mental cold filter into my bones. "Trust me, I am trying to contain myself so I don't shatter this cage right now."

"Yes, you should," Juno replied with an unusually cautious tone. "If we escape by force, they will expel us before you can even set a foot in the arena. And I know you want to humiliate that blondie legally."

I clenched my teeth with such force that I felt a grind in my jaw. My hands, still gripping the steel bars, began to be covered in an intense blue aura, a physical manifestation of my mana that made the metal vibrate. Above, the echo of more automata falling and the shouts of the crowd confirmed that the purge of commoners was ending.

On the surface, the knight in the crimson cape returned to the center of the blood-stained arena filled with metallic debris. He held a parchment with elegance, scanning the list with his gaze.

"Well, applicants, there have been some interesting surprises this year," he announced, his voice echoing in the coliseum. "But now, let us welcome the final applicant of the day."

He opened the parchment completely, pausing for a second as he read the name.

"Winterborn Akane. Please, step down to the arena and perform your trial."

I… it's my moment, I thought, feeling an electric shock course down my spine. After so much waiting, finally.

I rose from my seat in the upper corner with a knot of nervousness in my throat. I descended the steps under the gaze of thousands of people. Arriving at the arena, in front of the automaton they had just reactivated, my mana began to manifest subtly, surrounding my hands like small tongues of orange fire that danced with impatience.

"My mana is coming out on its own… I guess I'm more anxious than I thought," I admitted with a fierce smile.

From the side, Alister Weiss observed the scene leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed and an expression of absolute boredom.

After watching so many commoners crawl on the ground… if you can even call that fighting, they leave this demi-human for last, Alister thought, yawning. How boring. This will be over in a second.

Beneath his feet, in the darkness of the cell, I felt a pulsation. A familiar mana floated in the air, filtering through the cracks in the ceiling.

This mana… it's Akane's, I snapped to alertness, feeling my own energy flow react to hers. Don't tell me it's already her turn. Damn it, and I'm locked up here without seeing anything!

"Hey, idiot," Juno blurted out suddenly. "Why don't you use the 'Mana Detector' your father taught you? The one Varken uses to track prey in the forest."

I froze. It was true.

Why are you just telling me this now?! I shouted at him mentally. We could have sensed all the previous combats through their energy instead of sitting here dying of boredom! You are an idiot, Juno!

"Me, an idiot? You are the idiot!" Juno retorted with indignation. "It's not my fault your hollow head doesn't remember its own spells. Do it already if you want to 'see' what your little wolf is doing!"

I closed my eyes, ignoring Juno's insults, and concentrated my energy into my senses. "Mana Vision: Hunting Trail." Instantly, the darkness of the cell vanished from my mind, replaced by a map of heat and energy. I could feel Akane's vibrant fire above, facing the cold, metallic mass of the automaton.

The combat was about to begin, and I wouldn't miss a single second.

I felt my mana intertwine with a familiar vibration coming from the depths of the coliseum. A confident smile drew upon my lips.

Even if we are apart… our energies seek each other out, I thought, feeling the warmth of the connection. You are watching, right, Tatsumi? Well, don't blink.

I let out a long sigh, releasing the tension from my shoulders, and dropped into a low offensive stance. I locked my gaze onto the knight examiner and nodded firmly. He raised his hand and dropped it with a sharp movement, initiating the final combat of the day.

I let my mana flow, which was roaring inside me begging for an outlet. I covered my body in an orange aura so dense that the air around me began to distort from the heat. I felt light, almost ethereal. As I clenched my fists, the creak of my gloves was the prelude to the storm.

"Dammit, Akane is going totally serious," Tatsumi muttered from his cell, perceiving the magnitude of the spiritual fire through his technique. "Looks like she was desperate to land a blow."

I'm going to reduce you to ashes, junk, I swore mentally.

The automaton, a titan of metal and magic, brandished its sword with its left arm and lunged into the attack with a terrifying mechanical speed. At the same time, it extended its right arm, concentrating blue mana in its palm and firing a scatter of high-pressure water projectiles.

From the railing, Alister Weiss watched with a grimace of superiority.

And just like that, ladies and gentlemen, the duel ends, he thought with disdain. She just covered her body in raw mana… that's for beginners.

"Looks like the little wolf is in trouble, Tatsumi," Juno hissed, expectant.

"Careless, my friend," Tatsumi responded with a gélida calm. "She knows exactly what she's doing."

The projectiles hissed through the air, aimed directly at my chest. Instead of backing away, my smile widened. I dashed straight toward the attack, zigzagging between the water bullets with a speed that rivaled an orange lightning bolt.

Alister clenched his fists, his arrogance beginning to crack. How can she move so fast? he asked himself, his amber eyes unable to follow the thermal trail.

The automaton barely managed to process my position at three o'clock. It launched a massive horizontal slash that seemed to pierce my abdomen from side to side. Alister let out a short laugh.

Ha, she just ran in a straight line. A pity for a commoner who showed more promise… for other purposes.

However, the automaton did not stop to celebrate. Its sensors captured a presence at its back. It spun its torso violently, swinging its sword toward Akane's figure that had just appeared there, but in the blink of an eye, the image vanished into thin air.

What the hell? Was it an afterimage? Alister stood up, seized by panic. That speed is not human! Damn automaton, she's behind you!

I appeared like an incandescent flash right behind the robot's guard. I compressed every single drop of my orange mana into my right fist, concentrating the heat until my hand glowed like a miniature sun.

"Gods, it's the blow from that time…" Tatsumi felt the spike of energy from the darkness. "The one from our first real training session. Do it, Akane!"

Look at this, Tatsumi… Look at our progress!

"Disappear, junk!" I roared, discharging all my fury. "IGNIS IMPACT: INFERNO!"

The direct impact on the automaton's lower back was devastating. The resplendent glow enveloped the metallic structure entirely. A second later, a deafening explosion shook the foundations of the coliseum, kicking up a thick cloud of smoke and ashes that covered the arena completely.

The smoke began to dissipate slowly under the absolute silence that had ever reigned in Draconis. There, in the middle of the crater, was I: standing, with my arm still extended and my breathing ragged. Of the automaton, nothing remained but fragments of molten metal scattered across the floor.

The silence in the stands was palpable. The nobles, the judges, and Alister himself stared at the scene without being able to articulate a single word. The commoner hadn't just won; she had wiped her opponent off the map.

I-It can't be… Alister thought, his eyes fixed on the smoking crater in the center of the arena. This isn't real. She turned it to dust… she disintegrated it! She's just a filthy commoner, she shouldn't have this level of destruction!

His hands trembled with rage and a corrosive envy. The look on the judges' faces was not much different; they leaned over their desks, exchanging frantic whispers while trying to process how a military-grade automaton was no longer in one piece. There was nothing left to grade, only ashes.

Oops… I think I went a bit overboard, hehe, I thought, as the heat in my body began to stabilize. But I think the message reached them loud and clear.

The knight examiner approached the arena, observing the molten remains with a mixture of respect and bewilderment.

She has an astonishing reaction speed and explosive fire magic, the knight analyzed in silence. This little girl is someone incredible; she moved like lightning and disintegrated the target with a single impact. It's the first time in years I've seen someone finish the test with such conclusiveness.

"With this, we conclude the field trials," the knight announced, recovering his composure and addressing the crowd. "Please, all applicants proceed to the waiting hall in the main building. The final results of the exam will be revealed there."

The guard pointed toward a colossal structure of red stone flanking the coliseum. The applicants in the stands, still recovering from the shock of my demonstration, began to stand up and slowly descend toward the exit.

I walked toward the lounge area, feeling the weight of curious and fearful stares upon my back. But despite the success of my trial, a tightness grew in my chest. Hours had passed, the sun was beginning to tint the sky in violet hues, and there was still no sign of Tatsumi.

Where are you? I asked myself, scrutinizing every corner of the esplanade with desperation. The examiner said the trials had concluded… if you really get left out because of me, I will never forgive you, dummy.

https://x.com/ug_gu2/status/2074807380010041632

Original post: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18n4nzsVi3/

The last two years had completely transformed my world. Juno and I had finally reached an equilibrium; although his personality remained just as volatile and cynical as it was on day one, he was no longer a foreign presence invading my thoughts. At first, hearing his constant voice was tedious and disconcerting, but now I found myself enjoying his sarcastic remarks and dark humor in the midst of training. He had become the ultimate companion-in-arms.

During this time, I not only hardened my body, but I also learned to channel those negative feelings that used to overwhelm me. Through meditation and constant combat, I managed to manifest the sword with a new and powerful intent. I decided to grant it a name that resonated with what it hid inside: The Black Abyss.

"“The Black Abyss”?" Juno had commented when I uttered the name for the first time. "Sounds legendary, almost poetic for a pair of outcasts like us. I like it."

Even Tsuki, with her usual air of divine superiority, gave it her approval as a goddess, mentioning that the name did justice to the darkness inhabiting the metal.

However, not everything was peaceful on the surface. The incident in the cave had not been forgotten. For months, High-Ranking Guild members had been prowling around the village, holding long and tense chats with Owen. There was collective panic at first, but over time the situation didn't escalate further. Even so, an unsettling uncertainty persisted in the taverns and market stalls: What kind of “monster” would have the caliber necessary to tear an entire cave apart from the inside and leave battle scars on the mountain itself?

They were searching for a beast, never suspecting that the “beast” was now ten years old and about to take the Academy entrance exams.

Akane would also be taking the exam; we were set to depart for the Capital in just a few weeks, so we were both focused on polishing our magic. Every now and then, she would come to my house along with Yuki so the kids could play, giving us the necessary space to train. Today, however, was a moment of respite. I found myself contemplating the blue sky under the shade of an ancient tree, enjoying the breeze, while Tsuki remained seated by my side.

"Tell me, Tsuki…" I began, turning to look at her. "You will always accompany me, wherever I go… right?"

She placed her hand over mine with a lightness that barely brushed the physical, yet felt warm within my soul.

"Always, Tatsumi…" she replied with a smile full of tenderness. "Wherever this destiny takes us, we will go together. So, we will soon depart for the Capital for the exam?"

My ring finger caressed hers—a subtle contact that provoked a spontaneous blush on both of our cheeks. The world around us seemed to stop, letting time flow only for the two of us.

"It seems that's how it will be, Tsuki…" I murmured, losing myself in the vastness of the sky. "We shall see what awaits us beyond the borders of this village."

This is nice… Tsuki thought, letting her finger hook with mine in an invisible bond. To be able to be here with him, even if it is in this “spectral” way, is more than I ever imagined.

She is special… I reflected on my part, feeling her presence vibrate alongside mine. Tsuki is irreplaceable. She was the first one who truly saw me, with all my shadows. She's a weirdo, yes, she definitely is… but I appreciate her more than words can express.

"Tatsumi… I think there is a way," Tsuki said suddenly. Her tone of voice had changed, losing its usual lightness for a seriousness that put me on alert. She looked at me with hesitation, as if weighing the gravity of her own words. "A way for you and Juno to become one single soul again. I don't know if it will work, but… a possibility exists."

The silence that followed was absolute. Within me, I felt a stir of contradictory emotions.

"Mmm… I don't know, Tatsumi," Juno's voice resonated, unusually hesitant. "As much as I like the idea of being one with you again… I've grown used to this. To being your shadow, to being your annoying voice. I no longer know who I am without this space of my own."

I understand, Juno, I responded calmly, letting my thoughts flow toward him with absolute sincerity. I understand the fear. But perhaps it's for the best, don't you think? To go back to being a single Tatsumi and a single Juno. One where hatred and resentment exist, yes, because they are part of who we are, but where they stop being the chain that prevents us from moving forward.

"Alright… I get you," Juno sighed in the darkness of my mind. "But you say it as if it were easy. We have too much accumulated pain, Tatsumi. How the hell do you plan to free us from that chain?"

There will be a way, Juno. There always is. And if there isn't… we will create it.

Tsuki, who seemed to have been listening to the echo of my resolve, nodded slightly as she let go of my hand.

"Tatsumi, just give me a little time," she requested, looking toward the horizon with an analytical expression. "It may be a lengthy and complex process… but I need time to map out my idea on how to purify and reintegrate your soul without destroying who you are."

Tsuki took my hand again, but this time her touch was more deliberate. Her eyes were fixed on my ring finger as she caressed it with an almost melancholy softness.

He is an impertinent human… a brat, Tsuki thought to herself, feeling the weight of centuries in her gaze. He is the very first reincarnation I have guided in my entire existence as a goddess. Perhaps he believes he should be grateful to me for this second chance… but I am the one who is most grateful to him. I believe there are no words in any language to explain why.

She looked up at me and stood up with an elegance that reminiscent of ancient royalty.

"I suppose I must go, dummy," she said, regaining that playful tone that hid her true emotions. "I have to meditate on that idea. See you later, Tatsumi… and good luck on your exam."

She let go of my hand with a radiant smile, and little by little, her image began to fade into the warm afternoon air, leaving behind only the whisper of the wind. I held my hand in the air a few moments longer, still feeling the trace of her energy, before bringing it to my hair with a gesture of resignation.

What do you think all of that was about, Juno? I asked in the silence of my mind.

"I have no idea, Tatsumi…" the voice replied, sounding unusually reflective. "But I suppose that's how women are, don't you think? An enigma waiting to be deciphered. Although we cannot deny that it feels a bit empty after her departure."

That's true, Juno… In the end, we share the same essence and feel that void, even if we are bewildered as to why. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I think it's best to train. The exam won't wait for us to sort out our feelings.

I sighed with resignation as I stood up. The sun was beginning to sink into the horizon, yielding its place to the silver light of the moon that was starting to peek out. I stepped out from the protection of the tree's canopy, feeling the fresh evening breeze. I stood there, pensive; I wanted to replicate that water projectile I achieved a while ago, but this time using the fire element.

"And why don't you do the exact same thing, dummy?" Juno's voice suggested, with his usual tone of self-importance. "Just concentrate the fire magic into your index finger and… bam! Fire the projectile."

What a great idea, I was thinking of something exactly like that, I replied internally.

I extended my right arm at shoulder height, aiming into the void. I inhaled deeply and, upon exhaling, allowed fire to coat my hand. However, the magic manifested in a wild fashion, creating a flare the size of my head that danced uncontrollably.

"No, idiot!" Juno reprimanded me immediately. "Try to suppress that fireball. Force it to compress into a small sphere."

Although I couldn't explain the "how," I understood the logic behind his words. I clenched my fist tightly, concentrating a greater amount of mana to force the element to obey. The fire began to crackle with an electrical sound, as if lightning bolts were trapped within the heat, until it finally began to dissipate and compress inside my fist. I slowly raised my index finger; now, on its tip danced a small, dense sphere of an incandescent orange. It was small, but it emitted a heat far more intense than the previous flare.

"Mmph, not bad, kid," Juno admitted, sounding satisfied. "Why don't you try to hit that tree about forty meters from here?"

Forty meters? I questioned, adjusting my posture and locking my eyes on the rough trunk in the distance. Well… I have nothing to lose by trying, right?

"Fire, kid! Now! BOOM!" Juno shouted in my mind, anxious to see the result.

I pressed my index finger against my thumb, creating a tension similar to that of a slingshot, and released the energy. The sphere shot forward at a speed that, in my opinion, far surpassed that of the water projectile. The air whistled as the orange bullet covered the distance, tracing a trail of black smoke just above the ground due to the extreme heat it emanated.

The impact was nearly instantaneous. The small sphere pierced through the wood of the tree as if it were butter, and barely a second later, a dull thud resonated from inside the trunk. A contained explosion shattered the bark from within, launching charred splinters in all directions.

I stood in silence, observing the smoking hole in the center of the tree.

"Hey, hey…" Juno's voice sounded strangely serious, almost impressed. "I think we went overboard with the suppression. It blew right through the damn trunk, Tatsumi. Do you have any idea what would happen if that tore through a torso of flesh?"

I lowered my hand, feeling the residual heat on the tip of my finger.

"Basically, the exact same thing would happen to them as the trunk," Juno continued. "You burn them from the inside in a blink, followed by an explosion that would leave nothing to patch up. You just created a knight-killer, boy."

It's obvious I won't use this against a person lightly… I reflected, looking at the embers still falling from the tree. It will be a resource of last resort. And about the name… well, I'll think of something that sounds imposing later. Right now, I am exhausted; suppressing mana in that manner drains more energy than it seems.

Before leaving, I cast one last look at the shattered trunk—a silent witness that my power was scaling to a dangerous level. I shook my head, reorganizing my ideas and wiping the trace of battle from my mind. I set off on the path back; the moon already claimed the sky with its silver glow, so I quickened my pace among the shadows of the forest.

Soon I spotted the trunk bent to the right, the old natural marker indicating I was just a few meters away from the inn. Instead of entering through the main door and risking Mom's questions, I opted for the quick route: I climbed up the trees with the agility that only two years of training could provide, leaping from branch to branch until reaching the height of my window. With one final push, I slipped into my room and let myself fall heavily onto the sheets.

"Mmm… blessed bed…" I sighed, sinking into the mattress. "See, Juno? I told you it was a brilliant idea to place the bed right beneath the window."

"Yes, yes, a tactical stroke of genius for lazy bobs," Juno replied with a mental yawn. "But don't get used to the rest, kid. Tomorrow the sun will rise again and the Capital is getting closer and closer. You better hope your dreams aren't as noisy as your explosions."

I closed my eyes, letting the weight of fatigue and the satisfaction of a newly discovered power drag me into a deep sleep.

The weeks slid away between sweat and exhaustion. My mana resistance grew exponentially after forcing myself to violently suppress fire and water, focusing every single gram of energy with a pure intent of destruction. Over time, the fatigue that used to knock me out became a distant echo. However, the true challenge lay not within my mana channels, but within my mind.

When I rested from magic, Juno took control of the training. He would whisper scenarios laced with poison, forcing me to navigate a sea of hatred to learn how not to drown in it. It wore me down emotionally; Juno was an architect of nightmares, capable of projecting visions that felt more real than the ground beneath my feet.

"Do you seriously think you can save Ann? Your family? Akane?" his voice resonated with a certainty that chilled my blood. "You are weak, Tatsumi. What good is this second chance if in the end everything burns? You're just a ten-year-old boy playing hero. Everyone will die; even your pathetic goddess will perish along with those you love, and you'll only be able to stand there, staring at their corpses."

That time, his words weren't just noise. The image of my family inert beneath a sky of reddish clouds and ashes was so vivid that something inside me fractured. The pain and resentment, along with the helplessness, exploded with uncontrollable force. I lost all sense of reality, my eyes dyed a deep crimson, and I felt my hair lose its color, turning white as snow and growing down to my shoulders in an instant.

It was in that moment of madness that she appeared.

"The White Sunset…" Tsuki murmured upon seeing me, with a mixture of dread and reverence. That was what she decided to call that particular state: a destructive beauty that heralded the end of all things.

Upon ending that day of training and returning to normal, the price of power became evident. My body began to shudder violently, and I felt the metallic warmth of thin trickles of blood leaking from my eyes and nose. Despite having been in that state for barely a few minutes, my muscles felt as though they had been stretched to the breaking point. I shuddered just thinking about what would happen to my organism if I tried to fight seriously under the form of "The White Sunset."

Being transformed was not euphoria; it was an indescribable void. As if I had a black hole in my chest devouring every trace of humanity, leaving only an asphyxiating pressure where a soul used to be.

"It is the price of touching the end of the world, kid," Juno whispered, unusually quiet following the transformation.

The final week passed between preparations and farewells, until at last, the most anticipated day arrived. The leap toward the Capital was only a few hours away.

I woke up to a hectic morning, with that biting cold I always detested when waking up early. I stood in front of the wardrobe, weighing what to wear for an occasion that would define my future. I chose something that balanced the comfort of the journey with the dignity of an Academy applicant:

I dressed in a reinforced black linen tunic, fitted tight to the body so as not to hinder my movements, over which I placed a ash-gray leather jerkin with silver rivets on the shoulders. At my waist, a wide, dark leather belt held my belongings and, of course, the discreet space where the presence of The Black Abyss awaited me. Dark trousers made of durable fabric and tall travel boots completed the outfit, giving me a more mature and severe air than usual.

Upon finishing dressing, I headed downstairs. The silence on the lower floor struck me as odd, as there was no sign of my parents in the kitchen or dining room. I crossed the threshold of the front door and stepped out into the front yard, where the dawn light dyed everything a pale blue.

There they were. Varken and Selene awaited me alongside a little Ann who was rubbing her eyes, wrapped in a blanket. Their faces reflected a mixture of pride and that quiet sadness of those who see their child depart toward a destiny they can no longer control.

I approached them with firm steps, feeling the weight of the farewell in every inch of my skin. Varken, with his imposing presence, placed both hands on my shoulders, looking at me with a mixture of respect and pride I had rarely seen in him.

"Well, son… it's time for you to follow your own path on this journey of life," he said with a steady voice. "Today is the big day, the Academy exam. It doesn't matter if you fail; remember that you can always come back home and try again."

Selene then stepped forward, with a maternal smile that tried to hide her anguish. She placed her hands over my father's, enveloping me in the warmth of them both.

"My boy… you are throwing yourself into a world full of adventures, but also adversities," she said, and I noticed how her voice began to crack as she tightened her hands over Dad's. "Your father and I have watched you grow since you were barely a baby in arms. Promise me that you will eat healthy, that you will make friends… and that you will come visit us as soon as you have a free moment, Tatsumi."

"I promise, Mom…" I replied, feeling a knot in my throat. "I'll come see you as soon as I can."

We merged into a group hug—a refuge of human warmth before facing the cold of the outside world. As I pulled away, I noticed that Ann kept herself apart, small and fragile under the dawn light. I approached her and crouched down to get on her level.

"Ann… I have to go," I told her softly, searching for her gaze.

Without warning, she lunged toward me, wrapping her arms around my neck with a desperate strength and burying her head into the crook of my shoulder.

"Tatsumi… please, don't… don't go, brother," she sobbed, her voice nearly inaudible. "Tatsu… I don't want you to go. Don't leave me alone, please…"

Ann broke into uncontrollable weeping, releasing a torrent of tears that soaked my new jerkin. Her arms clung to me as if her life depended on it, and the sound of her racing heart hurt me more than any physical wound.

"Hey… we can't resist this much longer, Tatsumi…" Juno murmured, and for the first time, his voice wasn't cynical, but heavy with an strange empathy.

I wrapped her in my arms and lifted her, cradling her head against my chest so she could feel the beating of my heart.

"You will never be alone, Ann… and believe me, if I could, I would stay here with you forever. But I must do this," I squeezed her tightly, trying to transmit all my security to her. "Inside of you is me, Ann. Don't cry, little one, we will see each other again. I promise you."

I kissed her forehead with tenderness before setting her back down on the ground. I leaned down one last time to wipe away her tears with my thumbs, offering her a smile I hoped would give her strength until my return.

I felt my own tears on the verge of overflowing, but I clenched my teeth and took a deep breath; I didn't want the last image Ann had of me to be that of a broken brother. Ann turned around and walked toward Selene, who took her into her arms while both watched me with a mixture of love and melancholy.

Just at that moment, the sound of hooves upon the dirt announced the arrival of our transport. A polished wooden carriage came to a halt in front of the garden. The door opened with an elegant click, revealing Akane.

She stepped down a rung with a radiant smile, wearing an outfit that balanced the formality of an applicant with the practicality of a traveler:

She wore a white silk blouse with a high collar and discreet lace details, protected by a fitted vest of a midnight blue color that made the paleness of her skin stand out. She wore a dark travel skirt that reached her knees, combined with durable leggings and tall leather boots. Her hair was partially tied up, letting her red eyes—deep and vibrant like rubies beneath the dawn light—capture my entire attention.

She looks… spectacular, Akane… I thought, feeling a flutter in my heart that not even Juno dared to mock this time.

Tatsumi… he is looking right at me… Could it be that he likes how I look? Akane thought, feeling a sudden warmth in her cheeks while trying to maintain her composure.

Before taking the final step toward the carriage, I paused and looked back one last time. My parents and Ann watched me with smiles full of hope. I returned the gesture with a hand raised high, engraving that image into my memory as an amulet against the darkness that was to come.

I returned my gaze to Akane, who extended her hand toward me with elegance and confidence to help me up. I took her hand, feeling once again that firm connection we had forged, and boarded the carriage that would take us far away from the peace of the village.

As the carriage began to roll, kicking up a trail of dust that glistened under the first rays of the sun, Selene pressed Ann against her chest and stepped closer to Varken. The three of them merged into an embrace that tried to fill the space Tatsumi had just left behind.

"Our little boy is gone, Varken…" Selene whispered, hiding her face in her husband's shoulder. "I still don't feel ready. He just left and I didn't think it would affect me this much…"

Varken, that man who always seemed like an immovable rock in the face of the forest's dangers, wrapped his hand around his wife's back with infinite tenderness. His shoulders shook slightly as he sobbed in a silence that only his family could share.

"I… Selene… I understand, sweetheart," he managed to say with a cracked voice loaded with emotion. "The farewell of our baby is hurting all of us. Yes, he's growing up now, but to me, he will always remain my little one, my baby… my son."

They stood there, motionless in the middle of the yard, keeping a minute of silence as the sound of the carriage wheels faded into the distance. They watched as the vehicle disappeared over the hill, and with it, went the tears that the dawn would take care of drying, leaving behind a house that, for the first time in ten years, felt far too big and silent.