All the Reapers listened intently to the words of First Lieutenant Richard.
"While there are many factors that determine the power of a Reaper," he said, his voice steady and commanding, "Mana is the most important among them. It determines how far you can advance in Rank, and it is the fuel that allows you to fuse Guardian Spirits into your weapons and flesh—or to summon them directly, as Captain Benjamin demonstrated with his Aegis."
A ripple of excitement moved through the auditorium.
"That massive white dragon," Richard continued, "which set the sky on fire."
He paused deliberately, waiting until every eye was fixed on him. Then he took a deep breath.
"We will begin with Mana Detection."
The next instant, he vanished.
Before the Reapers could even process what had happened, an overwhelming pressure flooded the auditorium. It was identical to the crushing force Captain Benjamin had unleashed on their first day—an invisible weight that pressed them toward the floor.
