Name: Akirama no Yumeha
Magic: Yōkai — Circle 1 — 12%
Mana Amount: 149
Unique Ability: Shinketsu no Musubi
Soul: 60
In the training field of the Akirama family, Enrico watched Yumeha, who remained standing before him visibly nervous. Her fingers trembled slightly as she tried to gather courage, but deep down, an even greater concern occupied her mind.
'Does he regret it? Please, let it not be that...'
Enrico observed her expression for a few seconds.
'Really... she has the same potential as me.'
In the original story, Yumeha possessed low potential, although it was still slightly higher than Enrico's. Her magic was also inferior to his if both were in the same circle. However, after the bond, the situation had completely changed. Thanks to the Fire Cancer pact, Enrico's potential had increased enough to match hers, causing the growth of both of them to remain fairly balanced through the bond.
"Yumeha, you couldn't use magic properly before, right?"
"Yes, Master. But now I should be able to thanks to you, Master."
Enrico immediately noticed the effort she was making to please him. He already knew the reason. Yumeha had spent years being treated as someone worthless within her own family, and now that she had finally received an opportunity, she would probably do anything not to lose it.
"Alright. Then try."
"Yes, Master."
Yumeha took a deep breath and began gathering mana.
Farther away from the training field, hidden behind a building so they would not be noticed, two girls watched the situation. Rina had gone looking for Enrico to talk, but had learned from the servants that he had taken Yumeha to train before the dungeon expedition. On the way, she ended up finding her friend Aoi and decided to bring her along.
Aoi had black hair and wore a white mask with the design of a fox's face. Her voice was cold and calm, despite the words she usually chose.
"So this is the one you want as your Ketsumei? He's my type."
Rina gave her friend an almost cute look, pretending to try to frighten her.
"Yes, he is... and, please, don't you dare talk about my Ketsumei that way if you're not actually going to choose him."
"He hasn't become yours yet..."
Rina's gaze suddenly became threatening, this time for real, so Aoi immediately fell silent.
The two returned their attention to the field. Yumeha tried to channel her magic, but nothing happened.
She gripped the sword tightly and attempted to launch an attack, but only a small amount of mana appeared around her body before disappearing.
Yumeha's expression became increasingly desperate.
Rina did not seem surprised. She knew that would happen. Yumeha trained constantly, but had never managed to use her magic properly.
Aoi shook her head, unable to understand why Enrico had chosen someone in that situation.
Enrico, however, approached Yumeha.
"That's not how your magic works, Yumeha."
"What do you mean...? Master?"
Enrico gently held her hand and pointed toward the center of the field.
"Your magic is different from the others. To use it, you first need to summon it and, from it, create a Yōkai."
Yumeha stared at him attentively.
Enrico then began explaining more calmly.
"Unlike most mages, who feel their magic in their core, channel mana, and shape their spells after understanding the nature of their affinity, your magic works differently. It doesn't begin with a spell."
He paused briefly.
"It begins with a creation."
Yumeha's eyes widened slightly.
Yōkai magic did not simply consist of casting spells or manipulating an element. To use it, one first had to create an existence of its own: a Yōkai.
A thousand years ago, the Akirama bloodline possessed an ancestral connection to these spiritual creatures. Yōkais were mystical beings capable of existing between different planes of reality, but they became extinct during the conflicts involving the evil gods. And they were not the only ones. Other species of spirits that could establish contracts with humans also disappeared during that period.
That was why Yumeha's magic was so different.
To cast a single spell, she first needed to give birth to an artificial Yōkai, an entity created from the combination of her mana and her own spiritual state.
Enrico looked directly at her.
"You don't need to try casting a spell right now. First, you need to learn how to create your Yōkai."
The process was always the same — and always delicate. First, Yumeha needed to enter a deep state of concentration, isolating herself from the world around her while allowing her mana to flow and form a spiritual core at the center where the magical circles were located. This core was influenced by her emotions, intentions, and even fragments of her memories, slowly taking the form of a Yōkai. Each creature was unique and could not be recreated in exactly the same way.
After its creation, the most important decision arose. That Yōkai could exist in only two forms: as magic, having its abilities absorbed by Yumeha so she could use them as part of her own spells, or as a summon, taking on a physical form to act alongside her according to its own will. The choice was permanent and could not be changed in the future.
"That's how it works. So, try again now."
Yumeha opened her eyes, incredulous. Enrico knew how her magic worked. Perhaps that was precisely why he had chosen her. If that was the reason, then she needed to be even more grateful. For the first time, someone had explained her own magic in a way she could understand.
"Yes, Master."
Yumeha sat down and closed her eyes again, beginning to concentrate to create her first Yōkai.
Meanwhile, the two girls hiding behind the building also watched everything in silence. After some time, a reddish aura began to appear around Yumeha, making Rina and Aoi widen their eyes. Even behind the mask, Aoi's surprise was noticeable. She could not understand how Enrico knew so many details about Yumeha's magic, especially because, according to the comments Rina had made, he had only met her a day earlier.
Rina, on the other hand, no longer had any doubts about her father's words. Now, seeing it with her own eyes, she was certain that Enrico really knew about events of the future. She discreetly bit her lip, feeling a small amount of blood appear.
'If I had been chosen... I could evolve even faster. Perhaps, with him, I could reach a much higher level than I would reach on my own and help my father strengthen Tsuyokuni even further.'
Her eyes became determined.
"He will be my Ketsumei. I will make sure of it."
In the field, Yumeha breathed with difficulty as the aura around her body began transforming into a Black Mist. The mist slowly accumulated before her, trying to take shape, but Yumeha began losing her concentration.
Then she heard Enrico's calm voice.
"Yumeha, since this is your first time, you only need to focus on forming it little by little."
Yumeha took a deep breath and slowed the pace at which she was trying to shape the creature. Little by little, her mind became calmer. However, deep within her heart, some old voices still echoed.
'Impure...'
'She's staining the Akirama name.'
'She's Lady Kurohana's daughter, so why does she look so dirty?'
'She must be the daughter of some being...'
They were cruel words she had heard from servants, citizens, and even her own brother, Soushi. He also possessed low potential, but even so, he was still superior to her. For years, Yumeha had never been able to understand why everyone treated her that way.
'Why am I dirty?'
She clenched her fingers.
The mist before her began to take shape.
Little by little, a small creature emerged. Its body was slimy and deformed, with a long tongue. Its color was purple, and it was small. It seemed to have been born from the very filth that others saw in her.
Enrico observed the creature and immediately recognized its appearance.
"Akaname... just as I thought. That hasn't changed."
Yumeha opened her eyes and looked at the small Yōkai.
"Akaname? Is that his name, Master?"
"Ah... yes. Sorry. You should name him."
"Don't worry, Master. That was exactly the name I would have given him."
Yumeha extended her hand toward the creature. Despite its grotesque appearance, she showed no disgust. That was her first magic. The first Yōkai she had created with her own hands.
The small creature approached, and Yumeha transformed it into an amulet, which she began wearing around her neck.
Enrico watched the scene with interest.
"You can make more because you're in the First Circle. I'm curious to see what the next one will be like."
He smiled at her.
Yumeha also smiled, and her expression was much happier than before.
"Yes, Master. And thank you very much for being my Ketsumei."
She returned to concentrating, determined to continue training.
Enrico simply sat down and began watching her, curious to discover how her magic would develop. Now that things had begun changing from the original story, he was not sure whether Yumeha's next Yōkais would be exactly the same ones he knew.
Farther away, Rina and Aoi remained silent for a few moments. The two had seen something that rarely appeared on Yumeha's face: genuine happiness.
Aoi was the first to turn away.
"Let's leave the two of them alone."
Rina nodded. She still wanted to talk to Enrico, but decided to wait.
For now, she had other things to think about.