Akira stood in the training ground, his brows furrowed in frustration. Again and again, he tried to summon Stellar Radiance, digging through every memory he could think of, but nothing worked. The purple light would only flicker for a second before vanishing completely.
"Why can't I activate it…?" he muttered in frustration.
Yuki folded her arms, quietly watching. After a while, she sighed. "Maybe you're just too young, we don't usually teach it to children after all. We usually wait until they're older."
"But it's just energy in the end, right? I don't get why I can control it?" Akira said, frustrated.
Yuki gave a soft smile and ruffled his hair. "Don't worry. We have plenty of time to try again. There's no need to rush." Then, as if to ease his mind, she changed the subject. "For now, why don't you start learning martial arts and swordsmanship from your father? You're talented with magic, but in close combat… you're still weak."
Ryuji chuckled. "It would be good training for you. If you master both sword and magic, you would be more powerful than either of us."
"Maybe later. I'm not really interested in that right now," Akira said disinterestedly. He was never much of an outdoor type, but he might consider it if his interests changed in the future.
"Oh, yeah, Father, about the tickets, did you get them?" Akira asked his father as he suddenly remembered.
At his son's words, Ryuji's face stiffened. "…oh yeah, about that"
Akira leaned forward. "The Tokyo International Anime Fair! Did you get them? Don't tell me all of them sold out!"
The Tokyo International Anime Fair is one of the grandest celebrations of anime culture ever held. Hosted at Tokyo Big Sight in Odaiba, it is the gathering place for people interested in otaku culture, including industry professionals, creators, and passionate fans.
This is where you can find countless limited-edition merchandise. Akira had almost forgotten about it until Erika mentioned it yesterday. Seizing the moment, he asked his father to buy tickets, but since it was so last-minute, he was feeling a bit anxious.
"Well, I did manage to get them, but there were only two left, so..." Ryuji replied with an awkward expression, handing over the two tickets.
"What? Only two?!" Akira slumped back, panicking. "What should I do now?!"
Whenever he went to events like this, Erika and Iori usually went with him, and even if Erika didn't go with him, either Iori or his parents would always tag along, both to protect him and to protect others from him. This time, though, he'd promised Erika they would go together, but having only two tickets posed a dilemma.
"Wait," Akira asked quickly, "isn't there some kind of rule where kids under twelve get in for free?"
"Unfortunately, no," Ryuji replied. "Everyone needs a ticket. We could have tried something if you had told us sooner."
Akira felt guilty for forgetting and tried to think of a solution. "What should I do? I promised her. Is there any other way?" he muttered sadly.
As he struggled for a solution, Yuki picked up the tickets and scanned them. Her eyes narrowed, then she smirked. "Akira. Look here. It says this year the event is pet-friendly. And it's the first time they've allowed it."
"Really? That's new. But what of it? It's not like we have a pet or something," Akira responded, surprised but still glum. In his previous world, this event wasn't pet-friendly, but there were many differences between the two worlds. Still, the ticket issue dampened his mood.
"Didn't you say before that you can turn into a wolf pup that looks just like a puppy?" Yuki asked, a sly smile playing on her lips.
"Yeah, what about it? … Wait, you don't mean…" Akira looked at his mother in shock as realization dawned on him, only to see her teasing smile.
"It's exactly what you're thinking," she said. "It could be good training for you, too, and we can see how long you can maintain that form. Even if something happens, Iori will be there to handle it." She listed the advantages, clearly trying to convince him, though mostly because she probably found the idea amusing.
"There's no way I... Wait, it's actually not a bad idea," Akira admitted. At first, he thought about his dignity, but soon realized he never really cared about that. Although it would feel strange, his mother was right, it could also count as training.
"Alright then, it's decided. Oh, don't tell Erika-chan about this. It will be a nice surprise for her," Yuki said cheerfully.
"Well, if you say so. Hehehe, I can't wait for tomorrow," Akira said with an evil laugh, already plotting his prank.
With that settled, Akira went off to his room, already planning.
But in the training arena, Yuki and Ryuji stood side by side, with a grave expression.
"He failed to activate Stellar Radiance, just as she predicted," Yuki said quietly but with a heavy tone.
Ryuji also looked troubled. "When she first told us, I almost didn't believe it. But now… I can't deny it."
Yuki's gaze lingered where her son had just stood. "Every child of our family would show at least some progress at his age. But Akira is the destined one who had the highest potential, and he couldn't even manifest it once. This is troubling."
"…So are we going with the plan?" Ryuji asked after a pause.
Yuki nodded. "We have no other choice."
Ryuji exhaled slowly, eyes clouded with unease. "Well, I guess it is what it is."