In the University of Torminas.
The office of the principal stood in solemn silence, wrapped in an air of authority that pressed down on anyone who entered. Tall windows lined the far wall, their heavy velvet curtains drawn halfway, allowing thin strands of golden sunlight to seep through and stretch across the polished wooden floor. Dust motes drifted lazily in the light, undisturbed, as if even time itself hesitated to move too quickly within these walls.
Shelves filled with ancient tomes and sealed scrolls loomed behind the grand desk, each one carrying the weight of forgotten knowledge. At the center sat the principal—upright, composed, fingers interlocked before him. His gaze was sharp, calculating, yet calm, like someone who had seen countless crises unfold and resolve.
Before him stood Draves.
Straight-backed, unmoving, his dark coat barely rustling despite the faint breeze slipping through the window. His presence carried quiet intensity, the kind that did not need to announce itself to be felt. His eyes, steady and unreadable, remained fixed on the principal.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then, the principal broke the silence.
"The village of Lapa has been attacked," he said, his voice low but firm, each word landing with purpose. "An ambush by wild beasts. Not ordinary ones."
Draves' expression didn't change, but there was a slight narrowing of his eyes—a flicker of attention sharpening into focus.
"Reports suggest coordinated movement," the principal continued. "Too precise to be mere instinct. There may be something… guiding them."
The weight of those words lingered in the room.
Draves finally spoke, his voice calm, almost detached. "You want an investigation."
"I do," the principal replied. "And swiftly. If this is more than a random attack, we cannot afford to ignore it."
A brief silence followed.
Draves lowered his gaze slightly, as if considering the threads of the situation, weaving possibilities in his mind. Then, without hesitation, he spoke again.
"Send Kira and Riya."
The principal's fingers paused.
Draves continued, "They're ready. This would serve as their first field mission. Controlled, yet real. If there is something unusual behind the attack, it will test their instincts… and reveal their limits."
The room seemed to grow quieter.
The principal leaned back slightly, studying Draves—not just his words, but the intent behind them. Outside, a faint gust of wind brushed against the window, causing the curtains to sway like a silent witness to the decision being made.
"Kira… and Riya," the principal repeated softly.
For a moment, his gaze drifted toward the shelves, as though weighing the countless outcomes hidden within the future.
Then, he nodded.
"Very well."
His voice carried finality.
"They will go."
Draves gave a small, almost imperceptible nod in return. No smile. No relief. Just acceptance.
As he turned to leave, the sunlight shifted, casting his shadow long across the floor—stretching toward the door, as if already stepping into the path ahead.
Behind him, the principal remained seated, his eyes now distant.
"The village of Lapa…" he murmured under his breath.
And though the room returned to silence, a quiet tension lingered—like the beginning of something far more dangerous than either of them had yet spoken aloud.
---------
At the training ground.
There was a deep silence spreading throughout the ground.
Even wind was unable to break the silence.
And at the center of ground, stood Kira and Riya looking at each other.
They were facing each other from a distance—just far enough to strike, yet close enough to feel each other's presence. The space between them was tense, charged with anticipation.
Kira exhaled slowly, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword. A faint spark flickered along the blade… then another… until thin strands of electricity began to crawl across the steel like restless serpents. The air around him buzzed softly, humming with restrained power.
His eyes locked onto Riya.
Calm—but sharp.
Opposite him, Riya rolled her shoulders slightly, loosening her stance. Her expression remained cold, almost indifferent, but her eyes betrayed focus. A faint mist began to form around her arms as mana gathered.
And she muttered. "Blessed authority < Frost>"
Then~
Crack!
A sharp ice spikes burst upwards in the direction of Kira tearing through the green grass with explosive force. The Ground fractured as a line of razor-sharp ice shot toward him in a relentless path.
Kira's eyes widened slightly—but his body had already reacted.
He leapt back, electricity flaring around his legs, propelling him just out of reach as the spikes erupted where he had stood a split second ago.
"Oh!", He said in a midst of this heated battle.
But Riya didn't stop.
Her arm swept through the air.
The temperature dropped instantly.
Above Kira, shimmering fragments of ice began to form—dozens of them—floating for a brief moment like suspended blades.
Then—
They fell.
Not randomly.
Precisely.
Each spike shot downward with lethal accuracy, cutting through the air from multiple angles, leaving him no clear escape path.
Kira clicked his tongue. "Tch—!"
Electricity exploded around him.
He swung his sword in a wide arc, releasing a burst of lightning slashes upward. The strikes collided with several falling spikes, shattering them into glittering fragments that scattered like frozen rain.
But more kept coming.
Too many.
Kira shifted his stance mid-motion, channeling more energy into his blade. Sparks intensified, growing wild and unstable.
"Then I'll just break through!"
He dashed forward instead of retreating.
A bold move.
Lightning surged around him as he cut through the remaining spikes, some grazing past him, others barely avoided. One sliced across his sleeve, another cracked against the ground just behind him—but he didn't slow down.
In an instant, he closed the distance.
Riya's eyes narrowed—but there was no surprise in them.
Only readiness.
And as Kira swung his sword, she raised her one hand coated with mana and swung her blade by her another sword.
CLASH!
For a split second—
Everything froze.
Then Riya twisted her body sharply, redirecting the force.
Kira's strike slid off her guard.
And in that same motion—
Riya strikes Kira with the arm that was engulf in mana into his stomach. In simple words she used the hand which was using mana possession, and it launched Kira towards the walls, shattering it into pieces.
And in the center, this time stood only Riya with her cold expression, looking towards the wall and Kira who was standing while his body was hurting due to the punch.
"Go easy on me". And their eyes met.