A Demon's Tale

Shiro: [Keh!...Damn it!]

Kōkatsu: [Yer tryin’ to force it too much. If ya don’t get the perfect middle ground with it, ya ain’t gettin’ shit.]

Shiro: [So close! I was so close!]

Kōkatsu: [Don’t go actin’ all tough cause yer mom was able to do it easily. ’S a hard thing to use. Ya gotta make sure ya get a good balance in.]

The field had been one that was used many times now for training by these two girls, and once again, at this moment, they had come here to train.

Shiro had tried to finish their session by attempting to use the Perfect Matōki Flow technique.

A technique that her mother had been very familiar with.

Unfortunately for Shiro, while her mother was able to use it as easily as breathing, it was not an easy technique to use in the slightest.

In fact, out of every technique that existed out there, it was likely the most difficult to use.

Shiro: [If I can just use it properly…everything will be super easy…hk!]

All of a sudden, Shiro fell to her knees while grabbing her left shoulder.

Kōkatsu: [Like I said, don’t go bein’ so tough. Yer gonna hurt that scar some more if ya keep goin’...keh!]

Kōkatsu too, had then fallen to her knees, but instead held her right shoulder.

Shiro: [I guess we’re still just in pain after the last session.]

Kōkatsu: [Heh. Yeah. Seems that way.]

On Shiro’s left shoulder, rested a scar that resembled something like a burn.

On Kōkatsu’s right shoulder, the same, only hers had looked more jagged in appearance.

In their previous training session, they had tried to use elements against each other, causing those scars to take form.

Shortly after they had been made, the two of them returned to their dorm, where they attempted to treat the wound, while laying on their beds with grunts of pain.

Kōkatsu: [Speakin’ of shit related to these scars and all that, yer speed really is insane. Plus ya started usin’ your lightnin’ to amplify it made the situation even worse for me. To top all that shit off, a back kick to end it. I almost passed out again.]

Shiro: [Yeah. I wanted to try and see if that would work out well. Guess my gamble paid off.]

Kōkatsu: [Still, don’t go usin’ that with yer matōki at the same time.]

Shiro: [Huh?]

Kōkatsu: [We may have gotten better on all fields of the matōki shit, but usin’ it to amplify yourself while also amplfyin’ yerself with an element is a risk to yer health. Go too far with it and ya might die.]

Shiro: [I…see.]

Kōkatsu: [Oh, by the way, I like the look!]

Shiro: [The…look?]

Kōkatsu: [Yeah! Yer horns are a lot more simple than I thought they’d be, but still nice. Yer wings are kinda grotesque but sick. I love the demon tats. And the tail is a lot bigger than I thought. ’S almost the same width as a snake’s. Not sayin’ any of this to make fun, if anythin’, ’s the opposite, ’s cool as hell!]

A large majority of demons are able to hide their true appearance, with succubi and incubi being demons with some of the biggest changes.

While many others had their own changes, and certain ones had been different for every person, succubi and incubi typically had four changes that they all shared. Those changes being their horns, wings, tail, and demon tattoos that all had become visible upon showing their true appearance.

Shiro had shown just her wings during their first training session, and in the following sessions she had proceeded to use her tail to her advantage much like Kōkatsu had begun to use her nine tails to hide her attacks. But now, while attempting to use the Perfect Matōki Flow, Shiro’s true appearance took form. A majestic looking succubus had appeared. It was the look that would certainly suit someone who planned on becoming a goddess.

Shiro: [Oh. Thanks Kō! It’s odd to say thanks since…I was just born with all of this but…thanks!]

Kōkatsu: [No problem, Shifu!]

Shiro: [Eh? Who’s that?]

Kōkatsu did not follow her question up with any words, but rather pointed right at Shiro.

Shiro: [Where did this nickname come from?!]

Kōkatsu: [Huh? Oh. ’S simple really. I took yer first three letters, and the first two of yer last name, and put ‘em together. The classic nickname style, ya know?]

Shiro: [This is a horrible nickname! I’d rather have the Shi one!]

Kōkatsu: [Ah, so ya hate it?]

Shiro: [Yes!]

Kōkatsu: [Perfect. I’m keeping it.]

Shiro: [YOU–]

Kōkatsu: [Anyways, we should head back. I think we’re good on trainin’ for the day, and plus we need some good relax time and rest before the first trial.]

Shiro: [Oh, right. That’s tomorrow. I wonder if we’re actually ready for it…]

Kōkatsu: [I’d say we’re all good. We got a good amount of trainin’ in the past few days, and ’s only a strength test. I’d say we’re pretty damn good in that area.]

Shiro: [That’s true…yeah! We got this!]

Kōkatsu: [Yahahaha! That’s the spirit! Now let’s get back and chill out for a while before bed! I’ll even whip us up some nice food!]

Shiro: [Actually, I think I’ll make dinner tonight.]

Kōkatsu: [Ho? Alright, I’m curious to see what ya got in store. Hope ya don’t disappoint me there either, Shiro!]

Shiro: [I can promise you won’t regret it!]

With their spirits high and their stomachs empty, the two girls headed back to their dorms.

A brand new challenge awaited them the following day.

One that would likely surprise them due to its difficulty.

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The area in which students would take the first trial had been decently far from the original campus that was previously used to perform written work.

Many students saw this distance as a blessing.

For many, it was a time to think as they walked towards it.

To think about what the trial might be.

To think about what strategies they may try to use to overcome it.

To think about what comes next, whether they succeed or fail.

But for some, it was a moment to simply chat with one another.

Kōkatsu: [Aaaaah. I hate it]

Shiro: [Was my cooking that bad?]

Kōkatsu: [It was fantastic. But that’s the problem. I wanna go back and stuff my face instead of being here.]

Shiro: [But if we don’t go through with this, what’s gonna happen with you and your dream?]

Kōkatsu: [That’s the problem…aaaaaah…I gotta take a smoke break…Shiro, gimme an entertaining thing to talk about.]

Shiro: [Entertaining? Like what?]

Kōkatsu: [I don’t know! Tell me how contracts work with demons.]

Shiro: [You sure that’s what you want to talk about?]

Kōkatsu: [Just give me anything, please!]

Shiro: [Alright, well, contracts are pretty simple…]

Kōkatsu: [Mhmmm…]

Shiro: [Demons can ask to make them with anyone, and should both parties agree, they gotta hold to the conditions.]

Kōkatsu: [I see. I see. What happens if one person doesn’t follow through?]

Shiro: [They wither away into dust, basically.]

Kōkatsu: [Scary. Makes sense though. Demons seem to have a big thing with contracts and the like from talk I’ve occasionally heard, so it makes sense.]

Shiro: [Yeah. Our race gets associated with a lot of stuff, some of it isn’t necessarily true like “what succubi and incubi exclusively eat”, but contracts are definitely something that’s common with us….and the…the lust and fighting stuff…that part is kinda true for a lot…but not me though! I have an ironclad heart!]

Kōkatsu: [Don’t worry, I can tell. Honestly with the way ya act, I’m convinced ya might not even know what sex is!]

Shiro: [I AT LEAST KNOW THAT!]

Kōkatsu: [Yahahaha! Oh! By the way, I noticed somethin’ last night.]

Shiro: [Hm? What’s up?]

Kōkatsu: [Now, I’m not one for peepin’, but I did see ya practicin’ with one of my swords while I was gettin’ ready for bed.]

Shiro’s face had then turned a bright red color in an instant.

Shiro: [You saw that?! Ah…that’s really embarrassing for me…why did I decide to pick it up…er-wait! I mean, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to do anything to your sword!]

Kōkatsu: [‘S fine. ‘Sides, I didn’t notice any damage or change in ‘em. I did enjoy what I was seein’ though.]

Shiro: [Huh?]

Kōkatsu then put her kiseru to her lips, exhaling out the smoke while putting her hand into her kimono to adjust her chest.

Kōkatsu: [Yer good with a sword. Like, real good. Ya used to usin’ one or somethin’?]

Shiro: [Oh…well…I do have a decent amount of experience thanks to my mom training me. I guess I kinda have been using a sword for a while though, so yeah, I’m pretty used to using one.]

Kōkatsu: [Ho? Is that so? Tell ya what, that fourth trial is gonna require some extra work from us and all that shit. So to make things easier, I’m gonna use my matōki ability when we get there just to help ya out!]

Shiro: [Your matōki ability? You already have one figured out?!]

Kōkatsu: [I’ve had mine for a long while now. My two swords were made usin’ it.]

Shiro: [You used it to make the swords?]

Kōkatsu: [Yep! I like to think of myself as a triple S blacksmith. I’m pretty damn good at makin’ weapons, and my matōki ability lets me take weapons to an even higher level. The kinda level where you can implement it with your own ability or elements and all that jazz.]

Shiro: [Wow! Your matōki ability is really useful! I guess you don’t need anything combat focused considering you’re super strong as is, right?]

Kōkatsu: [Yahahaha! Yep! I’m strong on my own, so I don’t gotta worry about havin’ a utility focused ability. I’m happy with it, if anythin’!]

Shiro: [I still have to think of my own ability…hey…wait…is that…]

Kōkatsu: [Hm? Wait…Yeah, that’s…]

As Shiro and Kōkatsu continued to walk, they noticed two figures among many others by the first trail entrance.

Shiro: [That’s Nero!]

Kōkatsu: [And Mena!]

As soon as they realized that it had been two of their friends, Shiro and Kōkatsu immediately started running towards them.

Shiro: [Oiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! Nerooooooooooooooooo!]

Nero: [Hm? Oh! Shiro! It’s good to see you! And Kōkatsu as well!]

Mena: [Miss Shiro! Miss Kōkatsu!]

Kōkatsu: [Glad to see ya two here. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised that any friend of our good pal Shiro here can easily pass through! Yahahaha!]

As she had said this, Mena and Nero looked towards the ground. A depressing look was now worn on their faces.

Kōkatsu: [Huh? Oi, don’t tell me I said somethin’ bad or some shit. Yer gonna make me feel horrible.]

Nero: [No it’s…well…it’s not your fault for not knowing, but Mena sadly did not pass the divine chi test.]

Shiro: [That’s right! I completely forgot about that step!]

Before the first trial, was the test to see if one’s body was capable of containing and using divine chi.

While people like Shiro, Kōkatsu, and Nero were born with divine chi, Mena was not, and as such, she was required to take the step to see if she could handle such a power.

The result, sadly, was that her body could not use it, and she was no longer eligible to become a god.

Kōkatsu: [Damn. That really sucks. Sorry ‘bout the comment, Mena.]

Mena: [No…it’s…it’s alright. Plus, I was given permission to spectate the results while my brother takes the trials! So I’ll still get to see him become one!]

Kōkatsu: [Yahahaha! See? Now that’s the spirit! Ya gotta make sure to always keep your head up no matter the situation!]

Mena: [Yes ma’am! You are completely correct!]

Kōkatsu: [Yahahaha! I’m beginnin’ to really like ya again!]

Nero: [I’m going to try my absolute hardest to pass through all the trials! For both my own sake, and my sister’s!]

Shiro: [Me, Kōkatsu, and you. All of us are going to go all out with these trials, and I can guarantee all of us will pass!]

Kōkatsu: [These trials are gonna be a piece of cake! They ain’t shit compared to us!]

While the encouraging conversation continued, an odd sound was slowly but surely getting louder behind Shiro.

???: [Well, well, well. I’m rather glad to ssssee you here.]

Shiro: [AH!]

Shiro jumped in shock upon hearing the voice next to her ear, before turning around to see another familiar figure.

Shiro: [Oh? OH! Silvia! You’re here! I’m glad you were able to make it!]

Silvia: [Hmhmhm. But of coursssse. I plan on keeping true to learning more about you, sssso here I am. I too, am glad you are here however. After all, you wanted me to become friendssss with you assss part of the deal, sssso I would like to further grow our friendsssship.]

With every sentence, Silvia got closer and closer to Shiro’s face.

Shiro: [I’ve gotten the feeling after our last encounter, and now this, that there’s some….intense kind of tension between us. Not the bad kind but…ya know…]

Silvia: [I can assssure you, our interesssstssss are the ssssame.]

Shiro: [I’m gonna trust you on that but I almost feel like questioning it just to let you know.]

A wide smile appeared on Silvia’s face, which only made Shiro want to question her more.

Shiro: [Oh, by the way, Silvia…]

Silvia: [Hmmm?]

Shiro: [I never really asked about it before, but seeing as it’s rare, I assume you possibly obtained divine chi after the previous test?]

Silvia: [That issss quite correct. I wassss not gifted with ssssuch a thing. Therefore, the tesssst in which it wassss put into me wassss required to continue. But I passssed, and now an immensssse power ssssuch assss that issss my own.]

Shiro: [Well that’s great to hear! Now the two of us can possibly become goddesses!]

Silvia: [Hmmhmm. Very true. However, your quesssstion intriguessss me. There issss ssssomething to it that givessss me the feeling that you had the divine chi to begin with.]

Shiro: [Oh, yeah, I was born with it. I kinda got lucky I guess.]

Silvia: [You continue to gain my interesssst more and more. I truly hope we can become quite closssse, Sssshiro.]

Shiro: [Likewise.]

While the two of them smiled at one another, a voice could be heard speaking through a megaphone by the entrance to the trial.

Trial Attendant: [May I have your attention please! With all of you here now, we will begin the first of five trials that you will go through. These trials will focus on many different aspects of what the higher ones would like to see from you. There are two things I would like for all of you to note before going in. Number one, the way in which you complete the trials will be entirely up to you. Part of what makes these trials what they are is that you will have your own strengths and weaknesses, and therefore, going through them will require you to use your head to come up with any strategy that may work. Number two, failure to pass any of these trials will result in your chance to become a god revoked. With that out of the way, please proceed through the door to my right! With the exception of one person however, who will join me to the door on the left.]

After the attendant was done speaking, the remaining students who were there had started to walk towards the door in an orderly fashion.

All except five of them.

Kōkatsu: [Guess that last part is referrin’ to ya, huh?]

Mena: [Yes! I had best be going then! I will wish you all the best of luck, especially you, brother!]

Nero: [You need not worry, Mena. I will do my absolute best to make sure I pass.]

Mena: [Heheh! Well, bye, Miss Shiro! Bye, Miss Kōkatsu! Bye, brother! Bye, Miss!]

While saying her goodbyes and running to where the attendant had been, Mena had looked back at all of them, waving her hand the whole time.

Silvia: [I believe I wassssn’t addressssed properly during her farewell.]

Nero: [I apoligize for that, Miss……]

Kōkatsu: [Ha? Come on, Nero. She’s……..]

For several seconds, Nero and Kōkatsu tried to recall the name of the purple snake girl. Kōkatsu then moved close to Shiro’s right ear, covering her mouth with her hand.

Kōkatsu: [............Who the fuck is she Shiro?]

Shiro: [Apologies. I should have given her an introduction. This is Silvia. Silvia Hemobi. I met her at the library. She’s a friend of mine. Silvia, this is Kōkatsu Kurami, and Nero Virtuoso.]

Silvia: [A pleassssure to meet you all.]

Nero: [It’s a pleasure for me as well. I’ll be sure to properly introduce my sister to you later, as well as introduce you to her!]

Kōkatsu: [Ya know, I noticed ya gettin’ real close to Shiro earlier. Ya got anythin’ ya wanna say, Shiro?]

Shiro: [What? Are you jealous of me making more friends or something?]

Kōkatsu: [Ha? No, not in that sense. I mean…ya know…]

Kōkatsu then put her arm in between Shiro’s chest, while wiggling her hand around and producing a hissing sound. Shiro’s face quickly turned red once more just like it had done on the walk to the trial.

Shiro: [N-NO! WE’RE FRIENDS! PALS! THAT’S IT!]

Kōkatsu: [Look all I’m sayin’ is I don’t mind whatever way ya swing. You do you. But if you wanna admit it that’s fine too, ya kn–]

Shiro: [THERE IS NOTHING TO ADMIT! BETWEEN YOU AND HER, I’M STARTING TO QUESTION HOW I ACT!]

Nero: [We should probably get going. We wouldn’t want them getting upset at us after all.]

Shiro: [Haah…right. Let’s get going.]

The four of them then began to move towards the trial.

Shiro: [We’ll easily pass this test, and continue to move forward from here!]

Kōkatsu, Nero & Silvia: [Yeah!]

The first trial had finally begun.

What awaited them on the other side, was something that they had been unsure of.

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The first trial was now underway.

Shiro, along with everyone else who was participating, were all split up into singular rooms for themselves and no others.

Shiro and her friends had agreed to meet back up by the end of the trials, and move onto the next trials throughout the following days together.

After splitting up and heading into their separate rooms, Shiro had finally arrived at the area in which the trial would take place.

It was a small room in width, but in height, it was massive.

The room had been filled with lines that split the white colored room into a white colored tile look all around.

There had been almost nothing in the room, except for one thing.

Something that stood in between Shiro and the exit.

Shiro: [A…rock…?]

Shiro was now looking at an incredibly long boulder. It started at the ground floor where her feet were placed, and was raised all the way to the top of the room.

Shiro: [This…is the first trial? The trial of strength?]

Suddenly, a voice came on from a speaker in the room.

Trial Attendant: [Attention, students! This is where your first trial will take place! In front of you should be a large boulder. We will be giving all of you five minutes to find a method to break this boulder, and proceed forward into the clear room. Whatever strategy you may come up with in order to deal with the trial is entirely up to you, however please keep note that you will have only those five minutes to do so. Without further ado…]

Shiro braced herself.

The trial was about to begin, and she knew that this could be tricky should she be unable to handle the situation in that short amount of time.

But it was just a rock. Nothing more, nothing less.

She had been training with Kōkatsu for the past few days.

By this point, she was most likely strong enough to crush something like this in no time.

Trial Attendant: [Ready, Set…]

Shiro braced her body for the speed she would soon unleash in order to break through.

It was finally time to begin.

The real test had arrived.

Trial Attendant: [...GO!]

A horn had played through the speaker, and like a bullet being fired through a gun, Shiro shot herself forward at the pillar standing in front of her.

Turning and turning, Shiro kept spinning in the small amount of both time and distance that she had between the boulder. Constantly spinning in a backwards motion, before eventually performing a back kick as soon as she was close.

Shiro: [Yaaa!]

A loud thud rang throughout the room. It had echoed off the walls constantly, back and forth, until the sound eventually faded away.

But despite the sound fading away, there was something in the room that had not.

Shiro: [Seriously?! Nothing?!]

The boulder that was in front of Shiro, remained there. It did not move, nor break.

It merely stood there, awaiting her next action.

Shiro: [Fine! I didn’t put my back into that one fully!]

Shiro then performed a back flip through the air, before landing on the wall opposite to the boulder.

Placing her hand close to her feet, Shiro once again prepared to spring forward. Only this time, green electricity constantly sparked around her body.

Shiro: [Let’s go! Round two!]

Once again, she shot forward, spinning backwards through the air, with her aim set on the boulder. She was moving so fast due to her electricity, that it almost looked like a tornado made of thunder hurling towards it.

An even louder thud than before rang out.

The impact caused Shiro to flip backwards through the air, before bracing herself on her landing to the ground.

But once again…

Shiro: [Nothing?!]

Nothing had changed since before. The noise that was made from the attack was certainly louder, and the attack itself had more power…

…but the result was still the same.

The boulder stood there, with not a single difference in appearance from before.

Shiro: [Is this what they meant by strategies?]

It was clear that everyone would have their own strengths and weaknesses. As such, certain trials would be quite easy for some. But if a trial were to come up, where one’s weakness would be a downfall, that is where a strategy would likely come into play.

Shiro was by no means weak. She was well built and strong. She had also been trained by her mother in order to use both martial arts and weapons. However, there was something Shiro relied on quite often in order to gain an advantage in both strength and the flow of a sparring match itself. Her speed.

Without her speed, she was still strong, but to compare her to someone like Kōkatsu, she wasn’t nearly as close in strength to her.

Shiro: [...keh!]

Without thinking, Shiro once again amplified herself with her thunder magic.

Spinning and striking, spinning and striking, she followed the same pattern to see if it would make any difference on the boulder.

Perhaps if she caused enough damage, it would slowly crack and break. This had been the rule of many things, so surely this boulder would follow the same logic.

But to no avail.

Shiro: [Damn it!]

Shiro rid herself of her amplification, and instead went for a different style of one. She coated leg in matōki and performed the same action.

Still nothing.

Shiro: [...hk!]

Shiro had started to grow tired and frustrated. Her legs too, had started to slowly build up pain. Her body felt heavy, and she felt as if she had something similar to a fever due to the heat her body was producing. Likely an after effect of using her amplification too much.

Shiro: [Haaah….haaaah….]

Panic slowly filled her body. In a situation such as this, one where her moves did not work as well as they should have, she was unsure what to do.

Slightly raising her head, Shiro looked at the timer to see a minute had already passed. She had constantly tried to attack the boulder for a solid minute without realizing and now she only had four minutes left.

The idea of that much time passing after how little she had done felt frightening to her. Would she really be able to pass through this trial?

She was great at becoming confident in situations where she was backed into a corner, but this situation was different.

She was unsure how to move out of this corner, if she even could at all.

Shiro: [Haaah….come on…there’s gotta be something…..]

Shiro sat there, watching the time pass, while trying to come up with some sort of a solution to break through the trial.

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On the other side of the trial rooms, was the clear room.

The name was as it was written, a room for those who had cleared the trial.

Some of the students participating had been there, while others were still taking the trial.

Some of those students however, included…

Nero: [Wooo! I wasn’t expecting to use that much of my power there! I suppose it’s a trial of strength for a reason.]

???: [Not half bad, Nero! I’m kinda impressed with how good ya were out there!]

Nero: [Hmm? That voice is…]

Nero looked to his left, to see the tall kitsune girl with long orange hair that he had been familiar with.

Nero: [Kōkatsu!]

Kōkatsu: [Yo! Good to see ya!]

Nero: [It’s good to see you too! I’m glad we both succeeded in passing the trial. When did you finish exactly?]

Kōkatsu: [Huh? Oh, ‘bout ten seconds in.]

Nero: [I see, ten seco–TEN SECONDS?!]

Kōkatsu: [Yeah. I went in, tried to punch it real hard, didn’t work, put some more power into it, punched it, it broke, I walked into here, and now I’ve just been spectatin’ all of ya for the past three minutes.]

Nero: [I see. That’s quite amazing I must say.]

Kōkatsu: [Ya wanna talk ‘bout amazin’? Fuck was that amount of matōki back there from ya?! That was some scary shit!]

Nero: [Aha…well yes…I do have a decent amount I suppose…]

Kōkatsu: [“Decent amount” he says. What’s with the humbleness? Yer strong and ya should accept it. No problems braggin’ about it either. Fuck is anyone else gonna do if ya decide to?]

Nero: [I’m not necessarily proud of this amount of strength that I have…]

Kōkatsu: [Fair enough. You do you then]

???: [I ssssee that Sssshiro issss sssstill taking the trial.]

Kōkatsu & Nero: [AAAH!]

Both Kōkatsu and Nero jumped in shock, before looking to their left to see the snake girl they had recently met.

Kōkatsu: [Seriously, what’s with ya?! I noticed Shiro jumpin’ earlier when ya came by because of how quiet ya were, and now again ya got more people jumpin’. Only this time, ’s us!]

Silvia: [My apoligiessss. I am quite ssssilent while I move.]

Nero: [I see you’ve finished your trial as well, Silvia?]

Silvia: [Yessss. A difficult one to be ssssure, but I passssed through it. More importantly however…]

Kōkatsu: [Yeah. She’s not lookin’ too good out there.]

Nero: [Indeed.]

The three of them began to stare at one of the monitors in particular. Specifically, the monitor showing the room Shiro was in. Every now and then, she had tried to dash forward and strike in a different way, before sitting back on the floor while out of breath.

Nero: [This isn’t looking good! She has less than a minute left!]

Silvia: [I won’t retract my deal with her at any point unlessss I am given a reasssson to. However, it would be rather ssssad if sssshe doessss not join ussss.]

Kōkatsu continued to stare at the screen with a worried expression hanging over her

Kōkatsu: [Come on, Shiro…]

The fear that Shiro would possibly not pass, had filled the hearts of all three of her friends waiting for her.

.

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Worry.

Worry had filled her entire body.

She was unsure if she could truly make it

A finite amount of time was left.

So finite in fact, that the possibility that she wouldn’t make it was more likely than she would.

It was a horrible feeling.

She hated it.

She absolutely hated it.

But…

Was this really that bad?

Her mother did tell her that if she did not want to, she did not have to force herself through this course.

It was about making an effort.

And that’s what she did.

She made an effort.

No matter how hard she tried though, this boulder would not break.

This was where she stopped.

That’s what she started to believe.

Shiro: [Heh…sorry guys…guess this is it for me…]

She sat there, closing her eyes.

Shiro: [Guess things will go back to the way they always do…]

She had accepted what was coming.

Shiro: [I wonder if I’ll still even speak to them after…I mean…I won’t be a goddess or anything of the sort…I might be too low on status to do so…]

Shiro sat there, waiting for what was to come.

Until…

Shiro: [...GH!]

A sharp pain began in her head. She was unsure of what the origin of it was nor why it was happening.

Shiro: [What…is…this…HK!]

The pain grew more and more, before eventually stopping in a single instant.

That instant however, something occurred.

Something that wasn’t normal in the slightest.

Within her chest, Shiro felt a warm feeling rising up. Following this feeling…

There was a dark figure of someone standing in front of her.

The shadow around them almost resembled that of the shadow she saw in her visions.

But this shadow was different.

Their build was different. Unlike with the vision, where she could not tell much about the figure, this person had a clear well built, feminine build, with a coat hanging over them, likely on their shoulders.

Their hair was different. Unlike with the vision, even if they had long hair, this figure’s hair had no visible color to it, and it was much longer, almost reaching the floor. On top of that, it looked like a wild style of hair.

There was one final element however, that made this shadow different.

What I think is your strongest area, Lady Shiro?

Shiro: [Why…]

Shiro sat there, confused and in awe.

Shiro: [Why do you know me…Why did you refer to me as Lady Shiro…?]

Well, if I had to pick one thing for certain, it would be your speed. You’re quite fast. Faster than anyone I know of. You’re even faster than Bachi, which is shocking given how hard it is to keep up with her sometimes.

Shiro: [Who is Bachi…?]

But that speed is what makes your strength much greater. Everytime I see you build up an immense amount of speed, it usually leads to some incredible damage to whoever or whatever you’re striking. N-Not to say that I pay super close attention to that stuff! I just…I just like to see how strong my Lady is! Overall though, I think you’re incredibly strong, Lady Shiro, and it mainly comes from your speed!

Shiro: [...]

The figure, and the area around them, slowly faded away.

Shiro was back in the trial room, her hair covering her eyes as she stood up.

She looked up at the timer to check how long she had left.

Forty five seconds.

There was no emotion in her expression, but inside, there was a warm feeling similar to when she saw her visions while sleeping.

She was unsure of who that person had been, but she knew from the warm feeling that it was someone she likely would end up caring for greatly.

Shiro continued to stare at the timer for five more seconds before a statement had left her mouth.

Shiro: [...More than enough.]

She did not have a large amount of magic left, but in an instant, she amplified herself with electricity one more time.

Setting her positioning up, like that of an olympic athlete who was about to run through a hundred meter track race, before once again, just like before, shooting off the ground.

She did not aim for the rock however, instead, straight into one of the walls of the room.

Then, bouncing off that wall, to another…

And then another…

And then another…

Constantly bouncing off walls, the room had started to look like a child’s drawing of scribbles all over a paper, only instead of something like crayons making this design, it was electricity.

With every bounce, she grew faster and faster. By the fifth bounce, she was already invisible to the naked eye.

Only a trail was left of where she was, but that trail had been overlapped several times by the exact same trail.

At the very start of the trail however, there was a tornado forming.

Far bigger than the tornado from before, and much faster, it kept spinning and bouncing off the walls.

The clock was almost at its end.

Ten seconds remained.

Then nine, the tornado continued moving.

Then eight, it still lingered on.

Then seven, the tornado did not stop.

Then six, the tornado finally changed its direction.

Five, the tornado moved towards the opposite of the boulder.

Four, just like it had been doing, it bounced off the wall, moving in a jagged fashion, both up and down, left and right, towards the boulder.

Three, inside the tornado, a small white light was growing brighter and brighter.

Two, Shiro was finally visible. A back kick was once again coming, but this time, it had both electricity and matōki amplifying it.

One…

The boulder…

Shattered…

Shiro drifted along the ground as she landed.

Drifting all the way to the entrance of the clear room, and through it.

Her friends stood there on the other side, overjoyed and smiling. With Kōkatsu even silently uttering “Knew ya could do it.”

Shiro…

Passed the first trial.

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Nero: [That was incredible, Shiro! It was truly like watching a work of art in the making.]

Shiro: [Heh, it was nothing. I kinda just did what I do best and used my speed to my advantage.]

Despite rarely being smug about things, Shiro had stood there, moving her finger across the bridge of her nose in a cocky like manner.

Silvia: [Onsssse again, I am intrigued by you Sssshiro. I’d like to ssssee what elsssse you’re capable of.]

Kōkatsu: [Get a room, the two of ya.]

Shiro: [ONCE AGAIN, THAT IS STILL NOT THE CASE!]

Kōkatsu: [Yahahaha! I kid, I kid! Still, that was some good shit, Shiro. I like that ya didn’t necessarily try to kill yerself with the double amplification, but instead used it for as short of a time as it would be effective. Probably didn’t even create too much of a problem at all for yer body with that.]

Nero: [I am rather confused though. I faintly heard you saying you had more than enough in regards to the time, but you ended up using it all up.]

Silvia: [I too wassss confussssed about that.]

Kōkatsu: [Ha? The two of ya stupid or somethin’?]

Nero & Silvia: [Hm?]

Kōkatsu: [She was showin’ off. Look at the rock from her room.]

The group then looked back at the monitor, to notice an incredible detail.

Nero: [It’s…]

Silvia: [...Completely gone…!]

Kōkatsu: [The only thing left of ours is those massive side rocks that were made after crushin’ what blocked the entrance. Shiro’s, though, is a different case. All ’s left of hers is some small little pebbles.]

Nero: [Incredible!]

Silvia: [Onsssse again, you–]

Shiro: [Please do not continue that statement. I have a feeling I know what’s gonna happen if you do.]

Unbeknownst to Shiro, Kōkatsu was staring at her with a wide smile on her face, as if she was preparing to follow up Silvia’s statement, had it not been interrupted.

Kōkatsu: [So what the hell happened anyways? All of a sudden ya got up, looked way cooler, and then shot right at the rock like it was nothin’ and broke the whole damn thing.]

Shiro: [I had help from someone.]

Nero: [Someone?]

Shiro: [I’m not sure who they were, but some of the stuff they said lit a fire inside of me. I don’t know how to really describe it, but it was something like that.]

Silvia: [Interessssting. Sssso there issss ssssomeone that can flare up that much courage in you? I’m rather curioussss on thissss individual assss well.]

Kōkatsu: [Hey Shiro, I think she’s jealous.]

Shiro: [COULD YOU NOT?!]

Nero: [Well, regardless, I think we should all be happy we passed! Let’s head on over to the other side, I would like to see my sister.]

Shiro: [Yeah! Let’s head on over!]

With that, the four of them, along with the rest of the students who had passed, headed out of the clear room, to the outside world.

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The sun was beginning to set.

Nero had met back up with his sister, Mena. Mena clung onto him for several minutes, crying tears of joy the entire time and causing Nero to constantly wipe her face with the handkerchief he had in his shirt pocket.

Silvia had gone back to her dorm to practice for the trial on the following day, but before that, she said her farewells to the group. Kōkatsu, of course, took the opportunity to make a joke about her and Shiro as Silvia said her farewells to Shiro.

With that, it was just Shiro and Kōkatsu, watching Nero and Mena speak to each other.

Kōkatsu: [Ya know, Shiro…]

Shiro: [Hm? What’s up?]

Kōkatsu: [I told ya mine, but ya never really told me what yer dream was. Aside from the smaller family part of course.]

Shiro: [I didn’t?]

Kōkatsu: [Heh. Nope.]

Shiro: [I see. Well, it’s a bit goofy but…I’d like to be the strongest out there.]

Kōkatsu: [Oi, oi. Yer chosen quite the selfish dream there, aren’t ya?]

Shiro: [It’s not for the whole being strong part, moreso…I’d like to be able to protect people, no matter what. Therefore, I’d like to be the strongest.]

Kōkatsu: [Hmmm. That so?]

Shiro: [Do you think it’s a bad dream to have?]

Kōkatsu: [Nah. I actually like it. Yer a good person, Shiro.]

Shiro: [Heh. Thanks.]

Kōkatsu then looked up at the setting sun, before turning her head back to Shiro.

Kōkatsu: [’S gettin’ late. We should head back.]

Shiro: [Yeah, let’s go. We’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow once again.]

With that, Shiro and Kōkatsu walked away while waving goodbye to Nero and Mena. Nero had waved back to them, as did Mena, with tears and snot covering her face, and what looked like a frown. It was clear though that she was not upset that they were leaving, she was simply still just crying.

The quartet of friends had overcome their first trial.

Now, a new trial for them to overcome, would be waiting on the following day.

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The same vision as always, awaited her in her sleep.

This time however, she was much more skilled at using her matōki.

While it was a vision, an odd scenario was occurring from within it, where she was able to sense the people there now.

It was odd, but still, she enjoyed the warm feeling she had gotten.

That warm feeling was even greater now.

Around her were unusual auras of matōki that she could sense.

Some felt oddly familiar, while others did not.

Some were close by, while others had been a fair distance away.

And not far from that distance, she felt another aura.

It was…

Shiro: [Nero?!]

This matōki…

She recognized it completely.

There was no mistake.

No difference in it.

This matōki belonged to Nero.

But why?

Why was he possibly here?

Shiro’s attention quickly changed…

Much like when the hair of this mysterious figure had become more visible at one point, now, once again, something new occurred.

I’m…

Shiro: [...?!]

The words were spoken, but she could not hear them. It was as if they were put into her brain.

But it was clear who it was coming from.

The figure.

Shiro: [Y-you’re…?]

Before Shiro could get a response, everything faded away.

The vision had ended, and for the first time in a long while, she woke up screaming.

Kōkatsu had immediately jumped out of bed shortly after, and ran over to her side to make sure Shiro was alright.

But Shiro was unsure…

There were too many mysteries now, and she had not a single clue to the answers of any of them.

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