The Three Truths of Mana
The portal swallowed Kyota whole, and when his vision cleared, he stood in a world unlike any he had seen before.
A vast, endless void stretched in every direction, filled with floating stone platforms suspended over an abyss of swirling blue energy. The sky above was a deep obsidian, dotted with artificial stars that pulsed like distant hearts. The air itself was thick with mana, so dense it prickled against Kyota's skin like static.
Jiro stood before him, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
"Welcome to my realm," he said. "Here, time bends to my will. A day outside is a month within. A week outside… a year inside."
Kyota's eyes widened. "A year?"
Jiro smirked. "If you survive that long."
Kyota clenched his fists. "Then let's not waste time."
"Good." Jiro raised three fingers. "There are three fundamental truths of mana that will shape you into something beyond human limits. Mana Modification. Mana Structure. Mana Absorption. Master them, and you will transcend. Fail… and you'll be devoured by the abyss beneath us."
Kyota exhaled sharply. "Start with the first."
Mana Modification – Rewriting Reality
Jiro flicked his wrist. A blade of wind materialized in his palm—sharp, howling. Then, in an instant, it melted into mist.
Kyota's breath hitched. "You changed its nature?"
"Not nature. Form." Jiro clenched his fist, and the mist hardened into jagged ice shards. "All elements have a moment—a single point between creation and manifestation—where their shape can be rewritten. That is Mana Modification."
Kyota reached out, fascinated. "So if I cast fire, I can turn it into something else?"
"In theory," Jiro said darkly. "But most who try burn themselves alive."
A magic circle flared beneath Kyota's feet, lifting him onto a narrow floating platform—barely enough space to stand.
"Now. One leg. Arms raised. Focus."
Kyota wobbled, struggling to balance.
"Draw mana from your core. Pull it to your hands. Now."
Kyota gritted his teeth and tried—but his foot slipped.
And he fell.
The abyss swallowed him whole.
The Cycle of Failure and Growth
Again and again, Kyota reappeared on the platform.
Again and again, he failed.
Hours blurred into days. His muscles screamed. His mind frayed. But he refused to stop.
On the twenty-seventh attempt, something changed.
As Kyota balanced, his breathing steadied. He closed his eyes, feeling the flow of mana, not as a wild current, but as a river he could guide. Slowly, painstakingly, he pulled it from his core, through his veins, into his palms.
A flicker. A spark.
A tiny orb of unstable light formed between his fingers.
Kyota's eyes shot open—
The orb burst, knocking him off balance. He fell again.
But this time, when he reappeared, Jiro was staring.
"...Hmph." A grudging smirk tugged at Jiro's lips. "Took you long enough."
Kyota panted, grinning through the exhaustion. "Now teach me the rest."
Mana Structure – Dominating the Elements
A lake of liquid silver appeared beneath them, its surface perfectly still.
Jiro dipped a finger into it. The water coiled around his hand, hardening into a crystalline spear. "Mana Modification lets you reshape elements. But Mana Structure gives them purpose." He flicked the spear—it shot forward, piercing a distant boulder with a thunderous crack.
Kyota exhaled sharply. "So it's about control?"
"Control? No." Jiro's voice turned grave. "It's about dominance. You must force the mana to obey, to hold the shape you demand. Weak wills create weak magic."
Kyota knelt by the lake, dipping his hands into the water. He pulled the liquid upward, trying to freeze it. The water trembled, resisting. It collapsed.
"Again."
He tried. Failed.
"Again."
His hands shook. His mana drained. But he refused to stop.
By dusk, his fingers were raw, his vision blurred. But when he summoned the water this time—
It held.
A perfect, glistening icicle formed in his grip.
Jiro's eyes widened—just for a fraction of a second. Then he scoffed. "Tch. Took you long enough."
Kyota grinned, exhausted but triumphant. "What's next?"
Jiro's expression darkened.
"...Next is the dangerous one."
Mana Absorption – The Forbidden Art
A fire crackled between them, its flames casting long shadows.
Jiro poked the embers with a stick. "Mana Absorption isn't just a technique. It's a curse."
Kyota frowned. "How?"
Jiro's voice dropped. "It's the art of stealing mana—from the air, from spells, even from living things. But the more you take, the hungrier you become. Lose control, and you'll drain everything… including yourself."
Kyota's stomach twisted. "Like Gluttony."
"Exactly." Jiro's gaze was piercing. "The seventh sin given form. Most who learn it go mad. Fewer still master it."
Kyota stared into the fire. "Then why teach me?"
"Because you're desperate," Jiro smirked. "And desperation breeds either greatness or ruin." He stood. "Tomorrow, we begin. Rest. You'll need it."
As he turned to leave, Kyota called out. "Jiro."
A pause.
"...Thanks."
Jiro didn't look back. But his voice was quieter. "Don't thank me yet."
The fire dimmed. The realm held its breath.
And Kyota knew—tomorrow would either make him stronger… or destroy him.
While all these were happening, the truth that the soul asked Kyota was still untouched.
All the acts of nature were splitting. It was confusing. Usually, no one was granted both powers of light and dark. No information about Kyota exists within reality. Something was blocking the view. Unfortunately, no one knows why. Even the gods or the great twelves.
Kyota was ready to get some rest until he saw the same black figure again in his dreams.
"It's been a while, isn't it, Kyota, or should I say Kaito Sensaki?"
"What do you want ?" kyota asked. "Why bother me?"
"Well, isn't that rude, Kyota? I was waiting to see you, you went all around and travelled for five years to find nothing."
"Why are you helping me? It's cause of you I am having this horrible life."
"Well, Kyota, I am your ally, but trust me, all you see is not the truth. Listen, you heard that when the wizard told you about the past great wars. No one knew why. It's impossible, Kyota,, to have both power. It's impossible to be evil and good at the same time. I wish I could tell you, but my hands are tied on this one; you must find it. Let me tell you one more thing, I appear when there is a chance you die. Listen, if you are going to do mana absorption, don't mess up, you will die, not even I can help you."
"When the figure started to fade, it said again. Kyota colours does not tell you the truth."
Slowly but surely, Kaito was the only one in that world of water and sky, and the darkness was wiped out.