Water was streaming all around, hitting the hand of a boy kneeling on the ground. In front of him stood another boy with white hair and red eyes, holding a sword. Water dripped from his blade, striking a stone on the ground and making an irritating noise.Their breathing was drowned out by the sound of the rain, but that one sound didn't stop. Occasionally, lightning flashed, and half-standing buildings in the background collapsed to the ground. Even the moonlight was barely visible.
— Why? Why are you here? I... I thought I had defeated you. I should've killed you, so why are you still standing before me? After everything you did to my loved ones, after everything you took from me... Why? Why didn't you die? I cut your damn head off!
He gripped his sword tightly, staring at the black-haired, green-eyed boy before him. Looking at the dozens of corpses behind him, the boy began to speak:
— Huh? Oh, right. You thought you had killed me. The thing is, I'm way better than you. To kill me, you'd need more than Morfoz, Enkoz, and Lettoz. Even if you used a living sword, your chances of killing me were slim. Anyway, your time to join those behind you has long passed.
Three years ago:
A teacher approached a student who had fallen asleep at his desk and banged on it. The student jerked his head up and looked at the teacher angrily. The teacher spoke:
— What am I going to do with you? You don't listen in class, and as if that weren't enough, you're always asleep, Tansen.
The student merely stared at the teacher. When the teacher turned away, the girl sitting at the next desk whispered to Tansen:
— You're always like this. You do realize this is a combat school affiliated with D.C.T., right?
Tansen looked at her and replied:
— Of course I do. But for the past six years, no I.E. has shown up, am I wrong? Just using a sword is enough for me. My E.I.S. must be high anyway, right Maleno?
Maleno giggled:
— You'll be the first to die in battle.
Tansen frowned:
— Ha ha, so funny…
The teacher returned to the class and silenced the room before making an announcement:
— Today, a few people from D.C.T. will come to measure your E.I.S. and examine its attributes.
A student stood up and asked the teacher:
— Ms. Zein, what happens to those with low E.I.S. levels?
Ms. Zein replied:
— Don't worry. You just won't fight on the front lines. E.I.S. levels can be increased. And honestly, E.I.S. isn't fully understood yet — it's still being researched.
Some time passed. Officials from D.C.T. arrived, bringing a large machine. Each student was asked to place their hand inside, one by one. Students were ranked between five elemental types and levels from the lowest, Eta, to the highest, Alpha.
When it was Maleno's turn, she was found to have special abilities in all five elements — and was at the Alpha level. Her joy was written all over her face.
Finally, Tansen stepped up and placed his hand inside the device. He was excited, hopeful.He learned he had no elemental control at all. What's more, he was at the lowest level — Eta. No special attacks. His only attack was a ranged slash. Had his level been any lower, he wouldn't even qualify for combat.A D.C.T. official looked at Tansen and said:
— You have no talent. Nothing. And on top of that, you can only use your attack once every three seconds. You're useless. I suggest you leave this school.
The classroom fell completely silent. Friends who had been with him for years watched as someone of high rank humiliated him.Tansen said nothing. He simply listened. Then he returned to his seat. That day, he just stared at the floor. He didn't answer a single question. No attempt to comfort him worked.
Suddenly, darkness fell. A strange feeling came over him. He didn't know what it was, couldn't understand it. He couldn't even describe it. The darkness lifted. He was breathing heavily, drenched in sweat.His friends suddenly began asking him what had happened. Tansen looked at them and asked:
— WHAT? You didn't see that darkness too?
One by one, they responded:
— What darkness?— Are you sure you're okay?— Do you want to wash your face?