《Nova Stella》


 Prologue

    Prologue


    "..Hey!"


    The boy was suddenly awoken by a girl''s voice grating through his ears and the word annoyed can''t even describe his face as he sat up and search for the source.


    He looked at his side and a girl with a bright red hair that isn''t long but looked like a boy''s hair cut is seen by his side with an angry face.


    If it weren''t for her little chest bump then he wouldn''t even notice that she was a girl in the first place.


    The girl suddenly blushed as soon as she noticed what the boy was looking at.


    "What are you looking at perv!"


    A slap in the cheek made him lose consciousness for a split second.


    "What the hell? Why did you slap me!?"


    "Why wouldn''t I? You''re looking at weird places. It made me feel uneasy."


    "I don''t know about you but where I come from slapping someone just because they gave you a look isn''t normal!"


    "It''s all your fault though!"


    She crossed her arms and closed her eyes as she said those words while ignoring the fact that she was embarassed.


    It was the first time that she had slapped somebody.


    The boy thought that dealing with girls like her are really bothersome.


    She was from a family that lived in this sky continent since time immemorial. Although it''s like that, her family is literally ancient and it''s prestige is all but gone.


    Due to the boy''s assessment, this girl perhaps wanted to bring back glory to her house and that is why she''s taking this seriously.


    Winning this tournament will not only yield money and prestige. It could also set up her future as a sky pilot.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.On the other hand, this boy couldn''t care less about this competition. It was only a coincidence that he took part.


    He didn''t want to trouble himself and just chose to sleep as the battles commenced.


    He slept comfortably at the plain ground near the sky ship while the girl was at his side.


    The girl kept waking him up because she''s his partner for this competition.


    "Whatever you do, I couldn''t care less. I was only taking part due to a deal and as a matter of fact my name was added without my permission. So give me a break."


    They were enlisted to join a live air battle competition for the freshmen but the boy doesn''t even have the will to follow her into the sky ship.


    With the audience looking at them using the camera that showed the event live, they were the center of the attention while the other ships are already fighting it out.


    The girl knowing that this moment is bringing disgrace to her family was almost at the point of shedding her tears.


    "...Please."


    The soft plea made the boy open his eyes and what he saw was a girl practically on the verge of crying.


    With a deep sigh, he stood up and lazily walked towards the sky ship built for two.


    "Are you just gonna sit there and cry? Stand up and let''s give it a shot."


    The girl quickly stood up and wiped her tears away and followed the boy''s back.


    "Y-Yes!"


    That was the only reply she could think of at the time even though she was commonly talkative and proud.


    Her mind was blank but she felt that they had a shot of winning. The boy had an air of victory around him, she thought.


    Thus, the start of their battles together has begun.

 Chapter 1 - Notos Scum

    Part 1


    Valion Notos.


    A boy from a disgraced house that fell after the War of the Winds.


    He is the same as I, a student of Sky Reacher Academy.


    He didn''t make a big splash when he came to the academy.


    On the contrary, many looked at him with hatred and disgust.


    The reason for this is that his family is blamed for the War of the Winds dragging out longer than it should.


    His now fallen house is also the reason why the other two houses: Boreas and Eurus took significant losses during the war to compensate for the mistake of House Notos.


    Despite his circumstance, he doesn''t look fazed when I see him walking to his usual spot in the Academy.


    I''m not really a stalker but he usually catches my eye because he''s an enigma.


    Why?


    The first time I noticed him was when he didn''t participate in the battle simulator. I was tasked to picking him up from his usual spot.


    The rooftop of the tallest building in the academy is his infamous sleeping spot.


    Many people avoid that place because of him being spotted there.


    It was windy at the time and the sun was lit but there he was.


    His eyes were closed as if feeling the wind pass through him while he slept sideways with his hand supporting his head.


    I couldn''t even imagine how uncomfortable his position was but nevertheless I approached him.


    He must''ve sensed that I was there because he suddenly stretched his arms.


    It made me feel bad because he must''ve enjoyed sleeping.


    Wait.


    Why am I feeling bad? He''s skipping class! I need to lecture him now.


    I approached him with an angry face. I usually don''t make this face so it made me feel a little bit weird but that doesn''t matter right now.


    When I was in front of him he approached me with his bloodshot eyes and said.


    "You''re blocking the sun."


    When I looked back, it was true I was blocking it so I immediately walked a few steps sideward and started making the angry face again.


    "What''s with your face? Are you hungry?"


    I was caught dumbfounded by his manner of talking. In my house we had a butler and maid that didn''t criticize my look.


    They were both kind and never made me lose face but this guy right here was way too honest.


    It irritated me a bit but I was here to tell him to take the test so I had to say something.


    "T-The combat simulation is about to start. The teacher asked me to find you."


    The boy lazily stood up and headed for the stairs. He didn''t even reply to me. I was ignored.


    After that, the boy took the test and after a few minutes decided to flunk it.


    The teacher didn''t even bat an eye.


    Maybe he wanted him to fail and that''s why he didn''t even bother lecturing him or urging him to try harder.


    Such is the life of the guy named Valion Notos.


    A boy from a fallen house.


    A boy hated by many.


    The sole inheritor of the disgrace given to him by his family.


    But why?


    Why is it that right now I couldn''t believe what my eyes are seeing.


    This boy is now demolishing everything in sight.


    Part 2


    "What are you doing?"


    It''s as if the girl woke up from a trance. The sight of sky ships falling one after the other shook her sould to the core.


    The smile shown by this boy isn''t normal. He enjoyed turning the ships of his enemies to scraps.


    "Ahh! S-Sorry."


    "If you have time to say your sorry then keep the shield up and steady your supply of mana."


    "Y-Yes!"


    The boy is now performing ridiculous stunts that made the watchers sit back and be shocked by the turn of events.


    This was a live air battle. Her heart couldn''t keep up with what''s happening in front of her.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.It was beating so fast that she felt like passing out.


    At the end of the school year, every freshman student of the Sky Reacher Academy gets a chance to battle each other.


    The winner will not only receive a prize money but also a gift from the Dean himself.


    A sky ship capable of manning only two people are distibuted to the participants.


    The battle power of the ships are equal to that of their controller.


    This could only mean that the people inside a ship will determine how much power ship has to offer.


    This is what made the Sky Ships formidable.


    The fact that a genius pilot can defeat a hundred mediocre ones made Sky Ships the primary weapon of the Favonius Empire.


    This situation surprised not only the audience but also the participants as they dropped like flies one by one.


    The enormous speed and power being projected by the ship manned by the two far surpassed those of the other participants.


    Usually this kind of raw power is useless if the combat controller is unskilled but much to their surprise the attacker is not only skilled at his job but is also efficiently defeating his target one at a time.


    And after a few minutes, the battle has already been decided.


    When the girl came out of the ship, cheers filled the arena.


    The girl was quite popular due to her academic achievements. She was even called a prodigy by her teachers.


    Little do they know her actual participation in the match can only be stated as a minor role.


    Nevertheless, it was something the girl would only dream of. One step towards her goal of raising the prestige of her house has been realized.


    But once the boy stepped outside, shock and dread silenced them instantly.


    "Is that?"


    "He is."


    "The Notos brat."


    "I saw Aria begging him to step onto the ship."


    "The nerve of that guy trying to steal the spotlight!"


    "Typical Notos scum!"


    The murmurs continued as Valion Notos walked out of the arena.


    The girl followed him but before she reached the exit, several students flocked to congratulate her.


    During the battle she not only realized the skill and potential of Valion but also the gap between his and her skills.


    It was a wake up call for the girl named Aria Anemoi.


    ''To think that he was that skilled without even taking classes.'' She thought as dozens were surrounding her.


    A cold sweat flowed down on her back while thinking of how scary good that guy was.


    "You seem to have enjoyed yourself out there."


    Valion looked at the corner of the hallway and saw an old man wearing a scholarly robe.


    His hair was receding but his mustache is trimmed neatly. His old eyes stared at him like it was looking directly at his soul.


    This made him a bit tense.


    He was about to walk past him but his old hands touched him as if wanting to continue the conversation.


    "I hope you honor our agreement old man."


    "Of course. Of course. So? How does it feel? I think that girl has a blessed factor that can keep up to yours. Am I right?


    You two fit quite well. Won''t you reconsider becoming her partner for the time being?"


    "I told you already. I only came to this academy because my uncle told me to. I always honor my promises."


    Valion finally ignored the old man''s touch and walked away from him.


    As he walked away, the old man knew that he can''t give up on this kid but he also knew his circumstance.


    "For a sky child to walk a path which denies the heavens is a very tragic thing."


    The old man thinking about that continued his way towards the arena.


    He was tasked into bringing the prize to the victor.


    He was the Dean of the Sky Reacher Academy. Chlys Tibullus.

 Chapter 2 - Partner

    Part 1


    Shock. That is the only thing I felt when I saw the battles unfolding in front of me.


    Many were surprised when the top student of the freshman class was partnered with Valion Notos.


    That guy never attended any of the class. It was inevitable for him to fail after the first year.


    But here he is with the top student, destroying all the sky ships.


    "It was only because they started out too late that they were able to rull that off."


    "Yeah the others were practically exhausted when they started!"


    "I bet that Aria handled all the controls. That Notos kid didn''t even try using the battle simulator in class so he probably has no clue to what he''s doing."


    They''re wrong! As much as I''d like to think that way, handling a sky ship requires at least two people.


    One to keep the mana powering the ship steady and raising the shields up to minimize the impact of the magic missiles being fired by the enemy.


    While the second controls the ship and utilizes the weapons needed to destroy the enemy ships.


    If they studied harder, they would''ve realized that even if that Valion kid was just powering up the Corus, it would still be a feat itself.


    The amount of mana expended by that ship during the battle was huge. A typical student won''t be able to use that much mana if his capacity is little.


    I carefully analyzed the battle being shown and I can''t deny the fact that the shields that defended the ship were Aria''s.


    She is known to be a very defensive pilot and her combat style is very different with the one being shown.


    This style is completely different. It''s very reckless but you can see that the accuracy is top notch.


    I can''t believe that he was able to take advantage of the first years'' common flight strategies.


    "Elias?"


    "Huh?"


    "A-Are you alright? You''ve been silent for a while."


    She looked at me with concern. Damn it! I''m overthinking again.


    "I''m okay. I was just caught off guard by those two."


    "Aren''t they amazing? At first I thought that they won''t even get a chance to fly but as soon as they started everything went exploding."


    The smiling girl talking to me is my partner. Minerva von Eurus. A sophomore of Sky Reacher Academy and is a top student like me.


    I always thought that this year''s batch was nothing but a bunch of average students barring Aria but I was ignorant of the fact that this Valion is skilled.


    It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth that such talent has befallen someone from that family. Notos. Because of them, Minnie''s family almost collapsed.


    My family is the oldest retainers of House Eurus.


    Even though her father told me many times that Notos did their best, I always hated that house after seeing what they did to Minnie''s family.


    Thousands died because of their actions and they get pardoned by the emperor after declaring the collapse of their cursed house?


    All of the members of that family should''ve been hanged. Including that kid. I swear that I will make his life hell.


    "You''re doing it again."


    She looks at me with concern.


    "I''m sorry Minnie. It''s just that thinking of that Notos brat makes my blood boil."


    "Father always told me that House Notos should''t be blamed so much. He said that the three houses should all be equally blamed for what happened.


    I don''t really undestand what he meant but I hope you could see that we don''t know the whole story so please quell your anger."


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "The day I saw you cry is the day I swore to break that cursed house."


    "..Elias."


    Part 2


    "I am proud to present to our victor, this Year''s prize money for the 4th Annual Sky Reacher Freshman Air Battle Tournament."


    The dean presented a cubex commonly used in transporting items such as money or other personal artifacts.


    Larger types of cubex can even store Air and Sky Ships but those are generally used by the empire and can''t be normally obtained by the public.


    Aria graciously accepted the prize. Her smile couldn''t begin to express how happy she was.


    But a small part of her is thinking about her partner who walked away before the awarding started.


    "Thank you Lord Chlys."


    "Enough with the honorifics. I''ll present to you my gift another time so come with your partner to my office."


    "Y-Yes. I will visit as soon as I can."


    "Remember to bring your partner okay? I will not present it to you alone."


    "Understood."


    This made her panic a bit. She didn''t know where to find him.


    The only place she knows where to look is the rooftop but it''s not a hundred percent chance that he will be there at this time.


    She resolved to find him as soon as the awarding ceremony ended.


    Two days have passed since the first competition, Aria is diligently looking for Valion when it''s lunch time or if she has any free time.


    Unfortunately, Valion is still missing. She even asked her friends to look for him but to her surprise, he was not found.


    The only thing she could do now is to ask the teachers themselves about his address.


    "You''re looking for that.. boy?"


    The teacher looked awfully uncomfortable talking about Valion. He was shocked that a girl such as Aria was looking for such a boy with an awful past.


    Students usually do not affiliate themselves with people that brought dishonor not only to their family but also to their empire.


    They even said that touching someone from a cursed house would make you unlucky for life.


    And because of that actions taken by Aria is already considered a social taboo by the people.


    "I would really appreciate it if you could provide me with his address. It would be inconvenient if the Dean would wait on us longer than necessary."


    "Girl are you trying to threaten me?"


    "Of course not teacher! I only want to know my partner''s address so that we could finally report to the Dean."


    The teacher knowing her motives could only click his tongue as he gave the address of the brat to her.


    Aria could almost jump for joy as she finally got a clue on where to look for her partner.


    "Partnering up with a boy like that. You''ll only disgrace your family.


    I suggest finding someone else as your partner. A guy like him will only cause you trouble as the one standing at the top of the freshmen.


    You should think carefully about your actions. Everyone knows that your house is on the verge of collapse."


    She left as if she didn''t hear the words spoken to her. She knew that this was a gamble but when she remembers the smile Valion had when he was in control.


    She couldn''t help but make him realize that he lives for the sky.


    After heading out of the academy, Aria set foot on the town nearest to the academy and looked at the address written in the note.


    With a surprised looked, she could only say the words.


    "Eh?!!"

 Chapter 3 - I found you

    Part 1


    "Listen well kid. Don''t blame the world for what''s about to happen.


    You''re a Notos so be proud of that until your dying days."


    A proud smile can be seen on the face of that man.


    His warm embrace can be felt by the kid.


    Salty tears running down on the child''s cheek as another man carried him to a two man sky ship.


    He screamed as loud as he could but to no avail the man locked the kid to the seat making him unable to leave.


    As explosions were heard nearby, the sky ship flew across the battlefield.


    And finally a large blinding explosion flashed before him.


    "You''ve had it again.. that dream."


    Valion realized that he was sitting with cold sweat running down everywhere.


    It was a dream that kept haunting him ever since he was a child.


    In the dream, he was being carried of by his uncle away from Stormbreaker.


    The majority of House Notos perished that day.


    When the Sky Fortress was broken by the rebels during the War of the Winds, It also marked the fall of their house.


    Thousands died and they are to blame. That is the curse that he had inherited from his family.


    "How long was I out?"


    "A day. You don''t need to overwork yourself you know."


    Valion looked at his uncle. He couldn''t avoid looking at his metal arm.


    His uncled gave up his arm to save Valion during their escape.


    He didn''t blame him though.


    He always wore that happy smile while tinkering away the parts recovered by Valion from the scrap yard.


    "I''ll buy some food before going out. I''ll be back soon."


    "Alright. Take your time."


    Valion lived in the Village of Caurus which is near the city of Skiron.


    Now that he won the tournament made by the Dean Chlys, he can now advance to the sophomore year without going to the school.


    The deal was made by Valion and Chlys when they met each other the day before the tournament with Chlys informing him that he was enlisted as Aria''s partner.


    During the tournament, he was surprised that someone in his year was able to keep up with the output of mana being converge on the corus.


    Someone with an ability like that isn''t considered normal so he was surprised by Aria''s talent.


    Even though fighting twenty plus teams was overwhelming to some, Valion carefully analyzed the situation and realized that all freshmen who participated used only the textbook maneuvers shown by the academy.


    ''Doing something like that in a real battle would score them a tragic death.'' He thought.


    The village was bigger than the average size. It was bustling with people trading the parts scavenged at the Lands of the Fallen for some food or coin.


    Caurus was the nearest village to the Lands of the Fallen. It was called ''Lands of the Fallen'' because it is where the fiercest battles took place at the end of the War of the Winds.


    Even today, not all places have been explored properly so scavengers are always visiting the area looking for parts that could be sold for some coin.


    Valion due to his knowledge of sky ships frequent the area to take sky ship parts that are easy to find but are always overlooked.


    No one in this town knows him so it was easy for him to move about without the criticizing looks the people at the city gave him.


    His spiky gray hair and jet black eyes are just considered uncommon in these parts.


    He went to buy some food from the local food stall nearest to his home.


    He bought some salted egg and tomatoes which go great with rice.


    It was the food which he will take with him while he scavenges in the Fallen Lands.


    He also planned to buy some ingredients for cooking so that his uncle wouldn''t be bothered by going outside to buy some.


    He noticed dark clouds forming in the sky so he was about to head home when.


    "FOUND YOU!"


    A shout was heard from his back that made people not only Valion look where it came from.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.There stood a girl with a blushing face probably because it was embarassing to do that in public.


    She clenched both her fist with a weirdly embarassed face and approached him one step at a time.


    After a few seconds, he remembered her as the girl she was partnered with during the tournament.


    The question now is why she''s here and how she found me.


    "Aria Anemoi."


    He mumbled in a low voice.


    The girl kept advancing until they were facing each other.


    Part 2


    ''Oh my gosh! I haven''t been this close to a boy my entire life! Mom.. Dad.. I can''t be a bride anymore!'' She thought to herself.


    She realized that it''s been a minute since they stood there like idiots.


    The boy losing interest turned around and walked away.


    When she saw this, she again shouted. "Wait!"


    "What now? We won right? Why are you bothering me again?"


    "That''s exactly why I''m here. Dean.. Yes! The Dean asked me to come to him with my partner! That''s you right?! You have to come to the academy with me right now!"


    "He said to come with your partner. He didn''t specifically said that it should be me right? If you didn''t think about it enough then it''s not my problem."


    He was right. The dean didn''t specifically told her that she needs to bring Valion with her. She could''ve taken anyone but why him?


    She remembered the solitude of being alone. A fish in a pond dreaming of the sea. She realized her abilities are far inferior to others outside her domain.


    She knew that with Valion''s help she would encounter people with great skills and maybe compete and battle with them.


    "I want you!"


    The people around started looking at them again,


    "Way to go boy!"


    "Don''t let that little girl''s heart be broken now kay?"


    "Youth is such a wonderful time in our lives!"


    People started cheering them on thinking that it was some sort of love scene unfolding in their eyes.


    To her, Valion only has one thing to say.


    "What?"


    "Don''t get me wrong. I-I want you to be my partner!"


    "I''m not interested in being a sky ship pilot. I''m leaving."


    Aria was shocked. With his skills, he could be a top student. Even an accomplished pilot after graduating.


    Why would he decline her offer? The thoughts raised inside her mind overwhelmed her for a second.


    Should she give up? No. A big NO showed up inside her head.


    She knew that Valion shouldn''t waste his talent. So she wouldn''t give up on him.


    Aria followed Valion in front of his home when he entered, she stood there waiting for him to come out.


    Maybe today wasn''t particularly her lucky day because rain suddenly fell down.


    She didn''t mind though. She was resolved to wait until he comes out so that they could talk about partnering up.


    "That girl outside. Let her come in. It''s raining she might catch a cold."


    Inside the house, Valion and his uncle Revan are talking.


    "She''s just trouble for me. I don''t want to get affiliated with people like her."


    "People like her?"


    "Yes. The kind who wants to prove themselves to others."


    Valion grew up never trying to prove his worth. He knew that living proudly is what his parents wanted for him but as a child he can never practice that.


    The constant bullying of kids in the city made him realize the cruel world set upon him.


    The curse of his House weighs heavily onto him.


    He never called it a curse but that was the constant remark repeated by not only the kids but also the adults who approached him.


    "You still need to let her in. She''s a guest."


    "Uncle don''t let me do this."


    "Valion."


    "..Fine."


    In front of the house, He saw the girl still standing there shaking from the cold.


    When they locked eye to eye, it''s as if time stopped for a moment.


    They understood each other that second and she went inside.

 Chapter 4 - I hate the sky

    Part 1


    "What brings this little girl into our humble home?"


    The old man smiled as he directed his eyes to the young girl coming in.


    She bowed deeply and smiled. A common courtesy of those coming into someone''s home unannounced.


    "Pleased to meet you. I''m Aria Anemoi of House Anemoi. I''m here to convince Valion to be my Combat Partner.


    I know that if we work together we can improve one another and achieve significant results."


    "I see. I see."


    He nodded his head and closed his eyes while smiling.


    His uncle always pictured Valion as a great Sky Pilot.


    He often practiced using the Sky Ships being fixed by his uncle.


    His Uncle was a mechanic specializing in Sky Ships.


    Because the having your Sky Ships fixed in the city costs more than having it fixed elsewhere the people always counted on Revan for simple problems.


    "Ah! Where are my manners? I''m Revan Notos. A mechanic here at Caurus. I hope you take care of Valion from now on.


    Even though he doesn''t look like it he is a kind boy. Someone that has the patience to look after the old me."


    "I don''t mind looking after you uncle. It''s people that push themselves to other homes that I dislike being with."


    "Don''t say that. This child traveled all the way here to meet with you. If that doesn''t prove her willingness then I don''t know what is."


    Traveling from the city to this village required her to travel via car.


    In this day and age, using livestock is obsolete. Much like how Sky and Air Ships are powered by magic.


    Cars are powered by them as well. It is a lot slower but is efficient if traveling for a short distance.


    It usually takes 30 minutes to reach the village from the city.


    "I''m not interested in becoming a sky dog for the empire. You know how much I loathe them."


    "You still have so much hate in you."


    His uncle''s face went grim as he heard those words come out of his nephew''s mouth.


    Meanwhile Valion threw a clean towel, a dry shirt and shorts to a shivering Aria.


    "Wear those if you don''t want to catch a cold. The bathroom''s over there."


    He pointed to the door in the west corner of the house.


    "T-Thanks!"


    She quickly walked to the bathroom to change clothes.


    When she entered the bathroom, Valion sat in front of his uncle.


    "I''m not partnering up with her no matter what."


    "Let me ask you a question."


    "..."


    "What did you feel when your up there."


    Revan pointed upwards with his metal arm.


    Valion visualized the moment the two of them decimated those who made fun of him.


    He couldn''t lie to himself to him it was the best feeling ever. It was the most fun he ever had in a long time.


    In the sky there''s only you and them. Beating them, Outwitting them, Outmaneuvering them. He couldn''t help but smile when he''s out there.


    "It doesn''t matter. The sky is where it all started. I hate the sky."


    "Valion. Even though you hate it, the sky favors you the most. When I see you flying the ships I fixed. I can feel it in the winds.


    You are blessed by the gods. Your sense is better than most. And that girl is the perfect partner for you. I don''t want to say it but I watched the tournament


    It brought tears to my eyes to see you shine in front of everyone. Your father.. My brother would''ve cried if he saw what I saw. If only.. I.."


    Revan covered his face using his left hand. Tears fell down but he tried stopping it.


    Valion felt the sadness and regret of his uncle. He couldn''t do anything but watch.


    His steeled heart started crumbling.


    "Uncle I''m sorry. I know you, Father and Mother only wanted my happiness but I can'' fly for fun. Something like that it''s too heavy for me.


    Eveytime I fly, I always felt anxious. The only time I didn''t feel anxious was when I flew with that girl."


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    A door was slammed open and a girl wearing a boy''s clothes came out. She inhaled a huge amount of air then shouted.


    "THEN FLY WITH ME! AND ONLY WITH ME! People can say what they want about us but up there in the sky.


    We are free! So please come and help me achieve my dream. But more important than that.. I want to fly again.. to fly again with you."


    It seemed that the girl was listening the whole time. Her eyes were red due to tears and her cheeks were stained.


    "How unpleasant."


    For the first time in his life, it seemed that Valion had someone other than his uncle understand what he felt.


    He couldn''t help but smile as he tried very hard to stop the tears from coming out of his eyes.


    A silent agreement was made that day.


    Part 2


    "Damn it! Where is she?"


    In front of the Academy stands a boy waiting impatiently for a girl he was supposed to meet.


    After knowing that the competition was not over until the previous winners have faced each other, they decided to meet up to pick up the gift of the Dean.


    The problem was that Aria is late by half an hour and Valion stood like an idiot in front of the gates while eyes gazed at him with contempt.


    It seemed like his bad luck would not end there when he met another person that wants to barge into his life.


    "Ho Ho. What do we have here? The leftovers of the Notos House. It takes quite a nerve for you to stand at the gates!"


    "Shut the hell up. I don''t even know you so stop acting like I do."


    This struck a nerve to the person he was talking to.


    It was Elias Venti, Minerva Von Eurus'' personal guard and a retainer for the House Eurus.


    "Fool! Only an idiot won''t know who they''re gonna go up against soon."


    "Who cares? I''m just gonna beat you like the rest of those scrubs in the freshman year."


    Valion didn''t even look at his direction when talking.


    He was somehow disinterested to talking with him that he was distracted by the fact that his partner is still missing.


    This was noticed by Elias and it angered him a lot more.


    "Even I can make those you battled with destroyed. You were just lucky that Aria was with you.


    Her defensive shield compensated on the fact that you lack the ability to care for your ship.


    Such recklessness can cause your downfall and I''ll make sure of it!"


    Wanting to end their conversation, Valion faced the boy he didn''t even know.


    "If you really want to fight that badly then stop talking and prove that your better than me in the field.


    All this trash talking nonsense can only take you so far. I find you annoying. So get out of my face."


    "Why you!"


    Elias raised his hand ready to hit Valion who was bracing himself when voices were heard from a short distance.


    ""STOP!""


    The two of them looked that way and saw Aria and Minnie.


    Aria looked like hell by the way. Snot was dripping from her nose and her eyes were watery.


    She was clasping a handkerchief on her left hand and after blowing and wiping her nose, she went in the middle to stop the fight.


    "You''re late."


    "It doesn''t mean you need to start a fight because of it."


    "I don''t even know this dude. He just came up and started talking. For a second, I thought he was crazy."


    Once again, Elias grinded his teeth when Minnie looking angry at him started talking.


    "Elias is this the manner of the future heir of House Venti should act?


    You''re better than this! Apologize!"


    Elias didn''t know if she was angry or sad but her teary eyes said the truth.


    He felt guilty of shaming House Eurus'' name so he faced Valion and bowed.


    "I''m sorry for my intrusion."


    Valion noticed that he was clenching his fist while walking away.


    "Hey what''s your name?"


    "Elias Venti. The person who will make your life hell."


    The two stared at each other for half a second then continued walking away.

 Chapter 5 - Corus

    Part 1


    "We can do this another time, if you''re not feeling well you know?"


    Inside the office, the most apparent visual you can''t ignore is that the room is full of books.


    If a freshman were to accidentally come into the room, they might think that this was some sort of a library and the dean a librarian.


    Cobwebs filled some parts of the ceiling which meant that the Dean didn''t want anyone besides him take care of the room.


    "I''m fine. The battle will start the day after tomorrow so I can''t slack off."


    Between her watery eyes and snotty nose, the Dean didn''t know if she was lying or convincing herself.


    Nevertheless he took a box from his personal cubex. He opened it and a Corus emitting a bright red light shone in front of them.


    "This is a special Corus I''d like you to use from now on."


    A Corus is the main core of a Sky Ship. It is generally placed near the cockpit and is connected to the controller cores.


    Depending on the Corus, the ability of the ship drastically changes. Some Corus provide faster flight, some give additional defense.


    Coruses like the one presented before them are rare if they can be placed in any ship they wanted to.


    These types of Corus are called.


    "Aptum Corus."


    "It''s the first time I''ve seen one!"


    Aria''s eyes shone and watered as she drooled all over the fact that they were receiving their own personal Corus.


    This gift will definitely improve their chances of winning the competition.


    Their next enemies are the sophomores. Elias Venti and Minerva Von Eurus.


    Two people from well established family and it''s apparent that Elias was out for blood considering their confrontation in front of the school.


    "You can use this when battling your next opponent."


    "Isn''t this favoritism on your part? What''s the catch?"


    Valion was cynical about this whole thing.


    The Dean helping him pass his classes and giving the two of them a valuable item.


    It all seems wrong in his mind. Something like this isn''t done by someone without a catch.


    "This academy''s primary goal is to cultivate young students to reach their potential. I''m just helping the two of you realize it.


    I know that it''s hard for the both of you because of the responsibilities you carry but I hope that you realize that someone is looking after you here."


    "Thank you Lord Chlys!"


    Aria quickly grabbed the Corus, It was bigger than her palm. It''s size was similar to that of a basketball but it''s weight is heavier than it looks.


    After realizing that, Aria made Valion carry it which irritated him a bit.


    "Well anyways this is the extent of help I can give you. I hope you do well in your competition.


    The gift I gave to those two have definitely improve their power so I''m expecting a good match."


    This was news to Valion. It seems like the Dean really does hand out Aptum Coruses to the freshmen who wins the tournament.


    This all made sense in his mind.


    Giving the Aptum Corus early can pave way to them honing their skills which revolves around the Corus that they''re handling.


    "We''ll do our best I promise!"


    "If you want to customize your ship for the next fight then might I suggest the two of you to go and consult with the Ship Building Club."


    "Thank you for all the help!"


    She said that with a bright smile as her snot ran down to her pale lips while bowing to pay her respects.


    ''She really was sick but her dedication to improve is admirable.'' Valion thought.


    And so they left the Dean''s office to test out the capabilities of the Corus handed to them.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Part 2


    My name is Etsa Greytalc, I''m a third year and a member of the Ship Building Club in the Sky Reacher Academy.


    I''ve been diligently training myself since freshman with hopes of becoming a great shipwright.


    And because of that I''m often here at the clubroom reading books to further my knowledge.


    Sometimes I get invited by people to help them out on the ship requests that they are entasked with but because I''m a dwarf nobody bothered to give me my own project.


    The competition started again this year. It''s the same as last year. Everyone was invited to help except me so it''s gonna be the same as last year for me.


    Stay here with my books until an opportunity comes but then something unusual happened.


    Two freshman walked into the room completely ignoring me.


    "Why are we here anyway?"


    The kid looked around as if checking the surroundings but he''s completely ignoring me. It''s as if I don''t exist!


    "Don''t be that ignorant. Lord Chlys told us this is the best place to look for a shipwright. I don''t see anyone though.


    Maybe we came at the wrong time. A lot of them might be resting after the battles of the sophomores and juniors just ended and are now watching the seniors."


    Wait even the girl hasn''t noticed me?! This is really striking my nerve!


    "Let''s come back another time. It''s a shame I wanted to know how this Aptum Corus works."


    An Aptum Corus is inside that box?! I wanna see! Now that you mention it they look kinda familiar.


    Yes! They''re the ones who won the freshman competition! I see so the Dean gave them a Corus.


    "Uhmm guys!"


    The two of them looked back but didn''t see me.


    "Did you hear something?"


    "I thought I was just imagining it."


    This is bad they don''t know I''m here.


    Oh! I know I''ll raise my hand.


    "Huh?"


    The boy finally saw me. I screamed for a second because his stare startled me.


    "Hey stop looking at her. Don''t you see she''s afraid of you now."


    "No it''s okay. I was just surprised that''s all."


    "Thank goodness! If our shipwright were to be frightened then I don''t know how we''d manage."


    "S-Shipwright?"


    "Yes shipwright! I officially announce you as our very own shipwright! Congratulations!"


    Is this girl crazy?! We''ve only just met and does she think that I''d easily accept? Even I have standards!!!!


    "Y-You can''t decide that without my consent!"


    "Oh so you decline? Oh well. Hey Valion let''s go look for others!"


    "W-What?! You''re just gonna leave?"


    "Yes you declined right? We can''t waste anymore time with pleasantries. Well then bye!"


    "No wait stop please I''ll do it!"


    "Really? You will? Can you prove you''re capable?"


    "Of course! I don''t look like it but I''m very good at making ships!"


    When I say ships I meant ship models. I haven''t even gotten my hands on a Corus other than the basic ones. As I a third year, I''m really a failure aren''t I?


    "...I see."


    She looks unconvinced. Oh no! My shot at becoming a shipwright is dwindling. What should I do?


    "I-I can prove it! Let me inspect that Corus of yours and I''ll tell you what you wanna know."


    "Hmm alright I''ll give you a chance."


    She handed me the Corus that easily? What if I ran away with it? If this was sold on the market, It would be pretty expensive.


    But wow this is an Aptum Corus.


    Wait! I have no time to stand here in awe. I need to use one of the tools here to check what the heck this is.


    Good thing the club left tools to appraise Corus like this one. Now let''s see here.


    "!!!!?"

 Chapter 6 - Squall

    Part 1


    "W-Why is it like this?"


    "Hmm?"


    The both started making a clueless face when the dwarf asked a random question all of a sudden.


    "Hey guys you''re sure that this is an Aptum Corus right? Who am I kidding this is an Aptum Corus but why is it.. this.."


    "Strong? Overpowered?"


    Aria''s eyes started shining greedily as she said those words. Aptum Coruses besides the ability to adapt to any kind of ship has a unique characteristic that it only possesses.


    The manufacturing process of this device is still a top secret of the Favonius Empire and only the Royal Family can distribute them.


    Normal Coruses however can be created even by students of the academy. They serve as a requirement to pass the graduation exam.


    The process of creating the two differ like heaven and earth.


    "..weak."


    "W-What?"


    Filled with disbelief, Valion started questioning the skills of the dwarf.


    "You''re kidding right? This is an Aptum Corus it should possess some unique ability or else the Dean wouldn''t hand it to us if it''s worthless."


    "Well it does have something like that but it''s weird and impractical."


    "What is it then?"


    "Let me demonstrate it to you instead. Here I''ll use the Corus to conjure magic. I''ll also activate it''s ability."


    "Please do."


    She placed her left hand on top of the Corus and raised her left hand. She then started gathering mana to create a magical attack.


    "I''ll be using mana orb."


    mana orb is the simplest magic attack in the arsenal of any magic user. As a pre-requisite any student of Sky Reacher Academy should have learned this upon enrollment.


    Even though they are learning how to fly Sky and Air Ships here, they also need some offensive magic for self defense if ever there is a situation that requires it.


    A Corus can also be used to amplify the magic of a person and that''s why during war or any kinds of battles, soldiers use small Coruses to amplify their magic.


    Their weapons are commonly imbued with small Coruses that increases the sharpness or durability. You can say that the Corus is the greatest invention of mankind since time immemorial.


    As she shaped a ball using her magic, she suddenly used the Corus to amplify the attack which to their surprise did something truly surprising.


    The magic ball suddenly turned huge and the concentration of magic increased exponentially but all of a sudden it shrank back to the usual size.


    "Do you understand now? This Corus can increase the strength of any magical attack but only for a moment."


    "Interesting."


    While saying that, Valion placed his hand on his chin as if he''s in deep thought and Aria went silent as well.


    Their actions clearly surprised Etsa because she thought that the two of them were always fooling around but when it comes to this they''re quite serious.


    "Aria.. We need to test this as soon as possible. Hey miss would you like to help as well?"


    "I don''t think I can help with fixing this Corus but if there''s any ship related things you need of me I''ll lend a hand."


    "Who said anything about fixing?"


    "Do you have an idea Val?"


    "Yeah but it requires testing. Let''s head to the hangar."


    "Okay."


    "W-Wait you two! Don''t leave me behind!"


    The two hastily left the room while Etsa struggled to catch up to them.


    Part 2


    The announcement that the freshman will pitted against the sophomore while the junior with the senior created such a buzz that even onlookers from other cities can''t help but watch the battles that are about to transpire.


    These yearly tournaments are not just for show, the final battle between the two victors today will have a match in front of the Emperor and the Royal Family two weeks after.


    The winner of that fight is commonly invited to join the Heaven''s Fleet even without graduating at the academy so it''s a great opportunity for those who''d like to graduate as soon as possible.


    A few days have passed since the appraisal of the Corus. Since then they''ve been practicing nonstop, Etsa even swore that her lifespan shortened due to the amount of tinkering she had to do on the spot.


    They don''t know if all the effort they put into honing their skills is enough but they''re confident that if they pull this off a chance of victory is not that far in sight.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Ely, are you ready?"


    "Yes. Leave the combat to me. I''ll be sure to put them down swiftly. I swear it on my house!"


    "You don''t need to be so uptight about it. This is just a practice match and not an actual battle.


    At best, this is a battle of pride so let''s just do our best okay?"


    "Yes."


    On the other side of the field is Valion and Aria. They''re putting last minute modifications to he sip that they''ll be using.


    "I hope this works."


    "Just don''t tell Etsa that we''re doing this. She''ll freak out if she knew that all the stabilizing she did was for naught."


    "Seriously Val, why did you make her do all those stabilizing stuff if we''re not gonna use it in this battle?"


    "I had three ideas on how to take advantage of this Corus but the two of them take time to work out so we''re going with the last one for now."


    "And that is?"


    "It''s better to show you. Just give me the control of what I ask whenever I request it okay?"


    "Fine."


    The two sky ships suddenly started powering up their coruses while waiting for the start of the match.


    Sky ships generally don''t need to be powered by a person''s own mana.


    The general power used in operating Sky Ships are called stilled mana.


    The difference between it and Pure mana released by the crew on the spot is that stilled can only provide the basic functions while the pure ones can be harnessed and altered.


    In a sense, stilled mana serves as a backup to a crew that exhausts their own.


    "3.. 2.. 1.. Start!"


    Elias started flying their ship named Squall at full power.


    Squall while flying straight to the enemy started being surrounded by mana orbs that revolve around the ship.


    These balls revolved ferociously as if guarding the ship itself.


    "So this is what they''ll use as both of offense and defense?


    That''s a really efficient way of using basic magic spells but managing that many requires great control of mana."


    Valion said this as he distanced their ship Stella away from Squall.


    At the rate of speed Squall was approaching it was clear that they wanted to end the match as soon as possible.


    ''He wants to end it quickly but I have other things in mind. I''ll use this battle to test out the limits of this Corus.''


    "Aria focus on defense and don''t use our Corus just give it your all. I need you to give me 3 minutes. Here I''ll give you the Main Control."


    "Making me use the three of four controls right off the bat huh?"


    "You think you can handle it?"


    "Don''t underestimate me!"


    Aria''s handed blurred as she controlled three of the ships functions while Valion handled the Combat Control.


    In a basic Sky Ship, there are commonly four controls: Main, Flow, Shield and Combat.


    These four are necessary to fly a sky ship and each of them serve an important purpose.


    The Main Control is in charge of navigating through the skies. It is also responsible when it comes to evading or chasing enemies.


    The Flow Control is what keeps the efficiency of the controls in check. The less focus the crew has in the Flow, the more sluggish the actions of the ships will become.


    The Shield Control is the primary defense of a Sky Ship. The release of mana which serves as an armor can keep attacks at bay until it breaks or is depleted.


    The Combat Control is the primary offense of a Sky Ship. A ship is generally equipped with a magic gun or a magun that can deploy magic projectile that can be fired to an enemy.


    There are also other ways of using Combat Control. The Squall is a primary example of this.


    Instead of using a magun, it releases mana orbs around the ship to act as an immediate offensive and defensive arsenal.


    Squall caught up to Stella after a few minutes of chase. The distance between them is closer than a few meters.


    In this distance, Squall started a barrage of mana orbs hitting Stella efficiently.


    If it weren''t for the barrier put up by Aria, the battle would''ve been already lost.


    "You don''t deserve to be in the sky! You''re place is on earth! No in hell! Disappear from my sight Notos!"


    Slowly but surely, Stella''s barrier started producing cracks.

 Chapter 7 - Stella

    Part 1


    "It ends now!"


    Seeing that the mana barrier has weakened, Elias readied more than a hundred mana orbs previously revolving around their ship to serve as the final attack.


    This put a considerable amount of stress to him. It''s enough to make an ordinary person exhaust all his mana.


    As soon as the selected mana orbs stopped, he directed them to Stella as if pushing them onto it.


    "!!!"


    Before the mana orbs hit the enemy ship, a surge of blue light exploded outward. This frightened not only Elias and Minnie but all of those who were watching.


    The hundred mana orb barrage quickly dispersed as a result.


    "Took you long enough."


    Aria with beads of sweat flowing down her head can finally relax as she focused her attention on the Flow and Main Controls.


    Seconds before the attack hit, Valion took control of the shields whose stabilizers were removed before the game started and applied the Corus'' ability.


    The surge of light was the result of their training.


    They realized that the Corus can only trigger a huge amount of power for a moment so the timing is essential to pull off a risky move like that.


    They called the ability ''Burst Trigger.''


    This ability can also be applied to the other controls but it also puts a certain amount of stress to the ship so using it often is not advisable.


    "Thanks for waiting. The Combat Control was really hard to destabilize. One wrong move and we''re toast."


    "Let''s end this."


    "Defeating them is tricky. When you think about it our ship is an empowered type while theirs is a projectile type.


    We need to close the distance but I''ll do more than that so full speed ahead. We''ll switch to offense!"


    There are three basic types of Sky Ships: Empowered, Projectile and Condition.


    Empowered types are also called melee type ships that can produce mana blades as their primary offensive weapon.


    They can still use guns but due to the focus on strengthening the close range combat power and defensive build.


    The focus would be too broad for people not used to switching functions rapidly or using mana blades and magun at the same time.


    Empowered types can still use maguns but they are inferior than those built on the projectile types.


    Projectile types are the long range shy ships. This type is the most common and most destructive of the three.


    They mainly focus on beating the enemy before they can even come close, sacrificing their defensive shields to put more focus on the maguns built onto them.


    This type of Sky Ship can dominate the sky if the combat controller is a good marksman.


    There are even Projectile type Sky Ships that have more than one combat controllers inside.


    Condition type are those that can provide support and cripple the enemy ships.


    They can disrupt the mana flow of a Sky Ships or even disable controls.


    A condition type plays an essential role in winning large scale battles due to their versatility.


    Some condition type can even repair damages from other ships under certain circumstances.


    "What are they doing now?"


    "Elias they''re switching to offense!"


    "Are they crazy?"


    The distance between them widened due to Squall distancing itself when the "Burst Trigger" was used.


    With this gap, Squall can easily rain mana orbs upon them so it''s not advisable.


    Valion knew the risks but he also trusted his skills and his partner.


    Stella went straight for the kill while Squall directed all the mana orbs to target the enemy ship.


    The two combat pilot were screaming as they gave it their all.


    Squall gathered all the remaining mana orbs and merged them into one concentrated sphere that is almost as big as Squall itself.


    Elias then pushed it towards Stella but it in turn released a mana surge similar to the one before to act as a shield.


    Stella''s barrier was near collapse when it got close to Squall.


    During the split second before the collision, Stella focused all it''s mana that''s previously enveloped across the ship as a shield and directed them to it''s nose creating a mana blade in the process.


    Following that, Valion used Burst Trigger to enlarge the blade enough to critically damage the enemy ship. The people watched as Squall was split into two by the giant blade made by Stella.


    "I.. Lost?"


    Elias was in disbelief as his ship fell down from the sky.


    He looked up and saw the enemy ship.


    He felt as if it''s looking down on him.


    "Elias you need to eject now! Elias!"


    Minnie knew that he was in a state of shock so before leaving she ejected Elias first.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.A Sky Ship has an ejection module that is located in the seats.


    It''s only function is to slow down the descent while invoking a mana shield around the chair to protect the person seated from debris.


    "Minnie.. I''m.. Sorry."


    The exhaustion and stress created by the battle was too much.


    As the crowds cheered for the victor, Elias blacked out.


    From afar, the Patriarch of House Eurus and his retainers watched as the two descended from the sky.


    "Lord Jora, forgive my son''s loss.


    He is still young and this will only make him stronger."


    "I''m not disappointed in what I saw. As a matter of fact, I''m delighted."


    "R-Really?"


    "You should be more proud of your son. Seeing his capabilities in mana manipulation, I''m excited to see what kind of pilot he''ll become."


    "To receive such praise! We''re not worthy my lord!"


    "Tell our men to help Elias and Minnie. They will need some time to recuperate from this so order all their training to be postponed for now."


    "Yes my lord!"


    ''Valion Notos. Son of Victor Notos. How high will you fly?''


    He stood up as he remembered the tragedy that has befallen to the Notos family. The only thing left now is regret and shame on his part.


    As he left, several men that may be his retainers and guards followed him closely.


    Part 2


    Stella sluggishly landed to the hangar where a pissed off Etsa is standing.


    She realized midgame that the stabilizers on the Combat and Shield Controls are disabled which not only damaged the ship permanently, it also made her efforts be in vain.


    She''s more sad than angry to be honest but not because they destabilized some of the controls but because she lacked foresight.


    The ability to maximize the potential of the Corus was her job but in the end it was the two that figured it out.


    As soon as the two got out, the ship broke down. It seemed that the damaged accumulated by the repeated use of the Corus degraded the ship''s durability.


    Using the Corus with normal material seemed like a no go. In order to use the Corus'' ability all the time, they needed something sturdier than metal.


    "Etsa! We won! We won!"


    Aria was brimming with happiness as she grabbed Etsa''s hands while jumping for joy.


    She was probably still high from the adrenaline but Etsa clearly understood how enjoyable it should be for Aria.


    "Yeah.. Congratulations. Now that you figured out how to maximize the potential of the Corus, I guess you won''t need my help anymore right?"


    "What are you talking about? It''s clearly not working if it leaves the ship in that state. We''ll need you to build us a ship that can withstand it''s ability."


    Valion said those words as he walked away from the two.


    Maybe just maybe it was his way of encouraging Etsa.


    "I.. see. I''ll do my best then."


    "We loo forward to working with you Etsa."


    Aria gripped her hands tightly, exposing her excitement.


    "Besides, the real battle is about to start. The final enemy we''re about to face will be quite troublesome after all."


    As Valion said that he looked at one of the screens in the hangar showing the next battle.


    The third and fourth year students'' battle just started. He watched as the third years'' ship exploded.


    The battle ended much faster than theirs did. And the victor was none other than Xeo Boreas, the heir of House Boreas.4


    "Hey Etsa. Do you have any information against Xeo?"


    "I only know what everyone knows. He''s the son of the Boreas Patriarch. His partner is Glenn Meses.


    Their ship is a Condition type but it''s quite a mystery what kind of condition it imposes on it''s enemies.


    The only thing I know is that it''s built by the Boreas family themselves meaning it has the advanced technology that family is known for."


    "Even without the condition they were still able to beat the third years with ease.


    If they can beat them without the Corus'' ability then we best be prepared for anything."


    "That''s much easier said than done though."


    Valion noticed Aria''s smile as she said those words. The time they spent together still didn''t give him a single clue as to how her mind works.


    "Then why are you smiling?"


    "Well won''t it be fun to figure out? It''s quite satisfying when we defeat really strong sky ships!"


    "I can''t deny that."


    "Valion.. Aria.. Are you saying that you have a chance of beating them?"


    Aria turned and looked at Etsa with a confident grin.


    She made a face that says it''s a secret while winking.


    This made Etsa befuddled of what''s about to come next.