《Mahō no Sainō》


 Chapter 1: Wind of Fate

    As daylight begins to peak into a bedroom, a young man is stirred awake. The chirping of birds and smell of cooked meat creeped into his room. The man slowly awoke as he rubbed his eyes and did a small stretch. By turning his head side to side, he scanned his room and got to his feet. Clearly still groggy from his rest, he grabs a change of clothes and exits the room. He then entered the bathroom and prepared for his day. The man brushed his teeth and then turned on the shower. As steam began to occupy the mirror, he knew the water was warm enough to get in.


    The man then slowly, yet carefully, stepped into the shower and stood there. An expression of boredom was painted across his face. He lets out a tired sigh, as if this routine was beneath him, as if he loathed this moment of intimacy with one''s self, as if he hated himself. After showering, the man stepped out and began to get dressed. He wiped away the steam that clouded the mirror.


    This man had a pale blue hue in his eyes, slightly tanned skin with several small patches of freckles, and short, curly black hair. His figure occupied a majority of the mirror, highlighting his height, as well as his mildly athletic build. Though he did have muscle, it wasn''t much of an abundance of such, indicating this was his natural physique.


    What his eyes lacked in potency were compensated with beauty. Though the man clearly showed discomfort in looking at himself, he paused for a moment and focused on his eyes. His eyes had always made him uneasy due to the contrast with his overall appearance. He holds little importance in his looks, but his eyes seemed to be deemed acceptable. The man then began to stroke his chin. His fingertips hardly make contact with his skin, as if he were fragile. His thumb then began brushing the small cluster of hairs on his chin. There weren''t many, but for whatever reason, he kept them there. He then started to massage from the area underneath his nose to right atop the chin. He did so in an oval shaped fashion, as if he could forcibly make new hairs appear. As his finger journeyed along his skin, The man made a small frown noticing droplets of water falling down his face.


    He then looked at himself and made a snapping motion with his left thumb and middle finger. He attempts this several times before becoming frustrated.


    "Ugh, come on!" the man said in a tone of annoyance. It finally worked and a minor gust of air swells between his fingers and hits his face. With an angered expression painted on his face, he analyzed himself in the mirror before changing and exiting the bathroom.


    "Sh¨­shin! Can you hurry up and get out of bed! Your food is going to get cold!" A voice shouted as he shut the bathroom door.


    "One second mother! I''ll be right down!" Sh¨­shin said as he walked down the stairs.


    Sh¨­shin then went down the stairs to enter the kitchen. His mother was busy cooking. Sensing he arrived, she turned to meet him with a smile and open arms. This woman held the same eyes as Sh¨­shin, yet had straight blonde hair with a few grey strands lurking around her head. Her skin tone was slightly lighter than her son''s, as well as lacking any sort of freckles upon her face. She laid out several plates for their meal. A dish with, what appeared to be a sort of stew and laid out another, soon to have whatever seared meat she was preparing. He had sat down and began to sample the stew. His mother hummed as she continued to cook their meal.


    "Now, I know that you are nervous, but I believe in you!" She said as she eagerly brought the cooked meat to a plate.


    "Thank you...but I have faith in my abilities..." Sh¨­shin mumbled with minor hesitance as he watched his mother transfer the dishes to the sink.


    "I know honey! I still remember when you were only up to my waist clinging to me! You''d ramble on and on about how strong you''d become! I always had fait-" The woman''s words were halted by a sudden crash of a glass to the floor.


    Sh¨­shin jumped to his feet, analyzed his mother, and then let out an exhausted sigh as he carefully began to collect the fragments of glass one bye one. "Y''know, he is gone...you don''t have to act anymore.." He said in a blunt tone that conveyed pain.


    Sh¨­shin''s words hung in the atmosphere, with a lingering ugliness filling the room for what felt like ages. His mother then broke the silence:


    "Whatever do you mean dear? I''m so excited I simply couldn''t contain myself! I just want you to pass your exam! Now hurry off, I can finish cleaning." His mother said before continuing her hum as she crouched down and started cleaning her mess.


    Sh¨­shin then darted back up to his room, debated on grabbing a bag, decided against it, and exited his home. Sh¨­shin''s mother then walked to the window to see him off. Her right hand began to shake as she grabbed it. "Honey...I can''t stop now...I can''t stand to see what I become if I do..." she said with a tiny sniffle as she returned to cleaning up her mess.


    Sh¨­shin took several heavy breaths as he blew on his hands. He looked up towards the sky as he sniffed the air.


    "It''s turning colder. I wonder if mom will be okay." Sh¨­shin thought as his hands scooped at the air, as if they could latch onto it.


    He then turned around and sighed once he couldn''t see his home any longer. His brain remained jumbled at the sight laid before his eyes moments ago. In an attempt to compose himself, he began to rub his hands together as he continued to walk. "Tsk." Sh¨­shin shook his head and grumbled. "I''m gonna have to tell her-" It is then that his vocalized thought was interrupted by a sudden booming voice.


    "HELLO EVERYONE! I AM SO GLAD TO GREET YOU ALL ON THIS LOVELY DAY!" The voice shouted out for all to hear. As this boastful man announced his message, Sh¨­shin''s body shuddered from the raw volume. "FOR THOSE WHO DON''T KNOW, MY NAME IS J. FORTUNE, AND TODAY IS THE ANNUAL EXAM TO GAIN ACCEPTANCE INTO THE ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCETON ALL ENCOMPASSING MAGICAL ACADEMY! THIS SCHOOL PROMOTES EQUALITY ABOVE ALL! REGARDLESS OF CIRCUMSTANCE, EXPERIENCE, AND LINEAGE! IT DOES NOT MATTER WHO YOU WERE, RATHER WHO YOU''LL BECOME! FOR THIS INTEGRAL IDEALS IS WHY MAGES HAVE FLOCKED ALL OVER THE CONTINENT OF KYOGURENA TO PARTAKE IN THIS EXAM. OVER 300 PARTICIPANTS ENTER AND ONLY THE TOP 50 ARE ALLOWED A SPOT TO ATTEND THE ACADEMY! THE EXAM HAS VARIOUS UNSPOKEN ASPECTS THAT ARE CONSTANTLY EVALUATED! SO BE ON GUARD AND I HOPE YOU FOLKS CONSIDER YOURSELF LUCKY! THIS YEAR, THIS VERY EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE NEUTRAL DISTRICT! HELP YOURSELVES TO SPECTATING THE EXAM & MAKE SURE YOU SPREAD SUPPORT FOR ALL WHO PARTICIPATES!"


    As J''s broadcast came to an end, Sh¨­shin''s pace increased as he constantly looked over his shoulder. "Great, now I have to make sure I get there early..." he thought to himself as he raced towards the venue.


    A mob of people clamored the streets. Some spectators, while some occupied local businesses. The Neutral District was the apex of human interaction. Thousands of conversations filled the immediate area. Sh¨­shin tried to navigate through the crowd of people, but ultimately failed. He remained at a standstill, and flopped down and sat at a nearby street corner. As he sat there defeated, he wondered about the exams. His face filled with anxious anticipation, so much so he began to sweat. He got lost in thought until he felt a tug at his shoulder. Sh¨­shin looked over and saw a little girl. This mysterious girl wasn''t even half of Sh¨­shin''s height. She had pale skin and short, blonde hair. She released her grasp on his sleeve and flashed a small plush animal in his face. The plush appeared to be some sort of bear-like creature. She held it there in silence for a moment, before speaking:


    "What''s the matter mister? I saw you look all scared." The girl said behind the bear, allowing the toy to hold the conversation in her stead.


    After raising a brow, Sh¨­shin replied "I''m not scared.." He then facepalmed and took a more stern tone. "Why do I have to talk to a bear?"


    Ignoring his question, she continued talking through the bear. "My mommy told me that whenever you''re afraid to face something, as long as you face it, even with your eyes closed it counts!"


    "Listen, fear isn''t so simple to handle. When you''re older, you''ll get the understanding of fear. Am I afraid right now? Heck no! I just...I am caught in a lie that-" Sh¨­shin then caught himself and put up a veil of silence. For the first time, he observed the small child. The vibe she gave off confused him immensely, to the point the hair on his arms stood up. Sh¨­shin then looked at his hand and took one final look at the girl and the toy. He extended his hand and patted the toy on its head.


    "Thank you, your mom is very smart, continue to listen to her." Sh¨­shin said in a kind tone. His body language returned to normal. The sweating seized and the feeling of anxiety dissipated.


    The child giggled. "Okay mister! Just remember!" the girl said before closing and then pointing to her eyes as she clutched her toy. "Even if you look away, if you still move forward, you tackle fear!"


    She then skipped into the crowd down the street and disappeared from sight.


    Sh¨­shin sighed softly as he clasped his fist tight. He inspected his closed hand and a small smile crept in on his face. "I think...I''ll be able to face her now."


    As he collected himself once more, now filled with determination, Sh¨­shin hurried through the crowd. Ducking, squeezing, and zipping through all sorts of people. By overhearing the multiple conversations, he managed to head in the right direction to the exam grounds. After traversing through hundreds of people, he finally saw a massive opening at the end of the crowd.


    Before his eyes was a grand, paved array of stone tablets on the ground. They stretched out to a small portion of the Neutral District. Before him laid hundreds of competitors all across the assorted stone.


    By scanning the crowd, Sh¨­shin''s attention was drawn to a few individuals. First, a boy who appeared to be roughly his age. He had long, black hair that dropped down his face with spiky tips at the end. The man also sported a healed gash on the left side of his temple. The scar itself didn''t look recent, however, it didn''t hinder his appearance. His skin was the tone of peach. He held a tense expression upon his face whilst gripping a staff that appeared to be made of some stony like material. The clothes he wore looked geared for combat. They exposed a bit of his abdomen, which was fairly muscular. Sporting a build similar to his own as well how he stood, Sh¨­shin could only think:


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    "He''s kind of cool"


    Another individual that caught his attention. A girl with light, green hair. Her eyes were solid black. He seemed alarmed at this.


    "Freaky" he thought as he continued to look on.


    Upon further inspection, he noticed how petite she is. Not only was she below what the normal height a woman should be, she was also scarily thin.


    "Even I could''ve probably knock her down"


    His attention fluctuated between a man who had bandages concealing his face, a woman with orange hair, a man with pointy ears, and a man sporting fangs. With his analysis concluded, he looked on as a loud tapping sound could be heard.


    "Hello...?" J. Fortune asked as he fiddled with a small device. "Ah, It works! Welcome all to the annual Illustrious Princeton All Encompassing Magical Academy entrance exam! I am your host, J. Fortune, and with the help of several instructors at the academy, we''ll be able to evaluate your performance. We simply need to gauge your general combat strength, so this stage...will become a battlefield!"


    The crowd of mages remained silent, except for a few small murmurs.


    Without hesitation, the dark hair boy that Sh¨­shin saw stamped his foot. Doing so caused a pillar of rock to erect from the ground. He stood firmly and looked down on everyone in attendance. He took an exaggerated deep breath and shouted to the crowd:


    "MY NAME IS FLINT! COME FACE ME IF YOU DARE! I''LL SHOW MY WORTH!" As Flint''s voice boomed for all ears to hear, Sh¨­shin couldn''t look away. As he stared upward at Flint, he thought to himself:


    "Flint..., that guy is really cool!"


    The man with pointed ears then smiled and began to scale the pillar constructed by Flint. "I''ll show you true combat!" He howled as he sped up the pillar. Flint then jumped down. The man with pointed ears immediately adapted an expression of fear. "Wh-" He was swiftly met with Flint''s full weight landing on his midsection. Flint then continued his assault until using the man as a cushion for his descent. All who witnessed this were spun into a frenzy and began an all out brawl.


    "THAT IS PASSION! THAT IS GRIT! AND THAT IS OUR FIRST STAND OUT PARTICIPANT, FLINT!" J. Fortune narrated the brawl.


    As the brawl continued, the spectators would see immense magic clashing. The raw magical power emitted from this bout made it hard to contain any excitement. The common folk were caught up in the chaos and began cheering for their favorite fighters.


    "I wanna see Flint win!" Shouted a man with a beard.


    "No way! That guy with the white hair is so cool! Look how he throws a punch!" Said a scrawny fellow in retaliation.


    The two men began to bicker back and forth, but Sh¨­shin was too fixated on the battles to care. Scanning the entire scene, he saw a multitude of elements being spun and twisted around in the air. He felt entranced by this exam and all those people involved. As his heart pounded heavily after every hit endured, it was then he noticed a small stuffed animal far away on the ground. His eyes widened as he looked once more. There was no mistake, it was the little girl''s toy.


    Sh¨­shin then panicked. He began to tap the shoulder of everyone nearby in an attempt to get them to listen but the battle had begun to ramp up. Everyone present was too focused on the fights that Sh¨­shin''s plan failed.


    "Maybe that Fortune guy can make an announcement? I didn''t get too good of a look at him anyways, plus it''ll be silly to stop this major exam for a children''s toy."


    Sh¨­shin, committed to his rationalization, but then thought:


    "What if it is there cause she got hurt..."


    Sh¨­shin inches a foot forward as he debated about retreating into the crowd. He then closed his eyes and imagined the smile she gave him. It wasn''t too peculiar to see a child smile, but what is off about them is emotion. A child doesn''t have a way to conceal happiness or fear.


    "What if she''s crying somewhere? What if she gets hurt? I''m the only one who knows she could be there..."


    Sh¨­shin then took a large gulp, tried to suppress any thoughts that would conflict him moving forward, put his hands over his face, and ran onto the field.


    Fireballs filled the air, the cry of wild animals, and a storm of foreign material all circulated around Sh¨­shin. As he dashed around the battlefield, Sh¨­shin focused on two things. Retrieving the doll, and locating the child. When the doll was within arm''s reach, a stray fireball flew directly towards him, but luckily was blocked by something. An orb of similar size smacked into it, causing it to fizzle into nothingness. Sh¨­shin was too afraid to take a look at what was going on before him, so this went completely unnoticed. After what felt like forever, Sh¨­shin finally reached the small stuffed toy. He let out a sigh of relief and picked it up.


    "This is definitely her doll, now where is she?"


    Sh¨­shin squinted as he patrolled the exam grounds. The massive carnival of mana was so much his head began to hurt. Whilst having one hand covering his head, and the other holding her doll, he tried to avoid contact with all the hectic competitors as he continued his search. Sh¨­shin was practically invisible due to the scale of this stage. Like a crafty rat, Sh¨­shin pussyfooted through the combat until he saw a worrisome scene. A mage wielding fire expended an open palm to the little girl, ready to strike. Using all his strength, Sh¨­shin dashed over and tackled her out of the way as the man propelled a burst of flame, scorching the ground.


    "What are you doing here!" Sh¨­shin shouted at the little girl.


    "I-I''m sorry! I was looking for my toy! I lost it and thought it would be here..." She saw Sh¨­shin had been clasping it and beamed from ear to ear. "You found it!"


    "I did, you''re lucky. But what kind of logic is that? Plus why is he attacking you!"


    "Hey!" The mage called out.


    Sh¨­shin finally examined his appearance. His build was nothing too special. He sported a buzz cut, white skin, and average height. This man had as much flavor as tap water.


    "You''re wondering why I''m frying that girl? Well first, she insulted me. Second, she kept bugging me about some stupid doll. Plus, those eyes. I don''t like them. They bug me something fierce. So move out of my way, I''m gonna take care of her."


    Sh¨­shin sensing the tension in the air, stood up and spread his arms outward. Fearing for the girl''s safety, he tried to speak to the mage.


    "Listen man! She''s just a kid. Let her wander off. It''s a bad look for a mage to be such a thug."


    "A thug? How insulting, I''m a modest guy who just does what he wants, and I wanna hurt that kid. Now move, I''m not repeating myself."


    Sh¨­shin turned his head to look at the child. He forced a smile and nodded to her before turning around.


    "I can''t let..." he muttered, avoiding eye contact.


    "Huh? Speak up! I''m seriously low on patience!"


    "I can''t let you hurt this little girl! I''m gonna take her away from here and save her from...thugs like you!" He yelped out.


    The thug looked Sh¨­shin up and down before exploding into laughter.


    "BWAHAHAHA! Save who? I doubt ya understand but you are the literal bottom of the barrel!" Though filled with anxiety and fear, Sh¨­shin couldn''t help but be perplexed at his odd insult. "I doubt you''d realize this yourself but a common wild animal probably holds more mana than you. You are seriously outclassed. I get putting on a front for a girl, but doing it to look cool in front of a child? Down right depressing! You are gonna be the first fish I fry here! Being allowed at this exam proves I''m in the top 300 of the next generation of mages. A body or two won''t bury my name before I can reach the top!" The thug said coldly.


    A chill then shot down Sh¨­shin''s spine. "This guy is serious! He really wants to kill me! I''ll just grab the kid and run! she''s right behind me, I can do this. I''ll use all my might and run away!" The second Sh¨­shin completed his thought, he was met with an intense heat. Confused, he hardly perceived the incoming blow. With a fist reinforced with flame, the thug prepared to strike.


    Sh¨­shin couldn''t process this sudden change in events. He felt as if time stood still as he pondered what would become of him.


    "What? For real? There is no way he is that fast. I couldn''t even let out a breath or respond to him. This is power? It is terrifying! Is it almost here? When will it happen? Now? In a second? In five seconds? I don''t like pain, but I hate the anticipation of it even more. I hate things that get dragged out. I don''t want this to last any longer. Why did I even move...?" Sh¨­shin gritted his teeth, bracing for impact. He was well aware of the reality of his situation. Within a moment, he''ll be planted into the ground by this man''s full strength. A realization washed over Sh¨­shin. "I jumped in due to her kindness. She saw me in a pitiful state and rather than laugh, she uplifted me. I suppose that is what a relationship is? Give and take...! The least I can do is make sure one little girl doesn''t get hurt! C''mon I can''t be that embarrassing!"


    In a final act of desperation, survival, and luck,  Sh¨­shin instinctually blocked his vision by putting the little girl''s stuffed animal in front of his face. He thought back to what she had said to him. "Even if you face it without looking it counts right! I''ll accept the pain, and that''ll give her time to escape. That is all I can manage...but that is wrong! I''m afraid. It is going to be painful. Every part of my body is telling me to run! I wish I could just blast him away!"


    "Eat shit, you scrub!" The thug called out as the flame upon his hand burned brighter.


    Sh¨­shin prematurely winced at the pain and made a snapping motion with his left thumb and middle finger.


    A faint whooshing sound filled the area as a baby blue aura then outlined Sh¨­shin''s frame, being the most potent from the small toy. The aura that surrounded him condensed itself and retreated to the fingers he just snapped. The compiled aura then released, firing off a massive wave of wind. The impact smacked the thug directly in his core. Sh¨­shin''s gamble had so much force behind it, the thug''s feet began to drag and tear at the ground beneath him as he was sent rag dolling back through the air before crashing into a nearby building. The colored aura then slowly disappeared from Sh¨­shin. He fell to one knee due to fatigue and relief. His body felt heavy yet hollow at the same time. Sh¨­shin took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and got to his feet.


    As Sh¨­shin steadied himself, he analyzed his surroundings. He saw the motionless man that he blasted away, a small crater that stretched far ahead of him, and noticed a flow of new life in the air.


    "No way! That was...me? Could I really manage something like that?"


    Astonished by what just happened, he turned around with a nervous smile.


    "Ya see that! You''re safe n-" As he spoke, he realized the little girl was no longer behind him. Her small stuffed animal was no longer in his hand. Before he could question it, he then faltered slightly as a ringing occupied his ears, his vision blurred, and he felt a warm sensation spread from the core of his stomach. After taking a moment to collect himself, he simply chose to ignore it.


    "It probably just got blasted away when-"


    Sh¨­shin then felt a hand touch his shoulder. Sh¨­shin''s entire frame shuddered upon contact. The fear that Sh¨­shin had prior was nothing compared to now. He knew full and well whatever was touching him held unfathomable pressure. The slightest contact swarmed his emotions into a frenzy, however, he remained frozen. Unable to move away, his body shook, a voice coming from behind him then called out:


    "Woah! That was insane! The best way to describe it is probably...unrefined beauty! I''m Omoi, Let''s chat".

 Chapter 2: Floater

    I recall it well. The way his presence alone made me shake and cower, the way my frame shuttered yet my feet were glued in place, and the way I truly believed my life was over. This man, no, this anomaly, had me cemented in fear. This overwhelming power he had over me felt like it lasted an eternity. This feeling isn¡¯t one anyone should be accustomed to, it is a reminder of weakness. I couldn¡¯t focus on anything until he spoke to me.


    ¡°Hey, are you feeling alright?¡±


    Sh¨­shin then collapsed under the fatigue of the attack he pulled off coupled with this man¡¯s aura. He struggled to breath as he attempted to inch away. The man then placed his hand on his shoulder, causing a purple hue to fill Sh¨­shin¡¯s frame as he finally regained his senses, which led to Sh¨­shin to take labored breaths .The man retreated briefly, removing his hand from Sh¨­shin¡¯s shoulder allowing him a moment of rest.


    I can breathe again! Who is this guy? He¡¯s strong, definitely stronger than that fire guy. I wonder why he¡¯s so¡­different? The air around him isn¡¯t the same-


    The mysterious man extended a free hand to Sh¨­shin to assist him. ¡°C¡¯mon, allow me to help you.¡±


    Sh¨­shin hesitates for a moment. His body instinctually didn¡¯t want to touch this man, but his heart felt intrigued by his genuinity in his voice.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No need. I should be apologizing to you, I¡¯m the one who caused you a great deal of discomfort.¡± The man stated honestly. He then bowed to Sh¨­shin in an effort to make amends.


    What? He¡¯s apologizing? Plus what is that motion? I¡¯ve never seen it before? Would it be rude to copy? He thought as he was confused by his unordinary behavior. Is it rude to ignore?


    ¡°Please sir, don''t apologize!¡± Sh¨­shin then mimicked the man¡¯s action, and bowed even further down.


    The man chuckled. ¡°You copied my apology? I guess we¡¯re both sorry.¡±


    Sh¨­shin let out a phony laugh. ¡°Yeah, I suppose so.¡±


    The man suddenly began to stare at Sh¨­shin. His glare was intense and unrelenting. The atmosphere changed in sporadic fashion as his tone hardened towards Sh¨­shin. ¡°Why did you just lie to me? Is there something you can¡¯t own up to in your heart? I can sense when someone is being dishonest, and you are drenched in shame, and that¡¯s due to a lie.¡±


    Sh¨­shin was yet again confused by his barrage of comments. ¡°What do you mean¡­uh¡­what was your name again?¡±


    ¡°Omoi. Now, what¡¯s with this facade?¡±


    ¡°What? What are you on about!¡±


    This guy is seeing right through me! Does he know I¡¯m not supposed to be here? Plus he called me for lying? This just feels like trouble. I should leave-


    Omoi then grabbed his wrist and locked eyes. ¡°Young man, it¡¯s okay. Be truthful. If you can¡¯t accept it, I will. I¡¯ve been in the world longer than you, plus I can assure you I understand more than most. If you want a response, I¡¯ll respond. If you want silence, you¡¯ll be met with silence. If you just want someone to listen, I am that man. So, free yourself of this self inflicted burden. Youth have no reason to feel such negative emotions. Bear to me all that shackles you, I am the man who will do this for you if no one else can.¡±


    Omoi¡¯s tone was overwhelmingly earnest as he spoke to Sh¨­shin. His words pierced through his flesh, ensnaring his heart in a whirlwind of emotion.


    Seriously! Who are you? During all this chaos you dare to have a heart to heart with a stranger? There¡¯s no explanation for this besides stupidity. But¡ªI want to. As much as I want to ignore these heroic comments, I can¡¯t. Something deep within me is latching on to his words, It is like they are magic¨C


    ¡°Look, I have an exam to return to. I¡¯m fine, thank you.¡± Sh¨­shin¡¯s demeanor was very squeamish as he hastily tried to break free.


    ¡°Ignore the exam, I know you have something to say. Drown out everything else. Focus on me, focus on my voice, focus on your truth.¡±


    Sh¨­shin¡¯s mind was stuck in utter confusion. He couldn¡¯t fathom as to why this man was so insistent on listening to him.


    ¡°Listen Mr. Omoi, this isn¡¯t nec¨C¡±


    Omoi¡¯s conviction was as plain as day. He stood there, unbothered by Sh¨­shin¡¯s protest.


    ¡°Please! You¡¯ve distracted me long enough! I am fine, and I am leaving!¡±


    Omoi chuckled softly as he brought a hand to Sh¨­shin¡¯s face.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why are you crying?¡±


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    Startled by this, Sh¨­shin patted down his face to feel tears escaping his eyes as they fell down his face. Omoi stood and watched the young man cope with his sudden rush of emotion.


    What the hell? Why couldn''t I tell I¡¯m crying? I haven¡¯t cried since-


    Sh¨­shin put both his hands to his face, in an attempt to shield Omoi¡¯s sight of his tears.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, tears are nothing. Let them run wild and free until you can¡¯t cry any longer!¡±


    ¡°No! I can¡¯t! I¡¯m not allowed to-¡°


    ¡°Who the hell said you couldn¡¯t cry! Show me and I¡¯ll take em down!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous! You can¡¯t solve my problems!¡±


    ¡°My name is Omoi, and my dream in this world is to help as many people until I draw my last breath. That includes you! Now, embrace how you feel! All that weakness, all that fatigue, all your guilt, encompass it into your tears and cry!¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡°


    Omoi then held Sh¨­shin with the compassion of an angel. Sh¨­shin was defenseless to such abrasive empathy, resulting in him letting his emotions be true as he wept like an infant.


    The day Omoi held me in his arms was a day I will never forget. The way he pierced my heart with his words that made all my pain rush forth has never left my mind. Amidst the chaos of the entrance exam, I felt like we were in our own secluded universe. The way he coddled me as if I was his own kin was edged into my flesh. He saved me, from myself. He released the latch of sadness that dwelled in my soul. I can¡¯t recall much after I caved to his words. I faintly remember getting immensely fatigued, until everything slowly disappeared from sight. My last thought was that it was very nice to be held, Omoi¡¯s arms were very warm.


    ###


    I feel like¡­ I''m warm. I can¡¯t explain how but I am warm. It feels so nice, so peaceful. I don¡¯t want it to end¡­but where am I¡­?


    Sh¨­shin''s thoughts finally escaped to reality as his eyes slowly opened. He studied his surroundings to see he was in an unfamiliar area. By patting what his body laid on, he figured he was in a bed of some sort. With several turns of his head, Sh¨­shin tried to make sense of this mysterious room he found himself in. As he attempted to lift himself forward, a darting pain filled his entire body forcing him to lay motionless.


    ¡°Ah! That hurts! What the heck? I can¡¯t move!¡±


    As Sh¨­shin yelped out in pain, a door in the furthest corner of the room slowly opened, revealing Omoi holding a small container.


    ¡°Hey kid! Good to see you are finally awake! How¡¯re ya feelin?¡±


    ¡°Omoo..?¡±


    ¡°It''s Omoi, and how are your injuries?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m just a tad bit sore, what happened to me?¡±


    ¡°Well, I found you amongst the crowd of 300 participants, to which you weren¡¯t registered for the exam. I figured you might be someone who didn¡¯t qualify so I was going to remove you myself, but then you shocked me! That sudden burst of pressure¡­had to be Air Magic correct? Plus the force you had behind it easily rivaled most prospects there. Though you didn¡¯t stand out as the annual prodigy, you definitely caught my attention.¡±


    Sh¨­shin couldn¡¯t help but fail to contain a faint genuine smile at the thought of someone finding him worthy of attention. Noticing this, Omoi''s eyes softened and he moved closer as he continued speaking.


    ¡°So, I rushed to you immediately. I saw you completely laid out one of the participants of the exam. He did attempt to break a rule, for that he¡¯ll be dealt with.¡±


    ¡°Rule? What rule?¡±


    ¡°Everything needed to pass the exam isn¡¯t said by word of mouth. If it was common knowledge what you needed to display to pass, why test anyone? The criteria do differ every year, this year¡¯s main focal point was to hone in on those who lack a shallow heart.


    Sh¨­shin raised an eyebrow. ¡°Shallow¡­heart?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. For example, a participant named Flint immediately ushered the battle to start with him at the center. A move like this is either hubris or grit, which his skills displayed was not just for show. A few other participants had similar displays of confidence, integrity, courage, and heart. But, none ever dared to focus on one that wasn¡¯t themselves.¡±


    Omoi then pointed to Sh¨­shin.


    ¡°That is where you came in. The young man who showed the exam¡¯s core principles without even being qualified to enter! Ain¡¯t it funny how the world works?¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡± Sh¨­shin began to fidget in his bed.


    ¡°Hey, Don¡¯t stress the fact that you weren¡¯t a participant. You already had your emotional episode a few days ago.¡±


    Sh¨­shin¡¯s face began to get flooded in a hue of red as he avoided eye contact. ¡°Please don¡¯t remind me!¡±


    Omoi broke into laughter. ¡°Nothing to be ashamed of young man! Real men accept all emotions equally!¡±


    Sh¨­shin then relaxed. ¡°Wait, Omoi you said a few days?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right...uh¡­what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Sh¨­shin¡±


    Omoi smiled. ¡°Sh¨­shin, I won¡¯t forget it. But yes, you¡¯ve been here for roughly a week.¡±


    ¡°A WEEK? I HAVE TO GO HOME!¡± Sh¨­shin shouted as he rose to his feet.


    ¡°Hey hey hey, it is all good. Your home is waiting for ya!¡±


    ¡°What? I have to¡­¡± Sh¨­shin clasped his shirt, right above his chest. ¡°I have to go check on my mother!¡±


    Omoi placed a hand on Sh¨­shin¡¯s shoulder in an attempt to calm him. ¡°Does your mother have the same eyes as you with blonde hair?¡¯


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Perfect! I ran into her as I left the exam grounds in the Neutral Zone. She had seen me taking you here after you fell unconscious. I explained to her that you¡¯d be completely taken care of, free of cost, but that didn¡¯t matter to her.¡±


    Omoi removed his hand and pointed to his face. ¡±She had tears running down her saying stuff like ¡°Did he pass?¡± ¡°This exam means so much to him! ¡°Please tell me he did.¡± What a mother, she put your dreams above all.¡±


    Sh¨­shin¡¯s gaze became glued to the floor as Omoi spoke.


    ¡°That is so like my mother¡­I can¡¯t believe she actually came. She must be disappointed in me for lying. I have to face her now, I have no choice but to¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold your head high! I¡¯m not such a heartbreaker to where I¡¯d tell your mother about your lie. It was my pleasure to let her know that as soon as you¡¯re healed, you¡¯d be starting at Princeton All Encompassing Magical Academy.¡±


    Sh¨­shin looked up with a sudden burst of life. ¡°WHAT?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this is your debt for lying. You¡¯ve been given an outlet to follow the dreams you¡¯ve so passionately held. I¡¯ve discovered you, so show me who Sh¨­shin truly is. Soon enough, you¡¯ll shine as brightly as the stars themselves.¡±


    Sh¨­shin couldn¡¯t believe what Omoi had told him. His ears clung to every word he said and held on for dear life, as if letting go would cause them to become false.


    Even in failure I can¡¯t own up to my lie, I just got absurdly lucky. I¡¯m sorry mother, please forgive me for living this lie for a bit longer¡­


    ¡°So, am I really going to be living there?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Per my strings pulled as the top professor, You¡¯ll be starting in Class A, as my personally recommended floater!¡±


    ¡®Floater?¡± Sh¨­shin had sat down to truly understand his situation.


    ¡°Princeton All Encompassing Magical Academy has 4 total classes for their 1st year students. Each class has 15 students in classrooms that hold a maximum capacity of 16 students.¡±


    Sh¨­shin then began to count on his fingers. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, does that mean there is space for 64 total students? Plus  that J. Fortune guy said there were only 50 people who could pass?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be correct for both points. We do only officially accept 50 people to pass the exam, however, the next 10 applicants that range within passing scores still join our school. It is a well hidden fact so that everyone who attends gives their all during the examination process. Then the professors of all 4 classes come together to pick 1 applicant who didn¡¯t necessarily have to pass to become floaters. Each person chosen is a standout for various other reasons besides a passing grade. Each classroom holds 3 professors, with 12 total. I didn¡¯t discuss it with Loki or the vixen so you have to live up to their expectations.¡±


    ¡°What? How am I supposed to do that?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s 2 weeks left before the first day of class. Within those 2 weeks I¡¯ll help you improve. So get ready, I¡¯m going to make you the greatest floater the academy has ever seen!¡±