Grey Vritra

It has been three weeks since the three of us made our way to the academy. These past few weeks have been 'normal' for some time and I enjoyed my stay here. A few crazy things happened but all of it is something I already considered as normal. After all, the things that has happened to me to this point is something out of a novel.

I sat next to Caera who's sitting to the middle row of this arena like classroom. Right now, both me and Caera are attending the class 'melee enhancement' which to me, sounded terrible. “Who named all this classes? Even I have a better naming sense than them." I thought, moving a little to the side closing my distance to Caera.

That day, I confirmed that Caera indeed has a feeling for me. Of course it is mutual, but the two of us decided that we should stay like this for a while. For the betterment of our relationship and feelings for each other. I know that Caera already accepts me for who I am and I accept her as well. But we aren't really rushing for anything. We just want to take it easy and enjoy our youth before the war.

The two of us selected the 'Melee enhancement' and 'Training for ascents' class. You can tell by its name what kind of class it already is. While Nico chose 'Research of relic artifacts' basically just like Gideon's class back in Xyrus and 'Spellform flexibility mechanics' where the teachers help the students make their spell forms more diverse, finding new ways on how to usefully use it.

After we chose the classes, all of it immediately moved schedule, moving it in the morning session. And of course it's all done by that old snake for the sake of our training. In the morning, the three of us jogs around the campus and then purify our cores before heading out to our respective classes. It may be a simple and not that useful but doing something is better than doing nothing.

The 'melee enhancement' class just ended and all the students started packing their things and some are already exiting the room. I stood up from my seat and offered my hand to Caera who accepted it. We exited the classroom and walked to my room to wait for Nico who have the tempus wrap to Taegrin Caelum. We've been constantly going back and forth to the academy and Taegrin Caelum because of Cadell's training.

Arriving in the room, I let Caera use the bathroom first so that she can change to her training clothes. While I just sat on the chair to wait for Caera to finish. Caera entered the bathroom and left me alone producing an awkward silence in the room. The silence continued but because of my enhanced hearing I can hear the rustling of clothes as Caera undress herself there. I tried covering my ears but my desires won, and I continued to listen.

After a few minutes which felt like hours for me, Caera finally came out of the bathroom. She was about to speak but I stood up quickly and entered the bathroom to hide the redness on my face.

(Is that really the one he wants to hide? (⁠ ͡⁠°⁠ ͜⁠ʖ⁠ ͡⁠° )  )

I closed the door and a sigh escaped my mouth. “That was dangerous, Curse this hormones.” I thought, before changing to my training clothes.

//////

I walked out of the bathroom with my new clothes and waited for Nico to arrive. While waiting for him to arrive, me and Caera talked about random things until we reached an interesting topic.

“Caera, what about the horn I gave you? How much do you think have you absorb already?" I asked her

“I already absorbed more than half of it. I think I would be able to finish it in a few days." Caera explained which surprised me, absorbing a will should take at least more than a month to finish, yet she's almost finished doing it a few weeks earlier.

It can be because I already drained all the mana inside, leaving the beast will there to be easily absorbed. Or is it because Caera is a Vritra and is very compatible with the will. If the will of an S-rank beast, Elderwood Guardian has its own consciousness, Then it means the horn have one too. Considering that it belongs to an Asura.

“Do you feel any pain everytime you absorb it?"

“No, but everytime I do it. There's a weird sensation that something is guiding me. And there's the woman too." She explained to me

“Woman? what do you mean?" I asked not getting what she meant.

“There's a time that a woman showed up. She kinda resembles the high sovereign, and she has the same horns as me."

“So it's the owner of the beast will huh?” I have the same experience with the Elderwood Guardian back then when I peeked inside of its core. But what I'm more curious now is the woman in the horn. If the woman really has a resemblance to that snake, then the horn really belongs to someone related to Agrona as I suspect it to be.

“Did he plan this again? I don't really know, I don't care as long as Caera is safe with it." I thought and I heard the door open.

“looks like the two of you are here already, I'll get dressed and we'll go." Nico said heading straight to the bathroom.

We waited for a few minutes and Nico finally got out of the bathroom. The three of us walked closer to each other and just like that, Nico activated the tempus wrap.

//////

Arriving to Taegrin Caelum successfully. Not to brag about it, but I'm now used to how the tempus wrap works. Making me not dizzy every time we use it again. We immediately walked to the top floor not to make Cadell wait. Being late means our training will be doubled based on how many minutes we arrived after the required time.

Arriving at the training room, there we saw Cadell just standing there menacingly, waiting for us to arrive.

“The three of you, are you ready?" Said Cadell, summoning his sword out of nowhere.

//////

Thud*

Nico just fell down on his butt, exhausted fighting Cadell. Caera and me aren't allowed to use spell forms while fighting Cadell. While Nico is the only one allowed to use any spell form he wants. The training goes like this. We need to protect Nico from Cadell until the time runs out. Of course Nico is also allowed to attack Cadell with his spells and run away from him.

This is our only team training for the past three weeks and we go to our own separate trainings based on what we're lacking. Cadell trains Nico physically, while he trains Caera on her swordsmanship and the use of her soul fire. Surprisingly to me, Cadell trains me with all of the four basic elements.

Cadell is a Tri-elemental mage that uses decay mana to make them strong and sometimes combines them to be stronger. Fire mana becomes soul fire. Wind mana becomes a void black cloud able to cause erosion. Earth mana becomes black metal he uses with a weird shadow ability. This is the same thing Uto used when we fought. And the last is water mana that turns into acid. Even though Cadell can't use water mana, he easily explained to me how to use it. Making me respect him more. He is undeniably the best teacher that ever trained me.

Cadell gave us a twenty minute break and we'll start training individually. I then sensed a foreign yet familiar mana signature nearing to the training room. I stood up and looked around, and it seems that only me and Cadell are the ones who noticed it.

The door slammed open revealing a pretty girl with a blood red hair down to hermid back. Her orange, almost golden eyes shines like the sun. Her mana core can't be sensed signifying that she's a white core or the stage above the white core Sylvia told me about.

She stood there smiling, she looked at me first and then looked at Nico. Nico also looked at her and froze. He also felt the weird sense of closeness we have with this girl.

“Are you-

“Cecil?" Nico cut my words off, confirming that we really are thinking of the same thing.

“Grey, Nico, I'm finally back." She said and Nico rushed and hugged her making them fall to the ground. I stood there happy watching the two of the few people I care about reuniting together.

“Grey! Why don't you join here too?!" Cecilia shouted with a voice full of joy, a joy I haven't saw in her for quite a long time.

“No! I don't want Nico's snot and tears near my body!" I shouted back and sat down while the two chuckled, still hugging each other.

"Is that the Cecilia you're talking about?" Caera asked, sitting down next to me.

“Yes, I'm glade they're happy." I replied, putting my head on her shoulder. With her also putting her head on top of mine.

“You always prioritize others before yourself. You should change that habit."

“I will try." I replied hugging her waist. Caera is the only one I felt like this on both lives. Whenever I'm with her I just feels comfortable. She even feels better than home. It is a soothing, calm feeling I can't explain.

“Well, aren't you guys so sweet." I heard a familiar voice on the entrance of the training room. I looked up and saw Agrona there, leaning on the frame of the door.

The two, Cecilia and Nico broke their hug. While Caera tried to break ours too but I didn't let go of her.

“W-what are you doing?" Caera whispered to me in panic.

“Don't mind him." I replied not caring at all.

“You idiot!" Caera whispered a shout to my ears and I just chuckled.

“Not to waste my time, all of you will now live here and continue training for a month." Agrona said and finally walked inside the training room.

"And of course, that means that you won't be attending the academy anymore." He said and stopped walking in the middle of the room.

"Do you know why your training has been like that from the start? It's because of a simple reason. To protect Cecilia, as I'll send the four of you in the relictombs to gain experience. Relictombs are unpredictable and adjust itself base on the strength of the ascenders.

Cecilia is the most vulnerable here in your group. Even if she's a white core, she still isn't used using her new body. She might be a monster using mana but she lacks combat skills, that is why I let Cadell train you to protect her." Agrona finished his explanation and walked out the room like it's nothing. Of course that snake isn't leaving that easily as he sent me a wink before exiting the room.

“Just as what the High Sovereign said, All of you need to be ready. Now, break is done. We'll continue our training." Cadell said as he summoned a huge metal ball and fired it towards us.

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11-12-23

I now upload every other day so I upload 3 to 4 chapters every week.