Chapter 303: Karma (XXI)
"Alright, everyone... line up."
One by one, they did.
Vivian, with her sharp eyes and voidflame flickering around her arms, Yara’s calm and unreadable face as she balanced her space magic, Zeva standing like a sword herself, although the thirst for battle in her eyes completely negated how she stood.
Mia fidgeted but clenched her fists with determination, her fire mana already licking around her hands. Maria stood beside Alaine, both wind users, both with light steps, as if they belonged to the air itself.
The twins, Ruli and Leaf, stared at me with wide eyes full of electricity and curiosity, their hands fidgeting as sparks and droplets formed between their palms.
And Lumi... Lumi was off to the side, wobbling like a mound of jelly, happily gulping down demon cores with loud glop-glop sounds.
I pinched the bridge of my nose at her actions, but let it slide.
After all, she could only get stronger that way.
My gaze shifted first to Alaine.
My maid, ever-loyal, stood tall with her hand placed politely over her chest.
Her long blonde hair drifted slightly, moved by the invisible wind coiling around her. Behind her, faint wisps of spirit energy shimmered, glowing like ghostly wings.
"Alaine. You’re first," I said.
"Yes, Master." She bowed once, her tone calm, but I caught the faint eagerness in her eyes.
The others stepped back, forming a wide circle, giving us space.
The ground cracked faintly as I drew mana into my palm, forming a sword.
"Show me the fusion of wind and spirit magic I asked you to practice,"
Her fingers spread, and instantly the air thickened.
A whistle grew into a roar as winds danced around her body, forming blades sharper than steel.
Then, with a second breath, faint blue spirits emerged from the breeze, small, child-like forms with glowing eyes, merging into the current until her wind was alive with their whispers.
"Mhm..."
I lunged forward.
Fwip!
The sword’s edge cut through one of her blades of wind, but another slashed across my sleeve, shredding fabric.
The spirits laughed in faint, bell-like voices, their energy reinforcing her gusts until they struck with force like hammers.
"Good," I muttered, deflecting one strike with the flat of my blade.
"But your control is off. Spirits are not tools, but allies. Don’t force them. Let them choose your rhythm."
Her eyes narrowed. She spun, lifting both arms, and the wind obeyed more smoothly this time, spiraling around me like a vortex.
The spirits whirled inside, their voices in harmony, and just immediately, her control steadied.
"Yes..." I grinned, stepping into the heart of the storm.
My sword thrust once, twice, each motion piercing through a weak point in her defenses.
"That’s the control I expect from you, Alaine. Sharpen it further."
Her eyes widened as my blade stopped just shy of her neck.
Then I flicked my wrist, dispersing the vortex in a single wave. Her hair whipped back, and she bowed quickly, sweat dripping from her chin.
"Thank you... Master."
I lowered my sword.
"Good progress. But don’t stop refining that harmony as you’ll need it in real combat."
"Yes."
Before she could step aside, Maria, who had been biting her lip impatiently, raised her hand.
"Aestrea! Let me join her this time!"
I raised an eyebrow.
"You want to combine your wind with hers?"
She nodded, determination burning in her eyes.
"Yes. We practiced a little already. I want you to see."
I gestured for Alaine to prepare again.
The two girls exchanged a brief nod, then stood side by side.
Fwoosh!
Wind exploded outward once more, this time, Maria adding her mana into Alaine’s refined currents.
The air thickened, almost humming as it swirled into a massive spiral, and surprisingly, the space started crackling.
Alaine gave the spirits commands, and Maria fueled their bodies with her own overflowing mana.
The result was a storm that cracked the ground beneath their feet.
I tightened my grip on the sword and stepped forward again.
"Not bad. But let’s see how long you can maintain it."
I launched myself into the storm, cutting through torrents of compressed air.
The spirits tried to push me back, Maria’s surging gusts feeding them with endless fuel.
I twisted mid-air, my sword glowing faintly with void energy, and pierced the very center of their spiral.
The wind howled before bursting apart, scattering harmlessly. Both girls fell to their knees, panting, their hair in wild disarray.
I landed softly, staring down at them.
"You’ve done well. But Maria... don’t push your mana like that unless you’ve built proper control. And Alaine... don’t let her recklessness unbalance your spirits."
Both girls nodded quickly, their chests rising and falling.
I smiled faintly.
"Still... I’m proud. That was stronger than I expected."
Their faces lit up at the praise, even if they tried to hide it.
I turned my gaze now toward Vivian, who had been waiting with a sly smile, black flames licking at her fingers.
"Your turn."
She instantly stepped forward.
"You looked pretty serious with Alaine and Maria," she teased, brushing her dark hair back. "But with me, you’ll need to be careful, Aestrea."
Mia, who had been watching her closely, clenched her fists.
"I’ll train with her, too. Please."
I looked at Mia, then back at Vivian.
Their contrast was obvious.
Vivian’s flames were unnatural... a black fire that devoured not only matter but mana itself. And Mia’s fire was bright, raw, and eager, but without refinement, it wasted too much energy.
Together?
It could either be brilliance... or disaster.
"Both of you, then," I said, rolling my shoulders. "But Vivian, don’t burn your sister alive."
Vivian laughed softly.
"No promises... Just kidding~, I wouldn’t burn a previous student of mine~"
Mia paled a little, but stepped up anyway.
Fsshhh!
The ground around us cracked as Vivian let her flames surge.
Mia’s red-orange flames burst out at the same time, wild but passionate, forming a swirling storm of heat.
The moment they collided, the air warped.
The voidflame tried to consume Mia’s fire, and Mia’s fire fought back desperately, refusing to be snuffed out.
Sparks scattered like meteors, and the others stepped back quickly to avoid being caught.
"Focus!" I barked, stepping between them.
"Vivian, don’t just feed on her flames. Balance. And Mia, control your outflow. Precision, not just passion."
Vivian’s eyes narrowed, and she adjusted, her flames curling into controlled ribbons rather than wild serpents.
Mia clenched her teeth, tightening her fists until her fire condensed into focused orbs.
They hovered around her like tiny suns, resisting Vivian’s black flames instead of being eaten instantly.
"That’s it," I muttered, before lunging at Vivian first.
My sword cut through her voidflames, the energy eating away at the edge of my blade, but not fast enough to stop my strike.
She spun, black fire coating her leg as she kicked at me.
I blocked the kick easily, pushing it aside.
Mia jumped in, her condensed fire orbs shooting forward. They streaked like comets, slamming into the ground around us with explosive bursts.
Dust and heat filled the air.
I dashed through it and swung my sword toward Mia, stopping just short of her chest.
Her eyes widened, sweat dripping down her temple, but she held her flames steady.
"Good. You didn’t let your concentration break even under pressure."
I turned sharply, catching Vivian’s next attack.
Her voidflame sword hissed as it clashed against my sword, sparks of black fire spraying between us. She leaned closer, her grin sharp.
"You’re holding back, Aestrea,"
I smirked.
"If I didn’t, you’d be ash."
She laughed, pressing harder, and I twisted my blade, dispersing her sword into smoke. My free hand shot out, grabbing her wrist, and I pulled her into Mia’s path.
Mia’s fireball exploded, the heat roaring around us.
"Fuck!" Vivian cursed, barely managing to shield herself.
When the smoke cleared, both of them were panting heavily, clothes singed, hair sticking to their sweaty faces.
Vivian looked irritated but impressed, while Mia looked exhausted yet proud.
"Lesson learned?" I asked, lowering my sword.
Vivian flipped her hair back, smiling.
"She held up better than I expected."
Mia brightened at that, even though she was clearly about to collapse; after all, her rank was much lower than ours.
To hold on against Vivian’s flame... that was beyond impressive.
"Both of you improved," I said firmly.
"Vivian, refine your flames to support as much as they destroy. And Mia... you need stamina. If you can’t sustain those precise flames longer, you’ll burn out in real battle."
They both nodded, accepting my words.
In the corner, Lumi made a loud GLOOORP sound, spitting out a half-melted demon core before immediately sucking it back in.
Her jelly-like body rippled, glowing faintly as she absorbed the skill.
She burped happily.
I sighed.
"Lumi... don’t explode in the middle of training, alright?"
"Yeshhhh!"
Lumi made a cheerful wobble as if saluting me.
The others laughed softly, and the tension broke for a moment. But then, I lifted my sword again, my eyes sliding toward the next figure.
"Zeva," I called.
"Your turn."