- The Yu Family Training Field -

"Level Two Water Magic - Aqua Blades."

Multiple rapidly spinning discs of water formed around me, and I sent them hurling towards the four girls before me. Though it wasn't just any normal magic - the water discs I generated were black while pulsing with red energy, and abnormally powerful.

But that didn't faze the girls at all...I had to admit, their bravery was worth praising.

"Glacier Form: Wall!" Feng Mian and Yu An Xue called out together, slamming their palms into the grassy terrain.

Two massive walls of ice erupted from the ground, overlapping with each other to form two formidable layers of defense.

"Oho...not bad," I remarked. "But defenses don't do anything...if you don't hit them in the first place!"

Saying this, I maneuvered the aqua discs to swerve around the two walls. But when I did that, the ice wall in front of me disappeared into thin air, like an illusion, and I sensed my attack hit something solid.

"Huh...an illusion to trick me into changing the projectile trajectory...I see," I noted to myself. But I wasn't allowed the pleasure of relaxing, as Yu An Yan was about to fire a powerful concentrated blast of flames at me - one she had charged up while I was busy moving the aqua discs to go around the illusory walls.

"Shit...!" I moved backwards and hurriedly thought of an escape plan. "C'mon...ah, right! Level One Shadow Magic - Vanishing Shadows."

I slid into the depths of the shadows. Luckily for me, the sun was blocked by the large Yu family mano and it wasn't very bright outside, leaving me able to travel freely in the dark. However-

"Level One Light Magic - Illumination," a cute voice that fell out of place within this battlefield called out.

But regardless of how she sounded, the spell worked. I was forced out of the shadow realm, and now vulnerable exposed to Yu An Yan.

"We have you now!" she yelled, and unleashed her attack. "Level Two Fire Magic - Abomination Flare!"

A massive ball of fire was launched towards me at full speed. I stared as the destructive attack drew closer and closer, and somehow, the scene felt nostalgic. I wonder...ah, right. Li Yi Fei and his two lackeys had used Conjoined Release to cast this spell against Feng Mian, and I had blocked it, awakening my powers.

Well...last time, I was helpless and could only take the impact. But this time...

"Kukuku...nice try. What do they call it...fight fire with fire? Heh...very well." I closed my eyes and raised my arm, hand outstretched in preparation for casting. "Level Two Fire Magic - Twin Dragons."

*****

BOOM!

A loud explosion rang out in the Yu family training field. Smoke filled the air, and the originally deep blue sky was painted ash-gray with fog. Within it all, were four girls, sweating and panting heavily.

"That...explosion...took all...we had...to block..." Yu An Xue panted, and fell to the ground, exhausted.

"Did we...get him?" Yu An Yan asked, wiping sweat from her eyebrows. She similarly collapsed to the grassy floor, and stared at the sky, blocked from view by smoke.

"Yeah...probably. The explosion...meant there was...impact," Feng Mian explained while panting. "Your attack...it either hit him, or he tried to block it. Either way, I doubt he had time to put up a second defense to protect himself from the aftershock."

"Mm...all this smoke...the explosion...must've been...huge..." Yu An Xue murmured almost inaudibly.

Explosion...smoke...? Qing Yue thought. But that was only a Level Two spell...it shouldn't have created a smokescreen that lasts for this long. Wait...smokescreen...it can't be!

"No...! The smoke isn't from the explosion, it's from-"

Qing Yue's words were cut off by the sight of two huge obsidian-colored dragons blazing with deadly black fire accompanied by burning red eyes, charging straight towards them through the grey smoke.

*****

"W-What do we do?!" Yu An Yan cried, staring in despair at the incoming attack.

"I-I don't know either! It's too close to put up a defense!" Feng Mian shouted in response. "That damn Xuan Kai, not holding back at all!"

"Screw it! Let's just take it head on!" Yu An Yan yelled, as she began channeling her mana once more.

"There's no time! And we're all low on mana as well!" Qing Yue added nervously, which was a rarity for her, who was normally carefree and cheerful.

"Are...we...going to...die?" Yu An Xue asked anxiously, trembling in fear.

The twin dragons came closer and closer, as the four girls stared in horror.

"Xuan Kai, damn you--!" Yu An Yan yelled as she shut her eyes tight and braced for impact...

...

"Huh...?"

...The impact that didn't come.

"I heard someone calling for me," I, who had been watching over this entire scene from within the smokescreen I placed down, said calmly.

"E-Eh...? What is going on...?" Qing Yue looked around, puzzled.

Feng Mian was the first one to react. "X-Xuan Kai?!"

"Yeah, that's my name," I replied rhetorically.

"A-And the dragons...?" Yu An Yan asked hesitantly.

"Oh, those? I stopped them already."

"Y-You stopped them?"

"Uh, yeah. I technically summoned them, so it makes sense for me to send them back to wherever they came from, right?" I explained as if it was something obvious. "Besides, this isn't a real fight. We're just testing each other's strength here."

"But you didn't hold back at all..." Feng Mian scoffed.

"Did you, when you cast that Abomination Flare?" I shot back.

That made her silent for a while, but it didn't last long.

"S-Still! As a man, you should hold back a bit against girls!" she yelled heatedly, cheeks slightly pink from embarrassment.

I scratched my head in confusion, but eventually decided to play along. "Hey now...if I held back there, you may have beaten me with that attack. I'll give you credit for that."

However, when I said this with the aim to cheer the four girls up, they instead looked even more sullen than before.

"E-Eh...? Did I say something wrong...?"

Yu An Yan sighed. "You may have been trying to make us feel better, but in reality all you did was imply you weren't fighting at your full strength before..."

Ah...I see. Relationships really were troublesome. Even when you're trying to be nice, sometimes the person you're talking to can still take it the wrong way. As expected, I still have a lot to learn in this matter.

"...Sorry." That was the only thing I could say in response.

"Well, in any case - all of us our tired and it's getting late, so let's head back," Feng Mian suggested, resolving the awkward aura in the air.

And so, with that, our first day of training came to an end.

*****

- The Xuan Family Manor -

Within a massive enclosed room, an ominous meeting was taking place.

"Oi, old man, what the hell did you call me here for?" a young male voice asked impatiently. "It better be important, I got training to do."

"Training for the Advancement Exams, yes?" a distinctly older man spoke calmly, showing no irritation at the junior's impatient attitude.

"So you know. Then get on with it," the younger man replied, tapping his feet restlessly.

"Very well...recently, I've heard some rumors. About your younger brother."

"Huh? I don't got no younger brother."

"Whether you like it or not, he is your younger brother. Yes, he was cast out of the family, but even then the same blood flows in the both of you."

"Tch...fine. What about him? I know the rumors you are talking about. He can use magic now, or somethin'? Hah. Load of bullshit. Wait, you better not be telling me to go easy on him in the Advancem-"

"No. In fact, quite the opposite," the senior of the two cut the junior off mid-sentence. "There is no need to show mercy."

The young man seemed pleased at this. "Hmm...in other words, you want me to crush him, thoroughly and mercilessly?"

"That's correct. In fact...if you are able to kill him 'accidentally', that would be the best case scenario."

"Heh...that I can arrange," the junior cackled evilly. "But tell me, old man, why are you so insistent on this? Even if he can use magic now - which I don't believe one bit - you think he can do anything to us, the Xuan family?"

"...That is not something for you to know." The elder man's tone turned dark and serious.

The junior, sensing this, backed off in a cold sweat. "Heh...whatever. By the way, I was planning on crushing him in the exams even without you telling me to."

"Hmph. Don't get too cocky," the old man advised, tone back to normal. "Your younger brother...there's something off about him."

"Yeah, something off with his head! Ahahaha!" the young man laughed evilly. "Just sit tight and await my good news, old man. I won't let you down."

"Then I shall," the old man said quietly. He seemed satisfied with the younger man's acceptance of his request - no, order. But just to be sure, he said one last thing that was more like a threat than a warning.

"Do not disappoint me...Xuan Kun."