Ray examined the young man before him to make sure that he was really his student. True enough, the man did resemble his pupil, especially his eyes. However, he could barely recognise him without further scrutiny as Kai had grown a lot more mature in the past one year, having the face and body of a seasoned veteran who's been through countless tribulations. It would be difficult for anyone to believe that with such a physique, Kai was only 17 years old.

After assuring himself that the individual before him was indeed Kai, Ray placed a hand on the young man's shoulder, exclaiming, "Wow, my student has really grown a lot in the past one year! Come, we must celebrate your return from training! Make yourself at home, hahaha!"

Kai obliged as he joined Ray's family for a simple meal, exchanging conversations with his master as they tucked into their fare. They talked about what happened over the past year and their plans moving forward.

Kai explained, "I'm heading back home to Nirvana to pay my family a visit, not to mention that I really miss life back at the capital. Nonetheless, Master, I really do hope you can hold onto the title deed of that property in your duchy for me, for I have plans involving it in the future."

Ray chuckled, "A future love nest for you and Adeline? Hahaha, I'm just joking! You've grown really strong, I must emphasise, with that newfound strength of yours. However, you totally ruined my brilliant plan to recruit fresh blood to the new People's Defence Force! How do you intend to compensate me, young man?"

Kai appeared stumped at his master's sudden question when Nikki replied cordially, "Don't worry, we'll work out a solution, right, honey?" as she stepped on Ray's foot under the table, causing him to grimace in pain. "Yes, yes, don't worry about it, I only meant it as a joke, hahaha! We'll figure something out indeed!" Ray exclaimed, trying to disguise the fact that he was in pain.

Kai was confused by the sudden change in his master's tone, but he didn't dwell too much into it. Before Kai left, Ray gave him one final piece of advice, "You may have grown a lot stronger, but be wary. Our true enemies are still out there, and when they show themselves, they're going to be far stronger than anything we've seen before. Take care and send my regards to your father, Arkad!"

Kai nodded and bowed before departing, putting his mask back on. After he left the palace, Akame appeared behind him as she enquired, "How did your little reunion go? Is it about time we head back to Nirvana? To be honest, I still consider this place foreign territory so I can't relax fully when I'm here."

Kai replied nonchalantly, "You talk too much, Akame, let's go home."

The sun shone brightly as Kai had to shield his eyes from its rays after crossing the city gate. Kai drew a deep breath as he took in the picturesque scene before him. He sighed, "Home at last. Looks like the repairs were all finished in the past year when I was absent. In fact, the capital looks way cooler than before! Come on, let's go, Akame!"

The black-haired girl could only mutter, "He behaves as though the entire city's transformed, what a simple-minded idiot." as she rushed along to catch up with him. Before they travelled any further, Kai suddenly halted, causing Akame to bump into him. Akame grunted, "What's your deal, Kai, weren't you in a hurry?"

Akame's question was answered when she heard a female voice, "Big Brother Kai, is that really you? I missed you so much!" Before Akame could comprehend the situation, a young lady dressed in simple leather armour jumped right into Kai's chest. It was Yuri, and she has grown quite a bit over the past year, becoming taller, prettier and even bustier.

Kai, who was momentarily stunned as he couldn't recognise his sister for a second, quickly embraced her as he said slowly, "I missed you too, Yuri. What're you doing out here and why are you dressed like this?"

Yuri patted her chest proudly and exclaimed, "Like Dad, I'm a City Guard right now thanks to my aptitude in Fire magic. I was just doing my rounds when I happened to coincidentally meet you guys here. Oh, what a joyous day it is today! We must return home immediately to celebrate! Mum would be so happy!"

Kai noticed the appalled faces of the other 2 City Guards who were accompanying Yuri. He interjected, "Yuri, don't you have work to do? I mean, you can't just abandon your duty just because I've returned. We'll catch up more at home once you've returned from duty, okay?"

Kai then patted Yuri's head lightly, to her delight. Yuri chirped, "Alright then, see you at home later!" She then quickly jogged off, her companions barely keeping up. Akame asked, "So that's your sister, huh? You two don't share blood relations at all right?"

Kai replied stoically, "Does it matter? We've been brought up by the same parents for such a long time, that's sufficient for us to be siblings. Come, let's cut the crap and move, my parents are waiting."

When Kai finally reached his residence, his foster mother, Charissa, was already waiting for him at the door. Kai stammered, "M-Mother, how've you been? Is Father home?" Charissa smiled and replied, "The moment you stepped into the capital, I could already sense your presence, that's why I've been standing out here awaiting your return. Your father's just returned home and your sister…"

Kai interrupted, "Yeah, I know, she's got work and would probably only join us for dinner. By the way, this is Akame, lieutenant to the Red King and my instructor over the past year. She's been given the duty to accompany me wherever I go, so for now, can she stay with us for the meantime?"

Charissa replied cheerfully, "Well, technically, your father is the person you should approach for such matters, but personally, I'm fine with her staying with us. Come on in, you must have been exhausted from your journey."

When Kai stepped into the house, Arkad was already expecting him as he came forward to embrace his son tightly. As Charissa prepared dinner with Akame's help, Kai and Arkad had a good catch up session. Kai talked about his training over the past year, where he learned to control his demonic powers with the help of both his biological father and his instructor, Akame.

Upon talking about Akame, Kai quickly sought Arkad's permission for Akame to stay with them temporarily, to which Arkad readily agreed as Yuri could share her room with her. Arkad then shared about what had happened to their family and the capital over the past year.

Yuri had enrolled into Zion Academy shortly after Kai had left despite her tender age. Thanks to her magic potential and tutelage from her mother, Charissa, who had returned to stay with the family after receiving permission from her brother, Sylph King Azir, Yuri rose through the ranks swiftly and was invited to be a member of the City Guard under Arkad's division.

Arkad was initially against the idea of Yuri joining the City Guard, but after much begging from Yuri, he eventually relented, on the condition that she would remain a student of Zion Academy and complete her 4 years.

Kai thought about his own circumstances and felt a little guilty for dropping out of school so early. Even though he had posthumously graduated from Zion Academy after earning recognition as a national hero for his efforts in resolving the Sylph-Nirvania conflict, he could never shake the unease of not completing the 4 year course like his peers. After all, education in Zion Academy was more than just combat training and tactics, it also entailed other softer aspects like critical thinking.

Arkad could read his son's thoughts from his expression and spoke in a comforting tone, "I am not and never will be disappointed in how things panned out for you, my boy. Yuri and you are different. You have a far heavier burden to shoulder as compared to her. Don't go feeling inferior just because you didn't finish school like others did. You have and will go on to achieve far more in life than most."

Kai gave a weak smile as he accepted his father's encouragement. When Yuri had finally returned from duty, everybody sat together and had a nice reunion dinner to celebrate Kai's return. As they were enjoying Charissa's dishes, Yuri asked, "Big Brother, do you have any plans now that you've returned?"

Kai rubbed his head sheepishly and replied, "To be honest, I don't really have any concrete plans as of now. Since I don't really have a legitimate certificate of graduation from Zion Academy, I can't really get into a good post with the military, having to slowly work my way up from scratch. Thus, I guess I would be sticking to my childhood dream of being an adventurer and earn some quick bucks from quests like my master before me."

Yuri said excitedly, "Well, that's fine but have you considered being a mentor in Zion Academy? As I was doing my rounds earlier, I met Head Teacher Cassandra by chance and informed her that you've returned. She wanted to invite you to participate in the pioneer Mentorship Programme, which, if I'm not mistaken, entails leading selected stellar students to participate in missions they would normally have no chance of participating in.

It's kind of similar to being an adventurer, so why don't you try it out? If you're interested, I could accompany you to school tomorrow and even give you a tour of the latest changes after lessons! What do you think?"

Kai scratched his chin as he carefully considered the proposal before him. On one hand, the job scope sounded pretty cool and would certainly fit his strengths and experience. On the other hand, he felt a tad embarrassed to return to his alma mater to teach from which he failed to graduate from…it just felt that he didn't have the right credentials for the job.

Sensing his doubt, Yuri added, "Come on, big brother! Zion Academy knows much more about your abilities than any other organisation out there, so if you're concerned that you lack the necessary qualifications, you shouldn't be! After all, it was the Academy that extended the invitation to you, so you should pluck your courage and go for the interview with the Headmaster!"

Kai stared at his sister in disbelief. The once adorable, shy little girl was no more. In her place was a beautiful, confident and outspoken young lady. Kai smiled and answered, "Yeah, you're right. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?"

Beside him, Akame muttered inaudibly, "I wonder what mire I have to drag him out of this time, what a drag…"

Kai gulped nervously as he stood at the entrance to Zion Academy. Though he felt jittery from the pressure of the upcoming interview, he also felt a strong sense of nostalgia just by looking at the grandeur of the school, reminding him of his first day here.

Since Kai was no longer a student, he had to forfeit his student 'pass', the blue mana stone that would identify him as friendly to the guardian spirit of the school, Terran. Kai walked up to the guards at the newly built guardroom and stated his intent of visiting the school.

One of the guards said excitedly, "Wait a minute, ain't you Kai? The former student of this Academy and national hero? Man, it's good to see you once again! Here you go, your visitor pass. All the best for your interview, mate!"

Kai whispered a few words of thanks before he hurriedly made his way into the Academy. Fortunately for him, he had brought the mask which he wore as Eclipse back at Targon. Since masks and other concealing clothes were common on campus, Kai reckoned that wearing the mask would help him avoid drawing unnecessary attention. Putting on the mask also gave him some unexplained confidence which helped ease his nerves slightly.

With his mask on, Kai began to make his way to the Headmaster's Office, where his interview was scheduled. Just before he could enter the building, Kai heard some rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned around to see a green kitten, the residential guardian Terran. Terran quickly rushed towards Kai, meowing excitedly at the return of an old friend.

Kai squatted down and rubbed the feline's head like those good old days as the spirit purred in content. Terran could probably recognise him from his mana signature separate from the one emitted by his visitor pass. To think that the spirit never forgot him despite his absence for the entire year.

Kai whispered, "I've got to go already, Terran. I promise I'll visit you more often in the future and bring you some treats." The intelligent spirit meowed in acknowledgement before rushing back into the bushes as Kai made his way to his destination.

When Kai arrived at the Headmaster's Office, he took a deep breath before knocking on the door. A gentle voice answered, "Come in, I've been expecting you, Kai." Kai entered the room gingerly, closing the door behind him softly while removing his mask. Despite being a student at Zion Academy for 2 years plus, he had not stepped into the Headmaster's Office a single time.

The room was pretty spacious, though the furniture present were rather simple and decorations kept to a minimum, which showed that Headmaster Zilean, like all the other Headmasters before him, was one who simply focused on his academic work instead of bothering about impressions.

Headmaster Zilean's appearance had hardly changed from the last time Kai had seen him, and the wizened professor offered cordially, "Come, take a seat, my boy. There's much to discuss, but first and foremost, welcome back to Zion Academy. It pleases us that you've shown interest to take up our offer, so for the next 30 minutes, I'll be explaining about the Mentorship Programme that we're about to launch and the rationale behind it."

As Kai made himself comfortable on his seat, he asked, "Wait a minute, isn’t there supposed to be an interview to assess my suitability for the job? Why does it sound like you're already offering me the job straightaway, sir?"

Headmaster Zilean chuckled, "Ha, my boy, you may have underestimated your appeal. Despite not obtaining a certificate of graduation from our Academy due to your untimely disruption to train at the Northern Wildlands for a year, the fact remains that you were conferred a nationally recognised award by the King himself for your contributions.

Do you know that all of your peers who completed the mission alongside you then are now making big headlines in the respective lines they had entered? Apart from Adeline, who returned to the Sylph Kingdom, we have some of them becoming prominent members of top-ranked guilds, like Shen and Jean in Saint Cross and Rachel in G.E.M.S. Jonathan has successfully applied to be a Master in the Martial Arts Federation, opening his own school and propagating his martial arts style to the rest of Nirvania.

As for the twins Julian and Julia, I understand that they are now serving in the Renard House as personal aides to Sword Saint Van himself. In fact, I actually invited both of them to join the Mentorship Programme as well, since they are currently not engaged in any missions with Lord Van. All in all, you are immensely popular contrary to your beliefs and I really need your assistance in this pioneer Mentorship Programme."

Kai heaved a sigh of relief before replying, "I see, thank you for your kind words. What do you need me to do exactly, Headmaster?"

The old professor stroked his beard as he quipped, "I don't know if you had noticed this while you were away on training over the past year, but this world has been unnaturally…quiet ever since the 3rd Holy War ended.

Yes, Miran's defeat and our newfound alliances with the Sylph Kingdom and Cameron has helped in stemming further geopolitical conflicts between the Kingdoms, but our true enemies, the very instigators of the 3rd Holy War, are still out there lurking. The surprising thing is that there had been no further assaults on Nirvania by the Chaos Legion despite our weakened state.

Nonetheless, our country believes that this momentary peace is but the calm before the storm. Sadly, since the Chaos Legion had opted to lay low over the past year, our Black Ops team and the Crimson Sentinels had failed to find anything substantial which would allow us to cripple their operations.

Back to the Mentorship Programme, in lieu of the rising threat to every single citizen of Nirvania in the upcoming conflict, we at Zion Academy have decided to ramp up our preparations for our students, noting that if a devastating conflict were to erupt, we cannot fully protect our students from it.

Thus, the best way to prepare them is to raise their combat ability and the ability to remain level headed to respond appropriately during crises. What better way to achieve this than sending them for higher ranked missions which they would normally not get access to?

In truth, I actually got inspiration for this idea from your peers and you who had participated in that extremely crucial mission one year ago. After you guys had returned, it was as though you all had transformed completely, for the better I must add.

In the past, you guys wouldn't be permitted to partake in such dangerous quests, but because Adeline is the Sylph Princess, on top of manpower shortages then, thus you all were granted permission on those special circumstances by the King himself.

Looking forward, if we had given express permission for the top 20% of our students to participate in such missions, albeit under the watchful eye of a mentor, wouldn't our students benefit immensely from such exposure?"

Kai nodded as he slowly digested the information presented to him. He replied slowly, "So basically you need me to mentor a group of students participating in missions supposedly above their level in order to supervise them and watch out for their safety, right? Much like how Keane was the captain of our squad one year ago. He sure did a wonderful job of keeping us alive, albeit at the cost of his own life."

Kai clenched his fists tightly as his emotions got the better of him momentarily. He could never forget Keane's traumatic death under the hands of the cursed Chaos General of Wrath, Amon. What was more infuriating was his powerlessness then, as he could only watch Amon blow a hole through Keane's torso.

Headmaster Zilean noticed Kai's change in mood and advised gently, "I'm sorry if my words had triggered some unpleasant memories within you. All I have left to say is that the final choice is yours. If you're keen and satisfied with the terms and conditions stated in this contract, please sign it and return it to my office tomorrow. That's all and thank you for your time."

Kai stood up, packed the contract into his bag and bowed before he left. As Kai walked along the empty corridors, he mumbled to himself, "A mentor, huh? Would I ever be as brave as Keane to sacrifice my own life for the sake of my students?"

Kai continued walking along the empty aisle that was leading straight to the next block when he saw 2 familiar faces. "Julian, Julia! How're you guys?" Kai exclaimed as he recognised his friends. The twins, who have appeared to mature slightly, turned around quickly and scrutinised the individual before them.

It took them a while before Julia squealed in delight, "You're Kai right? Oh my god, when did you return? You should have informed us the moment you returned! Any news on Adeline? We really ought to hold a reunion once everybody's back in Nirvana!"

The trio started catching up with one another, exchanging their respective experiences over the past year. Kai asked, "Have you two signed the contract to become mentors? Wouldn't it be difficult to hold 2 jobs at one time given that you're also Lord Van's aides?"

Julian replied confidently, "Nah, it's completely fine! These few days we haven't been mobilised a lot because Lord Van is currently on an individual mission and he barred us from accompanying him for unknown reasons. Yes, we still get paid by the Renard House even if we don't do anything but we're afraid our swords would get rusty without action so yep, we're going to be mentors!"

Kai said earnestly, "That's good to hear. All the best for your upcoming tasks, I've got to make a move first as I've an appointment with my sister. See you guys around!" After waving goodbye to his friends, before he entered the densely populated block, he put on his mask again to blend in with the crowd. Of course, he attracted a lot of attention for being the only person who concealed his face, but at least the students were kept in the dark of his true identity.

Minutes later, he arrived at the meeting point where his sister was already waiting. Kai approached Yuri from behind and gave her a tap on the shoulder, speaking softly, "It's me." Yuri turned around sharply and cried, "Wow, you gave me a shock alright! What's with that creepy mask anyway? Ah, I see, to protect your identity. Let's go, I'll show you the newly upgraded Training Hall. It's undergone a complete transformation from the last time you were here."

Following Yuri, Kai stepped into the Training Hall, which was now completely unrecognisable to him. Instead of having six combat fields surrounded by runes like the past, in their place was now metallic cubicles. On top of each metallic cubicle was a large screen which displayed ongoing battles between students in what seems to be an alternate dimension.

Kai gasped, "Wow, how do they achieve this? Dimensional magic to transport them to a separate dimension would be too unfeasible right?" Yuri replied confidently, "Well, this is not dimensional magic per se. Over the past year, Mr Victor and his fellow technicians have been working on what is known as the Virtual Reality (VR) technology in order to make training safer yet more realistic.

Basically, in each of these cubicles, there are up to 10 pods, one pod per person. When a person lies inside a pod, his consciousness is then transmitted into the virtual world, giving birth to a virtual world which possess all the abilities and attributes a user has in the real world. This way, combatants can go all out without worrying about hurting their opponents in real life, since the real bodies are not affected by events within the virtual world.

Of course, you can adjust your pain sensors to make the battle more realistic, but your real body won't be hurt. There are still limitations in the VR system, such as the need to manually key in data for magic weapons to be used since that still can't be done by the scanners within the pod. Want to try it out, brother? I can't wait to see how far I've come against you."

Kai grinned excitedly under his mask as he couldn't wait to participate in his first Virtual Battle.