A torrential wind comes down upon Togeshi, keeping him in one place.

While he kept standing, the ground underneath him seemed to almost crack. It was clear he was under incredible pressure.

He persevered, however, letting out a bit of shout before dashing towards his opponent.

In response, Akane bit her lip in irritation. She took a step back almost instinctively, readying another spell with impressive speeds.

She had grown accustomed to the process of magic quite quickly. As well, she was naturally talented in controlling mana.

"Wind Magic: Wind Cutter!" She summoned forth a concentrated burst of air collected into the form of a sharp blade. The blade went flying towards Togeshi, but after the last spell she cast, her mana stores were running low. Suffice to say, the spell wasn't at its full capabilities.

Togeshi dodged it with ease. His reaction time was incredible, yes, but that only exemplified his speed. He was able to make quick decisions, then act upon them in a manner even faster than his thoughts. Perhaps that was the cause of some... let's say, awkward social situations.

"You call that an attack?" Togeshi shouted out, a grin laid barren across his face.

"Shut it, you lousy oaf!" Akane replied, obviously even more annoyed than before.

Togeshi was nearing Akane at this point, and it seemed his victory would be assured once he got close enough. Contrary to what one would believe, however, Akane seemed confident. Her mouth was shaped into a slight smile, her eyebrows narrowed a tad.

That's the moment she won.

"Earth Magic: Liquify Earth."

In the middle of his dash towards Akane, A large area of the ground seemed to almost melt below Togeshi.

"Wha-- Huh?!"

Togeshi's feet sunk into the ground. To someone like him, though, that was just a minor annoyance. Before he could crawl his way out, though, the ground completely solidified back to what it was before.

He seemed nervous for a moment, but he let out a semi-confident smile as he spoke, "Heh, come on, Akane! You seriously think something like this'll stop me?"

"Oh, no, of course not. This will, though." Akane extended her hand forward, casting one more spell. The same one from before, which sent Togeshi crashing towards the floor.

Before anything else could happen, however, Kwan spoke up.

"Enough! This match is over!"

The pressure on Togeshi instantly released as both he and Akane turned to stare at Kwan.

"Eh? Come on, I can still keep going!" Togeshi was rightfully unsatisfied with how the fight ended up, which he voiced to Kwan.

"Don't you get it? The fight's over because I won."

"No..." Kwan spoke up, surprising all of us.

"""Huh?"""

"You damned fool! Togeshi is the victor! It should have been obvious!"

Alright... That's unexpected.

"Hah! In your face! Of course, I won-- Hey, wait, why'd I win?" Togeshi, while excited, didn't seem to understand Kwan's decision. Can't say I do either.

"Yeah, I don't get it either." I voiced my agreement with Togeshi, I'd been quiet for a while after all.

"Seriously? He was done for, though..."

"Ugh. You all need to take a better look at your surroundings! Boy, take a look at your feet." Kwan glared at Togeshi as he spoke.

Togeshi took a singular step backwards to get a better... look... Wait a minute, that shouldn't be right. Wasn't he stuck? You know, with that spell that Akane used. He's completely free. Taking a glance at where he was before, the stone was cracked, just like when she used the spell for the first time, too.

"Oh."

"Exactly! Akane, your spell crafting was fantastic-- for an amateur. That is ignoring how you completely looked past the consequences of each spell! With each time you increased the pressure with the wind, you created an unstable arena to fight on. It was left destroyed with a no small number of cracks and unlevel steps! What if you were to trip? You'd be left completely open! Not only that, but with the Wind Cutter spell, you never let it dissipate! If it weren't for me erasing it during your fight, it could have hit someone."

Kwan walked over to Akane, a grimace on his face. "In a real fight, what if it hit an ally or civilian? Or perhaps some structure, causing it to fall over! As a Hero, you must be careful of these things! You are not some Adventurer thriving to just make money, you are here to help people! To save them from danger! To protect humanity! And if you can't do that, you've already failed."

"... I understand." Akane seemed a bit let down, staring at the ground.

"However," Kwan let out a smile, "The spells you used were all basic ones I recommended to you. You've yet to create your style as a magic-user. Such, you will learn to do these things as time progresses. You still held back a melee fighter, and for many beginner mages, that can be a difficult thing to do. What I'm trying to say is, you did a... decent job all things considered."

Akane looked back up, with an adamant look on her face, "Thank you. I'll remember your words going forward."

"Good." Kwan looked satisfied, turning to speak to Togeshi, "Now, you. You're an absolute fool! A brutish idiot who doesn't have any idea of what they're doing! What, did you have any plan whatsoever? Did you think the fight would be over just if you could reach her? If so, then you're a lost cause!"

Kwan began making his way over to Togeshi, looking visibly angry. He banged his fist on Togeshi's chest a few times, although, Togeshi probably didn't even feel it. "That may have been the case for Akane who so far is less capable in hand-to-hand combat, but not all mages will be defenceless up close. Most will have counters for almost anything you can think up of! A Mage is powerful because they plan for everything! Be it through enchanting items, creating magic-based traps, preparing magic ahead of time, or simply having a fast casting speed! Do not treat any Mage as defenceless, as that will seldom be true! Do you understand?"

"Eh... Old m-- Uh, Instructor. I don't really get what you're saying here! Could you dumb it down a bit?"

Kwan let out a sigh, "Don't rush into a fight without a plan when you're against a mage. Or, really, in any situation."

"Oh. Gotcha... A plan, huh? Look, I'm not good at all that stuff. Couldn't I just let Yuu do that stuff for me? He's super smart about stuff like that!"

Togeshi was pretty accurate about himself. I'm not really meaning any offence or anything, it's just obviously true. He's pretty straightforward and rushes into things a lot. He could probably do to think for himself a bit. I appreciate the compliment, though.

"Riddle me this, boy. What would you do if Yuu wasn't there? You cannot be completely dependent on a singular person! Any person! You must learn to rely on yourself for thinking! If you don't, things are only going to become harder for you."

"Alright, I guess. I'll try?"

"You'd better! Otherwise, I'll have to beat the lesson into you! Now, you two, take a break." He said this as he turned to me... alright, that's ominous.

And now he's walking over to me. I've already got an idea of what he wants to talk to me about.

"While you still have yet to gain control of your mana, I hope you'll remember what I said about magic as well, Yuu."

Yes, I've been having some difficulties. Or, in less light terms, I can't do magic. It just seems so impossible. I get how it works, I understand all of that, but whenever I try to make a spell, it fails. Or, more accurately, I can't even begin to form a spell.

"About that. I'm not sure if I'm even able to use magic. I just can't learn how to 'sense mana', as you put it. Looking at how Akane has been able to do it but I can't, "

It's been a couple of days that we've been training, yet I just can't learn the skill. It's hard to even wrap my head around it all. I asked Akane how she figured it out, but she said she could just 'feel' it instantly. Plus, Togeshi just can't use magic in the first place.

Kwan stared at me for a moment in silence. It was hard to ever get a read on what he was thinking, it was like looking at a statue sometimes.

"Hm. Fine, we'll do this the hard way."

The moment he said that, we were both in a completely different location.

Looking around myself, where we were seemed almost... unreal. It was almost ethereal in nature.

We seemed to be upon a large rock structure, however, I couldn't tell up from down. There was no sky, everything was just white.

I cleared my throat, nervous. "Sorry, what is this?"

"I've created a pocket dimension away from any prying eyes. It seems you've yet to understand a simple lesson! I'll have to teach it to you, here and now."

"A lesson...? I'm not really getting what--" Before I could finish my sentence, I was interrupted by a chant.

"Fire magic: Fireball!" Around Kwan appeared a huge ball of fire, one easily large enough to engulf all of me.

Not a second later it appeared, it went hurtling towards me at breakneck speeds.

I barely had enough time to react. I quickly sprinted out of the way, tripping as I moved. The heat of the fire evaporated my sweat as it moved past me, banging into the edge of the Pocket Dimension.

"Are you trying to kill me?!"

"Fool! As your teacher in magic, it is my right to kill you!"

What the hell. He's insane!

I quickly went to grab my sword from my waist. I may not be able to use magic, but Idony had taught me some decent sword skills. I'd even obtained a skill from practicing...

Great. My sword is nowhere to be seen.

"You'll fight me here and now with only your magic! If you don't learn, you won't be worth anything as a Hero! Now, tell me, Yuu. What are the four basic elemental attributes?"

He's quizzing me at a time like this?! I knew Kwan wasn't completely right in the head, but this is way too far!

Even so, if I don't answer, he might just kill me from the start.

"Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire."

The instant I answered, he chanted a spell once against. A singular fireball.

It was still difficult to dodge considering its speed, but I'm somewhat used to it from the first attack.

The only problem, I haven't stood up yet.

Without a moment to lose, I rolled out of the way of the fireball. I swear, my hair almost got burnt. That was way too close for comfort.

"Good! You've been paying attention, then. Now, tell me, what are the steps for material creation spells?"

That was an easy one. This was all stuff I made sure to remember. Material creation spells were ones based around creating a certain material out of mana.

"First, you sense the mana around you, and absorb it into your body. Once mana is present, you need to change it into your attribute!" Another fireball came at me. I rolled out of the way before it came close enough to hit me. "... After that, you must visualize the spell you wish to create. You then actualize that spell into reality from the created image. The attributed mana will serve as a substitute for the real material you're creating!"

"Correct! Now, tell me, why is it you're unable to summon forth any sort of spell if you know the process?" Kwan created another spell quickly, readying it.

That I didn't know. It was an impossible hurdle for me to pass. I just couldn't feel mana, I couldn't absorb it into my body, I couldn't even begin to imagine how I was supposed to actualize a spell into reality. It all felt so foreign.

I still had to answer, however.

"I'm... not talented. I'm not talented enough to use magic. It's not for me."

"Incorrect. You're an absolute fool!"

Before I knew it, Kwan was right in front of me. He slapped me right across the face.

"Do you think all that whining about not being good enough will get you anywhere? You were chosen not only to be a Hero, but also to wield the skill Pride! Yet, even so, you hold no Pride in yourself. The only pride you have is for your friends. You believe them to be so much better than you, that you can't even attempt to try and catch up! You have a terrible inferiority complex that is holding you back, Yuu! Don't let those feeling take control of you! You must have faith in yourself. Otherwise, you've already failed. Not just me, either, you'd have failed yourself."

... I didn't know what to say.

I kept believing I wouldn't be able to do the same things Togeshi and Akane could do since I fooled myself into believing they were so much more talented than me.

No, talent isn't the problem.

The problem truly lies in me. My passiveness. I've been so passive in this world. I haven't treated it right.

I, Togeshi, Akane. We were all summoned here for a reason. It isn't just a coincidence.

That's why, I need to act like what I am, not what I'm being made to be.

A Hero.

Kwan backed up from me, cracking his fingers as he summoned forth another ball of fire.

This time, I wouldn't just run, though.

I'm going to face this headstrong, just like I am everything else.

Step one. Sense the mana around me.

I've been thinking of mana as something fantastical, but that's wrong. From what I've experienced, mana is just another particle. It's the same as air, or anything else.

It might be supernatural in nature, but it is grounded in reality.

So, just as I can feel the air around me, I must feel for the mana.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

There was a silence from the world for a moment. I just needed to be more focused.

Then, I felt the smallest of sensations. A small crackle, almost. Like something bumping into me. It was almost unnoticeable. If I wasn't completely focused on my physical sensations, I'm sure I wouldn't be able to notice it.

Was this mana? Small, tiny particles floating in the air, able to shift into almost anything.

Yes, this was mana. Mana is more than just some concept, it's a physical reality that I can experience.

I could feel the course of the mana, however faint it was. Mana would follow air as it flowed, meaning I could understand where it would go.

What's more, mana can't seem to travel through physical objects. It gets stuck on anything that isn't gas or liquid.

Now, step two. I need to absorb mana into my body. Now that I could feel mana, this would be easy. Still, it's hard to imagine absorbing mana.

Where does it go? Where would mana be held once it's taken in?

I think I've got an idea for that. This world has proved the existence of souls. Souls are the manifestations of consciousness, and hold bountiful amounts of energy. If that's true, then shouldn't a soul be able to hold mana as well, excess energy?

Then, I should think of this as absorbing mana into my soul, not my body.

My soul is a difficult concept to visualize. However, it shouldn't matter how I think of it, only that I have the willpower to do.

Yes, I didn't have the willpower to try. I was scared, but I'm not going to be like that anymore.

I follow the current of mana. As mana bumps into me, I imagine it not simply colliding, but instead being sucked in.

I check my status, and my mana count has gone up. I did it, I was able to absorb mana.

I take in some more, making sure to be completely full.

Step three, I just need to change the attribute of the mana into one of mine.

But for that, I need to have a spell in the first place.

What is it I need right now? To counteract fire...

My first attribute is water, followed by light.

Water is the perfect counter to fire in this case.

Looks like I'll use water.

So, I just need to change the attribute of the mana. Water mana will of course be like water.

I'll just imagine the mana inside of me changing to a more water-like state. For that, I'll use, let's say around 10 points of mana.

Next, step four. I must visualize a spell.

Well, I'll do the same thing as him. Instead of a fireball, however, I'll create a waterball. Pretty easy.

So, I have a spell. Now I have to visualize it.

Water... A large ball of water. To fully protect myself, it should be the same size as the fireball.

Alright, I have a pretty decent image of water in my head.

The final step. I must actualize the water.

For that, I must expel the mana from my body while keeping control over it.

So, I'll do the opposite of absorbing the mana. I'll choose to get rid of the water mana, while making sure to keep track of it.

Luckily, water likes to stay together, so that'll be easy.

... Alright, that was a success. I've lost that mana, but I'm still holding it in front of me.

To tell the truth, I'm not completely sure how I'm moving the mana. It's sort of like moving a third arm.

Ignoring that, now I just need to turn the mana into my spell.

Mana into water...

Well, Mana is extremely similar to a gas. Let's imagine this as similar to condensation.

I'm basically turning water vapour back into a liquid. Although, considering how dense mana is, I'm going to get a lot of water.

So, I quickly start attempting to turn the mana into water...

...

...

I open my eyes, and in front of me is a huge collection of water.

I... did it?

Wasn't completely expecting that, but I guess all I really needed was to have faith in myself, just like Kwan said.

Hold on, I'm not fully able to believe this is actually happening. Should I pinch myself?

Nope, looks like I actually did it.

The ball of water is really uneven though. It looks like it's barely holding itself together.

That's fine though. All it needs to do is defend against a single fireball.

"Fantastic job, Yuu! I told you that you could do it! Now, let's test its endurance!"

And with that, he shot out the fireball he was preparing. Luckily, he actually gave me a chance to create my spell, otherwise I'd be burnt to ashes right now.

The water and fire collided in mid-air, however, the water quickly overwhelmed the fire.

The water fell to the ground in a loud splash! while the fire was completely eradicated.

"Wonderful... I knew I was right about you!"

I was able to do it. Maybe it was just a miracle, but I was actually able to use magic. Let's hope this is a premonition for what's to come.