Hiro turned watched the upperclassmen gathering into groups before turning around and trying to leave. Baldar noticed Hiro was leaving and asked, “Hiro, why are you leaving?”

Hiro turned his head, “Training.”

“You don’t want to watch them fight? You might even go up against them later you know.”

Hiro shook his head, “Not interested.”

Hiro waved his hand and made his way back to the academy’s library. Since he didn’t have any classes today, and he was finished with the preliminaries he thought he should take the time to read some books since the library was basically empty.

Suddenly a voice called out from above him, “Why aren’t I surprised you’re here.”

Hiro looked up and notice Karen was on the floor above him. He grabbed a few books and jumped up to her floor. He asked, “Don’t you have to worry about preliminaries?”

Karen shook her head, “Unlike the Magic Knight division which is primarily a combat division the other divisions are also filled with non-combatants.”

“And you’re a non-combatant?”

“No, but for us participating is optional. We’re given monetary incentives to participate, and most of us do, but I won’t”

Hiro flipped through his book, “Why not?”

“Because it’s pointless.”

“I see,” Hiro threw the book down to the floor below him and one of the magic circles engraved into the book lit up and caused the book to float into place, “So did you need something from me?”

Karen leaned over the railings and asked, “What is it a crime for me to walk up to one of my friends-”

“That’s arguable”

“And say hello to see how they’re doing? Is it wrong to just do that?”

Hiro continued flipping through his book, “Maybe if it was someone other than you.”

“Oh come on, I don’t come to you every time with a weird proposition or plan…”

Hiro paused and stared at Karen. Karen raised her finger, “Sometimes the plans aren’t weird.”

Hiro shook his head and continued reading, “So what is it this time.”

Karen paused before saying, “The Black Mist is on the move.”

“...”

“From what I gather their target is likely a person, likely a single individual. The individual is either extraordinarily powerful on their own right or they’re heavily guarded. This means it’s not like their usual kidnappings.”

Hiro sighed and closed the book in his hands. Hiro snapped his fingers and suddenly a small black ball appeared and engulfed the both of them. Karen looked around in surprise at the dark room she was in. She asked, “Where are we?”

“In my spell.”

“Is this a barrier?”

“Not exactly.”

“Heh”, Karen walked up to one of the walls and touched it, “I’ve never seen anything like this. What is this an alternate dimension?”

“How did you find this out?”

Karne turned her head, “Hmm?”

“What you just told me doesn’t sound like one of your `predictions` or an attempt to change some future event. Who gave you that information.”

Karen smiled, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I told you I can see the future.”

“Then tell me what do you want me to do this time? Kill a beast? Rescue someone? Go to the scene of the crime and prevent it from ever happening?”

Karen shook her head, “I just wanted to help a friend. Is there something wrong with telling someone that there’s a criminal loose out there?”

“Yes, because it’s you. Why don’t you go, why don’t you try to stop it? I might not believe but others might. Why haven’t you tried anyone else?”

Karen smiled, as she stared at Hiro, “You just don’t understand Hiro.”

“What don’t I understand?”

Karen shook her head, “We live in two different worlds, Hiro.”

Hiro shook his head and snapped his finger causing them to exit the black sphere. Karen looked at the small sphere in Hiro’s fingers as it vanished and asked, “But just what is that?”

“It’s mana.”

“Thanks captain obvious as if all spells weren’t made of mana.”

“Do you know what mana is?”

Karen shook her head, and Hiro sighed, “Aren’t you a mage?”

“I can still cast spells even if I don’t know what mana is.”

Hiro shook his head as he began explaining, “You understand at the very least how versatile mana is right?”

Karen nodded, “Of course.”

Hiro raised his hand and the black sphere appeared in his hand and he offered it to Karen. Karen picked it up and held it in her hands and said, “I don’t get it. So what is it.”

“Spells are just how we shape mana right? We can turn mana into matter or other forms of energy or even infuse it into objects. If we wanted we could form a sword entirely out of mana, then do you know why we don’t do that?”

“Because it’s weaker right.”

Hiro nodded, “It’s not only weaker but it’s also inefficient. Creating matter is one thing but maintaining its existence is simply too difficult.”

Karen looked at the black sphere in her hands and asked, “Then this is…”

Hiro nodded, “There was originally no Qi in my body you see, and when I was reinforcing my body I found that after I came back from training I could reinforce my body with more mana. And I thought it would be a waste to just use exhaust all my mana reserves on nothing so I started making these.”

Hiro snapped his finger and two more black spheres appeared, “This is essentially all the residual mana my body couldn’t absorb and all the mana from my reserves over the last year. And frankly, I don’t quite understand it either.”

“Hmm? How so?”

“Well I have these spheres on me the entire time and even when I’m in a Magic class I don’t use any of my internal mana. But after time even after I stopped pouring mana into them they just sorta stayed there. I can freely control them changing their mass and size, and they can even transform into an independent space. ”

“That’s kinda incredible.”

Hiro nodded they’re quite handy, and you know what they even let me do this. Suddenly the black sphere in Karen’s hand melted and was seemingly absorbed by her body. Karen panicked when suddenly she collapsed.

Hiro tossed one of the black spheres in his hand down and it engulfed Karen, and he picked it back up and walked away.