-Chapter Seven-

Andrew Black - Part Two

They did not make it far until they heard a high pitched, shrill screech from the air.

The girl looked up at the sky with narrowed eyes, stopping and Andrew stopped behind her, glaring at what appeared to be multiple flares in the air apprehensively.

“A spell?” He wondered, looking out at them.

“Connect to the Ira Archive,” the girl raised her staff. “Clairvoyance!”

A wave of golden light shot out from the crystal on her staff and went through the walls around them.

She turned around with glowing eyes, looking around them.

“It’s an ambush,” she told Andrew.

“What the hell? Who in the world would-”

“Doesn’t matter. One’s there, two’s there, two’s there, and three’s over there,” she pointed at each direction. “We’re severely outnumbered.”

Andrew exhaled deeply, staring at the spot she pointed to.

“What do we do?” he asked.

“We can’t escape. The only choice is to engage.”

She stomped her staff down.

“You are a Successor. Put that to use. I need some time to cast a spell. Hold them off from me until then. I will be completely vulnerable, my life will be in your hands.”

She began chanting immediately, starting to summon magical circles around her.

“How in the world can I hold them off!? I can’t fight?” Andrew exclaimed.

The girl, with her hair flowing upward from the power of the spell, her body and eyes glowing a pure light blue, looked straight into his gaze and tapped the book he held by his hand, giving him a nod.

Andrew looked at what remained of Asahi, swallowing.

He noticed shadows appear around them, beginning their approach.

Andrew picked up his book and flipped it open.

“Asahi… are you there? Can you hear me?” he asked.

It suddenly flipped on its own, to a page reading:

“Master, what is your wish?”

Andrew glanced at the approaching figures.

“Help me fend off those attackers!” Andrew called at it.

The book began to flip again, before coming to a stop, open before him.

“Calculating potential solutions…”

It flipped again.

“Master has yet to ascertain a thesis. Mana cannot be manifested without a thesis. Remaining options… 1”

Andrew’s eyes ran down the page.

“1. World Collapse - Pure outburst of Mana.”

“What!?” Andrew exclaimed, as the enemies drew closer. “Asahi, anything but a World Collapse!” Andrew yelled at it.

“Error. Cannot comply. This is the optimal solution, unless Master dictates a thesis.”

“What the hell is my thesis!?” Andrew shouted.

The shadows came around the corners into the sunlight, revealing people; mages hidden under cloaks.

They came to a stop a few metres away, before readying spells at him.

“Take out the two perpetrators! In the honour of the Peace, kill them! Stop that one from casting her spell!” one of them commanded and fired a bolt at him.

“Fuck!” Andrew shouted as he dodged it and it shot past him, almost hitting the girl. One of them suddenly dashed up to him and threw a barrage of punches.

He tried to meet them and get a counter, but the enemy was reinforced with Mana, and his hands crushed Andrew’s.

Gasping out in pain, he jumped back, clutching his knuckles.

“Fuck…”

Behind him, the voice of the girl continued casting.

I can’t die here… I can’t let her die here… his head repeated to him as his breathing quickened.

“Take out the girl, now!”

“Noo!” Andrew shouted, spinning around as one dashed past wielding a scythe, and swung it at the girl’s neck.

“Nooo!”

Andrew jumped in front of the swing, about to get her out the way when he realised there was no way he could get there in time.

The scythe came swinging down onto her neck, and his eyes widened in horror when suddenly all of time stopped, and the sky darkened.

“Wha-wha?” he looked around him. The people were still there, but the sun was no longer.

Light came from the electric lights around them instead.

Suddenly, he heard a flap and his book came floating up to him, opening up before him.

“Mana accumulation has reached 100%. Immediate World Collapse is imminent. Does Master wish to abort or proceed to detonation?”

Andrew looked at the words at the bottom of the page, in small print:

“A small radius around Master will remain unaffected.”

Andrew breathed deeply, looking at the scythe with nervousness.

“Ha, is this the only way?” he wondered aloud bitterly, when he heard a chattering begin to creep up on him, gradually drawing closer to him, causing him to freeze.

The sound of wind began to whisk, a heart-wrenching laughter filled the air, and Andrew turned to see six shadowy figures floating about him in the dark sky.

“What are you considering so deeply? Go ahead and cause the World Collapse, unless you want her to die. Or choose your thesis? Though even if you do, it’ll be too late to stop her head from dropping, kekekeke…” they laughed at him.

“Who are you!?” Andrew roared at them. “Did you do all this? Is this a joke to you!?” his voice yelled at them with rage.

They stopped still and looked at him for a moment, before they began to float about him again.

“You cannot escape our clutches. You cannot escape your destiny. Go ahead and become strong, to protect those around you. One by one, you will face a worse disaster, and someone will die around you if you’re too weak. You cannot escape your destiny, so you yourself will never die. That is the price of our… favour, hehehe,” Andrew listened to them say in horror.

“Choose. Wisely.”

In mocking laughter, they disappeared off into the dark sky, leaving the young man where he stood alone.

Andrew fell quiet for a long moment before he looked at the blade on the girl’s neck with grievance.

She was someone who wanted to help him. He can’t bear to let her die.

“I can’t believe… I really have no choice but to do this…” he clenched his fists.

Wearing a look of disapproval, he raised his finger to the book, and hesitated a moment. Just a moment. And then he chose to initiate the World Collapse.

The world erupted around Andrew, all going black and Andrew was knocked over from the sudden burst.

Everything began to blur and slow, the air around him lit up like fireworks, and in the middle of the distorted sounds, he heard, a familiar voice whisper to his ear,

“Goodbye, Master.”

Then he fell onto the ground, remembering only seeing the face of the mysterious girl before he hit his head and all went to black.

A fading, warm glowing light.

A meadow of flowers, standing tall, perked toward the sun.

Light footsteps and high giggles resounding through the air.

A familiar girl with light blue hair.

This time, things weren’t as fuzzy.

Could he see her face this time?

“Wake up, Andrew,” she called. “Wake up. You need to wake up.”

He stared straight into her keen, light blue eyes.

“Wake up-”

All suddenly turned black, and a scythe appeared at her soft, white neck.

Andrew froze in horror.

“If you are too weak, you cannot overcome the obstacles you will face in the world,” the same terrifying voice from earlier, encroaching on Andrew’s skin, whispered.

“We look forward to seeing what you will choose next time,” they cackled mockingly and Andrew wanted to scream at them in rage and fury when his eyes suddenly fluttered open, and he found himself looking straight up into the girl’s light blue eyes.

She was the one from the dreams.

“Wake up-oh, are you awake now?” she asked, and he noticed he was lying on her lap, his head up against her stomach.

“This was my carelessness. I am responsible for this happening,” she immediately said, looking out past Andrew’s face into the air.

Andrew quickly sat up to look around them and see what she meant.

A strong gust of air rushed into his face, howling in his airs and he looked out at the endless… nothingness around him. Nothing for hundreds of kilometres.

He remained with the girl on a singular pillar of concrete, holding them up a dozen kilometres in the air.

“This is…” Andrew rubbed his eyes, letting his vision come into focus.

Nothing but a large crater of rock remained around them, beneath the scorching sun.

“This is a second World Collapse. This space has been completely, thoroughly eradicated,” the girl said. “Andrew, I apologise. I forced you into a crisis,” she bowed her head to him.

“What?” Andrew answered. “Are you serious? You’re apologising to me?” he uttered in shock, and then anger.

“It’s because I was weak, wasn’t it?” Andrew asked her, and she tilted her head at him.

“Look around you, you’ve destroyed the entire reality hundreds of kilometres around us. Do you mean that’s weak?’’ she asked him.

“No, but… I couldn’t stop it from happening…” Andrew muttered.

“It was the only way to save me, wasn’t it? And that’s what you did, isn’t it?” she rose to her feet. “That scythe was already on my neck. They were skilled Magicians. Goddamn Headmaster, only sending one Trinity…” she grumbled. “…Oh, right. Yes, I owe you my life for letting us make it out of this one. I am grateful. And I apologise for putting you in a crisis.”

Andrew hesitated for a long moment before he finally nodded, his gaze narrowed at the ground.

“I will get us out of here.”

Her words did not satisfy him. It was not the answer he wanted to hear.

He thought back to the words in his book.

Do you want to choose your thesis?

His power was not his own. His destiny was in the hands of some unknown enemy, and he will bring disaster in his wake, if he’s not strong enough to resist them. His life was... nothing but a catostrophe, where he would be nothing but a puppet.

Then… his thesis would be Control, wouldn’t it? Imperium.

“Imperium… Imperium…” the Magic to take control over something, including his destiny and enemies. To resist fate, and overcome disaster.

To conquer and vanquish.

“Imperium…” The book appeared before him and flipped open.

“Magic thesis assigned…”

“Superbia Atheneum.”

“Imperium.”

Andrew felt his Mana source attach to him, and flood him with Magic.

“Rapid Mana increase detected.”

“You’ve awakened your thesis?” the girl asked, and Andrew looked down at his glowing hands.

“My Mana is rising. I won’t cause another World Collapse again, will I?” he asked.

The girl frowned, pushing him to his feet and jumping up herself.

She quickly drew a circle of Magic around his feet, chanting, before a window of Magic popped up in her face.

“Hmm… it says you have 80% likelihood of causing a World Collapse in your current state,” she told him with concern.

He sharply inhaled.

“Connect to the Superbia Atheneum.”

The book flapped.

“Body-Mana assimilation. Internal refinement technique… Martial Fighter,” he cast, and Mana went from his source to into his body, split into 8 different sources around him.

“Dimensional Seal,” Andrew cast on each location, sealing away 7/8s of his Mana.

The book flipped.

“Establishment of Gate System Successful. Mana resting at stable levels.”

“Ok, good, good, dismissed,” Andrew waved his hand at the book and it poofed into the air, no longer in sight.

“Incredible. What quick thinking to contain your unstable Mana,” the girl inspected his 8 points with her glowing eyes.

“Still, this is eventually going to cause a problem… hmm…” she frowned at it. “Oh well, cross that bridge when we get to it. Are you ready to go now? We should leave this place,” she smiled, gesturing for him to get closer.

The Magic circle beneath their feet began to glow, and Andrew was blinded by the flash.

When his vision returned, he could already hear feet bustling, laughter, shouting, crowded chatter all around him.

“Welcome to the Excel Magic Academy. Come with me, I have to report all of this.”

She led him through the vintage, oak wood campus buildings to the main one at the centre.

After they entered, they went to the third floor which opened up into the Headmaster’s office.

The girl stopped at the door, glancing at Andrew, and then knocking on it.

“Enter,” a man’s voice answered and she pushed the door open, entering, pulling Andrew with her in.

The room opened into a comfortable study with a large central desk, two sofas, bookshelves and a window overlooking the rest of the Academy.

“Headmaster, I have returned safely and successfully completed my task,” the girl, nodded.

The headmaster sat with his back to them in his large chair, his feet resting on the windowsill.

“I knew I could count on you, Aira. It must’ve been hard. I could see the lights from here,” he spun around and smiled with friendliness at the two of them.

Medium, straight and neat light brown hair, a handsome face and book-loving glasses, the man was an intimidating sight.

“Hmm… what’s your name?” he asked, gesturing to Andrew.

“Andrew…” he answered.

“Would you like to study as a student at my Excel Academy? I will cover your tuition fees, consider it a sponsorship. Our Academy can also provide living arrangements, so you don’t have to worry about that either. Our classes are high quality, our professors are experienced, and… I’m sure we could help you fix your future problems…” his eyes locked onto Andrew’s.

“What future problems?” Andrew prodded him.

“Hmm… Aira didn’t tell you did she? Well, Andrew, your method of sealing your Mana is flawed,” the Headmaster remarked.

“What?” he responded, surprised.

“You sealed your Mana into 8 points on your body by sending them to other dimensions. The only problem is, Mana is an energy that is… superb, to be honest. The longer you leave your Mana sealed, the more it will grow and pure it will become, in that isolated dimension with nothing but abyssal energy to feed on. One day, when you open even only one of them, it will be too much Mana for your body to contain, and will cause a World Collapse,” the headmaster explained.

“What? Is that possible?” Andrew asked, and his book appeared, flipping open before him.

“Mana investment rate = 150% per 60 minutes” it read.

“Oh, that is true… that is another missight on my part,” the girl named Aira acknowledged.

“Then what do I do?” Andrew asked the headmaster.

“You need to become capable of handling your large Mana capacity. I can offer you the fastest and most efficient method to control your power.” Andrew frowned at him, thinking in silence for a long time, before he finally asked,

“What’s in it for you? What is your motive?” he asked.

“Hmm… to repay a debt, I suppose?” the Headmaster wondered, looking up at the ceiling. “Let me just say, personal reasons. Honestly, I have no ill intentions. Successors are rare, you know?” the man smugly shrugged.

“…What method do you suggest?” Andrew asked him.

“I’m glad you inquired. Here’s how… we will train your body and physically enhance it, to withstand the multiplication of your Mana, and the most important part I recommend is… you sign a contract with little miss Aira here…”

Andrew raised an eyebrow and glanced at her.

Her face turned red, and she looked away, at a nearby bookshelf.

“Miss Aira here,” the headmaster chuckled, “has a Dragon’s heart. She is extremely capable of Mana processing. Signing a contract will benefit both of you greatly. The rest from there, I’m sure you both could figure it out. But, that’s just my… advice. It’s really up to you. It’s your lives, after all, hehehe,” the headmaster spun around in his chair.

“Should I just kill myself right now?” Andrew asked frankly to Aira.

“What? Why?” she asked.

“Because my existence is so burdensome.”

“That’s… please don’t do that. That’s too sad.”

“Hahahaha, that is also a choice, young man,” the headmaster burst out into laughter, still looking out the window.

“Though as your senior, I encourage you to challenge your life. Strive to overcome your problems, and live well, or die trying. Don’t forfeit your one chance at life now. You are a Successor. Our Academy would be delighted to have you.”

Andrew clenched his fists.

“Do you honestly think you should die, in this scenario?” the girl asked him and he clenched his teeth.

“I don’t know.”

She sighed.

“Connect to the Ira Atheneum… Life Mete.”

Andrew watched as she quickly drafted Magic in the air with her staff. The whole time, the headmaster remained silent, like he wasn’t in the room at all.

Andrew watched with eyes of fascination as the girl’s hair, glowing silver with energy, floated upward.

“Now, sign your part. Now.”

She spun a bar around to him in the air.

“Use your hand. Sign it.”

Raising an eyebrow, Andrew put his finger to the Magic and drew a sign.

“Contract established,” Aira breathed, and suddenly light lit up in Andrew’s face.

He felt something inside him, a ball of energy and warmth, deep within his centre core, the most intimate part of his being, break open.

A thread slipped in, latching on to within him, running from him to the girl.

His Mana pool suddenly gave way into her’s as the two merged, and their Mana source refined into one another.

It was over in a matter of seconds, but with this, they had become completely new beings, Andrew blinked in shock.

“Now, don’t think of dying anymore,” she reached her hand out to him. “Like the headmaster said, you should challenge your life, live well or die trying.”

He remained stunned for a short second, before he took it and she pulled him to his feet.

“From now on, rely on me to channel and manage your Mana. As a possessor of a Dragon’s Heart, I will erase all your worries. A World Collapse will never take place again."