"But Aramiya-kun, don't you have fire magic?"

Shigeru asked Ryuu with a small but knowing smile.

Ryuu blinked, startled by the question, confusion flashing across his face.

"M-master, I... I don't have the fire element,"

Ryuu stammered, scratching his head awkwardly.

"I don't even know what element I have."

His uncertainty was genuine—he had no idea what his true magic was.

Shigeru, however, just kept that same odd smile on his face, as though he was in on a secret Ryuu wasn't aware of.

"You don't have to lie to me, Aramiya-kun," he said, his tone light yet firm.

"When I first saw you, your body was surrounded by two different magical powers. But for some reason, I could only clearly sense one of them."

"Two?" Ryuu's eyebrows furrowed. He had no memory of possessing more than one kind of magic.

"Yes, two," Shigeru confirmed.

"One of those powers was unmistakably fire magic. I could feel its warmth, the wild and untamed energy of flames. But the other..."

Shigeru's voice trailed off, his gaze becoming more distant as if recalling something beyond comprehension.

"The other power inside you... I've never felt anything like it. It didn't belong to this world.

I couldn't sense it properly, as if it was shrouded in a mystery beyond my reach."

Ryuu's heart pounded as Shigeru's words sank in. Fire magic? An unknown power? His mind raced back to his childhood—the day he discovered his abilities.

Back then, when he was just a boy, Ryuu had accidentally summoned flames.

He remembered his parents' wide-eyed shock, their disbelief that a child so young could wield magic.

They had kept it a secret from the Association, fearful that Ryuu would be taken away for investigation if anyone found out.

But when the day of his official selection came, Ryuu had expected the magical orb to glow red, signaling his fire element.

Instead, it had glowed a vibrant azure, an unnatural color that no one could explain.

His confusion and anxiety from that day returned now, as vivid as ever.

"Aramiya-kun," Shigeru said gently, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, pulling Ryuu out of his thoughts.

"I know you're confused. You've likely been struggling to understand your magic for a long time, haven't you?

But don't worry, I'm here to help. I agreed to teach you personally because I believe you're capable of more than you realize.

You have a power within you that you've yet to uncover."

Ryuu stared up at Shigeru, his mind whirling. He wanted to believe in his master's words, but the uncertainty gnawed at him.

Could he really trust himself to discover these powers?

"Do you trust me, Aramiya-kun?" Shigeru asked softly, his eyes full of calm assurance.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Before Ryuu could answer, Akiko chimed in, her voice cheerful and supportive.

"Hey, don't forget me! I'll be helping you too!"

She gave Ryuu a warm smile, her presence a gentle but firm reminder that he wasn't alone in this.

Ryuu felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

He looked at the two of them—Shigeru with his deep wisdom and Akiko with her boundless energy—and felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

For the first time in a long while, he didn't feel lost.

"Thank you, Master. Akiko-san," Ryuu said quietly, bowing his head. "I'll do my best."

Shigeru smiled.

"That's the spirit, Aramiya-kun. For now, focus on what you know.

Practice your fire magic here, within this peaceful environment.

Don't worry about the other power for now—it will reveal itself to you in time. But remember,"

Shigeru's tone grew serious.

"You must keep your fire magic hidden from the outside world. If people learn that you possess dual magic, it will cause an uproar.

Only use your fire magic in situations where your life is in danger. Do you understand?"

Ryuu nodded, feeling the weight of Shigeru's words.

"Yes, Master. I understand."

"Good," Shigeru said, giving him a reassuring pat on the back.

"Now let's begin your training."

Akiko, ever the lively one, jumped in.

"Come on, Aramiya-kun! Time to get to work!"

She said with a playful grin, and the three of them headed back towards the big maple tree where Ryuu's training would take place.

.

.

.

In the training grounds, the atmosphere was completely different.

Ryoko and the other students were now gathered in an open field, scattered among towering rocks and wide expanses of land.

Teuro stood at the front of the group, his demeanor calm but commanding.

"Alright, students," Teuro began, his voice carrying across the field.

"As you all know, magic is not something that just exists within us. It is a flow of energy, connected to the world around us.

To unleash your magical potential, you must first learn to control the flow of magic from the outside world into your body.

Once you stabilize this flow within yourself, you can begin to wield that power in the physical world."

Ryoko listened, her cold, calculating eyes observing Teuro closely.

She had already mastered the basics of magic, yet something about the way Teuro spoke intrigued her.

His approach was different from the teachers she had trained under before.

Teuro walked towards one of the larger rocks in the field, his hands clasped behind his back.

He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath, and then, with a swift motion, his hand burst into a small, crackling flame.

The fire danced in his palm, barely the size of a golf ball. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the tiny flame at the rock.

BOOM!

The explosion was deafening, and a thick cloud of dust engulfed the area. When the dust finally settled, the students gasped in shock.

The massive rock had been reduced to rubble, shattered into thousands of pieces by the tiny flame.

Teuro smiled, the look of astonishment on the students' faces giving him immense satisfaction.

"That," he said calmly, "was the power of a basic fire spell.

A small flame, practiced to perfection over years, can shatter a boulder.

What you witnessed was not advanced magic—just the simplest form of fire element manipulation.

The key to becoming a powerful magician is not about mastering complex spells, but perfecting the basics."

Ryoko's eyes narrowed as she processed what she had just seen.

This man… she thought, he's stronger than I gave him credit for. A basic spell with that much power?

It was an eye-opening experience for her. She had always viewed the basics as just a stepping stone to more advanced techniques,

but now she realized that even the simplest spells, if honed to perfection, could rival the strength of high-level magic.

Teuro continued

"Now it's your turn. Focus on the flow of magic within you, stabilize it, and channel it into a basic spell.

This is the foundation of everything you'll learn from here on out."

The students spread out, each one beginning to concentrate, closing their eyes as they tried to feel the flow of magic within their bodies.

All except for Ryoko, who stood off to the side, watching silently.

Teuro, noticing her lack of participation, approached her.

"Hey, kid," he said, his tone gentle but firm. "Why aren't you participating? You need to practice like everyone else.

Stabilizing your magic flow is key to—"

Before he could finish, Ryoko turned and walked towards a rock, her face expressionless.

Teuro was momentarily taken aback by her cold demeanor.

Is she ignoring me? he thought, his frustration building.

This girl really is as difficult as the rumors say.

Suddenly, a loud CRACK echoed through the training grounds.

Teuro snapped his head in Ryoko's direction and froze.

The rock in front of Ryoko had turned completely to ice, jagged frost crawling up its surface.

And then, as if in slow motion, the entire boulder shattered, crumbling into frozen dust.

Ryoko stood there, unphased, her icy expression as cold as the magic she had just unleashed.

Teuro's eyes widened in disbelief. S-she just froze and shattered that massive rock… in an instant.

How could she have cast such a high-level spell so quickly?

His mind raced, struggling to comprehend what he had just witnessed.

Even for him—an A-rank magician with years of experience—such a feat would have taken more time and effort.

Yet Ryoko had done it effortlessly, without breaking a sweat.

Is this the power of an S-rank magician? he wondered, his respect for her growing.

Or is this girl even more powerful than I thought?

The other students, still struggling with their basic spells, looked on in awe as Ryoko calmly walked away, her frosty demeanor never wavering.....