I stepped out of my changing stall, breathing a deep sigh as I adjusted my magical girl dress. It was still a bit much for me, but it was beginning to feel more and more familiar with every use of my Nexus.

Albert and I had split up after breakfast, and now I was on my way to the main academic hall for the official commencement address exclusively for first-year Knights. It was a big occasion, and I was getting pretty worked up.

A whole bunch of Magical Knights on the rise. It was exciting, but it was also a little terrifying.

Students could enroll as first-year students at a major school that officially supported the Knights at any age between fourteen to sixteen, and teams that often stuck together in their home regions often came in at the same time, with training and bonding on the job solidifying their connections.

It was rare for any 'hero' to operate alone or outside of an organization, even if they were registered as an unaffiliated hero. It was a dangerous job, after all, and 'Guilds' such as the League of Starlight had the resources and expertise to provide medical aid, team support, and even legal advice to help with anything that arose.

Teams of cadets were often mentored by Knights in their home territories, who trained them and often took them along in supporting roles when dealing with supervillains or disasters. As they progressed and gained experience, they began to develop their own strategies and specialties, eventually becoming capable of handling problems on their own.

Magical knights were only one part of the global superpower dynamic, but they had a significant impact and were closely scrutinized and watched. The Guardians chose their candidates for knights well for heroic inclinations, but virtually gave individual contractees free reign over how they used their powers at the end. It was a delicate balancing act to allow the various guilds and large organizations to self-police, and it was a miracle that corruption was as rare as it was.

Twilight Aster had told me that this year's batch had a bit over thirty knights, not counting the fourteen of us who were emergency contract holders. Having over fifty new knights in one entering class was pretty crazy by their standards, and the senior knights were definitely going to keep a close eye on us.

I stepped out of the magical space where I'd transformed and changed into my dress, and out the door into yet another different grand hall.

Kaleidoscope Academy perfectly balanced the sleek, modern hi-tech elements with beautiful stonework and antique fixtures to create a stunning, inviting atmosphere. It was very obvious that the architects had put a lot of time and effort into making it both functional and beautiful.

LED lights cast a warm, inviting glow on the walls, casting shadows over the mahogany benches and rows of chairs that were set up. It wasn't as intimidating as I'd expected, even with a whole entourage of... colorful, high-powered magical girls moving into the chamber at the forefront.

"Lux!"

I turned, spotting Claw Strawberry practically skipping over to me, a massive chocolate muffin in hand.

"Hey ther—"

She tackled me in a hug, giggling as she wrapped her arms around me. "Guh! So excited! It's finally time for our big day."

I laughed nervously. "Is that a muffin?"

She stepped back as she wiggled her cat ears, tearing off a piece and stuffing it into her mouth. "So sweet! It's a caramel chocolate fudge muffin, and it's to die for. Want some?"

"Er, I just had a pretty big breakfast. But thanks."

She shrugged, munching away happily. "Suit yourself! So anyway, who do you think is gonna give the speech? They said it was gonna be someone special this year."

"They did?" I blinked in confusion.

When did...

Ah, it might've been something they told the properly contracted magical knights and not us... emergency contracts.

Strawberry smiled, nodding eagerly. "Mhm. Yeah. They hinted that they were gonna bring in a bigshot to talk to us. Don't know who, but they made it sound pretty exciting."

"Oh. Huh, that is exciting. Hopefully they won't just bore us to tears with a mundane speech," I smiled weakly.

She giggled, shaking her head. "Hopefully not. C'mon, let's go in together Claw Currant's off with some guys he hit it off with, and I'm all alone."

I chuckled, nodding. "Yeah, yeah. Let's move in."

We headed inside, Strawberry happily munching on her muffin and trying to be as quiet as possible. Her tail swished back and forth, and I found myself grinning like an idiot.

She was so... bubbly.

I was always fond of cats, and she was one of those types of people that just she acted like a young, mischievous kitten when she got comfortable. It was adorable, and I couldn't help but smile.

I paused, activating my Aura Sight to look around. There were over a hundred knights in the room, with a row of people who looked like instructors lined up at one end of the auditorium.

Colors that ranged from red, pink, blue, green, and yellow filled my vision, and I took a deep breath, almost drowning in the sheer scope and variety.

A lot of the older students and instructors had muted auras, which I chalked up to using some ability or another to suppress and hide their powers.

My aura sight wouldn't let me see the abilities or levels of anyone I was looking at, but I'd learned to use my own aura as a level 51 cadet to benchmark against Twilight Aster's team, which had an average level in the 190s. Claw Strawberry's pink aura was marginally smaller and dimmer than my own, which meant she was probably somewhere between twenty to forty. It wasn't just luminescence and size I could see, either. It was a sense of depth and pressure in the air too, and other more metaphysical details - although it could be hard to tell what they meant sometimes.

Claw Currant's aura looked small and dim - very similar to Claw Strawberry's at first, but I could tell it was very dense and tightly controlled once I'd taken a closer look while treating him. It seemed a bit unusual, but there was no way for me to figure out why.

Then there were the Bravehearts. The three senior Bravehearts had auras that were only marginally larger ad brighter than Twilight Aster and the Garden Dreamers. However, their bombastic, over-the-top personalities were expressed in the form of a warm pressure and intensity in their auras. Their sunny smiles and brash attitudes broadcast themselves quite clearly through the dancing fluctuations of their auras, and it was almost overwhelming to stare at them with my ability sometimes.

"Excuse me," a voice suddenly spoke up beside us, and I turned to see an unfamiliar face. "Do you know where the section for first-year magical knights starts?"

My mind short-circuited for a moment as I looked at her up and down. It was a magical girl who looked like she was about sixteen years old, but...

She was dressed in a shiny, pearl-white dress that clung to her body in a way that looked like it was airbrushed on. It was adorned with all kinds off frilly, ornate patterns, and she wore a subtle circlet like a proper fairy tale princess. Her platinum blonde hair flowed down her shoulders in carefully curled waves, and her light brown eyes shone warmly with a soft and vulnerable glow.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Claw Strawberry leaned in, her brow furrowing. "Are you a new student too?"

The girl smiled and nodded, closing her eyes and taking a breath. "I am Magical Girl Elysia Veritas. I am unfortunately a late attendee, and enrolling without a team of my own. I know it's a bit odd, but the Academy made an exception for me."

Claw Strawberry bobbed her head, her ears twitching curiously. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Elysia. Hey, why don't you hang with us for a bit! Neither of us have a formal team yet, but we can keep you company in the mean time."

Elysia blinked in surprise. "Well, that's very kind of you, um..."

"Just call me Strawberry," she winked.

She smiled awkwardly. "You're... Strawberry... and you?"

She turned to me, and my heart stopped beating for a moment. I was still paralyzed by what I saw before.

Her aura was a simmering, bright halo of silvery white with hints of gold and pink swirling inside. She was obviously keeping her emotions in check, and there was a sense of... anticipation? Fear? Uncertainty? It was almost like her aura had a mind of its own, and it was impossible to tell what she was really feeling, but I could feel a concentrated presence radiate out in soft, even waves.

She was impressive. Probably forty or so levels below Twilight Aster, Dawn Lily, and Midnight Blossom's level range.

This is a first year student?!

"Oh, it's Lux. Harmonia Lux," I smiled, throwing up a nervous peace sign, which was quickly becoming a nervous habit. "It's nice to meet you, Elysia. So, you're starting from square one too? Well, at least you've already got a cute outfit. Mine's a bit... uh, experimental, but it seems to work."

She blinked, staring for a long moment as I did my peace sign, before chuckling softly. "Experimental works."

It did work for me.

Her eyes seemed to linger on me for a moment as she took me in, but there was no judgement or even recognition in them. She had one heck of a poker face.

"Very well. So, about where we're supposed to be sitting..."

Strawberry perked up, clapping her hands together. "Ooh! Yes, yeah. Here, here. Right here, girlies!"

She tugged at Elysia's arm, leading her to a nearby set of benches on the left-hand side. We had a few minutes before the actual speech would begin, and I couldn't help but feel a fluttering sense of nervousness and excitement in my stomach. I followed Strawberry and Elysia, settling in and preparing to pay attention.

"You mentioned you were a late start, Elysia. Is there anything special about that?" Strawberry pressed, leaning in with a curious gleam in her cat-like red eyes.

Elysia's face flushed, and she clutched at her arm awkwardly. "It's a bit complicated. But yes, I had a... family emergency I had to take care of that delayed my enrollment. Luckily, the Academy has a process in place for such things, and they allowed me to start this term with a special recommendation."

She scratched her neck, which seemed to momentarily magnify the light in her eyes. "I will admit, it was a bit scary to come down here given the situation right now. I have no team and little clue about how the Academy's program operates. I've been away from any formal knight courses for a while."

Strawberry grinned, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, we're all newbies. It'll all come together."

Elysia blinked, turning to me. "So... Lux, correct? How have your experiences been so far?"

"They've been interesting," I said hesitantly, pulling my hair back. "I've learned a lot in a short time, but I'm definitely still figuring it out."

She chuckled softly. "Well, I am glad for that. Still, I have heard the Academy has a comprehensive mentorship program and training regimen that should not be underestimated. They take great pride in helping their magical knights become the best they can be."

I smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it definitely seems that way. Can't wait to see what we'll get up to this year."

I looked up at her again, noting her aura fluctuate like it was... shaking around her.

She was obviously trying to project an image of pleasantness and calm, but there was a sense of anxiety or tension emanating from her when she made eye contact with me.

I stared at her again, squinting. What was up with her?

Claw Strawberry nudged me gently as the lights dimmed, signaling the start of the ceremony.

A magical girl with an aura so bright and vibrant that it almost hurt to look at stepped up to a podium, her orange curls bound up into a bun on her head. She had an air of grace and elegance, and her green eyes were bright and striking. She was wearing wire-rim glasses and a professional black suit, and had a bright and sunny smile on her face.

"Hello, everyone, and welcome!" The girl said, her voice crystal clear and exuberant. She had a microphone set up in front of her, and her voice boomed around the auditorium, bouncing off the walls and ceiling. "My name is Emberline. Some of you may have heard me, some of you may have not. Whether you know who I am or not, I'm old and crusty and basically have one foot in the grave, so don't worry about it too much!"

There was a ripple of laughter through the auditorium, and I couldn't help but grin.

After all... I highly doubted there was anyone in this room who didn't know who Emberline was.

"But seriously, wow. Welcome to another year, Knights! It's always exciting to see a new batch of heroes come onto the stage and begin their adventure. With each year, we see new faces and new skills come into bloom, and we hope to help cultivate and nurture your potential in whichever way you choose to pursue. Regardless, this is a chance to begin anew and reforge yourselves into the magical knights you want to be. And oh, this is going to be quite an interesting year for us all!"

Then, she stopped, putting on a serious face. "As you know, the worst catastrophe the world has ever seen occurred just short of three weeks ago, and it was a horrifying, devastating, and nearly world-ending experience. It was tragic, it was monumental, and it was a warning for us all. My duty as a magical girl is not just to protect our city or the world from supervillains, but to also shepherd and cultivate the next generation of heroes who will undoubtedly make a significant impact in the years to come. With the end of the world averted, it is more important than ever that we do everything in our power to ensure that such a tragedy never occurs again."

She closed her eyes. "No matter our station. No matter our fame, no job or duty is beneath us. It is something the leader of our team has always believed. With that, I'd like to introduce someone very special to you. Not just someone special to the Magical Knights, but to the world as a whole."

A man at the front row suddenly stood up and walked onto the stage. He was wearing an oversized black trench coat with a hood up and dark sunglasses, making it impossible to tell what he looked like. I squinted as I stared through my Aura Sight, noting that his aura was completely suppressed. It was impossible to even identify the color.

Wait, what the heck? Who is this guy?

The audience began to whisper, and Strawberry leaned in beside me, her tail flicking back and forth. "Oh my god, no way! If Emberline is here... No hecking way."

"Arcadia Vox may have been the greatest magical girl to ever live, but as some of you may know, we were right there with them during Mortifera Nox's reign of terror over Central America, Europe, and the Southwest Corridor. Without a doubt though, there was a period where hope was snuffed out. Where Arcadia Vox had nearly given in to despair, and was ready to give up and disappear into the shadows."

Emberline paused, rubbing her eyes and sniffling before continuing. "The stories and legends all talk about Arcadia rising up, about being imbued with the spirit of the people and returning to the battlefield to her team's aid like a Valkyrie reborn. But the truth is that was simply a moment, a single instance of fortune and grace that set them on a path to cement her legacy evermore. All the struggles, all the tears, all the doubt and the weakness. The training and day to day grind that she had to overcome to become the hero we all remember and love is left out of the biopics. It is a tale of strength, of compassion, of goodness and light. And ultimately, her perseverance and heart. And here is a man who can attest to that, having witnessed most of her journey personally."

The man slowly made his way up the stage, and I squinted, trying to make out his features through my enhanced sight.

His aura was weird.

It was like it was being... redirected? Suppressed?

All around him, the air was warped and shifted like there was a field of energy actively surrounding him.

"He had chosen a simple life as a teacher, and was there to guide Arcadia Vox, Paladis Shield, Nightingale Eclipse, Comet Quake, Storm Vixen, and Nascent Abyss when they were students in this very hall. He had been a rock to them, an anchor when they were lost in their struggles and afraid to go on. A guiding voice of reason. And now, he has come back to share his wisdom and inspire the next generation."

Strawberry gasped, smacking my arm excitedly as the hooded figure walked up the stage with a measured gravitas.

He slowly took off his sunglasses, folding them up and placing them in his pocket. Then, he dramatically pulled off his trench coat and threw it to the side.

He looked like a... regular civilian in a long-sleeved white t-shirt, jeans, and work boots. Save for his bright, snow-white hair, sharp blue eyes, and striking, handsome angular features and awkward, disarming smile.

The entire room fell silent.

"Introducing," Emberline announced, muting her tone. "The one and only. The legend himself. A man who has risked his life countless times to save countless lives."

He looked like a man in his late twenties or early thirties, and he had an ornate longsword strapped to his hip, with a small inscription in the pommel that was barely visible from this distance.

"Introducing," Emberline repeated softly. "A man who is here today as a humble former schoolteacher and principal addressing his former alma mater. The current sitting President of the United States... Mister Erichthonius Escathos."

She paused for dramatic effect.

There was a long beat as everyone in the room processed... who exactly was standing in front of them.

Then, the room exploded into applause.