Radiance. Although no one exactly knows where it came from, what we do know is that it flows through all living things, allowing us to perform extraordinary feats. Without it, we'd be unable to fight the monsters that threaten us. Those trained to bend it to their will introduced a new profession, rangers who ventured into uncharted lands to slay the beasts. It was thanks to their dances with death that allowed their loved ones to sleep soundly at night.

*****

The sun's rays illuminated a small village. Parents spectated their children laughing and chasing one another through the vast green fields. A couple of isolated figures in the field swung away at each other, both wielding wooden katanas.

A teenager with short dark hair and brown eyes sparred with an older woman around her late twenties. Her maroon hair was tied into a messy bun and she sported a tank top and sweats. He unleashed a flurry of attacks as she effortlessly defended against his onslaught.

"Not bad, Yakeru."

He swung his blade only for her to deflect and strike his head with the butt of her hilt, snickering as she did. Holding his forehead, he stumbled backward as she advanced. Suddenly, his blade emitted a low hum and began to glow an amber shade as he channeled radiance into it. Slicing through the air, he unleashed a radiant arc that soared at blistering speeds toward her. Unfazed, she ducked under the blast before it struck a tree behind her.

𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑚!

Wood chips exploded from the trunk as Yakeru took note of the small gap in his assailant's defenses.

'Gotcha!' he exclaimed in his head.

Taking advantage of the opening, he advanced only for her to channel her own radiance into her blade, infusing it. Before he could strike, she propelled herself through the air, spinning before slamming her sword into his as he reflexively blocked. The force of the shockwave blasted him backward, leaving a trail of dust behind him. Before he had time to recover he was met with a blade to his throat.

"You yield?" she smirked.

"You know that's not fair, Akari. You said you weren't gonna use that move."

"Well if you're gonna be a ranger you gotta expect the unexpected. I just want my baby brother to be prepared."

A look of frustration crossed his face. She sheathed her dull blade and helped him to his feet before dusting himself off.

"On the bright side, you've come a long way in these past few years."

"Have I? I mean, five years of this and I still can't beat you."

He sheathed his sword as she chuckled.

"Yeah, still got a long way to go if you wanna reach my level, huh?" she playfully nudged him with a smug grin on her face. "You obviously know your way around a sword, but you try too hard to outlast your opponent. That won't work in every situation. Regardless, I think you'll do great in the examination."

He looked at her hopefully.

"You think so?"

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"Of course! You're good with a sword, tenacious, smart, and have a good understanding of radiance. You'll be fine."

She offered a warm smile as they walked into their home. Upon walking inside, they hung up their sparring equipment next to more sheathed weapons. She then made her way into the kitchen.

"Hungry?"

"Starving."

"Cool, do me a favor and set the table."

After setting the table, Akari finished making lunch and they sat down to eat. Yakeru's mouth watered after she set down a bowl of her signature dish, beef and carrot stew. Its pleasant scent hypnotized him, his tongue practically hanging out.

"If you're just gonna sit there and stare like an idiot, it'll be more for me."

Snapping out of his trance, they began to feast. As they ate, Akari took the liberty of bombarding him with questions.

"So tell me, what do you do every time you enter a fight?"

"Assume that my opponent is stronger than me. That way it's less likely for me to make careless mistakes."

"Good. What's the most effective way to use radiance?"

Yakeru continued to chew and then swallowed.

"With a conduit. The body has trouble sustaining its raw power, making it difficult to control."

He stuffed his face again, his cheeks puffed with his bowl's contents.

"How do radiant signatures work?"

"When you output radiance it sends a ripple through the air, which you can sense. Kinda like how air molecules are pushed away when you blow from your mouth."

He returned his attention to his steaming bowl, filling his mouth with more. She took a few more bites of the beef before she continued.

"So is it a reliable way to measure someone's power?"

"Yes, if their attacks cause stronger ripples then it's safe to assume that-"

His explanation was interrupted by a fake low-pitched buzzer produced by his sister.

"Wrong. Radiant signatures are an unreliable way of measuring one's power. Just because someone outputs more radiance at a time doesn't mean they're stronger."

She glanced down at the bowls of stew on the table and gestured toward his nearly empty bowl.

"Think of radiance as the stew and the bowls as the amount of radiance we can store. We have, or rather had, the same amount of stew. But since you chose to wolf down so much at a time, you're probably gonna make several trips to the bathroom later on while I, on the other hand, have been pacing myself. People who use radiance recklessly tend to exhaust themselves faster."

"Oh, I see...wait is this you're way of telling me to slow down?"

"No, of course not~ I think most would find it rather charming whenever you eat like a pig." she smirked, clearly trying to muster a reaction from her brother with her sarcastic remark.

Alas, she earned herself an eye roll from him as they continued to eat and make small talk. The day went by with them doing chores around the house until the sun disappeared beyond the horizon.

*****

The early sun floated its way into the sky the next day until its brilliant light peeked through Yakeru's window. After several minutes of squirming, he dragged himself out of bed. Upon entering the kitchen he's met with the welcoming aroma of eggs sizzling on a frying pan.

"Look who's up. Morning!"

"Morning." he yawned.

He pulled up a chair at the table before she eventually set a plate of eggs down in front of him.

"Eat up. Can't do an exam on an empty stomach."

After he filled his stomach, he got himself ready for the day. He passed by the wooden katanas to grab a metallic one. Wrapping the belt around his waist Akari walked him to the door. She watched as he slipped into his combat boots and donned a light black coat. She couldn't help but snicker, triggering an eyebrow raise from Yakeru.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Some kid who, despite the five years of training, can't seem to put his belt on right."

Looking down, he saw his sword was a little crooked. Heat rose to his face as he adjusted it.

"Oh..." his cheeks flared in embarrassment. "Sorry, I'm just..."

"Excited?"

"'Nervous' is a better word."

Akari put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Don't overthink it. You'll do great."

Yakeru smiled before she pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Although I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous myself. Who knows what kind of monsters you'll face..."

"Well if I pass the examination, I promise not to take missions I know I can't handle."

"I know. Like I said before, you're smart."

As a boy, his sister would always take him to see the big city. This would be his first time going solo so his nerves were spiking.

They lingered in each other's arms for a while longer before he eventually headed out the door. She waved him off as he walked down a trail, leading to what looked like skyscrapers in the distance.