KINGDOM OF MAGIC

Training with Zora

Castro, despite the late night wining and dining, woke up just a bit before dawn. He adjusted so as to sit up, he groaned as he felt a sharp pain in his left arm, so he got up with his right arm. Castro narrowed his eyes and a bright, soft light shone on him gently, the sun had risen already. He soaked in the beauty of the sunrise and thought of all that had happened recently.

What is this Zero magic that demon told me about? And to think that "it" is me? How absurd... Castro thought while standing up to head to the colosseum, where they fought, near the tower.

He stepped out of his room, looking at the oddly quiet hallway confused. He shook his head in ignorance and walked down without a care. He approached the entrance to the colosseum, where he saw Zora running around the interior of the colosseum.

"Huh? Zora? Do you even need to train?" Castro blurted.

"Well, I may be an elder mage, but I need to exercise. Don't want to get fat." Zora said, wearing an exhausted smile while gasping for air

"I guess so..." Castro smiled faintly. "... I also came to ask you for help. About what happened yesterday."

Zora, understanding his predicament, stopped jogging and came to him.

"Sure."

Castro then told him everything; From the demon that came to him, to the mysterious power he had acquired.

That demon has already appeared to him, that's too soon... What is the demon's plan? Zora thought.

"As you know, your magic is called Zero magic, one of the rarest magic types. What you did back there yesterday was not negation, it was simply reverting the magic attack back to it's base form, Mana"

"Zero magic is also capable of negation, but you'll have to practice harder for that. Your aberrant magic is just a side effect of Zero magic. It's the main reason why you can create water that burns or fire that freezes things..." Soon, Zora's countenance became grim. Keeping himself together, he held Castro on his shoulders and looked sternly into his eyes.

"Castro, you must learn to control this power, or you may lose the ones you love."

Castro's countenance fell as he imagined the hidden existence being released into the world.

"I may lose the ones I love..." Castro muttered. Then, Zora looked at him, smiling.

"Lucky for you, I'm here to help!" Zora said, grinning from cheek to cheek

"How do you do that?" Castro asked confusedly, his brows furrowing with one brow raised.

"By helping you learn how to use your power to it's full extent... " Zora stopped abruptly. He smiled and turned towards the colosseum's entrance and grinned, showing a few teeth

"Well, you guys are up early..."

Castro turned, only to see Xero and Jolie. Looking at them.

"Good morning. Xero, Jolie. Did you also come here to train as well?" Zora asked.

"Yeah, need to loosen up my body... I also dragged her along, can you imagine she was still sleeping by this time?!" Xero said, pointing to Jolie, who was still rubbing her eyes. She yawned and groaned in frustration as Xero was holding her by the wrist.

"I wanted to sleep in today..." Jolie muttered silently, letting out another yawn.

Too late to say that now, isn't it? Castro, Xero and Zora thought.

"Let's start with stretches, to loosen up those joints and muscles!" Zora shouted charismatically.

Other students were already trotting into the colosseum during Xero's entry, and by the time Zora was thirty minutes into the warm-up, the colosseum was half full.

While everyone was stretching, Zora suddenly felt a light, inexplicable pulse throughout his body, He knew his magic perception had sensed something.

Zora silently muttered the spell for the Eye of Aletheia and looked at Castro, his magic perception led him to do so. He looked into Castro's mana flows and noticed something.

The outline of his body was covered by illusory darkness, giving him a chance to see Castro's Mana flow. There was a Mana path with an illusory azure blue glow and one with a soft crimson red glow going in an opposite direction from the former. The latter was moving at a slower pace than the former, as if to match the former's speed. It was then that Zora inferred as his eyes widened...

The two normally opposing mana flows were slowly synchronizing!

He probably doesn't know this yet... Just what is that demon's plan? He probably wants to take over his body, I don't know what inexplicable horror awaits us if that being enters this world... Zora thought.

Zora, with a loud voice, said as he clapped his hands together "Okay, let's do combat exercises! Pick a partner and spar." Zora said as everyone began forming pairs. Jolie paired with Alexander while Lisa paired with one of her teammates in the healing magic squad. He turned and saw Castro about to pair with Xero when he called their attention.

"Xero, how about you spar with Jolie today? Castro's all mine." Zora while having an abnormal expression on his face, unaware of what that statement and countenance has done.

That's too sus, Sir Zora!!!!! Everyone present exclaimed in their heads.

Alexander sighed in relief. The thought of having to fight Jolie, the ruthless monster who defeated Hephaestus was making him lose strength

Zora came in front of the paired students, and, clearing his throat, he began addressing the challenge.

"Okay, students. You've come this far... You passed the exam to train at my academy, and you even helped the city ward off the orcs. There will be some kind of improvement in your magic and physical ability. This sparring session is just to exercise and further increase your combat experience, as well as to see for yourselves how far you've come in your abilities. Play fair, and be nice... Oh, I forgot, no magic should be used, Mana Strengthening can be utilized. Let's keep it simple, okay?"

"Yes Sir!" The students said in unison.

Zora smirked and glanced at all the students.

"Let's begin!"