For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to become the greatest mage in the world.Not for glory. Not for recognition.Just... to prove that I could.
My mother once dreamed the same dream.She, who was once promised a great magical future, lost her powers for reasons no one truly understood.Since then, her strength faded—along with her hopes.
Today, it was my turn.
The Academy of Aeloria rose before me, imposing and majestic.A place where the gifts of the young were finally awakened.It was here, in this sacred chamber, that the Source-Tree stood—a millennia-old tree whose roots reached deep into the heart of Aeloria's Flow, the boundless source of the world's magical energy.
In front of the tree stood a black stele—smooth, cold, waiting.
It was the gateway to our destinies.
In this hall, silence hung heavy.Every family, every instructor, every student held their breath.The Ritual could change a life—or shatter it.
To be chosen for the Nova Class meant prestige. Recognition. Power.But to receive a weak power... was shame. Oblivion. Sometimes worse.
The Revelation Ritual was about to begin.
Around me, dozens of students waited, sitting silently, hearts pounding in unison.
One by one, names were called.
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The first to step forward was a boy with blazing red hair.He placed his hand on the stele.
A bright red light burst forth, setting the tree aglow with a warm flame.A rune appeared: Fire.
A murmur swept through the hall.
"An elemental… but a strong one.""He'll surely be placed in Nova Class."
The second, a girl with icy hair, stepped forward.Ice-blue. Rune of Ice.
The third, a boy with sharp eyes, touched the stone.A golden rune of Lightning erupted, vibrating with energy.
"Three elementals in a row? This generation shows promise."
Then, the name Masaru Kisaragi was called.
He walked forward calmly, almost solemnly. His light hair fell across his forehead, and he carried himself with a natural grace. A respectful hush fell over the crowd.
As he touched the stele, a brilliant light rose immediately.A golden rune—pure, radiant—appeared.It didn't crackle like lightning. It shone.
The Source-Tree seemed to lean toward him, as if recognizing his presence.
— "Divine Light…" someone whispered.— "An abstract power. Rare. Sacred. He's a chosen one."
Masaru gave a small bow to the Tree, humble despite the admiring stares.
I stared at him for a moment.He seemed… untouchable. Unreachable.
Then came the name Ayame Miyazono.Her steps were sure, her gaze fixed on the black stone.
When she placed her hand upon it, a shiver ran through the air.
The Tree pulsed—not with simple light, but something else.
Time itself seemed to freeze around her.
The leaves rustled softly, and filaments of pure energy wrapped around the stele, drawing ever-shifting runes.
An iridescent light, ever-changing, burst into complex patterns—like the Flow of Aeloria was being rewritten beneath her fingers.
A stunned murmur swept the crowd.
— "Is that… a Rewrite of the Flow?" gasped an instructor, wide-eyed.
— "A power as rare as it is uncontrollable. She holds something extraordinary."
Ayame raised her head, her defiant gaze sweeping across the room.
A mysterious smile touched her lips.
She already knew her fate had just changed forever.
I watched, frozen.As if the whole world had reached out to her...and closed its arms on me.
I had always dreamed of this moment.But I was starting to realize—others were already living it.
Then, it was my turn.
— "Menma Arisaka."
I don't remember my steps.My legs moved on their own.My heart beat like a war drum.
What if it was my time?What if, against all odds, something exceptional awaited me?
I placed my hand on the stele.
Nothing.No vibration.No light.
Just… a chilling silence.
A faint pale glow flickered at the base of the tree. It blinked… then died.
A wave of awkward tension swept through the room.
The master of ceremony's voice rang out, dry as a verdict:
— "Arche revealed: Amplification. Type: Alteration. Manifestation level: weak."
Silence shattered under the weight of whispers.
— "Amplification? Seriously?"— "That's a crafter's power, not a mage's."— "I hope I don't get a power like that…"
Some turned away. Others snickered, barely hiding it.
My legs almost gave out.I couldn't lift my eyes.I didn't even see faces—just… the shadow of their judgment.
I returned to my seat. Slowly. Each step echoed like a funeral bell.
I sat down. Empty.
The dream I had carried for so long… had just collapsed.
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But as I sank into the void, a familiar voice echoed in my mind.
"Menma… If one day you're given a gift, whatever it may be… treasure it.There's no such thing as a weak magic.Only people who give up on it."
My mother.
Her words are all I have left.
She died before I could understand what happened.Why she lost her powers.Why no one talks about it.
And most of all… why this was what I inherited.
Maybe it was just cruel fate.Maybe I was meant to be mediocre.
But no.
I refuse to let it end like this.I refuse to let her memory fade into silence.
I'll uncover the truth.I'll change this world—even with a power no one respects.
I swear it.
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A voice interrupted me.
"Hey, you listening?"
I looked up. A boy next to me, smiling, messy hair, relaxed attitude.
"Name's William. Looks like we'll be in the same class."
I didn't feel like talking, but he insisted.
"I saw your Arche. Yeah, it's not flashy, but you look determined. I bet you'll grow strong."
I shrugged, a bit bitter.
"Why are you trying to cheer me up instead of ignoring me like the others?"
William shrugged.
"I'm human before anything else. We're in this together—may as well help each other out.If we want to reach Nova Class, we'll have to rise together."
His smile was genuine.
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Suddenly, I felt a pressure against my seat. I turned.Behind me, a student with fiery red hair—Zarek—was pressing his legs against the back of my chair, deliberately bothering me.
He smirked arrogantly.
"Move aside, weaklings. Let real mages take the spotlight."
These people… these arrogant bastards who did nothing to earn their gifts, strutting around with flashy powers like Fire.While I had to struggle with a power no one wanted.I had to put in ten times the effort just to reach a fraction of what they had.
I stared at his face for a moment, burning his smugness into my memory.One day, I'd show him that even the weakest could become terrifying.
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In a world where magic reigns,where Arches dictate fate,I was born with a power no one wanted.
But that power will be mine to master.And I'll become the strongest.
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A World of Powers, a Universe of Arches
Arches are the very expression of Aeloria's Flow.
They are divided into five main categories:
Elementals: Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Ice, Lightning… the most common and visible.
Physical: Enhancing the body, speed, strength, endurance.
Abstract: Manipulating time, mind, illusions, divine light.
Alteration/Enchantment: Altering reality, curses, magical artifacts.
Unclassifiable: Rare and mysterious powers with unpredictable effects.
Each Arche has its own social standing and perceived strength. Elementals and Abstracts are often the most admired.
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The Revelation Ritual is only the beginning.But for me, it's a battle.A battle against the stares.Against the scorn.Against the world itself.
And I intend to win.