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… meant shame. Oblivion. Sometimes worse.
The Revelation Ritual was about to begin.
Around me, dozens of students sat silently, hearts pounding in unison. The air was tense, thick with anticipation.
One by one, names were called.
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, igniting the tree with a warm glow.
Arche: Blazing Flame.
A murmur ran through the hall."An elemental… but powerful.""He'll surely be in the Nova class."
Then came a light-haired girl with a touch of turquoise.
Arche: Ice… but with a strange structure.
The third student stepped up. He pressed his palm against the stone.
A golden rune flared—Lightning. Sparks danced around him, sharp and dazzling.
But then, the glow darkened.
The energy twisted, condensing into something heavier, unstable. Black arcs of lightning cracked through the air with a low, rumbling growl.
"A variant?" someone whispered."No… that's Dark Lightning. A rare Arche."
Three elementals in a row? This generation has potential.
Then came the name Masaru Kisaragi.
He stepped forward calmly, almost solemnly. His light hair fell over his forehead, carrying his natural grace with humility.A respectful silence fell over the crowd.
When he touched the stele, a brilliant light shot upward 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 acknowledging his presence.
— "Divine Light…" someone whispered.— "An abstract power. Rare. Sacred. He is chosen."
Masaru bowed slightly to the Tree, humble despite the admiring gazes.
He quietly spoke to himself, "I am fortunate to have been granted this power. I will honor it with everything I am."
Masaru bowed slightly to the Tree, humble despite the admiring gazes.
I watched him for a moment.He seemed… untouchable.Inaccessible.
Then came the name Ayame Miyazono. Her steps were confident, her gaze fixed on the black stone.
When she placed her hand on it, a chill ran through the air.
The Tree pulsed—not with simple light, but with something else.Time seemed to freeze around her.
Leaves rustled softly, and pure strands of energy wrapped around the stele, drawing shifting runes.
An iridescent, shifting light burst in complex patterns—as if the Flow of Aeloria was rewriting itself beneath her fingers.
It was a power of the Unclassifiable class, of extreme rarity and complexity.
A stunned murmur spread through the crowd.
— "Is that… a Flow Rewrite?" an instructor gasped. — "A power as rare as it is unstable. She holds something extraordinary."
Ayame raised her head, her defiant gaze sweeping the hall. A mysterious smile flickered on her lips.
She already knew her destiny had changed forever.
I stood frozen. As if everyone had turned their focus toward her… then folded their arms around me.
I had dreamed of this moment. But I began to understand—others were already living it.
Then my name was called.
— "Menma Arisaka."
I don't remember my steps. My legs moved on their own.My heart was pounding like a war drum.
What if this was my hour?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 went out.
An awkward wave of tension swept the room.
The master of ceremony's voice sounded—dry as a verdict:— "Arche revealed: Amplification. Type: Alteration. Level of manifestation: low."
The silence broke under the weight of whispers.
— "Amplification? Seriously?"— "That's a craftsman's power, not a mage's."— "Hope I never get that kind of thing…"
Some turned away. Others barely concealed their snickers.
My legs almost gave out. I couldn't meet anyone's eyes.I couldn't even see faces—just… the shadow of their judgment.
I returned to my seat. Slowly. Each step rang like a funeral bell.
I sat down. Empty.
The dream I'd carried for so long… had crumbled.
But as I sank into the void, a familiar voice echoed in my mind.
— "Menma… if one day you are given a gift, whatever it is… cherish it.There is no weak magic. Only people who give up."
My mother.
Her words are all I have left.
She died before I understood what had happened.
Why she lost her powers.
Why no one talks about it.
And above all… why this was what I inherited.
Maybe it was just a cruel fate.
Maybe I was destined to be mediocre.
But no.
I refuse to let it end like this. I refuse to let her memory fade into silence.
I will discover the truth. I will change this world—even with a power no one respects.
I swear it.
A voice pulled me from my thoughts.
— "Hey, you listening?"
I looked up. A boy beside me, smiling, messy hair, relaxed attitude.
— "I'm William. Looks like we'll be in the same class."
I didn't want to talk, but he insisted.
— "I saw your Arche. Yeah, it's not flashy, but you seem determined. Bet you'll get strong."
I shrugged, a little bitter.
— "Why are you trying to encourage me instead of ignoring me like everyone else?"
William shrugged.
— "I'm human first. We're in the same boat—might as well help each other. If we want to make Nova class, we'll have to rise together."
His smile was sincere.
Suddenly, I felt a pressure against my chair.I turned. Behind me, a boy with blazing red hair—Zarek—pressed his legs against the back, deliberately annoying me.
He smiled arrogantly.
— "Move, weaklings. Let the real mages shine."
These people… these arrogant fools who hadn't earned their gifts, strutting around with flashy powers like Fire. While I had to fight with a power no one wanted. I had to work ten times harder to reach a fraction of what they had.
I stared at his face for a moment, engraving his arrogance in my memory.One day, I would show him that even the weakest can become terrifying.
In a world where magic reigns, where Arches dictate destiny,I was born with a power no one wanted.
But this power will be mine to master.And I will become the strongest.
✨ [ 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.
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.