Cloister of Trials, Academy of Onmyōdō, Kyoto, Japan
"Talisman of Fire, come to my aid!" Hiiraga Saito shouted as he threw a strip of paper at the human-shaped target across the room from him. As the paper flew from his right hand, his left hand formed a handsign and Saito channelled the exact amount of mana needed for the spell he was about to use.
"Hiotoko! (Fire Man!)" Saito yelled, completing the spell and activating it. The ink on the Talisman glowed red before it was consumed in a ball of fire. The fire then shifted into the shape of a samurai in full armour with his katana drawn and ready.
The fire-Samurai sped towards the dummy and impacted on it with a great [FOOM] in the centre. Saito sighed in relief as his target burned merrily. Fire element spells were not his forte, so he had been worried that the spell would backfire, which would have been embarrassing.
Not to mention painful.
"That was well done, Apprentice Hiiraga." A voice spoke from behind him.
Saito turned from the sight of his burning target to face his examiner, Tsubaki Kaname. He was dressed in the full regalia of a fully accredited member of the Ministry of Onmyōji: white Shinto robes, blue hakama and a tall black hat.
"Arigatou, Tsubaki-sensei." Saito replied with a small bow. He was dressed in the robes of an Onmyōji Apprentice. His white Shinto robes had three blue stripes on each sleeve, marking him as a third-year apprentice. He wore a black Hakama and had no headgear, showing his short black hair to the world.
Tsubaki shook his head with a small smile. He was quite fond of young Hiiraga and had thus been slightly harsher on him than he should have been when he taught him. This had actually encouraged the young apprentice to try harder and his skill with the Eight Elements, already impressive, had soared to new heights.
Except from fire.
"No, Hiiraga-kun. The simple fact is that fire spells are very difficult for you. We have been unable to determine why that is, but you have nevertheless persevered in your studies and, as proof of your dedication and hard work, that spell just now was executed flawlessly. You have successfully passed the Trial of Fire." Tsubaki said proudly.
Saito flushed in embarrassment at his sensei's praise. Tsubaki was very sparing with his praise, so any praise given was a rare treat.
"[Ahem]" Saito cleared his throat, "So then sensei, are there any further Trials left for me to do?"
Tsubaki's smile grew a little larger. "No, Hiiraga-kun. You have successfully completed the Trials of Light and Darkness." The older man's voice was definitely leaning towards wry amusement now. "Return to the waiting room once you have changed into your spare robes and await a summons from the Grandmaster."
Saito bowed at his sensei and left via the room's only door, to await with bated breath the one thing all teenagers fret about most: Exam results.
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2nd Year Classroom, Tristain Academy for Magic, Tristain, Halkaginia
Louise Françoise 'le Blanc' de La Vallière, youngest daughter of the Duke de La Vallière, sat in her seat, bored, as the teacher at the front of the classroom gave a lecture about a basic application of Earth-based magic - Alchemic transmutation of pebbles into brass.
'This is ridiculous!' Louise thought moodily, 'I know the theory of this spell inside and out. Basic transmutation is supposed to be easy, and it is…for everyone else! But for me…'
The pinkette sighed quietly. And yet, whenever she tried to cast even the simplest spell, it blew up in her face. Very literally.
To make matters worse, her spells blew up in everyone's faces!
Louise gnashed her teeth together -quietly- in frustration and returned her attention to the lecture, where the teacher, a jovial pleasantly plump woman with brown hair tied into a bun, had just demonstrated the actual spell for this specific transmutation -Rem In Yan. The pebbles had rattled, glowed and turned into solid brass.
"Now, I would like one of you to attempt this spell." The teacher announced to the classroom at large. She looked around for a moment before indicating Louise, who had picked up her quill and had started jotting down notes about her observations of the spell.
"You, the one taking notes." The teacher declared. Once the class saw who she was talking about, they all burst into chatter, unease written across their faces. "What is your name?"
"Louise Françoise de La Vallière, ma'am." Louise replied as she laid her quill down and stood up from her desk. Malicorne de Grandpre, a stout blond haired boy sitting in the middle of the classroom, raised his hand nervously.
"E-Errr, Miss Chevreuse," Malicorne stammered out, making the teacher look at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, is something the matter?" she asked.
"I-I think it would be better if you chose someone else…" the boy said worriedly.
The entire class, except Louise, nodded in agreement. Louise's eyebrow started twitching in annoyance.
A tall redhead stood up, her impressive cleavage straining the shirt she wore as they jiggled when she moved. "I agree, it's too dangerous to let her do it. Let me try." The girl, Kirche Augusta Frederica Von Anhalt Zerbst, protested stridently.
Louise's eyebrow was now twitching rapidly in pace with her growing anger. Had it been anyone else, the pinkette would have let it pass, but Von Zerbst was the one person that she absolutely could not abide criticism from, as it had been the busty redhead who had given her the thrice-accused moniker that she oh-so despised.