The Academy's Goddess

As I stepped into the center of the field to face Luna, the atmosphere shifted. The once vibrant chatter of the students faded into an expectant silence, their collective gaze fixed on the impending match. The pressure emanating from her was palpable, a suffocating force that made the air feel heavier, as if the battlefield itself was warning me to step back and concede. But I despised losing—especially against opponents who carried the weight of death so effortlessly in their presence.

Luna stood poised, her golden-brown hair catching the light, a stark contrast to the cold sharpness in her gaze. She wasn't just strong—she was a force, the kind that dictated battles rather than fought them. And right now, I was standing in her domain.

My eyes fell to her weapon—a lance of breathtaking craftsmanship, its intricate design woven with golden filigree, inlaid with pink amethyst that shimmered with an almost ethereal glow. The blade at its tip gleamed under the sun, a silent promise of precision and lethality. One misstep, and I wouldn't just lose—I would be cut down.

I clenched my fists. No Erythrotenebrae. No access to Rapture. That was the curse of skills bound to specific weapons, and without my own, I was severely handicapped.

That left me with only three viable abilities—Clairvoyance, Blood Aegis, and Mimic Eye. Clairvoyance would allow me to glimpse incoming attacks, but reacting in time against someone of Luna's caliber was another matter. Blood Aegis could shield me, but using it came with a risk—its vampiric origins. If I activated it carelessly, it could expose a truth that shouldn't exist: a human wielding an ability exclusive to vampires.

Mimic Eye was an option, but a reckless one. The ability allowed me to copy another's skill temporarily, but its usage came with a built-in fail-safe—an automatic protective lens that activated after a set number of uses, locking me out until it reset. Against an opponent like Luna, wasting even a single attempt was a risk I couldn't afford.

That left me with Surya's Blessing, a skill I had deliberately avoided tapping into. The passive description claimed it granted mastery over the fire element, but without prior experience, I was walking into battle with an untested power. Frustration stirred within me. Fire required precision and control—neither of which I had trained in. But if there was ever a time to experiment, it was now.

Luna shifted her stance. The weight of her gaze settled on me.

"Begin."

And in the blink of an eye, she moved.

[Surya's Blessings: Activated]

The moment Surya's Blessing activated, a surge of heat erupted within me, coursing through my veins like a living inferno. It wasn't painful—it was invigorating, as if my body had become the embodiment of fire itself.

Luna's golden-brown eyes narrowed as she adjusted her stance. "So, you're a flame elemental user as well?" Her tone was neutral, but there was a flicker of interest in her gaze.

A system notification materialized before me:

[The abilities imbued with flames will form upon your will.]

Realization struck. These abilities weren't pre-defined—they were shaped by my imagination and intent. Surya's Blessing didn't just grant me fire manipulation; it gave me the freedom to wield it into any form I desired. A connection likely forged through Karna's intervention.

I clenched my fists, flames flickering to life in response. This changes everything.

Professor Alaric raised his sword, signaling the duel's commencement. As the blade struck the ground, Luna exploded forward, her lance a golden blur as she aimed for my left side.

I reacted instinctively, channeling fire beneath my feet. A burst of heat propelled me sideways, narrowly evading the strike.

She extended her palm, releasing a blinding beam of light. My instincts screamed at me to move, and I ducked low, rolling forward. With a quick pivot, I launched a counterattack—a concentrated blast of fire from my right hand.

The fireball collided with her barrier, its translucent shimmer absorbing the impact. Yet, I noticed something—the shield wavered, if only for a split second. It absorbed magic, but it had a limit to how much it could handle in rapid succession.

Luna exhaled sharply. "The same fighting style as that troublemaker, I see," she muttered, slamming her lance into the ground.

A wave of razor-sharp energy surged toward me.

[Clairvoyance: Activated]

The vision guided me, showing me the exact moment to evade. I leaped to the side, twisting mid-air, and retaliated. My flames coalesced into the shape of a bow and arrow—an instinctive creation. With a single pull, I loosed the projectile.

Luna raised her barrier again. Expected.

I snapped my fingers. The flaming arrow fragmented into a dozen smaller shards mid-flight, striking the barrier at multiple points. The overload was immediate—the shield cracked before shattering completely.

Luna clicked her tongue in mild frustration as she backstepped, already charging another beam of light in her left hand.

Big mistake.

Long-range spells had a fatal flaw—they couldn't be easily canceled once initiated.

Seizing the opening, I shaped flames around my hands, forging them into serrated claws. I dashed forward, closing the distance before she could react. My attack struck her breastplate, the force sending sparks flying. Luna gritted her teeth and redirected the beam at the last second, barely avoiding a direct hit.

Pressing my advantage, I kept her engaged in close combat, neutralizing the reach of her lance. My strikes came in rapid succession—ten in total. She managed to block five.

Then, unexpectedly, she released her weapon.

Her hand shot forward, aiming for my throat.

[Clairvoyance: Activated]

I twisted my body, barely dodging her grip, and countered with a high kick aimed at her head. She blocked with her arms, absorbing the impact.

We exchanged blows, the clash of fists and footwork replacing the usual distance-based spells. But just as I thought I had a rhythm, she unleashed a sudden shockwave of light.

I was sent sprawling across the battlefield, my vision momentarily blurring.

Damn… I didn't see that coming.

A harsh reminder—Clairvoyance wasn't absolute.

As I struggled to rise, the cold steel of Luna's lance pressed against my forehead. Her golden-brown eyes, unwavering and sharp, bore into mine with quiet finality.

"I applaud your efforts," she said, voice steady, "but this is the end."

A faint smirk tugged at my lips. "That may be the case," I admitted, pressing my palms firmly against the ground.

Her eyes narrowed. "May be?" she echoed, confusion flickering across her face.

Without another word, I ignited the battlefield.

Flames erupted beneath us in a violent explosion, cracking the earth apart. The sheer force propelled both of us into the air, throwing Luna off balance. I seized the opening, flames coalescing into a bow in my grasp. Without hesitation, I loosed an arrow at point-blank range.

The projectile struck true, engulfing her in flames as she was sent hurtling toward the ground.

I exhaled sharply, adjusting mid-air to control my descent. Channeling my fire once more, I shaped it into a massive, blazing blade around my arm. The roaring heat crackled with intensity, its glow illuminating the battlefield below.

Luna, however, recovered with startling speed. Raising her hand, she unleashed a barrage of concentrated light beams, their brilliance cutting through the sky toward me.

Too fast. I gritted my teeth, realizing I wouldn't be able to block and maintain my flame blade simultaneously. Forced to abandon the attack, I activated my last resort.

[Blood Aegis: Activated]

Professor Ardan's lesson on mana control echoed in my mind—how precision and redirection could optimize the effectiveness of a skill. But instead of focusing on mana, I directed the flow of my own blood since blood arts make use of the user's blood to convene spells or skills, concentrating it toward my palms.

The result was immediate.

Rather than forming a full-body shield, Blood Aegis condensed into a localized, honeycomb-like barrier. The intricate crimson structure absorbed the incoming light beams, though each impact sent sharp waves of strain through my body. My vision wavered, but I held on.

With my free hand, I condensed another fireball, this time pushing its temperature beyond its limits. The flames burned a deep, almost celestial blue, the air around it distorting from the sheer heat.

I hurled it downward.

Luna, recognizing the danger, raised her barrier once more—but simultaneously, she lunged.

She's aiming for a direct hit.

There was no time to fully evade.

Her lance grazed my cheek, the searing pain registering a split second before impact. My fireball collided with her barrier, detonating upon contact. The shockwave sent both of us crashing to the ground.

Dust and embers swirled around us as silence fell over the battlefield.

Luna was on her knees, gasping for air. Her armor was scorched, her once-pristine lance trembling slightly in her grip.

"Class is over," Professor Alaric's voice cut through the haze. His authoritative tone left no room for protest. "Return to the academy."

The last thing I saw before darkness claimed me was the professor approaching, his gaze unreadable as my vision blurred and faded to black.

In the countryside, I sat on my porch, overlooking the bustling capital of Aetheris. My mind drifted to a boy I had encountered in the forest. At first, I thought he might be a spy sent by the Abyssals, but his lack of mana and his extraordinary ability to wield skills intrigued me.

A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. On guard, I approached cautiously. As I opened it, relief washed over me.

"Ah, old friend. You startled me," I said.

"Ishtar, how long has it been?" The man before me, Erebus, was adorned in luxurious attire, his presence as commanding as ever.

"Fifty-three years, I believe," I replied, welcoming him inside.

"Far too long," Erebus said, settling onto my couch. He snapped his fingers, summoning a cup of coffee from thin air. "You've kept yourself busy, I see."

"I try. The countryside has its charms," I said, taking a seat beside him. "To what do I owe this visit?"

"Can an old friend not visit without cause?" Erebus replied with a chuckle. "But in truth, I wanted to discuss the state of things. The new generation of pillars… they're unpredictable."

I nodded. "Young and reckless. They lack the discipline we were taught."

"And yet, we cannot intervene. Once chosen by the descendants, their fates are set," Erebus said, his tone heavy. "You've taken a disciple, I hear."

"I have. He's… different. Reminds me of myself in some ways," I admitted.

"Just like Riganna?" he asked softly.

My chest tightened at the mention of my daughter. "Riganna… It's been so long since I last saw her."

"She inherited much from her mother, didn't she?" Erebus said, referring to Riganna's mother, a vampire of royal blood whose lineage was intertwined with the ancient clans. "That nobility flows in her veins, just as it flows in yours."

"And yet, my choices led us down different paths," I said. "Her mother's heritage made her a target, and my role as a pillar kept me distant. Now, I can only hope she's found peace in her path."

"And yet, your instincts haven't dulled. You saw something in this boy, didn't you?" Erebus said.

"I did. He struggles, but he's resilient. The first time I saw him, he was fighting for his life. Now, he's strong enough to face the world on his own," I said with a faint smile.

Erebus laughed. "You've always had a soft spot for the underdog. Perhaps that's why you're still the strongest among us."

"You can just call it a parent's instinct" i said as i smiled at the thought of Ezekiel.

We shared stories of the past, laughing and reminiscing about our lives as pillars. The years had changed much, but our bond remained steadfast.

In the academy infirmary, i Luna Galadriel reflected on the duel. The boy from Class E had defied my expectations. His fire magic and hand-to-hand combat skills, they don't just use it similar to students but to a boy who has to survive in a harsh environment.

I began searching the infirmary for him recalling that he have passed out after the duel.

"Where is he?" I asked the nurse in charge at this time.

"Oh, he returned to his dorm room after resting here," came the reply.

I was confused, as i pondered about his resilience. A fighter of his caliber, using vampiric skills no less, should have experienced mana disruption. Who was he really? That Ezekiel of Class E had piqued my interest.