Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1420: Moonlight and Secrets

Safa and Piba walked side by side, making their way up the long, stone walkway toward the top level of the arena, the very same arena floor they had stood on during their last trial.

Neither of them looked nervous.

In fact, Piba had a wide, cheeky grin stretched across his face as he glanced sideways at Safa.

"I hope you manage to show these people something so impressive," he said, "that they’re left with their mouths hanging open."

Safa chuckled lightly at his enthusiasm. "You think my healing abilities and god eyes will really be enough?" she asked, brushing back a strand of hair. "This is Central Academy we’re talking about. I’m sure there are plenty of students here with rare affinities and unique traits."

Piba shook his head with confidence.

"You should’ve figured it out based on how the school doctor reacted to you," he said. "Even though Light magic is considered one of the main elements, the way you use it, honestly, it should be considered a special affinity. Light mages are rare, but Light mages with your precision and power? That’s another level entirely."

He gestured with his hand as he spoke, as if shaping the air with his words.

"Even people like me, with a special affinity, don’t have an abundance of it. That’s part of what separates the special affinities from the standard ones. My Moon affinity works well in combination with others, which is its strength, but not all affinities are like that."

He paused a moment before continuing.

"In most cases, even if someone does have a special affinity, it’s more like a gimmick, flashy but not practical. But you? You’re probably the strongest Light mage I’ve ever come across. That alone would turn heads. And then you add the god eyes on top of it? There’s probably no one else here who can match that."

Though Piba didn’t bring it up directly, the same idea applied to unique traits.

Those who possessed truly exceptional traits, like Enaxx, one of the Grand Magus, often kept them hidden. Why reveal a trump card before it was needed?

As they reached the arena floor, the two of them scanned the area, taking in the scene. Other schools were already sending their chosen students forward.

From BIMM, they saw a familiar face, Lee Roy, whom they had already encountered before.

Reinheart Academy had chosen a single female student to represent them, while Lunaton brought out a lone male student. All were waiting with quiet intensity.

The only academy to bring two students forward, aside from their own, was Central Academy.

One of them was someone they recognized, Nannan, the bold and spirited student they had met during earlier events.

The second student, however, was completely unfamiliar.

He was massive.

At least twice the size of every other student present, even while standing with his arms folded. The sleeves of his uniform struggled to contain the bulging muscle beneath. His very presence was like a boulder among pebbles, intimidating, silent, and utterly unmissable.

Out of all the academies, these students, each handpicked, had been chosen to step forward and display their special, often rare forms of magic.

Safa couldn’t help but wonder: Were these really the best each school had to offer? Or were there more... students with even rarer abilities who were being held back?

Was it possible that the academies were embarrassed? That they had only brought out one student to perform in front of Central Academy out of caution or pride? Or maybe... there was something else going on beneath the surface.

Before she could dwell on it further, a loud voice echoed through the arena.

"First, we have Lulu representing Reinheart Academy!"

Safa turned her head, trying to find where the voice had come from, but it seemed to be amplified by magic. She couldn’t pinpoint a single source.

From the Reinheart section, a female student stepped confidently onto the platform. Her name, Lulu, was called once more as she raised her hand, and from her palm, she revealed a single piece of fruit.

An orange.

It was fairly large, and without hesitation, she took a bite, gulping down a chunk in one go. Then, with fluid motion, she cast her magic.

Wind swept across the arena, brushing against the skin of the spectators. It was gentle, not threatening, clearly controlled with care.

A moment later...

"Hey... do you smell that?" someone whispered in the stands.

"It smells like... oranges?"

"Whoa, you’re right!"

Murmurs of curiosity and surprise rippled through the crowd.

Lulu, unfazed, took out another fruit, this time a lemon. Her face scrunched up as she bit into it, the sourness causing some students to wince in sympathy.

Even so, she followed with a second spell.

A new gust of wind swept across the stands, and just like before, the air changed, now filled with the fresh, tart scent of lemon.

The crowd responded with scattered applause. Some were genuinely impressed, while others snickered behind their hands.

"Is that her unique trait?" one student asked. "She can make her magic smell like whatever she eats?"

"Hey, imagine if she ate something really disgusting. Her opponent might just faint mid-fight!"

There was laughter, but not everyone was joking.

In the business section, representatives from various companies were exchanging thoughtful glances. Some imagined how delightful it would be to welcome high-profile guests into top-tier hotels with Lulu’s magic, surrounding them with the most pleasant aromas as they entered.

Others pondered more ambitious ideas, what if her magic could be infused into products? Lotions, perfumes, even consumables?

Unfortunately, many people were too focused on one rigid idea: Magic was for battle.

Especially with the recent push for magical strength and military application, innovations like Lulu’s were often undervalued.

"You know..." Safa whispered, leaning in closer to Piba, "now that I think about it, I’m kind of surprised Kayzel isn’t here. He definitely has something unique, doesn’t he?"

"I thought the same," Piba replied. "Back when he injured me, I was sure he used a unique trait. I guess they’re keeping him hidden... maybe as a secret weapon."

Before they could speculate further, the voice rang out again, snapping everyone’s attention back to the stage.

"Next up, can we have one of the students from Wilton Academy!"

All eyes turned toward the Wilton section.

****

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