TBATE - Lightseeker

[One Year Later]

I sat in my bed thinking about everything that has happened since my eyes awakened. While I was unconscious after they first awakened, I talked with Master Lumen in a blank and empty subliminal space devoid of all matter - my mind, I presume. He told me the secret behind the rune etched into my heart, two powerful spell blueprints that would awaken with the desires and emotions I feel when first activating the rune. He told me to use it when I feel I need strength the most. I imbued mana into my eyes and flashed my Sun eyes at the mirror, recollecting all of the information that had been shot into my brain the first time I fully activated them by accident. 

My right eye, the Eye of Ra, is the eye of insight. It allows me to copy techniques - within reason - and increases my perceptive abilities massively, allowing me to predict opponent's attacks by reading muscle movement and tension, and perceive and decode incredibly minute movements like pencil movements from afar. I can copy all physical movements as long as my body is physically capable of doing so, which it definitely should be, and I cannot copy elemental mana techniques. I can copy the technique itself, but because I am incapable of learning and wielding any element other than light and Holy Fire, I must copy the technique by applying my own mana nature to it. For example, in order to copy a fireball I would need to use my own unique fire. Techniques passed down through mage families and beast will powers can also not be copied.

My left eye, the Eye of Horus, is the eye of hypnotism. It allows me to cast minor illusions on people via eye contact, and more powerful illusions through sustained eye contact. The potency of the illusions increases through progression of the eye itself, which can be easily observed through the amount of tomoe around my iris' - of which I have three, the maximum obtainable. The illusions themselves can be a simple illusion such as changing an arbitrary fact about the given location, for example moving, removing or adding a flower in a garden, or something more powerful like low-level mind control, making the target more impressionable and willing to listen to and follow commands.

The two of them together make the 'Eyes of the Sun' and can only be fully realized by someone with Lightseeker blood.

It has been a year since I first met the New Dawn, and I have since become a genuine member. I got out of bed, still in my pyjamas, and walked over to the door. I opened the door with my right hand, and a thick silver ring with a circular yellow gem embedded in the top of it bearing the New Dawn symbol within the gem could be seen on my ring finger. Today was the day I was going to officially get my adventurer rank and ID. I walked out of my room and into the dining hall, greeting Ada, Jack and Ilya, who were eating their breakfast and walked out through the front door and out of the cave. I pulled a simple sunbathing chair from my dimension ring, took off my clothes, other than my shorts, and basked in the morning sunlight. "What a beautiful day." I took in as much Sun as I could before Ada came out to get me, saying that we would be leaving soon. The journey to the Xyrus main branch would take us months, so it's best to get packed.

.....

Jack, Ada, Ilya and I climbed into the public carriage and waited to leave. We weren't wearing our uniforms, making us look like average adventurers, our small statures making us look weak and unthreatening. Ilya, being an S-rank with nothing better to do, is coming along to sponsor my rank assessment, and to sign Jack, Ada and me up for the next AA assessment. According to Ilya, AA-class examinations are held once every six months and people must sign up for one at least one month prior. The examination is held in a large forest about an hour's carriage ride from the Guild Hall. The forest, known as the 'forest of failure' by many, is supplied with mana beasts ranging from B to S class, where teams of at most 3 must face other teams and take their scrolls. There are two types of scroll, one Earth and one Sky, and a team must reach the middle of the forest with at least one of each. Examinees attempting to be promoted into S class must do this challenge all by themselves.

[Two Months Later]

After various stops at towns and villages, and what felt like hundreds of different carriages, we finally made it to the border of Xyrus. The journey to the base of the Grand Mountain Range wasn't all that tedious, but the journey through the mountain range was horrible. The constant rocking of the carriage and the rough terrain made the carriage ride painful and bothersome - to say the least.

The border guards attempted to check us before we officially entered the country, but one flash of Ilya's adventurer card and they quickly shut up and allowed us free passage.

...

We stopped for lunch at a small, welcoming walk-in restaurant and talked about what would happen after the examination. Since it would take us so long to get back to the HQ, we were to investigate happenings in the capital, Xyrus, before heading back. We were to split into two teams, I was with Ilya, and Jack and Ada were together. "The civilians almost certainly won't recognise us, and the students of Xyrus Academy - especially the younger ones - probably won't either, but the National Police Force definitely will, so don't get careless. We've split up in a way that each two-man cell has one illusionist, but it will still be possible for powerful mages, like the Royal Guard, to notice us." Ilya gave us our instructions and a heads-up, and we entered the Xyrus Guild Hall after taking off our cloaks and hats and Ada, Jack and I put on our masks.

It was stunning, and far from what I was expecting. It was nothing like the outposts - No, this was a work of art. The building was lined with marble walls and flooring, our sandals making a quiet clack and we approached the front desk. "Hello, how may I help you this fine afternoon?" The nice receptionist spoke.

"Hi there, I'd like to sponsor this young boy for a rank examination and sign the three of them up for an AA-rank examination." Voiced Ilya, politely. She likely expected a retort from the receptionist, and showed her ID card, crushing any possible refute from the desk lady.

"U-uhm.. P-please, wait here." She sounded nervous and walked through a door behind the front desk.

"Madam Mamba, a pleasure to see you again." A tall man with rather long, flowing hair and simple glasses walked through the door and greeted Ilya. "Mr. Kaspian, I'm glad you're still in good health," Ilya replied, a small playful smile on her face. They seemed to know each other, meaning this would likely go smoothly. 

After the two shared pleasantries, the man, Kaspian Bladeheart, asked me for my details and recorded them on a piece of paper. I registered my name as "Apollo" and refused to give my core stage - simply because I didn't even have a core - and withheld my elemental affinity.

I walked through the large open double doors to see a large arena with slanted stairs for seats, and two people duelling in the middle. We walked around and sat to the left of the arena, not too far from a boy with reddish-orange auburn hair, with a simple white mask with a blue music note on the left side, sitting next to a short woman with black hair and two identical daggers strapped behind her waist. "He looks young, no older than us," I said to Ada, who was also looking at him.

We turned our attention to the young half-elf who was beginning his assessment against a tall woman with a large, typical conjurer's hat. The boy slammed his staff into the arena ground, "Rise! My protector!" A tall, slim guardian of flames took shape behind him and spat a large ball of fire at the examiner. The examiner calmly tapped her staff on the ground and four large spikes of earth erupted through the arena's floor and formed together. trapping the guardian inside a diamond of earth. snuffing it out. The boy stepped back before he too could be trapped, and conjured numerous fireballs around his staff, shooting the projectiles at the examiner.

"His control over fire isn't bad, but he's too arrogant considering he fights like he's never fought before. His extreme lack of experience is painfully obvious." Jack judged the young boy and decided he was uninteresting. We all agreed and continued to watch. The examiner responded by conjuring shards of earth and colliding them with the oncoming fireballs, dispelling both. "Explosion!" The boy yelled confidently and fire erupted from all corners of the arena, blocking the view of those sitting down lower. The examiner formed a large hand of mud, grabbing the boy by the ankle and flipping him upside down. Small projectiles of fire lept out of the flame bombs and darted for the boy, now stuck in the air. "R-RELEASE!" He tried to cancel his spell but to no avail. The examiner jumped in, forming a dome of earth around the two of them, protecting them from the young idiot's failed spell. The examiner put the boy down and began to tell the boy her judgement and what his rank should be, and the angry moron shouted and attempted to conjure another spell, but a warrior - a man with a deep scar crawling up his left cheek - appeared between them and grabbed the boy's staff. 

He's fast, but I could have tracked him with my Sun Eyes.

The three calmed down after the swordsman verbally disciplined the arrogant fool, and the examiner announced his rank.

"B!? That's ridiculous! No way that moron deserved that rank, he should be happy with C!" Jack voiced angrily next to me, not loud enough for the people in the arena to hear.

"Maybe he's from a noble family. Otherwise, there's no way he could have gotten B." Ada agreed.

"Hmm... I'm a little disappointed in Kaspian, letting that fool get that rank." Ilya spoke softly, looking at Kaspian from across the arena.

The swordsman examiner walked to the middle of the arena and called out for an examinee named 'Note', and the short boy close to us stood up and walked down to meet him. The boy, no older than 10, released the mana pressure from his core, making the examiner look far less confident and earning a surprised whistle from Jack and a soft, impressed chuckle from Ilya. "Not bad, considering he was probably withholding some of it and the fact he likely has never been in a fight before." Ada sounded impressed by the boy's simple show of strength. 

"Enough. Stand down, George. I will examine him myself." Kaspian Bladeheart emerged from his position in front of the entrance and handed his coat to a maid, who folded it and left. He slipped on small black gloves and approached the short boy. "Is that alright with you, Mr. Note?" He spoke very confidently, putting his thumbs into his pockets and waiting for the boy's response, to which he simply nodded. Mr. Bladeheart drew an ornate, thin rapier with a gold hilt from a sheath fastened to his waist, and they both took their stances.

After a count of 3, they both dashed at each other, wind dancing around their blades. I activated my Eyes and watched the two fight intently, ready to copy any moves they used. A lot can be learned from watching strong opponents fight, especially experienced fighters from powerful mage families like Kaspian Bladeheart. The two continued to clash, garnering the attention of every adventurer and aspiring adventurer present in the hall, their swords clashing with a loud 'CLANG' every time they met. Note finally revealed his element, igniting his sword with fire.

I can copy his fire techniques!

Kaspian responded by levelling his rapier out in front of him and coating it in wind mana, giving it a faint green hue, and tiny, almost formless bullets of wind shout out from his blade's point. Note jumped in the air and created a small explosion of fire beneath him, propelling him further into the air and out of the way of the air bullets like a double jump.

I can copy that! Thank you, Note!

Note pressed Kaspian hard, and Kaspian responded by releasing wind from every part of his body to every direction of the arena, disturbing the natural wind and blowing everyone's hair. The explosion of wind sent Note flying to the far side of the arena, and Kaspian appeared above him.

He's gotten faster, but I can still track him.

Kaspian stabbed down at Note, who had lost his footing and had fallen to the floor. When Kaspian's blade was mere centimetres from Note's neck, he vanished, leaving the ground beneath him charred and crackling with lightning. "A lightning deviant!" I heard Ada yell in excitement. It's not every day you meet someone the same age as you with the same deviant. Ada and I had been sparring almost daily for the past year, and we needed someone else to fight. The adults in the New Dawn were always busy, as well as being way too strong, and Jack was a pain to fight because of how powerful his sound magic was. He could control someone with words imbued with sound mana, forcing them to obey simple commands like, 'Don't move', much like a gravity augmenter's, 'fall' command, where they increase the gravity on a person. Saying 'fall' every time they do it actually does nothing, but they all seem to do it regardless. I will admit, it does sound cool.

Note reappeared behind Kaspian, almost too fast for my eyes to track, and held his sword to Kapsian's neck. Kaspian's rapier collided with Note's sword and they both tried to force each other's blade away. "This is getting nowhere. Enough." After hearing Kapsian speak, Note withdrew his sword and the two of them stopped fighting. "Your mana control is incredible, especially for your age, and you are clearly a very capable mage, but unfortunately the highest I can rank a first-time examinee is A. Therefore, Note, you are now an A-rank adventurer." The two of them shook hands and Note went back to the stand, petting a small white fox and sitting down next to the black-haired woman.

The earth conjurer examiner stepped forward and announced the next examinee. "Elijah Knight - oh hold on, never mind. B-rank!"

He got B-rank without even doing the damn exam? How's that fair?

"Next. Apollo! Come down to the arena." She called out my alias and I stood up from my seat, the others wishing me good luck. I walked down to the fighting arena and stood across from my opponent. "I wonder if I show off a little, I can fight Mr. Kaspian," I whispered to myself. The swordsman from before, George, stepped up to be my opponent, and after the count of 3, charged towards me. I took a calm step forward, vanishing before my foot hit the floor, and reappearing with my back facing George. I pointed directly at Kaspian Bladeheart, challenging him rudely. "Stand down, George, I'll duel this kid too." Kaspian walked towards the arena and George walked off, taking his place next to the other examiners.

We stood roughly 10 meters from each other, both drawing our swords. He unsheathed his intricately designed rapier and I pulled my Longsword - which I have yet to name, funnily enough - from my dimension ring and held it in front of me. A year of training with Rindo has given me the skill and confidence with a sword to challenge one of the best. After the count of 3, we both vanished from our places and clashed in the middle of the arena, neither of us using our elements. Our eyes met while our swords clashed, both of us fighting for superiority. I flashed my Eyes at him, ensnaring him in a simple illusion that would take effect later. He looked at me, intrigued, and vanished from his place. 

I can see him... Behind!

I spun around and dodged my right, narrowly avoiding a strike to my shoulder, jumping up and flipping around to kick him in the jaw, staggering him slightly. I landed deftly on the ground and brought my sword up to slice off his arms, but was pushed back by a heavy force of wind. My Eyes scanned his body and anticipated his next move. I pivoted my body out of the way and jumped up, creating a small explosion under my feet, copying Note's move. Still in the air, I conjured swords of fire that rained down on Kaspian, forcing him to dash out of the way. As soon as I hit the ground, he shot bullets of air towards me. I pointed my finger in their direction, needles of light shooting out from my fingertip and colliding with the air bullets. The look on his face was priceless, as he watched me essentially copy with signature technique with ease. "Impressive!" I heard Kaspian shout. He dashed towards me again and our blades met in an expert show of swordsmanship. Neither of us could cut the other, so we relied on spells to assist us. I jumped back, remembering a spell I saw an A-class ice mage use to kill a group of bandits.

I conjured numerous mirrors of solid light in a dome around the both of us, merging with the mirrors like a spectre. Kaspian looked around in shock, trying to find which one I was in. He locked eyes with me, but that only made it easier for me. The illusion I had secretly created at the start of our bout had now grown thanks to our prolonged eye contact. A snake of light coiled around his legs, trapping him in place, and I jumped from mirror to mirror with a small dagger of light in my hand. He was fast enough to react to some, but due to the speed I was travelling at and the snake holding him in place, he simply couldn't keep up and react to my repeated strikes. I used a tiny dagger on purpose, only leaving small cuts along his body so as to not seriously harm him. "Enough!" 

Immediately after he yelled for the duel to end, I dispelled the dome of light mirrors and freed him from the illusion. He looked down to see the thick snake of light coiled up to his knees before I dispelled that too. He walked over to me with a conflicted expression on his face, probably not sure whether to be suspicious of my unique mana and illusion or happy to meet such a prodigy. "Apollo. You're mana manipulation and control is almost unthinkable, and your unique magic is truly marvellous. You have great control over illusions, despite not showing a sound deviancy, and your swordsmanship is a work of art. I have only good things to say about you, but again, like Note, the highest I can place you is AA-class. Congratulations, AA-class adventurer, Apollo." He said proudly and shook my hand, waving me over to my seat.

"Good job. It was cool seeing you copy that Ice mage's technique!" Ada praised me for my victory, and Jack congratulated me on my undetected illusion. Jack has been teaching me a lot about the art of subtle illusions, so it was nice to get some recognition from my teacher. Rindo will be proud too.

We left the arena and walked back into the Guild Hall, where the lady at the front desk gave me my official rank ID and Ilya signed us up for the next AA assessment happening in 3 months.

...

A/N : 'Eyes' = Eyes of the Sun activated

'eyes' = normal eyes

Dome of light mirrors is something I took from Naruto, so if you don't get it, google 'Haku ice mirrors'