Mystery Tales Under the Moonlight

Chapter 46: Category Determination Exams at the Academy (23).

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There was a young boy, like all children his age, who loved and yearned for something.

"Snow… it's beautiful!"

However, unlike his peers, he wasn't obsessed with heroes from stories.

What he loved was winter and snow.

He wanted to enjoy winter and see snow every day.

So, he made a decision.

"I will become a Winter Weaver!"

And as you climb a mountain, the fall is always painful.

Things were going smoothly; the boy was developing himself in preparation for the Awakening Ceremony—a ceremony to reveal one's talent—in his clan, where he would cultivate the Ice Path.

Although the best age for talent extraction is 17, it didn't mean it couldn't be done at a younger age; the boy's clan was among those that did so.

In the clan's combat tests when he got a little older, his small aspirations were shattered like glass.

"The direct descendant of Loki Romanov… no, the strangest son of the Eternal Night Clan, you indeed have potential, I don't deny that."

"But, so what? You yourself know, a talent that cannot be used is the same as not having it; you are simply not fit to become a Winter Weaver."

That's because you're weak.

Inability to demonstrate any combat ability.

A strange and incomprehensible illness afflicted the young child.

The problem wasn't magical energy; it was overflowing and pure as snow in midwinter.

The problem wasn't his body; he honed it every day tirelessly.

The problem wasn't his mind; the boy was quick-witted and intelligent, a genius.

A condition without explanation.

When he trains, the training goes smoothly.

When he performs training movements, his magical energy overflows slightly even without the Awakening Ceremony; his body moves as he wishes, and his combat instincts are sharp.

But when he fights someone, when he wants to fight, his body doesn't respond.

His energy suddenly drains; meaningless hallucinations try to consume his mind.

He becomes like an infant who hasn't yet learned to walk.

Initially, he thought it was just unfamiliarity with combat.

But the condition refused to abate and, on the contrary, worsened with age.

It would have been normal in another era, where peace prevailed; the boy's potential could be exploited in things other than combat.

But with the increasing wars in provinces like Sichuan and the Red Meadow region of the Nanman State, every fighting force was needed.

When he couldn't fight, the young boy was like an unusable genius.

There was no value in such a person.

Those who envied the boy, those who wanted the position of the main descendant, and those who hated the boy's carefree personality.

They couldn't let that opportunity pass, so they made his life difficult.

The boy, despite his strength and potential, due to his strange illness, was weak and unable to fight even if he wanted to.

He was told to give up, become an ordinary researcher, and forget about possessing power.

However, he didn't give up.

Because if he gave up…

He wouldn't be able to summon winter.

The stands were bustling with cheers and chatter.

In the arena, Loki stood still, immobile.

"Age advances a person; what is lost will not return. The future is unknown, and all that remains is the present, bringing with me ice and winter, so that the world becomes white, filled with purity."

With that thought, the young man sighed slightly.

He disappeared suddenly three years ago, leading everyone to believe he was dead.

Now, the time has come; he will show himself to the world again.

He had come, bringing winter with him, as he had long desired.

His opponent entered the ring with an arrogant smile.

That was Ed Veldy.

Previously, Loki said he was from a family on the northern borders, but he was from the east; it was an insignificant misunderstanding.

But this is the thing, this boy was insignificant and worthless, even for use; truly, passing air could be considered more important.

The judge observed Loki intently while clearing his throat.

"Loki Romanov… Ed Veldy, you may begin."

"…Loki… Romanov?"

"Am I hearing correctly? Perhaps just a similarity in names!"

"No… that white hair and violet eyes; it's a distinctive trait possessed only by the main lineage of the Eternal Night Clan."

"But wasn't it said that he died in the Red Meadow catastrophe three years ago?"

"That war that resulted in numerous casualties against the barbarians? I heard that even the Cairo State had sent some support in that catastrophe!"

"Of course they would! Since the dividing line between the Cairo State and the barbarian control zone is only the Red Meadow, they would be dragged into the catastrophe if that region were lost, you fool! Not to mention the chaos storm that nearly wiped out the entire region."

"Shut up, just shut up! Do you think I don't know? I'm saying this for the viewers to understand!"

"Huh? What viewers are you talking about?"

"Of course, the viewers who are reading this story; it seems the author forgot to put a mind in you."

"Hmph."

The commotion happened when Loki's name was mentioned.

Eyes turned towards him, then towards the person associated with this boy.

The Student Council President, while smiling faintly, her expressions unreadable, and what she was thinking was unknown.

The boy, Loki, was unaffected by the audience's gaze, his expression remaining cold.

When the judge gave the signal, the color of white snow suddenly spread across the arena.

The place where Loki stood became a sheet of ice covering the ground.

"You… do you think you can defeat me? I am Ed Veldy himself! For an insignificant being to dare fight me, hmph!"

A cold aura surrounded the ring; the temperature gradually decreased.

Seeing this, Ed was frightened and tried to intimidate his opponent to be cautious.

Loki didn't speak; he took a step forward.

When his foot touched the arena floor, what was beneath it instantly turned to ice.

"These are… these are Ice Steps!"

"Aren't those the steps a person develops when they have a deep understanding of the Ice and Snow Path? Since those steps make the environment colder and filled with the essence of ice, not to mention increasing speed?"

"Yes, you're right… his mastery of these steps is very deep; just by walking, he makes the ring his own ground, giving his path an advantage compared to others."

"Will we witness an interesting battle after his mysterious return? Or is he truly Loki Romanov, descendant of the Eternal Night Clan? Stay tuned to find out!"

"…You really like this, don't you?"

In the arena, Loki walked with an indifferent expression.

"What are you doing? Aren't you going to fight?"

Seeing his opponent not moving, Loki frowned.

He knew his opponent was weak, but why wasn't he even moving?

How would he show off his skills like this?

"Hah… you don't deserve to see winter."

Disappointing.

After taking another step, the ice spread across the ring suddenly!

"Aa-aah! Summer Solstice Fire!"

Upon seeing the spreading ice, Ed panicked and immediately used his strongest defensive technique.

Pathetic flames appeared surrounding his body.

The ice that had spread in the arena and under Ed's feet didn't weaken.

After touching his feet, as if the ice was a parasite growing and multiplying, it climbed onto his body as if it wanted to swallow him.

The flames, sensing the threat, immediately attacked the intruder and spread across his body.

But as if pathetic and incapable of anything, the flames in Ed's legs were extinguished by the rising ice.

"N-no! I won't lose!"

Panicked by the sudden coldness in his legs, spreading to his bones, Ed brought out something resembling a staff.

The staff was small, its head shaped like a flame; its color was a mixture of red and yellow.

This was what's called a magic tool.

The Flame Staff!

Ed immediately pumped his magical energy into the Flame Staff, and in a moment, the staff began to emit a red light.

That light entered Ed's body, making his entire body glow red, as if he were a human lantern.

When the light reached his legs, although the ice didn't disappear, its advance stopped and the ice settled in his legs.

"A truly cunning move…"

"What cunning move?"

"When Loki spread the ice in the arena to prevent his opponent's movement, he made the ice attack him, right?"

"Yes, that's natural. I mean, if it were you, wouldn't you do the same?"

"That's true…, but you didn't notice the truth of his action. He wanted to make his opponent reveal his cards, and at the same time, control the arena as he pleased."

"Really? Do you mean that using the Flame Staff was actually planned by Loki?"

"Maybe I'm overthinking… but don't forget, even when he was weak in the past, he was intelligent and made decisive decisions; his history in Sichuan and even the Red Meadow battle testifies to that."

"You might be right; look, white fog is already spreading throughout the arena, and the arena is starting to turn blue."

A sarcastic laugh crept onto Loki's lips; he was really overestimating his opponent.

Seeing Ed's floundering, as if he didn't know what to do even after stopping the ice's advance in his leg, he knew this boy was just a fool.

Ed was pale-faced; his body began to tremble slightly from the cold.

Looking at his body that was glowing red, one could notice the light becoming dimmer.

The Flame Staff; it was a magic tool, when you infuse it with your magic, it will glow in one of two colors—red, the weaker one, and yellow, the stronger one.

That light enters a person's body, making it hot and slightly increasing the effect of the flames, preventing coldness from entering the body.

But you must continuously infuse the tool with energy or it will stop working.

For Ed Veldy, possessing a (D) grade talent, maintaining the red light to prevent the ice from spreading for a long time wasn't possible.

At most, one minute was his limit; after that, his mana essence would run out.

That was a problem; if he stopped the Flame Staff, the ice would spread through his body.

If he continued to use the Flame Staff, his mana essence would run out.

Seeing his floundering, Loki felt that draining him while he was already weak was no different than bullying.

"That was undeserved."

The plan was to win a crushing victory, but…

He knew his opponent was weak, but seeing how weak he was, the plan would change.

Basically, Loki had felt a strange sensation since the beginning of the exams.

[Your guess is right, Loki.]

A cold voice pierced Loki's ears.

It was Leon.

[…You also held doubts about it?]

[How could I not? From the start, it's illogical to place a Cairo princess and a Cronus family princess in the same place by coincidence, not to mention the five of us in the same place.]

Being placed in the same test area, and with a princess and children of clans on top of that.

Even Loki's current battle—regardless of his surrender in the first battle, which wouldn't be worth much in the evaluation—where he fights someone much weaker than him, a (C) grade talent paired with a (D) grade talent.

It was foolish to consider that a coincidence.

[It seems someone has been suspicious of us from the start.]

[You're right; I confirmed my suspicions when I agreed with the manager on the day of my confinement; we must give him an excuse to place us in the lower class, by instilling fear in others.]

[You mean breaking the rules?]

This time it was Vairon who spoke; he frowned.

[This move is risky; you know that.]

Breaking the rules, for example, like Leon almost killing his opponent, obstructing the event, harassment, and so on.

It was clear that it could cause failure.

They might alert the factions here instead and become stricter, fearing that their members will be targeted due to the approach Leon wished to take.

[I know, how would I not know? But time is pressing us. While we're talking now, isn't it clear that the bastards are building their forces behind the scenes? I know the safest thing is gradual control, but when do you think we'll be finished?]

After a year? Two years? Ten years?

We don't have time for that!

[I don't usually agree with Leon, but Vairon—no, Raf, it's faster for us to do this even with the risk; while there is some manipulation in the distribution of battles, like my battle here, they can't distribute students in classes as they want without consequences.]

[Yo yo, why did you call me by my real name suddenly? Wasn't I supposed to remain Vairon? I didn't like it though, but I conceded on the bet?]

Loki remained silent.

From where he was sitting, Vairon—or rather, Raphael—could clearly see Loki's expression.

His expression was as if he were saying, "Is that what you care about now?"

[…Okay, okay; don't get angry; I agree; I wasn't objecting from the start.]

[And with that, there's a change in plans; and I forgot to say, it'll be annoying, but in the third test, you'll have to act like villains.]

[Like the old days?]

[Exactly.]

When the telepathic conversation ended, the time that had passed was no more than a few breaths in the real world.

The others in the group were watching Lloyd's battle, as Loki and Ed's fight was boring.

After confirming his suspicions, Loki looked at Ed with a frown.

There's someone who wants to get close to me, huh?

Placing such an opponent for him, who happens to be the missing brother of the Student Council President, is clear of its intent.

"I guess I have to give them an answer, right?"

He smiled slightly as he thought, and the ice surrounding Ed's legs receded.

The environment around the ring was blue, and some snowflakes could be seen falling through it.

The reflected sunlight was bright, making the arena bright and beautiful.

The white fog spread in the air.

At that moment, Loki raised his hand in the air.

One hand in his jacket pocket, the other in the air, a cold smile cracked across his lips, and his violet eyes shone like jewels.

ClanK!

He suddenly clicked his index finger and thumb together with his raised hand.

CraK! CraaK! CraK!

The sound of something emerging from the ground could be heard; in the blue ring, ice pillars appeared around the two young men.

A large pillar, a small pillar, a thin pillar, a huge pillar.

Ice pillars of all kinds appeared with a single click of his fingers.

Loki extended his right hand to the side and spread his fingers.

Suddenly, an ice pillar the size of a sword appeared from the icy arena floor.

CraK!

With a movement of his hand, the sharp ice pillar was pulled from the ground with a cracking sound immediately.

Hooop…

The young man assumed a stance as he inhaled slowly, white fog lightly exiting his mouth.

Suddenly, he disappeared from his place and suddenly appeared in the air!

Before him was a pillar at least ten meters tall and four meters thick.

BaaK! CraK!

With a wave of his hand, he struck the ice pillar.

The sound of the blow was strong, and in a moment, the ice pillar shattered into countless pieces!

As if he wasn't finished, he spun his body in the air and fell onto the pillar beside him.

Immediately, he jumped in the air again and broke the pillar in front of him with a brutal kick.

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

Ignoring Ed, who was trying to avoid the falling remains of the pillars to save himself, Loki repeatedly jumped and spun across the arena while breaking the ice.

"Do you have any idea what he's doing?"

"I don't know, but if I look closely, it seems like he's… training."

"Really…? But when you say that, it does seem so."

The audience was puzzled by what Loki was doing.

Instead of pouncing on his opponent, he was now destroying the pillars he had built.

Bam! Bam! CraK! CraK!

When an ice pillar is destroyed, another one grows, and the process of destruction and construction is repeated again.

Without anyone noticing, the remnants of the ice pillars began to become blue dust flying in the air.

When a piece is broken, it becomes smaller, and it is broken again and again!

Break! Break!

Loki's eyes moved right and then left as he moved at super speed!

Break Break Break—!!

He stepped onto the ground in the middle of the arena before flying into the air.

His body was upside down in the sky, extending his left hand, and a small tip extended from among the pillars.

Swoosh!

That small tip flew from his main body towards Loki's hand holding it.

When he grasped the other ice blade, Loki spun his body like a whirlwind with his arms wide open!

A whirlwind of snowflakes was forming.

The source of that whirlwind, spinning in the air and not falling, was flying through the momentum and cold winds carrying it.

Faster, faster, faster still!

The ice pillars stopped growing and began to crumble as they merged with the ice whirlwind.

Ed barely prevented his body from being swept away!

He was terrified and almost soiled himself from fright!

The audience's eyes were wide open; this generation's students… why are they such monsters!

The advanced-year students' eyes were shining at the sight, but when compared to this generation…

They felt discouraged.

Bah! In my days, the battles were really boring!

The difference wasn't in strength but in creativity.

This generation's students were creative; leaving Leon aside, the others' techniques were superb.

The ice whirlwind dominated the battlefield.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!!

Ed Veldy was terrified and wanted to surrender!

We didn't agree on this!

I know I'm a little of a bully, but I've lived honestly; why did you put me with such a monster!

And at that moment.

Baaam!

The mighty ice whirlwind compressed itself and then suddenly exploded!

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

The sounds of explosions rang through this arena and the other arenas in an unreal synchronization.

The white fog covered the entire arena as the barrier undulated slightly.

The arena became cold.

Something resembling white snowflakes began to gently fall.

Rustle… rustle…

A strange sound reached their ears.

That sound was similar to the fluttering of wings.

Above the arena, at the highest point, a white body glowing with a cool blue color could be seen.

Wings fluttering slowly, making the air tremble.

While sitting on the huge bird, Loki looked down disdainfully.

The bird had formed through the mastery of the Manifestation stage in the heart of the essence.

And the spirits that formed from the heart of the essence had a common name among people.

Ego creatures.

As snowflakes fluttered as if waiting for his orders, Loki stood on the bird.

When he stood, the bird moved forward with a single flap.

Immediately, as it moved, it was already in front of the astonished Ed.

Swoosh!

While the bird was still in the air, Loki descended, standing before the terrified boy.

A violet aura emanated from Loki's body.

A feeling of freezing cold surrounded Ed; he even forgot how to breathe.

"I… I surrender—"

"No need for all this fear, hahaha!"

While he was about to surrender, Loki immediately interrupted him with laughter.

"You don't have to surrender."

Loki's eyes gleamed with coldness.

As if an ice shard pierced his heart, Ed swallowed his words in terror.

The stark threat from Loki's gaze alone terrified him to death.

"You are truly lucky, Ed Veldy."

Loki smiled faintly as he said his words.

Rustle, rustle.

The sound of flapping above him and snowflakes around him.

The overwhelming aura emanating from his body.

Now, honestly, Ed Veldy wondered to himself.

Which part of this is luck…? You mean shitty luck, right?

As he was about to faint from this suffocating feeling, unexpected words came out of Loki's mouth.

Siiiie!!

The bird above him roared.

The sound waves from the bird alone caused the ice around the arena to slowly vanish.

The cold aura surrounding the white-haired young man suddenly disappeared.

"That's because I… surrender."

The bird in the air immediately disappeared with the ringing of his words.

Huh?

Huh?

…What???????

??????

For a moment, no one understood what had been said, and an overwhelming silence fell upon the place.