Saga Legacy

Akira sat on his bed, lying back with a heavy sigh. "The last few days have been nothing but stressful. Finally, I can rest."

He turned his head to Mikage, who was sitting on his own bed, flipping through a book. "Hey, Mikage, are you an elf or a human?"

Mikage glanced up, raising an eyebrow. "I'm very much human."

Akira furrowed his brows. "Then how do you have fire magic? You didn't just wake up one day and boom—fire."

Mikage chuckled, closing his book. "Magic can be learned by humans. Once it's mastered, it integrates into your genes and can be passed down through generations. Depending on the person, it could either get stronger, weaker, or even lie dormant until it awakens later."

Akira tilted his head. "So that's why they wanted my blood—to see if I had any relatives who practiced magic, especially dark mana?"

Mikage nodded. "Exactly. They're probably trying to figure out if your dark mana is hereditary or… something else entirely."

Akira let out a low whistle. "That's deep."

Mikage smiled faintly. "Well, to answer your earlier question, I was born into a very well-known family in the magic world. We specialize in fire magic. My last name—Magata—carries a lot of weight. Our ancestor, the first Magata, was the first human to learn magic, and he studied directly under Merlin himself."

Akira's eyes widened slightly. "Whoa. That's… impressive."

Mikage smirked. "It gets better. My clan is renowned for hunting dragons. But since dragon sightings have become so rare, I've spent most of my life hunting other dangerous creatures."

Akira sat up, his interest piqued. "You mean like those things that attacked me?"

Mikage nodded, his expression darkening. "Exactly. My family's duty is to protect humanity from threats like that. And since you possess a large amount of dark mana and your origins are unknown…" He gave Akira a sharp look. "…you're officially on my list of creatures I want to hunt."

Akira froze for a second before laughing nervously. "That's… not funny."

Mikage shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips. "Who said I was joking?"

Akira leaned back on his bed, grumbling. "Man, you've got issues."

Akira looked at Mikage with a pleading expression. "Mikage, can you please teach me how to control mana? I only know how to activate it, but I can't control it. It just goes everywhere."

Mikage sighed out of frustration, rubbing his temples. "Fine. First of all, release your mana."

Akira nodded and sat down, taking a deep breath. Mikage muttered under his breath, Brace for impact.

Akira activated his mana, and in an instant, an overwhelming, sinister energy burst out from him. The dark, evil aura surged, threatening to consume everything in its path. Mikage staggered back, struggling to keep his ground as the malevolent power overwhelmed him. His breath grew shallow, the air thick with dread.

"Akira! Calm down!" Mikage shouted through gritted teeth, barely able to keep his focus.

He gasped, trying to push through the pressure. "Look for a light in the abyss, and imagine holding it, like water. Imagine you're a container, holding it back."

As Mikage's words cut through the overwhelming malice, Akira's expression shifted from frustration to concentration. The monstrous presence of dark mana seemed to recede, contained by Akira's newfound control.

Mikage watched in disbelief as the evil aura faded entirely. Akira, now calm, sat with his eyes closed, his mana flowing neatly and under his command.

Mikage, still panting, blinked a few times before asking, "What happened to that tremendous evil I felt not too long ago?"

Akira smiled faintly, his voice calm. "I put it into a bottle."

Mikage's jaw tightened as he muttered to himself, barely able to believe what he was seeing. "This kid is talented."

Akira looked at Mikage with uncertainty. "Am I doing it right?"

Mikage, still in shock, stumbled over his words. "H-how old are you? And don't lie to me! Your mana control is too good for someone who discovered magic just a few days ago. This level of control takes at least 2-3 years of serious training to attain."

Akira raised an eyebrow, his expression unbothered. "Relax. I'm just 16 years old. And if I was hiding who I really was, I believe I would've killed you and Hakuren the moment we met. I wouldn't have given you the chance to knock me out. Maybe I'm just... talented."

Mikage stared at him, unable to hide his surprise.

Akira continued, his tone casual. "By the way, I can feel every muscle in my body absorbed in this mana. It's weird, but for some reason... I don't dislike it."

Mikage blinked, still processing what he was hearing. "This kid…" he muttered under his breath.

Akira glanced out the window, noticing the sun had disappeared beneath the horizon. "Oh, it's already late," he said, leaning back on his bed. Turning to Mikage, he asked, "Where can I get food around here?"

Mikage, rummaging through his belongings, replied, "You'll need your school ID for that, which you'll get soon. But don't worry, I'll cover your meals until then." He paused, pulling off his shirt as he prepared for a shower. His torso revealed an array of scars—some faint and jagged, others bold and deep—spread across his chest, abdomen, and back. Beneath the marks were muscles sculpted from years of rigorous training and battle.

Akira's eyes widened in admiration. "Wow! Those scars are cool. Where can I get some like that?"

Mikage froze mid-step, turning his head with a bewildered expression. "Why the hell would you want scars like these?"

Akira shrugged, his tone casual. "Because they make you look manly, duh."

Mikage burst into laughter, shaking his head. "Manly? Yeah, I don't feel manly carrying these around." He opened the bathroom door and added with a smirk, "If you want scars like these, just go fight some of those creatures I hunt. You'll get more than enough."

As Mikage stepped into the shower, Akira stood up and slid the window open, stepping onto the balcony. The cool evening breeze brushed against his face as he leaned on the railing. Below, the courtyard buzzed with activity. Students of all kinds—elves, humans, fairies, orcs, and other magical beings—laughed, chatted, and moved about, immersed in their lives.

Akira exhaled deeply. "Not too long ago, if someone told me magic was real, I would've sent them straight to the nearest psychiatrist." He chuckled bitterly, watching the students. "And now... I'm one of them."

He tilted his head back, staring into the night sky speckled with stars. "How am I supposed to tell Yuta that I'm using magic now?" His voice softened, almost a whisper. "What will he think of me?"

The night stretched on as Akira stood in silent contemplation, the weight of his new reality settling deeper into his mind.

Mikage emerged from the bathroom, towel in hand as he dried his damp hair. His gaze landed on Akira, who was leaning on the balcony railing, now dressed in pajamas and a black hoodie.

"You took your time," Akira said without looking back.

Mikage smirked. "I had to drop my temperature."

"Sucks to be you," Akira replied with a shrug.

Mikage chuckled, stepping closer. "Do you have siblings?"

Akira shook his head. "Nope, I'm an only child. What about you?"

Mikage nodded. "I have one. Her name's Anri."

"Cool," Akira said, glancing back. "How old is she?"

"She's 21," Mikage replied.

"Sweet," Akira said with a grin, only to get a book hurled at his head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Akira yelped, rubbing his temple.

"Keep it up, and I'll throw another," Mikage said, smirking.

Akira ignored the threat, his curiosity piqued. "So, where is she now?"

"Nigeria," Mikage answered, sitting on his bed.

"Nigeria?" Akira repeated, his brow furrowing. "Why there?"

"She's with her mother," Mikage said simply.

Akira's suspicion grew. "But you're not mixed..."

"Like I said, her mother. Not mine," Mikage clarified.

Akira hesitated, sensing a touchy subject. "What about your mom?"

Mikage's expression darkened slightly, though he remained calm. "I don't know her."

"Oh," Akira said softly. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Mikage replied quickly, brushing off the moment. He reached into his bag and pulled out his school ID. "Anyway, are you ready to go?"

Akira's face lit up. "Finally! I'm starving."

They entered the cafeteria, and almost immediately, heads turned to look at them. Whispers broke out among the crowd.

"Is that Mikage?"

"Yeah, but who's the guy with him?"

"Should we go say hi?"

"Nah, we're not up to his standard."

Mikage smiled and waved casually at a few of them, seeming completely at ease. Akira, walking beside him, shot him a side-eye glance and sighed.

"You're way too popular for my liking," Akira muttered, pulling his hood over his head.

Mikage tilted his head. "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Akira replied curtly, keeping his hood low.

Reaching the food counter, Mikage handed his school ID to the server, who scanned it before asking for their orders. Mikage rattled off a long list of dishes, while Akira simply asked for a bowl of ramen.

Mikage glanced at him, surprised. "That's all? You can eat to your satisfaction, you know."

"No, thank you," Akira replied flatly. "I don't need much, and besides, I don't want to owe you too much."

Mikage gave him a curious look before shrugging. "Well, whatever floats your boat."

As they left the counter with their trays, Akira's eyes wandered across the room, observing the crowd. Distracted, he bumped into a girl.

"Ah, sorry!" they both said in unison.

They stood awkwardly for a moment, staring at each other. Mikage, who had been casually sipping his smoothie, stopped to watch the scene unfold with mild amusement.

The girl broke the silence with a warm smile. "Are you new here? I don't think I've seen you around before."

Akira nodded. "Yeah, I just arrived today."

"Well, welcome!" she said cheerfully. "I hope you enjoy your stay at the school. I'm Trixie, by the way."

Akira managed a small smile. "I'm Akira. Nice to meet you."

Before the conversation could continue, Trixie's friends called out to her. "I'm coming!" she called back, then turned to Akira. "Guess I'll see you around, Akira. Bye!"

She waved, and Akira waved back. "Sure."

Mikage, still watching, sighed as he glanced at his now-empty smoothie cup. "I didn't even realize I finished this. You were so awkward, it was entertaining."

Akira responded by stepping on his foot. "That's what you get," he said with a smirk.

"Do you know her grade?" Akira asked as they continued walking.

"She's in your grade," Mikage replied. "But I don't know her exact class."

"Okay," Akira said, glancing back toward where Trixie had been.

Mikage noticed and raised an eyebrow. "What are you looking at?"

Akira's expression grew thoughtful. "I think it's mana. I can see it emanating from everyone in this room."

Mikage's eyes widened slightly. "Already seeing mana?" he muttered under his breath. "It took me months to learn that."