Zerathose muttered to himself as he threw on his clothes, rushing through his morning routine like a man possessed. He pulled on his favorite shirt and pants, tossing a red jacket over it—only to pause and facepalm.
"Crap. I forgot to wash my face."
He darted back to the bathroom, splashed water into his hands, and slapped it against his cheeks with a loud splat. As the water dripped down his face, he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror.
Half-red, half-black hair. Piercing crimson eyes.
Yeah… still looking like a vampire from one of those edgy films, he thought, shaking his head. His older brother never missed a chance to poke fun at his "gothic anime protagonist" look.
Sliding down the stairs with ease, Zerathose glanced toward the empty kitchen. You'd expect a morning scene with parents making breakfast or reading the news—but not here. He'd been self-sufficient for a while now.
His theater work had been gaining attention lately. Some said his acting was so immersive, it pulled audiences into a whole different world. He didn't think much of it, but maybe they were right.
No cliché toast-in-the-mouth sprint today. Instead, he stepped outside, locked his door, and—
—took off into the sky.
Late or not, flying had its perks.
As he soared over the human capital, the city bloomed beneath him—majestic statues of magic kings and queens, food stalls bursting with color and smell, and even that sketchy old store that sold weird magical junk.
Is that mana color spray still on the shelves? People used to prank each other with that ten years ago… now it's just a novelty.
He dipped lower, heading in for a landing—only to almost crash into someone.
With barely a second to spare, he caught her—hand at her back, steadying her like a scene out of a romance flick.
"Whoa, easy there, lady. Would've been a shame to ruin that lovely outfit."
Her cheeks flushed pink as she looked up at him.
Wait—Ka-Ka-Kagusuchi?!
She helped herself upright with a smirk. "You know… your big bro's right. You really need to learn how to fly better. If buildings had feelings, you'd owe them an apology."
Zerathose blinked. He didn't even have a comeback ready—he was too stunned. It had been years. Her blue hair, her piercing blue eyes… she looked just like she did back then.
Before he could say anything, she pulled him into a hug.
"I'm just glad you're doing okay," she whispered.
"Same to you. What are you even doing here?" he asked.
"Same thing you are—taking the exam."
Before the moment could stretch further, someone sprinted past them yelling, "We're gonna be late!"
"Crap!" they both shouted in unison and bolted after him, rushing toward the exam building.
They barely made it through the doors.
The old receptionist looked up, amused. "Lucky you two… almost missed it. Dodged a bullet, huh?"
They sped through the paperwork at light speed, adrenaline still pumping.
Panting, Kagusuchi glared at him. "You idiot! We almost missed it because of you!"
"Hey, calm down! It was just an accident!"
"If you'd get your flying together, maybe we wouldn't have these 'accidents'!"
They bickered like old times for a good thirty seconds before catching their breath—two brave hearts, reunited on the edge of something big.
Then—suddenly—the air shifted.
A crushing pressure fell over the room like a storm about to break. Zerathose and Kagusuchi froze, neither daring to move. It was as if their bodies instinctively understood: danger had arrived.
At the center of it all stood a tall, athletic woman with flowing blonde hair. She walked with the relaxed stride of someone who didn't need to try—because her presence alone commanded the space.
She casually pointed at them with a sharp glance.
"Listen," she said bluntly. "I don't have time for any of this bullcrap, okay? I just want to get this over with and go home. I have work to do."
Zerathose's eyes widened. He recognized that face. Morgan, of the Slaying Guild.
A living legend.
It was said that her power alone could bring down dragons. She was someone you really, really didn't want to mess with.
Buuuut…
Zerathose, being Zerathose, raised his hand awkwardly. "Uh, sorry ma'am. Didn't mean to cause any trouble. We were just goofing around. No need to go all serial killer on us."
Her face darkened instantly. The room dropped another ten degrees as her mana spiked—tenfold—a wild, crushing force that slammed into their senses.
"You trying to be funny?" she said, stepping closer. "You think you're some kinda comedian?"
Zerathose gulped.
And then—she burst out laughing.
A loud, slightly unhinged laugh.
"Okay, okay," she said, wiping a tear from her eye. "Not gonna lie, that was kinda funny."
She pointed down the hall. "But you're late. Get to your station. Now."
30 minutes later…
Zerathose and Kagusuchi stood with two others in a small group—the final selection.
Only a handful of people even made it this far.
Becoming a mage in this world was no easy feat. It wasn't about talent—it was about surviving.
The threats mages faced daily weren't just dangerous… they were world-ending. One wrong move, one hesitation, and your life could end in an instant.
This wasn't school.
This wasn't training.
This was the real thing.
So the only question left now was…
Would Zerathose and his crew survive what's coming next?