Weak, that's what they were, because if they were strong he would never have asked them to become more powerful, right? She realized that the difference between them had grown too much; she had fallen far behind the one who in the beginning was her rival and now the person she loves. Her strength would have to increase many times so she could face him again, because he likes strong girls, and as his future fiancée she had to be even more than she was now.
"Lava Magic: Volcanic Explosion"
An explosion of magma bursts from the ground in front of Valença, creating a hole in the middle of the mountain and splitting it in half before her, melting the rocks with the heat emanating from that attack. Grabbing her staff that was stuck in the ground, she walks through the hole to the other side.
'It's still not enough... if I consider the level Yumeha and Rina were at a few months ago, he must be even stronger now.'
Valença's hair was a bit shorter than before, and her body had developed a lot in these two years; she was about to turn eighteen next month, and she had grown quite a bit as well.
'The good thing is that Mister Victor will be able to break that cursed barrier in a month, so that will be the best moment for us, especially if I reach the level I want…'
She was now a fifth-circle mage, breaking all records along with her companions, because in all these years there had never been so many fifth-circle mages emerging in a single year—literally almost all of them friends of Enrico. This happened mainly because they received news from Rina and Yumeha that they reached the fifth circle eight months ago.
"I plan to spend so much time with him when he returns that I can hardly wait for our reunion… damn, I need to raise my level before that day, I don't want to disappoint him."
The good thing was that Rina and Yumeha were connected to Enrico, meaning that if he had died they would know immediately, but since they were still fine and evolving along with him, then he was fine somehow even with so many high-rank Nartheis—something Victor mentioned after managing to sense what was inside that barrier after a few months.
'To be able to sense something from a barrier that takes a person and the place inside it to another dimension is incredible. He really deserves the title of the strongest.'
Victor Ashenfall, the strongest in the world and the only tenth-circle mage of this era—without a doubt, he was a being in his own dimension of power, and no one knew what his limit was.
"Light Sword: Giant Form"
Hearing Kai's voice, she looks ahead and sees a giant sword cutting all the trees around that region. Kai now had hair that reached his shoulders and had grown a lot; his outfit, like hers, was from Astrong Academy's third year—a completely black uniform with some purple details circling the sleeves and chest, with the academy's symbol drawn in the middle.
"Damn, this level isn't enough."
"You're right. He must already be close to becoming a sixth circle now."
"Yes, you're right. It's very likely he'll break Professor Virelle's record if he keeps evolving the way Rina and Yumeha are showing."
Just like her, Kai was also fifth circle, with the difference that he reached that level one month before her, being the third to achieve it—behind Victoria and Lira, of course, not counting the three previously mentioned.
"We should head back. It's almost time for Professor Zenaria's class."
"I think we'll have to wait a bit… she's still training."
"Oh right, I almost forgot about her."
"How cruel, she's been asking to join us since a year ago."
The person they were talking about was Elaris, who joined their team because she was sure she would become stronger, mainly because trouble was always around them.
"I never allowed her into this team."
"You only treat her like that because she seems interested in Enrico."
"And you? All I see is you repeating to her that if she interrupts your rematch with him in any way, she'll be kicked from the team."
"Tsk, that's because he already has seven wives who get in my way, and even more rivals besides me. I can't let more people interfere with our relationship."
'I know he's an idiot, but even so… seeing him talk like that as if he actually had a real relationship gives me a bad feeling.'
Seeing Kai bite his finger anxiously at the thought of no one interfering with his rematch, she does the same to calm down, especially because Elian was the seventh spouse they allowed in since Sylvia and Serenya said he liked boys with feminine appearance—at least that's what they said, even with Elian begging them to reject that.
'Calm down, Valença. He doesn't have a feminine appearance, so it's impossible for him to join us. Besides, I don't want my childhood friend becoming one of us.'
In the distance, the two see Elaris emerging from a frozen lake wearing the clothes of an elven noble from the Elf Dimension, given by some spirits who were looking for her for reasons she didn't want to reveal. Her hair had grown just a little, while her beauty seemed greater than before; without a doubt, she would be the third most beautiful if Enrico's female form years ago were considered.
'Enrico is more beautiful even in female form, so this is nothing… that form is the only woman I would fall in love with hehe.'
"Why do you have that perverted expression? Don't tell me you're thinking about something involving Enrico right now?"
Elaris looked at her with deep suspicion upon seeing her expression, but it wasn't her fault—she hadn't seen her beloved in two years, so she had to stay like this to not try forcing her way into that barrier somehow.
"Of course I'm thinking about him. Do you think this expression is for anything else? For the student council president, you're pretty stupid."
"You—!"
That's right, Valença had no shame in admitting she constantly thought about Enrico, because she belonged to him, so she could think that way—unlike other girls who weren't even his wives, like that damned Lira.
"Can you stop treating me like that? Just because I'm interested in making him my official right-hand doesn't mean I'm interested in forming a romantic—"
"You are?"
"…"
"I knew it, you damn—"
While Valença, with a serious face, shakes Elaris's shoulders—who had a poker face—the three return to the city of Sanos in relative peace, aside from those two's chaos. Kai sees the new Astrong Academy created from Hao's barrier powers temporarily, high above the barrier.
'It's really incredible how the strongest mages can control their power so well. Will I be able to do the same when I reach the sixth circle?'
Hao had created an academy made of barrier magic, very large, managing to change its color and turn it into a real academy with perfect rooms and chairs—and he did all that in less than an hour.
'Well, time to meet the others.'