The members of the Sanctum formed a circle around Yuma to restrain him and secure the other participants.
At the same time, the youths' awakening reached its final phase.
One by one, their bodies began to glow.
Fiery red.
Icy blue.
Emerald green.
Radiant gold.
One or several colors depending on their mana affinity.
Then, each of them returned to their senses.
— That was incredible… I feel alive again!
— I… I feel all-powerful!
Their voices overlapped in the general excitement.
Suddenly—
An overwhelming pressure crashed down upon the hall.
Everyone froze and slowly turned their heads toward Yuma.
— BE SILENT!
YOU ARE WITNESSING SOMETHING MAGNIFICENT!
OBSERVE CAREFULLY! THESE YOUTHS ARE THE ELITE OF YOUR GENERATION!
The Grand Sage, maintaining his protective barrier, did not take his eyes off Yuma.
Enji, too, entered his final awakening phase.
His body became encased in a sphere of pure ice.
The cold froze the very air around him.
Then—
Flames burst from within.
The ice melted into a cloud of scorching steam.
The other youths experienced similar phenomena according to their affinities.
The Grand Sage whispered, astonished:
— This is simply unbelievable…
It's the second time this year that a supra-awakening has occurred…
Enji opened his eyes.
His mana surged from his body like an uncontrollable storm.
Several members of the Sanctum moved behind the awakened youths and placed their hands on their backs.
— Focus!
If you don't draw your mana back inside yourselves, you'll drain completely…
And that could shatter your magic core!
They all knelt down.
— Imagine a vast reservoir in your stomach.
Fill it with your energy.
Ten long minutes passed.
Enji was the fastest to stabilize his mana.
But meanwhile…
Yuma's energy continued to pour out.
His body lifted into the air.
— Yuma! — Enji shouted, stepping forward.
The Grand Sage stopped him with a gesture.
— Step back, my boy.
I know he is your friend…
But in his current state, he could hurt you.
— But what's happening to him?
The Grand Sage explained calmly:
— There are three types of awakening.
The classic awakening: the release of raw mana.
The supra-awakening: the release of mana with affinity and the creation of a magic core.
And finally… the total awakening.
He paused.
— The total awakening releases mana, affinity… and the full potential of the magic cores.
Those who achieve total awakening are extremely rare.
They possess an astronomical amount of mana… but during their awakening, their overwhelming power causes destruction if it is not controlled.
Enji clenched his fists.
Yuma… you truly amaze me.
Suddenly, lightning exploded around Yuma.
Then a torrent of flames.
The Sanctum members tried to contain the energy, but their strength was fading.
— Fall back! It's going to become dangerous!
The lightning and flames vanished abruptly.
But Yuma's shadow began to move.
A dark beam swept across the hall, throwing several members to the ground.
— Three… elements… is that even possible?
— It's the first time I've ever seen this…
Darkness flooded the room.
The Grand Sage tried to contain it.
— I won't hold much longer… someone!
A gust of wind sliced through the air.
A silhouette appeared.
A ninja.
— No… don't tell me that's…
— Takamikaze Reishin! The S-Rank Hunter!
Takamikaze Reishin stepped forward with a faint smile.
— Need a hand?
The Grand Sage nodded.
The two combined their mana.
The energy around Yuma stabilized.
The darkness dissipated.
Yuma slowly descended back to the ground.
He opened his eyes.
His body still overflowed with mana.
He took a deep breath…
Then absorbed all his energy back inside.
Silence.
— WHOA!
THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!
I feel an immense power within me!
This is the beginning of my dream!
The Grand Sage, exhausted, allowed himself a small smile.
The youths surrounded Yuma.
— You were incredible!
— You scared us!
Overwhelmed, Yuma hid behind Enji.
— Why is everyone so excited…?
Enji laughed.
— Let's just say you caused quite a scene.
— Come forward, all of you.
The Grand Sage observed them.
— From this day on, you are accomplished mages.
You may serve society…
Become hunters, investigators, guardians, explorers…
Travel and uncover the secrets of the world.
He paused.
— According to tradition, the one who possesses the greatest amount of mana has the right to give a speech.
Step forward, my boy.
Yuma climbed onto a platform formed by the magic of a Sanctum member.
He took a breath.
— I don't really know what to say…
But I'll tell you about my dream.
He raised his head.
— I want to become the greatest hunter of all time.
Silence.
Then admiration.
Later, outside the Sanctum…
— What are you going to do now? Enji asked.
— I think I'm going to enroll in the Hunters Association.
— Very good.
A voice came from behind them.
— That's exactly what I wanted to hear.
Reishin appeared.
Before they could react, he grabbed both of them.
A gust of wind.
They vanished.
End of Chapter 6