Kutote met them at the massive doors, his face was red and seemed to release steam.
"Where have you two been, you've been missing for days now?!" Kutote greeted them with a raging fury.
"Oh...Hey Kutote, what's up" Itekan said a bit uncomfortable. He had not realized that their absence would be noticed by him of all people.
"Why. It doesn't bother you" Itoyea said plainly.
Kutote's face was almost overtaken by embassment at being caught but he held back his expression with a frown.
"Ohh get off your high horse," Kutote said to Itoyea who walked past Kutote and entered the hostels.
"Did anyone ask for us?" Itekan asked as he let Togira run free.
"...No." Kutote said as he watched Togira running towards Itekan's room.
"Alright then, I guessing I have you to thank for that" Itekan said as he got up, he smiled wide and followed after Togira.
"That's that. For now I need a bath and a good nap, later." Itekan said as he strolled away.
Kutote's brows furrowed as he watched them leave. He had been right in his assessment. They probably left the school grounds, perhaps they went hunting in the field dungeons. He knew it. Most probably won't sense any change but he who was blessed with the red spirit and could monitor the fluctuations of SE knew something was different in their SS.
They were stronger. Much stronger.
Even Binturu who was the strongest of their class would not defeat them easily.
Damn. They were getting further and further away from him. He didn't want to be the only one weak amongst them. He didn't want to lose the only people he considered friends.
***
After that week's events, Headmaster Kime had called for Itekan and Itoyea during their respective classes. What he told them, they told no one else.
Most assumed they were in trouble of some sorts, some believed it was only a matter of time before they were expelled but because they had done nothing or rather they knew of nothing in which they had done and both of them seemed to have resumed lectures with no inhibitions of any sort, after a few days the rumors were dismissed and the academy routine resumed fully.
Soon they were at the end of the first semester. It had been four months since they accepted into four stars academy.
And in a few days time they would be writing their final exams which determine whether or not they would resume the next semester.
This led to severe all nighters as trainees pooled over everything they had learnt in their theoretical classes.
Itekan for one had it worse, he had been trying his best but he just couldn't get through his History of SE notes without dosing off. It seemed Professor Fernir's lack of attitude in class had been transfered to him as well. Itoyea seemed okay, he had actually tried to teach him which shocked Itekan and Binturu who had assumed he was attentive to the teacher who was teaching and not what she was actually teaching.
Apart from that, he was doing just alright in his other theoretical classes. He was expecting to at least get a pass in Types of SE and Flow Patterns. His apptitude for SE reconstruction according to Professor Tedorinzu was one of the highest he had seen in decades. So Itekan figured he had that was another one in bag.
So really his only problem was History of SE and as the day grew nearer he was losing hope and was getting seriously worried. He had even gone to meet Kutote who begrudgingly gave him some notes but to no avail.
His foolbound head refused to retail any information longer than the while it took him to read it.
***
A day to the exams...
Itekan was on the second floor of the training grounds, behind the glass walls where few came. He had taken to visiting here when he wanted to think.
Today has no exception, he was alone currently when his mind wandered back to his father's diary. Bringing the spiral bound diary out he opened it, infusing his SE into it as well.
The books' words were revealed systematically. Itekan had not tried this in a while and he was confident his SS was much purer and more advanced.
His assumption wasn't off.
"They are countless thrones and dominions in the realm of the gods. I had never really understood just how vast they were."
"My God had decided to bring me with him for the next Kotowari no Sasuke no Gi, it was there I fist met them. The five of us, sword of our Gods."
Itekan was thoroughly confused by this point but he kept reading, he had a feeling this was important.
"The Kotowari no Sasuke no Gi was an event held every 5 millennials by the gods to where gods where giving their authority over domains.
"Anyways, that wouldnt be till a forth night from now, today, however was spent familiarize with others swords of the gods."
"I took great pride in the fact, that my Lord was master over the realm of the great cur###!:$-#@###!!!!" Itekan suddenly stopped as he felt a great foreboding spirit decend upon him.
His shadow spirit faltered in its precious, blood shot from his noses like torrents and his mind felt like it was about to fall apart. He realized his shadow spirit was being prevented from healing him when he started bleeding from his eyes.
He had done something terribly wrong. He shouldn't have messed with power centuries away from his grasp.
He couldn't breath, he felt his body being taken over. Suddenly Kime was beside him, his hand out stretched before him.
"ODIEUM!! LEAVE HERE NOW! How dare you enter my territory!" Kime said his voice reaching heights that sent all the academy's protection wards into terror. Within seconds, Pwaon and Old man Ye were there.
"#^%;:!$::!!!" The entity know as Odieum croaked, shattering glass, his word caused even Old man Ye who was at the peak of the Denkei form.
"I CARE NOT FOR YOU FIBBLE REPLYS!! LEAVE MY TERRITORY OR I WILL SMITE YOU HERE AND NOW!!" Kime roared, at that the shaking in the school intensified as these two supreme entities were battling for authority over the school.
Then the shaking gradually reduced, and with it Itekan's blood letting slowed and came to a halt. Kime looked at what Itekan was doing that caused that primordial entity to descend on him.
He noticed the black spiral bound diary which dispite the blood around it was not in the least stained.
His brows furrowed when he realized what that was.
'What was Carpathia thinking giving this to his fourteen year old son?!' he thought to himself.
"What in tarnation's was that?" Old man Ye asked as the color on Itekan's face returned.
"Pwain, Ye, check around the school, make sure there are no incidents caused because of this, then come to my office immediately after. Bring Keel Kun as well" Kime said as he spared Itekan one more glance then disappeared.
Pwain looked at Itekan who was looking between his two teacher wondering if he was in trouble of any sort.
"You're Itekan yes? Go to your dorm now, take a nap. We can discuss your... Well whatever it is you were tampering with later" Sensei Pwain said and disappeared.
"Boy—What Sensei Pwain says is true. You do need to rest."
"Thank you, old man Ye, but I'm okay now" Itekan said trying to reassure him. After studying him for a while old man Ye left as the others had as well.
Itekan fell back onto his chair suddenly breathing hard. He opened his hand and in the middle of his palm, was a black square.
The square seemed to revolve on its ends, then it spiraled and faded away.
Itekan breathed hard as he saw this. Something in him felt different, he couldn't exactly pinpoint what but he felt his shadow spirit had just undergone a severe mutation.
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Spiritual Energy (SE)
Spiritual Sea (SS)
Spiritual Signature (SST)
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