Shion Lan sat on the floor of his room, thinking to himself 'The academy starts in a week according to Baro and Fiore. I have to be stronger by then because I'm no longer Shion Ranos.'
In the past, even though he was in a lower class, he had never been bullied because he was a noble — but now he was alone, and he could only rely on himself. He released his star aura from his body and considered the technique he would use, saying, "(Stellar Summet Art: Manuscript of the Stellar Body)." He had improved it further using books about body-enhancement techniques. He distributed magic and aura evenly throughout his body, then stood and took several stances; in each stance the star aura followed a different path and strengthened different muscles.
After he allocated his strength and aura evenly to the areas he wanted, he changed his clothes and went to have breakfast with his mother. Afterwards he headed to the training ground where he trained: he raised his sword and began swinging it while using the star aura, employing his improved techniques which were better than before. He kept swinging until he reached two hundred sword swings using the aura. Then he started running — he ran along the river until he reached the waterfall, then returned and repeated the routine several times.
Then he remembered the old man he used to visit and went toward the man's house, calling out for him, but received no answer. Where did that old man go? He began checking the places he thought of and saw people who used to be with the old man, but when he asked about the old man no one could tell him his whereabouts. Shion felt sad; he was used to seeing that old man. What he didn't know was that the old man had been watching him all along and was actually a retainer of the prince — even a double agent who reported to the princess. Shion went back to the camp to eat with the others and noticed the camp supervisor glancing at him; Shion looked back to see what he wanted, but the supervisor quickly avoided his gaze.
'Is he spying on me?' Shion sat for a bit until his two students, Baro Ferrer and Fiore Tai, arrived. After a few greetings they went to train; Shion began guiding them, teaching Baro his new adjustments while Fiore learned more about the (Whirlwind of Destruction) Shion returned to his own training but still felt the supervisor's stare boring into his back. I should find out what he wants.
Shion moved and the supervisor followed him; he was puzzled and didn't know where Shion was going, until he realized Shion had gone to the old man's house. He waited outside for a while; curiosity got the better of him and he peered through a window — to his surprise he found Shion actually preparing some tea. He couldn't understand what he was doing but kept watching until Shion finished and called out, "If you keep hiding there I won't be able to serve you tea!"
The supervisor was startled and convinced himself, 'He must've been watching someone else, not me. But who else would be watching him?' He looked around and saw no one; when he looked back he found Shion staring right at him. The supervisor stepped back, readied his dagger, and Shion was baffled: "That's strange — you were spying on me and now you want to attack?"
Realizing the situation, the supervisor scratched his head awkwardly and went inside after Shion. Shion poured tea into a cup and, handing it to him, asked, "Who are you?" The supervisor accepted the tea and said, "You know me — I'm the camp supervisor and…" "Enough with that poor performance. Let's be serious."
Shion's look was sharp enough to pierce the man's heart; the supervisor coughed and said, "I'm from the Shadow Forces of the royal family." "You're lying. If that were true I wouldn't sense you; you're barely qualified to be a beginner!" The man lowered his head in embarrassment and admitted, "I'm indeed a novice in the Shadow Forces; the king assigned beginners to assist the princes in their struggle for the throne."
Shion hadn't expected to hear such an answer ' who would appoint such novices to serve his children?' After gathering his thoughts, Shion thought, Well, although I don't trust this man, I don't think he's reckless enough to toss the name "Shadow Forces" around lightly.
"Are you really from the Shadows? Won't someone cut off your head if they discover you revealed your secrets to me?" "I know you don't trust me, but…" He raised his hand and a dark aura shone forth. "No one can imitate the distinctive aura of the (Black Petals) technique." Shion saw the dark black aura with petal-like shapes that made no sound even if they fell, and that couldn't ripple the surface of the water. Before he knew it he reached out and touched that aura; as soon as he did he felt a murderous gaze fall upon him from a distance.
He realized the mess he was in because of the fool sitting beside him — or rather… Shion turned toward that person who was smiling slyly. Shion tried to back away quickly, but the fool did not appear to be a mere beginner: he had blocked Shion's escape and was a four-star duelist. Shion couldn't think clearly, but he remained calm and sorted his thoughts quickly ' this intense of killing is for a powerful one but this fool still happy.' as Shion thought .
He abandoned any attempt to run and sat to finish his tea. The Shadow Forces man was bewildered. They didn't wait long: the previous would-be killer entered, bringing another man in his hand who was sweating profusely. The man spoke coldly, "Recruit 133, take this — await your punishment." The sweating man took the other guy and fled.
The man looked at Shion who smiled, "Let me offer you some tea, sir!" He sat and thought to himself 'Despite his age he didn't flinch; instead of fleeing he stayed put. That's unusual for his age and stance.' He took the tea, examined it, and found it expertly made. He sipped it; it tasted excellent even though it wasn't made of fine ingredients. "What happened earlier with my men?" he asked.
Shion paused then answered, "I think it was a trap set for me. I don't believe the Shadow Forces serve anyone but the royal family, and I don't know what would've happened without your intervention, my lord." When the man finished his cup Shion refilled it, but the man said, "Wait a moment boy, I prepared it myself. Didn't the First Prince target you?" The man looked at Shion and said, "Don't speak as if you don't know. He wanted one of two things: either to recruit you as his shadow or to eliminate you because you know about the secret he hides. But enough of that tell me why you didn't run."
Shion smiled and replied, "The thing is, I really couldn't have fled. Even if I had, my mother would still be here, so I had to surrender and cooperate." After Shion finished speaking he took the teapot and poured the man more tea, pouring some into his own cup as well, and sat to drink. The man asked, "If I hadn't come and you were captured —" at that moment he pressed his aura and Shion realized this man was a seven-star.
Shion couldn't speak; he felt as if he would black out so he shouted "No! Not again! Shi Yun Lan!" But when he focused again he found the man stunned; the man then stood and said, "I hope you don't leak any of what we discussed." Shion didn't understand what had happened but nodded. He looked at his cup and found it empty "I think I couldn't stop it, again!"He left that place and went to Baro and Fiore with strange feelings get deep in his soul.
As for the man who moved with lightning speed, it didn't take him long to reach the royal palace, though he didn't use the main gates; he took another route and moved in a pattern, leaving a decoy behind while he went elsewhere. He bowed before someone seated at a desk piled with reports and spoke submissively, "I have completed my mission, my lord!"
The man at the desk didn't glance up and said, "Speak." His tone was calm, but the other wasn't comfortable with it.
"I caught two people working with the prince on charges of leaking information. They are now awaiting punishment. How should I deal with them, my lord?"
"Who did they leak to?"
"Well, it was Shion Lan — his fame in the arena has been spreading these past days."
The grey-haired man looked at the supplicant and asked,
"Is the First Prince trying to recruit him by pushing him into a dead end?"
"I thought so, so I intervened and captured them."
"Then did you erase the boy's memory?"
The older man waited and heard only a slight tremble from the other, who replied, "I couldn't get close to him — someone else did it." The older man couldn't digest what he heard and demanded, "Tell me what happened in detail."
At that time, when Shion had lost consciousness for a moment while the man had pressed his aura, Shion had switched into Shi Yun Lan. With a smile and closed eyes he said, plainly, "If you hadn't come, I would have killed them." Shi Yun Lan spoke casually as if he was not about to kill anyone, yet there was a strange feeling of a merciless killer inside a child's body.
Hearing that, the man swallowed instinctively and said, "Then allow me to erase your memory." "If I let you do as you wish, you might learn things about me. Leave this task to me." The man disliked Shion's tone and wanted to activate his power: "If you don't stop, you will die." Shi Yun Lan, calmly sipping tea, spoke and the man did not notice until a pain drilled through his chest and he collapsed to the floor.
He saw Shion's contemptuous, belittling gaze; it was clear he didn't consider him worthy. Shi Yun Lan opened his dark eyes, manifested in the real world, and said, "Are you that afraid for the trash you call technique?" He placed his finger on his head and produced something like a thread, saying, "Here it is. But since I erased part of my memory, I will do the same for you." He put his hand on the trembling man's head and said, "You will forget that I was here, as if I never existed. But there will be a hole in your story, so you will claim that the Radiant Star saved Shion."