"Enhanced senses? You mean all five of them?" asked Michael.
"Exactly. With very little magical power, he can enhance all of his senses individually or simultaneously. It's a unique technique… one that's never been seen before," replied General Howard.
"That's why he earned Captain Edward's trust and, at only eighteen, became Vice-Captain of the Third Unit," added Princess Alexia.
"Then he's unbeatable!" exclaimed Hector, worried.
"Not entirely. Even a power like that has its weaknesses," said the general.
"What do you mean?"
"If he pushes it too far, his body goes into shock. Feeling all those amplified senses at once... no one could withstand it — not even him."
"Indeed," Alexia admitted. "More than once, we found him unconscious… especially at the beginning, when he had just joined the army."
The boys looked confused. "We knew about magic, but... it all sounds too complicated right now," said Alexandre.
General Howard gave them a sympathetic look. "Yes, I understand. Until now, I haven't explained how magic truly works — but I think it's time you learned."
Howard held out his hand. A bright blue light emitted from his palm. The air trembled slightly.
"Every human is born with the blessing of the Lord," he said, his voice deep and steady. "It is this gift that allows us to face demons — and not be destroyed by them."
The light in his hand grew brighter, becoming a pure flame. "But not everyone receives the same measure of power. In some, the blessing is barely perceptible... in other people called the Chosen Ones, it is immense."
A wave of energy exploded from his palm, scattering dust all around. The boys shielded their faces, overwhelmed by awe.
"As you can see, with training, it can be controlled."
"So if we can hypothesize, we who were summoned with the help of the Lord, in all likelihood are Chosen Ones?" asked Alexandre.
"Exactly."
Alexandre nodded, then looked down at his hand. "I can't feel anything."
"It's because of the summoning ritual," explained Alexia. "For now, your powers are sealed within you — that's why you can't sense them."
"How do we remove that seal?" asked Andrea.
"We don't know. When the time comes, it will disappear on its own. For now, our goal is to strengthen your bodies — so you can handle any sudden surge of magical energy," answered Alexia.
"Understood."
"And how do we learn magic?" asked Enea.
"There are nearly infinite types of magic," explained the general. "Many are accessible to everyone, but some — like the one granted by Divine Admission — are limited to a few, or even a single individual at a time." He looked toward Alexia. "For example, the magic Alexia used earlier during training is elemental — it can be learned by anyone with enough practice."
"So every soldier can use some kind of magic?" asked Andrea.
"Yes. Everyone in the army must know at least one spell. It's a basic requirement," answered Alexia.
Hector let out a sigh of relief, catching everyone's attention. "Thank goodness we can't use magic during the exam!"
"Yeah, lucky us!" added Daniel with a grin.
"I'm sorry, but you're mistaken," said the general, instantly wiping the smiles from their faces. "In official duels, you fight with your full strength… your opponents will definitely use magic."
"What?"
"That's... a little unfair," muttered Hector, disheartened.
"Perhaps there's a solution to that," Alexia interrupted, surprising even the general.
"What do you have in mind, Princess?" asked Howard curiously.
"We can use Transmission."
The general's eyes lit up. "Of course! Excellent idea."
"What's that supposed to mean now?" asked Alexandre, puzzled.
"Magic Power Transmission — the act of transferring magic from one person to another. Using this method, you might be able to use magic too."
Everyone looked excited by the princess's idea.
"Shall we try it?" asked the general, and Alexia nodded in agreement.
"Who wants to go first?" asked Alexia.
The boys hesitated for a moment, until Enea stepped forward. "I'll try."
"Good. Give me your hand." Enea did as she said, while Alexia formed a small orb of magic in her palm. "We'll start with a minimal amount, since we don't know how it will affect you." She looked him in the eye. "Ready?"
"Yes."
"You'll feel a small jolt through your body."
Alexia placed the orb on Enea's hand. The energy was absorbed instantly, and his body glowed bright blue for a brief moment before returning to normal.
"Enea? Are you okay?" asked Hector, worried — just like the others.
"Yeah…" Enea examined himself. "I feel fine."
"Try casting a spell. With that amount of magic power, you should be able to use a basic one."
"Alright… how do I do that?"
"Spells are cast by speaking words or full incantations, depending on their level. In this case, just say 'Breath'"
Enea looked hesitant. "Breath."
In front of his face, to his shock, a small burst of condensed air appeared — then vanished a second later. "Whoa."
"That was a weaker variant of the spell I used earlier," said Alexia.
Michael quickly stepped in front of Enea, eyes sparkling. "Please, Princess Alexia, let me try too!"
"Uh… alright," said Alexia, a bit uncertain.
"Me too!"
"And me!"
One by one, the others surrounded her eagerly, leaving the princess unsure how to handle the situation — while General Howard laughed heartily in the background.
...
Meanwhile, in a room inside the castle, Felix was sitting with another young man.
"They really act like children," commented Felix with a mocking grin.
The other boy turned toward him. "You're still listening to those summoned ones?"
"I just like eavesdropping on other people's conversations," said Felix, chuckling to himself.
The boy glared at him in disgust. "That power really ended up in the wrong hands."
"Kael, you were also chosen as an elite soldier to face them..." Felix's gray eyes glimmered as he stared at him, exuding pressure. "Don't you want to know a bit about your enemies?"
"I don't need to," replied Kael coldly. "I'll crush them anyway."
His eyes glowed a dark, blood-red.