77 I donst yearn for the moon nor do I crave the stars (1/2)

Snowflake was sitting on the ninetieth step. He took advantage of the pressure exuded by the staircase to step forward on his Dao of Mana; as long as he was still under pressure, he could make further progress. Maybe he could even form another step or two before the test was over. He was almost sure.

In the meantime, everyone was wondering what Snowflake was possibly up to over there.

Crispius furrowed his brow: ”Is the cat trying to advance even farther?”

Binius stared at him, still shocked, and said: ”Is it even possible to improve Mana Control just like that, on the fly?”

No debates occurred that day; everyone's attention was completely drawn by the new would-be freshmen. Snowflake, moreover, had terrified the entire crowd with his awe-inspiring performance. The whole hall was still dead silent. Not even Circe had proved able to display such masterful talent. It was the first time in history that more than a great genius showed up within very few years, and very few years had gone by since Pseudonym and Circe had done their heart-stopping performances. It would already have been a miracle if someone went past the eightieth step once every ten years. And now, within a handful of years, a new great anomaly was climbing its way up the steps leading to the Shrine of the Black Phoenix.

”I have no idea,” said Crispius, ”Mana knowledge is no prerogative of mere mortals as we are. We live in a small dimension, you see. Maybe the greatest Clans in the universe are in hold of some real information, but we, as tiny ants, can claim no access to these kind of deep knowledge…”

Binius nodded. He was well-aware that Orma, if compared to the vastness of the universe, was but a grain of sand that could be wiped out at any moment.

While everybody was still busy mumbling about Snowflake's deeds, their faces painted in awe, Helial turned towards Frankenstein and Lulu. ”Do you wanna go next?”

The two nodded and took a step forward.

Frankenstein looked insanely focused. He stretched his hands out. His next move left everyone speechless. All around him appeared a flame, a watery globe, a small tornado and a sharp rock. They all began to revolve relentlessly, orbiting around him like planets around the sun. Frankenstein inhaled. He took a few first steps forward as he gathered all the focus he was capable of.

”He's trying to increase his control on the surrounding Mana by taking it over the power of his elements' Mana,” an utterly shocked Devil said to Helial, his voice resounding inside his head. ”I didn't come even to my mind, actually, but that technique makes a good way to reduce the disturbing effect of the Shrine of the Black Phoenix. He's a damn mastermind, that Goblin.”

Helial kept quiet. He beamed at Frankenstein. Helial had basically saved that Goblin's life, and now he was rewarded with what turned out to be a far more powerful companion than he thought. His eyes flew to Lulu, and his gaze turned sweeter. The greenish-skinned girl had already reached the fifteenth step. Helial had no idea how far she would get; all in all, he had resorted to a rough yet efficient method to temper her heart.

Would she get by smoothly? It would appear so. After heaving a satisfied sigh, Helial nodded slightly and kept witnessing their tests.

Frankenstein was a genius; Lulu had worked hard.

After a few minutes, the spectators' expression betrayed the wildest terror. The hall was pierced by a deadly silence. Not even the Seniors could utter a word. All gazes were set on Helial. After laying his hands illegitimately on a prominent position in the Orman society, that human had succeeded in creating from scratch a real group of talents - or rather, monsters.

Snowflake, ninety-five steps.

Frankenstein, eighty-two steps.

The crowd stood dead silent in the quiet room. The Seniors' shock led them to forget to announce the results.

With his thumb raised, Helial showed Frankenstein his satisfaction. He had accomplished more than he could have imagined.

The most upsetting accomplishment though was that of Lulu. She had started from scratch and was now reaching the forty-sixth step. She glanced down at the Goblin crowd under her feet, whose disbelief had left them aphasic. She was standing so high as she would have never imagined to be. Lulu had always been considered useless by her people, let alone the three Inner Court disciples who had regarded her as ground meat. And now Lulu had gained the title of Inner Court disciple herself.

Helial gazed at her and smiled in tender satisfaction.

”Am I next?” A sweet voice, slightly high-pitched, resounded out beside Helial. The boy gazed down and his eyes met Lumia's, who was looking calmly at him. Helial could scarcely recognize his little sister in that completely different attitude. He nodded his head and said yes. She would go next. He planted a kiss on her forehead and whispered in her ear: ”If you feel that your strength is failing you, just stop, no matter what. If you fall from that height you might get hurt.”

Lumia seemed to ignore his words and, with a malicious smile on her face, said: ”Keep our bet in mind. If I beat Circe, you'll owe me a kiss.”

Circe had formed ninety-one steps. If Lumia overcame the ninetieth-first step, Helial would be bound to kiss her. Helial didn't doubt his sister's abnegation in the least, but he did doubt that she could outdo Circe. Despite her not having reached the First Phase, Circe had indeed been training for years before taking her test, or so they told him. Lumia had only been training for a month, instead, and the Devil had become her teacher only a week before. How could her Mana Control possibly exceed that of the Witch?

Lumia took a first step forward, and the first stair appeared under her feet.

… two, three, four…

***

”Hey, you little one! You came back here? Does your sister know?” asked a boy with pitch-black hair and sharp features.

”Shhh, don't you dare tell her. I like to come here and play with big bro. Would you do again that trick when the world loses its colors?” Before the boy stood a fifteen years old girl whose outstanding beauty could have likely made empires collapse. Her silvery hair lay on her shoulders like falling stars, her red lips were in striking contrast with her pale, smooth jaded skin.

”Hahahah, trick? Are you aware that your entire Clan is trying to kill me? I have no idea how you found me myself, actually,” said the boy with pitch-black hair as he tousled the girl's shining locks, then he added: ”Tsukuyomi, I've already told you that you can't come and play with me. You're an Immortal of the Forces of Life, now, and you're supposed to kill people like me. Didn't you know I became a Devil?”

”A Devil? So what? You wouldn't hurt Tsukuyomi!”

The boy shook his head helplessly. ”How could I, little one?”

Tsukuyomi jumped in his arms and said: ”When are you marrying old sis, big bro?”

Her question made sadness flash in the young boy's eyes. It only lasted an instant though, and escaped little Tsukuyomi's notice.

After holding her tight, the boy made her land gently on the ground again: ”I wish you could stay this cute forever, you know?”

Tsukuyomi giggled, covering her mouth, and replied: ”Tsukuyomi will be like this forever, then! Big bro is the only one who's kind to Tsukuyomi.”

The boy suddenly seemed to be worried ”You're a Life Immortal. If your father saw me now, he would send for every ally your Clan has to get rid of me. What do you think you can do, alone?”

”But without big bro, Tsukuyomi wouldn't have anyone left!” Tsukuyomi frowned.

”What do you mean? What did you do, little one?” asked the now suspicious boy.

Little Tsukuyomi seemed to panic. She fell silent, her hands behind her back, and stared down at her feet. With her right toe, she starting drawing little circles on the ground.

***

A week before the test

”You'll live your worst nightmare in any possible form...” a voice resounded out inside Lumia's head. She had just materialized in a completely different place. She had a feeling that something was wrong though. She looked at her hands, trying to figure out what it might be, but… instead of her tiny tapered fingers, she saw feathers! She wasn't in her human form anymore; now she was a bird. She was a chaffinch that flew free in the sky under the warm rays of a golden sun.

Lumia began to get a taste for soaring through the airstreams; she pirouetted, somersaulted and dived into the wind.