The smoke thinned. What remained of the Healing Department's heart was no longer a sanctuary.
Ingrid forced herself upright, teeth clenched hard enough to draw blood. Every twitch of her broken arm sent a jagged bolt of pain ripping through her side, sharp enough to choke a cry from her throat. Even so, she refused to fall.
The instant the giant closed in, she lifted her remaining hand and cast with a desperate snap of will—
a burst of blinding light.
Lux Flaré!
“Light, erupt.”
A flare detonated in front of her with a violent flash. The giant—his fist still wrapped in fire—roared as the blast seared into his eyes. His vision washed white; his steps faltered.
In that heartbeat, Ingrid leapt backward.
The brute’s flaming fist slammed into the stone where she had stood, splitting the courtyard flagstones in a long, jagged fracture. Fire burst upward like an erupting forge, devouring everything within reach.
The tall tree behind her—once crowned with golden blossoms that perfumed the night air—went up in a single breath of flame.
What had been a garden of healing now resembled a pit of hell carved into the earth.
Behind her, the two girls who had only just recovered staggered to their feet. Breathless but determined, they pulled their wands free and cast healing spells on each other with trembling hands.
Soft green light swept across their torn skin, knitting wounds just enough to stand. They met each other’s eyes, nodded once.
A signal they had practiced hundreds of times.
Ingrid understood instantly without looking back.
She shifted her stance, swallowed her pain, and retreated toward them while raising her oak staff forward.
“Fire Bolt!”
With the support of a well-inscribed wand, even a first-year student—so long as she had trained as relentlessly as Ingrid—could unleash a Primary Troposphere attack spell without speaking a single word.
Visualization first.
Mana second. Then transmission—channeled cleanly through carved oak.
Magical weapons stored the incantations for spells within their tier, but only within their limits; the higher the weapon’s grade, the broader the range of spells it could house.
Flame gathered at the tip of Ingrid’s staff, compacting into the shape of an arrow—built for speed, not size.
The fiery bolt streaked forward and struck the giant directly across the face. His black hood ignited instantly, turning into a perfect wick; flames curled upward and spread, swallowing his head in a vicious blaze.
With no need orders, both girls behind her fired their own bolts. Shot after shot—over a dozen in moments—each one landing true.
Fire crackled violently as their target staggered under the rain of strikes. His cloak burned through, releasing the acrid stench of scorched cloth and charred flesh into the night.
This was the strength of their teamwork.
Three young healers—students often dismissed as fragile, support-only—now unleashed a barrage fierce enough to shake the courtyard.
Ingrid regrouped with the others, though the movement nearly forced a scream from her throat. Even after the group healing spell, her broken arm remained untouched—far beyond the reach of a basic area charm.
Early-stage group recovery could treat cuts, burns, and shallow wounds, easing pain and replenishing strength for a short time… but it could not mend shattered bone.
Her teammates continued their relentless assault.
More bolts. More fire. More cracks of impact.
Yet…
Ingrid narrowed her eyes.
Something was wrong.
Four other black-robed men stood watching in the distance… utterly still. Silent. Unmoving. As if observing a performance rather than a battlefield.
They made no move to help their burning comrade.
Why aren’t they reacting…?
Her jaw tightened. She glanced at her teammates—they were still shaking, still bleeding despite the healing light, still struggling to breathe after spending so much mana in rapid succession.
That single flaming fist earlier had done this much damage.
And the girls were already nearing exhaustion.
Ingrid’s heart lurched.
“Master Kael… why isn’t he here yet…?”
The answer arrived as a voice—cold, almost amused—speaking from behind her.
“Who exactly are you waiting for?”
Ingrid’s blood froze. All three girls spun around at once, eyes widening in horror.
“Ellie!!!”
Their missing teammate—the one Ingrid had sent to call for help—was dragged out of the shadows like a discarded doll.
A long blade had been driven straight through her back, the tip jutting from her chest. Blood dripped in a thin line down her uniform, pooling at her feet.
The man holding her was tall and broad-shouldered, his face hidden behind dark cloth. Only his eyes were visible—cold, razor-sharp, and merciless.
Just one look stole the breath from Ingrid’s lungs.
The figure stepped out of the darkness like a phantom and hurled Ellie’s body at their feet without the slightest hint of mercy.
A raw, piercing scream tore from Ingrid’s teammates.
Both girls dropped beside their fallen friend, tears streaming as they tried to cast healing spells with shaking hands.
The light never took. It was already too late.
Ingrid understood at once.
The three of them had grown up together, inseparable, dreaming of joining the Arcadian Army’s Healing Corps side by side.
That dream had just died.
The girl with glasses bit her lip until she tasted blood.
“Assassin…”
She looked back toward the intruders.
The moment the tall man fully stepped into view, the shadow duplicate that had been standing silently among the group dissolved into black smoke.
He had hidden inside Ellie’s shadow from the beginning.
“My fault… I was careless.”
She forced every feeling down until her whole body trembled. She had to stay conscious. Lose focus now, and all of them would die.
“Wait… it’s been ten minutes. Even without Ellie getting help, with fighting this loud, Master Kael or any remaining instructors should’ve noticed something by now.”
A chill crept into her spine. She prayed silently—
Please… please, someone…
But the thing that made her blood truly freeze happened next.
From the darkness, three more assassins stepped forward, each one an identical reflection of the first—like copies peeled off from the same shadow.
And each dragged a body behind them.
Two were instructors of the Healing Department, both Master-Troposphere healers assigned to night duty.
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But the last—Ingrid slapped a hand over her mouth.
“Master Kael…”
Her knees nearly gave out.
Master Kael—a Stratosphere-tier Priest, a veteran of the Arcadian Healing Corps, a man who had once stood on battlefields soaked with blood and corruption—lay limp in the assassin’s grasp.
One of the department’s pillars. A man whose presence alone could turn the tide of a crisis.
Now discarded at their feet… just like Ellie.
A low laugh rumbled through the ruined courtyard.
“Look at that. Your hope wasn’t worth anything.”
The giant—still burning moments ago—strode out of the dying flames without flinching. The fire from the barrage of bolts curled inward, drawn into the inferno wrapped around his fist.
His cloak had burned away entirely. As the smoke thinned, a red-and-black fighter’s uniform emerged beneath, revealing a body crisscrossed with scars.
Metal knuckles gleaming like molten copper. Hair and eyes the shade of living flame. There was no mistaking him.
Ingrid’s voice wavered.
“K–Kairos… the Flame Knuckle Brawler…”
She had suspected it during their first clash, but her mind refused to believe it until now.
Kairos: former student of Arcadia Academy. Top eight, 64th Tournament. Expelled. Vanished. And now standing before them as a traitor.
“The fire you girls throw… warm enough.”
His voice was low, but it vibrated through the courtyard.
He laughed, a cruel, taunting sound, and brought his fists together. Flames roared around him again.
“Shall we start round two?”
He bared his teeth in a savage grin.
“Enough, Kairos.”
The rasped voice that cut through the air was colder than night.
Every hair on Ingrid’s body stood on end.
The speaker was the long-robed figure who had been watching silently the entire time. He stepped forward at last, eyes glowing a vicious violet.
With a single slow gesture of his hand, the bodies of the two instructors—and of Master Kael, began to rise.
Behind Ingrid, a faint, broken scream echoed from the cold stone floor, forcing her to whip around in horror.
Ellie’s body, which only moments ago lay motionless with blood spilling from the wound in her chest, suddenly jerked as if struck by a surge of electricity.
“…No. No, no—please…”
Ingrid’s eyes widened.
The twisted grind of joints bending the wrong way echoed through the courtyard.
Ellie pushed herself up from the stone floor, palms—drained of all color—pressing down hard enough to smear blood across the ground.
“Ellie! You’re awake—can you hear me? Answer me!”
One of Ingrid’s teammates cried out, her voice breaking as she cast a healing spell in panic.
A ring of green light formed around Ellie… then shattered instantly, dismissed by a warped force no spell could mend.
Ellie lifted her head slowly.
Her eyes, once bright with warmth and hope, had dulled into a murky, corpse-like green—fogged like glass touched by corruption.
Yet at the edge of her lashes, a single trail of dried tears still clung from the moment before she died.
Fresh blood trickled from her lips. Her breathing—if it could still be called that—came out as a low, broken groan no human throat should make.
“No… this isn’t real…”
The other girl sobbed uncontrollably and reached out for her friend.
The instant her fingertips grazed Ellie’s skin, Ellie lunged forward and sank her teeth into the girl’s shoulder with a force so violent it cracked bone.
“AAAHHHHHHH!!!”
Her scream ricocheted across the courtyard, bouncing against the stone walls.
Blood sprayed as her small body thrashed. "Stop! Ellie, stop!" The remaining girl rushed in — but Ellie's arm snapped around her throat. The courtyard filled with screaming. Then with silence.
Ingrid stood frozen, trembling violently, tears rolling down her cheeks.
She wanted to cast a spell, to shout, to do anything, but her heart clenched so hard it paralyzed her hands.
“This… this is a nightmare…”
Moments later, the spasms of the two dying girls slowed. Their bodies slumped to the floor, limbs limp, eyes glassy.
Then—they began to rise.
Their eyes glowed the same sickly green as Ellie’s.
The three girls who had once grown up with her, laughed with her, trained with her—now stood in front of Ingrid as blood-soaked undead with hunger carved into their faces.
A hoarse cry broke from Ingrid’s throat.
“You… you’re a Necromancer.”
Her heart splintered. Her friends had returned—but as Undead, puppets of someone else's will.
As a healer of Luminara’s light, necromancers and the undead were her natural adversaries. Her trembling hand steadied as she tightened her grip on her staff and raised it before her.
“I’m sorry… all of you.”
“Sacred Flame.”
An Expert Troposphere-tier holy spell—one feared by all undead.
Unlike ordinary fire, Sacred Flame did not merely destroy; it purified, reducing corrupted flesh to ash so it could never rise again.
Among first-year healers, only a handful could wield it.
Ingrid was one of them.
But before the spell could unleash its full radiance, Kairos’s massive form flashed forward, impossibly fast. He slammed his burning fist straight into the spell’s forming sigil.
The explosion rattled the courtyard. Sacred light scattered into useless sparks.
Ingrid staggered back in alarm.
A few paces away, the three undead girls charged toward her with ravenous violence.
“This is bad!”
She had forgotten—this wasn’t a duel.
Her momentary resolve to grant her friends a merciful end had been read and countered. Her mistake was about to turn her into another corpse in the necromancer’s army.
Suddenly—a black streak sliced across her vision.
Something yanked her violently from the circle of undead jaws.
She almost fell, but landed softly beside the stone wall as if someone had set her down with care.
Ingrid’s breath hitched. She looked up and saw a familiar face.
“Rein!”
He raised a finger to his lips in a quiet shhh before speaking in a calm, almost casual tone.
“Sorry I’m late. Had a few things to take care of.”
Rein said it lightly, eyes already fixed on the battlefield.
“Rein—what are you doing out here? That room was much safer!”
Her voice shook. She knew Master Chloe’s high-tier ward made the dorm one of the safest places in the academy.
Rein rubbed the back of his neck, a hint of stiffness leaving his voice for the first time since he’d woken up without his memories.
“I mean… yeah, I know that ward better than anyone. But I couldn’t just sit there and let more people die.”
The five intruders still didn’t move, only watched in silence as if weighing their options. Yet all of them radiated so much mana that even Rein, who had just arrived, could feel the pressure without even activating Mana Vision.
The air around them felt heavy and turbulent, as if the whole courtyard had been pushed deep underwater.
So this is what a real magic battle feels like.
A few hours ago, he would’ve been terrified enough to turn and run.
“Wait—weren’t you amnesiac? And unable to use magic?” Ingrid stood and tried to shove him back behind her. Her duty was clear: protect the injured student.
“I’ll draw their attention. You run and get help—”
Rein ignored her completely. He stepped closer and hovered a hand gently above her broken arm.
“That arm’s in terrible shape. Looks like I’ll use Cure Wounds.”
A soft ring of light blossomed around the fracture. Bone shifted back into place with a muted click. Ingrid jerked in shock as the pain vanished instantly.
She stared at him. This was the same spell she had used to heal him a few days ago.
But how could he use it?
“This… shouldn’t be possible…”
Yes, Rein was classified as a Master-Troposphere mage, but his known specialty was Lightning Magic, not Light-affinity healing.
He couldn’t simply switch elemental paths.
Least of all into healing, which required harmony with the Light element.
And the spell’s effect… felt stronger than when she had used it. A broken arm shouldn’t heal so cleanly from basic Cure Wounds.
Rein lowered his hand and shrugged.
“Paid you back. That’s all.”
His voice was casual, but his eyes never left the five intruders.
Not for a moment.
The five intruders exchanged minute shifts of stance. Rein was no ordinary healing student—that much they understood instantly.
“Ingrid, can you still stand? From here on, just support from the back. Leave the rest to me.”
He rolled his wrist like he was warming up before a duel.
“I can fight, but—Rein, it’s just the two of us! They’re strong, and they outnumber us. We need to get help—”
“No one’s coming,” Rein said flatly.
Then he nodded toward the necromancer in the black robe.
“Right? George Romero?”
The robed man’s cloak fluttered as his eyes glowed a poisonous violet.
“My name is not that,” he rasped.
“But yes… the entire academy is being overrun by the dead. Why do you think the dead mobilized your precious healing instructors?”
He laughed—a dry, contemptuous sound.
“They’re scrambling everywhere. Including here. Classrooms, dormitories—nowhere is safe.”
“So those shadow clones slip in, kill people, then you raise them again and spread the infection across the academy,” Rein said, voice level.
But his eyes—icy blue—sharpened with a killing intent that even the undead would feel.
The necromancer grinned.
"Smart boy. By now, your academy halls are swelling with my army." He met Rein's gaze.
"By dawn, your academy belongs to the dead."
Rein muttered, “…Yeah, you’ve definitely watched too many zombie movies.”
“We need to help others!” Ingrid stepped forward, but Rein caught her wrist gently and shook his head.
“Trust me. Some areas might be bad, but most people are fine.”
He held her gaze.
“You can handle the zombies here, right? Leave the rest to me.”
Before she could answer, Rein walked straight toward the five intruders—calm, unhurried, ready.
“Well now…” the necromancer murmured. “Interesting.”
A faint blue spark flickered in Rein’s eyes.
A whisper echoed silently in his mind:
“Alright… initiate link, LIZ.”
A response bloomed within his consciousness, crisp and mechanical:
[LIZ: Connection established. Standing by.]
Rein exhaled once, steady.
“Let’s start the party.”
These entries expand the lore and mechanics introduced in this chapter.
Completely optional — read only if you enjoy diving deeper into the system
Key Characters
Ingrid (Update)
– Unofficially recognized as an Expert Troposphere Tier healer, despite being officially ranked at the Primary Troposphere Tier.
– Used Lux Flaré, Fire Bolt, and attempted Sacred Flame
– Demonstrates advanced combat awareness and tactical cooperation
– Class: Healer
– Weapon: Arcadian Oak Wand
– Notable Behavior: Performed under extreme emotional duress; deeply affected by death and reanimation of close friends
Magical Weapons
Arcadian Oak Wand
Rank: Uncommon
Type: Magical Focus (Wand)
Primary Users: Arcadia Academy Students (Year 1–2)
Spell Storage: 2 spells (default)
Description
A beginner-friendly wand crafted from Arcadian Oak—one of the most mana-stable woods in Aetheria. The wand provides consistent conduction during spellcasting and serves as the foundation for pre-inscribed spellwork among academy students.
Properties
Spell Storage System
At the tip of every Arcadian Oak Wand is a mana crystal socket, where students install a spell crystal engraved with basic rune-craft.
These runes stabilize mana circulation and serve as the “container” for pre-inscribed spells.
– Supports 2 stored spells by default
– Can be upgraded to 3, though recharge time increases
– Crystal runes ensure stable release and reduce misfire rates
Crystal Affinity Matching
Students commonly select crystals corresponding to their preferred spells.
Affinity matching boosts stability—not power—making it easier for novices to cast without failure.
Material Advantages
– High mana-resistance
– Works reliably even under duress
– Safe and ideal for low-tier offensive/defensive spells
– Excellent for first-year training and exams
Limitations
– Cannot store multi-circle or mid-tier spells
– Crystal quality greatly affects spell stability
– Overloading inscriptions risks rune drift or mana leakage
– Upgraded models require longer cooldowns and periodic rune maintenance
– Provides no spell amplification (purely a focus + storage device)
Lore
Arcadian Oak Wands are standard-issue equipment for students at Arcadia Academy. Their combination of rune-stabilized crystals and mana-friendly wood allows beginners to practice without risking dangerous miscasts.
Ingrid and her peers rely on these wands for pre-inscribed spells such as Fire Bolt and Magic Shield, often swapping crystals during practical exams or combat drills.
Hellknuckle Gauntlets
Rank: Rare
Type: Fire-Channeling Gauntlets
User: Kairos
Affinity Required: Fire
Description
Crimson steel gauntlets built to channel and ignite fire-aspected mana through physical strikes. Brutal, heavy, and made for close-quarters destruction.
Core Function
– Mana Conduction: Draws the user's fire mana into internal conduits during punches.
– Compression Ignition: Compresses the mana into high-temperature bursts that ignite on impact.
– Scaling Output: Fire intensity increases proportionally with the user's fire affinity.
– Thermal Shielding: The gauntlets' inner lining disperses most of the heat generated, preventing self-burns.
Limitations
– Very mana-hungry
– Overheat can injure the user
– Weak in soaked or anti-magic conditions
– Useless without fire mana input
Lore
Forged by the elusive smith known as the Red Warden, these gauntlets were meant for frontline brawlers who preferred fists over spellcraft. Kairos’s unusually high fire affinity allows him to unlock most of their original power.
CHARACTER SHEET
Kairos
Alias: Flame Knuckle Brawler
Affiliation: Independent Mercenary (Currently cooperating with the Intruders)
Former Status: Third-Year Student — Arcadia Academy
Age: ~25–28
Role: Frontline Berserker / Close-Range Shock Assault
Appearance
Broad-shouldered, muscular frame forged through brutal close-quarters conditioning. Wild red hair, ember-red eyes, and arms covered in burn-etched scars from repeated fire-augmentation training. Usually wears modified Arcadia combat gear reinforced with heat-resistant padding. When agitated, faint waves of heat shimmer around him—like a furnace barely held in check.
Class
Flame Brawler (Hybrid Warrior–Mage)
Elemental Affinity
Fire Affinity: Extremely High
– Immune to burns from his own magic
– Can absorb ambient fire to strengthen himself
– High resistance to heat and thermal shock
– Fire augmentation multiplies physical force dramatically
Tiers
Warrior Path: High Silver - Approaching Gold
Strength, explosive footwork, and pain tolerance at elite levels.
Mage Path: Officially Master Troposphere (Fire-only) during GMT #64
Actual magical rank is unclear but exceeds his formal record.
Equipment
Hellknuckle Gauntlets (Rare Magic Weapon)
Crimson mana-converting gauntlets that ignite explosive fire bursts with each strike. Greatly amplify his Flame Brawler techniques and allow full-body combustion without self-injury.
Combat Style
Kairos fights like a fire-fueled predator:
– Overwhelming close-range pressure
– Strikes specifically during enemy casting windows
– Targets support casters first
– Favors relentless pursuit and shock assaults
– Uses explosive bursts to break defenses
– Moves with instinctive brutality rather than refined technique
Built to break enemy lines, crush casters, and force chaotic engagements.
Personality
Brutal, arrogant, thrill-seeking. Mocks weaker opponents and treats battle like sport. Not loyal to the Intruders—cooperates only when commanded or entertained. Displays streaks of buried discipline hinting at a fallen prodigy.
Spells Codex
SACRED FLAME
Category: Offensive / Hybrid
Type: Hybrid Fire–Light Projectile / Purification Wave
Origin / Class: Temple Magic, Battle-Healer Curriculum, Arcadia Academy (Year 2)
Tier Requirement: Expert Troposphere
Elemental Requirement: Fire + Light (Hybrid)
Cost: Medium–High Mana
Casting Method: Vocal / Quiet Casting / Pre-inscribed Wand Casting
Description
A dual-element hybrid spell combining the destructive heat of fire with the purifying radiance of holy light. Sacred Flame is widely used by battle-healers and temple-trained mages because of its ability to damage physical enemies while simultaneously cleansing or disrupting undead and corruption-based entities.
Its wide frontal sweep makes it ideal for mid-range control, suppressing groups, or neutralizing shadow-aspected foes.
Mechanism
Sacred Flame forms through a dual-element magic circle, where mana is split and converted into:
Fire Aspect
– Provides the base heat and kinetic force of the spell
– Roughly 20% stronger than standard Troposphere fire spells
Light Aspect
– Adds purification and anti-undead potency
– Disrupts necrotic mana, nullifies low-tier curses
When released, both elements merge into a luminous crescent wave, sweeping forward in a shimmering arc.
Half of the spell’s strength scales directly from the user’s mana pool and affinity balance during the transmutation stage.
Range
– Frontal Arc, 10–15 ft
– Spread ~120°
– Flame height 4–6 ft
Incantation
Ignis Lux, Purifica et Exuro!
“O fire and light—cleanse, and let all be burned away!”
Limitations
– Requires precise fire–light balancing; miscast reduces both elements
– Weak effectiveness in tight interior spaces
– Countered by water barriers, anti-light wards, or strong darkness domains
Notable Users
– Ingrid, who frequently employs quiet-cast variants in melee range
– Temple clerics and hybrid-element practitioners
Related Spells
– Holy Nova (Light AoE)
– Flame of Judgement
– Sunburst Lance
– Pairs well with Magic Shield / Light of Luminara
Notes
– Though taught as a Troposphere-tier spell, its true hybrid control difficulty is closer to low Stratosphere requirements
– First demonstrated in combat during the Arcadia Academy siege
FIRE BOLT
Category: Offensive / Projectile
Tier: Primary Troposphere
Element: Fire
Mana Cost: Low
Casting Method:
– Vocal Casting
– Pre-inscribed (Arcadian Oak Wand or Basic Casting Rod)
Description:
Fire Bolt is a beginner-tier offensive spell taught to novice battle mages at Arcadia Academy.
Despite its simple structure, it is lethal when used correctly.
The spell generates a narrow, concentrated bolt of true fire, then propels it forward at high speed. Upon impact, the bolt pierces flesh like a heated spear and ignites tissue from within—causing severe internal burns.
Because of its straightforward nature and reliable damage output, Fire Bolt remains one of the most widely-used offensive spells across Aetheria.
Mechanism:
The caster begins by condensing mana into a compact, needle-like form—approximately:
– 1–2 cm in diameter
– 20–30 cm in length
–Density varies with caster skill
Once stabilized, the mana is transmuted into true fire-elemental energy.
This creates a bolt of superheated flame with defined mass and momentary structural cohesion.
When released, Fire Bolt travels at:
– ~145–200 fps (slightly slower than a standard arrow)
– Exhibits mild arc curvature due to gravity
– Breaks cohesion immediately after impact, causing internal combustion
Fire Bolt’s structure allows partial penetration of weak barriers, wooden surfaces, and light armor.
Range:
Medium Range (~30-50 ft)
Trajectory follows a slight downward arc over distance.
Incantation:
“Fulgur Ignis!”
(Strike of fire!)
Casting Time ( Arcadia Academy Standard):
Standard Casting: 2–3 seconds (mana gathering + vocal incantation)
This is the official baseline taught at Arcadia Academy for first-year students.
However, actual casting time varies noticeably based on elemental affinity and individual skill:
– Students without Fire Affinity often take longer:
~3–5 seconds
– Students with natural Fire Affinity may cast faster:
~1.5–2 seconds
This inconsistency is normal among first-years, and Fire Bolt—despite being a basic spell—commonly exposes gaps in early mana control.
– Inscribed Casting (wand/staff): 0.5–1.0 seconds
Inscribed Casting bypasses much of the mana shaping process thanks to pre-formed magic circles stored inside Arcadian Oak wands or similar catalysts. The caster only needs to inject mana and trigger the spell.
The delay makes casters vulnerable to close-range ambushes—one of the reasons Fire Bolt is primarily used at mid-range.
Combat Characteristics:
– Comparable to a high-temperature flaming arrow
– All damage is thermal (external + internal burn)
– Can kill instantly if it strikes vital organs
– Penetrates wood, cloth, leather, and weak armor
– Ignites flammable objects on contact
– Burn continues unless magically treated or suppressed
Penetration Ability:
Can pierce:
– Wooden crates
– Thin walls
– Weak magical barriers
– Leather or light armor
Cannot pierce:
– Metal armor
– Stone structures
– Reinforced Magic Shields (Troposphere-tier or higher)
(Multiple consecutive hits can still cause shield collapse.)
Limitations:
– Ineffective in rain or high-moisture environments
– Easily countered by water spells or dampening wards
– Straight-line projectile (limited tracking ability)
– Loses power if caster is fatigued or startled
– Vulnerable to being dodged by agile targets at long range
Notable Users:
– Standard spell for 1st–2nd year Arcadia Academy students
– Common across military battle-mage divisions
– Often paired with weapon-users for hybrid casting drills
Related Techniques / Spell Families:
– Frost Dagger, Arc Lightning (other basic-element projectiles)
– Fire Lance (advanced piercing fire spell)
– Inferno Ray (continuous-beam fire technique)
Notes:
– Frequently pre-inscribed in Arcadian Oak Wands for emergency defense
– Sometimes used as a “starter spell” for elemental synchronization
– Fire Bolt accuracy increases dramatically for casters with heightened perception or mana-awareness abilities
FLARE
Category: Disruption / Illumination
Tier: Cantrip / Primary Troposphere
Element: Light (Non-Divine)
Mana Cost: Very Low
Casting Method:
– Vocal Casting
– Pre-inscribed (Arcadian Oak Wand)
Description:
Flare is a simple but highly practical illumination spell designed to produce a small, instantaneous burst of intense light around the caster.
It is widely used for disorientation, escape, and close-quarters disruption, especially in dark or confined spaces.
Despite its low mana cost, the sudden flash resembles a light-grade flashbang, briefly overwhelming the vision of nearby enemies.
Because it does not require elemental affinity, Flare is taught early in Arcadia Academy’s curriculum and remains one of the most accessible spells in the caster’s toolkit.
Mechanism:
Upon casting, the user condenses a tiny amount of mana into a single point near the palm or wand-tip.
This mana is then transmuted into pure light energy and released in a burst with a fixed radius (~3-5 ft).
Key characteristics:
– Generates a flash as bright as a light-grade flashbang
– Duration of visible flash: ~0.4–1.0 seconds
– Does not create heat or physical force
– The effect comes purely from overloading the opponent’s photoreceptors
– In darkness, the disorientation effect increases dramatically
Because it is non-divine, Flare does not harm undead—but can still blind them if they rely on visual sensing.
Casting Time:
2–3 seconds (Arcadia Academy standard for first-years)
Cooldown: ~2–3 seconds
Required because the caster must re-condense mana into a stable light-burst packet.
Students typically use minimal mana, but:
If the caster pushes mana to the upper limit of the spell’s formula, the light can become 2–3× brighter, allowing temporary blinding even in semi-lit environments.
However, most novices consider this unnecessary and rarely attempt it.
Range:
Short Radius: ~3 ft (circular burst around the caster)
Orientation: omnidirectional, centered on the user
Incantation:
Lux Flaré!
“Light—erupt!”
Limitations:
– Very short effective range
– Useless in bright daylight or large open spaces
– Provides no damage, only visual disruption
– Ineffective against blind, ethereal, or magically shielded targets
– Requires a cooldown due to mana reconsolidation delay
– Does not scale well unless intentionally overcharged
Notable Users:
– Ingrid used Flare during close-quarters struggle with a towering undead in Chapter 15 to blind it long enough for escape
– Common among first-year students and city guards for emergency defense
– Frequently inscribed onto Oak Wands for safety training
Notes:
– Considered a foundational spell in illumination studies
– Often paired with movement spells (e.g., Blink, Quickstep)
– Safe for novice use due to non-damaging nature
– One of the few spells students can reliably cast even when exhausted
Classes & Entities
Flame Brawler
Classification: Hybrid Warrior–Mage (Fire-Enhanced Martial Combat)
Tier Range: Bronze to Silver to Gold
Magic Affinity: Fire (Amplification, not Projection)
Primary Role: Frontline Striker / Mana-Enhanced Melee
Class Description
Flame Brawlers specialize in close-quarters combat strengthened by fire-aspected mana.
Instead of launching spells, they channel fire into their fists, arms, and legs, turning their bodies into destructive weapons. Their combat method relies on explosive acceleration, heat reinforcement, and overwhelming melee pressure. Fire affinity massively affects their power ceiling.
Core Traits
– Fire-imbued physical strikes
– High-temperature mana compression for burst impact
– Fireproof conditioning and resistance
– Aggressive melee dominance
– Efficient combat inside flames or heated environments
Typical Abilities
– Ignition Fist: fire-augmented punch
– Burst Dash: short explosive movement
– Heat Coating: thin fire aura shielding limbs
– Mana Punch-through: disrupts unstable magic circles on impact
(Flame Brawler abilities are techniques, not formal spells.)
Affiliated Gear
– Fireproof combat attire
– Mana-conductive gauntlets
Notable Individuals
Kairos, The Flame Knuckle
Weaknesses
– No long-range magic
– Vulnerable to water, ice, and anti-magic suppression
– Dependent on close proximity
– Stamina consumption increases sharply during extended fire aura use
– Predictable when enraged
Necromancer
Classification: Forbidden Caster – Death and Undeath Magic
Tier Range: Uncertain, likely high-tier
Primary Role: Mass Reanimation / Battlefield Control / Infiltration
Magic Affinity: Death, Shadow, Negative Mana
Class Description
Necromancers manipulate death-aligned mana to animate corpses, corrupt life force, and command shadow-bound entities. Their arts are banned across most of Aetheria due to the inherent risks: corpse desecration, mana contamination, and the potential for uncontrolled undead outbreaks.
Despite this, a very small number of necromancers operate legally under strict supervision from magical institutes or royal courts. These individuals focus on academic or forensic applications—studying death mana, curses, or post-mortem anomalies—rather than battlefield use. Such cases are exceptional and highly regulated.
The majority of practicing necromancers operate outside the law, making them one of the most feared and socially condemned caster types in the world.
Core Traits
– Reanimates corpses and constructs undead units
– Manipulates shadows for infiltration and possession
– Disrupts life-based and healing spells
– Controls multiple undead simultaneously
– Thrives in death-saturated environments
Notable Techniques
– Shadow Latch: possession through shadows
– Corpse Marionette: puppet control of fresh bodies
– Unholy Pulse: disrupts healing magic within a radius
– Mass Raise Dead: large-scale reanimation of fallen combatants
Notable Individuals
Unnamed Violet-Eyed Necromancer
Weaknesses
– Requires available corpses or high death saturation
– Extremely vulnerable to Light and Divine magic
– Limited physical durability
– Cannot fully control targets with strong willpower or anti-corruption resilience
The patterns Rein has been tracing now twist in ways that refuse to fit any logic—scientific or magical.
And the Academy, for the first time, feels less like a sanctuary
and more like a testing ground.
what becomes of those who aren’t ready to face it?
See you in the next chapter.
—Re:Naissance
