—Wait here. The lady will arrive soon —Gonzo said before leaving in silence.
—Hah, a teacher who’s late… that’s not something you see every day —Albert scoffed with irony.
Mason crossed his arms.
—Guys, did you practice your Koa at home?
Layla nodded.
—Yes, a little.
—Same here —Edward added—. I wanted to be ready in case I ran into those paper creatures again.
Sarah sighed, smiling wearily.
—I barely had time. You know… my little girl.
—I trained as soon as I got home. I only rested enough to stay awake, then kept going until sleep took me —confessed Yulian. His eyes shone with unusual determination.
—And you, Damien? —Mason asked.
—Me? Nothing. I got home, ate, slept. Gotta take advantage of the vacation —he replied, carefree.
Yulian frowned.
—I thought you were the most interested in learning about Koa.
Tension rose until a soft voice cut through.
—Good morning, children. I’m Yianiss, Yu-Han’s wife.
She was a woman with graying hair and a serene face. Her gaze radiated quiet authority.
After formal greetings, Yianiss spoke firmly:
—Listen well. Every human is linked, deep inside, to a legendary figure. That bond may awaken as Koa Legend. It is different for each person.
—And how do you awaken it? —Yulian asked, intrigued.
—In environments of extranormality, when body and mind achieve harmony, the Guardian may manifest. Observe.
She closed her eyes. Her aura emerged like living mist, rising until it stood above her:
—This is my Guardian… Bhishmá.
The group held its breath before the majestic figure.
Damien scratched his neck.
—Well… that looked complicated.
Yulian calmly closed his eyes and let his aura flow. A small but sharp headache struck him, yet within seconds he conjured an ethereal sage.
—Socrates… that is your Guardian —Yianiss said, surprised he could do it without even receiving instructions.
—Wow, Yulian makes it look so easy —Sarah murmured.
—A sage for a genius… typical —Damien joked.
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The teacher instructed:
—The rest of you, first focus on your Koa Nature. Try to pierce a rock with precision, not brute force. Once you master that, you can find your Guardian.
What followed was no magical epiphany; it was pure exhaustion. What seemed like a simple task stretched on for hours. Under Master Yianiss’s expressionless gaze, the youths pushed their minds and bodies to the brink, until one by one, they managed to manifest figures of myth that seemed to tear themselves from the deepest reaches of their souls. It was a conquest—a hard-won prize for their effort.
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Edward → Medusa.
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Sarah → Arthur Pendragon.
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Layla → Boudica.
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Albert → Samson.
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Mason → Goranchacha, the indigenous preacher.
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Damien → Lancelot du Lac.
—Lancelot and Arthur... mmm interesting —Yulian murmured.
Yianiss smiled with satisfaction.
—Good. You’ve taken the first step. But the hard part begins now.
The air grew tense as the teacher spoke:
—From now on, your task will be to strike me. If even one of you succeeds, you all pass.
Layla raised her eyebrows.
—Don’t you think you’re exaggerating?
—If you trust so much in Yulian or in your Guardians, prove it. Fight.
Bhishmá’s aura unfolded, majestic. The young ones, nervous, clumsily summoned their Guardians.
—The plan is simple: attack from different angles. She won’t be able to block them all —Mason proposed.
Damien clicked his tongue.
—You say that like it’s easy…
Sarah swallowed hard.
—She scares me, even if she looks so sweet.
—Ready? —asked Yianiss, raising an ethereal bow.
—Let’s go already! —shouted Albert, charging forward.
—Rain of Hearts.
A single pink arrow multiplied into hundreds, then into thousands, filling the sky with projectiles.
—They’re coming from everywhere! —Layla cried, trying to deflect them with her spear. She fell after several hits.
Sarah raised Arthur, forming a radiant sword, but could only cover herself before being struck on the forehead.
Albert tried relying on brute strength.
—I’m Samson, damn it! —he roared, but was pierced by dozens of arrows.
—This can’t be! —Edward cried before Medusa crumbled under the rain of projectiles.
Only Mason, Yulian, and Damien remained standing.
Mason released his Koa as in the battle against the paper beings.
—Catch me if you can!
The arrows pierced his defense mercilessly. Mason collapsed to his knees, dizzy.
Yulian attempted to use Socrates’ wisdom to devise a way to win, but the arrows were faster. He held out slightly longer than the others, but eventually, the projectiles found their mark, bringing him down.
Damien was the last one. He barely dodged, without striking once.
—Well, Damien? —Yianiss asked, intensifying the storm of arrows—. If you don’t hit me, your friends will keep taking damage.
—That’s not fair! They’re already out of combat!
—Life isn’t fair.
Damien roared, manifesting his Guardian. A shield and sword gleamed in his hands. He advanced through the storm of projectiles, deflecting and blocking as best he could.
—Come on, Lancelot! —he shouted.
But his inexperience betrayed his defense. The shield shattered, and several arrows pierced him before he could reach the master. He tried to stay upright through sheer force of will... but finally, his body gave out, and he too collapsed
Yianiss lowered the bow, satisfied.
—That’s enough for today. You didn’t pass… but you surprised me. With more control, you’ll soon succeed.
The youths, exhausted, listened carefully as the teacher revealed the power classification:
Ordinary humans: Deca class.
Initiate thaumaturges: Kilo class.
Above them: Mega, Giga, Tera… up to Peta.
Few ever rise beyond that.
—Gonzo and I are Tera class —she added calmly—. My husband, Yu-Han, is Peta.
The difference was overwhelming.
Damien clenched his teeth. We never had a chance… we were rabbits against a wolf.
"No, you were dust against a mountain," Master Yianiss smiled.
At the end, some left to their duties. Sarah to her daughter, Edward to his date, Mason and Layla to their classes.
Yulian and Damien stayed in the library. The first devoured books with hunger for knowledge. The second, exhausted, fell asleep over his own.
Yulian looked at him, smiling.
—Heh… even if you deny it, today you gave it your all. That’s what I want from you, my friend.
Yulian kept reading until sleep claimed him too, convinced he must become the shield his friend needs.