Endless grassland rolls out in every direction, vanishing into the horizon, only a faint silhouette of distant mountains breaks the skyline. This raw, open expanse feels worlds away from Japan, something Paulo recognizes instantly from textbooks: the vast Mongolian steppes come to life.
"We'll start here," Yumi announces, guiding their horse to a solitary tree standing like a sentinel in the wild. She secures the reins, then lifts Paulo down. At last, they stand eye to eye.
"I'm about to cast Cumulonimbus, a Holy-tier water spell. It summons torrential rain and unleashes devastating lightning strikes. Watch closely. Mirror my movements exactly." Her voice is sharp, focused, as she prepares to channel sacred-level magic right before her student's eyes.
So, it is this. The content of the final test. Yumi was about to use her biggest spell. If I'm capable of learning it, she will not have anything more to teach me.
"Since I'm just showing you how it's done, I'll keep the spell going for only a minute before releasing it. But here's the real challenge, you pass if you can make the rain last a full hour. Honestly, I'm on edge thinking about the risks, someone could get hurt, or worse, farmers could lose their crops." Yumi gripped her staff tightly as she laid down the stakes.
It's rain at a natural disaster level? That's quite amazing.
"I'm beginning!" she cried, arms flung wide toward the heavens.
"O great spirit of the waters! Son of the Lightning Emperor who soared beyond the clouds! Answer my call, unleash your furious blessings, reveal your might to this fleeting speck of life! Let your divine hammer crash upon the anvil of the sky, proclaim your dominion, and drown the world in a flood of power! Rain! Obliterate! Sweep it all away! Cumulonimbus!"
Each word spills out like a sacred opera, intense and soaring, a full minute of raw invocation. The moment she finishes, the air thickens. Darkness swallows the landscape. Then, silence. A heartbeat passes… and the sky erupts.
Torrential rain hammers down like a waterfall from the gods. Winds howl, tearing at our clothes as jagged bolts of purple lightning split the blackened sky, thunderclaps roaring like collapsing mountains. The storm electrifies the air, charge building, surging, until.
Krash!!
A blinding strike slams into the earth. Another tears into a nearby tree. Paulo staggers, ears ringing, vision spinning, nearly collapsing from the sheer force.
"Ah!!"
Yumi's voice cuts through the chaos, sharp, panicked. A cry of error. Then, just as suddenly, the clouds vanish. Rain halts mid-fall. Lightning winks out. Silence crashes back in.
"Uwawa…"
Yumi's face drains to green as she sprints toward the tree. Paulo follows her gaze, and freezes. Our horse lies motionless, smoke curling from its coat. Without hesitation, Yumi drops beside it, hands trembling as she chants anew.
"O merciful Mother of All, mend this creature's wounds, restore its strength and breath, EX-Healing!"
Frantic but focused, she channels mid-tier healing magic. Seconds stretch, then the horse stirs. Breath returns. Muscles relax. Every injury erased. It's alive. Whole. Saved by a single, desperate spell.
Looks like it's not dead.
Intermediate-tier healing magic can't resurrect the dead, that's a hard limit. The horse trembles, eyes wide with fear, and She goes pale, sweat beading on his brow.
"Phew… phew… that was way too close," Yumi exhales, finally relaxing now that the horse is safe.
This isn't just any animal. It's the only horse Paulo's family owns. Daiki tends to it every single day, sometimes riding it for miles with quiet joy on his face. It may not be a prized breed, but it's been his loyal partner for years, second only to his love for Satsuki. Losing it would cut deep.
Yumi knows this. She's lived with them for two years, seen how Daiki once clung to the horse's back in a daze, lost in emotion, something that shocked even Paulo.
"Please… promise you won't tell anyone?" she pleads, voice cracking, almost in tears.
She stumbles sometimes, clumsy, yes, but she pushes harder than anyone. Paulo sees her staying up late, meticulously preparing his lessons. She also knows she hates being underestimated for her youth, which is why she carries herself with quiet pride, determined to earn respect on her own terms.
I really like that appearance. If there wasn't such a large difference in age, I would like to marry her if the same gender marrying is allowed in this world, it probably is. If only we met at the same age.
Though tears glisten in her eyes, Yumi jerks her head no, slaps her own cheek to snap back into focus, and locks eyes with Paulo with fierce determination.
"Go. I'll hold Kalajav."
The horse trembles, nostrils flared, every muscle coiled to bolt, but Yumi wraps her body around its flank, grips the reins like a lifeline, refusing to let go.
Paulo doubts she can contain such raw panic, yet, inch by inch, the beast begins to settle. Holding her ground, Yumi begins to chant, low, rhythmic words that ripple through the air. In seconds, thick earthen walls surge upward, encasing them both.
In moments, a full fortress rises from the ground, advanced-tier Earth Magic, Earth Fortress. Now, even a storm's fury won't break through.
Alright, time to start. Let me think what the chant is....
"O great spirit of the waters! Son of the Lightning Emperor who soared beyond the clouds! Answer my call, unleash your furious blessings, reveal your might to this fleeting speck of life! Let your divine hammer crash upon the anvil of the sky, proclaim your dominion, and drown the world in a flood of power! Rain! Obliterate! Sweep it all away! Cumulonimbus!" Paulo roars in a single, breathless surge.
Above, the skies respond, clouds coil and converge. In that moment, Paulo grasps the truth: Cumulonimbus isn't just magic, it's precision. High in the stratosphere, invisible currents twist and clash, weaving tempests from thin air. But it's fragile. Without a steady pulse of mana fuelling the chaos, the storm falters, unravels, vanishes like mist.