'Haha...... how fortunate, that pink headed hunk is in this class along with Valiant's attendant'

The moment she locked eyes with him, Bobby Aikawa. She knew she had to know more about him.

All her life she sought to find, solve and learn the many endless mystery the whole world offered, ever since her Gift awakened one fateful night.

Thus, her journey to seek the many oddities of this world began. 

But alas, after so many decades of traveling, learning, cultivating her powers and unearthing forgotten secrets of the ancients she has grown bored. Even moreso after Ascending.

Then centuries after centuries past, her passion begins to fade. Ultimately, she retired and became a teacher for the Academy, under the alias "Lucille Diamond".

She was amused by the legends about herself, how most of it is barely true with some outrages illustrations along with some controversial myths regarding her discarded undergarment that was found during an expedition. To this day she still find it very humorous for them to treat that certain article of underwear of her's as a relic of some sorts.

After a decade of being an instructor, she was thinking of moving on to something else to amuse herself.

Until, she met him.

It's not uncommon for a small percentage of people lacking either Aura or Mana. However they would still have the core in them, even the normal non-powered people have it in them, but for them it acts more like a useless organ as it could either be dormant, sealed, some case of it failing to develop or are defective in much rarer cases.

A core is where the two elements would be stored. Those being Aura and Mana, with either will the individual cultivate, and then reshaped depending on the choice of the individual of either becoming a superhuman with the use of Aura to bolster their physical capabilities and increasing their resistance or a spellcaster wielding Mana to shape, conjure, and manipulate the essence of magic to bring forth both great destruction and construction in various forms.

But him, he didn't have any core to speak of. Her eyes that could see the very true structure of someone and something at will did not see it, not even traces of it being plundered, it's as if he never had one to begin with.

Not only him though, there is a girl who is able to use BOTH Mana and Aura, just like herself. She is interested in the brunette as well, but especially the pink head she finds more interesting at the moment, her heart began to beat at the excitement of researching him.

The encounter at the library made her feel that rush again, the rush that she use to have when she began her journey as a fledgling Sorceress. She licked her lips at the thought of him, but also feeling very anxious and quite impatient as she cannot keep track of him because he has neither Mana or Aura for her to sense and keep track of. Because of that, she needed to find a way to at least keep track of him so she doesn't waste unnecessary time just looking for him.

She had a lot of things to plan and prepare for this new project after such a long time.

After class, Bob still felt a chill on his spine after seeing her.

-Training Hall-

"This is the best you can do? im actually disappointed...." a spear user student in training gear condescendingly said to Keith, who is also wearing a similar equipment on one knee and using a training sword as a crutch.

"You've improved a lot more than i thought, Haruki...." Keith complimented as he wiped his chin. He got up and took a stance, an iaido style stance to be exact, sheathing his sword and lowering his upperbody.

Grinning with excitement, the spear user also took his own stance. Pointing his spear low and using both hands to wield his weapon.

After a brief pause, the two suddenly lunged at the same time.

Haruki had an advantage with range because of the length of his weapon, but Keith parried it in time by using his still sheathed katana like a club. He spun once while closing the distance and countered him, he unsheathed his sword once he is within the range of his blade.

However, Haruki smirked, and in a span of a moment. He spun his spear with one hand, parrying Keith's sword just barely and grabbed him by the collar of his training uniform, kicked his foot to make him lose balance then pulling closer, and finally threw him off the ring. Keith fell and felt the air knocked out of him.

The Instructor blew her whistle and declared Haruki the winner. Haruki bowed to the cheers surrounding him, mostly from girls and walked off the circle, handed his spear to his attended while also being handed a small towel to wipe the sweat off his forehead. 

Meanwhile, Bob helped Keith get up after the match. 

"You did pretty good, have you considered also learning some grappling moves though....?" Bob suggested while dusting him off.

"Well, after getting my ass handed to me by Haruki......i think i should hehe, but man he is much better than last time, i  really need to step up myself!" the teen declared while sheathing back his sword.

"That's the spirit, boyo! by the way, that Haruki fellow..... is he an old friend of your's?" Bob asked curiously while helping him remove his training armor.

Keith nodded, "yeah, we use to train under Mom together. But one day, he decided to change from the sword to the spear, since he felt he wasn't fit to be a swordsman after training for a year with us...." he informed Bob while looking at his old friend.

"I see, but to be honest..... i'd say he was decent at best, an amateur at worst" Bobby bluntly said while putting away the equipment, not realizing that Haruki was within earshot of his comment since he was walking away and happen to be near them on the way.

"What do you mean?" Keith asked in surprise at Bob's comment.

"He's good but still quite the distance away from being an actual expert to be honest" Bob added, not noticing a shadow looming over him.

".....Mind repeating that, servant.....?" a new voice said in a low growl tone, Keith turned to him and was surprised to see his old friend suddenly appear near them. Bob looked, and saw the blue haired teen named Haruki glaring at him along with his dark green haired attendant at beside him.

"Hm? the part where your good but still an amateur?" Bob casually said to him with a normal neutral tone. He stood up and it was apparent his height surpassed that of Haruki, who was unfazed by it as he is angry evident by him balling up his fist, slightly shaking in anger. 

"Can you do any better then, huh!?" he taunted with an arrogant smirk before tossing his spear to Bob, who caught it easily.

"Haruki! what are-..." Keith was about to intervene but Bob answered him first.

"Sure, i can show you a thing or two" Bob accepted much to Keith's shock, while Haruki still looked upset but eager.

"Young master, please let me teach this guy a lesson" his attendant offered, with a fierce gaze directed at Bob's lazy eyes.

"No need, Ryou.....i am more than capable of handling a clueless servant" Haruki rejected his offer, took a new spear from the nearby rack and made his way to the training circle.

"Bob! what the hell do you think you're doing!?" Keith scolded, worried for the large man, "you saw how he easily got me! he's merciless, and prideful about his skills!" he grabbed Bob by the shoulders.

"Relax, boy, i don't take on fights i know i can't win" he told him, and easily got out of the teen's hold, making his way to the training circle. Taking off his top uniform as well as his buttoned up shirt, leaving him with only an off-white tank top and revealing his well toned muscles.

"Seriously, that attendant's gonna face off against Haruki!? he's crazy man!" a random voice from the ever growing audience commented.

"Woah! that guy's pretty built!" one of the girls said outloud.

Among the crowds, Amy and Shino also decided to watch along. The blonde girl's gaze was focused at Bob, she felt irritated when she heard comments about how attractive he is, especially if its about his body from either gender. 

All of Bobby belongs to her, and her alone. 

Shino on the other hand, looked agitated. 

'You idiot! what the hell are you doing!?' Shino used Mental Convo.

'Shino?' Bob replied, and was surprised when her voice suddenly appeared in his head like last time.

'Dumbass! he's one of the main casts of this novel! a powerful future antagonist!' Shino screamed at him, her tone laced with a bit of worry.

'An antagonist huh? must be the so called rival then, but its just a friendly spar though.....his villain arc hasn't begun right?' he argued.

'Well, yeah.....but still don't go overboard! his pride is dangerous!' the brunette can only warn him, as there is no going back since the duel was has been set in stone now.

'Relax, im just showing him a move or two in this spar' Bob assured her. Then prepared himself for the duel, both he and Haruki looking at each other, awaiting the signal from the ref.

"Begin!"