Omens of Supremacy and the Twin Serpent Dragon
Rel Carhan had been feeling increasingly uneasy about something off-kilter. Kalligo was nowhere to be seen. At first, he hadn't shown up at the training grounds, then he vanished from the club room as well. In fact, over the past few days, he'd skipped lectures twice already. Unlike other students, Kalligo wasn't just any ordinary kid. He was the Third Prince of the Empire. Some might envy that position, but to him, it was nothing but shackles. He had to live every day under the watch of invisible eyes and ears, treading carefully hour by hour. Rel knew full well that this sudden behavior from Kalligo was absolutely not a good sign.
Initially, he'd brushed it off as some Empire matter and pretended not to notice. But now that things had escalated, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He hadn't heard any rumors of trouble within the Empire itself. If there had been an issue, his homeland would have discreetly passed the information to him. 'Could it be because of that incident?'
Right now, it wasn't the Empire that was stirring trouble—it was the other side. The Ability Supremacists. They were showing signs of resurgence. A few months ago, they'd raided the Continental Academy and dealt a significant blow. They'd lost substantial forces in return, but they'd achieved something far greater strategically: making their presence unmistakably known to all ability users.
An ideology dies the moment it's forgotten. No matter how brilliant the logic, if no one cares, it's a failure. Even the most absurd argument succeeds if people buy into it. That's why philosophers tirelessly expound and prove their ideas. The Ability Supremacists were no different. They had to keep hammering home to ability users that they were the only ones qualified to rule this world. Simple denial that they were wrong wasn't a problem—it meant those dissenters could eventually be persuaded. But being forgotten? That made conversion impossible. That's why they'd chosen the Academy raid this time.
[Ability Supremacist forces rapidly expanding.]
[Phoenix family head Akin Phoenix and Sparrow family master Jecob Sparrow's retirement. Immediately after, public opinion surges calling for checks on the Empire and Kingdom's two families, plus strong restrictions on ability users—appears to be one key factor.]
Pressuring ability users too hard does no good. They're human, after all. But there are far more non-ability users in this world than ability users. The anxiety they feel is beyond imagination. They fear the day when ability users stop being reliable friends and allies, becoming instead overlords and oppressors. If only the common folk felt this way, it might be manageable—but when even those in power think the same, that's the real crisis.
The Supremacists' stirring was like pouring oil on that fire. Sure, other ability users opposed Supremacy, but to ordinary people, all they saw was ability users shouting Supremacist rhetoric and threatening them. Bad impressions stick harder than good ones; fear lingers longer than familiarity. The silent majority gets drowned out by the loud minority's forceful opinions. In this atmosphere, those fearful few started demanding even harsher crackdowns on ability users.
'Doesn't matter if it's the minority or majority view. What counts is how provocative it is, how dangerous, and how much conspiracy-mongering it can spawn.' Rel had seen that danger firsthand back in his homeland, the Republic. Absurd claims still ensnared people completely. They'd spread them as gospel, infecting others with terror. The masses are hypersensitive to fear. They hate any change to their lives. So they label the cause as the enemy and lash out—even if it's the very ones who've protected them, yielded to them, and maintained order all this while.
"Rel. There you are."
He turned to see a third-year senior—specifically, someone from the Southern Republic who'd enrolled before him. In public, they were just senior and junior. But away from prying eyes, per his father's orders, this man passed on homeland intel to keep him informed.
"Latest news."
"Thank you."
"And one more thing."
If it was being relayed verbally instead of via note, it meant one thing: direct orders from above to convey it in person. A sign of its urgency and importance.
"They're asking again if your country has no intentions."
"...Looks like the info here is pretty dangerous news."
"Confirm it, decide, then let me know."
As the senior departed, Rel carefully unfolded the note he'd handed over.
"...".
He checked the contents over and over, then let out a deep sigh. No surprise there—the worries he'd harbored were laid out plain as day.
[Anxiety toward ability users rising across nations. Excessive rumors and misinformation proliferating.]
[In reaction, ability users' distrust of society and common folk surging. Numbers falling into Supremacy steadily increasing.]
Bad enough already, but what followed hinted at something even more horrific.
[Ability Supremacists may declare all-out war on non-ability users.]
Three days passed as promised, and the day of reckoning arrived. Abel had arrived early at the training grounds, lightly loosening up. From the power balance so far, his overwhelming victory was all but assured—but he never let his guard down. That was an ironclad rule, ability or no ability.
"Hey, Abel!"
A confident voice boomed from the entrance moments later.
"Behold, we have arrived!"
"Just gotta ask outta curiosity—are you really Empire nobility?"
"What kinda noble doesn't proclaim like this with flair?"
Sigh. Kingdom yokels with zero ambition, anyway.
Bickering.
Are all Empire nobles total nutjobs?
More bickering.
Portus always starting something. Flam insisting it was unfair. Same old positions, unchanging. What steadfast friends.
Abel couldn't hold back a laugh.
"So. How'd the three days go?"
"Huh?"
"Not at all."
"...".
Saying it so boldly without a shred of doubt—maybe that was a talent in itself. At least they hadn't begged for more time; showing up like this meant confidence.
"No need to wait. Let's start."
"Music to my ears. Bring it."
"Not sure if this is even smart anymore. Eh, whatever."
What the hell had they prepared to act like that? As Abel narrowed his eyes, Flam and Portus unveiled the insights and results from their days of training.
A massive blazing flame on the left took the shape of a red serpent. On the right, a huge wave rose into a blue serpent. Up to there, it looked like they'd prepped something flashy and impressive. Even Abel couldn't hide his ooh! excitement.
"...What the."
But it took just five seconds for even Abel to falter. He stepped back, batting away the red serpent charging head-on. He'd expected the remaining blue one to flank or hit from behind—but no. As the red retreated, the blue seized its spot. He swept away the blue, only for the red to lunge again like it wanted to devour him.
Were they trying to wear down his stamina strategically? Yeah, probably. At first, it was alternating hits, but now it was a chaotic barrage without order. Hammer one spot relentlessly, create an opening at the end, and slip through...?
"Hey! Stick to the order! We agreed to take turns!"
"Idiot. When did we ever say we'd strictly alternate?"
"Well, still... Fine! Do whatever!"
What were they even trying to do? Abel tilted his head, blocking the two serpents. Red once. Blue once. Blue again. Red once. No special pattern. Each hit packed weight, but nothing he couldn't handle. He wondered if they were aiming for something else, but nothing stood out. Just focus ahead.
It was supposed to be a joint attack he'd suggested. A harmony of powers. Were they seriously calling alternating strikes a joint attack? No way that was it. Right?
As Abel clicked his tongue in disappointment—
'...Huh?'
Did he just see wrong? Blocking another serpent, Abel pondered. It had been a red serpent attack, but for a split second, a blue one had followed seamlessly. Come to think of it, the delay between switches had shrunk lately. He'd chalked it up to a blitz strategy at first...
"Flam! Ready?"
"Already on it!"
The unrelenting flame and wave. But united toward one goal. Enemy and ally twisted into a helix, gradually merging. They still didn't blend, flaunting their own momentum and hue—but their power achieved perfect harmony.
Pyrokinesis + Hydrokinesis: Twin Serpent Dragon
Kwaaaaah!! Half flame, half wave—a single dragon materialized before Abel. Its roar, proclaiming this was different from before, drew laughter from him naturally.
So it could be done this way. Even if incompatible. Even polar opposites. We can forge a power beyond imagination together!
Fsssh! Abel's sword charred pitch-black. No blocking that normally. They'd woven a flawless offense; matching it with equal force was right. Venting some absorbed power from before, Abel leaped toward the dragon.