On the road back to his home, more depressed than ever, HIRUKO walked slowly.

"So all that effort for nothing in the end... I didn't even last a minute in that room, I was so pathetic. I don't even know how to announce it to Tamayo and Zaruba... He told me that in three years, he would come to the champions' ceremony and fully expected to see me there. And this path... I don't know how to get outside if I'm not part of the coalition. Maybe by escaping? Nah, their artillery would kill me as soon as I set foot outside."

"Hey, soldier! Wait! Stop! HIRUKO!!!" a voice called behind him.

"Who's calling me? But... I recognize you, you were at the test site? What do you want from me now?" Hiruko said, annoyed.

"Sorry, we, as well as the examiners, were wrong about your case."

"I don't care about your apologies. You can get lost."

"I want to apologize, because my opinion wasn't the most advantageous for you, I know, but..."

"You know, I'd like to punch your smart student face with my fist."

"But I can still help you pass your tests!" cried Raum as Hiruko grabbed him by the shirt.

"Are you making fun of me now? Watch it."

"I'm talking about making you pass your tests today," Raum stated with a most confident air.

"Today, you say?"

"If you manage, of course, to do what I tell you before the allotted time, that is, before 6 p.m."

"Ahh, you want to try the old method with the jury? Come late so they're tired and let candidates pass easily?"

"Who do you take Sir Kleon for? He's capable of interrogating you for two days non-stop, I assure you."

"Hmm... Alright, spill your plan."

Just around a corner, an individual was discreetly watching them from afar.

"Come on, let's be quick. I still have the library access keys."

"The library? What are we going to do there? I'm telling you now, reading books is the last thing I'd like to do right now, after failing my test. And what about that lady watching us from afar?"

???: "Ohhh, they saw me!"

And the lady ran away, even though our two young men had already spotted her.

"You failed the test because you had trouble connecting to the ANIMA," explained Raum.

"And you, do you have one?"

"No, but in the university library's practice room, the authorities have more than twenty ANIMA prototypes available. There must be one of the same model as the test one."

"Really? You're the angel I was waiting for to free me!" Hiruko enthused, joy on his face.

"Are you going to decide to go, finally? Because we're running out of time here."

"Alright, I'll follow you, my good man. And by the way, what's your name?"

"You can call me 'RAUM'."

"Pleased to meet you, I'm HIRUKO KOSUGA."

*** ARRIVING AT THE LIBRARY 30 minutes later ***

"Here we are."

"Your library is huge! Nothing like our army school. Over there, it was much more theory and lots of huge places for war simulations with firearms."

"I understand. Anyway, we're here, here's the practice room," Raum announced after opening the door.

"Woaww! There are lots of instruments, lots of categories of STENKLINGE, but also suits! It's great!"

"Yes, and for those like me who study military technology, we can participate in creating new weapon technologies and modifying them to improve them, once we get our license after graduating."

"It's a whole other world, this mage university."

"Here, by the way, here's that ANIMA. Put it on and let's start practicing."

"Thanks, let's get to work."

But Hiruko interrupted.

"Wait! Raum, aren't we missing one thing?"

"No, don't worry, I thought of everything. Come on, start activating, time is pressing."

"But come and see instead."

"Ehh, don't tell me that..."

"Yeah, you saw it right."

HIRUKO & RAUM, in chorus: "We're missing an arcane stone!" They were more depressed than ever.

"I forgot that after practice sessions, only the mage professors are allowed to take the arcane stones for our practices, because it remains a very dangerous object in the hands of a ill-intentioned person mastering this power," admitted Raum, annoyed.

"Well then... we tried everything, and thank you. I'd better go announce my admission failure to Tamayo and start training for the next five years," Hiruko sighed, resigned.

"I'm sorry, Hiruko. Even if we looked for one on the black market, it would cost us a fortune."

"And in case of trouble, it would get us over 8 years in prison for illegal possession."

"Too bad... I have to lock this room. Good luck for the next selection, Hiruko."

"I'll come back strong."

Raum glimpsed a light behind Hiruko and called out to him.

"Hiruko?"

"What? I told you I'm not sad, everything will be fine for me."

"No, turn around!"

"What is it?"

"But!!! Lord, where did you come from?" exclaimed Hiruko, having the fright of his life, thinking it was the guards.

???: "Please, I didn't mean to scare you."

"But it's you, the girl who was following us? What do you want?" asked Raum.

"Yeah, I remember her, we saw her outside when I met you. Are you an intelligence agent?" inquired Hiruko.

The girl held out her hand to offer them an object.

HIRUKO & RAUM: "But these are arcane stones?"

???: "Yeah, I have two. I heard you say you needed some, right?"

"Back off! Don't touch them, Hiruko! For all we know, it's a trap. This girl is our age, be careful," Raum distrusted.

"But you're right. Back off, miss! I know this test went too far to ruin my life, but I won't give in," declared Hiruko.

"Hey, I'll take them back in that case."

"No, no, don't do that!!" they cried in chorus.

"Alright, we'll take them, but what's your interest in all this?" asked Raum.

"Me? Well, I want to see him find that path he so wants to take to go outside and discover it. And he's talented."

"No, but you heard me too when I was depressed? That was my moment of communication with myself, it's supposed to be confidential!"

"I know. You just thought out loud."

"Eh, damn."

"Anyway, Hiruko, I want us to seize this opportunity. It's already 11 a.m., and we have at least 4 hours before the trials close," Raum urged.

"Yeah, sometimes you have to take risks and abandon fear if you want to get a different result."

"Good answer," approved the stranger.

"So, shall we get to it? I've already installed the arcane stone in the ANIMA," announced Raum.

"Alright, I'm ready."

"Try."

"Okay."

Trying to activate the ANIMA, Hiruko felt his whole body ache and grow heavy.

"No! I don't know why I can't do it, damn it!"

"You must know that your ANIMA is there to channel your magic, and you, you should let it circulate. Magic is for us like our extended nerves. So, you must direct it first at the level of your brain, distribute it along your spine and then into your limbs," explained Raum.

"Alright, I'll try again."

And for the second time in a row, HIRUKO failed.

"But why? It's not working."

"Strange... Yet, with my detection device, I felt the power of the arcane stone coursing through your body as I told you to do."

"What if we tried activating the stone first?"

"No, that would be skipping steps."

"And you, stop watching us while eating and help us move forward instead," Hiruko said to the girl.

"Heyyy, I mind my own business! I imagine the one who isn't holding up his end here is you. Besides, I'm hungry."

"Where did you get your education? You don't snack in the practice room! Respect the heritage, and it's disgusting, a girl who isn't hygienic," Raum scolded her.

"Oh, far from it, I'm not..."

"Well, we have better things to do," Hiruko cut in.

"And use your abs instead, idiots!"

"Leave me alone, I only have six for now, because I'm focusing on my biceps and pectoral muscles."

"But yes! You haven't tried that yet! I just discovered your weakness, Hiruko!"

"What? Doing abs? You're not going to start too, Raum."

"No, far from it. I mean: until now, you were only concentrating the stone's magic in your brain. Whereas if we applied it like with the principles of martial arts... And I see that your body isn't receptive, it's rather refractory or resistant. So, try instead to apply this magic at the abdominal level."

"Alright."