Chapter — The Day the Hierarchy Trembled
The Stage — A Heavy Silence
The auditorium of Aokiyama University was a cathedral of glass and steel, alive with the barely contained energy of hundreds of students. Above every head hovered a flickering holographic panel—the new world's digital brand.
Destroyer: 4 Star.
Blaster: 3 Star.
Creator: 2 Star.
Luke Hanazawa stood behind the wooden podium. His own panel, visible to the entire room, remained a dull, unmoving gray: **Average: 1 Star**.
In the fourth row, his friends sat in a tense, protective line. Shuri gripped the armrest until her knuckles blanched. Liod leaned forward, eyes sweeping the crowd for threats. Marin, Uno, and Chika held their breath in unison, while Evelyn watched with a faint, enigmatic smile.
Luke adjusted the microphone. A brief squeal of feedback pierced the air before sinking into heavy silence.
"Respected faculty, teachers, and fellow students," Luke began. His voice carried no booming Aura Master resonance, yet it somehow commanded the room. "Today I stand before you feeling a profound privilege. It has been one year since the world we knew fractured and rebuilt itself into what we now call the Aura Formulation."
He scanned the sea of high-ranking panels.
"We have been sorted. Average. Blaster. Creator. Destroyer. Aura Master. We have been taught that the category of our aura and the number of stars on us define our ceiling. We are told that an 'Average' is the floor, and a 'Master' is the sky."
Luke paused. His gaze hardened.
"But I ask you: Does this new world's measurement truly define a human soul? No. The world changed its skin, but the core of power remains exactly what it was in the old world. True power is wisdom. It is knowledge. It is the simple, radical act of being a good and kind person. These categories are shadows. They do not matter."
**The Interruption — The Predator Awakes**
While Luke was Mid of his speech. A voice stud up.
"You're wrong! Aura category is *everything!*"
The shout tore the atmosphere apart. In the center of the auditorium Kael shot to his feet. His 4-Star Aura destroyer panel burned with predatory brightness.
"You stand there preaching because you're *inferior*!" Kael sneered, voice carrying to every corner. "Aura defines superiority. It defines who leads and who follows. An Average 1-Star will always preach 'kindness' because he lacks the strength to speak of *power*!"
Professor Soren rose, face flushed with anger. "Kael ! Sit down! You will not interrupt a formal address!"
"Sorry, Ma'am," Kael said, eyes locked on Luke. "But if a speech is pointless, what's the point of listening? I'm saving everyone time. If Luke can prove his words actually mean something, I'll apologize to the whole department. I'll do whatever the university demands."
Luke remained perfectly calm. He regarded Kael not with fear, but with quiet, analytical patience.
"Mr. Kael," he said. "You hold a different view, and in this forum your opposition is valid. I appreciate it. Tell me—what must I do to prove my point to you?"
Kael's grin turned vicious. "Luke, I know you. You want to keep your dignity? Then prove it in the ring. Fight me."
"No!" Professor Soren cried. "Luke, you cannot win this. It's foolishness!"
Luke stepped away from the podium. "I accept . In fact, our fight can serve as the opening event for the 'Aura Hero' stall. It'll give the festival a real boost."
**The Descent — Friends and Fears**
Luke walked down the stairs. Each step felt like a heartbeat. When he reached the floor his friends surged forward to intercept him.
"Luke, you can't win this!" Marin cried, seizing his arm. "He's 4-Star Aura destroyer.! His output is five times yours!"
"You're risking your life," Liod added, voice low and grave. "Kael isn't looking for a spar. He's looking for a victim."
Luke offered a gentle smile. "Don't worry. I've entered hundreds of dungeons during Aurafiest runs. I can give him a tough fight."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his guild equipment—the Illusioner and his Guild Identification Card which help to make him fly. He pressed them into Marin's hands.
"I won't use these. It has to be fair. No one can claim I cheated with guild power. Hold them for me."
"Luke, at least keep the defensive charms!" Marin pleaded.
"No,Marin.I'll be fine ,I have my charm which was given by you,I dont need anything else" Luke said showing the charm which was given by all of them.
**The Battle — Physics of the Pitcher**
The central floor was cleared. A shimmering kinetic barrier rose around the combatants.
"To my left: Luke — Average, 1-Star. To my right: Kael — Aura destroyer, 4-Star," the referee announced. "The match ends when one combatant runs out of aura or their Aura Band turns red."
Kael threw his head back and laughed. "This is too easy! Watch closely, everyone!"
He moved first—gathering a swirling Aura Sphere and hurling it with terrifying velocity. Luke slipped aside with fluid athletic grace; the sphere passed within an inch of his shoulder.
Luke formed his own sphere—small, pale, almost modest. He threw it.
Kael didn't bother dodging. The sphere struck his chest and dissipated with a soft *thud*.
"Oh?" Kael mocked, brushing imaginary dust from his shirt. "An Average actually hit me? Everyone saw that, right? It felt like a tickle. No—more like a massage!"
Luke didn't flinch. "You want a massage? Then take it."
He raised his hand again, forming an identical sphere. But this time his stance transformed. Leading leg lifted high, body coiled, arm whipping back in a motion that belonged on a pitcher's mound, not in a magic duel.
*SNAP.*
The sphere left his hand like a 150 km/h fastball.
*WHAM!*
It slammed into Kael's shoulder. The force spun him backward; his boots skidded across the polished floor. The laughter died in his throat.
Luke didn't pause. Another sphere. Then another. Each one struck with the brutal physicality of a thrown baseball.
"How!?" Kale roared, struggling to stay upright. "How can a 1-Star hit this hard?!"
From the stands Uno's eyes widened. "At school… Luke was our baseball team's ace pitcher. He isn't just casting. He's *pitching*."
Liod nodded slowly. "Evelyn told us release method and body mechanics matter. Luke figured out that by using a pitcher's full kinetic chain he can multiply the force of an Aura Sphere a hundredfold."
High above, Evelyn whispered to herself, "In so short a time, you grasped the true nature of your aura. Luke… you really are interesting personality."
**The Invisible Coward**
Kael was being humiliated. He fired a desperate barrage of smaller spheres. Luke dodged most, accepting only glancing hits that barely flickered his band.
"I've waited long enough!" Kael screamed. Luke slammed a sphere into the ground, raising a blinding cloud of dust.
Kael randomly throwing his aurasphere in cloud of dust.
But Suddenly Luke appeared in front of him forcing an aurasphere in his chest.
Kael slipped backward due to the force this attack was so impactful that his band turn yellow.
He was very close to the sideline.
In the chaos, a friend on the sidelines tossed him an illegal Invisibler. Kael used it and vanished.
"Marin, he's cheating!" Chika shouted.
"Equipment isn't disallowed!" Kael's disembodied voice echoed. "It's your fault if you don't have any!"
"Don't worry, Marin," Luke said calmly from inside the ring. "I can handle this."
Kael circled silently, preparing a killing blow from behind. Just as he lunged, Luke spun and fired a sphere directly at Kael's face.
Kael try from different direction to attack on Luke but fails.
Kael jerked aside at the last instant. "How!? How can you see me?!"
Kael asked his friend his he visible?
His friend shouted no.
"You're invisible to the eye, Kael," Luke replied evenly. "But your presence isn't. Your heavy footsteps. Your panicked breathing. And most of all, the overwhelming aura of pride you radiate—it's impossible to miss."
Kael flickered back into view, face twisted with rage Now he start to use unpleasent tone of words . "You rat! You should leave this college! You're just trash!"
"Then prove I'm trash," Luke said. "That's what this fight is for."
**The Reversal and the Meteor**
Back in the ring, Kael was desperate.His friend give another equipment called Runner. He activated a second illegal artifact: The Runner simulatneously with Invisibler.
Mostly it avoided to use two equipment simultaneously since it drain much aura.But Kael was deperate for winning.
"Now you can't even touch me!"
He blurred into motion, circling Luke invisible with speed.
Luke stood motionless in the center. He closed his eyes and exhaled.
"I didn't want to use this yet," he murmured, "but you've left me no choice."
He spread both arms wide.
"Aura Reversal."
Dozens of tiny aura spheres materialized in a perfect halo around him. Then they detonated outward in every direction at once—a fragmenting omnidirectional blast that saturated the entire ring.
*PING! PING! PING!*
Seeing this much powerful move all where amaze.
**Flashback — The Secret Practice**
*Three days earlier.*
Luke sat in his room speaking quietly with Auru.
"Kale will try something during speech day," Auru warned.
"I know," Luke answered. "I'll be ready."
The memory shifted to the training grounds. Luke had borrowed the keys from Evelyn.
"Auru, restrict my output to Average level," he ordered. "If I use my Aura Master power, my entire speech becomes a lie. I have to beat him as I am."
"What exactly are you planning?" Auru asked.
"Something new. Evelyn showed me another face of aura. I'm calling it… Aura Reversal."
Evelyn was amaze .
She said "Luke you did not discover new aura form but you discover new
new technique in aura form. You are totaly amazing Luke.You are one person after Auramaster Auron I want to know more."
Luke continuesly use Aura reversal.
Every sphere clipped the invisible, sprinting Kael. The double overdraw of artifacts plus the constant impacts overloaded his gear. Safety protocols triggered. Kael's invisibility and speed collapsed; he stumbled and crashed to the floor, fully visible again.
"Why… why did it stop!?" he gasped.
"Your band is flickering, Kael," Luke said quietly. "You exhausted yourself trying to be something you're not."
Kael stand up,trowing the equipment." I will defeat you rat, you are nothing against me. I am aura destroyer 4 star."
He attack Luke by his raw fist now.
Luke easily dodge them.
Luke said"Why you are not using your power now?"
Kael replied"My fist power is enough
For you"
Then I think You or I should end this battle.
He create a aurasphere trows it toward Kael.
Kael could not dodge got hit and slide far from Luke.
Luke raised both hands toward the ceiling. The air in the auditorium began to thrum. Two enormous spheres formed above his palms, merging into one radiant white sphere.
It was just the combination of two aurasphere but power full as it thrown from above.
"Aura Meteor."
He hurled it.
Kael threw up a frantic shield. The Meteor smashed straight through. The ring erupted in dust and light.
**Checkmate**
When the dust settled, Kale lay sprawled on his back, eyes blurred with dust and humiliation. Luke stood over him, his hand pointed at Kael's chest.
Luke's band glowed steady yellow
Since he loss his aura in aura metior. Kael's burned solid red.
"Checkmate, Kael," Luke said. "You lost. I've proven that skill and tactics matter more than arbitrary categories. These divisions were created for easy measurement . They are not the truth."
Kael had no words left.
Luke lowered his hand and turned toward his friends. Chika was crying with joy. Liod gave a solemn nod of respect.
Evelyn approached slowly. "You even inspired an Aura Master today, Luke."
Luke asked "What did you say Evelyn."
Eevlyn realize what she said and try to divert it and said"You inspire me too,since I am also a Average.
Luke straightened his tie, walked back to the stage, and took the microphone one final time.
"As I was saying… Aura categories are merely classifications. Our true power lies in wisdom, in knowledge, and in the courage to understand our own hearts. Because aura is born from the heart. Thank you."
The auditorium exploded into a standing ovation.
Kael who was still lying on the ground in depression ,how he loss,how a average 1 star defeated Aura destroyer 4 star.
His gang member came to pick him. But he said them leave him alone.
Luke Hanazawa had not merely given a speech. He had rewritten the unspoken laws of the university.
And this day end as remarkable day in Luke life as well as College life.
End of chapter.