Those three were able to hear the footsteps of the man, but their instinct told them not to turn. That man walked near Axarcus and stood beside him. His skin was caramel, but the colour was very pale, like blood didn't flow in his body. His black hair was untidy and wavy, and his eyes were tired; his face was completely expressionless.
He wore black clothes and a thin, wide-ended trench coat over it. His coat was very different; many grey lines were in random ways, and the border line of the coat was golden with some inscriptions written on it. By the look of those inscriptions, Kai knew that it was Old Norse.
'His skin is so pale, and his eyes...carry no emotion, completely dead...' Is he a zombie...?' Kai thought.
"Let me introduce you three to your teacher." Axarcus placed his hand on the man's shoulder. "His name is Shi. You can call him 'Shi-sensei'."
Shi was staring at Kai, Kanhatsu, and Caihong, but his eyes were mainly fixed on Kai. Kai was feeling like he'd be crushed by pressure solely created by Shi's gaze.
"Axarcus, are you sure that they're the right students?"
"Yes."
"Show me their permit cards."
Axarcus gave three red permit cards to Shi. Shi checked those cards and tossed them back to the three.
"Follow me." Said Shi very coldly. His voice too didn't carry any emotion.
Kai got a glimpse of Mr Axarcus's face before exiting the room; he looked...worried? Shi was walking through the corridors while the three were walking behind him.
"Shi-sensei, where are you taking us?" Asked Caihong.
"To the centre of the academy. Where the empty ground is. It's mostly used for duels."
"Shi-sensei, we arrived here not so long ago. Just some hours back. Don't you think we should rest first?" Kai suggested his point. Shi turned his face a little so his eyes could see Kai. "No...I think we should go to the ground first..." Kai was scared; Shi was giving out a very strange vibe, and his survival instinct was screaming not to go against Shi.
"Do you people know about Aether?" Asked Shi to them.
"Yes. Aether is the energy that flows through everything." Said Kai.
"Aether only flows through earth and is later absorbed by everything." Shi corrected Kai.
"Aether are of various types, each representing different forces of nature." Added Caihong. Despite the strange presence of Shi, he was energetic and cheerful.
It was hard to tell if Shi was pleased or not from his face. He out of nowhere took out a small cylindrical container from his coat pocket and ate some pills which looked like some sort of medicine.
"Do any of you three know about Arcanis?" Again questioned Shi.
Kai had never in his life heard the term 'arcanis' before today. But Caihong's eagerness to answer clearly showed that the term was not new for him.
"When emotions mix with aether, it creates a completely new and unique energy – arcanis."
"Yes. Arcanis is very unique, and mostly different people have different arcanis...if the person knows how to use it. Not everyone can use it easily; it needs practice and mastery." Shi said.
After walking for, like, thirty minutes, they finally reached a big door. Shi pushed it open; there was a large ground. There was no roof above the ground, and the ground didn't have grass or dirt but stone slabs with something written on them in a strange language.
"Heart is the main source of aether and arcanis. The heart absorbs the ether from earth, and the heart is the place where ether turns into arcanis if the person is capable of doing so." Shi turned around and pointed towards Kai's chest. "And that's why the heart is the most important organ for beings like us. The heart is the thing that binds our soul with our body."
"But not everyone can use aether. That's why those who can use aether are called 'blessed beings', which are far less than normal human beings. Right, Sensei? " Asked Kanhatsu.
Shi stared at her for a minute and then said, "Yes."
"And normal humans call it 'magic'." Caihong added.
Kai, for whom this all was new (except the 'blessed beings' concept), felt quite dumb there. 'No-one asked why Mr Axarcus called us a special case, though. Should I ask? '...', he thought. But before he could do anything,
"So, sensei, why did you bring us here on the ground?" Asked Caihong.
Shi interlocked his fingers and cracked his joints. "What do you think? Why would I bring you three to a duelling ground?" He exhaled, and white mist flew out from his mouth even though the temperature inside the academy was warmer than outside. "I'll be seeing how capable you three are. Come, fight me. You three, me alone."