Absolute Soul
6. The Soul Arc

"I'm home" Haikal said when he got home, indicating he was home.

"Oh, Haikal? It's home apparently." A tanned black haired girl wearing a pink cook apron appeared from the kitchen while carrying a spatula.

"Sir Yui? What are you doing here?" Haikal was a little surprised to see the girl in his house.

"Ah, your mother called me to cook dinner for you guys" Yui smiled gently at Haikal before returning to the kitchen.

Haikal then walked towards his room to rest for a while before bathing and eating. He immediately changed his uniform to casual clothes, then put his body into a mattress shut his eyes considering his training period was quite harsh.

"Although far from expectations, at least my soul force is now reaching average," murmured Haikal smilingly opening his eyes at the ceiling of the room.

Then he got up from the bed, then did push-ups and sit-ups 50 times each. It has become routine for Haikal to train his physique, at least 50 times every day.

Haikal realized that physical training would not affect his soul power so much, but he could do nothing about his soul power.

The power of the soul itself is judged on the basis of one's soul, the deepest part of the human being. He could not train his soul as well as his physique, but Haikal often meditated in thinking it could increase his soul power. It was true that it affected his soul force, but in very little quantity.

"At least with the practice of meditation, my soul strength can increase compared to before even a little." Haikal finished his small exercises in the room, then walked towards the kitchen intending to fill the stomach.

"Oh, is he back? I didn't hear any big brother's voice at all" said a young man with a face slightly Haikal-like, but with black hair with a slight shade of white on the end.

Haikal smiled wryly at the young man's comment, "Where might you hear my voice if it's still a game."

"Hm, that's right, too," the young man nodded slowly approving of Haikal before continuing his meal.

Haikal sat on a chair joined the young man, then took the food available on the table to taste. He looked at Yui who was looking at him with a warm smile.

"What's up, Brother Yui?" Haikal was a little surprised by his attitude today.

"No, I'm just curious about your first day of school at the academy."

"Oh, I'm curious too" said the young man.

"Siran, you don't need to know. Besides, you'll be there in a year, right? Better see for yourself." Haikal responded to the young man.

Seran is the name of the young man sitting next to Haikal, his full name is Seran Aldra, the only younger brother of Haikal.

"Sweet, stingy is so much a person." Seran turned his face away from Haikal and continued eating him in silence.

Haikal himself sighed at his sister's behavior while shaking his head, then went to eat dishes while occasionally recounting his first experience attending Skymaze academy.

"Did? Your statistics aren't increasing? After training hard all this time?" Yui looks a little surprised to hear Haikal's story.

"Who said? My stats are increasing, just not so high compared to Heru." Haikal breathed a heavy sigh.

Lies if he does not envy the development of Heru. He has been training hard since elementary school, while Heru only started training when he entered middle school. He had trained harder and longer than Heru, why was their development so different?

Haikal knew he was not so talented as to become a Blazer, but he did not give up. He has his own reasons for being a Blazer, no matter the negative comments from others.

"Have you not come home yet?" Haikal asked to switch the conversation.

"Your mom said she had to be late."

"That's how it is, because your father is...." Yui stopped her sentence before it was finished.

Haikal stopped talking, Seran no longer chewed his food. An awkward atmosphere enveloped the air around them, no one let out a word.

Yui covered her mouth with both of her hands unintentionally talking about their father before making a bitter expression, "Sorry."

After that dinner went on without a sound except the taste and clang of cutlery.

***

It has been more than a week since the Skymaze academy started the new semester, Blazer candidates can put into practice all the theories that have been learned so far. At least under teacher supervision.

"Everything's gathered!" Andre called together his students.

Currently the students of class 1-A are in the training room or commonly called the Valhalla Hall by senior students and teachers.

"Today we will learn to summon the Soul Arc. You guys know how, don't you?"

The students answered Andre. Before disbanding his disciples letting them train on their own, Andre practiced summoning Soul Arc first while explaining back what soul force and Soul Arc were.

"Soul power is a power that is broadly formed from the soul, perhaps also arguably mental strength. By training this power, man can transcend the limits of his physical strength. The stronger our soul and mind, the more powerful our Soul Arc will be," explained Andre who then raised his right hand forward, "Come to me, Agnov!"

On his right palm came out a green radiance that was quite dazzling for a while. The rays then gather and form a small green-colored energy ball. The ball then changed a rifle barreled short in black shades of green that immediately grabbed Andre.

"This is my Soul Arc, Agnov's name." Andre showed his Soul Arc to his disciples.

Right, Andre is a Blazer with a Job Ranger, more precisely a Rifle Shooter. Judging from the form of his Soul Arc, it is certain, right?

After the disciples were satisfied to see it, Andre eliminated Agnov in a single blink before going back to explain, "In order to awaken or summon the Soul Arc, you must plant deep in your heart the reason you call your own soul. The stronger the purpose and determination in that reason, the stronger your Soul Arc will be."

As soon as Andre ended his explanation, the disciples immediately tried to summon his Soul Arc one by one, Haikal and Heru did not want to be left behind.

"Haikal, let's hurry up and call Soul Arc, who lost the tract that won Bu Ndari's chicken noodles ." Heru elbowed Haikal's arm vigorously.

"You're this from yesterday's Bu Ndari mulu chicken noodles. Pregnant again, huh?" The jet-black-haired youth smiled wryly in response to Heru's challenge.

"Of course only pregnant women can have cravings?" Heru's eyebrows shot up at Haikal's response before the two finally laughed together.

"Well, I accept your challenge!" Haikal smiled broadly to welcome Heru's challenge.

The two then walked away from each other and concentrated on awakening the Soul Arc.

Shortly after Haikal began to concentrate on his Soul Arc, a strange sensation lunged at him.

His senses dulled, his entire limbs also could not be felt. Haikal had wanted to stop because he felt strange, but he continued. At the same time, his consciousness was increasingly sinking like a bottomless sea.

A past bathed in sweat and tears flashed through his mind. He could hear the sounds of screaming, crying, rushing breath, roars of animals and various things he had experienced in the past. All the voices slowly disappeared, until the voice of the girl called her name.

"Goddess!"

The sound made Haikal open his eyes, awakening from the sensation of drowning into the bottomless ocean. When he opened his eyes, Haikal only found Andre, Heru, and a few disciples surrounding him.

He was confused by all of them, but soon realized that something had happened to him without him knowing.