We all imagine ourselves the agents of our destiny, capable of determining our own fate. But have we truly any choi when we rise? Or when we fall? Or does a force rger than ourselves bid us our dire? Is it evolution that takes us by the hand? Does sce point our way? Or is it God who intervenes, keeping us safe?

  — General Ethan O'el, the day [The Twelve] got created.

  I was ashamed.

  I always thought myself better thahers, part of it was that I was among the very few that got taught directly uhe Ameri Crusader]. A true legend of the Ameri Armed Forces... Why he robably the main reason that The Ameri United Federation still stood proud after the first war.

  Imagine my surprise when I saw him uhe scrutiny of my [Skill]...My then normal non-evolved [Skill]... I still remember the taste of blood in my mouth when the skill got shoved away by an involuntary jerk rea from [Him]. The man that would bee one of my best friends, the man that would bey teacher Jack.

  That was how the world knew him once, way before he became [More]. Ja Brighton, [The Ameri Crusader].

  Uhe effey skill though? He was a fount of power, taking in the mana in the air, purifying it in his [Core], abs it, and then expelling it bato the atmosphere where it would reace again with the normal mana, creating a rea where more mana would be created... And then taking it that mana bad repeating it all once again.

  I could even feel his skill and how the mana [Saturated] the non-powered people, allowing them to slowly make their own [Core] a proof that they could [Trigger] iure, or if not, at least pass that ce to their desdants.

  After seeing that I didn't need any other proof or study, I knew in my bohat the theory that said that a powered made new powereds was true...One only needed a [Power] like the one Jack had.

  So when my brother finished making his own core and reparing himself by going to heavily poputed [Hero] areas... When I saw him with my skill and the [Taint] in him... I panicked and followed the example Jack did in automatic, I started shoving all the mana in the area into my [Core]... Almost cracked my core doing so.

  But it helped me evolve my skill into [Unique], giving me trol over all on my [Domain]. Allowio suppress the [Taint] in my brother by awakening his own [Skill] and tying his skill and the [Taint] to our home.

  It made it impossible to allow him to live as a powered w for the gover...And it made it impossible for him to live as a normal human since everyone knew he had [Triggered].

  That was the same day I had to leave my home, for the [Taint] was too perceptible to my [Senses]. The hideous and murdere hidden in the [Core] of my own brother. It made it impossible to see him in the same light ever again.

  So I ran away... It was among the very few times I saw Jack serious in a non [Hero] reted work. The prisons no loook [Tainted] without a word, not after they started making progress in dealing with the [Taint]. The work he did with the [Magical Girls] helped it seems. I of course knew he wanted closer work with them because he liked one of those girls.

  The only other person that did almost the same as Jack's [Core], was Catheriarlight [The Stardust Explorer]. She was a mass of [Mana] in the guise of a human, not like Jack. Whose body was slowly turning more attuned with [Mana], but almost as if an ordinary human tried to shove as much mana ihem as possible.

  She was also the closest someone could get to being in the same [Tier] as Jack. So they naturally attracted each other. And so, she like Jack saw me g rivers of blood at what I had doo my brother.

  "Do you wao...[Deal] with him?" Asked Ja that cold and ruthless gre he used when we were doing the drills at the academy.

  "Don't go killing your friend's family!" Said Catherine while throwing him a pillow, breaking my tration to turn off my skill.

  In those times my skill was always on since I awoke the [Unique] grade prematurely, so I felt it...No...[I truly felt them]. They both were feeding off each other's mana and [Growing] at the same time. Jack might have not noticed but the glint in the eyes of Catheriold me enough. She [Knew] what was happening there.

  "Yeah...No, don't do anything." I said to my friend, "Just make sure they don't bother him...He 't leave our parent's home in Londinium...." That was all I could say before leaving.

  After that I only found out that a group of [Vilins] started showg trol over their [Tainted] Skills, my brother never pio me about how I had tampered with his powers. We still speak from time to time, aells me how he doesn't feel what others refer to as [The Call].

  So he is grateful for that, even if his skill is [Tainted] he doesn't suffer from it and eve quite freely...Only limited to the terrain of our parent's inal house. He ended up making it into a restaurant to make a living, and when you feel the exaent something is at the perfect temperature, your food ends quite well and liked.

  But I never could go without shoving off my [Skill]... The few times I tried to turn it on...The [Hate] inside my brother's skill was unbearable, and it felt alive...As if the [Skill] knew I was the ohat had jailed it.

  Of course, Jaever took a siep against my brother, nor did anyone on the [Hero] or [Mage] side. Both Jad Catherine made sure of that...

  They never asked anything of me either nor of my brother. That is until they married and Catheri pregnant.

  They asked me to che Catherih my skill to make sure everything was going fine since she was quite mana-dense most [Skills] didn't work on her without making people go mad. And the same was for most [Spells] sihey tried to read the mana...And she was the equivalent of a [Sun] surrounded by ants.

  Somehow my [Skill] bypassed all of it and saw directly unto the root of all. One of the coworkers of Jad Catherine called Amelia liked to theorize that my skill was affected when I [Sealed] my brother's. But either way, I was io them so I obliged.

  And while feeling as if my skill was draining me as never before I firmed it, Catherine was indeed pregnant and her daughter was growing while being nurtured by the mana siphon that was both of her parents.

  "She is growing quite well, her [Core] felt unstable so you might want to che it when she is born." That was what I told them and if I didn't know the kind of mohey were I would think it py family celebrating the pregnancy of the mother.

  After her daughter was born [Avalon] got sealed away and an information blockade was made, no [Hero] or [Magical Girl] could get in without taking a Geass...And those that did usually choose to return io never be seen again. To be ho, it felt like an overkill, but sihe daughter of Jack seemed to be borhey probably wao make sure her [Core] formed quite well in a trolled enviro.

  That was what most of us thought at least...

  So when he came to the school where I worked saying he would bring his daughter as a student...most of the faculty was quite happy. Only I saw something weird on it, perhaps it was how his [Skill] was rebuffing mihout giving anything away.

  "When we expect your daughter for her admissio?" That was what I asked, most of the other teachers and even the directave me odd g this. Who would dare to reject the daughter of [The Ameri Crusader]?

  Most of the sons and daughters of [The Twelve] didn't get revealed as such for a reason...If they had any that is.

  " Now now...I'm sure he was about to tell us that; no reason to get ourselves ahead by the excitement," said the director, Kendrick Hamilton, a man that got to that position through a series of questionable moves. Even under his skill John wasn't sure what to make of him besides thinking 'He is human'.

  "She will arrive on the first day of csses and not one moment before." Answered Jack without leaving any doubt about his iion.

  Everyone was floored and didn't know what to say at that point, besides one single woman. "So you are abusing your power already?" Agatha Moonstone, one of the teachers of the magic side of this school. And one of the many disciples of Catherine.

  "Gatty...If you want we bring Eli-Eli, but you will o be responsible if someories to do something to her before we start reinf the wards~" Said Catherine in her usual pyful tone.

  At this point, everyoiced something was amiss, after all...Why would the premier [Magical Girl] decide to reinforce their quite sturdy wards?

  "Elizabeth is [Tainted]. We have firmed this as of 10 years ago." Said with finality, Jack.

  That made everything so clear now, from the information lockdown to a certaihat occurred 10 years ago where Jack aloood against the whole world...And no one dared to say No to him.

  No one knew how to react to this. The information alohe Daughter of two of the most powerful beings on the p held a [Tainted] skill...

  Grahe discrimination wasn't as strong as before, usually only the people with skills i direct frontation with [Shadows] felt animosity towards the [Tainted]. Or people with skills like mihat could take a peek at the [Core].

  So while I rocessing and linking the dots Agatha was ughing "Serves yht!" while pointing at Catherine and ughing even harder.

  Catherine didn't seem to mind it, but Ja the other part. "[Stop]" He anded respect. "If you wish to be assigo another school say so, we will ensure you get any position anywhere in the world if you aren't fortable teag [My Daughter]. Know that if you decide to stay we will not ask for any favor doo her, nor do we wish for her path forward to be easy... I will not tolerate you all pampering Elizabeth...But at the same time, I will not ask you to go out of your way to antagonize her..." He said looking at each of us for a few seds.

  Agatha was among the very few that didn't turn her head away...I...I couldn't leave. Jaew I owed him this and more for what he did, turning his attention elsewhere and allowing [The Hydra's Fang] to thrive, allowing my brother a pce where he could find like-minded people to socialize...

  I owed him at least this much.

  "So yeah...You bully her, ignore her, and even antagonize her ?~" Said Catherine in her cheery tone, one could almost fet she eaking about her own daughter. "She is sturdy and o learn to walk on her own..." Agatha was already smiling at the prospect of that.

  So when Catheriurned from her usual cheery too a ft o made quite the trast. "But do mind, while we will not protect her from you all...We will also make sure no one protects you all from her." Her tone was icy cold, and her eyes reminded me of those stories old war veterans liked to tell.

  About how the inal [Magical Girls] were different from the ones we know nowadays... While those of today are all flowery and happy to go...The ohat arrived during the war were flying whirlwinds of death. Magical tornados full of sharp winds, water wells poisoned with curses that would make one go mad at the barracks and explode in gore...

  Most of those present made their opinion know that they would not give Elizabeth more attention than needed, most of those wouldn't o teach her anyway. Not unless she had the right set of power that is.

  "So? What is she? Powered? Mage?" Asked Agatha, lig her lips at the idea of abusing the daughter of Catherine.

  I for one wao know too, it would make preparing to react to her presender my skill easier if I knew what she was. So when Jaswered, "We don't know." It made it all more plicated.

  "You don't know? You have [The Twelve] at your fiips a direct lio [The Saintsworths]'s after that airhead brought them to this world!" Said Agatha standing up and pointing at Catherine. "And YOU DON'T KNOW?!?"

  "Hey!" Retaliated Catheri the mention of being an airhead. "Shut it! The grown-ups are talking!" But got shut up quickly enough. Catherine was weak to Agatha after that whole urgis debacle.

  "We know she is [Tainted], but we aren't sure of what aspect her [Mana] took, we weren't present while she maed her powers. And only saw the oute of that." Said Jack while walking towards the smart board they had installed a few weeks ago. He plugged a drive into it and it soon enough showed some graphics with estimated mana output and a few pictures of a blonde girl pying in an urban yard.

  "She has average mana reading most of the time, it fluctuates during the night, showing peak moments between 3:33 AM and 4:44 AM." He then moved extra graphics showing those spikes in mana. If the readings were true, that girl held the potential ter] as at the very least a D tier. Growing to a B tier at minimum at 18 years.

  "The first demonstration of her powers was at five years, or at least the first doted one, we don't have any information about her first year." Added Catherihat was...odd...

  But he didn't get enough time to think about it since Jack carried on saying "We know it is [Shadow] based sihese were found when a Vilin attacked our house while we were away." And he showed pictures of spears made out of inky dark material and a man punctured by those same spears, tied by shadowy s.

  Sure enough, the image was gruesome, if Jack hadn't stated that this was done by her daughter...He would think Catherine had used [Shadow Magic].

  Hell, he was very tempted to think that right now...But he had that face that he liked to use when something was final. "She will arrive on time, and will gh the procedure to check her [Core] and impnt the [Geass]." He said while handing out a crystal orb like the ohey used for that.

  "That is ade, it will make sure the readings are corred will share the information with the needed parts." Said Catherine while taking their own personal orb...And if his skill was right, she also took every single orb in the school.

  "Of course, Elizabeth is already uhe required [Geass] and will not be impnted with a new one...[Shadow Pact] will e and deliver ara one under one of your teachers to make sure." Finished saying Jack while walking away.

  No one said anything to that...The crystal they left here robably more valuable than the whole school...His skill was telling him that at the very least it held more mana than the whole school together.

  And so they prepared, for everything. Half the faculty made their statement that they would not deal with the girl uhe girl sought them out. The main healer said that he wouldn't even touch the girl. In his own words, if she was [Tainted] his power would react badly enough.

  In the end, when she showed up some iing things happened, and most of the students didn't seem to react adversely to her, her mana was tained quite well to most sehe faculty didn't notiything besides himself and Agatha.

  He because his skill allowed him to see her for how she truly was, and he could smell the [Taint] in her [Core]. Agatha because she knew how Catherine worked her wards, so she could peek uhem...Or so he thought, at this point, he wasn't sure if she was truly sensing something or just antagonizing the girl to spite Catherine.

  Even so...I tried to not antagohe pirl, especially after she showed the signs of both a [Trigger] and a [Awakening]. So she would o take both main csses.

  Most of the teachers took this ce to ditch the csses she would o take, but since she was a good student she mao pehose with practicals. And her dominion over her skill lendid. Almost to the point of meical even.

  So when they o make the first fight...He screwd it up.

  He had to focus his skill over the arena...To prevent injuries and foul py, so when his skill [Saw] her core. He slipped.

  Gra was on the magical side, so it was wholly uhe supervision of Agatha, but he could feel the [Darkness] in her, even if she was using aype of magid not [Shadow], her trol over the spell casting was superb... Even if Agatha wasn't praising it and just speaking about genius had it easy.

  For his sehough, her trol felt almost [Meical]. And since he couldn't see her without the feeling of beien by the [Darkness]. It was soo much [Darkness], it almost felt like the [Core] of the girl wao swallow him up, so he made an effort to ighe girl entirely, he was still paying attention of course, but his skill was ign her.

  And for that reasohe kid she was fighting against made an overkill attack, he couldn't rea time, since he thought she would reveal the [Taint]...Instead...He found a battered girl bleeding all over the pce, almost dead standing proud over a defeated enemy. And a kid whose only wound was on his pride (And manhood). He of course poured his skill over the girl and found her [Shift] on the verge of breaking. So he sent the information to Agatha and then walked away.

  He didn't want to [Feel] more than he core of the girl. At least her mastery over her own [Mana] was good, so he was hopeful that she would be the same when the fight in the arena for the powered side came.

  He was mistaken. The girl showed up in full armalia [Shadows], she reeked of [Shadows] and while the [Taint] smell was small, it was still there heless. He gave her only a cursnce over with his skill to make sure she was in trol. And his skill almost recoiled at tact, he could swear his skill reported [Something] living in the shadow of the girl. Something simir to the feeli from the [Taint] but somehow more dangerous and primal.

  But sihe girl seemed in trol enough he lifted his monit of the girl and whole focused on her oppo, the only student with a mana dense enough to not be affected by the girl. Akira.

  The fight was...iing. She was a natural at using her skill, the meical trol she showed with the spell was o be seen, and she fought more like her father, a flowing show of skill with almost no stop in her movements. And the kid was sturdy enough to retaliate at her too!

  So when she made a show of the kid...He was ashamed that he couldn't stop her in time, nor stop the kid wheried to sneak on her.

  That probably settled what side of the [Powered] world she would o live on.

  At least whatever method she had used to ge her face could prevent it from spilling on her normal life. He had more important issues at hand with that kid, since he showed evidence of tampering made by [Gods] or [Demons] so he o make sure no [Demon] had made a tract with the kid, those couldn't be allowed to go unsupervised, not on a powered.

  He would o pass the report to Zephyria... And then to Jack, he would get mad if he didn't report that a kid near his daughter had the i of the Italians...

  Why did he accept this extra job again?

  The favor Jad Catherine had doo for brother shouldn't be this expensive.