SSS Rank Sword Mage: Awakening Starts with Weakest Mana Affinity

"KRRZZHHHHH-THOOM!"

The Shadow Demon unleashed a massive bomb, aimed directly at us. This was it.

"Well, it's only right to give this creature what it wants, don't you think so, child?" he rasped with a muffled cackle, flinging me towards the bomb before teleporting away, leaving me suspended in mid-air. I stared down at the massive sphere of destruction, my head bowed. I guess he'd made up his mind. Who would want a cursed child that brought this much trouble? I simply closed my eyes, accepting my fate. I couldn't fault anyone; this was just what was meant to be, I supposed. Reminiscing on my family, I realized there was so much I had wanted to do. A world of mana... well, all that wouldn't matter now.

"Astraya, Mother, Father," I whispered. "I guess this is it. The end."

Seconds before my impending doom, the pendant I wore lit up with a brilliant blue light. It charged up, then shot out a laser-like beam, but not at the bomb, the demon, adjudicator Azazel, or the knights. It was aimed at the crack in the gate that Azazel had left behind. Everything happened so fast. Even the power residing inside this pendant had left me. My skin was already feeling the harsh reality of the coming blast. I heard one of the knights, Isoldrick, say, "Are you sure this was the right decision?"

Azazel replied, "We'll find out after the child is destroyed, won't we?"

The other knight Galahad said nothing, simply staring as the bomb, now fractions of a second away, prepared to consume me. Time seemed to slow. It appeared they didn't see the blue light that had passed through the gate.

And then...

BOOOM!

Opening my eyes, all I could see was a barrier that shielded my body from the explosion. I was living at the core of the blast, witnessing the raging fire all around me. I touched the barrier. I wasn't getting burned like last time. Who had cast this barrier? My skin, which had been burnt from the initial exposure, was now completely healed.

After hearing all sorts of tremors, all I could say was that none of them held a candle to this. This was the tremor of all tremors.

"How dare you. How DARE YOU!"

The voice thundered from beyond the gate.

"Not only do you trespass into my domain, but you stain it with your filth… and lay hands upon a cub of my bloodline."

The flames disappeared, and I saw them:two colossal, blazing eyes, glaring green eyes that manifested outside the gates, hovering above everyone. These eyes acted as a projection of the being who lay within the gate. I was slowly placed down as everyone knelt, facing the massive eyes. Was this the Master beyond the gate?

This was truly the presence of a master. The eyes lit up with a bright green, causing the Shadow Demon to levitate into their line of sight. The eyes began to tear it apart. The shadow screamed violently as it felt like it was made of paper-mache, repeatedly being torn apart.

Then, the voice added, "There is not enough magic in this world forged to ever ERASE my bloodline."

"Now I will send you to your master, a broken mess."

As the shadow tried to charge up another bomb to hurl at the green eyes, its mouth hooked open, and the bomb, unable to be released, exploded in its dilapidated shape. So this was the absolute power of the master. A blue vortex-like portal opened, and the demon was cast inside. As the portal closed, the master spoke, "Tell your master… Derrick Ashborn sends him this gift"

A chill ran down my spine. Did he just say what I thought he did? Derrick Ashborn, the founding father of the Ashborn? The one who took sealing magic to the next level? It all made sense now how Azazel was able to use a Khetemu of Revelation. I was on hallowed ground. I felt a sense of pride just being in the presence of a founding father. How many "greats" would I have to call him?

It was obvious he wasn't pleased, but not with the knights. His anger was directed at only one person: the Adjudicator.

"Azazel, what is your sole purpose in this realm?" the deep, stern voice questioned. This was no longer a game. The confident man who had thrown me to my doom was now stammering under interrogation.

"Ahhnn… em… the Adjudicator, my lord," he stuttered. "I make decisions while you are away on matters of this realm and the Ashborns, my lord. Anyone outside of that is of no value."

"Good. Then why have you failed in your sole objective? Look at the child behind you. Is that not an Ashborn? What use do you offer me then?" The voice became more enraged.

I felt a sense of importance as the knights also joined in, pleading, as they, too, were unable to identify me.

Azazel pointed out that it must have been the koi pendant that affected his ability to recognize my bloodline, but the voice of the green eyes wasn't taking excuses. I felt a deep sense of pity for him. I mean, he deserved this, all of them did, but having a voice and presence like this pointing out all your mistakes must be tough.

Then the two massive knights and the Adjudicator, Azazel, turned to face me. They all bowed their heads, as if to apologize for their incompetence. It felt so good. I tried to hide my happiness, but a massive grin spread across my face. I smiled, touching the back of my head, feeling completely shy. Azazel immediately adorned me with a completely respectable outfit. "Please take this as my humblest apologies, child."

Then, with a thunderous voice, the green eyes asked for my name. "What is your name, cub?"

Cub, huh? I wondered. "Well, my name is Astraga Fula."

"Fula?" the voice repeated. "What branch is your family, cub?"

This was it. Knowing the Ashborn had a branch system, would they treat me differently knowing mine? Shit. What do I do now?

"Well, cub, what is your branch?" everyone waited, and the silence was deafening.