SSS Rank Sword Mage: Awakening Starts with Weakest Mana Affinity

Then another shell cracked. Then another. The soft cracks filled the cave.

Crack. Pop. Splash. Wiggle.

One by one, the eggs gave way, spilling out wriggling fry. Their movements stirred the water into ripples; the glow of their tiny bodies cast beautiful, shifting patterns.

I counted, almost mechanically.

Two. Five. Ten. Twelve. Fifteen…

By the end, twenty-three koi fry swam in the small pond, darting in little bursts of energy. Their scales weren't the brilliant colors of grown koi yet; instead, they shimmered faintly with a silvery translucence.

Morad gave a slow laugh, though it was strained. "Look at them… they made it."

"They're… beautiful," I admitted, my eyes wide. It felt strange to whisper that word, but there was no denying it. The cycle of life was indeed one of the most beautiful things nature had to offer.

For a brief moment, joy filled the cave. Weeks of waiting, along with training, and a genuine hint of uncertainty all of it had led to this moment.

But the weight in my chest quickly returned. I looked down at the pond, at Morad's dim glow beneath the surface. The water level was still low. I could refill it every day, but that wouldn't affect the fish; they would survive. The issue was that the pond had become Morad's embodiment of consciousness in this living world.

"Morad," I said quietly. "It has to be now. If we wait, you won't have the strength left to try." This was my deduction, as it was apparent he couldn't absorb mana anymore, and fusing required it.

Silence stretched: "…I know." Morad wasn't really sure what would happen. He had tried fusing with the adult fish and almost killed them in the process. What would happen to these tiny koi?

The koi fry swirled together in the mating pond, clinging to each other, as though sensing the tension. Their movements pressed against one another in little shoals.

I swallowed hard. "Do you… do you feel ready?"

Morad's voice was determined. "I'm ready. The moment I notice any slight discomfort, I'm leaving their bodies immediately."

My throat tightened. "All we can do is hope it's not boring."

Morad gave a weak chuckle. "You sound more like me every day."

"Shut up," I muttered, though my lips twitched.

"Brother," Morad said out of nowhere, "thank you. Thank you for trying…"

"Anything for a brother, haha." This was indeed the first time I felt I had a brother.

It was time to begin. Morad's energy moved from the main pond to the mating pond. I could feel him gathering what little mana remained.

"Which one? So many to choose from," he said, counting about fifteen koi fry.

"I don't know," I admitted. "It will have to be instinct. Simply trust your gut. One of them could be the perfect host for you. The others… may not."

"I see," he admitted, a rough laugh in his tone.

As one of the koi fry swam in my direction.

"What about that one. It did come towards you, if that's not a sign, then I don't know what is."

My heart pounded. The moment had come.

The pond rippled as his mana gathered. I could feel it thin, fragile, like the last flame clinging to a candle wick. The fry darted suddenly, startled, as his essence reached for it.

"Easy, Morad," I said, palms pressed against the stone.

His presence brushed against the koi, tentative at first. The fry twitched, then darted aside, slipping from his reach.

"Missed…" his voice held frustration. The koi fry had to feel an attraction to his presence without any initial strain on contact. He tried again, latching onto another nearby fry. The fry darted away unharmed. This became a repeated pattern.

Again. Failed.

Again. Failed.

Every attempt cost him mana, as he didn't want to take over by force. This careful act consequently made him weaker, his voice raspier.

"I can't… they keep avoiding or rejecting me. Maybe we should just accept and stop this."

"Don't stop!" I urged. My own chest ached as if I was losing air. "Try again, Morad!"

He gathered himself once more and lunged at the orange silvery translucent -finned fry. This time, his presence stuck, but he also unintentionally used more force than necessary. I could feel his essence aggressively clinging. No, this isn't good. At this rate...

The fry convulsed. Its silver glow flickered wildly. The fragile vessel couldn't hold the weight pressing into it.

"I… I'm inside," Morad gasped. "But—Astraga—it's—ahh! I can't get out—I feel trapped!"

The koi's body spasmed harder, tiny fins thrashing desperately against the surface. My hands plunged into the pond before I even thought. Try and get out, Morad, please!

I caught it in my palms, the fragile life quivering violently in my grip.

"Morad! Pull back! You'll die!"

"I can't!" His voice was frantic. "I'm trying! I think I'm too weak. I'm trapped, brother—"

The fry gave one last violent shudder. Then… stillness.

"No… no, no, no!" My throat tightened as the small body lay lifeless in my hands.

I called out, "MORAD, hello, can you hear me? MORAD!"

Nothing. Silence.

Morad's voice was gone.

I stared at the tiny fish, tears pricking at my eyes. This wasn't just some mana beast attempt. It was a death. My stomach twisted in grief and guilt.

"Morad…" My voice cracked again. "It's all my fault, i'm an idiot. Why did I put you in this situation? The fish weren't ready, but I should have waited!" The fry had developed strong resistance, and that was the problem it had enough resistance to trap a weakened Morad. I made a coffin for my brother.

I laid the koi fry gently on a flat stone. My hands shook as I pressed them over its small body. Clenching my fist.

"I won't accept this," I whispered fiercely. "Not like this."

In a fruitless attempt, I decided: if he lacked mana, why not give him mine? Yes, this would solve it. I desperately poured my mana into the fry slowly at first, then faster, even more desperate. My mana just wasn't refined enough to do this. I didn't even know what I was doing; I was completely hopeless. Nothing. Not even a twitch came from the fry.

My vision blurred. I was pouring all my mana. "Come on. Come on, damn it!"

Then, in a blur, I ran out of mana. This made me faint, and I wasn't able to hold my stance anymore. The only place I was heading was down towards the ground. I guess this was it.

Thrum.

Thrum.

Thrum.

My eyes began to close; I was already weak.

But then… before I passed out, I caught a glimpse.

The light was bright, no, brighter it burst forth in a radiant flare that swallowed my vision. Gold and orange shimmered in the blaze, patterns etching themselves across scales that lengthened, stretched, and thickened.

When the light cleared, the small fry was gone.

In its place floated a koi far larger than it had any right to be. Its scales glistened in vibrant streaks of gold and deep orange, patterns flowing like molten rivers across its body. Its fins fanned out gracefully, no longer fragile threads but broad and powerful.

And above it, suspended as if the air itself had become water, hovered a familiar presence.

"Hello, brother."

The voice was unmistakably Morad's.

That was the last thing I heard before the world went dark.

THUD