Weak Class of Anti-Hero

After a moment, a sense of calm returned to me. The adrenaline from the confrontation faded, leaving behind a cold curiosity.

What exactly had happened?

I opened the academy’s interface on my terminal. Every new student had access to a basic digital library. I typed "Aura" into the search bar.

Dozens of manuals and guides appeared. I clicked on the first one: "Fundamental Principles of Aura - Year 1."

Text appeared, floating in front of me. I began to read.

Aura is the life energy that resides in every Awakened. It is the source of all abilities. The flow of Aura can be controlled and shaped to produce various effects, such as creating elements, strengthening the body, or manipulating the environment.

This was the basics, the stuff everyone learned in elementary school. I scrolled down.

Every ability has a unique Aura signature. A fire power will have a hot, expansive signature. An ice power, a cold, constricted signature. This is what scanners measure to determine a person’s rank.

I frowned. My dagger... what was its signature? Cold? No. Hot? Definitely not. It had nothing. It was empty.

I kept reading, looking for something about power nullification.

Defensive abilities work by countering with an equal or greater Aura. A wind barrier can stop a fireball if its Aura is dense enough. An energy shield can block a physical impact...

The text went on, but nothing matched what my dagger had done. It hadn’t "countered" a force. It had "absorbed" the big guy’s strength. It had erased it.