Book 4 - Schemer of the Scalding Sands: Chapter 37; The Magic Dispelled

The screen turns on as the next chapter title plays "Chapter 37; The Magic Dispelled".

Back in the real world, in the Scarabia dorm lounge which is back to normal now, Jamil shoots up before putting a hand to his head and asking "Ngh… Where am I?"

Azul crosses his arms and smiles as he says "Oh, good. You've regained your senses."

Grim is also whining "Mrah… That monster's gonna be hauntin' me in my dreams."

Kalim is crying and he shouts "J…Hahbeel… WAAAAAAAH!" Before running up to Jamil and hugging him.

Floyd comments "Somebody get Sea Otter a tissue already~ Guy's equal parts snot and regret." Jade adds on "I suspect that talk about punching him has gone out the window as well."

Kalim is hugging Jamil as he cries "I-I'm so glad you're alive… Sho glad.."

But Jamil frowns and doesn't hug him back but does pat Kalim's back while asking him "Must you always be so dramatic?" before sighing.

Kalim cries saying "I…I never knew how miserable you were all this time. A-all this time…" he then sniffles before continuing "I never knew" then a hiccup "just how much I put you through…"

Azul pushes his glasses up as he says "Which led to this spectacular betrayal." Floyd adds on "Yuuup~ Sea Snake's been mocking Sea Otter beneath his breath for pretty much their whole lives!"

Grim rolls his eyes as he complains "Geez, and you guys say I'M blunt."

Kalim stutters out "Y-yes, you're…kind of a jerk. But you're still the guy who's helped me all my life."

Jamil seems shocked, almost, "Kalim…"

Kalim stops the tears before telling Jamil "So let's just stop. We can stop holding back on account of our social status."

Jamil is now confused as he asks "...Uh, what?"

Kalim further empathizes "Starting today, we can be rivals that compete in earnest for the spot of number one. I want us to be equals… and I want us to be friends, Jamil." Jamil seems to think for a second "Equals? And friends?"

Jamil then chuckles and asks "Why am I not surprised that's what you got out of this, Kalim?" Jamil then tells him "Then let me say this as one equal to another…"

He then pushes Kalim off of him and shouts at him "NOT! ON! YOUR! LIFE!"

This shocks Kalim and he asks "Uh?" Even Grim is surprised and shouts "The heck?!"

Jamil then goes off on him again "You thoughtless, sloppy, idiotic, clumsy, ludicrously oblivious, arrogant, indelicate, pampered little rich boy! Who in their right mind would ever voluntarily be your friend?! What's in it for me now?! Nothing! And that's what I want – nothing to do with you!"

Kalim seems to nearly start crying again as he exclaims "Wh… Whaaat?! How can you say that?!"

Grim is also shocked and says "Yeesh. He must be feelin' better, 'cause he sure ain't pullin' any punches."

Yuu scowls and glares at him before rolling her eyes and saying "This is his real personality? He really is a wolf in sheep's clothing." But Azul shrugs and tells her "And what's wrong with that? I like the authentic Jamil much more, as a matter of fact."

Jamil shivers and tells Azul "Ugh. Your ingratiating smile is grossing me out."

Azul then pushes up his glasses as he informs Jamil "I'll admit, I've been curious about you ever since we were freshmen." Jamil is disinterested and rolls his eyes while saying "You don't say…"

Azul explains "You did a bit too good of a job avoiding the spotlight. It backfired and piqued my interest. See, you never got any outstanding marks, whether in the classroom or in practical studies. But at the same time… You never got a negative mark in any class. Ever. It came across like you were maintaining a consistent five out of ten across the board. There was no way it could be unintentional. I've always had an inkling there was more to it. And it finally clicked for me when I heard Yuu and Grim's story."

Jade then adds on "That makes sense. Azul is close to the top of his whole class year in Potionology… But you'd find his marks in Flight class closer to the bottom of the charts." Grim then comments "That's kinda extreme in its own way, y'know."

Azul then further said "My suspicions were confirmed when I joined you for that Mancala game the other night. You maintained a perfectly balanced win/loss ratio to keep from throwing Floyd into a rage."

Floyd seemed genuinely interested and asked "Whoa!~ For real? You can do that?"

Azul then explains to Floyd, but also to those unaware "If you throw too much, it becomes obvious. And if you win too much, it sours the opponent's mood. There's an art to feigning defeat. You have to tune it just right. It requires considerable skill and mental fortitude to pull off."

Grim then complains to Azul "Meanwhile, you wiped the floor with me and didn't even try to go easy, Azul!" but is ignored.

Azul chuckled and told Jamil "I knew I had you sussed, Jamil. Your true capabilities are nothing short of astounding!" Kalim happily agreed "I know, right?! Jamil really is something special!"

Azul then offered Jamil "You know, I think you'd get along far better with someone like me than with Kalim. How about it? Care to transfer to Octavinelle? You could join forces with me and make a name for yourself."

But Jamil was very adamant in his refusal, saying "Not on your life. And where do you get off, monologuing at me out of nowhere? You couldn't sound shadier if you tried! I will be perfectly content never being friends with you, Azul."

Jade smiled as he said "Goodness. That's a rather stinging rebuke."

But Azul was still strangely happy as he chuckled before saying "...I don't mind." He then said "I've added a new truth to my secret collection today, so I'll call it even."

Floyd then pointed out "Your secret collection of other people's weaknesses, you mean."

Jamil crossed his arms and huffed before saying "You can't call it a weakness when it's already been aired to the whole world."

Jamil then paused for a second before saying "There will be no more holding back for me. Not against Kalim, or the rest of you, or anyone. I'm never throwing another competition again." Kalim lightly cheered him on but also told him "Good! But I won't lose, either!"

It then cuts to later that night as someone sneaks out of the guest room to the hallway before finally the Scarabia dorm lounge.

Grim is sniffing the air with his eyes closed.

His eyes then open to be dark and empty as he says rather monotone "Black stone… I smell a black stone in this room…" He then laughs as he picks something up.

…

It shows that he picked up another black stone. He says "There it is… There it is!" before laughing a lot and not in a sane way.

He then eats the stone and goes on a flavor rant about it, in a voice deeper than his normal one "Ooh… Spicy, but mellow, rich flavor." He then complains "Maaan… I scarfed that down way too fast. I'm still hungry… I want more black stones…"

Everything blacks out as Grim's chuckle is heard.

The screen then really fades to black as "To be continued" plays before fully turning off.