EPISODE 11

Mr. Oliver breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God," he muttered. Straightening his posture, he continued, "Please head to the clinic. I don't want my students walking around with injuries of any magnitude."

"Understood, sir," Yukiko and Akira responded in unison.

As they turned to leave, a sudden explosion of mana erupted from Kane, shaking the classroom walls. The temperature spiked, and the atmosphere crackled with unstable energy.

"Who said you could leave, huh?" Kane bellowed, his voice trembling with rage.

Mikage, Yukiko, and Akira instinctively assumed fighting positions. Their eyes locked on Kane, ready for any move. Before anyone could act, Mr. Oliver's pupils glowed a vibrant green. An overwhelming wave of mana radiated from him, shaking the entire school. The weight of his presence crushed the chaotic energy in the room.

The suffocating force pinned Kane to the floor. His breath caught as Mr. Oliver's cool, controlled voice sliced through the tension.

"Mr. Ironclad," he began in an eerily calm tone, "I understand you're not in the best of moods. But neither am I." He narrowed his glowing eyes. "I have enough paperwork to last a lifetime, and if I keep getting slowed down by the likes of you, I promise you—those three will be the least of your problems."

Kane's bravado shattered. His legs buckled as he collapsed onto his bottom, stammering, "Y-y-yes, s-sir."

Mr. Oliver's lips curled into a smile. "Great." His mana dissipated, the air returning to normal.

He turned to leave but paused at the door. "Oh, before I forget—cleaning the toilets and the school pool for the next five months will be your responsibility."

Kane's eyes widened in disbelief. "That isn't fa—"

Mr. Oliver's eyes glowed green once more as his voice dropped menacingly. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you. Care to speak up?"

Kane gulped. "N-nothing, sir."

Satisfied, Mr. Oliver pointed at Yukiko and Akira. "Get those bruises checked."

As he walked out, Mikage glanced at the still-shaking Kane. "Damn, you really pissed Mr. Oliver off."

Kane, drenched in sweat, didn't respond—too shaken by the encounter to form words.

Mikage glanced at Yukiko. "Can you show Akira to the school clinic since he's new?"

Yukiko shrugged. "Sure, I'm on my way."

She walked out of the classroom, and Akira followed close behind. Mikage took one last look at Kane, who was still trembling on the floor, before turning to the gathering students peeking through the door.

"I believe you should give him some space," Mikage suggested.

Kane, shaking, forced himself to stand and stumbled out of the classroom without saying a word.

---

At the clinic, as the healer worked on their bruises, Yukiko broke the silence.

"Akira, right?"

"Yeah," he responded.

Without missing a beat, Yukiko asked, "How does it feel to take a human's life?"

Akira blinked in shock. "I... I don't know what you mean."

In his mind, he muttered, What kind of question is that? Is she secretly a serial killer? What have I gotten myself into?

Yukiko tilted her head. "The reason I asked is... aren't you a shadow user? I heard your people are the assassin type and don't follow conventional laws."

Akira sighed. "No, I'm not one of them. It hasn't even been that long since I found out I could use magic." He paused, his voice quieter. "To be honest, I don't understand how it works. It just... shows up at inconvenient times."

He leaned back in frustration. "I just want to figure out what's wrong with me so I can go back to living a simple life."

Yukiko stood up as soon as the healer finished treating her bruises. Just as she was about to leave, she glanced over her shoulder and said, "Let me give you a little advice—there's no such thing as a simple life for a sorcerer."

Her eyes gleamed with a knowing look. "So, I suggest you say goodbye to that simple life and hello to your new one."

With that, she walked out, leaving Akira with her words lingering in his mind.

As Mikage walked into his class, his eyes narrowed at the scene before him. Kane was leaning over a girl, his hand gripping her desk as she tried to shrink away.

"Ah, I see your cockiness is back," Mikage spoke up, his voice steady yet sharp.

Kane straightened up, glaring at him. "What do you mean cockiness? The weak are meant to tremble before the strong—that's the law of the world. Always has been."

Mikage folded his arms, unimpressed. "Really? Then explain why Mr. Oliver hasn't harassed you. Last time I checked, you were petrified at the mere release of his mana."

Kane's expression twisted in irritation. "So what? There are people with immense mana who don't have the slightest idea how to use their magic."

Mikage sighed, shaking his head. "Do you seriously think that applies to Mr. Oliver?" His tone became firmer. "Let me give you a word of advice, Kane—right now, you might feel like a lion in this school. But outside these walls, there are monsters. Just one look at them will make you question your very existence."

Kane sneered, an unsettling smirk forming on his face. "Oh? Is that Akira boy one of those 'monsters'? I wonder what would happen if I ran into him outside school."

Mikage's gaze hardened, an intense silence filling the room. The tension was palpable until a voice broke through.

"Hey, snap out of it!" one of their classmates interjected. "Classmates aren't supposed to fight each other."

Mikage relaxed slightly and glanced at the speaker. "Thanks, Edward."

Edward grinned. "Say... when do I get to meet this Akira? It's rare to see another shadow sorcerer like myself."

Akira stepped into the classroom just as Mr. Simon was scribbling on the board. The teacher turned with a smug look.

"Well, if it isn't Crybaby. Done crying?"

The class snickered, and Akira's face flushed red. "I'M NOT A CRYBABY, AND I WASN'T CRYING!" he shouted.

The students burst into laughter, and Mr. Simon smirked. "Alright, alright, calm down, Crybaby."

Akira clenched his fists but swallowed his retort, realizing that snapping further would only make things worse.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Students hurriedly packed their belongings, eager to leave.

"Sit down," Mr. Simon ordered. The students groaned but obeyed, mumbling among themselves.

Mr. Simon crossed his arms, his gaze scanning the room. "As you all know, you'll soon be sent on missions where your lives will be on the line. Some of you will lose your lives, others will be scarred—physically and mentally. As your teacher, there's only so much I can do, but I'll do my best to prepare you. The rest is up to you."

A heavy silence fell over the classroom.

"Any questions?" Mr. Simon asked.

No one responded.

"Alright, then. I'll let you go—"

BANG!

A loud thud against the door cut him off. Everyone turned as the door swung open, revealing a panting girl.

"Trixie?" Akira muttered under his breath.

Trixie rushed into the classroom, eyes scanning until they landed on Yukiko. "Kiko! I heard what happened to you. Are you okay?" She ran over, inspecting Yukiko for injuries.

"I'm fine," Yukiko stammered, caught off guard.

Akira sighed, turning to leave. She probably doesn't even remember me, he thought.

But before he could step out, Trixie grabbed his attention. "Akira! I heard you were attacked too. Are you okay?" She gently touched his forehead.

Mr. Simon scoffed. "You sure love barging into my class, Trixie."

Trixie quickly bowed. "Sorry, sir."

He sighed. "Whatever. Just remember our meeting place—don't be late."

Trixie's expression changed instantly. The usual cheerfulness in her eyes dimmed as she quietly responded, "Yes, sir."

Akira caught the shift in her demeanor and frowned. "Hey... is everything okay?"

Trixie instantly forced a smile. "Of course! Why wouldn't it be?"

Akira wasn't convinced.

Before he could press further, Trixie grabbed Yukiko's hand. "Come on, Kiko. Let's go check for any hidden injuries you might not have noticed."

As Mikage was leaving his classroom, a voice called out to him.

"Mikage!"

He turned to see the girl Kane had been harassing earlier. "Oh, hey, Sylvia," he greeted.

She blushed slightly, her fingers nervously twirling strands of her hair. "I just... I wanted to say thank you. If you hadn't stepped in, I—"

Mikage shrugged. "You didn't like it, so I had to do something."

Sylvia hesitated before speaking again. "S-So... I was wondering, when will you be free? Maybe we could go out sometime?"

Mikage blinked, caught off guard. After a moment, he replied, "Sorry, but I'll be really busy for a while. I don't know when I'll be free, but when I am, I promise we'll go out."

Sylvia smiled, though there was a hint of disappointment. "Okay. I'll hold you to that."

Mikage opened the door to their dorm and immediately sighed.

Akira had just stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Dress up," Mikage said. "Let's go spar."

Akira groaned. "I just finished bathing." Then, a thought crossed his mind. This might be my chance to get back at him.

"Alright, let's go," Akira agreed, smirking.

Both changed into sportswear and headed to the gym.

The gym was nearly empty.

Akira frowned. "Why is no one here?"

"Because we're teenagers," Mikage replied. "Most people would rather do something else than train."

Akira raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you train?"

"To relieve stress."

They entered the ring, stretching before beginning their match.

Akira struck first with a punch, but Mikage blocked it effortlessly and countered with a right hook. Akira ducked, dodging it, but Mikage followed up with a kick to his abdomen. Akira managed to block it, though the impact made him stumble back before regaining his footing.

"Always be ready to counter or block a counter," Mikage advised.

They exchanged blows, each blocking and dodging the other's attacks.

Between strikes, Mikage asked, "What made you learn how to fight?"

Akira hesitated before replying, "Honestly? No real reason. I just wanted to know how it feels to beat someone up."

Mikage faltered for a moment. "...That's a scary thought."

Akira shrugged. "Hey, do you know what's going on between Trixie and Mr. Simon?"

Mikage frowned. "What do you mean?"

Akira dodged a jab and answered, "Mr. Simon told Trixie to meet him later, and her whole vibe changed. She didn't seem happy about it."

"Oh, that." Mikage deflected a punch. "They've been meeting up regularly since they both started at the school." He smirked. "Wait... do you like Trixie?"

Akira immediately shook his head. "No."

"But she's cute, right?"

"I know that."

Mikage grinned. "Then you are interested in her."

Akira frowned. "What about you? Anyone you're interested in?"

BAM!

Mikage's uppercut caught Akira off guard, knocking him flat on his back.

Mikage immediately took a step back. "Oh, uh... that just happened on its own."

Akira groaned, holding his jaw. "So trying to kill me just happens on its own now?"

Mikage rubbed the back of his head. "I think we should call it a day."

Akira grumbled, "You think?" He muttered under his breath, "All that just because I asked a question..."

Mikage exhaled. "I don't have anyone I'm interested in. I don't have time for that."

Back at their dorm, Akira sat on his bed, holding an ice pack to his face. As he adjusted it, he noticed Mikage staring out the window.

Following his gaze, Akira peeked outside—

Yukiko was jogging.

Akira smirked, muttering to himself, "Not interested, my ass."