Chapter Text
From the second he woke up, Tsukasa had spent the entire morning thinking of ways to ‘save’ the future harbinger of the Calamity. He came to conclusions after recollecting his memories the night before. Rui should never be the actual villain in this stage full of tragedy. He was one of the victims who would’ve never succumbed to darkness if he had never received the everlasting torment in the first place. Even more if it didn’t lead his friends to their miserable death. Tsukasa was sure of it.
There may be no way for him to go back further into the past to prevent them all, but he could do some things in the present. If he could get closer to Rui, then he could at least protect him from the bullies—
Ah, no. ‘Hooligans’ is the more proper word to call them.
He could try to convince them too so they wouldn’t dare mess with the prodigy or his friends. This way, Tsukasa could ensure Rui wouldn’t turn himself against the whole world.
That’s what he thought….
“Haaah….”
Leoni’s hands were full of clueless students until the end of the period which meant she didn’t acknowledge the quarrel Tsukasa had with Rui earlier. Perhaps she did but didn’t interfere as she was too busy handling the whining students. While it’s good that he didn’t have to explain why Rui went back into hiding, he still needed to deal with some annoying students either overhearing or noticing that his pair was gone. He managed to chase them away, but… judging from their taunts of immoral mockeries, more words about the sorcerer might spread in no time.
“Am I being too compelling?”
Pushing his annoyance aside, his thoughts kept winding back to his confrontations with the sorcerer. Rui kept pushing him away without giving him the chance to explain himself. He kept turning down Tsukasa with horrible presumptions, and it got worse the more Tsukasa tried to talk.
Objectively speaking, he knew Rui was just being on guard. The poor sorcerer had gotten too many ill treatments since childhood from the nobles, how could Tsukasa expect Rui wouldn’t give him the cold shoulder?
It’s not like Tsukasa had forgotten what Rui said the previous night. He still had some fear deep within. Rui’s mere presence made chills run down his spine. It’s more than enough to prove that. Yet, it’s not bloodlust that he felt every time Rui threatened him. More like… he’s in pain. A doleful pain.
He must admit he’s being too pushy, yet, he couldn’t give up on him just like that! The Goddess had chosen him specifically to carry on this duty! To help the sorcerer! To ‘save’ the sorcerer! So that the Calamity wouldn’t come forth once more!
Yet, even so—!
“Even so, you’ll keep adding insult to injury if you continue being rude like that!!!” Tsukasa finally lashed out, scratching his head out of frustration. Voice loud enough to shake the entire building. Quite literally.
“Waah, Onii-chan?! What’s wrong?!”
The star gasped, realizing that he accidentally let his thoughts freaking Saki and the others out loud. “Agh, nothing! It’s nothing! Sorry for surprising you!”
The younger Tenma calmed down, but her face was painted with worry. “Onii-chan, is something troubling you again? You’ve been grumbling since we left the class.”
It’s break time before the third and last class of the day. Students immediately poured out of the classrooms after the bell rang. Tsukasa and the others were walking down the hallway to the cafeteria to have lunch—or breakfast for those who hadn’t had it yet. Accompanying the siblings by the younger’s invitation, Emu peeked from Saki’s side, humming in concern.
“Tsukasa-kun, I’ve been wondering. What happened between you and Rui-kun? A fight? Did you upset him?!” she shot, pouting at the end.
The blonde male almost jumped at the sudden accusation. “What?! No! I just wanted to talk to him! But! Urgh, he keeps making things difficult! I didn’t even have the chance to talk properly!”
Emu frowned more like a wrinkled napkin if that’s even possible. “But, you must have said something bad that he went sulking like that! He even shoo-ed me when I checked on him!”
“As I said…!” It took every nerve in Tsukasa to not blast out again. “I just wanted to talk! I didn’t say anything offensive! But he’s like… how should I put it… he keeps pushing me away. He keeps getting the bad idea and scares me away,” he explained, sighing at the end.
“Maybe he doesn’t like you, Onii-chan?” Saki inferred. “You have a loud voice, overacting most of the time, like to exaggerate too. I think he’s annoyed by these traits of yours.”
Tsukasa imaginarily coughed blood from all the imaginary arrows Saki threw at him mercilessly. The panicked little sister immediately raised her hands. “O-of course I didn’t mean to offend you! But still, I don’t think you have to continue pursuing him if he treats you like that. He even left you alone back there!”
“No no! Rui-kun is not a bad person!”
“But….”
Emu defended without hesitation. Saki faltered, not sure how to argue back. Something clicked in Tsukasa’s mind as he inquired. “Otori—”
“It’s Emu!”
“Right… Emu.” Tsukasa corrected himself. “You’re with Kamishiro at the last dinner, aren’t you? How did you get close to him?”
“Hweh??”
Emu let out a small noise before putting a finger on her chin, recalling the events from yesterday. “I was with Nene-chan when Mizuki-chan came with Rui-kun. He’s reluctant at first, but turns out he’s really fun! He’s super smart! He can do bababam papapa sparkly bling bling and make ching ching clink tick tick tick fwoooosh!! It’s super duper WONDERHOY! Then we got along before we knew it!”
“I-I see,” Tsukasa commented dumbfoundedly, barely able to make out what Emu was referring to. Well, this was Emu in her own language he’s talking to.
The cheerful remarks then died down as the pink-haired girl slumped her shoulders again. “That’s why, please don’t say anything bad about Rui-kun! He’s not that type of person, trust me!”
Tsukasa wanted to, but the Rui he tried to talk to ever since he woke up in this timeline was far from what Emu described. He couldn’t help but have a sliver of doubt in him.
“What makes you so sure? You said yourself he chased you out before.”
“He must have his own reasons! Whatever it is, I’m sure Rui-kun never means anything ill!” Emu insisted.
He literally aimed for my head without mercy!! Tsukasa almost let out his inner complaint… but on second thought, so far he’d only seen Rui being harsh to him only. He understood if he’s open to Nene and Mizuki, or being reluctant to the preceptors, but to Emu? A literal stranger and daughter of a high-rank noble? He got it if they could get along because Emu’s acquainted with Nene. Emu’s easygoing too, but Tsukasa also deemed himself as being one! Emu’s as loud as him, so why?!?
What is this? Discrimination? He thought in disbelief.
“... alright, back to square one.” Tsukasa sighed, erasing the stray thoughts out of his head. “You’re in the front row in the first class. There’s no way you missed his revelation, didn’t you?”
Emu tensed at the statement. Tsukasa paused, recollecting for a bit. “Emu, I know you’re good at this. The red cracks, the change of the moon’s colour before the mirror shattered. Tell me, did any of them not mean anything ‘ill’ to you?”
“That’s….”
“Onii-chan, please stop. You’re scaring her!”
The pink-haired girl’s voice faltered, gaze dropped. Saki who’s been listening finally decided to intervene. As much as she loved her brother, she couldn’t let him press her friend further. She hugged Emu’s shoulders protectively from the side. It was then Tsukasa realized he was crossing the line.
“... sorry.” He finally took a step back.
The awkward silence felt overwhelming amidst the slightly buzzing hallway they were still in. The window they stopped at when Tsukasa started pressing Emu about the matter poured down warm sunshine, yet it only made the star’s head burn further from the swirling storm messing his thoughts. Saki was ready to scold him again but Emu was faster.
“I—!”
The Tenma siblings paid full attention to her.
“I can’t deny that the red thingy seemed evil. But, Rui-kun is not an evil person himself!” Emu defended again with more determination. “He’s not scary, just lonely! He’s nothing like what other people say about him!”
“Emu-chan….”
The younger Tenma side eyes the older one. Tsukasa couldn’t deny either, Rui was lonely in his entire life. He should’ve acknowledged him better, yet….
He sighed, slumping his shoulders in defeat. “Sorry for pushing you over the edge, Emu.”
“Nu-uh, it’s fine. I’m sorry too. I can’t blame you for being wary about Rui-kun either.” Emu shook her head, smiling in a more relaxed manner. It only made Tsukasa bite his lip further in guilt.
“Alright, time’s up!” Saki clapped her hands as she couldn’t stand the tension between the two any further. It was the right moment to drop the topic, so she pulled Emu again to continue heading to their original destination.
“Break time’s almost over! Come on, better hurry or we won’t get any seats!”
Fortunately, Saki’s positive energy brought back Emu’s energetic demeanour a bit. The pink-haired girl’s face lit up again as she switched hands to grab Saki’s instead.
“Ooh, right! I heard they have yummy cakes and pastries there! Into the land of mealies we GOOO!!!” Emu raised a fist up high while Saki almost stumbled from the sudden force. The taller turned her head back, noticing her brother was still nailed to where he was the whole time, still deep in thought.
“Onii-chan, save your thoughts for later and let’s go! We’re running out of time!” she called, finally snapping Tsukasa out of his reverie.
“O-oh, coming!”
.
.
.
Of the many institutions and guilds in the nation, the Otori Group was one of the largest. It was established when the amusement park under their name, the renowned Phoenix Wonderland, was built. The Otori Group slowly rose to fame after the success of the park, thus opening the path to broaden their business. Music halls, opera houses, theatres, casinos; you name it. It even had several branches outside the country. Being the sovereign of the entertainment sector, it’s not an exaggeration to say that the Otori family was one of the wealthiest in the whole nation.
Tsukasa had only met them a few times before during formal gatherings and banquets. Like the current head of the family, the eldest son was a serious, stoic, refined man. The second son was rather brusque if he must say, but he carried the air of authority on par as the eldest. Tsukasa only met the first daughter once, she’s more gentle and hospitable than her brothers. The second daughter, however, was different.
Otori Emu. The youngest child of Duke Otori. The Dreamer Princess. Despite her childishness and naïvety, she’s much kinder and thoughtful than one may think. She wore her heart on her sleeve unlike her older siblings, which also meant she was better at understanding people’s feelings. Whenever, wherever she was, she would eagerly bring other people to smile with her cheerful personality. Not to mention her signature ‘Wonderhoy ☆ !’ that never failed to make sad children laugh brightly with her, not at her.
Speaking of children, there was one time Emu helped those in an orphanage. They’d been having awful nightmares to the point they were too afraid to enter dark rooms and even their own bedroom. The caretakers ended up having quite the trouble handling the restless children. Emu who came out of nowhere after hearing the news was the saintess they didn’t deserve. Using her dream magic, she helped by giving sweet dreams to ward off the scary nightmares. Hence, the kind young lady earned the title ‘The Dreamer Princess’.
Come to think of it, the title was originally used to satirise the fact that the youngest daughter of the Otori family was a literal dreamer, unafraid to share her dreams and wild ideas with the world. Most of them were a bit too much, to be frank, hence why her second brother treated her with disregard most of the time. Nevertheless, she never gave up on her dreams. What the young lady wished for was merely a world full of genuine smiles, away from grief and misery.
Yet, no matter how beautiful one’s dream is, no dream is everlasting.
Tsukasa remembered vividly. Phoenix Wonderland was going to commemorate its anniversary exactly a month after the first school year started. It’s only mandatory for the whole family of the owner to be present throughout the night. Emu left at noon with the brightest hopeful smile she had, hopping and waving eagerly from the gates. Some whose families got the invitation also went to attend the celebration. The Tenmas also received one, but Tsukasa had to stay as Saki’s health suddenly declined.
All of them left with big expectations for the show awaiting to be unveiled. Regards and hopes for a wonderful night were sent from those staying in the academy.
Unfortunately, their hopes fell on the devil’s ears.
The colourful fireworks shone down on the bloody parade. The once remarkable dream park was ravaged with no mercy. The grandiose dream was burned down into a scorching nightmare. In just one night.
No one knew where the monsters came from. No one knew how they could come through the guards heavily stationed along the park’s outer walls. Came as a raging storm. Disappeared as quickly as they came.
It’s the very night the Dreamer Princess fell into dreamless eternal slumber.
According to the survivors, Emu had used her magic to create a domain to protect them. Maintaining it on a large scale while enduring the relentless attacks outside was more draining than anyone could imagine. In the last attempt before she gave in due to exhaustion, she used the very last bit of her mana to send everyone left into the domain before sending it as far as she could.
When reinforcements arrived, it was far too late.
The obituary the academy received the next morning had shaken everyone to the very core. All students present during the celebration were on the wounded people list, some even were sent to the hospital. None of them lost their lives, fortunately… except for one.
Tsukasa was never the one close enough to the Dreamer Princess, yet he’s fully aware of the consequences brought by her death. The wail of agony of his sick sister resonated with the others, tearing his heart to pieces. Even the Goddess couldn’t hold back Her tears.
That day, the world mourned for the loss of its purest dream.
Not giving them any chance to recover from their grievance, fate continued playing out the script of the Otoris’ downfall. They lost their dream park. The other forms of business they’d maintained for years gradually declined over time. And as the last curtain fell, the name left nothing but scribbles of ink on worn papers. As if they never existed if not for the historical records kept in the royal archive.
While the destruction of noble families wasn’t uncommon, the Otoris’ downfall was the first butterfly to incite the storm. Many factions had to suffer economic loss. A portion of the common folks lost their jobs. The streets notably became duller without the festive colours the Otori brought into the city. The academy’s atmosphere became grim after Emu’s departure. And…
… wait. It was said that Emu was quite close to Rui. Tsukasa didn’t know how, but the students started to see that Emu's death was connected to the blessed prodigy in any way possible. Some said it was ‘death’ that Rui brought to those close to him, others claimed that Rui orchestrated everything on purpose. The first curse brought by the vengeful sorcerer, waiting to devour its next victim as it bestows calamity in its tow.
By the time Tsukasa caught up with the rumours, everyone had turned their backs against the poor sorcerer. From clandestine bullying to heinous abuse, until no one was left by his side to the very end. One of the first dominos to light up this vicious cycle of dread and vengeance.
But now that Tsukasa already foresaw that future, could he prevent that domino from falling? So far he managed to make minor changes, and what kind of star was he if he couldn’t even make the unlikely dance right on his palm?! He had already gone through far too many hardships to name, so taking another one shan’t topple him as easily! Yes, two birds with one stone. Tsukasa must first help from the sidelines if he wants to save Rui.
A month to prepare. If he could save Emu, that’d be a huge turn of fate. But….
Could he really defy death’s script?
…
“This will be a tough battle….”
.
.
.
“I assume everyone’s already knowledgeable enough about black magic, or dark arts as some people prefer, yes?”
The light pink-haired woman ran her fingers over the smooth surface. A glittering dark purple crystal ball glowed faintly in tandem with each light knock. Purplish blue eyes skimmed the room like a bored crow looking for new silver to play with.
The third period was the introduction to the black magic class… or that’s how it should have been. Amongst other preceptors in the academy, Megurine Luka wasn’t the type to willingly give ‘unnecessary’ lectures even if her students begged for them. In exchange, she wouldn’t hesitate to use unorthodox methods to give lessons whenever she felt like it. And today… was one of those unfortunate days.
Her fingers stopped in their tracks, earning a gulp from Tsukasa who was staying as far as he could. Even though he had known her character, Tsukasa couldn’t help but feel a little nervous whenever she was around. No one, not even Miku could figure out what was behind that omniscient gaze. Even if he had seen what was in her sleeve in the last timeline….
Lacking any reaction, Luka chuckled lightly from where she leaned on the desk. “Relax~ Even if you don’t, you can just chew some books in the library. Hmm~? Don’t wanna taste the moss-grown, termite-eaten papers? Fret not, let me give you a nice hack~ Brew the papers, throw in some sunflower seeds, mix along a fistful of crushed sages and rosemaries, stir… and stir....”
Flawless lips continued to chant the mysterious mantra, drawing curiosity to lure the students into her illusion. Dark purple smoke manifested the cauldron and ingredients, combined into a glittery swirling mixture as the sentient ladle stirred them together slowly. Luka closed her eyes with a smile, like a home cook waiting for the imaginary timer to ding.
” Et, voila~ Take a sip and congrats, now you have obtained all of the written knowledge~” The ladle offered a spoonful of the fragrant blend to the beholders. Like a butterfly drawn by a lovely blossom, one of the bewitched students stepped forward and gulped down the offered dose without a second thought.
“But of course, a wise child shouldn’t fall for it hook, line, and sinker~ ”
By the time the last syllable left her lips, the student suddenly collapsed as if their bones had melted to the very core. Not giving any time for the remaining students to start panicking, Luka calmly brought her finger up with a ghastly grin.
“Now then, let’s start by dividing the flock, shall we~? ”
Snap!
“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!”
“STOP!! MAKE IT STOP!!!”
Darkness filled the room in less than a second. It was all it took before more than half of the class became a choir of pained shrieks. Onto their knees they fell as they clutched their heads in desperation. Screeching howls threatened to break their head to pieces, gnawing at their very souls inside out. Visions of their darkest nightmares resurfaced from the shadows, threatening to get their hands on them.
“NOO!! IT HURTS!! IT HURTS!!!! STOP!!!!!”
“PLEASE, NO MORE!! FORGIVE ME!!! STAY AWAY!! NO! NOOO!!!”
“M-my head…!”
“SAKI!!!”
Tsukasa immediately rushed to his sister’s side, curling into a ball trembling violently. Tears started to form at the corner of her eyes as she desperately pressed her ears as if to block the noises away. The older blonde carefully grabbed her shoulders as support while rubbing circles on her back. A mix of heavy feelings churned inside as he bit his lower lip in panic.
“Saki… Saki, can you hear me?” Tsukasa gently called amidst the roaring cries. Saki, who seemed to register his presence, tried to respond yet all she could let out was pained gasps. The pain was too much that she was on the verge of collapse.
“Ara~ we’re barely starting, you know~ how about we raise the bar a li~ttle bit more~?”
Another snap and a portion of the first batch fell limp to the ground, unable to withstand the pain any longer. Those who survived the first wave now had their turn, joining the increasing choir of terror. The looming darkness devoured the fallen bodies, separating them from the remaining students making every effort to survive.
Tsukasa flinched from the sliver of throbbing pain. A cacophony mixed with intangible arrows piercing right through his body. He gritted his teeth. Yes, he was familiar with this feeling. But…
The nightmares crawling before him dispersed into the shadows, coming back and forth yet seeming unable to touch him. The headache and echoing cries from the wars in his memory started creeping up, although the pain was not as severe as what he was used to experiencing back then. He could even feel a faint warmth enveloping him like his childhood blanket, completely unaware of the glimmering golden aura that was supporting him to remain standing.
Of course, it didn’t go unnoticed by the grand preceptor with her hawk-like gaze piercing through the shadows. Amused by the unusual occurrence, Luka nonchalantly raised the challenge to another level. The second batch fell, leaving only Tsukasa and a few students remained struggling for dear life to keep their sanity intact.
The blonde boy could feel the sudden spike of mana choking him. Every time he took a breath felt like inhaling smoke right from a bonfire—or rather the fire that burned his comrades to ashes. The vision became more vivid now: the red sky curtaining the battlefield, his fallen comrades, broken swords, the dead body of his sister.
No!
Tsukasa tried to cry out, only to feel his throat being squeezed by rough, bloodied hands. The same cursed hands that slayed them all as if they were nothing but livestock. The same deranged expression that awakened his pent-up wrath after countless battles and defeats. The very figure that’s none other than his sworn enemy, glaring at him with those blood-red eyes he loathed the most.
You…!
“Why?”
A sullen voice fell into his ears. Tsukasa froze, his remaining breath knocked out of his lungs.
“Why didn't you save me?”
“Why?”
“Why didn’t you save us?!”
“YOU FAILED US AS A KNIGHT!!!”
The dead circled him like a ring of fire, blurred chaos barely able to mask the condemning lament. A cacophony of grudge and grief. Even his sister and trusted comrades were among them, pointing at him with void eyes as if he’s no more than a piece of torn rug. Tsukasa felt nauseous, as if he was being hanged in the heart of the town for people to see.
“Enjoying the show, O’ Honorable Knight ?”
The sorcerer scoffed as he tightened his grip on the knight’s throat. Tsukasa choked on his own blood. Black veins slowly crept up to his face and down, making its way to his heart. He could feel himself growing weaker over time, mind jumbled from the lack of oxygen. Wrath, fear, guilt all mixed as the brewing storm in his head.
No , he couldn’t die here…
“I was expecting a grander performance ftom the honorable, respected, self-proclaimed Greatest Knight Commander of the century! Guess that was all for naught, isn’t it?”
The looming shadows were getting closer. The poor knight couldn’t fight back, barely able to keep his eyes open. The blurry image of the sorcerer threatened to swallow him like the fiery depths of hell.
Is the the end…? Is this how he’ll end…?
The sorcerer brought his face closer, eyes narrowing in victory. “Well? Any last words before I scorch everything back to mother nature?”
Nothing he could let out to voice his retort except a few choked gasps and a weak glare. The sorcerer chuckled darkly in twisted pleasure.
“No? Of course you couldn’t. You are but a weak mortal trying to slay a dragon with a wooden stick. How does it feel to be judged by everyone you pathetically tried to protect?”
The condemning cacophony never left his ear. It grew even stronger as the looming shadows swallowed the sky. The black veins already reached his heart. Every last trace of light perished, only the burning red eyes gazing deep into his soul remained.
“Accept your fate, and I’ll make your death painless. You don’t have to worry about protecting anyone anymore. No one will judge you after death. Just a peaceful, eternal slumber.”
“Just give up. You can’t save anyone.”
Enough!
Tsukasa gritted his teeth as he gripped at that cursed wrist with every little force he had. He didn’t give a damn of the curse creeping up to his fingertips. He would gladly offer his life to save everyone, die in honour as a knight—but to surrender before the fake image of the sorcerer he had swore to kill before he actually made his resolve to save him?
“Are— cough! —are you done babbling… nonsense…?!”
His free hand clawed at the sorcerer’s other hand, earning a surprised gasp. The curse which had reached his forearm cracked like broken glass, blinding light peeking through gaps after gaps. The sorcerer panicked as he summoned icicles to stop the knight, yet every single one melted before they fully formed.
“ Cough! T-telling me to give up… when I barely start to fix anything…?! W— cough! —who… who are you to say such… thing…?!”
He still had promises to keep. He still had mistakes to fix. And ultimately—
“Get out… of my sight…!”
—I still have a future to secure!
“ BEGONE!!! ”
With that single command, a burst of light dispersed the darkness, finally getting rid of the nightmares. Pain and fear were no more. Only the warmth of sunlight slowly guided the fallen students out of their slumber. One waking up after the other in confusion yet relieved somehow as if they were just being comforted.
Tsukasa coughed a few times, feeling exhausted and lightheaded. His arms trembled as he supported his own body on the ground, trying to sort the mess out of his head. The burning sensation still lingered in his throat along with the bitterness after experiencing that.
What happened…?
The blonde boy unconsciously squeezed his chest as he caught his breath, slowly gazing up to see Luka bemused by the sudden turn of events. The crystal ball still glowed ever so faintly on the table, staring back at him as if it was disappointed it didn’t get its time to shine.
Huh? Shouldn’t that ball supposed to glow brighter after it sucked the dark magic? Did his memory mess up again?
Luka caressed the crystal ball as if she had heard Tsukasa’s silent queries. “Well done, Tenma-kun~ Thank you for making my job easier.”
Realisation hit him as he looked behind.
Black magic could be canceled by disrupting the ritual or sealing the mana into special mediums. Either way, residual aftereffects would still be present for some time since it’s quite difficult to erase its trace entirely without purification spells. The larger its scale and the more powerful the art is, the more taxing it is to purify them all. Knowing the infamous Miss Megurine Luka, she would rather leave the hassle to someone else—Kaito and Night mostly being the one to do the ‘clean-up’ or oftentimes the twins whenever they were up for it—or rely on her crystal ball to do the job. Hence her classes always had that eerie, heavy atmosphere.
However, it was easier to breathe this time. The atmosphere seemed livelier too, as if the anchoring weight was lifted away. Whilst the shock hadn’t entirely gone, he was glad none had been affected severely to the point of meltdown. Luka might be quite merciless when giving lessons, but at least she knew which line she shouldn’t cross as a preceptor.
At least that’s what Tsukasa believed.
“Onii-chan, are you alright?”
Mindful hands was put on both of his shoulders. Tsukasa turned his head a bit to find her sister’s worried frown. Aside from her dishelved hair and tired look, she seemed to be fine. Thank goodness, but still… the older blonde tried to respond, yet his throat got caught again in a coughing fit. He grimaced from the utter dryness in his throat.
“Onii-chan?!” Saki immediately rub circles on his back. Just how much of a sorry state he was in that her sister started panicking like this? She was the one who needed attention, not him! Tsukasa shook his head, holding his own throat.
“I-I’m fine….” For Goddess sake , he even sounded terrible!
“Wahh! Hang on, Onii-chan! I’ll get you some water!”
And there she went, rushing to grab his water bottle before he had any chance to react. His felt like a lost traveller in the desert, dehydrated and weak that he had to drag himself to the nearest desk. He hadn’t fully understand, the illusion felt so real he almost gave in. Yet, the sudden burst of vigor allowed him to turn the table at the last minute.
Was it his blessing? Tsukasa pondered, though his train of thoughts must come to a halt.
Two claps were enough to call for attention, muting the chattering freshmen. “That’s all for today’s class. You may leave now~” Luka announced nonchalantly.
“Whaaaaaat?!” The students whined in unison. Luka widened her eyes in surprise, as if she didn’t give a trauma-inducing experience in the last five minutes.
“Ara~? Why the long face? Shouldn’t you be happy you get to have more time to rest?”
One of the students, victim during the first batch, spoke up in a hoarse tone. He might had it rough judging by his messy appearance. “B-but, you haven’t teached us anything yet! You’re only messing with our heads! What’s the point?!”
“That’s exactly the point~” Luka glided down from the desk, conjuring a small black cloud with a slow flick of her hand. “Today’s lesson is simply to test your endurance against black magic. It’s necessary to know your limits when facing these kinds of trick. What I gave you is one of the most common, low level miasma, but it can be quite harmful if you have weak immunity against it.”
“So you’re saying I’m weak?!” The student stomped hard, retorting back with a boom. “Just so you know, Miss, my family has served as mages for the royal court for generations! Our lineage’s well known for its high tolerance against black magic! Even I had experienced one before and survived! No hallucinations whatsoever!”
“But what you experienced here proves that’s not the case, is it not?” Luka shrugged, casually dodging the glaring daggers thrown at her. “One’s lineage doesn’t guarantee one’s magical proficiency. If any, it’ll be fatal to deny oneself based on own’s beliefs.”
“But—mmph?! MMMRGHH!!!?”
His lips was zipped shut, earning panicked noises as he tried to pry his mouth open. Luka tutted with a cold smile, “Now, now, young man. Be a good kid and sit down. ”
That was an order. The nearby students gulped as they watched how the rebellious boy was pulled down by black, smoky vines back to his desk. Luka pulled out a small doll out of thin air, enveloping it in black mist.
“I remember there was this one arrogant kid like you, boasting about their lineage and strong immunity. But what happened when I released the miasma?”
The black mist became one with the doll, turning its body ink black. “In the first batch, they went mad. During the second batch, unfortunately….”
Glowing red eyes now glared at them, like a predator preparing to lunge for its prey. “Like moths allured by the light, their unstable mana summoned some restless spirits. They became possessed and attacked everyone.”
Like a rock on a catapult, the doll launched itself towards the boy. Shark-like jaw opening up to devour his head, ripping out a muffled scream from the poor boy. Face paling, tears welling, bracing himself for he couldn’t move anywhere but backing down the furthest he could.
“HRRNGHHHHHHH?!?!!!!!”
“But!”
Luka swished an index finger. The corrupted doll dispersed together with the muting spell put on the boy. He sunk further into his chair like jelly, took a loud gasp as cold sweat drenched his entire body. Sadly, sweat wasn’t the only thing that drenched his lower part. The pink haired preceptor chuckled in amusement, leaning back to the desk.
“Consider each of you lucky today, thanks to Tenma-kun over there~ This miasma used to create some cases every year, you know~?”
The sudden call sent a shiver down to Tsukasa’s spine. The entire class had been eerily silent all this time, too scared of being targeted just by moving. Even Tsukasa—a witness to Luka’s silent ‘wrath’ for years and had fallen victim several times before—had been holding his breath unconsciously during the whole ordeal.
As expected from Miss Luka, merciless as ever…
Some strands of her pink locks were twirled between her slender fingers as she continued. “Let me rephrase for you: being easily affected by black magic doesn’t mean you’re weak in general. Your immunity is on the lower side, yes. However, knowing how ambitious kids are nowadays, shouldn’t that be of no predicament for you~? One can always increase own’s limit, but by being conscious of own’s current limit, it is to restrict one’s recklessness from diving head first into hot water.”
Tsukasa watched as the preceptor summoned a grey mop-like spirit to pick a chalk and wrote something down on the board behind her. Protection… enhancement… sunset eyes then widen in familiarity. Luka smiled, patting the spirit in gratitude as soon as it finished its job before sending it away.
“This is your assignment for the week, now that you’re aware of your own endurance level,” she announced, gesturing at the written script, “pick either one of these spell-type and prepare for the following week. You may choose the simplified spells our little fellow here has provided~ Or, feel free to make the library your home and learn the more advanced ones. A little reminder: terms and conditions apply~”
For the nth time today, the star shivered again when he felt Luka’s seemingly omniscient gaze at him. Oh, how he wanted to hide right now. Just what’s with the preceptors looking at him all day long like he’s a rare creature in need to be studied? Did he act too obvious that they already knew his true origin in just a few glances?
The preceptor clapped twice, officially ending her last class of the day. Thus the awaited moment finally came, much to the rest of the class’ relief. By ‘preparing for the next week’ meant she asked them to cram the Beginner’s Guide on Protection Against Black Magic. Her assignment mght sound quite the tall order, but those sample spells on the board are indeed the simplest one they could ever ask. Still, Tsukasa felt his head throb for thinking he had to deal with the uncanny preceptor for another three years. She brought the crystal ball and stepped towards the exit.
“Aah, I almost forgot.” Yet, she suddenly turned on her heels and threw a kind smile to them.
“Feel free to visit Night’s office for free mental therapy after class~”
.
.
.
Transparent glasses reflected the necromancer’s navy uniform bathed as she strolled down the dimly hall. No one’s present as the last classes of the day already ended. Yet, her destination wasn’t anyone’s office. Not even her own. She slowed down, light tapping of her heels on unstained white marbles faded until she stopped just after the entrance to a corridor.
“I thought you’re not the type to miss out the best shows,” she greeted.
Silence accompanied her for a while, aside from the faint chattering down the park outside. She waited patiently until the figure behind the shadows shifted slightly.
“An audience doesn’t need to be present to know the plot, Miss Luka.”
Luka smirked upon the reply. Leaning on the dark side of the corridor, the tall figure folded his arms. They didn’t need to see face to face to tell whose molten gold was staring into the seemingly endless darkness beside him.
“On the contrary, an audience who’s not present at all can’t be considered an audience, are they not~?”
Once again, deafening silence filled the rigid air between. Luka didn’t mind the silence as her answer, yet she couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her lips.
“That boy, Tenma Tsukasa… don’t you think he’s the perfect piece to complete your puzzle?” she inquired, putting a finger on her cheek and lean her head to the side, “his power is exactly what you need. None can quell the ferocious beast residing inside thou but that boy’s blessing.”
His fingers twitched. The figure pursed his lips in distaste. “I refuse to be associated with a ticking time bomb.”
“Ooh~? For what cause?” Luka turned her head slightly in interest.
“... That blessing will do nothing but damage to his entire being. The sun never has been merciful towards its possessor. He’s not going to make it.”
“Yet, you can’t deny his significance, can you? A moon can’t shine without its sun, so does if thou wish to pursue this path.”
She drew the final straw. The figure stood straight, facing the corridor as molten gold got swallowed by darkness inside out.
“A broken moon doesn’t need the sun to shine upon it, for its existence is already forgotten by the earth. I don’t need that person to bring salvation upon me. My life is mine to salvage, not anyone else’s.”
His words echoed throughout the corridor. Yet, Luka’s smile never dropped, even when the figure politely excused himself. No footsteps were heard. She was left there, alone in sonorous silence.
“Is that so.”
Her eyes darkened as she gazed upon the forest on the other side of the window, watching the horizon blurring the border of day as dusk making its way to fill the sky.
“What a pity.”