Chapter Text
“I’m going first. Good night, everyone.” Soyo stood up, glancing from her seniors to her. “Anon-chan.”
Anon couldn’t react before Soyo was already walking away. It was the third night in a row. The familiarity of it made Anon uneasy.
Around this time of the year, Soyo had disappeared from them and attempted to leave their party. Back then, Anon wouldn’t even see her around or get any messages from her. The fact that Soyo still ate dinner with her made the situation a bit better. And yet, the situation still wasn’t pleasant at all.
“Did something happen between you two?” their pale blue-haired senior, Matsubara Kanon, asked.
“A-Ah, no, nothing happened… aha ha ha…” Anon laughed, but her hands felt a little colder than before.
They were having dinner with their dorm seniors, like they had done a few times before. Their seniors knew how close she and Soyo were, which made Soyo’s early departure feel all the more noticeable
“O-Or could it be that we’re interrupting you two?” the pink-haired senior and a dorm officer, Maruyama Aya, asked next.
“N-No, Aya-san, that’s definitely not the case!” Anon frantically waved her hands, shaking her head. “In fact, Soyorin told me to invite you.”
“Really? That’s quite strange then. Hmm…” Shirasagi Chisato said, a finger on her chin as if she’d figured something out. She’s also a dorm officer and is in the same party as Aya.
Anon forced a smile, but her mind was already elsewhere. Third night.
Having recovered from the recent individual exam, she resumed her morning jogs despite being told to rest for a while. It had been four days since the individual exams, and Anon thought it shouldn’t hurt to continue her routine.
However, she was jogging alone again for the first time in a while.
“I won’t join you for some time,” was the message she got from Soyo when she asked
Anon immediately replied with, “Oh, okay, no worries, Soyorin! Please rest well,” thinking that Soyo needed more rest than she could imagine. She had collapsed from near mana depletion last time. So, of course, she didn’t want to pressure her.
Her heart was filled with worry for Soyo. At the same time, something else was creeping, but she chose to ignore it. Hurrying to leave after dinner was the second thing she noticed.
No. Soyorin must still be recovering.
But then, why did she ask me to invite our seniors to join us as much as possible?
She gripped her phone, still staring at her last exchange with Soyo. She pondered whether to type or just leave it be. In the end, she just slipped the phone in her pocket.
Anon traced the edges of the grimoire sitting on top of her table. She was now back in her room, staring blankly with thoughts swimming in her mind. She barely parted ways with her seniors when Chisato called out and handed Anon a storage artifact that held the book.
“Just know that this is not only for your own safety, but also to give you more strength to protect those you love,” was the response from her blonde senior when she asked why she was giving it to her.
What does Chisato-san mean by that?
“Protect those you love.” …
The defenseless image of Soyo sleeping on her lap flashed in her mind. It wasn’t just fatigue that lingered on Soyo’s expression. There was pain, possibly from a suffering she couldn’t imagine.
She flipped through the pages, skimming through the charms and magic system discussed in it. As she went through it more, she realized it tackled defensive charms. Some of them she had already learned, and some she hadn’t.
Oh, right. Chisato-san is also a defensive mage. She said to ask for her help if something is not clear…
And then, she noticed a bookmark more than halfway through the grimoire. Curious, Anon jumped to that page and saw a note on the pastel yellow bookmark her senior left for her to see.
“Focus on the charms discussed in this chapter first. You’ll find good use of the charms here soon.”
Anon traced the note with her thumb. She couldn’t help but feel warmth spread on her chest with appreciation for her senior. Chisato’s kindness reminded her of Soyo. Both are masked with protective layers, but are gentle to their core.
Her eyes shifted to the chapter title that the note was talking about.
“Fighting against Invasive Mind Charms. Does this mean mind charms are common in B-rank missions? Hmm…”
She wondered, but had to hold herself for now. Even if she was itching to learn the charms now, she was supposed to rest—at least a week of rest. No charms, little physical activity. That was what their party members had agreed on.
Anon sighed and closed the grimoire. She carried it easily like a thin sheet of paper, something that surprised her, considering how mildly thick the book was. An enchantment must have been placed on it.
Chisato-san really gave me something so valuable…
She placed it in the middle shelf, where there were very few books lined up. It was the part of the shelf where she put the books she actively read or went back to.
“In a week for sure! I’ll get back to you.” Anon nodded, contented having put the grimoire somewhere she would easily remember.
And then, out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed a set of blank canvases leaning against the lower part of the shelf, and a folded easel stand. She sat on the floor and inspected each of them.
“Wow… I’ve been so busy with the party last year that I forgot about these. They still got covers, too.” The plastic crinkled as Anon removed the plastic wrapping.
A sense of nostalgia hit her. Back in middle school, she would always paint or sketch whenever loneliness hit her, or when she had a lot to think about. Back then, her days were filled with school work and council activities, swordsmanship, and keeping up with the latest trends. Painting, however, was a more subtle thing she does.
“If I had completely given up being in a party last year, I might have turned to painting again instead of solo missions during that time last year,” Anon whispered, wiping the dust off the canvas on her hand.
“Hmm… Maybe I should paint again?”
She stood and unfolded the easel; the wooden frame clicked open as she set the blank canvas on it.
“Alright, let’s see what I have here and what stuff I need to buy tomorrow.”
***
Her room was filled with the scent of lavender, laced with the faint tang of acrylic paint. The ventilation system hummed softly to keep the air breathable, but even then, it carried a familiar haze she hadn’t felt in a while.
Anon’s hand also felt strangely foreign when she held the brush again. She’d done some pencil sketches before turning to the canvas, yet hesitation still lingered in her brush strokes.
It’s fine. I don’t need to rush this one anyway.
Her subject was a yellow lily she picked up during her morning jog. She’d kept it in a storage artifact to keep its freshness. She’d picked up quite a few of them, but only took out one of them to use as her subject.
She had wanted to check with Soyo about it. Maybe they could brew something together. Her stroke slowed down as her mind drifted into her memory.
“Soyorin~” Anon called, waiting for Soyo outside her classroom.
“O-Oh, Anon-chan.” Soyo looked surprised, as Anon would expect, since she hadn’t told her beforehand that she would wait for her after class. But she seemed more fidgety than surprised.
“I was thinking if maybe… Just if it’s okay with you. If we could brew a potion today? There’s also something I’d like to check with you.”
“Sorry, Anon-chan.” Soyo gave her that smile. The smile she recognized as the smile Soyo-san gives to everyone else, a polite, subtly forced smile. “We can’t brew together for a while.”
Anon, for a second, couldn’t stop the frown on her lips. She hid it with a bitter smile the moment she realized Soyo caught it.
The brown-haired girl looked from side to side, fingers fiddling together. “T-There’s a complicated potion I’m currently learning to make, and I’d like to focus on it for now,” Soyo explained in what seemed like a rehearsed manner.
Soyo gently added, “I’ll teach you about it once I succeed. We can’t risk a mishap for both of us.”
“A-Ah! Wow. That sounds amazing, Soyorin!” she exclaimed, a little too enthusiastic to sound natural. “Okay, good luck with it!”
“Thank you, Anon-chan. Well then, see you at dinner later.”
Anon’s hand twitched, her brush stroke over a line she wasn’t supposed to touch with the current color.
She had forced a smile and waved goodbye to Soyo then, but the ache it left behind lingered both in her heart and in her hand. And a part of her hated that her voice came too bright…
We could’ve tried to work together to understand that complicated potion…
She even left in a hurry…
She shook her head, refocusing on her canvas. But even as she went on, her recent interactions with Soyo, or the absence of them, resurfaced in her mind.
One instance was during their charms class, which was still, as usual, a joint class with Soyo’s class. But Soyo and Mutsumi went ahead in their classroom. Anon at least got a message from Soyo about it, so she knew they weren’t waiting for her and Tomori. She also didn’t get to sit beside her because Soyo took the aisle seat, with Mutsumi sitting beside her.
The usually exciting charms class felt like a long, boring lecture to her. It didn’t help that they weren’t casting any charms. They were focused on theoretical discussions for the time being before proceeding to the next new charm to learn. She was still slightly distracted by the fact that Soyo was so close, yet she felt so far.
I’m just being dramatic. What’s with me, seriously…
Lunch time was still the usual. Their party ate at Soyo’s lab. They had mostly been talking about how to move forward with the next exam to make up for and what they could improve based on the individual evaluation results.
Taki announced that she may have just discovered her gift and was digging into information about it. She had not shared any details yet and said, “You’ll just find out soon. I’d make it work with our flow,” which they all supported happily.
Anon didn’t find the chance to catch Soyo. And still, she found it reasonable since their party was discussing their plans and preparation for the upcoming exam. She could only steal glances between their conversations.
However, what left a sting on her was the instances when she accidentally met Soyo on campus, and she felt her deliberate avoidance.
There’d be a time when she went to the cafeteria to buy a snack before her next class, and saw Soyo. But before she could approach her, Soyo would suddenly leave as if she had remembered something urgent.
Another instance was when she saw her in the library, searching from shelf to shelf. Anon thought of helping her, so she approached her. But when Soyo noticed her, the girl immediately picked up a book and left before Anon could get close.
Her hand was left in the air, contemplating whether to call Soyo. She couldn’t yell either, since it was the library. And she was just left there, defeated and wondering…
Soyo sometimes didn’t eat dinner with them at all. She only texted Anon that she’d be locking herself in her lab to work on that complicated potion.
She’d end her message with something like, “Make sure to eat with our seniors instead. Good night.”
And that was another strange thing for her. Soyo doesn’t take the initiative to invite someone for dinner. She knew the brown-haired girl used to eat alone unless someone invited her. When their seniors at the dorm invited them to join them, she noticed the slight discomfort or hesitation in Soyo’s eyes. She knew that being with others would mean wearing her façade. When it was just the two of them, Soyo could remain herself, the Human Soyorin.
So, being told to invite the seniors Anon gets along with was quite a mystery to her.
Does she want to have a reason to leave in a hurry? Does she not want me to be alone?
Anon wondered bitterly. Because she knew the answer to that. She likes her seniors. Aya, Chisato, and Kanon are their good and caring seniors. However…
“Aya-chan, make sure to set your alarm tonight when we get back. We have a mission tomorrow.”
“Uwaa, you’re right, Chisato-chan, I almost forgot. Thank you!”
One night, Kanon wasn’t there with them because of a party mission. She was only with Aya and Chisato, who at one point seemed to have forgotten that she was there. It’s not like she felt out of place. It just felt like she was invading something that was supposed to be between couples only, as she noticed how the two looked at each other and their subtle touches.
She’s happy for them. She just couldn’t help feeling a little lonely, missing Soyo’s warmth by her side. Chisato’s care for Aya reminded her of Soyo’s.
Tender loving Soyorin…
Anon rested her back on her chair. It was hard to deny how things looked now that she started hesitating to approach Soyo around campus, or even in the dorm hallway.
Was she really avoiding me? Have my feelings become a burden to her?
But maybe, she just needed time…
She bit her lip; an ache lurked inside her chest. Her hand tightened on her brush that had gone dry from being suspended in the air for a long time.
The yellow lily on her canvas was the only one left without finishing touches. She needed to add more to make its yellowness stand out.
Does it really need to sparkle, though?
***
The cool night air didn’t feel strange against her skin. What felt strange, however, was running alone at night on campus. As their dorm officer, Chisato permitted Anon to stay out for an hour past the 9 p.m. curfew.
She wanted some fresh air. Her painting was nearly done, but she hadn’t finished it yet. She wanted to let it breathe a little more, maybe herself, too, before adding the final touches.
She focused back on the lighted path, careful with every jog. It was a nice change of pace to run under the moonlight.
Tomorin must be watching the stars by now. Maybe even with Hina-san, or Kokoro-san.
Hikawa Hina, another sixth-year senior, lives in the Western dorms like Tomori. She was in the same party as Aya and Chisato. Tsurumaki Kokoro, a fifth-year student and daughter of the headmistress, also lived there and was in the same party as Kanon.
Tomori had grown close to the two seniors because of their shared interest in stargazing. When Anon first met them, she’d worried for Tomori because both had the same level of chaotic energy. But when she joined them one evening, she’d felt at ease watching her friend get along with other people outside their party.
Soyorin and Rikki were the most worried ones, though. What are they, Tomorin’s parents?
A small laugh escaped her. It wasn’t such an odd thought. Soyo and Taki were both like the parental figures in their group, with Taki being the caring but strict one, and Soyo, subtly gentle beneath her indifferent air.
Taki’s strictness had pushed her to improve, while Soyo had been her No-Quitting Alliance partner, the one she’d made that promise with, to never quit.
It had been nearly a year since she’d made that promise. Back then, Soyo had just returned to their party and couldn’t quite meet their eyes yet. Anon had seen her guilt hidden beneath the sharpness of her words.
Is she acting out on her belief that she is undeserving, now?
She really thought that everything was going well between them. Just before the exam, Soyo had softened and become more open to her feelings. But lately, she’d begun to feel out of reach again.
And Anon didn’t know why. It didn’t feel like she was being treated as a burden… not exactly.
As she went on the pavement, she had reached the northern buildings. One such reminder to her was the water fountain with mana stones stuck on each snake figure in the middle of it. A few benches surrounded it.
The place always carried that autumn memory with it.
For the second time last year, Anon had found herself at a standstill there. The first was during the early days of their party, when Tomori had taken her hand and saved her from despair. They both had reaffirmed their resolve to move forward, even while they were still lost.
The second was here, face-to-face with a middle school friend.
The non-magic wielders studied in one of the reserved dorm buildings on the north side, and her old friend was among them. They were people not born with mana reserves, unable to use magic by nature but capable of handling mana stone, a skill valued beyond the academy walls.
She slowed her pace until she stopped. The faint splash of the fountain pulled her back.
“Chihaya?”
She had recognized the voice right away, and the manner in which she was called, still polite and full of respect. Anon hesitantly turned to face her friend.
“It really is you Chihaya, right? You’ve enrolled here?”
Anon’s throat dried up. The words caught inside her.
“I…uhh.” Her knees felt weak. “Y-Yes, t-that’s right.” Her heart was pounding so hard it deafened her own thoughts.
“What happened abroad? Weren’t you going to stay there until graduation?”
Her middle-school friend stepped closer, and Anon wanted to run again. The same fear gripped her as before. Last time, Tomori had taken her hand and pulled her away. But this time, even as she wanted to flee, something in her kept her rooted. Not from fear, but because she wanted to face her friend at last.
“I-I’m here now… a ha ha…” she let out a weak laugh, tangled in thoughts she couldn’t say aloud.
She felt her strength wasn’t enough yet. It would be just an excuse if she said it was because she wasn’t prepared. In fact, no one could ever be prepared to face what they were running away from, right?
“Anon-chan?”
Soyo’s curious voice came, like a bridge leading her away from the edge she was standing on. She looked like she had just come from the Northern dorm building.
“Chihaya, do you know her?”
Soyo glanced between them, assessing the scene. Soyo was still indifferent to her then, or at least just not someone who pried into her personal life. The No-Quitting Alliance still felt one-sided, a promise Anon clung to and something Soyo probably only felt obliged to uphold. Anon knew that Soyo would rather go on her way than get involved in her personal matters.
But Anon reached out for that bridge. She walked towards Soyo and held her hand.
Soyo twitched a little, showing no surprise on her face, but only in the hand Anon took. Soyo didn’t pull away, at least, and Anon was grateful for that.
“Y-Yes,” Anon managed to say. She momentarily glanced at Soyo, then at the ground.
Please don’t leave me here.
Soyo was not a mind reader. And she had every right to leave them alone and not bother herself with the situation. And yet, Soyo stepped in anyway, slipping into her calm, polite mask.
“That’s right. Anon-chan and I are in the same party. And speaking of which—” Soyo smiled at the friend before looking back at her. “Anon-chan, we need to hurry. The others are waiting to discuss our mission strategy.”
Anon nodded, still stunned by her intervention. Her friend only stared as Soyo led her away.
They walked in silence until they reached the patio outside their dorm. Anon hadn’t realized how long they’d been walking until her legs began to ache.
“How long do you plan on holding my hand, Anon-chan?” Soyo asked as they reached a bench.
Anon blinked, only then realizing how tightly she’d been holding on. The panic had faded, replaced by warmth, Soyo’s quiet acceptance.
“U-Umm…” she muttered.
“Okay…” Soyo sighed. “Just for a little bit longer.”
She sat, letting their joined hands hang in the air while Anon stood beside her.
“Thank you, Soyorin,” Anon whispered…
Anon smiled at the memory of Soyo’s warmth that day. She crouched beside the fountain and brushed her fingers over the water’s surface. The ripples shimmered under her touch as she gathered a small handful. For the first time in a while, she let her mana flow into a charm, freezing the droplets into a tiny butterfly of ice. With careful control, she made it flutter in slow circles before her eyes.
Aah… ice charms are really beautiful.
Tomorrow, their training would finally resume. Two weeks remained before the team evaluation. This time, she felt ready. Their movements were sharper, their rhythm smoother. They weren’t just the same E-ranked party anymore.
She dipped her hand back into the water, watching the butterfly melt into tiny shards. Even so, she couldn’t shake off the thought of Soyo. Something about her recent distance felt connected to what happened during the last exam. Raana and she had qualified for B-rank then, while Taki and Soyo had been placed in C. Even Tomori had done well enough for C-rank. But Soyo… she’d looked quietly devastated afterwards.
Anon exhaled slowly.
It wasn’t because of the result. Soyo was never that competitive.
Maybe it was about time she took a step. She could understand if Soyo wanted distance, but at least, she liked to know what was going on, because it didn’t seem like Soyo wanted to cut her off completely. There was still warmth when those greyish-blue eyes met hers. Anon wasn’t a hopeless case.
Soyorin…
Anon breathed out and cast a wind charm to dry her hands. Last year, she’d chased after Soyo until the girl finally stopped and listened. Maybe this time, it wouldn’t be wrong to try asking her again. The situation was different now, after all.
***
Anon stared blankly at her unfinished yellow lily. She had painted details of nature as its background, and yet her primary subject remained lifeless. And she still didn’t feel like completing it yet. Her mind was on her resolve to approach Soyo. And yet it wavered.
First attempt was a failure.
Her nerves were frayed all day. With only general lectures and no joint classes, she had three chances, lunch, training, and dinner.
During lunch, their party had gone on with the usual discussion and their training menu for the day. Anon was almost staring at Soyo the whole time, instead of just stealing glances.
Can we talk… I just need to tell her that. How hard could it be?
“Ano-chan?”
Soyorin, let’s talk.
“Ano-chan?”
Come on. Look at me. Notice me.
“Anon!” Taki’s sharp voice rang out, startling her. Anon almost dropped her spoon.
“Yes, I’m here!”
Taki glared at her, leaning in. “Ha? What are you talking about? You weren’t listening at all! Tomori has been calling you.”
Heat rushed to Anon’s face. She finally caught Soyo looking at her, hand midair, holding her spoon. But so was everyone else.
“I-I’m sorry… What is it Tomorin?” she stammered, cheeks burning.
“No, it’s fine. I was just wondering if you’re okay. You haven’t really eaten much.”
Soyo and Raana went back to eating, while Taki was still glaring at her.
“Ah… haha,” came her forced laugh. “Y-Yes, I’m fine. I was just thinking…” she rubbed her chin, thinking of an excuse.
“That better be for our training session, or else our session later would be all of us against you,” Taki dared.
“O-Of course it was for our training later!” Anon exclaimed, finally taking a spoonful of her lunchbox. She chewed her food slowly, buying herself time to think. Then, one glance again at Soyo gave her an idea.
“I was thinking if maybe we could ask Mutsumi-chan, or maybe Yahata-san and Nyamuchi to spar with us later,” she finally said after swallowing her food. Her spoon clinked on her plate as she continued, “For example, Mutsumi-chan could use her gift, copy magic, to use Tomorin’s rune summon. Then we can all rally against a golem or a High Orc.”
Her idea seemed to resonate with her party members, as they all fell silent in thought. Even she was surprised by herself. Because that way, Tomori would be able to fight with them like how they do it with dungeon missions.
It should’ve made her happy. But as Soyo began typing away on her phone, checking Mutsumi’s availability, a faint hollowness tugged at her chest.
But she couldn’t really blame her. Mutsumi and her party usually have a fully packed schedule after class, so they had to check with her early.
Ugh… smart, yet an idiot… an idiot for her.
If glances could count as courage, she’d have talked to her a hundred times already.
The afternoon classes passed by in a blur. Anon could barely focus, her mind looping the same thought— how to approach Soyo. However…
“Anon, behind you!” Taki’s voice rang out.
Anon cast a shield charm behind her in response. The sound of steel vibrated as it bounced off her shield. She spun around and thrust her sword into its iron chest.
“Thanks, Rikki!”
Mutsumi had agreed to help, bringing along another party member, Misumi Uika. Uika was also like Tomori, who focuses on rune magic. And right now, they were fighting an army of human-sized iron warriors.
While Tomori usually summoned huge creatures, Uika’s were usually peculiar creatures, and human in size. One of her signature summonses was the undead. Uika could summon up to twenty of them at a time.
From what Anon understands, Uika and Tomori worked together to write the runes for the iron warrior army. It was a combination of the qualities of Tomori’s iron warrior and Uika’s undead army. Then, Mutsumi used her Copy magic to also summon them. Now, they’re facing a total of forty undead iron warriors.
Anon’s thrust left a crack on its chestplate, but these things wouldn’t go down that easily.
Anon and Taki were fighting front as usual, buying time for Tomori and Soyo to cast their powerful charms. Raana, well… when Anon looked for her, she could barely follow her quick movements. Raana danced between them, daggers flashing with each spin.
Raana wasn’t exactly exchanging slashes with them. She was damaging them part by part, which wasn’t really bad. It’s one way to finish them. Destroy each part of their body.
On the other hand, Taki also didn’t aim to finish them right away. She had been exchanging blows with them, but not fatally damaging them. It was as if she were using them as a punching bag and exhausting herself.
They changed the original plan of rallying together to fight a gigantic creature. Instead, Taki suggested that they use the opportunity to focus on things they wanted to improve in themselves. For Taki, she said it had something to do with her gift. For Raana, she wanted to try to mix stealth with her agile movements. No wonder she could afford to play with them.
Anon tried to focus. The whole field was drowning in mana. Uika’s control on her summons, Mutsumi’s mimicry, and even Tomori’s offensive charms. She could still use her gift the way she always did, sensing mana and raising a shield before an attack landed. But that was all. If only she could trace it back, not just feel where the flow was going, but where it began. That was what she wanted to learn next.
Back in her individual evaluation, she wouldn’t have had to use an explosion charm if only she could have traced back exactly where the artifacts were. She could’ve just destroyed them one by one instead of wrecking the room.
She reflected on it after Miss Aoyama discussed her result. She qualified for rank B because of her attitude and composure during the exam, but if she considered it in a setting where she couldn’t afford to be reckless, explosive charms wouldn’t do.
So, this time, she wanted precision, not destruction. However, her mind drifted between stopping the iron warriors from reaching their ranged attackers and finding a chance to talk to Soyo.
Ugh… Anon internally groaned, frustrated. At this rate, she wouldn’t find either.
Soyo was helping Tomori with ranged offensive charms, particularly for wind-based ones. Tomori had asked for Soyo’s help in precision and mana control. She wanted to be an effective attacker for situations where she couldn’t rely on her rune magic. Apparently, she faced flow disrupting artifacts during her exam that made it difficult for her to control her rune summoned creatures.
Haa… Focus, Anon. After our training session, approach her.
With her mind back on track, Anon took a deep breath and gripped her sword. She got herself into the rhythm of exchanging slashes with the iron warriors. She didn’t have to look out for her teammates. They’d told her not to shield them this time.
Then, I can focus on my mana detection.
She ran her hand on the blade of her sword as she slashed through the air, blocking a strike to her head. Her sword flared a vibrant blue light. Anon pushed the iron warrior’s sword away from her head while blocking all the other attacks with her shield charm.
Within seconds, the steel softened, lighting up with heat. But the mindless warrior only continued to duel with her in force. Anon took this chance to see what she could trace if she focused her detection on a single subject.
Shutting off her full range mana detection, she singled it out to the iron warrior in front of her. The mana within it carried a faint, grainy warmth, a tone she thought she might have sensed before.
Could it be Uika-chan’s?
Her enchanted cuff glimmered as she raised her hand with a knockback charm directed at the iron warrior. She saw the string of mana recoil before the body even moved. Watching it closely made it seem like the world had slowed down. The world blurred around her; only the iron warrior’s mana remained sharp in her vision.
And then, the strings of mana crawled towards her again, half a second later, followed by the physical body. She kept her focus on it, manually avoiding each strike while moving forward.
Anon seized the timing when she got close enough and thrust into its steel chestplate. She then intensified her reinforcement, engulfing the iron warrior with blue flame. She saw the strings of mana snap and disappear as the warrior burned and melted.
Only then did she finally let go of her focus. Her breath caught; her knees nearly gave out. She steadied herself, the edges of her vision trembling. Her shield charm was starting to falter. Good thing her reinforcement charm was still active, but there should only be a few minutes left before the effect wore off.
Anon was ready to counter the next strike coming for her when a gentle wind restrained her arms to her body, causing her to drop her sword.
Binding charm?
She realized, with her single target destroyed, so was her mana detection. The sudden pull caught her completely off guard. The next thing she knew, she was lifted in the air, her whole body being pulled away from the iron warriors, until she was carefully landed on the ground between Tomori and Soyo.
“W-Wha?” Anon gasped in surprise.
“Ano-chan, are you okay?” Tomori asked, deactivating the wind charms on Anon.
Out of the corner of her eye, Anon caught Soyo lowering her wand, the faint glow of her charm fading.
“Nice control, Tomori-chan,” Soyo praised, glancing at Tomori, then a glare at her.
Soyo’s wand glowed again, followed by successive charm activation.
“Soyo-chan told me to pull you here, Ano-chan,” Tomori explained, crouching in front of her.
Anon just nodded, still processing the situation.
Pull me…
“You just did something there, didn’t you…” Soyo said, eyes still on the oncoming iron warriors before glancing at her again. “Take a break.”
Anon felt chills run down her spine when Soyo gave her another sharp gaze.
“I’ll also go back to help everyone. Just rest there for a while, Ano-chan.”
“Hmm. Okay.”
Tomori stood up and raised her wand, joining Soyo.
Anon plopped herself on the ground, slowly catching her breath. She was still surprised by what she’d done. It felt like her mana had flowed through all her senses while her focus narrowed to a single target. She didn’t notice how much energy she’d spent or the impact it had on her body until it was over.
The fatigue was definitely from how much my body tried to keep up with my mind. For my mana… hmm.
She was just tired. But her mana was still fine. Low, yes, but not near mana depletion. She wanted to try it again, what she had done earlier, hyper-focusing on one target and letting all her senses perceive the mana.
Anon exhaled, clutching the ground. She activated her mana detection again, wide-scale at first, then closed her eyes and cleared her mind.
This time, she did it slowly. Mana flowed all over her body, reaching her senses one by one. Then she opened her eyes and focused on Soyo.
She knew how Soyo’s mana felt. A quiet, steady warmth she could almost recognize by instinct. She had seen hints of its muted yellow before, but never this clearly. Back then, the color would flicker and fade before she could be sure it was hers.
Now, as she watched, that faint hue gathered and bloomed. The warm energy flowed from Soyo’s body to her wand, breaking into thin, luminous threads before forming charms in midair.
Anon’s breath caught. Seeing it this way, visible, certain, unmistakably Soyo’s, made her chest feel strangely light.
It was filled with more emotion than usual, as if Soyo was pouring her pent-up feelings into every charm.
It’s beautiful. But…
What could be hidden underneath those feelings for her mana to bloom like that?
The noise of the battle dulled into background static; only her and Soyo’s light remained.
Anon found herself mesmerized again. Soyo’s precision, mixed with that emotion-filled magic, made her mana bloom like soft fireworks in the air. Anon’s chest tightened at the sight, her hand trembling faintly with leftover mana.
Compared to Uika’s faint sand-colored mana, Soyo’s muted yellow was soft and steady, yet alive.
She caught herself wishing she could understand Soyo’s mind just as clearly.
Her focus almost broke when Soyo glanced. She flicked her wand towards her, sending yellow threads of mana flying in her direction. The warmth of Soyo’s energy contrasted with the cooling wind charm that surrounded her.
Anon’s heart pounded at the sight, her body quivering under the overwhelming sensation.
“Just rest there,” Soyo said firmly.
It almost sounded like a warning, if not for the warmth of her mana that revealed just a hint of feeling.
How does she know I’m doing something…
Anon released her mana detection. She could feel herself nearing depletion if she continued any longer. She did not want to collapse and cause anyone unnecessary worry.
A little after thirty minutes, the four had finished destroying every single one of the iron warriors. Taki and Raana wouldn’t have stopped if not for Soyo and Tomori changing their wind charms to fire charms.
“I was getting there,” Taki complained, nearly panting, hands on her knees.
Rikki really made a punching bag out of them…
Raana was breathless as well, wiping sweat on her face with her arm. She had a satisfied smile, the kind that said she still wanted more.
“Tell us that without sweating buckets,” Soyo reprimanded, glaring at Taki, then glancing towards Mutsumi and Uika. “Also, the two need to rest as well.”
Uika smiled and nodded. “That’s right.” Her tone softened. “But that was amazing. It was a practice for us, too.”
Mutsumi gave a quiet hum of agreement, lowering her wand.
“Thank you, Soyo-chan. I feel like my accuracy improved!” Tomori said, her voice bright but tired.
Soyo’s lips curved into a small smile. “You’re welcome, Tomori-chan. You did great.”
Anon also felt proud of Tomori’s improvement. She was already strong with her rune magic and artifact expertise. What more once she mastered more offensive charms? She might even be able to combine them with the creatures she summons.
“Thank you, everyone!” Tomori added, eyes mostly on Mutsumi and Uika.
As Tomori spoke, they all bowed in return. One by one, they began deactivating the barriers surrounding them, the flicker fading away. The mana that once charged the air began to settle, the tension with it.
Watching them, Anon realized their practice was over. The tension in her shoulders loosened as she leaned back against the ground, catching her breath. A faint ache pulsed in her arms, but it was the good kind, proof that she’d given her all.
She stood up as everyone started packing their things. Soyo glanced at her briefly before turning away, already tending to her things.
Anon clenched her jaw and picked up her discarded sword.
It’s time.
Even if she was tired, she had to ask Soyo. She took a deep breath, everyone’s chatter fading in the background.
I can do this.
But when she finally stepped forward, Soyo was already walking to Taki with a teasing grin. “Taki-chan.”
Taki grunted. “I know. I didn’t forget. Let’s go.”
“Good then. I expect nothing less.”
Anon’s hand fell back to her side. The moment had slipped away again before she could even open her mouth.
Second attempt failed.
I’m not giving up, Soyorin!
She tried to hype herself again, but by the time the night came, her motivation had reached nearly rock bottom when she received Soyo’s text message.
“I won’t join dinner tonight. I already ate. Make sure you eat too, Anon-chan.”
Ugh… Soyorin. Tender loving Soyorin…
The third attempt failed before it even started. But what could she even do if it was the universe keeping them away from each other?
She showed up in the dorm’s cafeteria only to get food and let her seniors know she would be eating in her room instead. Realizing she hadn’t responded to Soyo’s message earlier, she sent a picture of her finished plate instead, saying, “Just finished dinner.”
After a few seconds, she thought that sounded too distant, so she sent a follow-up message.
“Hope you have a good night, Soyorin~”
Ugh… Now that sounded like a girlfriend…
Girlfriend…
Girlfriend?!
Anon smacked her forehead out of the thought.
I’m so stupid. I have no time for my silly jokes. I need to talk to Soyorin. Aaaah, what do I do?
Her eyes fell on the unfinished canvas in her room. The yellow lily was still missing some colors. Was that what she looked like now? A half-finished thing waiting for someone else’s warmth to bloom?
She clenched both her hands. The thought was frustrating, but even more frustrating if she just let herself get defeated here.
Chihaya Anon won’t give up here. I can do this.
The next day came, and Anon still stumbled on her attempts. Lunch was the same, with their party planning what to do for their afternoon training, since Mutsumi and Uika won’t be able to join them again. She could not sneak a chance there.
But she was more decisive by the afternoon. She focused properly on their training, which was three on two, Tomori and Taki, against Soyo, Raana, and her. Soyo only fought with her naginata. She told everyone that she wouldn’t use charms for the day.
Once they were done, Anon hurriedly packed her things and went straight to Soyo.
“A-Ah, Soyorin…” Her heart raced as she took a step closer.
It was strange how, in such a short time, the distance that had formed between them had made it so nerve-wrecking to approach the person she wanted to be closest to the most.
“C-Can we… talk?”
Anon finally got the words out of her mouth. And in that moment, she hoped it would finally bridge the gap the distance had created between them.