Power.
Frankly, no one wants less of it; if power is offered to a person, the non-foolish ones will always accept it without hesitation. However, power always comes with sacrifice, and this is where one would hesitate.
Questions like 'Is it worth it?' would be asked. Nowadays, people might be reluctant to seek power, perhaps due to the ideas projected onto us, or maybe it's the responsibility that comes with power.
Who knows?
I, for one, didn't hesitate, not because I had a thriving personality, but because I had no other choice.
In my life, I've always sought power to survive, and I wondered how I would behave if that weren't the case, would I still seek power?
I pondered this question as I rode the bus to school, bobbing and weaving in my seat. As I idly looked out of the window and watched the city change, the bus picked up more and more passengers.
Most of them were young, wearing high school uniforms with the duel function emblazoned on their chests.
The duel function is one of the systems this school has in place to ensure the safety of its students. It creates a separate space. One where magic does not cause physical harm and the duel is settled inside that separate space.
I continued to scan the passengers. There was a frustrated salary worker who looked like the type to have once mistakenly groped someone aboard a crowded bus.
Even with magic, there are still jobs such as office workers, simply because an unorganised society that relied solely on magic would be fated to doom.
Anyway, I was fortunate to have found a seat, but it was still crowded. The weather was especially fine today, not a single cloud in the sky. It was so refreshing that I nearly fell asleep then and there.
However, my gentle respite was promptly obliterated.
"Excuse me, but shouldn't you offer up your seat?"
My eyes, which were about to close, snapped back open.
A young, well-built blond man of high school age had sat down in one of the priority seats. The elderly woman stood right next to him, and another woman stood beside her. This second, younger lady appeared to be an officeworker.
"Hey, you there. Can't you see that this elderly woman is having trouble?" the office lady said.
Realising the situation, I sighed before activating a sound barrier to block outside noises.
Just as I was about to close my eyes again, a girl with long black hair tied in a pink ribbon and bright red eyes gave me a quizzical look.
"How troublesome." I muttered under my breath, it seemed she had noticed that I was using magic in public.
'She is sharp.' I thought to myself.
As I stared at her, our eyes locked for a moment. The girl gave me one last look before returning to her book.
Horikita Suzune's POV:
I looked back at the book I was reading. "Crime and Punishment, how ironic is that? You may be wondering what I am talking about. Just now, a brown-haired boy, who seemed tall even when he was sitting, committed a crime and it went unpunished.
I don't really care if he used magic in public, but there is something that makes the situation bizarre.
Just to give you some context, I'm enrolled at ANHS, one of the most prestigious magic academies in Japan, and the destination of this bus is none other than that school, so naturally most of the passengers would be ANHS students.
These students are supposed to be the elite of Japan, the cream of the crop, but nobody but me noticed that the boy with brown hair used magic.
Bizarre, isn't it?
Perhaps he was gifted in this area? The ability to use magic without being noticed is certainly a talent many would seek.I also have a keen sense of mana. Maybe that's why I was the only one to notice the boy using magic.
'Would my brother notice?' I wondered.
No, that's not important right now. Should I confront the boy? I mean, I have no choice. After all, he had noticed me looking at him. I'm pretty sure he is also quite aware of the fact that I have caught him in the act.
If I pretended that nothing had happened here, he would instinctively be wary of me and might even hinder my school life.
"How troublesome." I muttered to myself. I should make it clear to the boy that I am not interested in his affair.
I don't need any obstacles to prevent me from my goal.
As I got off the bus, I sped up to catch up with the boy.
"Wait!"
The boy who had been staring at the school gate turned towards me, and now I could see him more clearly, he was quite tall, at least six feet tall, his hair styled backward to reveal his sharp facial features, but that was not the only thing that struck me.
The colour of his hair and eyes. Whilst brown-haired men are a common occurrence there was more to it, I could sense a slight mana on his hair, is his hair perhaps dyed?
Why dye your hair brown, don't most people dye their hair to stand out?
And if he did not want to stand out, then why did he style himself in such a way, he is a complete and utter walking contradiction.
I cannot get a read on him just from his appearance.
"How did you do it?" I asked, choosing my words carefully so as not to offend him.
"Do what?" He feigns ignorance. Hearing his voice for the first time, I couldn't help but notice how soft it was.
"You know that thing you did on the bus." Again, my words were carefully chosen so as not to give away the subject of the conversation.
"It's a talent of mine." he said. "More of a skill, I'd be happy to teach you if you're interested." the boy offered.
Skill huh?
"I will consider it. In any case, I have no intention of reporting you." I made myself clear.
"I know you would have called me out on the bus if that was the case." Quite prescriptive.
"I guess you are right. Well, that's all from me." Deciding that there was no point in continuing the conversation so I ended it on the spot, the boy gave me a sullen look before walking away.
'What's up with that?' I thought to myself.
Just as I was about to forget this interaction, the boy's purple eyes flashed across my mind.
His eyes were beautiful but empty.
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka pov:
I disliked the entrance ceremony and imagined that many first-year students probably felt the same. The principal and the students exchanged excessive words of gratitude, there was far too much time spent standing in lines, and, with so many irritating things to deal with, it all felt like a huge pain in the butt. But those weren't my only complaints. The entrance ceremonies for elementary school, junior high, and high school all mean the same thing: the start of another major trial for children.
I made my way to class, I walked toward the seat that bore my nameplate. It was at the back of the room, near the window. A good place to sit, generally. As I looked around, I saw that the room was already halfway filled with students. The others were either immersed in their class materials or already talking with other people.
I closed my eyes and leaned back in my seat before uttering a single word in a gentle tone.
"Weak." I muttered to myself. Hardly any of them are strong enough to be considered full-fledged magicians, so it is interesting to see how these students got into such a prestigious school.
The same cannot be said for a couple of people. One of them was the same girl from the morning meeting, and she also happened to be sitting in the seat next to me. The seat was marked with "Horikita".
There were a couple of things that stood out about her: firstly, her confident stride through the classroom; secondly, the ice mana particles flowing around her—no, dancing would be a more appropriate word.
A mage's affinity is determined by the mana particles flowing around them. For example, I have two elemental particles floating around me: Wind and Earth. However having ice mana particles is evidence of you being a Deviant, a stage most mages dream of.
Generally speaking, there are four elements: fire, water, wind and earth. To become a Deviant, one must be able to manipulate the higher form of these elements, with ice being a higher form of water.
'She is not half bad.' I thought to myself.
All of a sudden, my attention was drawn to the boy who had just entered the classroom. "This seems to be a pretty well-equipped classroom. It would appear to live up to people's expectations, hmm?" Yes. The boy who'd argued with that women on the bus.
He's different from the others, though I can't get a good read on how strong he is because he's suppressing his mana. I wonder if I could do it if I were to transfer to my original form.
Not that I was going to do that.
Without seeming to notice my presence, he walked over to the seat marked "Kouenji" and sat down. At that moment, I could see the particles around him.
"Quadra-Elemental, huh." I said nonchalantly.
"You said something?" It seems that my neighbour heard me.
"The boy with blonde hair from the early bus encounter is quadra elemental mage." As Horikita's gaze shifted from the boy to me, her eyes widened in sudden astonishment. It was as if she had been taken by surprise by some unforeseen revelation, her expression frozen in a mixture of surprise and disbelief.
"How... how do you know?" she stammered, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
I met her gaze directly before replying, "I can sense the mana particles surrounding individuals. In your case, there are ice mana particles and water. As for Kouenji, there are four elements, including ice and light."
Horikita's astonishment seemed to deepen with my explanation. "Ice and light as well?" she gasped, obviously taken aback by the revelation.
I nodded, acknowledging her astonishment. "You find my claim credible?" I asked, curious to gauge her reaction.
"Well, what you said about me is true, and it's unlikely to be a mere coincidence." she admitted, her tone indicating a newfound appreciation for my insight. "But to think a quadra elemental mage." she added.
As the significance of my observation sank in, Horikita and I shared a knowing glance, silently acknowledging the individual known as Kouenji.
The first bell rang. At that precise moment, a woman entered the classroom. When I first saw her, my initial impression was that she firmly believed in discipline. If I had to guess, I would have placed her age at thirty. She wore a suit and had delicate features. Her hair seemed long, and she'd tied it into a ponytail.
"Ahem. Good morning to you, students. I'm the instructor for Class D. My name is Chabashira Sae. I usually teach Magic theory. However, at this school, we do not change classrooms for each grade. For the next three years, I will be acting as your homeroom teacher, so I hope to get to know all of you. It's a pleasure to meet you. The entrance ceremony will be in the gymnasium one hour from now, but first, I will distribute written materials with information about this school's special rules. I will also hand out the admissions guide."
The students in the front seats passed back the familiar documents I'd received after being accepted.
This school differed from the multitude of other Japanese high schools in a few key ways. Here, all students were required to live in dormitories located on school premises. Also, except for special cases, such as dungeon raids, students were forbidden to contact anyone outside the school. Even contact with your immediate family was forbidden without authorization. Naturally, leaving school grounds without permission was also strictly forbidden.
However, the campus also came equipped with many excellent facilities. With its own karaoke spot, theatre, café, boutique, and more, you could easily compare this school to a small city. The campus spread over more than 600,000 square meters.
This school boasted another unique feature: the S System.
"I will now hand out your student ID cards. By using your card, you can access any of the facilities on campus, purchase goods from the store, and so on. It acts like a credit card. However, it is imperative that you pay attention to the points that you spend. At this school, you can use your points to buy anything. Anything located on the school premises is available for purchase."
Our points, loaded onto our student ID cards, acted as a kind of currency. The lack of paper money would prevent many students' financial troubles. However, students needed to keep a watchful eye on their spending habits. At any rate, the school provided these points free of charge.
"Your student cards can be used simply by swiping them through the machine scanner. The method is simple, so you shouldn't get confused. Points are automatically deposited into your account on the first of every month. You should all have received 100,000 points already. Keep in mind that one point is worth one yen. No further explanation should be necessary."
The classroom erupted.
In other words, we had received a 100,000-yen monthly allowance from the school upon admission.
"Shocked by the amount of points you've been given? This school evaluates its students' talents. Everyone here has passed the entrance examination, which itself speaks to your value and potential. The amount you've received reflects the evaluation of your worth. You can use your points without restraint. After graduation, however, all of your points return to the school. Because it's impossible to exchange your points for cash, there's no advantage to saving them. Once points have been deposited into your account, it's up to you how to spend them. Do as you like. In the event that you don't want to spend your points, you may transfer them to someone else. However, extorting money from your peers is not allowed. This school monitors bullying very carefully."
Bewilderment spread among the students.
"Finally, the use of magic within the school or campus is strictly forbidden and will result in expulsion." the newly wealthy students quivered at the mere mention of such a fate, realising the weight of their privilege."You will only be able to use magic within the virtual reality created by the Duel function, which is engraved on the top of your chest."
Chiyabashira-sensei looked over the room.
"Well, it appears no one has any questions. I hope that you enjoy your time here as students."
Many of my classmates could not hide their surprise at the large amount of points.
"Well, what do you think?" A sudden question was thrown at me, and it was none other than my neighbour Horikita.
"Me?" I pointed at myself.
"Who else? you are quite a prescriptive person, so your input on the situation would be of value."
"Oh, thank you." I scratched my head before uttering heavy words. "It's a trap."
"What makes you say so?"
"Well, at the end Chiyabashira-sensei scanned the class and said, 'It seems that no one has any questions.' Instead of asking if anyone has any questions, it is as if she expects us not to-"
"Question the situation."
"Bingo." I exclaimed, slapping my palm lightly. "Or maybe I'm just being overly paranoid, considering I've never been treated like this before." I said with a hint of sarcastic sadness in my tone.
"Couldn't she just be in a hurry?"
"Who knows, I can't read her mind." I shrugged.
An awkward silence fell between us before our attention turned to the state of the class.
"Hey, hey! Do you want to check out a store with me on our way back? Let's do some shopping!" one girl cried.
"Sure. With this much, we can buy anything. I'm so glad I got into this school!" another said.
Once the teacher was gone, the newly rich students began to grow restless.
"Everyone, can you please listen to me for a moment?"
An elf student with the air of an upstanding young man quickly raised his hand. His hair wasn't dyed. He looked like an honours student.
With his polite manners, he fits the stereotype of an elf. It's ironic. How I unintentionally fell into racial prejudice. Elves are often portrayed as being refined and polite, and this boy was no exception to the rule.
So you can't really blame me.
"Starting today, we're all going to be classmates. Therefore, I think it'd be good for us to introduce ourselves and get to know each other as soon as possible. We still have some time until the entrance ceremony. What do you say?"
His friendly demeanour was almost infectious. Despite my reservations, I couldn't help but feel a bit curious about my new classmates. Well, an introduction couldn't hurt, I suppose.
"Agreed! After all, we still don't know a thing about each other, not even our names." someone shouted.
After the ice had broken, the previously hesitant students began to speak.
"My name is Hirata Yousuke. Back in junior high, a lot of people called me Yousuke. Feel free to use my first name! I have an affinity for wind, and my hobbies are sports in general, but I especially like soccer. I'm planning to play football here too. Nice to meet you all!"
Author note: Screw you Americans.
An elf with a wind affinity, nothing out of the ordinary. Since he didn't specify any combat fighting, he probably is a conjurer.
Generally speaking, there are two types of magicians: Augmenters and Conjurers.
Augmenters are magicians who use mana to enhance their physical attributes, giving them extraordinary strength, defence and agility. However, their magical abilities are limited to close combat, leaving them vulnerable to opponents who can engage from a distance. To compensate for this limitation, Augmenters often combine weapons or martial arts into their fighting style, combining their enhanced physical abilities with skilled combat techniques to overcome opponents and maximise their effectiveness in battle.
On the other hand, Conjurers collect mana from their surroundings and draw it into their bodies. They then circulate the mana in their mana core to purify and stabilise it. To control mana, they use tools such as staffs, wands or rings along with specific chants or spells.
Even though Argumenters and Conjurers are the complete opposite, they both have: Mana Core and Mana Cores have different stages.
For example, Hirata's mana core is at the dark yellow stage. Quite respectable considering he is a high school student.
"Well then, I'd like everyone to introduce themselves, starting from the front. Is that okay?" interrupting my thoughts, Hirata urged the introductions to continue.
Although the girl at the head of the class looked a little bewildered, she quickly made up her mind and stood. Or rather, she'd been pressured, in response to Hirata's words.
"M-my name is...Inogashira Ko-Ko..."
The girl, whose last name Inogashira, seemed to freeze during her introduction. Was she drawing a blank, or had she not considered what she was going to say beforehand? As her words halted, she paled. It was rare to see someone get so incredibly nervous.
"Do your best!"
"Don't panic! It's okay!"
Kind words poured out of our classmates. But it seemed to have the opposite effect on the girl; the words stuck in the back of her throat. The silence continued for five seconds. Ten seconds. You could've cut the tension with a knife. Some of the girls started giggling. Inogashira was paralyzed
with fear. She couldn't move a muscle. Another girl spoke up.
"It's okay to go slowly. Don't rush."
Although it might seem kind, saying, "Do your best!" and, "It's okay!" it actually conveys a completely different meaning. To someone who is extremely nervous, "Do your best!" and, "It's okay!" can actually seem forceful, as if indicating she needs to match her classmates. On the other hand, saying, "Just take things slowly. Don't rush," allows her to take things at
her own pace.
After that, the girl calmed down and regained her composure. She took a few small breaths and tried again.
"My name is Inogashira...Kokoro. Um, I'm a water mage. Um, my hobby is sewing. I'm pretty good at knitting. I-It's nice to meet you all."
She was able to finish without stopping. Looking alternately relieved, delighted, and embarrassed, Inogashira sat down. Other introductions followed hers.
The introductions continued and I selectively focused on those that piqued my interest.
There was a girl named Kushida Kikyou, she was a healer, which is quite rare. Her mana core was also of a high level, "solid yellow" to be exact, which is higher than Hirata's.
A mana core is divided into six colours: black, red, orange, yellow, silver and white. One's mana color starts off as black, due to the body's blood and other impurities mixed with the mana particles as they form together into a mana core.
Each level of mana core colour is divided into three shades (dark, solid, and light), except for silver, which is divided into initial, medium, and high, and white core, which has no levels. The lighter the mana core's colour, the purer the mana core.
I should probably concentrate on my introduction, my turn is coming up soon.
"Well then, next up is..."
As Hirata looked encouragingly toward the next student, that student glared back. His hair was dyed a fiery red. He both looked and sounded like a delinquent.
"What, are we a bunch of little kids or something? I don't need to introduce myself. People who want to do that can go ahead. Just leave me out of it."
The red-haired guy scowled at Hirata. He had quite a presence, his attitude intense and overpowering.
"I can't force you to introduce yourself, of course. However, I don't think that getting along with your classmates is a bad thing. If I've made you uncomfortable, I apologize."
When Hirata bowed his head, some of the girls glared at the guy with red hair.
"Isn't it fine to introduce yourself?" one of them snapped.
"Yeah, yeah!"
As I'd expected, the pretty-boy soccer star had captured most of the girls' hearts in the blink of an eye. However, half of the male students started to look angry, probably out of jealousy.
"Shut it. I don't care. I didn't come here to make friends." The guy with red hair got up from his seat. It seemed he had no intention of getting to know anyone. Several other students followed suit and left the classroom together.
I glanced at my seatmate and it seemed she had no intention of leaving.
"You not going to leave?" I asked.
"Hmm?" She looked my way for a second before responding. "I'm waiting for Kouenji's introduction." It wasn't uncommon for students to reveal their magical affinity during introductions. I suppose Horikita was waiting to see if Kouenji would do the same.
"Could we be witnessing love at first sight?" I joked, only to be met with the sternest of stares.
"Sorry..."
Our little interaction is over and the class seems to be progressing with the introductions. The students who remained were happy to continue. In the end, things wrapped up in a rather ordinary fashion.
"I'm Ike Kanji. I love girls, and I hate pretty boys. I'm currently in the market for a new girlfriend. It's nice to meet you! All the better if you're a cutie or a beauty!"
It was difficult to tell if he was joking or not. At the very least, the girls looked at him with revulsion.
"Wow. You are so cool, Ike-kun," one girl said, in a completely emotionless voice. Of course, her statement was 1000 percent false.
"Seriously? Seriously? Oh, man. I mean, I thought that I wasn't bad or anything, but...heh heh."
Apparently, Ike thought that she was being serious. He blushed. Instantly, the girls started to laugh.
"Oh, wow. He's cute, huh, everyone? He's looking for a girlfriend!" Dude, they're making fun of you. Ike continued to jovially go along with the teasing. He didn't seem like a bad guy, though.
Next up was the combative boy from the bus, Kouenji. While inspecting his bangs in a hand mirror, he combed his hair.
"Excuse me, can you introduce yourself?" Hirata asked.
"Hmph. Fine."
He smirked like an aristocrat, displaying his impudent attitude. As he shifted in his seat, I thought he might leave, but Kouenji placed both of his legs on his desk and introduced himself.
"My name is Kouenji Rokusuke. As the sole male heir to the Kouenji conglomerate group, I will soon be tasked with carrying Japan into the future. I sincerely look forward to making your acquaintance, ladies."
He aimed his introduction solely at the opposite sex, rather than the entire class. After hearing that he was rich, some of the girls looked at him with sparkling eyes, while others regarded Kouenji as if he were nothing more than a weirdo. That was only natural.
"Starting today, I will mercilessly punish anyone who makes me uncomfortable. Please exercise proper precaution so that you may avoid that."
"Um, Kouenji-kun. What exactly do you mean when you say, 'anyone who makes me uncomfortable'?" asked Hirata, who looked uneasy at the word "punish."
"I meant exactly what I said. If asked to give an example, well... I would say I hate ugly things, for instance. So, if I saw something ugly, I would do just as I said."
Fwish! He flipped his long, flowing bangs.
"Ah, thank you. I will be careful then."
I looked at Horikita while holding back my laughter at not getting what she expected. She gave me an angry look before gathering her things and swiftly leaving the classroom.
'What a shame.' I thought to myself.
"Well then, time for the next person. Can you please introduce yourself?" Oh well, it seems like it's my turn.
"Sure."
Crack! The chair rattled as I stood up. Ignoring the noise, I began my introduction. "Well, my name is Ayanokōji Kiyotaka. I'm an Augmenter with a bow as my main weapon, and I have an affinity for earth and wind. A pleasure to meet you all." I introduced myself in a gentle tone.
The class gave me a bewildered look, probably because of how gentle my voice sounded.
"I-it's nice to meet you, Ayanokōji-kun. Your voice is really soft." He said, blushing. Wait, blushing?
"Yeah, it's kinda caught me off guard" Someone shouted
I chuckled, trying to play it off, which caused an even wilder reaction from my classmates.
'Well, this is going to be long.' I thought to myself.