The breakfast ends.
My brother switches on the TV to show anything that is coming on it.
The news was talking about Prime Minister Abe issuing a message regarding the adoption of the World Tsunami Awareness Day Resolution by the Second Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. This resolution, supported by Japan. It was also talking about what deals had been made between the prime minister of India and prime minister Abe during his visit to India.
"Sorry to disturb your favorite program. We have some important news!"
The scene on the TV made my stomach go upside down. Footage that was shown on TV was yesterday's destruction.
"We do not know what happened yesterday but the market district in Swayuki city is partially wiped out in an unknown condition. We do know what type of weapon or what phenomenon had caused this scale of destruction. The government is trying to find the cause of it"
In the next scene, the flower shop women and several shop owners are seen. Some are scared, worried or crying from their shops. They were crying or complaining about the loss of their shops and it was the only way of income for them.
"Government had decided that they will pay for the destruction and loss of the people who lost their shops in this unknown time"
Yusuke switches off the TV.
He looked towards me. His eyes are saying that I should be careful while battling. Yes, I can read his expression. Or he is looking at me with pure excitement in this chaos. I cannot read him. He is unpredictable for me. He is neither fake nor speaks the truth. He is the most neutral person I have ever met.
We finished breakfast. I wanna talk to Sraosha on this matter.
'You should go, master and obey Beatrice at school. Please remember me in your mind in the necessary time of danger, master'
I heard her voice in my mind. It was time to go to school.
I cannot stay calm after hearing the news on the TV. What if someone was caught in the destruction.
"I locked the door"
Senpai is already gone. As a member of the football club, senpai usually goes to school earlier than me.
"Do you have any spare keys?"
"Yes. But I am not going to give you that.....your entry in my house was the most unexpected. Imagine a person who gave you warning on when next time we will meet, we will be enemies, is suddenly an ally for unknown reason"
"I do not mind. I have no need for such a thing"
She looked away.
Maybe I am still not used to seeing gestures on the perfect student of our school. This is why I am feeling awkward with her.
"Let's go"
Even though I was walking with Beatrice. My mind wanders off to the senpai. When she left the house, she looked somewhat less cheerless since my brother confirmed that Beatrice will be staying with us. She was dispirited by this.
"I guess.....I have to talk to her"
I mutter to myself. That's right. I have to find an opportunity to explain everything, not everything, to senpai in order to solve this misunderstanding.
The hill road is full of students. It is the time for those students like us who did not join any club to go school. This is the time when the academic studies in the school start.
Everyone was staring at us. It is natural to get odd stares from all the students.
"....."
Beatrice is busy in her thinking. She is lost in deep thinking.
"What's wrong, Beatrice? You've been acting quite weird. No talking and silent walking"
"Huh.....? Am I weird?"
"Yes. Somewhat but it is not deep"
"Everyone is staring at us. Is something wrong with me? That's strange. I was tired but I did my hair and there should not be a wrinkle on my uniform"
"No. This is not the reason. Everyone is staring at you because you are walking with me. Your house is close to the school and you never had come with anyone before. Also, you live in foreign district and I live in tradition district"
"Huh? This is why I am getting those special eyes from all people for such a small thing. I thought I am looking in a bad manner today"
She grins with pride that her reputation is still saved. What type of a girl is she? Yeah. A perfect one, of course. Perfectly humble, too. Stay humble.
We go through the gate, people still staring at us. She is my junior. We will go our different paths after reaching the high school building wing. Her classroom is on the ground floor or the first floor in American English and my classroom is above that floor.
"Nakajima!"
From out of the students. Someone yelled my name. A familiar face came close to me. My brother called him a bug in sperm. Even after not inheriting his family's white hair, he is still one of the handsome students in our school. He is in second year of highschool like me. He is the brother of Senpai. Her younger brother.
"Soji"
I wave at him.
Rather than greeting me like he used to do. Today, he said something different.
"Nakajima, what is happening in your house?!"
"Huh?"
"Sister told me everything. You let Beatrice stay in your house?! Are you gone mad? This is against the rules of school. Letting a female gender sexy girl in your house is a crime"
Like his sister, he is also in a club. He is in the archery club. A prodigy to be said. He is class president too. I used to be in several clubs to experience their styles and teaching and left them. Soji is a great person but a big pervert from heart. Prodigy and a pervert at same time is surely a weird combo.
"It was not me who let her in. My brother done it"
"I know it! I always told you that Beatrice Alighieri is a secret agent from another country who came to spy in our homeland! She seduced your brother and after giving him her body, he allowed her to stay!!"
Did I tell you that Soji kinda hates Beatrice? Why? The reason for hate is simple——English. Soji is a prodigy, smart and handsome dude but every perfect person has one big weakness which no one can guess. For Soji, his weakest subject is English whereas Beatrice's strongest subject is English. Her English is so fluent and better sounding compared to other students of her age and even seniors. This is why she is famous among the teachers. The best way to impress Japanese teachers is by speaking English.
"Good morning, anziano Soji. Sorry for eavesdropping, but that was pretty interesting conversation right there"
"Huh——Bea.....trice? Why are you here?!"
He changed his shocked expression to the one of the so -called class president.
"It's nothing unusual. I am staying over at Kazuya's house. Also, for your information before you start spreading bad rumors about my image. I am 100% pure. Mister Yusuke Nakajima did not had lay a finger on me"
Soji glares at her. I do not remember anything aside from the subject battle which gave hints on why Soji hates her.
The clock strikes. The bell rings. It signals the start of the classes. Our first class is Physics.
Soji stepped back and glared at Beatrice and shook my shoulder.
"Let's go. She is not worth of my time"
He whispered in my ear. I follow him out of the flux of people.
We reached our classroom.
The lessons continue. In Physics, we learned about escape velocity, the minimum speed required for an object to break through the influence of the gravitational force of the Earth.
Next class was Math, the only subject which was taught by a female teacher whereas all our teachers are male. It was the easiest class for us. But the next class is my least favorite one. Chemistry.
"Everyone stand up, good morning sensei!"
Everyone follows the suit of Soji. He is the class president. The teacher was a thin man with pale skin, his nose was a bit longer than any normal person. Long greasy oily black hair that jumped about his face. He is our chemistry teacher. His name is Severus Lawrence. He came from London. Yes, he is not Japanese but an English man, a Britisher. There are some rumors which say that his grandfather used to be goalkeeper of Liverpool in the English football league and his dream was also to be a footballer like his grandfather but for some uncertain circumstances, he did not.
"Mister Nakajima, please stand up"
He called out my name. He is not a very good person from heart. He can be very nasty if he wants. You can say he is a grown up bully who bullies his students.
"Tell me why zinc is colorless?"
"Because his d subshell orbitals are completely filled"
"Now, tell us why a 3d subshell filled with later 4s is filled?"
"I do not know, sir"
"As I expected you do not know since you are more busy being a hot topic over your studies. I heard that Miss Alighieri is coming with you"
As the class continues, it becomes hell for not only me but for everyone.
After class was finished the bell rang to signal the start of lunch.
"Phew. We are still alive after that hard-core lesson. I cannot believe that he want us to learn all the properties of d-block and f-block elements"
Soji complained to me.
"How did he get this job?!"
"True. He hates kids. I cannot believe how our school admitted this person as our teacher. He is rude but knowledgeable at the same time. School sees knowledgeable first over character, I guess. This is how he got this job"
We walked out of the classroom.
"Kazuya"
A feminine voice called out for me. I looked behind. It was Beatrice.
"Meet me on the rooftop. I have an urgent topic to talk on"
"W-what?"
Without any words, she left me. Soji's face is wide open. He cannot believe in his eyes.
"What the hell?!"
"Soji, I think she wants to talk to me about some home stuff or maybe she will give me a rent for staying"
I try to calm him down with my fake words.
After calming him down. I went to the rooftop. The wind opened my eyes. I meet with chill air on my face. The coldness at the rooftop is unbearable.
"For what reason did you call me here?"
"I will get straight to the point"
"Well, of course. It is pretty cold up here. I want this to be quickly over"
She took a deep breath.
"Since you are an inexperienced person in this war without family history. This might be a bit shocked for you but.....there is a field around us"
"Field around us.....what type of field? I mean, we all have gravitational and electromagnetic fields going on"
She put a hand over her face.
"Not those fields. Those are natural phenomena, not magical ones. The field I am talking about is a magical field around us. This field had been set up here for who knows how many days and I noticed right when I entered into the school. It looks like the effect of magic got weakened"
"Hold on. It means that there is an another——"
"Yes, there is another candidate in this school and he might be far stronger than us if he can set up this level of field around us"
"Is this field dangerous for the other people?!"
My relaxed feelings got a bit tense. What is this field made for? Who is the creator of this field? What does this field do? Does it steal blood and meat from inside of the human body? This place would turn into a walking graveyard if this field is dangerous.
She shook her head.
"No. It is not dangerous. This is a presence concealment field. If you try to sense then your sixth sense which allows you see the souls and harm them will get distorted. You cannot see the flow of mana here"
These new words are not making sense to me. Now, we have mana. Sraosha talked about aether and now Beatrice is talking about mana. I am all confused.
"Whoever created this field is coward"
"Why do you think that?"
"He is running away from us and hiding his identity in this war like a rat. A wormtail to be called"
"Maybe he does not want to battle someone whom he is familiar with in school. If he set a field in the school that means he already had sensed our presence. Tell me Beatrice, what happens if this person turns out to be someone who we knew?"
Beatrice starts to think. She is having trouble answering this question. Maybe this is an out of syllabus question for her.
"The thing which is troubling me the most is.....he is using original magic. Original magic is a lost art. It can be learned through inheritance if you belong to an ancient family and even among them, it is a lost art. So, how?!"
She bit her nails.
Originally what? Is there fake and original magic too?! This is getting confusing and complex.
Before I could ask her about it. The bell rings. The end of lunch. I had so many questions but the cold is too much here. I want to go. The classroom is better than this place.
After school ended. I straight up went to the house without thinking about anything. Why am I feeling tired? I want to talk with Sraosha but.....sleep in my body is controlling. I fell on the floor. I do not know what happened next, everything was dark for me.