"Henceforth, to the graduating students, I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors, and to the students who shall return for the next academic year, the doors of our academy shall always stay open for you until the day you too will no longer require our guidance and are finally ready the world beyond Therion Academy's walls," Hugo stood on the podium of the academy auditorium as he finished his speech.
"On that note, until we meet again," he offered a gracious bow, the students and staff present showering him with thunderous handclaps.
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"Agh… Aaaagh… Haa…" Shaw stretched out languidly, his shoulder dropping immediately after.
"Hey, hey, handsome!" Mia approached him. "Was the dean's speech really that boring for ya? What a bad boy you are~"
"Your words, not mine," Shaw retorted dryly.
"Mmhm… 60 points at best," Mia looked at him unimpressively.
"So that's all I get, huh?" Shaw's shoulders dropped further, his tilting head following the motion.
"Better luck next time," Mia said before giving Shaw an unexpected peck on the cheek.
Shaw's eyes popped wide open as his brain crashed.
"Uwa… aaa… uuu…"
'Kyaaa~! So cute! It's decided. I'm never letting anyone steal him from me,' Mia thought as she enjoyed Shaw's complete inability to form any words.
"Okay, let's go!" Mia pulled Shaw by the hand which finally brought him back to his senses.
'I… I really can't win against her.'
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The next day, cars and buses were in abundance on the academy grounds as they picked up the students who were now leaving Therion Academy to return to their homes for the long holidays.
Watching from the windows of his office, a calm yet unyielding glint harbored Hugo's gaze as he stood with hands clasped behind his back.
"I would have wished for these events to not cause any harm to the students, but it would seem…" Hugo's eyes focused into the distance, picking up on a subtle aura close to the main building.
"Hmm?" at the same time from where his general gaze was focused, a hooded individual released a sigh. "Busted already, huh? Sheesh."
"Well, it's a little earlier than expected and there are still people around," the wind swayed away the individual's hood, revealing the layered deep-blonde hair of the browned-eyed young man who wore his simple brown, leather jacket with a white T-shirt underneath, deep blue-jeans and brown timberland shoes. "But I guess I've got no choice now."
While the young man in question scrummaged through the pocket of his hooded jacket to bring out what seemed to be a crystal-like cube pulsing with an eerie purple light, Hugo, still in his office, took his cane and tapped it on the ground at the same time the cube got crushed into pieces.
"Too bad," the young man muttered as cracks appeared in the sky suddenly. "It's been a long while since I was here, so I kinda wanted to look around a little more."
As the air got immediately thick with energy, everyone felt the shift in it as the celestial cracks shattered instantly, letting way to a portal while the ground shifted beneath one's feet and the once blue sky starting to veil itself in red, all eyes now directed above.
"A-a-a Vanishing Point!" someone yelled out as panic peaked instantly.
With no warning at an incredible rate, a giant magical circle encompassing the entire academy appeared.
"Huh? What the…?" the blonde-haired young-man's vision darted around him. "You're kidding me, right?"
All the while, across the different areas of the campus, people questioned what was going on.
"What the hell's happening?!" Shaw questioned, completely alarmed as light engulfed him.
"You rotten old man!" Isabella's voice cursed in another location of the academy as she also got engulfed in light alongside everyone on compound.
As the entire academy got consumed in blinding light, everyone's forms vanished within it.
"Ouch. My eyes," the young man's vision returned as the light faded, the academy had become utterly silent.
Vines encircled the buildings, masses of wild vegetation could be found everywhere, and the sky was now a deep sea of crimson red.
"Now there will not be any unfortunate casualties," a voice came from behind the young man who immediately leaped forward, now facing Hugo who didn't waste a moment.
A pure white magic circle appeared beneath the young man.
With a single flick of the hand, scorching light started building up from the circle.
<…Plasma Strike>
A pillar of light beamed from the ground up to the sky, consuming the young man's entire body.
"…" Hugo observed silently as his gaze went up.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!"
Hugo's eyes sharpened as the voice yelled out, his spell slowly compressing into the young man's hands, disappearing instantly as a clap echoed.
"Geez…" the joined hands of the boy separated themselves, smoke slightly emerging from his palms as a dark yellow aura started emanating from him. "Guess I can't take this easy, huh?"
A shockwave shook wide from where the young man's body previously was in the sky.
Hugo's eyes widened as his head turned abruptly behind him at the menacing presence.
A fully charged punch came straight at Hugo who, in a split second…
A diamond pillar sprang out from the ground.
"I'm not…" the punch connected with the hard surface, cracking it. "…DONE YET!"
The young man's fist pushed through, the shockwave of the impact sending Hugo flying away who, with precise judgement and action, created a soft cushion of wind as he landed safely on his feet.
"Wheeew~" the young man blew air on his reddened knuckles. "Shit was tough as hell."
"Guess that's to be expected of the great Master Magus, Hugo Hendrickson in the flesh," the young man's posture became relaxed as his hands rested now on his hips. "The strongest and only all-attribute mage of Elderngard."
"Though I would have preferred it to be under other circumstances, it's a pleasure to see you're doing well," Hugo readied himself for battle, his guard up and his aura flaring up like a blaze. "…young Wellberg."
"…" the blonde-haired young man, Frank Wellberg alive in the flesh, remained silent for a brief moment after hearing the old mage's words. "So you knew, huh? No surprise there I guess."
"Huu…" Frank released a short breath, every pore of his now battle-ready state oozing with bloodlust. "Hope you're ready for round two… old man."