The morning sunlight crept in through the narrow slits of the palace window, casting golden bars across the stone floor. Birds chirped faintly beyond the courtyard, but inside, all was still.
Kazuo sat up slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. His muscles weren't sore from training — not unless reading for hours counted. Whispers of Water hadn't punched him, but it came close.
His eyes dropped to the edge of the bed. A folded note sat atop his neatly placed boots.
He sighed before even opening it.
Unfolding the slip with one hand, he read aloud:
"Go to the royal library. Again. And take Tetsu with you — for insurance. :D — S."
Kazuo slumped back onto the bed with a groan."Of course."
He crumpled the note half-heartedly and dragged himself to the door beside his chamber. One knock, and the door creaked open on its own — apparently, Tetsu had been awake already.
The spectacled elf blinked up from a desk strewn with half-organized scrolls. "Let me guess," he said flatly. "Library. Again."
Kazuo held up the note. That said everything.
Tetsu adjusted his glasses. "…Does he know your first match is in four days?"
"Right?" Kazuo stepped in, dropping onto a nearby chair with a groan. "Shouldn't I be, I don't know, training with my actual captain? Where even is he?"
Tetsu flipped through a page in his notebook, then sighed. "Probably off doing captain stuff again. He always disappears and leaves cryptic notes behind — typical Setsuna."
He closed the notebook with a quiet snap. "Well… then the library it is."
Kazuo muttered, "At this rate, I'll be the only guy in the tournament with a library card."
Still, he stood and stretched. "Come on. Before I get reported for showing up without you. You need to go sway that bunny librarian again."
On the way there, Kazuo rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well… at least I know which book I'm studying more."
Tetsu, walking beside him, gave a curious glance. "Any spells you found useful?"
Kazuo nodded slowly, his tone casual. "You'll see it in the tournament."
That made Tetsu stop mid-step.
Kazuo took a few more strides before realizing it and turned back.
Tetsu narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, see it in the tournament?"
Before Kazuo could answer, a yawn echoed through the corridor behind them.
Sora appeared mid-step, stretching her arms overhead. Her ears twitched once before settling, and her tail flicked casually as she caught up.
"Morning," she mumbled, rubbing one eye. "Hey… where were you two yesterday?"
Kazuo glanced over, casually tightening the strap on his belt. "Library."
She frowned. "And nobody thought to tell me? Even Setsuna vanished. I was bored out of my mind."
Kazuo shrugged with a faint smirk. "I did tell you. You just waved me off and said — and I quote — 'If I wanted to die of boredom, I'd lick a history scroll.'"
Sora blinked, then placed a finger to her chin, mock thoughtful."…Okay, yeah. That does sound like me."
But when she turned, her eyes landed on Tetsu — who stood frozen, staring at Kazuo with a look that bordered on disbelief.
Tetsu pressed, voice low but sharp. "Wait. Are you implying… you can master two new spells in just four days?"
Kazuo gave a small shrug. "Well, not Arcane spells. Obviously. But standard ones? Yeah. They've always come easy. I mean… Gramps used to say standard water spells are more about rhythm than force. Once you feel the flow, it just… clicks."
Tetsu's eyes didn't move from him. "I mean… sure, I know we were going to the library so you could look for new spells, but honestly… I didn't think you'd get anything usable before the first match. And definitely not from a single day of reading."
Is that why Setsuna sent us there? Did he know? Is Kazuo really that gifted… or is it something else entirely?
He didn't voice the questions, but they clung to his thoughts like static. He adjusted his glasses slowly, eyes narrowing in quiet calculation.
Sora tilted her head, skeptical. "Okay, look. I like teasing Kazuo, but even I don't buy that."
She pointed lazily at him. "Unless… maybe it's got something to do with your magic?"
Kazuo blinked. "Huh?"
"You know — Water's one of the original elements, right?" she went on, scratching her right ear, "Not some weird hybrid. Just pure, unaltered energy. Maybe that's why it's more responsive? Like… older magic listens better or something."
Tetsu didn't answer. His gaze lingered on Kazuo like he was seeing something new.
Kazuo shifted slightly, suddenly unsure. "...I thought this was normal."
He looked between them, his expression more thoughtful now — quiet, unsettled.
"I always trained this way with Gramps. Read the theory, run it through in my head, and… next time I try it, the mana just knows what I want. I mean, I'll still need to test it properly, maybe take three days to really lock it in… but it already feels familiar."
Sora raised a brow. "Okay, that's actually kind of insane."
Kazuo crossed his arms, a faint crease between his brows. "Is it? I seriously thought…this is normal."
Neither of them answered.
The silence that followed wasn't awkward — it was thoughtful.
And a little tense.
Sora groaned. "Ugh. I swear, where is Setsuna when we actually need someone to explain this stuff?"
A few steps later, the library gates came into view.
She stretched her arms overhead, tail swaying behind her. "Anyway. You two enjoy sifting through dusty mage scrolls." I'm off to do something that doesn't involve cobwebs and crumbling scrolls."
She gave a half-hearted wave and turned down the adjacent hallway, disappearing from sight.
Kazuo and Tetsu watched her go, then continued toward the Royal Library.
They reached the outer gate — but just before stepping inside, the sharp sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the corridor ahead.A tall figure emerged around the corner, his long coat trailing behind him like a shadow.
His cold gaze locked onto Kazuo and a faint smirk curled on his lips.
Kazuo slowed slightly. "I've seen this guy before," he muttered. "He was at the opening ceremony."
Beside him, Tetsu gave a small nod, voice low. "Captain Vaskel."
Vaskel stopped in front of them, a trace of amusement on his face. His gaze slid past Tetsu and settled on Kazuo — slow and deliberate, like he was looking at something beneath him.
"Well, well. So that thing still walks the halls of Yurelda."
"Don't let it get to your head," Vaskel said. "The only reason you made it past the preliminary round is because Rulthan asked to deal with you personally. Don't confuse that with mercy — you'll be crushed soon enough. That is… if you even make it that far."
Kazuo's expression tightened, but he said nothing.
Vaskel took a step closer.
"Still seeing that green eye… in a peasant's body—it makes my skin crawl," Vaskel muttered, "It's an insult to every noble born in the capital."
Then his gaze shifted to Tetsu. The faint smile vanished.
"But you… you're even worse."
He looked the elven man up and down with thinly veiled contempt.
"I despise peasants who pretend to be nobles—but what I truly loathe are elves who amount to nothing."
He stepped closer, letting the words land like blades.
"Our race was born with powerful magic. And yet you?"
He waved a hand dismissively.
"You build toys and Carry notebooks like a commoner. A disgrace."
His voice dropped to a hiss.
"Setsuna must've gone mad to take you in."
Tetsu's fists clenched at his sides. He looked down, jaw tight, saying nothing.
Kazuo took a sharp step forward. "Say that again—"
"Watch your tongue, filth," Vaskel snapped, turning his full glare on him.
But before things could escalate, Tetsu placed a hand on Kazuo's arm.
"Don't," he said quietly. "He's not worth it."
Vaskel scoffed, his smirk curling back into place.
"Hmph. Wasted my time."
With a swirl of his cloak, he turned and strode off, footsteps ringing coldly against the ground.
The library doors closed behind them with a soft click. Kazuo and Tetsu stepped inside, leaving the echo of Vaskel's words behind — but not the weight.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Kazuo turned, voice low but edged with restrained fire."Why did you stop me? I had so many things I wanted to say."
Tetsu didn't meet his gaze. He reached for a chair, slowly pulling it back.
"Because you can't afford problems right now," he said quietly. "Not with a captain. You might've survived the first match, but if you mouth off to someone like him, they'll use it as a reason to get rid of you. And you know it."
Kazuo didn't respond.
Tetsu sat down, his voice softer now."Besides… he wasn't wrong."
Kazuo's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
There was a long pause. Then, Tetsu finally looked up.
"My magic. You don't know it yet, do you?"
Kazuo shook his head slowly. "No. What is it?"
"Magnetism," Tetsu said. "It only works in small radii. Useless unless there's something metal nearby. Half the time I can't even use it unless I bring something with me."
He gave a thin smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Most books call it a craftsman's trait. Good in a forge. Not on a battlefield."
Kazuo leaned against the table but didn't interrupt.
"That's why I build things," Tetsu continued. "Tools. Weapons and gadgets. I figured… maybe one day I'd find a way to make it count in a real fight."
Kazuo looked at him for a moment, something clicking in the back of his mind.
So that's what he meant yesterday… when he said 'they help me.'
"Then why join at all?" Kazuo asked quietly. "If you believed that?"
Tetsu stared at the wood grain of the table.
"Because I've always wanted to be a fighter. Since I was a kid. But every squad, every academy I applied to — they all turned me away. Said I wasn't useful… that I'd be more of an obstacle than an asset."
He inhaled slowly.
Kazuo watched him for a moment.
The usual spark behind Tetsu's logic-driven eyes… was gone.
Kazuo took a breath.
"And we both ended up here because of Setsuna."
His fingers curled slightly on the table.
"Sometimes I wonder if he really meant it. If he actually wanted me here — or if I'm just another piece he has to carry. Another problem he can't ignore."
His eyes lifted toward Tetsu again.
"But… whether it's pity or not, we're both here now. And as long as we are… we should make it count."
Tetsu scoffed lightly. "THis is different! I'm not like you. I'm not talented. I'm not fast like Sora. Hell— even that brute Rulthan is more useful in a fight than I am."
Kazuo's expression shifted — the usual fire in his voice dimmed, replaced by something calmer. Steadier.
"I won't pretend I know exactly how you feel," he said. "But I know what it's like to be dismissed. To be looked at like you're already disqualified."
He paused, then added with a dry, distant smile:
"You know, Gramps used to say — back when he first taught me how to hold a sword:'In the wrong hands, a tool is worthless. But in the right hands… even a broken one can change everything.'"
He turned to face Tetsu directly.
"And if Setsuna — the strongest under King Cedric — looked at you and said, 'Come with me'... then maybe he saw something you haven't yet."
Tetsu didn't reply.
His fingers, clenched against his notebook, slowly eased. The tension in his shoulders softened just a little.He stared ahead, eyes flickering with something Kazuo couldn't read.
Is he right?
Did Setsuna actually see something in me?
Even if he didn't… I'm already here, aren't I?All I need now… is a way to fight.
Kazuo didn't speak. He just smiled.
And that was the strange part.
Tetsu had seen how the world looked at him — like something that shouldn't exist.He'd seen nobles flinch at his eyes, guards whisper behind his back…Everyone treated him like a mistake.
And yet, somehow…After all that — Kazuo could still smile like that?
They stood there in silence for a moment, until Kazuo added, almost offhandedly:
"By the way… those gadgets you're always working on? I actually think they're pretty damn cool."
He grinned. "If you've got time, I'd be more than happy if you made something for me."
etsu blinked — caught off guard again.
Then, slowly, for the first time that day… a small, real smile found its way to his face.
"…You serious?"
"Dead serious."
Tetsu looked away. His voice was low — but clearer now.
"Idiot… but thank you."
Kazuo grinned, leaning back in his chair. "Alright then. Time for you to win that bunny girl over again."
Tetsu groaned. "Don't remind me."
And just like that, things returned to normal.
But beneath it, something new had taken root.