Scene 1
Inside the hospital ward, Itsuki, Toma, and Kento rested quietly on their beds. The room smelled faintly of herbs and sterilized magic essence. A few nurses stood nearby, adjusting the shimmering runes glowing on their equipment.
A transparent magical brace wrapped gently around Itsuki's neck, faint blue light pulsing through it. Kento wore a similar transparent magical piece covering his ears, softly humming with enchantment. Toma, meanwhile, had a thin blindfold of the same kind resting over his eyes—glowing faintly, like woven starlight.
Their parents surrounded them—worried faces softened by relief. Itsuki's mother gently stroked his hair while murmuring prayers. Kento's father offered him water from a small silver cup, while Toma's mother carefully straightened his blanket, eyes watery yet calm.
Just then, the door opened, and a doctor entered—a middle-aged woman in a white and blue uniform, her expression steady. "Please don't worry," she said warmly. "Their conditions have improved. They only need rest now."
Itsuki's mother exhaled shakily, brushing her son's forehead. "Look what that man did to you... I sent you to the academy to study, not to end up like this!"
Her voice trembled, then rose as she turned sharply toward Okamoto. "Where is that old man you mentioned? Tell me—I'll kill him myself!"
Okamoto lifted his hands slightly — a calm gesture to ease her anger. "I understand how painful this is," he said softly, "but the police will handle him. Please, try to calm down."
He paused, exhaling a slow breath before continuing. "We've already given him a final warning and banned him from returning to the academy. To tell the truth…" — he adjusted his mustache — "…that old man was a retired hunter. He didn't mean harm; he was merely showing off his powers. Things just got… out of hand."
Toma's father clenched his fists, voice rising. "That useless old fool! He never even fought in the last war. Always hiding behind that Retired Hunter title! He's been sitting comfortably in this kingdom for years, showing off to kids instead of doing a single mission. If he's truly a warrior, let him show that strength in front of us!"
Okamoto sighed again, straightening his coat. "People like him only bring trouble. They wear the title of hunter but live without purpose. It's better if you all stay away from such types."
He gave a light nod to the families. "I hope you three recover soon. I'll check back later."
With that, he opened the door and quietly walked out, the sound of his boots fading into the corridor.
Scene 2
The next morning dawned bright, sunlight spilling through the academy windows. Haruto walked down the corridor with his bag slung loosely on one shoulder, his face set in mild boredom.
When he stepped into the classroom, he found it completely empty—desks perfectly lined, not a soul around.
He sighed, dropping into his seat. Great… another boring day, he thought, lowering his head onto his desk.
Just as he was about to doze off—fwip!—a paper plane swooped through the air and smacked the back of his head.
Haruto blinked, raising his head. The curtains near the window swayed gently, sunlight filtering through them—and behind them sat Reina, casually perched on the window frame, legs crossed, looking perfectly unbothered.
Haruto frowned. "You? What are you doing there? And how are you this early?"
Reina climbed down from the window and walked over casually. "I was just watching the birds. And since you looked bored yesterday, I thought I'd come early today."
Haruto tilted his head. "What about Naoki? Don't tell me he's in Class 4 now or something. Why isn't he here?"
Reina let out a light laugh. "That idiot's in Class 3 with me. He's just skipping again—always comes up with excuses not to show up."
She climbed onto the desk beside Haruto's, swinging her legs lightly back and forth as she smiled. "So? How have you been?"
Haruto leaned back. "Reina… you're forgetting something."
Reina's tone turned lightly serious, her lips curving just a little. "Oh really? You're the one forgetting something, Haruto."
He frowned slightly. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
She smirked. "That I'm your teacher now. Okamoto-sensei assigned me as your temporary instructor while he's busy taking care of those three."
Haruto blinked, then suddenly stood up straight and bowed. "I—I'm sorry! My apologies, Miss Reina!"
Reina burst into laughter, covering her mouth. "Hahaha! I'm just kidding! You can call me Reina. 'Miss' sounds weird coming from you anyway."
Haruto puffed his cheeks, mock irritation flashing on his face. "Don't joke like that!"
Reina grinned, tilting her head. "Alright, alright. What's the matter?"
Haruto crossed his arms. "You said you'd help me skip classes! And yet, here I am."
Reina sighed lightly, stopping her leg-swinging. "Sigh… Look around. The class is empty again. Everyone's scared after yesterday's incident, so most of them stayed home." She smiled faintly. "But since you came… I have an idea."
Haruto narrowed his eyes. "What kind of idea?"
Scene 3
CLANG! THUD! WHIRRR!
The air buzzed with energy and noise—students training, weights clanging, gym machines creaking.
Haruto sat alone at a desk placed awkwardly in the center of what looked more like a sports hall than a classroom. The other desks were shoved into a corner, replaced by open workout mats spread across the floor.
A few students were doing push-ups, sit-ups, and squats; some practiced shadowboxing or hit the punching bag in the corner. Others played volleyball, basketball, or boxed at the far end.
Resting his chin on his palms, elbows on the desk, Haruto stared blankly ahead with a half-dead expression. So this is Class 2, huh? Okamoto-sensei basically dumped me into a sports hall.
A baseball rolled toward him, stopping at his feet. He glanced at it, uninterested.
A red-haired boy in a sleeveless shirt jogged up—lightly muscled, confident grin. "Hey! We met yesterday, right?"
"Hey, Tetsuya! Throw the ball back!" someone shouted from behind.
Tetsuya glanced to his left, tossed the ball back toward them, and looked at Haruto. "So, you're from Class 1, right? What are you doing here?"
+
Haruto rubbed his arm awkwardly. "Well… they made us finish Class 1 early. They said this year's students were… different. So they moved us to Class 2 sooner."
Tetsuya nodded, stretching his shoulders casually. "They did the same for us too. Class 1's basically for kids anyway." He smiled again. "By the way, you didn't tell me your name. Wanna be friends?"
Haruto smiled faintly. "Sure! I'd like that." He stood up, extending his hand. "My name's Haruto ShinKami—"
The moment he said it, the entire classroom went silent. Every head turned.
Haruto froze mid-handshake, face blank.
Then, Tetsuya's eyes sparkled. "No way! A ShinKami?! That's awesome!"
The crowd muttered among themselves—"He's lying. Everyone claims to be ShinKami or KazeKami these days."
Ignoring them, Tetsuya grabbed Haruto's wrist and pulled him forward. "Come on! Show me some Light Magic! Or the ShinKami Style! I'm dying to see it!"
"W-wait—no, hold on!" Haruto tried to pull away.
Tetsuya grinned. "Just one spell! Please!"
"I said no!"
"Come on, just one!"
"I said no!"
Tetsuya suddenly turned around, pretending to sob loudly. "So that's it, huh? You don't care about me? You're not my friend anymore?"
Haruto sighed in defeat. "Alright, fine! I'll show you. Just once."
Instantly, Tetsuya's tears vanished, replaced by a beaming grin. "Yes! Let's go!"
Haruto's face twisted slightly in irritation. Sensei told me not to show off too much in class… but fine. I'll just use a small Light spell. He forbade Dark Magic, not this.
He brought both hands together slowly—fingers interlocked, palms pressed tight.
Lowering them toward the ground, he opened his index fingers, allowing a faint light to flicker between his palms as the glow grew brighter.
Then, he chanted in a calm, focused tone—
"Light Magic: Photon Ray."
ZING!
A thin beam shot out—not from his index fingers, but from his left ring finger, angled slightly to the right. It streaked across the room at incredible speed, too fast for anyone to even notice. Everyone was busy with their own workouts; only Tetsuya caught it, his eyes narrowing as he tracked the faint trail of light.
The beam grazed the ceiling, leaving behind a small glowing mark before passing through to the upper floor. It thinned further, fading into a fine ray that burned a tiny dot on the rooftop above.
There, a few students were flying kites. One of them had just sat down to rest—right as the fading beam struck him squarely on the backside.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
The scream echoed across the entire academy, scattering birds from nearby trees in a sudden burst of wings.
The light fizzled out harmlessly, leaving only a small black dot on his pants.
"Whoa!" Tetsuya gasped, eyes wide. "That was awesome!"
Haruto straightened up in panic, staring at his hands. "I-I was aiming for the floor… what was that?!"
He clenched his fists. "My control's still weak. I need to train harder… to make my magic obey me."
Just then, a tall, bandaged boy tossed his basketball aside and stomped toward them—Daigo, his entire face covered in white wraps.
"You again," he growled. "You're that annoying brat from yesterday!"
Haruto lowered his gaze. "What happened yesterday… let's just forget it. I'm sorry."
Daigo scowled, grabbing Haruto by the hair. "Watch your mouth, kid. Don't act like you're something special!"
Haruto winced, trying to free himself, but Daigo smacked him across the face and turned to leave.
Just then, ropes dropped from the open classroom window, their ends swaying slightly as a few students slid down with practiced ease. One of them stopped halfway, voice carrying faintly through the air.
"Hey… Sensei's coming!"
Just then, ropes dropped from the open classroom window, their ends swaying slightly as a few students slid down with practiced ease. One of them stopped halfway, voice carrying faintly through the air.
"Hey… Sensei's coming!"
"Hey! Everyone listen up—Sensei's coming!"
In an instant, the entire room transformed into chaos.
Students hurried to hide the equipment—punching bags were pushed aside, mats were rolled up, and volleyball nets folded in record time. Within seconds, the room looked—almost—like a normal classroom again.
Desks were pushed back into neat rows, chairs straightened, and the noise quickly faded into silence. The same students who were sweating and shouting moments ago now sat stiffly in their seats, pretending to study like model pupils.
The classroom was big—its rows of desks stretched far across the room, creating an oddly spacious feel even though it was filled with all of Class 2. More than half the seats remained empty, leaving the place feeling both wide and strangely hollow.
Daigo slumped onto his chair, dragging his palm down his face in irritation. "Tch… seriously? That guy again?" He leaned back, exhaling hard through his nose. "Why's it always him teaching us? What a pain."
A few students nearby nodded quietly, exchanging tired glances.
Moments later, the door opened, and the Teacher stepped in.