Noah's steps slowed. From around the corridor intersection, someone began to approach. Their shadow elongated and grew larger, blocking Noah's path.
He revealed himself. A thin smile spread across his face, aimed directly at Noah—like a hunter who had found his prey.
Tareo?
The siren wailed mournfully, shattering the silence of the school corridor. Noah stood upright, his breath still ragged, his gaze fixed on Tareo before him.
"Why are you here? We need to get down now!" Noah exclaimed, his voice tense, cutting through the siren's roar.
"Everyone is already downstairs. It's just the two of us here now," Tareo replied, his voice cold and flat, as if indifferent to the chaos outside.
"What are you talking about?!"
"Of course, I'm here to teach you a lesson!" Tareo retorted, his voice echoing sharply in the empty corridor.
"Look at the situation outside! This isn't the time!" Noah argued, frustrated.
Tareo's voice suddenly trembled with pent-up emotion. "My father... he seems to care more about you! Why... Why!!" he whined. "You're just a mana-less child, a defect... how could you make me feel like--!"
"You're wrong! Your father loves you very much, you just don't--" Noah interjected, trying to calm him.
"Nonsense!!" Tareo snapped.
Noah fell silent for a moment. He unclenched his fists, trying to steady his still-labored breath.
"You're truly foolish..." he said softly, slightly bowing his head. "The Principal is the best person I've ever known at this school. Thanks to him, orphanage children like us can study here."
"Without you realizing it, he loves you more than anything..." Noah continued, his voice shaking with emotion. "He always tells me about you... about how much he wants his child to grow into a good person, not a hater. You should know... how hard your father has been trying."
Tareo stood frozen. His mouth was sealed shut, all the words he had meant to say stuck in his throat. Tears began to well in his eyes—as if touched by the truth in Noah's words.
He wiped his tears exaggeratedly, almost like acting. Then, a thin, sinister smile spread across his face.
"So pathetic..." he said in a fake tone, "But I no longer care about him." In an instant, he sneered.
"So you just want to beat me up?" Noah confirmed.
"Of course."
Footsteps echoed from the same corridor intersection. Three other students who always followed Tareo appeared.
"So here you are, Tareo, we need to—!" said one of them named Rio. His eyes then fell on Noah, who was bowing his head. "No wonder. You two really can't get along."
This is dangerous—they could gang up on me. Rio can concentrate mana into a physical form like Allen. But he can only shape it into binding tentacles.
Sein has ice magic—my movements will be greatly hindered by him.
But the other one, Alpha—I don't think he's a threat. Judging by his face, he seems to just be following along.
The three of them glared down at Noah. Then Rio approached and suddenly hugged him as if they were close. "Hello, Noah~ oh no... Manaless, how are you today?" he said in a mocking tone.
In an instant, Noah grabbed the right arm that was hugging him. With one quick, trained movement, he slammed the boy to the floor, sending him sprawling and groaning in pain.
I've had enough of staying silent—this time, I have to fight...
Everyone present gasped, including Tareo and his other friends, freezing in stunned silence.
Without giving them time to speak, Noah suddenly shot like an arrow toward Tareo.
But just as he was about to reach him, from behind, Rio—who had risen with a red face—raised his hand. A dark blue energy tentacle shot out, tightly binding Noah's left leg and body, then roughly yanking him backward.
"How dare you slam me, you lowlife!"
Noah was dragged off balance. Before he could free himself, Sein threw a hard punch that landed on Noah's face.
His head snapped backward. Blood flowed from his nose.
Noah's vision nearly faded, but he tried his best to regain focus.
As his consciousness returned, he lifted his leg for a counterattack. Kicking Sein's chin causing him to bounce
"Not bad, how long will you last?" Tareo laughed loudly.
Rio was still pulling him from behind. Fuming, Noah took a step back, using the pulling force to gain momentum. With a quick spinning motion, he broke free and simultaneously threw a punch.
His fist struck Rio's cheek squarely, sending him spinning and collapsing helplessly to the floor.
Before Noah could catch his breath, a blazing fireball hit his shoulder. The blast threw his body, sending him tumbling across the floor.
Noah tried to get up, staggering as he endured the burning pain on his skin. His hand struck the floor.
Dammit, I let my guard down!
"You orphanage kid," Tareo said in a cold, contemptuous voice, his steps approaching. "Where are your parents? Did they abandon you at the orphanage?"
Instantly, the room fell into a chilling silence. Even Tareo's two friends fell silent, feeling his words had crossed a line. "Tareo... that's too much," Alpha said, but Tareo only responded with an unrepentant smile.
All eyes turned to Noah, frozen in place, his injured face turning pale and stony. He remained silent for a long time, until the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward and eerie.
"Look at him, He's speechless!" Rio, who had just gotten up and regrouped, taunted.
Noah rise. But there was something very different about the way he stood this time. A wide smile spread across his face, as if he had found some immense pleasure.
His left eye retained its usual blue, full of pain and exhaustion. But his right eye had completely changed. The blue had vanished, replaced by a cold, glowing golden yellow. In the center of the golden light, his pupil formed a sharp vertical slit, resembling the eye of a snake or dragon, staring directly into Tareo's soul with an utterly inhuman gaze.
"True," he said, his voice flat yet resonating with a depth that was unsettling. "Maybe I was indeed discarded."
"Tareo, I don't care that you're the principal's son now. Let's do this again. I won't hold back this time!" Noah sneered.
Tareo took a step back, his face tense. He didn't understand why Noah was so bold, but it was clear his eyes showed no deception.
"What can you do without magic?" Sein said, stepping forward, then raising his hand. Ice began to creep across the floor, forming sharp spikes that shot toward Noah.
Noah managed to dodge, though he slipped slightly due to the slick surface. The attack was followed by an energy tentacle thrust and a sharp gust of wind, which Noah easily evaded.
The corridor was filled with the chaotic noise of magic flying around. Even a trash can was thrown into the air, filling the view with dust and flying plastic fragments.
"Fools! Why aren't any of your attacks hitting?" Tareo shouted in frustration.
Right after he finished speaking, his gaze fell on Sein, whose face was tightly gripped by Noah's hand emerging from the dust. Noah pressed his fingers into the boy's cheek and jawbone, then with force, slammed his head into the floor.
"Tareo... I hate to say it, but I think we should retreat!" Rio exclaimed, his voice trembling with fear.
They retreated a step while continuing to haphazardly throw attacks at Noah. However, Noah's movements were too fast, as if he could predict every step of his opponents. Agilely, he avoided the wind blasts and the energy tentacles that tried to capture him.
Noah's eyes never left Tareo. He kept advancing, his steps firm and full of determination.
When a sharp wind attack—from Alpha—shot toward him, Noah simply shifted his head, dodging perfectly. In the same motion, he grabbed Alpha's arm, pulled hard, and landed a kick that sent him stumbling backward without serious injury.
Rio was already terrified. He retreated, bracing for a punch, but Noah simply passed him by.
Now, Noah stepped closer to Tareo, whose face was filled with fear.
"No wonder your father is disappointed—look at yourself! Fool!" Noah hissed, his voice sharp and piercing.
Tareo gathered all his magic into his hands, flames roaring.
A powerful punch directly hit his jaw. His head snapped back hard, his body wobbled, then he fell. His vision blurred as he stared at Noah. The punch not only hurt him physically but also shattered his heart—making him realize that a boy without magic was not powerless.
Alpha and Rio immediately pulled Tareo's limp body away, trying to distance themselves from Noah. Meanwhile, Sein behind Noah chose to take a detour, too afraid to pass by him directly.
They left in a hurried rush, leaving Noah alone in the wrecked corridor.
The place fell silent again. The remnants of the magical battle began to fade, but the scars on the walls and floor remained.
Noah pressed both hands to his temples, trying to suppress the strange sensations overwhelming his mind. In his eye, every small movement felt excessive—the dust floating in the air, the slow movement of plastic fragments, even the vibrations from the still-wailing siren; everything felt so sharp and intense, flooding his senses with painful information.
What's happening to me? Panic began to creep in.
His gaze fell on the display glass beside him. And there, for the first time, he saw it: his right eye emitted a golden yellow light with a thin, terrifying vertical pupil. But before he could fully process it, the color flickered, like a disconnected signal along with the loss of his sharp vision, before finally fading and returning to the usual blue—a blue filled with the exhaustion and sorrow he knew all too well.
His eyes were normal again, but the remnants of those strange sensations still churned within him.