Opening Scene – Memories That Cut Like Blades
The episode opens in blackness, with only the sound of labored breathing echoing through the void.
Then, slowly, images begin to form:
A younger Akio, barefoot and trembling, standing in a massive marble courtyard lit by magical torches.
His classmates surround him in a circle, their wands pointed like weapons, their laughter cruel and sharp.
"Look at him! He can't even cast a basic spell!"
"Why is someone like him even allowed in the academy?"
"Pathetic! Maybe he doesn't even have a magic core at all."
Young Akio's tiny hands clutch a cheap, splintered wand.
He raises it, desperately trying to summon even the weakest of spells.
Nothing happens—only a pathetic sputter of light that fades immediately.
The laughter crescendos, echoing like a nightmare.
Suddenly, the crowd parts.
From the shadows emerges a kid with silver hair and piercing gold eyes, his presence commanding and terrifying even at a young age.
Sora.
The younger Sora walks toward Akio with a deliberate, slow stride, a smirk curling on his lips.
He stops just inches away, towering over the trembling Akio.
Sora: "What a pitiful sight.
You are the Tallentless Worm of this academy.
No... that's too generous.
Worms at least squirm.
You just... exist."
He leans down, his voice dropping to a venomous whisper.
Sora: "I will crush you, Akio Mune.
And everyone will laugh as they watch."
Sora suddenly snatches the wand from Akio's hands and snaps it in half with a loud crack, tossing the pieces at Akio's feet.
The scene lingers on Akio's shattered expression, tears streaming down his face as the other children chant,
"Tallentless Worm! Tallentless Worm!"
Present Day – Akio's Awakening
Akio wakes with a scream, drenched in sweat, his heart heaving.
For a moment, he doesn't know where he is.
Then he sees the soft light of morning streaming through the curtains and remembers:
This is not the magic academy.
This is Ukio's bedroom.
This is his second chance.
But the memory of Sora's words lingers like a poison in his veins.
Akio sits at the edge of his bed, clutching his head.
"No matter what world I go to," he whispers, his voice breaking,
"He always finds me..."
Breakfast – A Warm Light in the Darkness
Downstairs, Akio's new parents—Ukio's parents—are already at the breakfast table.
The smell of warm rice and miso soup fills the air, comforting and homely.
When they see him, their faces light up with genuine joy.
"Ukio!" his mother exclaims, rushing to hug him.
"You're up early! Did you sleep well?"
Akio freezes for a moment, overwhelmed.
His old parents had only ever looked at him with disgust.
These parents... they love him.
Even if it isn't truly him they're seeing.
He forces a smile, though his eyes glisten with unshed tears.
"Y-Yeah... I slept okay."
As they eat, his father laughs warmly about some mundane neighborhood gossip.
Akio listens silently, clutching his chopsticks so tightly his fingers ache.
"I can't lose this," he thinks desperately.
"I won't let Sora take this away from me."
At School – Yukiko Notices
Later that day, at school, Yukiko notices Akio's distracted state.
During lunch, he pulls Akio aside to the quiet solitude of the library.
"Alright," Yukiko says firmly, leaning against a bookshelf.
"What's going on with you?
You've been pale and jumpy since yesterday."
Akio hesitates, trembling.
Then, finally, the words spill out.
"Sora... he's not just some random bully.
He's... he's the one who destroyed me in my old world."
Yukiko blinks, stunned.
"What do you mean, destroyed?"
Akio's voice breaks as he recounts the flashback we saw at the beginning—the relentless bullying, the public humiliation, the breaking of his wand.
As he speaks, his hands shake so violently that Yukiko grabs them to steady him.
Akio: "He called me the Tallentless Worm.
Every single day, he made sure I remembered I was worthless.
And now he's here, in this world.
I don't know how... but I know he's coming for me."
When Akio finishes, there's a heavy silence.
Then Yukiko's jaw tightens, fury flashing in his eyes.
"Akio... you don't have to face him alone this time.
I won't let anyone hurt you like that again."
Akio's lip trembles.
"Yukiko... why? Why are you always there for me?"
Yukiko gives a crooked grin, though his eyes are fierce.
"Because you're my friend, idiot.
And because I owe you for showing me there's more to life than just sports and winning."
The Tournament of Death Revealed
As they talk, Yukiko finally reveals something important:
The upcoming event isn't just any tournament.
"It's officially called the Regional High School Badminton Championship," Yukiko explains,
"but everyone here calls it The Tournament of Death."
Akio blinks, confused and horrified.
"Tournament... of Death?"
Yukiko nods grimly.
"It's a tradition.
The matches are intense, but that's not why people fear it.
If you lose in a humiliating way, the entire school turns on you.
It's brutal.
Students who fail here get bullied so badly they sometimes drop out."
Akio's breath catches.
"Drop out...?"
Images flash in his mind:
The bullies back at the magic academy.
The jeering crowds.
Sora's laughter.
"This... this is exactly what he wants," Akio whispers, trembling.
"If I lose to him, he'll humiliate me all over again."
Yukiko grips his shoulders firmly.
"Then we don't let that happen.
We train smart, we fight hard, and we make sure you walk out of there with your head held high."
Training Montage – Fragile Determination
The episode shifts into a slow, emotional montage.
Akio trains harder than ever, but this time Yukiko is always there, guiding and supporting him.
Scene 1: Akio misses a shot and falls to his knees, gasping. Yukiko kneels beside him, patting his back and encouraging him to try again.
Scene 2: Late at night, Akio studies match strategies by lamplight while Yukiko snores on the couch nearby, having stayed over to keep him company.
Scene 3: During practice, the other club members rally around Akio, showing him that he's not alone anymore.
Overlaid with Akio's internal monologue:
"This isn't just about winning anymore.
It's about proving... to Sora, to myself, and to everyone who ever doubted me...
that I am more than a worm."
The Night Before – Emotional Breakdown
The night before the tournament, Akio sits alone in his room, staring at his racket.
The moonlight glints off its strings, reminding him of his broken wand.
His thoughts spiral, and the voices of his past tormentors echo again.
"You'll never be good enough."
"Why even try?"
"Tallentless Worm!"
Tears spill down his face as he clutches the racket to his shirt.
"I'm scared," he whispers to the empty room.
"I don't want to go back to that darkness..."
Suddenly, there's a knock at his door.
"Akio?" Yukiko's voice, warm and steady.
"You awake?"
Akio quickly wipes his tears. "Y-Yeah."
Yukiko steps inside, holding two cans of soda.
He sits beside Akio, handing him one.
"You don't have to say anything," Yukiko says softly.
"But listen... no matter what happens tomorrow, you're not alone.
Even if you lose, even if people talk, we've got your back."
Akio stares at him, overwhelmed.
Then he breaks down completely, sobbing into Yukiko's shoulder.
"Thank you," he chokes out.
"Thank you for seeing me... not as a worm, but as... me."
Final Scene – Sora's Preparation
Elsewhere, in a dark, empty stadium, Sora practices alone.
Every movement is precise, almost inhumanly graceful.
When he finishes, he gazes into the distance, a cruel smile on his lips.
Sora: "Tomorrow, the world will see the truth.
Akio Mune will fall before me again...
and this time, there will be no escape."
The camera pans out to reveal the massive tournament arena, its lights glowing ominously against the night sky.
TO BE CONTINUED...