Meilyn suddenly turned toward Knox, panic written all over her face.
"Wh–what are you going to do? Say something!"
Knox blinked, then let out a soft snort.
"Pfft, Meilyn… I know you didn't mean anything strange just now, but if you keep reacting like that, people are definitely going to misunderstand, you know~"
Her face reddened instantly.
Knox grinned.
"But alright. Let's clear this up properly. And just so we're clear — you're the one who told me to touch you."
"W–Wait—!"
Ignoring her flustered protest, Knox walked over casually and placed his hand lightly against her gym clothes.
Meilyn shuddered the moment she felt the contact, her shoulders jerking as if a current had run through her body.
Students nearby gasped.
Knox remained completely unfazed. "Gather Darkness here."
Before Meilyn could even process his words, Knox crouched and gently took hold of her ankle.
"And as you rotate, shift your balance this way."
Meilyn's brain short-circuited.
You crazy bastard! Is this seriously the time for that?!
Her face burned scarlet.
Knox leaned closer, voice low and calm. "Just do what I say."
"W–What?"
"If you panic and start flailing around, it'll only make things worse. The fastest way to kill a misunderstanding is to show everyone exactly what's happening."
His expression remained perfectly composed as he adjusted her arms, shoulders, and stance with careful precision.
Meilyn, caught completely off guard, could only nod weakly and follow along.
Around them, the gathering students began whispering.
"Oh… he's really just fixing her form."
"Meilyn seriously overreacted."
"Knox is so kind…"
"Tch. No drama after all."
"…I kinda wish he'd fix my stance too…"
The murmurs rippled through the crowd, the last comment earning a few amused snickers.
Finally—
Meilyn twisted her body and kicked toward the sky.
Her leg shot up powerfully—
—and then she lost her balance completely, landing squarely on her butt in the grass.
For a split second, silence held.
Then—
"Hahahaha!"
Laughter erupted all around them.
Knox chuckled as well, resting his hands on his hips.
"You've still got a long way to go… but that wasn't bad."
Meilyn glared up at him, face still blazing.
"…Urgh."
Knox stepped forward and extended his hand.
Meilyn stared at it for a moment before mumbling meekly,
"…Ah… yeah."
She took his hand. Knox pulled her up effortlessly.
Once standing, Meilyn quickly looked away, unable to hide the heat lingering on her cheeks.
Before she could recover, several female students approached Knox excitedly.
"Knox, can you teach me how to kick like that too?"
"Me too!"
Knox smiled politely and began correcting their stances one by one.
But just as he was about to be completely surrounded—
Three figures stepped forward and blocked the girls' path.
Claudia.
Cindy.
Merida.
Like a trio of territorial cats guarding their prized possession, Cindy shot the group a sharp glare. Claudia, although she wore a smile, neither her eyes nor that smile held the slightest warmth. Merida, meanwhile, simply stared in silent intimidation.
After successfully shooing the girls away, Claudia cleared her throat.
"…Ehem. Knox."
She turned. "As our group leader, shouldn't you prioritize your own team first?"
Her voice was composed, though a faint flush betrayed her.
Cindy immediately jumped in.
"Exactly! Knox, teach me next! I won't settle for anything less than tornado-level kicks straight out of a novel!"
Merida said nothing. She only kept staring.
Knox could only offer a sheepish smile.
"…Alright, alright."
And so, he began instructing his own teammates.
Meilyn watched the scene from a distance, biting her lip lightly.
…What even is this guy?
Time passed, and Magical Combat class eventually came to an end.
Exhausted students sprawled across the field while the kizen staff prepared a teleportation magic circle.
"Meilyn! I heard the rumor~"
Rick appeared, giggling with his hands behind his head.
Meilyn, who had been speaking with Camibarez, slowly turned toward him with a deadly glare.
"Don't."
Rick grinned wider.
"Hey, I wasn't even talking about you. I meant my friend. I mean, if phrases like 'touch it' and 'form' came up between a boy and a girl, then what exactly would that—"
"I said shut it!!"
Meilyn pulled a bag from subspace and started smacking Rick with it.
"OW! HEY—!"
Rick tried to flee but tripped and fell into the grass.
Simon, Camibarez, Knox, Claudia, and Cindy burst into laughter.
"Aaah! Stop laughing and help me!"
"Let's go, Cami."
"Yes!"
Simon and Camibarez ignored Rick entirely and moved toward the teleportation circle.
Cindy glanced toward Claudia and Knox.
"By the way, do you remember what our next class is?"
"Oh! Right — Summonology."
Knox stretched lazily. "Hmm… I hope it's interesting."
Then he smiled faintly.
"But honestly, I'm even more curious about Professor Jane's class later."
Claudia nodded.
"I agree. With our preparation, our strategy presentation for dealing with the Cyclops should be approved."
In Summonology class, Knox was attending Aaron's lecture for the first time in quite a while.
Today's topic was "Restoration."
The lesson required students to destroy the Island Ratman Skeleton they had created previously, then restore it back to its original state.
"The greatest strength of a skeleton," Aaron said as he raised his finger, "is its ability to regenerate."
Dressed as always in baggy shorts, his brittle hair swaying slightly as he spoke, Aaron flicked his hand forward.
Fwoosh!
Whoosh!
Bones scattered throughout the classroom shot violently into the air, slicing through space at astonishing speed.
Within mere seconds, the bones reassembled midair into a complete skeleton, which landed gracefully on the floor and even gave a polite bow.
Cheers and applause immediately filled the classroom.
"The principle behind restoration is not difficult," Aaron continued calmly. "Even if a skeleton's body is shattered by a powerful impact, residual Darkness remains within each fragment."
He reached forward and pulled a single bone from the skeleton.
"By reactivating that Darkness and maximizing its gravitational property — its natural tendency to return to its original configuration — restoration becomes possible."
Aaron loosened his grip.
The bone flew back instantly, snapping into place like a magnet.
"Alright," he said. "Begin your practice."
Since the lesson centered on restoration, Knox felt the exercise would be as effortless as breathing. Having already mastered the technique long ago, he could hardly find it challenging.
Even so, he paid close attention.
While most students struggled, carefully restoring separate parts such as torsos, arms, and legs, Knox reconstructed the entire skeleton in a single smooth motion.
Simon followed soon after, managing the process with surprising ease thanks to both his natural talent and Knox's earlier guidance.
Elsewhere, Meilyn and Hector were visibly having difficulty.
No matter how much effort they poured into controlling Darkness, the bones stubbornly resisted perfect alignment.
Restoration was a realm where sheer talent often drew an unmistakable line.
Within Class A, Knox stood unmatched. Simon, naturally, came next.
After completing his own reconstruction, Knox drifted toward his teammates.
"Relax your control," he told Cindy gently. "You're forcing the Darkness too rigidly."
Claudia adjusted her stance with quiet concentration.
Merida, though half-asleep as usual, followed Knox's instructions with minimal complaint.
Under Knox's guidance, the three progressed far more quickly.
Meanwhile, Simon — who was usually struggling just to keep pace with lessons — found himself enjoying a rare moment of comfort.
After assisting Rick and Camibarez with their restoration work, he even had time to doodle idly inside his textbook.
Meilyn clicked her tongue. "Hey… are you seriously slacking off right now?"
Instead of answering, Simon casually waved his hand.
Bones scattered across his desk clicked together, forming a skeleton's torso.
"…Well," Meilyn muttered reluctantly, "not bad."
Rick, sitting behind her, laughed smugly but quickly quieted down when the assistant's gaze swept past.
Not far away, Cindy suddenly called out excitedly.
"Knox, Knox! Look at what Simon just did!"
Her eyes sparkled. "You should try something flashy too! Show them your skill!"
Knox gave her a long, deadpan stare.
But in the end, he sighed softly.
What else could he do?
With a small flick of his finger—
Whoosh!
The bones shot upward and assembled at blinding speed into a perfectly restored skeleton.
Cindy beamed triumphantly. "Hehe~ As expected of our leader!"
Claudia could only glance sideways at Cindy, who looked absurdly proud, as though Knox's performance had somehow become her personal victory.
Meilyn crossed her arms sharply. "Don't act so high and mighty just because you're good at restoration!"
Despite her words, competitive fire burned fiercely in her eyes.
She could accept Knox's excellence.
But Simon?
Why was Simon improving so quickly?
"Didn't you say you'd leave kizen if you failed to beat my Summonology score next month?" Meilyn continued, her voice tinged with frustration.
Simon flipped a page calmly.
"Don't worry."
He rested his chin lazily on his hand.
"I'll surpass it."
Meilyn clenched her fist, yet today's lesson gave her no grounds to argue.
"…Haa…"
She muttered quietly to herself.
"If only I had solved Question 20, I'd have scored in the nineties…"
A brief hesitation followed.
"…Maybe next time, I should ask Knox to teach me…"
Simon lifted his head.
"Question 20? The one at the end?"
Meilyn jolted.
"Y–Yeah."
"That one was easy."
Her brows twitched dangerously.
"…Excuse me?"
Simon shrugged lightly.
"Did you use the Teron Theorem?"
"I don't know any theorem."
Silence.
Unbelievable.
Question 20 required precise application of the Teron Theorem — Meilyn had even approached Aaron personally after getting it wrong.
"And your answer?"
"1,200,146."
Her eyes widened dramatically.
The correct answer was 1,200,000.
"…Spit it out! How did you solve it?!"
Simon scratched his cheek.
"I just combined what I've learned so far. I don't remember the exact steps."
Meilyn bit her lip, already planning to copy the problem later.
As the conversation faded, Simon returned to his textbook.
Summonology fascinated him endlessly.
Even reading ahead about upcoming undead classifications made his heart race.
Knox, meanwhile, sat quietly at his desk, outwardly no different from any other student in the classroom.
His eyes rested on the open book before him, yet the words barely registered. His thoughts wandered freely, drifting far from restoration techniques and summoned skeletons. Flema crossed his mind first, followed by something far more mundane — food — and then, inevitably, the outline of his next novel.
Honkai Impact.
More specifically, a certain scene he hadn't quite finished writing yet.
Himeko's final moment.
The last lesson.
The image replayed faintly in his mind — not vividly, not painfully, but with a weight that refused to disappear. The timing, the words left unsaid, the resolve hidden behind a smile. He found himself adjusting a few details mentally, wondering how much should be shown… and how much should be left to quietly break the reader's heart.
This world wasn't ready for it yet. But someday, it would be.
The thought alone stirred a strange anticipation within him.
A faint smile slowly curved on his lips.
Not entirely gentle.
"Simon Polentia."
Aaron's voice suddenly cut through the classroom.
Simon flinched.
Aaron stood before him, gaze heavy and ominous.
"What are you doing right now?"
Simon's face paled.
"I had finished restoration early… so I was reviewing the next material."
Aaron remained silent.
He already knew.
Simon was the only student who had completed full restoration within ten seconds.
Still—
"Stay after class."
With only those words, Aaron turned away.
A chill crawled down Simon's spine.
Rick leaned closer nervously.
"…You didn't just get marked, did you?"
Meilyn huffed. "I warned you about slacking off."
Yet concern flickered unmistakably in her eyes.
Simon heard none of it.
"And you… Knox Aznable."
Knox blinked, snapped from his wandering thoughts.
Cindy stiffened.
Claudia straightened.
Merida opened one eye.
Aaron studied Knox carefully.
The restoration had been flawless.
Yet there had been a moment…
A brief lapse of attention.
Aaron exhaled quietly.
"…Sighed. Never mind."
He turned away.
Knox tilted his head. "…What's with him?"