[ARCANUM INSTITUTE – ARCHERY RANGE – LATE AFTERNOON]
The range is open to anyone at noon, wind carrying the faint scent of pine resin from the surrounding gardens. Yuka stands at the firing line with three other B-rank girls quiet transfers who've slowly gravitated to her steady aim and no nonsense calm. Arrows thud into bullseyes. Laughter is soft, rare.
Then the gate creaks.
Pitoh strides in like he owns the air itself.
Tall, broad shouldered, silver pin gleaming on his blue robe like a warning. Class A. Rank 9. And behind him his crew five boys and three girls, all A rank, all smirking the same cruel smirk. They've made the lower classes their playground for years: forcing D and C ranks to run errands, clean Tombs, hand over coin. The girls in the crew are the worst pretty faces hiding vicious hands that pin down younger students while Pitoh takes what he wants. Whispers say he's left broken bodies and shattered minds in shadowed corners of the dorms. Teachers look the other way. His family is old money; complaints vanish like smoke.
The three girls with Yuka freeze. One drops her bow. Another whispers, "Pitoh…"
Yuka doesn't stop. She nocks, draws, releases. Thwack. Perfect center.
Pitoh's eyes lock on her. He licks his lips.
PITOH
Look at that form. Bet it looks even better bent over.
His crew laughs.
Yuka ignores them. Bends to collect spent arrows from the grass.
Pitoh moves fast.
He's behind her in three strides, one hand clamping onto her round backside, squeezing hard enough to bruise. The other slides up, groping her breast through the robe, fingers digging in like he's claiming property.
PITOH
(breath hot against her ear)
Where's your boyfriend, huh? The so called prodigy? Too busy playing genius to protect his little toy?
The girls with Yuka back away, eyes wide, terrified.
Yuka's hand tightens on the arrow shaft.
Then she explodes.
She twists, slams both palms into Pitoh's chest with raw, mutation fueled strength. He flies backward slams into the stone wall ten feet away. Crack. Dust rains down.
Pitoh slides to the ground, grinning through the pain, blood on his teeth.
PITOH
Feisty. I like that.
Yuka charges rage boiling over, fist cocked for his throat, aiming to crush windpipe.
Her punch stops mid-air.
Monaki's hand closes around her wrist gentle, but iron firm, that she couldn't move it.
Yuka whirls, eyes blazing.
YUKA
Why did you stop me MONAKI?
MONAKI
(quiet, calm)
Didn't want you charged with murder.
Pitoh pushes off the wall, wiping blood from his lip. His crew spreads out, blocking escape routes. Students in the range scatter, forming a wide circle.
PITOH
Murder? Who was she gonna kill me?
(laughs)
Know your place, B-rank trash.
He raises both hands. Mana crackles white blue arcs snapping between his fingers.
PITOH
Let me show you what real power looks like.
The air hums. Lightning gathers his signature spell: Pulverize. A bolt that doesn't burn; it disintegrates. Flesh, bone, stone gone in a flash of white heat.
Everyone knows it. The crowd backs farther. Teachers who usually turn blind eyes start edging toward the gate too late to intervene, too scared to try.
Pitoh's lips move, incantation beginning.
MONAKI
(soft, almost bored)
Do you know the downside of spells?
Pitoh blinks.
MONAKI
They take way too long to cast.
He moves.
A blury extremely fast step.
One heartbeat he's beside Yuka; the next he's in front of Pitoh.
Pitoh swings a wild punch.
Monaki catches the fist. Twists.
Bones snap wet, sharp cracks. Pitoh screams.
Pitoh kicks desperate.
Monaki sidesteps, grabs the leg mid-air, drives his palm down.
Knee shatters. Femur splinters. Pitoh collapses, howling.
The crew lunges.
Monaki doesn't look at them.
One backhand scales flickering beneath illusion for a split second sends the first boy flying, ribs caving.
A girl in the crew swings a dagger.
Monaki catches her wrist, snaps it like kindling. She drops, screaming.
The rest freeze.
Pitoh writhes on the ground, legs useless, arm dangling, face pale with shock and pain.
Teachers finally rush in three of them, robes flapping.
TEACHER 1
What in the hells happened here?!
MONAKI
(turning slowly, voice flat)
Nothing at all, ma'am. Just a little misunderstanding.
He releases one of Pitoh's crew wrist. She's breathing hard, trembling.
Pitoh gasps through broken teeth.
PITOH
You… you're dead… my family..ah(he screams in pain)
MONAKI
(leaning down, voice low enough only Pitoh hears)
Tell them Monaki says hello.
He straightens.
The teachers stare horrified, but not at Pitoh. At Monaki.
They know the rumors. The broken board. The million units.
They don't dare touch him.
Monaki offers Yuka his hand.
MONAKI
Come on. Practice is over.
She takes it. They walk past the circle of stunned students, past the whimpering crew, past the teachers who suddenly find the ground very interesting.
Behind them, Pitoh sobs high, broken sounds.
The range falls silent except for wind through the targets.
Someone rushed into the head master's office telling him what had just happened.
He smiles small, satisfied.
The monster is still playing his part.
For now.