"Ah!" A Course 2 girl with short black hair and glasses was knocked aside by a brown-haired boy from Course 1.
"Watch where you're going, you damn Weed!" the Course 1 student barked.
"Huh? You're the one who wasn't looking. Why are you taking it out on Mizuki?" A slim, tomboyish girl with short red hair snapped back at him.
"Hah? As Weeds, you should be observant enough to make way for us Blooms!"
"Why, you...!"
"Erika-chan!" Mizuki frantically stepped in front of Erika, holding her back to keep her from lunging forward.
"Mizuki, let me go. A student like him needs to be taught a lesson so he stops acting so entitled!" Erika hissed, her voice dripping with irritation.
"Hoo? A Weed like you wants to challenge a Bloom? Know your place, you disgrace to all magicians!"
"You!" Erika's eyes widened in fury. She suddenly darted through a gap, activating her CAD in an instant.
The Course 1 student wasn't about to be outdone. He activated his magic even faster than Erika, aiming it directly at her head. Erika gritted her teeth, a flash of frustration crossing her face as she realized his activation sequence was nearly complete while hers was only halfway there.
If this continued, Erika would be hit point-blank before she could finish her spell. Despite the danger, the stubborn girl refused to back down; she was determined to put the boy in front of her in his place.
"As far as I know, using CADs on school grounds is strictly prohibited. Why are you two trying to start a fight with them?"
Bang!
A wave of psions slammed into them, shattering the activation sequences in both Erika's and the Course 1 student's CADs.
"Who's there?!" the boy shouted.
Erika froze, then hesitantly looked toward the source of the psion wave.
"Tatsuya Yotsuba?" the name escaped Erika's small lips.
Tatsuya approached, accompanied by Miyuki. The Course 1 student immediately turned pale and grew nervous the moment he noticed Miyuki's presence.
"Your name is Morisaki Shun, isn't it?" Miyuki asked.
"Uh, yeah... we're in the same class, Yotsuba-san," Morisaki replied, his voice trembling.
A cold glint flashed in Miyuki's eyes.
"Morisaki-san, why are you using a CAD within the school? It is strictly forbidden. If you are caught, you will be expelled," she said softly.
Morisaki's cheeks flushed, momentarily captivated by Miyuki's gentle smile. "That... I was only defending myself! They were the ones who attacked me first!" Without hesitation, he pointed an accusing finger at Erika and Mizuki.
Mizuki instinctively took a step back, her face pale with fear. Erika ground her teeth in annoyance, her gaze shifting back and forth between Miyuki and Tatsuya.
"Is that true?" Tatsuya asked, looking at Erika and Mizuki.
"Eh?" Both girls were stunned, wondering if they had just hallucinated.
"I'm asking you—is what Morisaki said true? Did you two attack first?" Tatsuya's tone was calm, yet heavy with authority.
Erika gritted her teeth and gave a frustrated nod. "But he was the one who provoked us first!" she exclaimed. Mizuki nodded repeatedly, desperate to back up Erika's claim.
Tatsuya took a deep breath and fixed a sharp gaze on Morisaki.
"Etto... Tatsuya-san? Why are you listening to what those Weeds have to say? They are nothing more than a disgrace to magicians," Morisaki stammered, feeling unsettled under Tatsuya's stare.
"If you're going to use logic like that, then in my eyes, you are nothing more than trash because you don't belong to the Ten Master Clans."
Thump-thump!
Morisaki froze. His face turned bright red, feeling insulted and toyed with, yet he didn't dare say a word back to Tatsuya.
Tatsuya turned his attention back to Erika and Mizuki. "Explain what happened."
Feeling intimidated, Mizuki hid behind Erika. Tatsuya scratched his cheek, looking at Erika with a hint of hesitation. Erika then explained the entire situation to him, without leaving anything out or adding any exaggerations.
Morisaki broke into a cold sweat, a sudden sense of dread washing over him. "Yotsuba-san, I—"
"Silence. You are not worthy of speaking to me!" Miyuki's demeanor shifted instantly, becoming razor-sharp and freezing cold.
Gulp...
Morisaki stumbled backward, his expression filled with terror.
"Morisaki, you've gone too far," Tatsuya stated.
"Shut up! Aren't you a Bloom too? Why are you taking the side of the Weeds?!" Morisaki became hysterical, no longer caring about Tatsuya's background.
"Hmph!"
It wasn't Tatsuya who scoffed, but Miyuki. Ice magic began to crawl out from her body, manifesting even without the use of a CAD.
"Dangerous!" Tatsuya reacted instantly, obliterating Miyuki's magic with his Super Decomposition.
Thanks to his quick intervention, Morisaki narrowly escaped a lethal threat.
"Miyuki!"
"!" Miyuki snapped out of it and immediately withdrew the magic flowing from her body.
Thud!
The terrified Morisaki slumped to the ground, staring blankly with a hollow expression.
"Onii-sama, please forgive Miyuki. Once again, I have caused trouble for you." Miyuki's eyes welled with tears; her voice was low, and her body trembled slightly.
Tatsuya gave a faint smile and pulled Miyuki into a hug. She gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief before she eventually let herself melt into the warmth of his embrace.
To be continued...