Chapter 3 – The First Lesson

The classroom of Class 1-D buzzed with restless energy. Students slouched in their seats, some yawning, others doodling glowing circles in the air. For them, this was routine—another lecture on the basics of spellcraft.

Tendou Shinsei stood at the front, arms crossed, his crimson eyes sweeping over the room. His silence pressed against them heavier than words. Finally, he spoke.

“Today we begin with fundamentals.”

A groan rippled through the room. Renjiro rolled his eyes. Reika crossed her arms, lips curling in disdain.

“We already know this,” one student muttered.
“Yeah, every teacher starts with the same thing.”
“This is pointless.”

Shinsei’s gaze narrowed. He let the silence drag until their voices died away. Then, with a sharp motion, he pointed toward the back.

“You. The boy with the glasses. Stand up.”

Every head turned toward a lanky figure with blond hair and round spectacles. Shinozuke Amane, one of the quietest in the class. His hands shook slightly as he rose.

“C-Certainly, Sensei.”

“Show me,” Shinsei commanded. “Demonstrate the fireball spell your former teachers praised you for.”

Amane swallowed hard, raised his hand, and conjured a small glowing circle. A flicker of flame appeared, trembling before shooting forward in a neat arc. It fizzled against the far wall, leaving a faint scorch mark no larger than a fist.

Some students chuckled. Others clapped mockingly.

Shinsei’s eyes didn’t waver. “Pathetic.”

Amane froze. “S-Sensei… I—”

“Again.” Shinsei’s tone sharpened. “Focus.”

Amane tried once more. Another small fireball, barely larger than before, sputtered against the wall. The class stifled laughter.

Shinsei’s voice cut through the noise, low and commanding.
“Do you think the Serpent will wait for you to chant pretty words? Do you think a weak spark will stop a fanatic with a blade at your throat?”

His words cracked like a whip. Amane flinched.

Shinsei stepped forward, his presence suffocating, his crimson eyes burning.
“Imagine this, Amane. Behind that wall is a Serpent agent. He has your family bound and gagged. Every second you hesitate, he carves another piece of them away. What do you do?”

Amane’s breath quickened. His hands shook. “I… I don’t…”

Shinsei roared, the sound echoing like a battlefield commander.
“Then stop being a child! Stop being a spoiled brat and—FIRE!”

Something inside Amane snapped. His circle flared, larger than ever before. With a primal cry, he hurled it forward.

BOOOOM!

The fireball exploded, engulfing the far wall in searing heat. The barrier runes flickered wildly, unable to contain the blast. Stone shattered, debris raining down as a gaping hole tore through the classroom wall.

Gasps erupted. Students fell back, eyes wide in shock. The noise drew others from neighboring rooms, teachers rushing to see the destruction. Even Headmaster Tachibana looked on from the corridor, his eyes narrowing in surprise.

Smoke filled the room, the stench of scorched stone heavy in the air. And in the middle of it all stood Amane—chest heaving, sweat dripping, but alive. Stronger.

The boy who had been a timid weakling only moments ago had unleashed a spell beyond anything he’d imagined.

Shinsei regarded him with a cold nod. “That… is the strength you should have shown from the start. Never forget it. In war, hesitation kills.”

The class sat stunned. For the first time, they looked at their new teacher not with contempt—but with fear, and perhaps respect.

Yet at the back, Reika Kurogami narrowed her eyes, her lips pressed thin. She refused to yield. “It was a fluke. He’s still unfit to teach us.”

Shinsei said nothing. He simply turned his back, as if her words were beneath him.

High above, on a rooftop overlooking the academy, a shadow watched. Cloaked in darkness, a man smirked as he observed the shattered classroom wall. His eyes gleamed with crimson hunger.

“I knew you’d be interesting, Tendou-sensei.”

The Serpent had found its prey.