2-6: My best friend...and my worst nightmare

“How did it sound?”

“Try shouting the last four seconds.”

“What if someone else hears me…”

“Don’t worry, I put some mantles on the window and door.”

“I wonder if that actually cancels the sound…”

After that day teaching songs to Fran we started meeting every single time we weren’t busy. He learned really fast, so we spent most of the time trying to correct any mistake he made during the adaptation of the songs. It didn’t help that I tried to sing what I could remember. Still, we actually got some good results.

“I think the class will start soon.”

“That’s a shame…”

“Don’t worry, we can meet after classes.”

“I thought you liked using that time practicing performances.”

“I wanna finish this song. We live in the same room so this isn’t a real problem.”

“R-Right.”

“Okay then, let’s go to the classroom.”

“Go first, I want to clean the place.”

“Okay, see ya.”

I headed to the classroom where our next class started. I was thinking about how we could make a better adaptation of the song we were playing, but my ideas were interrupted by a quick object that almost reached my nose.

“Huh?!”

I took a step back and tried to look at the place from where it came, but it was the window.

“A large distance shot?”

That didn’t explain what that was, but I got my answer after looking at the wall where that mysterious projectile impacted.

“An arrow…with a note?”

It felt like I was receiving a message from a ninja or a samurai, but I know I didn’t bother any of them. I guess the only way to know what was happening was reading the note.

“Please don’t be a bomb.”

I picked the note and started reading a short but scary message.

“I’m ready for our next bet…”

That only could mean a thing…and I don’t like what it was.

“...”

For now, I can only go to the last class of the day…and think of a strategy…

“...Maybe I can make them bounce…”

“Thomas! Pay attention!”

“...”

“I don’t know why I’m even triying…”

Instead of paying attention as I usually do in the classes that aren’t about magic formulas, I was totally immersed in my own world, trying to figure out how to get the best result in what I was about to live.

I was so immersed that I didn’t notice when the bell that indicated the end of the day sounded.

“If someone has a question, I’m gonna be here after classes, so don’t hesitate.”

“...”

“Can someone please do something with him?”

“Leave it to me.”

Fran dragged me while I was distracted thinking about my own things. I only reacted when the sun reflected on a window reached my eyes.

“Ouch.”

“You were distracted the whole class, something happened?”

“It’s just…Wait! There's no time!”

“Huh?”

I grabbed Fran’s hand and started running to our room. Maybe I can manage this alone, but I can’t let him be involved.

“What are you doing?!”

“Look, I can’t explain right now! We need to reach the room and-.

My words were interrupted when another projectile almost reached my nose. This time it wasn’t an arrow, it was tinier and metallic.

“Crap…”

“What was that?!”

Fran tried to pick up the tiny projectile, but I quickly dragged him to the opposite direction. Right now we needed a place full of people.

“If we can reach the courtyard, we’re gonna be safe.”

“What do you mean?”

“She cares about her public image.”

“That doesn’t explain anything!”

“Just trust in me!”

We moved fast to the stairs trying to not be close to a window, but I noticed that our escape was impossible.

“Using that exit means being exposed for a second...”

“You can’t find a blind spot with your magic?”

“She knows how to disable my strings…I could make the projectiles bounce, but I could reach someone else by accident.”

“...I know, let’s use the other exit.”

“Huh? Why?”

“The exit leads to an empty place, there you can defend without harming someone else.”

“Great idea!”

As Fran suggested, we headed to the opposite direction, reaching the zone usually used for the Physical Education class. It was empty, so I prepared mana for an emergency.

“Now we have to wait…”

“Now can you explain to me what is happening?”

“How can I say it?…Someone is trying to kill me.”

“Why?!”

“I don’t know.”

“Is someone from our class?”

“No, she started chasing me even before, it’s-.”

I quickly stopped talking and created a wall with mana that catched the projectile and made it bounce like a trampoline would do with a person.

“She finally got a good angle…”

“What are those things?”

Fran now was able to see what was being used for attacking us, but obviously he didn’t recognize the tiny projectile.

“Those are bullets.”

“Bullets?”

“They are tinier than an arrow, but more dangerous.”

“What can we do then?”

“Luckily, we just need to wait, they are not infinite.”

“That’s good…”

“But it would be a problem if we’re attacked with something els-”

My fears became true when a mana sphere quickly approached us.

“Cover your eyes!”

“Got it!”

Somehow we managed to cover our eyes before the ball exploded, generating light. We could end up blinded for a while if we were just a little slower.

“What was that?!”

“Ugh…”

My patience was over, so I just screamed trying to reach her with my voice.

“Cloe! Using flashbangs is excessive! There’s someone with me!”

But she didn’t answer me, she was too far away to hear my voice. Fran on the other hand tried to think of a solution.

“Can you do the same thing you did against that guy?”

“Using curses causes a mental stress that prevents me from using any other technique. If I try to use them we would be exposed.”

“Dang it…”

“My normal techniques aren’t made for long distance fights, and she can predict the bullets after bouncing…We need other things.”

“...I know something…But I need an instrument…”

“Leave it to me.”

Before Cloe could start to use something dangerous, I carefully modified a huge mana pile, trying to do everything in the most perfect way that was possible.

“It’s ready?”

“Almost…There you go, use magic for visualizing mana.”

Fran listened to me and used the spell I told him. He was surprised after noticing a violin made with mana.

“Woah.”

“It’s not perfect, you can use it anyways?”

“I can try, but I can’t promise anything.”

Fran prepared for something, and before I could notice it, the violin got destroyed.

“Dang it, I did a bad imitation…”

“It’s not that, I think it just broke after the first attack.”

“What do you mean?”

Suddenly, the bullets stopped. I didn’t understand what happened, so I tried asking Fran.

“What did you do?”

“The formulas aren’t the only way to use magic. After visualizing a musical sheet, I can transform that melody into an attack.”

“That’s awesome…But, why didn't I hear anything?”

“I managed to send the full attack to the place the shots were coming from.”

“That sounds like something that requires a lot of control.”

“...I guess I’m good at managing the music…”

“Now we could-.”

I looked to the front, and something was slowly approaching.

“It’s her.”

“A direct fight?!”

“No…”

Cloe was holding a white flag and having difficulties walking. It was obvious that she was totally defeated. While I was paying attention to that, Fran noticed the buttons of her uniform.

“Is someone from the advanced class?!”

“Huh, yeah.”

“...I attacked a superior…”

“Calm down, it’s just a different class, and she isn’t the type who takes revenge.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, she just-.”

My response was interrupted when something tough hitted my head. It was Cloe the one who attacked, and immediately after, screamed.

“Why do you have someone with you?!”

“You attacked first!”

“I thought you were the type without friends! I have an image!”

“If you care about your image you wouldn’t use mana guns inside the academy!”

“You know I modify my bullets to not be lethal!”

“A fracture still hurts!”

“Then ignore the pain!”

“You're being-.”

“Umm…”

Our discussion was interrupted by Fran’s confusion. He probably had a lot of questions.

“What is that? Your assistant?”

“I-I’m Thoma’s friend.”

“...Greetings, My name is Cloe.”

“You don’t have to pretend.”

“Shut up.”

Trying to not make everything more confusing, I tried to explain everything.

“She is Cloe, a childhood friend, and a crazy girl.”

“Hey.”

“If she’s your friend, what was all that?”

“She loves attacking me.”

“That’s not true! You’ve been ignoring me since the classes started. I felt alone.”

“You could just talk with people from your class.”

“They’re so boring. I tried to talk with them but they only know about study.”

“That’s not my problem.”

“You promised to be in the advanced class!”

“I studied every single theme, you know I’m not good with normal magic.”

“I prepared some cheat spells for that!”

“Why would I risk my entry with that?!”

“...Ahem…”

“...Right. She shouldn’t be a bother for now, she knows how to accept defeat."

“That doesn’t count, I wasn’t waiting for a sound attack.”

“...Can I ask Cloe something?”

“Uh? Yeah, I attacked you too, so I guess I owe you this.”

“Then…what was that magic?”

“Firearm magic.”

“Firearms…?”

“It’s like using an arrow or a crossbow but with explosive power. For the weapon I modify the shape of my mana. Probably you have already seen Kazu doing that.”

“...Kazu?”

“I like people I trust to call me that way.”

“I see…So you teach him everything?”

“Actually, it was the opposite…He was even the one who taught me how to modify my mana in such a strange way.”

“...”

Frank looked at me with a face that could only be described as “Perplexed”.

“Why did you teach her something so dangerous…?”

“I didn’t want to…”

I explained to him that one day she became strangely competitive and at the same time, very sickly. Remember she paid for 40% of my matriculation? At some point we started doing bets where she offered a lot of money. I was unable to pay the times I lost, so instead, I taught her how to use a magic she saw me using one time.

“Wait, you’re able to use those firearms too?”

“Not exactly. I tried that, but I noticed how inefficient it was so I abandoned the idea.”

“Inefficient?”

“Maybe she can make a firearm, but the bullets are real. She’s able to pay for them so she’s the only one who practiced that kind of attack. She even made some spells on her own.”

“That’s impressive.”

“I thought the same the first time.”

At first she was unable to do the things I could do, but every day her body started to generate more and more mana and she refined the control of it until she was able to modify the shape without losing strength. I never got an explanation about how it happened, she always says “Are you really asking me this?”.

“I guess I’ve explained enough.”

“...You forgot to explain how you know that firearm thing.”

“Ah…that…”

“He’s not gonna answer. He always avoids that question.”

“I see…”

“You’re not gonna insist?”

“I don’t wanna be a nuisance…”

“You’re not a nuisance.”

“By the way.”

I thought we would be free, but she wanted to say something else.

“Your prize for winning this time.”

“Are you both still doing bets?”

“She loves doing that. I’ve already given up on stopping her.”

“Ahem, I have some interesting information, let’s meet in your room in two hours.”

“Fran also lives there.”

“He can assist.”

We separated after that to rest and wait for the reunion. Fran had the same curiosity I had, so we prepared for anything.