Chapter 06 The Life of a Pro Wizard

The rest of the examinations passed in a blur for Shota. He sat in silence, a statue of gloom while the remaining students were called forward. One by one, their results—Tier-1, Tier-1, Power F—flashed on the screen, each one a dull echo in the static-filled chamber of his mind.

Mirai didn't bother watching other students. Instead, she had shifted her entire body in her seat to face Shota. Her chin propped in her hands, head tilted as if she were gazing at the most beautiful, fascinating thing in the world.

A soft, hungry smile graced her lips. Her eyes held a different emotion—a deep, unsettling desire. Her eyes traced the lines of his downcast face, the slump of his shoulders, the way his hands lay limp in his lap. She seemed to be memorizing every detail of his suffering, cherishing it. She was in love with the beautiful, silent tragedy of him.

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Finally, the last student was done. Instructor gave the class one last sweeping look.

"The test is done. You have one hour of free time. Do as you please. Use the training room, go explore the campus, I don't care. But remember, everyone gathers at the main gates in exactly one hour. We're going on patrol. I'll show you what a day in the life of a pro wizard is really like. Don't. Be. Late!"

With that final command, he left the room.

As the others filed out, Mirai didn't move. She waited until they were nearly alone before she slid into the seat closer to him, leaning in until her lips touched his ear.

"Don't listen to a single word they say, my precious Sho-kun. They're all just blind. You are absolutely perfect exactly as you are. So beautiful. That beautiful, unique power... it's all yours. And I'm the only one who truly sees it. The only one who sees you. You don't need to change a single, lovely thing."

She pulled back just enough to see his face.

 "And you know... that nickname... 'Ultra Extra'... It's actually so cool. That Enji might be an idiot, but he has a good sense for pro wizard names. It suits you. Something only you have."

Shota didn't even turn his head. His response was a hollow exhale of sound, devoid of any feeling.

 "Yeah. Whatever. I don't really care about pro wizard nicknames."

The absolute void in his voice, the total detachment—it was too much for her. A wave of overwhelming euphoria crashed over her. Her breath hitched, her chest growing tight. A furious, hot blush exploded across her cheeks, and she quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, but it couldn't hide the wide, trembling, ecstatic smile that split her face. Her eyes rolled back for a blissful second, her entire body shuddering with the intensity of her delight.

"Oh, yes! That's it! That's the sound! That perfect, beautiful emptiness! I love it! I LOVE YOU!"

She shot to her feet, needing to move, to release the energy coursing through her.

"H-Hey, Sho-kun," she stammered while fighting to control her glee, "Is it alright if I leave you for a moment? I'm going to the cafeteria. Looking at you... I just got so... so hungry. Want me to bring you anything?"

Shota's gaze remained fixed on nothing. 

"No. I'm fine. I'll be waiting here."

She left the training room, a giggle of pure, unhinged joy finally escaping her as the door swung shut behind her.

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Instructor Arata stood in the principal's office.

 "My new class has a few promising students. The Osanai girl, that hot-headed Enji kid. They might go pro."

"Good. We need every capable hand we can get. So, is there anything else? Or did you come just to brag."

"No. That's not why I'm here. One of them... we got a reading. UR-Tier. Barrier Magic. Unfortunately, his power at 0."

Principal, who had been looking at reports, slowly set them down. 

"Barrier Magic? UR?" 

He stood and walked to the window, staring out at the golden dome that covered Tokyo.

 "Arata... you know the state of The Eternal Veil. The Tokyo Barrier. The cracks are no longer just theoretical. The council's analysts give it a year, maybe two, before it starts to fail."

"I'm aware."

"We've been searching for a decade for someone with that specific affinity, someone who could... restore it. To find one now, in a first-year student... Keep a very close eye on him. You need to help him grow in power. He might be the one we will use to restore it."

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The training grounds were mostly empty. Shota stood in a corner, staring at his hands, trying to unsee the blood. The world was still a muffled, grey place.

The silence was shattered by a familiar, explosive laugh.

"Look what we found, guys! The Ultimate Extra, practicing how to stand still!"

Enji swaggered into the area, followed by his two lackeys. His palms were already smoking with the heat of recently used fire magic.

"You know. I was just thinking. My fireballs are burning through the practice dummies too easy. It's boring. And you... you need to train your barriers, right? That's your whole thing."

He formed a small, flickering ball of flame in his hand, tossing it up and down.

"So, I'm here to help. Think of it as a charity service. I'll provide the firepower, and you provide the target. All you have to do is your specialty: stand still and take the hit. Just like you always do, Ultra Extra-kun! You're a Barrier user, right? You need to train. I'm being generous here. Let me help you."

His friends chuckled behind him. Enji no longer pretended this was about training. This was about humiliation, about proving his dominance over the strange, quiet boy who had dared to reject him.

Shota's eyes slid towards Enji. He had nothing better to do while waiting. A part of him was curious.

 "Fine... Got time to kill until Mirai-chan returns. I'm game."

"That's more like it! You're not a coward after all. I can respect that!"

Shota walked to the far end of the range. He lifted a hand with a sigh. A flimsy-looking, pale blue barrier wobbled into existence around him.

One of Enji's buddies laughed. 

"The heck is that? It's wobbling like jelly! One good sneeze and it'll pop!"

"Here I come, Ultra Extra! Take this! FIREBALL!"

A burning sphere of orange flame, larger and hotter than any he'd used on the dummies, screamed across the range. It struck the center of the wobbling blue bubble.

There was no explosion of force, no shattering of barrier. It simply... flattened against the bubble's surface for a fraction of a second before detonating into a completely harmless, silent confetti of fading orange sparks. The blue bubble didn't even flicker.

 Enji's triumphant grin froze, then slowly melted into annoyance. His two friends stared, their mouths agape.

Inside the barrier, Shota hadn't moved a muscle. He watched the last few embers drift to the floor, his expression unchanged. It was as if a fly had buzzed too close and then vanished.

 "I'm ready, Enji-kun. We can begin."

Enji's face twisted into pure, unadulterated fury. The tone in that calm statement was a thousand times worse than any insult.

"BEGIN?! WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED, YOU ZOMBIE! TAKE THIS FOR SIZE! FIREBALL BARRAGE BLITZ!"

He unleashed his fury. Fireballs erupted from his hands in an uncontrolled stream. They flew wildly all over the place.

Then, with a final, guttural roar, Enji slammed his palms together.

 "DIE, TRASH! ATOMIC BLAZE GRANADE!"

Every single fireball suddenly changed direction, all flying straight at Shota at once. They hit his barrier in a huge, continuous explosion of fire. Shota vanished in a huge, continuous explosion. A dome of orange and yellow fire completely swallowed the blue bubble, the heat so intense the air itself seemed to warp.

The smoke cleared.

Shota stood exactly where he had been. The pale blue barrier around him hadn't so much as flickered. The floor around him was scorched black.

He looked at Enji with his hollow eyes, no anger, nothing.

"...Oh, I see. Tell me when you're done, Enji-kun."

Enji snapped. 

 "Oh, you'll see when I'm done with you, alright! I'll show you my strongest attack! Since you're so tough, NO HOLDING BACK!"

He thrust his arm forward, palm open. A single, tiny ember popped to life above his hand. It began to spin, slowly at first, then faster and faster, sucking the very heat from the air. It grew, not just in size, but in density, transforming from a ball of flame into a miniature, white-hot sun. 

His two buddies jumped backward, putting as much distance as they could between themselves and the spell.

The heat was immense. The walls of the training room, specifically designed to withstand millions of degrees Celsius, began to glow a dull red. Then, the metal started to sag, bending inward before melting entirely, dripping down in glowing, molten tears like lava.

Enji ignored it all. Veins bulged on his forehead and neck. 

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" he screamed, pouring every last drop of his mana, his pride, his very soul into the attack. He pushed past his limits.

Then, with a roar that tore his throat raw, he unleashed it.

"SUPER ATOMIC FIREBALL EXPLOSION BURSTOOOOOOOOOOOOO! WRAAAAAAAAAAAA! TAKE THAT, YOU DAMN ULTRA EXTRA TRASH! AAAAAAAAAA!"