Chapter 07 Unlocking New Power

The sphere of annihilation ripped from his palm with the force of multiple sonic booms, tearing a burning path through the air. But halfway to its target, something happened. The raging orange of the fireball flickered, stuttered, and then transformed, its core igniting into a brilliant blue color.

It was no longer a Tier-1 spell. In his desperate, all-or-nothing rage, Enji had unknowingly broken through to Tier-2.

The detonation was insane.

 The entire back wall of the training room vaporized in a silent flash before the sound wave hit, blowing it outward into a cloud of smoke. A river of molten floor stretched from Enji's feet to the epicenter, glowing with intense heat. The concussive force lifted everyone present—Enji's buddies, a few other training students—and hurled them through the air like dry leaves in a hurricane.

Enji collapsed to his knees, gasping, his body drained of every drop of mana. He was empty. But as he stared at the devastation, at blue embers still dancing in the air, a wild, triumphant grin split his exhausted face.

In that moment, he didn't care if he had killed Shota or not.

He had done it. He had unlocked Blue Flame. A tier 2 magic.

The dust began to settle. The back half of the training room was simply gone, open now to the academy grounds beyond. The floor was a river of bubbling, cooling lava, and from the mangled ceiling, droplets of molten red metal dripped and sizzled into the slag below.

Shota stood in the center, untouched. He looked slowly from left to right, taking in the apocalyptic scene with the same detached interest one might give a messy room.

 "Man, what a mess. I hope I don't need to clean this."

Enji, still on his knees, froze. It wasn't just mana deficiency that locked his joints; it was sheer, uncomprehending shock. That his ultimate attack, his moment of glorious breakthrough, had been met with... annoyance about housekeeping.

A fresh wave of rage, fueled by pure spite, pushed him to his feet. He swayed, grunting, and pointed a trembling finger at Shota. 

"Oi! Damn Extra! Don't think I'm done with you! I can still—"

His threat was cut off by the sound of the training room's intercom, followed by Instructor Arata's voice.

"GOD DAMN IT! I left you alone for a few minutes and you already destroyed half of the building! I don't know if I should feel proud of you getting stronger or kick your ass for causing this much trouble! Anyway, clean that mess! All of you! NOW!"

As Shota let his barrier fade and stepped carefully over the cooling, cracked lava, the main door to the ruined training room slid open.

Mirai stood there, a melon bun held in each hand. Her eyes swept over the war zone—the vaporized wall, the groaning students, the molten ceiling, and a trembling, exhausted Enji.

Her gaze instantly locked onto Shota, her face lit up with a brilliant, adoring smile. She completely ignored the devastation and skipped through the rubble as if it were a field of flowers.

"Sho-kun! Look what I got you!" she shouted, waving one of the melon buns.

 "Your favorite snack! I knew you'd be hungry after all your... standing around."

She popped to a stop right in front of him.

 "Let's go to the main gates and enjoy them! We don't want to be late for patrol~!"

She looped her arm through his, possessively pulling him away from the scene without a single glance back at the destruction. To her, the only thing that mattered was that her Sho-kun was safe, wonderfully gloomy, and now had a snack.

"I said, it's not over, you damn Extra! Running away!? And here I thought you were at least not a coward!"

Mirai, who had been cheerfully pulling Shota toward the exit, stopped. Her entire demeanor shifted in an instant. The playful skip in her step froze. She slowly turned her head over her shoulder, just enough for Enji to see her face.

Her eyes, which moments before had been sparkling with joy, were now flat and cold. Her face was shadowed, all traces of her smile gone.

She walked up to Enji and whispered in his ear.

"Hey, Enji-kun. What part did you not understand when I told you that Sho-kun is mine? Since seems like you're an idiot, I will say it one more time. Keep your hands off my Sho-kun, or I will kill you myself. Now, be a good boy and clean up this mess."

Her gaze held his for a second longer, a silent promise of consequences if he pushed further. Then, she turned back to Shota, her cheerful mask instantly snapping back into place as if it had never slipped.

"Now, where were we?" 

With that, she pulled Shota through the doorway and slammed the ruined door shut behind them. Mirai, still holding his arm, gently pressed the warm melon bun against his cheek.

"Here you go~! Eat up, eat up! You must be tired from all that standing while you waited for me to return. See? I remembered your favorite. You’re so quiet, Sho-kun. It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything. I like it this way. It’s like we’re the only two people in the whole world."

 Her smile was wide, her eyes sparkling with a private, manic joy.

Shota took the bun.

 "...Thanks, Mirai-chan. I don't know what I would do without you."

She giggled.

 “I’d burn the whole world down if it meant I could keep you all to myself. Just you and me, forever. Wouldn’t that be perfect?”

He began walking toward the main gates, chewing slowly. Mirai skipped to keep up, linking her arm with his and pressing herself against his side.

“You’re my friend, Mirai-chan. You don't have to burn anything."

She rested her head on his shoulder as they walked, a wide, ecstatic smile on her face that he couldn’t see. He didn’t pull away, but he didn’t lean in either. He was just… there. A statue for her to decorate with her dangerous, devoted love. 

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Instructor Arata stood at the main gates, his arms crossed, watching the students.

"Your free time is up! Time for patrol! All ready?! Good! Follow me!"

He turned and started walking, not bothering to check if they were keeping up.

"Our patrol route today is the Western Musashino Upland Perimeter! We'll start at Ogawa Pond, head up the trails into the Tama Hills, and loop back along the Kanda River headwaters!"

He gestured vaguely westward, towards the distant, forested hills that formed Tokyo's border.

"This is one of the most remote sectors inside the Barrier. It's where the urban grid ends and the wilderness begins. The terrain is rough, sightlines are poor, and the population is thin! Good chance we find trouble there! If something's going to slip through a crack or manifest from residual mana, it'll be out here. It's quiet, but don't let your guard down. Quiet is when you get sloppy, and sloppy gets you dead. Now keep up!"

After an hour of marching, Instructor led them to a small, scenic clearing overlooking the Otama Gorge.

"Alright, halt! Great job, all this walking and not even one of you passed out yet. Consider me mildly impressed. You've earned a twenty-minute break. Drink some water. Stretch. After that, we head back to the academy. And be responsible. Don't wander off. This isn't a park; it's the border. Don't become a victim when you're trying to be pro wizards! That would be embarrassing!"

The class scattered into small groups. Some collapsed on the grass, gulping from their water bottles. Others leaned against trees, rubbing their sore legs.

Mirai, of course, remained stuck to Shota's side like possessive glue, steering him toward a spot at the edge of the clearing. 

"Look at the view, Sho-kun! So peaceful, just for us."

From across the clearing, Enji sat on a rock, not drinking, not resting. His eyes were fixed on Shota, smoldering with a fresh, bitter anger. Tiny, uncontrolled sparks of orange flame crackled at his fingertips, fury he was barely containing. The humiliation in the training room was a fresh, open wound, and the sight of Shota's passive face was like salt being ground into it.

Mirai pouted playfully. 

"Just by looking at you I got so thirsty! I'm going to find us a couple of water bottles, okay? I'll be right back. Don't you go anywhere without me, Sho-kun!"

 "...I won't."