Chapter 9: Kanata-Origins

Two days had passed since the chaos at Tokyo Magic Academy.
Tendou Kanata still hadn’t opened his eyes.

At home, the air was heavy with quiet concern. The smell of dinner filled the house as Naomi Kaname and Haqua moved through the kitchen, while Nagisa sat by Kanata’s bedside, her head resting on her folded arms. She hadn’t left his side once since he returned.

“Nagisa-nee, dinner’s ready,” Haqua called softly from the hallway.

Nagisa didn’t answer. Her gaze remained fixed on her sleeping brother, her hand gently brushing the edge of the blanket.
She knew the truth—the boy lying before her wasn’t just her brother anymore. He was a vessel. A risk.
But even then, to her, he was still Kanata.

“…I’ll be there in a minute,” she finally said, standing up with quiet resolve.

The next morning, a gentle knock echoed at the door.

Outside stood Celestine Vairne, holding a basket of fruit and medicine.
But before she could knock again, another familiar figure appeared at the gate—Shiranui Itsuha, her long crimson hair tied in a fiery ponytail.

Their eyes met instantly.

“Tch.”

“Celestine. What are you doing here?” Itsuha asked, arms crossed.

“I came to check on Kanata. What about you?”

“M-Me? I-I just came to… see Nagisa! Obviously! Why would I care about that idiot?”

Celestine smiled faintly.

“Shiranui-san, there’s no need to lie. You came to visit him too, didn’t you?”

“I told you already—I didn’t!”

Celestine tilted her head, eyes glancing toward the basket Itsuha was holding.

“Then why are you carrying enough food and medicine to treat a small hospital?”

Itsuha froze. Her face turned bright red.

“Th-that’s not…! I-It’s just coincidence, okay?! Don’t make it weird!”

“Of course.” Celestine’s calm smile made her squirm even more.
“You’re free to… coincidentally bring them inside.”

Before Itsuha could snap back, the front door slid open.
Haqua stood there, holding a tray.

“Ah! You two must be Kanata’s friends. Please, come in! Grandma’s expecting you.”

The two witches exchanged awkward glances before entering the house. Moments later, Naomi Kaname walked in, her presence instantly commanding the room.
Both witches stood up instinctively and bowed.

“No need for that,” Kaname said gently. “Relax. Treat this place like your own home.”

“We… came to check on Kanata,” Celestine said politely.
“Is he doing any better?”

“He’s resting,” Kaname replied. “That’s all that matters for now.”

Just then, the doorbell rang again.
Rio Tanaba stood outside, clutching a small bag of snacks.

“Ah, excuse me… I wanted to visit Kanata too.”

Kaname’s golden eyes softened.

“You weren’t affected by my sealing magic, were you?”

Rio scratched his head.

“Apparently not. My grandfather gave me this talisman… it protects me from memory magic.”

Kaname took the charm and examined it briefly. Her expression turned nostalgic.

“So it’s him… I see.”
“You know my grandfather?”

“Of course. He was one of the strongest mages I ever met. He taught me what it means to live—and what the future truly costs.”

Rio smiled faintly, relief washing over him.

As tea was poured and everyone gathered around, Shiranui Itsuha finally broke the silence.

“Naomi-sama… can I ask something?”

“Go ahead.”

“That arm… Kanata’s right arm. Why does he have the arm of the black dragon Obsidian?”

The room fell silent.

Kaname’s gaze dropped to the table for a moment before she spoke, her voice calm but heavy.

“You all call me ‘grandmother,’ but the truth is… I am Kanata’s great-aunt. His mother was my younger sister, Naomi Alyana—one of Nevantrax’s finest medical sorcerers. She married a man named Steve, an elite battle mage. Together, they had one child.”

She paused, eyes distant.

“That child was named Tendou Kanata.”

Kaname continued, her tone deepening as old memories returned.

“They lived peacefully in a small village—until Obsidian appeared.”

The listeners froze. Even Itsuha and Celestine felt the pressure of the name alone.

“Obsidian reduced the entire village to ash. Steve fought bravely, but nothing could harm that monster. By the time I arrived, he was already dying.
Alyana tried to save him… but his wounds were beyond healing.”

Her hands trembled slightly as she spoke.

“With his last breath, Steve unleashed his life energy in a final explosion. It wounded the dragon—but not enough. Obsidian regenerated and turned on Kanata, who was still an infant.”

Itsuha bit her lip.

“Then…?”

Kaname closed her eyes.

“Alyana made her choice.”

‘Forgive me, Kaname,’ she had said.
‘It seems I must do this.’

Kaname’s memory of that moment burned vividly.

“I told her not to. I begged her not to do it. But she smiled… and began her incantation.”

Her voice grew distant, repeating the words her sister once spoke:

“O darkness dwelling within my child’s blood,
hear the final voice of my heart.
I do not come to destroy you,
but to let you sleep in eternal peace.
If the price of that peace is my life,
then let my soul become your seal.
Sleep, black dragon who roars within him…
let me be the final chain that binds you.
<Abyss Requiem – Kuro Ryū no Fūin>!”

A hush fell over the room.

“She succeeded in sealing Obsidian,” Kaname whispered. “But his soul… it entered Kanata. His body became the vessel, and that’s why his right arm transformed into a dragon’s.”

Celestine lowered her head.

“So his mother gave her life for him…”

“Yes. And before Nevantrax’s elite could arrive, I erased all traces of their existence.”

Kaname’s eyes glowed faintly with power.

“<Eternal Oblivion>—a forbidden spell that rewrites history.
In this world, Alyana, Steve, and even their village never existed. Kanata was recorded as a child orphaned by Obsidian’s rampage.”

Itsuha clenched her fists.

“So that’s why you protect him so fiercely…”

“Because if Nevantrax ever learns the truth,” Kaname said grimly, “they’ll hunt him down. They’ll see him not as human—but as a remnant of the dragon.”

The room fell into heavy silence. Then, softly, each of them spoke in unison.

“We’ll keep this secret.”

Kaname smiled faintly, though sorrow lingered in her eyes.

“Thank you. I’m counting on you all.”

After a moment, Celestine raised her hand.

“Naomi-sama… what exactly is Nevantrax?”

Kaname leaned back, her tone easing slightly.

“Nevantrax is the birthplace of true magic. A parallel realm where time flows differently—one year there equals a decade here. Many of us left because that world no longer feels alive.”

“So that’s why so many witches prefer living among humans,” Celestine murmured.

Kaname nodded.

“Precisely. Magic has meaning only when it’s used to protect, not rule.”

From the hallway, Nagisa emerged, stretching sleepily after a long night beside Kanata.
Her eyes met Itsuha’s for a brief moment—cold, distant, unreadable.

Itsuha looked away first, pretending not to care.
Haqua, watching the exchange, tilted her head in confusion.

“…Why does it feel like they’re ignoring each other?”

Kaname chuckled softly, hiding her concern behind a serene smile.

“Because some things,” she said quietly, “are better left unsaid—for now.”

As the night deepened, a quiet calm settled over the Tendou household.
But beneath that peace, the truth had finally been revealed—
and the storm surrounding Tendou Kanata had only just begun.